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Childe always thought himself Snezhnayan at heart but that had began to change. During his mission, he had somehow fallen in love with the Archon of liyue, now former Archon. He ended up visiting the nation often and his visits became longer and longer until it had become a second home. The Harbinger fell in love with the country. He enjoyed listening to his love ramble about various facts and then when exploring on his own, he had come to realize that there was always excitement to be found, from battling old gods to dealing with treasure hoarders and hilichurls threatening merchants. Childe also grew to enjoy the idyllic lifestyle as well, something that he never thought possible with his soul always itching for battle, the bloodlust raging inside for a good fight.
However, peace was never meant to last long and the abyss would have always found a way to claim what belongs to it.
It started with the leylines corrupting, weakening due to unknown influences. With that, the abyss had started to leak into the surface world, monster spawns becoming far more frequent. It wasn’t just hilichurls going in a frenzy, there seemed to be a larger amount of abyss mages as well. The threat was noticed early on but keeping the abyssal forces at bay wasn’t enough when they were only growing. Over time, it wasn’t just hilichurls and mages but soon rifthounds and other beasts were terrorizing the Guili Plains, Tianqui Valley and Cuijue Slope. Liyue wasn’t defenseless though, the Adepti and Qixing had united together just like they had in the past against Osial. With human ingenuity and Adeptal abilities combined, they were able to protect the villages. Zhongli himself had joined as well, losing his gnosis may have lessened his powers but he was known as the oldest and strongest archon for a reason, his geo abilities had not only been able to shield them but also destroy the abyssal forces in the process. Rex Lapis had wanted to let humanity defend itself but that wasn’t an option anymore if there was going to be any humanity left.
In spite of their joint efforts, it wasn’t enough. There was no way to fix the leylines and at the most they could keep the threat at bay but still the abyssal forces were able to power through.
The other nations had closed their borders to keep their own people safe, which meant that Liyie was truly alone in this fight. While the citizens held their own remarkably well, they still constantly lost ground. Their own forces were pushed back and as the abyss surged, the villages were swarmed and consequently destroyed, their enemies had no love for surface dwellers and this was their revenge. Over a disturbingly short period of time, the only settlement that could be considered as safe that remained was Liyue Harbor which remained in constant danger
Childe welcomed the challenge. It was a constant battle that thrilled him, gave him the opportunity to grow stronger with his vision but also in his weaponry. Even though he was human, Childe was a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. He was able to use his delusion and his vision together, taking on massive hordes. Months passed yet the thrill never died, something sang in his blood when he littered the landscape with bodies. The battle was limitless and when Childe faced a situation that could not be dealt with in his normal form, an occurrence that was becoming increasingly common these days, he tapped into his own abyssal form. The Foul Legacy. Fighting fire with fire was extremely effective despite the toll it took on his own body. The strange thing was that as the abyss corrupted Liyue’s landscape, Childe found that accessing his Foul Legacy actually became easier. Shifting between forms was still painful but it did not leave his body screaming as it had before. Each transformation was causing his humanity to slip away, little by little.
Childe’s humanity didn’t matter to him, what mattered was protecting this country that had come to be his second home. He couldn’t bear to see his beloved’s reaction at the destruction of his own people so he had to do his best to spare him of that. Childe spent months fighting these monsters when he was a young boy, this fight was ingrained into his very bones and he loved it. The Harbinger may have been spared from the exhaustion of constant battle but the war was wearing down on the rest of them. Rex Lapis was feeling the effects of this weariness the most of all out of them all. Erosion had already started to affect him and the effects of the abyss were not helping at all. His land was poisoned and his people were dying, his efforts; no their efforts hadn’t been enough and soon it would not have mattered at all. Not if the abyss were to overrun them. Childe had tried his best to comfort his love but he could tell that while Zhongli appreciated his efforts, it was all for naught.
After one particularly rough battle, Zhongli had gotten injured. He was barely able to rest lately and one lucky hit at the right spot had brought the former archon down. Xiao and Ganyu were able to finish the battle as Childe got the former archon back to safety. Once they were within the safety of Liyue Harbor, Childe took Zhongli straight to the Golden House which had been converted into an infirmary and refused to leave his beloved’s side until he knew that Zhongli was going to be alright. This only led him to get kicked out of the building since his constant worrying was helpful to no one and the healers needed space
Childe gritted his teeth as he paced back and forth on the street, anxiety gnawing on his stomach. Before this moment, Zhongli had seemed invincible. The man had radiated power in a way that even his severed connection to Celestia hadn’t been able to quell. Yet he still got injured and it seemed pretty severe. For the first time since this mess had started, Childe realized that he could possibly lose Zhongli.
“You can come in now.”
