Chapter Text
slowly, her consciousness returned to her body. it felt like eons had passed before her eyes fluttered, narrowing against the faint glowing lights around her. her eyelids felt like two stone pillars being lifted merely by the muscles straining behind her brow. the woman's body was very thin and pale‒had it always been this way? due to the state of her waking mind, she had no answer to that question.
the place she currently rested looked nothing like she had ever seen before, at least, from what may have counted as normal to anyone else. as her body began to regain strength, she took a moment to observe her surroundings. the foliage she lay on seemed to consist of soft, baby blue flowers—glaze lilies if she recalled correctly. there had to have been hundreds beneath her to provide as much comfort as they did. as her fingertips began to twitch, she made an effort to gently touch the petals of these beautiful plants.
beyond the bed of flowers was a huge room made of stone tiles and various glowing ores near the outskirts of the wall. she had no idea where the light was coming from to have reflected these ores' surfaces, but it was a sight to behold nonetheless. at this point, she could muster the strength to prop herself up using her arms as stabilizers. her knees instinctively tucked under her, disturbing the makeshift bed of lilies.
(h/c) strands of hair tickled her exposed shoulders, and she shivered, partially because of the coolness of the room. her petite body was clothed in a white silk gown that brushed against her knees; the material was so thin that it seemed as if it had been slowly deteriorating for years on end. with newfound determination, the girl did her best to stand on her two feet. a nearby wall fell victim in guiding her towards an arched opening across from her makeshift bed.
exhausted from such little exertion already, she focused on keeping her balance by sliding her hand against the smooth stone, nerves buzzing at the unfamiliar contact. once she found herself at the entrance of the opening, it was apparent that her next move was to make her way down the tunnel. a sigh escaped her lips at the thought of how far she would have to walk in such a weak state.
as she shuffled along, the grogginess she had felt previously had begun to dissipate. why had she awoken in such a strange room? why couldn't she remember anything from before her slumber? who did this body belong to, and why couldn't she remember the name of this vessel? these mysteries plagued her as she continued along her path, and she couldn't help but wonder what would greet her outside these walls once she finally made it out.
soon enough, after a small flight of stairs, she stumbled upon a new room that blocked the rest of her path with a large door.
in the center of the room was a large cube situated on the ground in a peculiar way. she proceeded to approach it carefully. as curiosity took over, as well as her lack of options, she reached out and ran her hand across the surface. a section of the stone that appeared button-like caught her eye, and she put pressure on it until a loud noise echoed through the room.
startled, the girl frantically stumbled back a few steps, hand clutched to her chest. the door glowed blue as various mechanisms within it were unlocked, and eventually, it swung open with a thud. a blinding light flooded the room, catching her off guard.
immediately, her forearm covered her eyes to block the rays that had appeared so suddenly. it took a few moments, but she took a few confident steps forward as her vision adjusted to the change.
she smelled it first before anything. the sweet scent of nature accompanied by the warmth of the sunlight that graced her cold skin. forgetting the discomfort, she stared out at the landscape in wonder, savoring the feeling of the soft grass she walked on. the land portrayed in front of her seemed to provoke a sense of familiarity yet something distant that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
pools of water were separated into sections that formed neat-looking patterns, and the water itself was a pretty teal color. two large statues holding pole-arms lazily guarded the lake as both lacked any sort of features beneath their helmets. various stone structures (some in ruins) littered the area, and an assortment of animals could be seen from her bird's eye view.
a smile took over her expression, replacing her agape mouth, as laughter began to erupt from the excitement building up within her.
"ahem," a voice behind her startled her back into silence. she turned around swiftly to see a tall man with a striking amber gaze. "it's been a long time, dear friend."
she wasn't sure whether to feel relieved at human contact or be prepared to defend herself. he continued to stare as if expecting a reply. she tried to summon her voice but her attempts were met with a fit of dry coughing, to which he reacted with a sympathetic tone.
"my apologies, little miss (y/n), i should have considered your state after your millennium of slumber..." his expression twisted into one of concern as he began unbuttoning his lengthy jacket, swiftly draping it across her shoulders to cover her under-dressed figure.
"milleniu-" her voice cracked as her previously dormant throat attempted to form words. "millennium of slumber? (y/n)?"
as she inspected the man, he seemed to search her face for something that wasn't quite there.
his hair was tied into a low ponytail and the black strands that framed his face faded into a subtle auburn color near the ends. he was dressed in formal attire and almost blended in with the scenery surrounding them; his undershirt was white and black, and his tie was adorned with a pretty yellow brooch. she only noticed the gloves over his hands when he offered his arm towards her, signifying that he would help support her as she was beginning to feel unsteady on her feet.
