Blooming Dais

I know what's going on, he thinks to AR. This happened to me when I was a suspect in an arson case. I was dragged in for questioning and the officer pretended to be buddy-buddy to get me to spill the beans. Everything we say will be recorded and you see those mirrors there? We're being watched, too.

"What do you propose we do?" AR asks.

In normal circumstances, don't let your guard down, don't say anything, and call a lawyer, but I want to know what's going on so I will have to be very careful with giving a few answers to pry some information out of Yelan.

"I cannot say I've ever had the pleasure of being arrested before so clearly, you are much more experienced than I in this department," AR replies. "Alright, I shall keep vigilant in case I catch anything suspicious."

Yelan opens a folder in front of her. She flips through a few pages, picks up her ink brush and writes a few lines.

"Let's start with some housekeeping matters," she says, still looking at the page. Ajax is not buying the bored ennui for a second. "Can you identify your name?"

"Childe."

Her lips twitch. Clearly, she expected him to give her this answer rather than his real name since she doesn't press.

"Occupation?"

"Diplomat and junior banker at the Northland Bank."

Another twitch of her lips.

"Not the Eleventh Harbinger?"

"Which part of me looks like a Harbinger, ma'am?"

Yelan does not deign to answer him. She continues to write. "When did you enter Liyue Harbour?"

"About a year and a half ago."

"What was the reason for your entry?"

"Deepening bilateral relationship between Liyue and Snezhnaya, as well as helping to get the Northland Bank established."

"Where were you yesterday afternoon?"

"At home."

"Any alibi?"

"No."

"And in the evening?"

"Outside, because of the commotion. I left home and rushed for the northern bridge."

"I heard." Yelan flips the folder over and props her chin against her palm. "You were quite the hero. You guided a lot of the townsfolks to safety, which is why we're here."

She gestures to a Millelith officer and whispers something in his ear. He leaves the room and reappears with a bottle of rice wine and two cups. Yelan waves the officer away, grabs the bottle, and pours out two cups. She nudges one of them to Ajax.

He doesn't touch it. Instead, watches her take a liberal sip out of her own cup.

"Your case is most intriguing. I have received news of your exemplary behaviour yesterday during Osial's attack. However, I've also heard that you released Osial, so I want a more detailed chat with you to get to the bottom of things."

Ajax crosses his arms over his chest. "You weren't willing to listen when you arrested me and threw me in the dungeons."

"We're giving you the opportunity to speak now."

"I'm not sure what to say when I don't even understand the charges against me."

"You are charged with terrorism for the release of Osial. You are charged with the attempted murder of Lady Ningguang and Lady Keqing for sending your men to intercept the Jade Chamber. Finally, you are charged with murder since your men had killed six Millelith officers to get to the Jade Chamber."

"What?" He did not send anybody to intercept the Jade Chamber. Also, "Where the hell are these accusations coming from?" Who would've known that he released Osial?

"We obtained confessions from the Fatui soldiers we have captured at the Jade Chamber. They have identified you as the Eleventh Harbinger and their superior whose orders they were following."

Yelan reaches into her folder and pulls out a few photos. She tosses them onto the table.

"These are the men who talked. You should recognize them. After all, you were seen talking to them when they first arrived in Liyue."

Ajax barely manages to bite back his curse. Those were the men he had chastised for trying to stir up shit with Felix when they had first docked back when Rex Lapis had just "died". If he remembers correctly, the men are supposed to support Pantalone, Il Dottore, and…

Fuck. La Signora. Of course she's the one behind all this.

Ajax had ordered Ekaterina to keep tabs on those men and they've been milling about outside of the city. Unfortunately, despite best efforts, they couldn't find them performing any suspicious activities.

Clearly, La Signora's people have been plotting and scheming to take him down this whole time.

Yelan drains her cup and continues.

"You understand how damning this is. If you're found guilty, it means imprisonment for life. The only thing stopping me from recommending the Qixing to expedite your trial is because I don't understand why you've done this and how. Clearly, there is something else going on here."

"I didn't send those men. I've only met them that one time!"

"Then why would they make those confessions?"

"Because I'm getting framed!"

"By who?"