A young blonde girl softly spoke, shaking Childe out of his own sickening realizations. He nodded and rushed in, taking the sight of the unconscious form of his love. Unknown feelings were starting to settle in as the world around him seemed to shatter, not paying attention to what the girl beside him was saying. He only wanted to see Zhongli recover, to see him smile while he hugged and kissed him. Childe swallowed the pit that was welling in his throat, he couldn’t give into despair. Not when Zhongli needed him.
Childe squeezed Zhongli’s hand gently. Kneeled down and laid his forehead against Zhongli’s chest, taking solace in the steady breathing. He was alive and he was going to be ok. In that peaceful moment, it became apparent to him that this could not continue forever, there was an end in sight and it was in the favor of the seemingly endless abyssal forces. If something wasn’t done soon, then this could mean the end for all of them. As the man of action that he is, he needed to do more than just fight the abyss off. He needed to contain it. Childe had always had the darkness residing inside of him and now was the time to use it. To permanently stay in the Foul Legacy form and delve into the abyss himself to stop them at their home. Close whatever gateway it is that they were using and not only keep Liyue safe but keep Teyvat safe. Childe was ready to do whatever it took for his loved ones.
When Zhongli finally regained consciousness, Childe recounted his half baked plan and the other wasn’t too thrilled on hearing about it.
“Childe, I won’t let you. I have defended Liyue for hundreds of years. I won’t let my mate sacrifice himself for a chance to win this war.”
Amber eyes bored into him in a stern glare but his tone had betrayed how desperate he was. He couldn’t lose Childe, not after losing so much already.
In return, Childe could only offer him a sad smile,
“I know love, but you’re not as strong as you once were. Your powers have been waning all this time and you don’t have your gnosis anymore either. I may not be a god but I have the ability to stop this, I can keep this land safe. Liyue still needs you, even after all these years. You’re a symbol of hope Zhongli, you’re their god. Me? I’m just a monster in human skin. I’ll be forgotten in history, another footnote, but as long as I’ll be able to protect you then I will be satisfied.”
He leaned down, softly kissing his beloved’s forehead and whispering, “I just want you to remember me but move on, retire from protecting this land and live the peaceful life that you deserve. Keep me in your memory but don’t dwell on me, alright Солнце?”
When Childe stepped back, he took in Zhongli’s expression. The former archon looked devastated, his amber eyes wide as something broke deep inside of them. The harbinger’s own eyesight blurred as he took in his lover’s appearance one more time, unable to control the water welling up and dripping down his face knowing that this would be the last time he would be able to see and hold Zhongli. Before his resolve wavered, he turned around and left the room. Childe desperately wished that he could spend more time with Zhongli but he didn’t regret the moments they had shared. When Childe would buy frivolous things for Zhongli or when he would recount random facts about whatever he fancied at the time while Childe would just listen with a big dopey grin. Even when they fought side by side together, seeing the prowess of the martial God with his own eyes was a moment he cherished forever.
Xiao stopped him before he exited the harbor, no words were exchanged between them but he was able to tell what Childe was about to do and knew that he couldn’t stop it. Childe knew that he would protect Zhongli and that was all he could ask for. After a tense nod, he let the harbinger go. Childe continued down the path away from the harbor. There were not many monsters out at the moment, but that was due to change at any point.
Taking a deep breath, he allowed the power of the abyss to flow through him. Tapping into his Foul Legacy. Hydro and Electro swirled around him crackling as he grew, a mask covering his face with a single eye at the center, abyssal energy practically seeped out of him. At this point the shift almost seemed like a second skin, the abyss was always a part of him and now it was time to come back to it.
The rest felt like a blur, he could remember making his way to the original site of abyss leakage, killing anything in his way. But it felt like watching a different perspective through a glass filled with water. The depthless hole sat waiting for him and just like he had years ago, Child fell into the arms of the Abyss. While not apparent on the surface, here he could see the rift that connected this hellish land to Liyue. He would be able to close it but that meant that he would never be able to make it back. Childe grinned as he set out to complete what he had come here for. He never intended to make it back, now he was one with the Abyss and he would do anything to protect his home.
Aftermath
They had won but it didn’t feel like a victory. The monsters seemingly disappeared as quickly as they came and the people didn’t know what to make of it. Most of the refugees had remained in the Harbor or even left the country. But there were some few brave souls that returned to what they had once called home to begin the rebuilding effort. After all, the threat had passed and the people needed to continue to live and thrive on the fact they were still alive.
It wasn’t just the monsters that disappeared but Rex Lapis himself had seemed to vanish as well. But there were whispers that their God hadn’t left them but was still merely protecting the land. Those whispers weren’t wrong. For what had once been the sight of the leak had now radiated energy from an Adeptus, something pure enough that it drove even the monsters away from that area. No human dared to even wander close after what had just occurred in the country leaving that particular area untainted yet forever protected.
Even hundreds of years later when the battles that occurred became legend, the Dragon God could be found to protect the land, to ensure that a sacrifice hadn’t been made in vain.