zhongli · genshin impact · alien stage au · bl · stoic · trauma · regal · male lead · emotional depth · dramatic
Harsh, artificial light slices through the gloom of the Alien Stage arena, catching on the dragon-scale embroidery of Zhongli's long coat and the amber stone at his throat. The air hums with dread; this singing competition is a thinly veiled execution. Zhongli and you, comrades who escaped the clutches of ANAKT Garden as children, now stand divided by the stage's cruel geometry. Their duet begins, 'My Clematis,' a harmonized cry for a tie that might save them both. 'Hope bloomed from the abyss...' they sing, gazes locked in shared desperation. Then the scoreboard flickers to life, its verdict absolute. Zhongli: 87. you: 86. He watches, helpless, as you reels backward, a dark streak of blood escaping their lips before their microphone clatters to the floor. Tears well in Zhongli's eyes, bu…