"By—" He shuts his mouth.

Shit, if he reveals La Signora is the one who's framing him, wouldn't he be inadvertently admitting to being the Eleventh Harbinger? After all, why would the Eighth Harbinger spend so much energy seeking revenge on someone unimportant when she could've ordered them killed?

Also, he would have to answer the inevitable question that follows: why would La Signora frame him?

What a dangerous can of worms that would be opening.

He grabs his glass of wine and takes sip. "Damned if I do, damned if I don't," he mutters.

Yelan proves that she is terrifying with her perception. "You and I both know that you are too valuable an asset to keep locked up in our dungeons, and that's true based on your work as a foreign diplomat even if you are not a Harbinger as you claim. We can guarantee your safety in Liyue if you help us. Protect you from whoever's framing you. But we need to know more about Osial's release. We also need to know whether this feeds into some bigger Snezhnayan plot against us."

"I have family in Snezhnaya."

"We can get them to Liyue too."

An interesting new proposal. It's too bad that Ajax doesn't know what Snezhnaya's plans for Liyue are aside from collecting Gnoses and something about overturning the will of the heavens. He really should have paid more attention to the main storyline before the game went to shit or talk more with Hu Tao.

AR? Do you know what Snezhnaya is planning aside from collecting Gnoses?

"I do," AR answers. "If we need to leverage that information we can, but Ajax, what about your MAIN MISSION? It's not over."

Right. Because Zhongli handing over his Gnosis does not constitute as being freed from the shackles of godhood.

What's still keeping him tethered?

"Where's Zhongli?"

"He's having a chat with Lady Ningguang," Yelan answers. "He is your biggest supporter, which actually works as a good segue for my next question: what is your relationship with him?"

Should he lie and say they're merely friends? No, nobody's going to believe that, not with how public he made his gift-giving.

"He's my boyfriend."

That, of all things, has Yelan arching her brow.

"Really? Boyfriend? Only boyfriend?"

What the hell kind of a question is that? "Yes? What else could we be?"

She opens her mouth to speak but at the last minute, shakes her head and lets it go. "In any event, due to your close relationship with him, he is also one of the key suspects for aiding you to release Osial."

"Zhongli didn't even do anything!"

"Oh? Shall I take that as a hint that you're finally willing to talk?"

Ajax immediately goes quiet.

"This investigation will implicate a lot of people including any and all people you're on a friendly basis with," Yelan says. She refills her cup and sips. "The longer you keep quiet, the more they're going to be affected. However, if we work together…well, my offer to keep you and your family safe in Liyue remains on the table. I'd be happy to extend that protection to your loved ones here in Liyue as well, including Mr. Zhongli."

Zhongli can more than take care of himself, but he gets why Yelan wants to emphasize that.

"I'll need to think about this," he says. "You're asking me to turn traitor with the nebulous promise of safety. You also seem convinced that the evidence you've gathered is enough to prove my guilt but with all due respect, I don't buy it, nor do I buy the fact that I will end up in jail. As you said, I'm too valuable."

He's still the Eleventh Harbinger and still has the Tsaritsa's good favour. She wouldn't let him rot in jail. Worse comes to worst, he can run with the power of some bullshit Ability he can buy from the store. Maybe he can convince Zhongli to be a fugitive with him or something.

Yelan sighs. "Well, I can't say I wasn't expecting this answer, but I'd be lying if I say I'm not disappointed." She gestures to the Millelith with a flick of her wrist. "Guards, escort our guest back to the dungeons. Let's give him ample amount of time to think."

The dungeons suck as much as they did before, except this time, he's met with a neighbour.

"Zhongli?" Ajax stares at the man standing calmly in the cell beside his. "W-what the hell are you doing here?!"

Zhongli clears his throat and shifts his weight a little. Ajax recognizes that guilty body language anywhere. "In my attempt to persuade Lady Ningguang and Lady Keqing of your innocence, I may have been a bit…too passionate in my delivery. I am temporarily held here for obstruction of justice."

Jesus Christ. "You threatened the Qixing?" He lowers his voice so that the guards by the door can't hear. "Please don't tell me you threatened them with the wrath of the rock. Zhongli, you're supposed to be retired and incognito."

