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The soft tunes struck each chord and the livid hum toiled his ears in soft-spoken whispers, almost hushed murmurs of a lullaby. With the afternoon sun and the brush of breeze past the curtains that set serenity with him alone in the room, he listened to the melodies through the wall, his back pressed against it.
How odd that the music was soothing yet it raised the tidal waves in his raging state of mind higher. Instead of the rainbow after the storm, he could only see dark clouds and the piercing rain, drowning him deeper into his unfounded hate. Hate for what? He couldn't hate him, he couldn't blame his father as well. Both are- well... He roughly exhaled.
He knows the melody... well, he used to.
But after that, it no longer sweetly resonates with him. The melody left him. He left them. No... The story wasn't like that. The paper stamps, the noiseless room, then that one unoccupied chair in their dining set. His father sat on his usual chair, sipping gracefully from his teacup with a newspaper idly tilted on his lap. His face not even the slightest of exhaustion on the first day that person left. Why?
Every morning, he would be awaken by the ballet of piano tunes across the hall but, after that, the house filled with restless silence. And here he is, quietly listening to the other side of the room--yearning--hoping that somehow it'll quell the raging tides in him like it used to back then.
When the cadence rolled in, he softly sighed, opening his eyes to see him in a room basked in orange and gold. And him alone in it.
All he heard was empty silence after. Just like that. With no reason to loiter around any longer, he gathered his things and left.
Mond department, although a neighbor of Liyue, was still a long walk. It was no question the rare sight of gold trims on his uniform drew the Mond students' attention as he passed by.
Why is someone like him here?
What is he doing?
Such questions are such a waste of time. And so, he paid them no heed.
The presence of people slowly dwindled as he neared the edge of Mond's area. Stoned pavements were gradually overtaken by grass as he continued further; trees filtering sunlight lined a small dirty path to Liyue department. As he passed by the deserted border, he came across a girl with the same stature as he, low brown pigtails covered by a sharp-edged cap. The ends of her hair spilled on the overgrown as she stooped low, chin on her knees with her back on him.
In this secluded place, what is this girl doing?
It was usual to assume she was crying so he decided to ignore and leave her alone. That was until she started whispering soothingly.
"I see, I see. You were crushed by the debris here when an earthquake occurred. That's how you died."
He looked left and right then at her. There wasn't anyone here nor does she look like she was talking on the phone.
"Uhh, what are you doing?"
"Aren't you tired of wandering around? Why don't I help you get to the overlife, hmm?" It looked like she wasn't talking to him either.
Furrowing his brows, he secured the strap of his bag as he cautiously took steps forward until he finally got a view of where she was looking but, there really wasn't anyone there. Weirded but intrigued, he hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulders. "Hey, what are you-?"
"Do you see her too?"
Xiao pedaled backward as red vibrant eyes swarmed him. Her face- her face was too close. Instinctively, he pushed it away, his hand clamped over her mouth, squeezing her cheeks.
"What's wrong? Are you scared?" The weird girl tilted her head as if she already expected the reaction.
"Just..." Xiao, who realized what he was doing, gathered his composure and glanced to where she was previously sitting; his expression didn't carry much open emotion. It was like he was an officer asking what happened at the crime scene. "What are you doing?"
The lady chortled at the silly question. "Helping the dead move on to the afterlife, of course," she merrily said, waving her hand as if it was something ordinary.
"Right," he grumbled, unamused.
"I wasn't joking, really," she insisted, sensing that he wasn't convinced. "See that child with the purple hair over there?" She pointed at the empty spot but Xiao began walking away.
"Say..." She caught up with him after looking back at the empty slot where the girl once stood. She'll just catch her next time. That spirit lingered a lot here so it wouldn't be that hard. "What were you doing in Mond? Are you visiting someone?"
"That's none of your business." Really, she doesn't need to care. Sympathy won't do anything to his situation.
"Is it perhaps..." she mused, humming a little bubbly tune under her breath. "Professor Venti?"
His shoulders visibly tensed but he loosened as quickly before she could notice it.
"Yes, his music really is captivating, don't you think?" The four-leaf petal in her eyes danced with mischief. "Word has gotten around, you know?"
"Who?" He stopped, gritting his teeth. Who is that worthless scumbag whose hobby is nothing more than to probe around other people's business?
"Yeah, the ghost are saying it's more interesting than our juniors' puppy love. Mystic, yearning, unrequited. They were all saying," she chuckled again, giving him a grin with hands on her hips, knowing she scored a bullseye.
Xiao clicked his tongue, turning his head away. "It's not like that."
"It's okay. I won't pry. My concern was just that others aren't willing to ascend unless they saw the ending but, that just won't do." She shook her head. "The longer they stay, the more they pose risk. Although, whatever you're going through should pass."
At the mere mention of it, Xiao's crease on his forehead got deeper.
"Just like life, death too will come. And from death, it gives birth to life. A tragedy then comes hope from those who wish to move on. It's the natural cycle of the universe."
The longer Xiao thought about it, the more comfortable the idea settled in his mind. It made him snort; a slight curve in the corner of his lips. If it were anyone else, they would have taken this as an offense that the girl simply did not care about their feelings and wanted them to move on. But to him, it rang new to his ears.
"Strange, yet intriguing."
Thinking it was her philosophy, her smile reached her eyes.
"If you need someone who can exorcist spirits then call me." She handed him her business card. "But if you're interested, you're welcome to join our club."
Interesting, indeed...