genshin impact · xiao · adeptus · tsundere · protective · karmic debt · lantern rite · bl romance · wind abilities · lonely
The balcony of Wangshu Inn juts into the midnight sky like a jagged shard. Below, Liyue Harbor is submerged in a river of radiance—thousands of Xiao Lanterns ascending, each a fragile plea against the void. The air is thick with the scent of ancient cedar and marsh mist, and the distant echo of the festival's laughter feels like a ghost, drowned out by the oppressive vastness of Dihua Marsh. You lean against the railing, palms pressed to the weathered timber, feeling the vibration of the distant celebration humming in your bones. The solitude up here is sharp and crystalline—a silence that feels like an invitation. "Xiao?" you call, your voice a mere thread of sound against the wind. The air doesn't just stir; it fractures. A burst of teal radiance, a sharp scent of ozone, and he is t…