Another guilty shift. Ajax sighs.

"We need to get you out of here. This isn't right. This is so many degrees of blasphemy." He eyes Zhongli. "They don't suspect you're Rex Lapis, right? Was Miss Ganyu there?"

"They do not and no, she wasn't." Zhongli reaches through the bars and grabs Ajax's hands. "Childe. How have you been faring? You're looking pale and your hands are cold." His frown deepens as he scans Ajax up and down. "I heard about your battle with the Traveller. Are you injured? Have your injuries been treated? The Abyssal energy rolling off of you is so strong."

"I'm fine, Zhongli." Without his All The World's A Stage Ability, it's hard for Ajax to pretend to be angry and stern so, he settles for tired resignation.

Now that the adrenaline is leaving his system, he can feel the aches returning as with the paranoid whispers of, "What if everything fails? What if Yelan is right and you're in jail for life? Nobody will be able to save you, nobody will care, you'll be left to rot alone, alone, alone—"

A warm rush of power travels from his hands up his arms to his chest and the thoughts disperse like mist to give way to cool clarity. The warmth surrounding his hands continue to grow, accompanied by the soft sensation of a thumb stroking across his rough knuckles with gentle care.

"This is as much as I can do for now," Zhongli murmurs. "I am still adjusting to the loss of the Gnosis. Unfortunately, my body will be weak and my powers limited until I can adapt."

"Thanks."

Awkward silence descends over them. Zhongli doesn't let go.

Ajax coughs. "Zhongli, are you going to keep holding on…okay, I guess that's a yes."

"I have so much to say and so much to apologize for, but I find myself at a loss on where to begin," Zhongli confesses with a frustrated shake of his head. "Childe, I—"

"Not now," Ajax interrupts, glancing at the Millelith. Neither of them has bothered to pay much attention to them, but still. "We'll talk in more detail when we're out of this mess."

"Very well."

More awkward silence. Zhongli appears more at ease standing there, stroking his hands, but he's far from happy, not with the way his brow is furrowed or the corner of his lips tugged down into a worried frown. Ajax clears his throat.

"So," he mutters, keeping his voice low, "you tried to convince the Qixing that I'm innocent? You know Osial was my doing."

"You were forced to perform your duties as the Tsaritsa's Vanguard to satisfy the contract, so you are not wholly to blame. That aside, I highly doubt you ordered the Fatui to stop the Jade Chamber, so the attempted murder and murder charges are not your fault."

"How are you so certain? I was desperate to lure you out, remember?"

"You wouldn't have sent those men because the Jade Chamber was attempting to stop Osial from flooding the city." At Ajax's obvious confusion, he elaborates. "You love Liyue Harbour and her people. There is no doubt in my mind that the decision to release Osial is a painful one, which is why I know you wouldn't stop the Qixing's attempt to prevent the city from being destroyed. Besides, you saving the townsfolks also suggests you feel remorse for Osial's release."

"You heard about that too, huh?" It seems that nothing can escape the ears of the Geo Archon.

Zhongli nods. "News of your arrest is spreading. There have been multiple people protesting outside of the Administration Building."

That explains why Yelan was willing to hear his side of things. There's nothing quite like public pressure and the terrible optics of arresting a hero to stop the wheels of justice from turning, it seems.

"I didn't order anybody to attack the Jade Chamber," Ajax confesses. "After fighting with Lumine, I focused on escaping and helped those trapped in the city to get to the Northern Bridge. Didn't really have much time to do anything else afterwards either except sleep and recover—I'm fine, Zhongli."

But it's too late. Ajax can see the indignant fury rising rapidly on Zhongli's face.

"I knew it. I knew you were hurt. It's unbelievable that the Millelith have not gotten a healer for you. Guards! This person is hurt and he needs a doctor right away!"

Ajax claps his hand over Zhongli's mouth. "You can't just order people around like that!" he hisses. "They don't know you were their Archon!"

But the Millelith heard the request. One heads towards them. "Did you say someone is hurt?"

