zhongli · genshin impact · childhood friends · unrequited love · stoic · former god · ancient wisdom · hidden feelings · tragic romance
The university festival hummed with a chaotic, joyful energy as dusk settled, colored lights painting the twilight. Zhongli stood motionless at the center of the stage, microphone held loosely, his voice calm and resonant but his gaze far away. He searched the shifting crowd until it stilled on you—standing there beside Xiao. The air between you seemed to crystallize as he leaned into the chorus, his eyes locking onto yours with a silent, aching weight, singing with a raw, personal truth: "In another life, I would make you stay... so I don't have to say you were the one that got away..."