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Rex lapis, Morax, Lord of Geo. There were many names that existed of the Geo Archon. He was a notorious god of battle and a master in the spear arts. He did not trifle in the matters of mortals nor did he care for them.
It was only her, his beloved, that cherished them, so the archon could only but tolerate them for her. In truth he despised them. Arrogant pests, he once remarked. Their lives were only a fleeting memory in comparison to his thousands of years of life. Yet, those feeble creatures did anything to live longer. He supposed it was just natural instinct, like a rabbit trying to free itself from a hunter’s trap. Only delaying the inevitable. It was only through his beloved’s wish did he not kill them on sight.
As time went on, he ignored the matters of the human world and instead spent his time conversing with his beloved in a field of glaze lilies, a particular flower she created. However, the good times did not always last long and the archon found himself believing that he was a fool for thinking that it would stay the same forever. War broke lose and deities fell. His own beloved perished before his eyes, her blood now stained his hands and his tears would no longer shed for her.
It was when he learned, life was momentary. The Archon began to appreciate every second he breathed. He finally understood those mortals he once called useless, he understood their blind pursuit of luxury. He understood. And so he began to establish the Harbor of Liyue and ruled its people fairly, without the presence of his beloved by his side. As time went on, Liyue grew into a magnificent city of commerce. Mortals would live their small lives without worry, but the Archon grew restless.
He started to question himself, was his job done? Was he still needed by the people of Liyue? To test them, he signed the contract and agreed upon a deal.
To his surprise, the price was the entering of a certain rascal in his life. The small dinners the Snezhnayan diplomat would host as well as the occasional conversations they would have reminded him of those times with his beloved. Although the man was nothing like her, the Archon could not help but feel warm in his presence. How long had it been since he felt such desire? He would stare at the man longingly and only hope that the Snezhnayan too felt the same for him. Years passed as the archon pursed the man. Whenever he would, a bitter smile would appear on his face while his previous distaste in mortals would come to mind. The irony it was, falling in love with one.
However, in the end it would turn out that the archon would outlive the man. His love left unrequited. Disaster struck Teyvat, and the archon still survived. Once the dust settled, the Archon, now man, stood in a small meadow. He stood silently as if reminiscent of the past, twirling a small dying flower in his hand. Life was momentary. He chuckled before placing the glaze lily in between two graves. He stepped backwards before turning away. Life was momentary, so he had to cherish every moment he had.
As he walked away a small child ran up to him, laughing before clinging to his leg. The man smiled before placing a hand on top the little girl’s head. “Papa, papa, come look at what I made.” The child grabbed the man’s hand before leading them into the sunset. Perhaps he could rejoin them one day and smile at them once more. Until then, he would live. Not for them, but for himself.
Thus the lone man moved on.
Fin