Zhongli pulls away from Ajax's (rightful) attempt to smother him. "Yes. Childe here requires a healer. Look at his state! Surely, it's against the Millelith's code of honour to neglect someone in their custody, let alone a foreign diplomat who hasn't been proven guilty. What if his health takes a turn for the worse? What if he dies?"

"Zhongli—really?"

The officer nods. "Understood. We will send for a healer."

"And something to sit on," Zhongli demands with the tone of an emperor. "I'm sure the populace would appreciate knowing that the Millelith treats their suspects with at least a modicum of decency."

The underlying message cannot be more clear: Zhongli will raise hell and spread rumours about Ajax's mistreatment if something isn't done.

The officer grimaces. "We'll get some chairs for you both."

The chairs arrive quickly along with a small table, a small cot, some blankets, and pillows for each cell. The doctor shows up shortly after.

"Hm, physically, I'm not seeing any wounds or bruising," the doctor says after his check-up. He pulls away from Ajax—who has taken a seat to stop Zhongli's nagging—to jot some notes in his notepad. "But your blood pressure is alarmingly low and you're anemic. Young man, have you been eating regularly? Are you suffering from any illnesses?"

Ajax can feel the anxiety spike from Zhongli in the cell beside him. The Foul Legacy Transformation is once again screwing him over with its health cap penalty.

"Ah, I've been eating fine and I wasn't sick. I haven't been feeling well recently, though."

The doctor looks even more puzzled. "That can't be right; the symptoms you are showing can be found among those that have been ill for a long time." He shakes his head and reaches for his bag. He pulls out a few bags of small, brown, round pills. "Take these twice a day. These will do in a pinch absent of a better diet, rest, and sufficient time for a full recovery."

Zhongli waits for the doctor and officers to leave before pulling his chair right up against the barred wall that he shares with Ajax. "Childe? What happened? Was it the fight?"

Looks like Lumine didn't tell him about the Foul Legacy Transformation yet and Ajax doesn't exactly want to talk about it. He's had a long day and the last thing he wants to do is revisit that awful fight. Besides, he just knows that Zhongli will panic even more.

"I'll be fine in a couple of days," he says instead. "What I want to know is how long you're in here for. You said you're only temporarily detained, right?"

"A day at most. I will be released tomorrow morning, but I would rather stay here to make sure you're alright."

Ajax gives him a look. "Please don't antagonize the Qixing again, Zhongli. Also, there's just something really, really wrong seeing you imprisoned in your own country's dungeon. Just witnessing this is making me feel like I've done something blasphemous."

Zhongli cracks his first smile this evening. "You are…surprisingly quick to adapt to the news of me being Rex Lapis."

Ajax shrugs. "I mean, it was shocking to learn that at the bank," he lies, "but now that I've had some more time to sit and digest this revelation, it makes an awful lot of sense. You know anything and everything about Liyue from the small cultural tidbits to obscure historical facts and the personal lives of the Adepti. There's also the way you act and the way you speak like you're royalty. You possess zero financial management skills and you spend mora like you have an infinite amount of it, which you do. I'm disappointed in myself for never figuring all this out."

"Am I correct in assuming that my revelation does not disgust you? I know you wanted to have a more thorough conversation when we're out…"

Oh, poor Zhongli. If Ajax can drop the act and give his poor boyfriend the hug he deserves. He settles for reaching between the bars and catching Zhongli's hand in his. "You can never disgust me," he mumbles and presses a kiss on the knuckles, "but we will definitely need to have that conversation later."

In particular, they'll need to talk about their future plans. Ajax hopes he can convince Zhongli to leave Liyue.

Zhongli looks like the weight of the world has been lifted off his shoulders. His smile grows more sincere, his shoulders relax, and he returns the squeeze to his hand. Ah, even in a dungeon, the man truly is beautiful. Seeing him smile is like watching a warm beam of sun shining through parted clouds.

They don't resume their conversation about Ajax's charges until half an hour later, after dinner, which consisted of soup, plain rice, and some chicken and vegetable stir fry. Ajax suspects that Zhongli's threat is still lingering in the Millelith's minds because dinner is surprisingly fresh and tasty. There is no way this kind of food is reserved for regular prisoners.