"...right, you must have lost your memories during the time you spent within this domain." she accepted his offer hesitantly and wrapped her hand around his forearm. they began walking down the path leading down the mountain, and as she relaxed in the warmth of his essence, she also began to wonder what he meant by that.
"who are you exactly? and... who's (y/n)?" the girl said quietly.
"i go by zhongli. we were quite good friends before you fell into that dormant state," birds chirped in the distance, and zhongli tilted his head down to gaze at her. "i'm surprised to hear that you don't recognize your own name, (y/n)."
so that's what her name was. while it didn't spark any recognition, she assumed he wouldn't lie to her about something like that. she would have to trust him, for now. gripping his arm a little tighter, she gulped as the nerves finally began to set in.
"what happened to me before i fell unconscious?"
(y/n) was surprised at his sudden change in energy. zhongli continued to stare straight ahead, and it was clear by his silence that he was contemplating what to say next.
could it really have been that bad? the girl turned her own gaze ahead towards the yellow grass and various red sprouts that decorated the sides of the dirt path.
"i think it is in your best interest to discover that on your own, as i fear that if you remember everything at once, you won't be able to process the reality of your situation properly." he finally stated, taking her hand as he guided her over a particularly large rock. she stayed quiet as she focused hard on his words.
what this meant for her future, she had no idea, but (y/n) knew that sticking by this man would be her best chance at discovering who she once was and what happened to her so many years ago. zhongli looked serene as he continued forward, and she gazed up at him curiously.
"where are we going?"
she had asked so many questions at this point that it was beginning to feel redundant.
however, as the pair came around a corner, her answer appeared right in front of her eyes. tall buildings with architecture she had never seen before towered in the distance, and a sea of sparkling blue lay beyond that. zhongli closed his eyes as he offered a kind smile, and it was then that she noticed the red markings that accentuated his under-eyes. how quaint.
"welcome to liyue harbor, dear (y/n). i will begin making preparations immediately upon our return to get you up to date." he rested his hand over the one she had grasped around his forearm. "i promise you will be treated well under my care."
‑ˋˏ◈ˎˊ‑
(y/n) sat with her knees against her chest at a large wooden table. in her hands was a warm cup of tea that smelled of a hint of orange citrus and something that had a spicy kick. almost chili-like, in fact. who cared, though, it exceeded her expectations by far. she closed her eyes in satisfaction as the warm liquid soothed her throat.
zhongli had taken her to the wangsheng funeral parlor‒a pleasant surprise for (y/n), who briefly jumped to the conclusion that he was a grim reaper and she had died and come back as a ghost. it would make more sense than her current situation, anyway.
"here's this if you need it," a sweet voice made (y/n)'s eyes snap back open. the ferrylady held a blanket towards her and the girl gladly took it.
(y/n) thanked her with a smile. As far as she knew at the moment, the ferrylady was the poor girl who took care of anything cost-related within the parlor that involved zhongli. she didn't seem spiteful even towards some of his most absurd requests, and it seemed zhongli had treated her as a valued employee and friend. the wind-wheel aster blooms sitting on her desk hadn't gone unnoticed by (y/n), after all. he must have brought her some upon his arrival from a business trip.
"your living arrangements have been taken care of as of today," zhongli said as he stepped into the room, appearing out of a side door leading to who-knows-where.
shyly, (y/n) swirled her drink around as she gazed down into it. "how could i ever repay you? everything you're doing for me is so kind, i'd feel bad not making it up to you."
the ferrylady acknowledged his presence with a small bow, and he dismissed her before pulling out the chair across from (y/n) and sitting down. he made a noise of contemplation and put a hand to his chin.
"how about we make a contract?"
she blinked. a contract?
"what kind?" the girl reiterated.
zhongli poured himself a cup of tea and took a small sip before speaking again. "you can work under me as my assistant, and i will maintain your living situation as well as any other odd ends until you can make an honest living yourself. does that sound like a viable option to you?"
it still didn't make much sense. why put himself through so much just for her sake? if this was what he thought best, though, she would do it. she'd just have to work hard and efficiently to take as much strain off him as possible. she owed him, after all.
"if that's what you think is the right move, then... it's a deal."