"I was questioned by their spymaster earlier today," he says when they settle back into their respective chairs. They've been moved so that they're side-by-side, separated only by the shared bars of their cells. "She laid out the case against me. Apparently, the Fatui who attacked the Jade Chamber confessed that I had sent them to fight and that I was the one to release Osial. Those Fatui worked for La Signora."

Zhongli nods even as his expression turns dark. "I suspected that she would try something given how she seems to loathe you. I wasn't expecting her to go this far, though."

The System's mechanical chime rings out.

"I do," AR says, his tone solemn. "Remember how I told you about the death of Matv—my friend?"

The memory of the note comes to mind with the lines of jagged "sorry's" dug into the paper.

You said you used the Foul Legacy Transformation and you lost control, Ajax responds in his mind.

"A few years back when I was nominated as a Harbinger candidate, I was sent on a mission with the other candidates. It was a disaster, not because we lacked skills, but because of the in-fighting. Unfortunately, in our distracted state, we were ambushed and were surrounded by monsters. I used the Foul Legacy Transformation and I lost control. Monsters and allies alike were torn asunder including my friend."

AR…

"This is a burden that I will need to bear. Please do not feel sorry for me. If anything, I am sorry that you have inherited my problem because this friend of mine also happened to be La Signora's precious protégé. She loved him dearly like her own family and by the time I came to, there wasn't enough of him left to retrieve. They had to bury an empty casket. She couldn't even mourn properly for her loss."

Ah. Fuck.

Wait, despite all of this, you were still willing to undergo the Foul Legacy Transformation? AR, how are you not terrified out of your mind?

Ajax hears mechanical laughter. "I wouldn't say I am not terrified, because that would be a lie. But I suspect that my purpose here as your System is to learn to finally control this power. Losing to the Abyssal madness in my previous life has always been one of my greatest regrets."

Maybe that explains why the Administrators haven't stepped in despite AR's flagrant rule-breaking. If it's in the name of achieving control over the Foul Legacy Transformation, maybe he's got a free pass?

"What now?" Ajax asks out loud.

Zhongli gives his hand a squeeze. "I will talk to the Tsaritsa. The way La Signora has interfered has to be some sort of a breach of contract. I refuse to rest so long as this matter remains unresolved. Consider this an extension of my promise as Rex Lapis to provide you the protection you deserve and I will not fail in this duty."

Though the sentiment is sweet, the words have Ajax feeling anxious.

Rex Lapis.

Zhongli hasn't let go of his title despite surrendering his Gnosis, and the reason is because of Ajax's incarceration. As long as this remains an unfinished business, Zhongli will continue to wear the mantle of Archon.

AR, Ajax thinks. I think I've identified our problem.

Similar to how he's hanging on to his title as god-king, Zhongli refuses to let go of Ajax's hand throughout the night. He only releases Ajax when he needs to get up to move his cot close so that they're almost pressed flush against each other.

Ajax feels guilty and pleased in equal measures: guilty because he's causing so much anxiety in his poor boyfriend but pleased because in a sense, this is the first time they're sort of sharing a bed together (if one were to ignore the bars between them). It's all sort of romantic.

"Good night, baobei," Zhongli whispers after reaching through the bars to smooth out his covers. "Have a good night's rest. I will remain vigilant."

"Zhongli, you said you're feeling weak from the loss of your Gnosis. Get some rest as well."

It takes a few more attempts at nagging before Zhongli concedes. They lie down facing each other through the bars and slowly drift off. It's a testament to how tired he must have been because despite his uncertain future and the mystery of his incomplete mission, Ajax falls into a deep sleep. He only wakes up to the sound of a cell door being unlocked and the loss of warmth in his hand.

"Your time is up," the Millelith officer says to Zhongli as he gestures towards the open door. "Please gather your things. I will be escorting you out of the building."

"I will be back to visit later today," Zhongli promises. "After I have taken care of a few things."

By that, he clearly means yelling at the Tsaritsa. That's not a bad thing. Maybe that will help resolve things faster so that Zhongli can finally let go and retire.

"Alright, I'll see you later then. Please take the time to eat and take care of yourself!"

The anxious frown on Zhongli's face gives way to a warm, soft smile. With a last look filled with yearning, he leaves through the door and follows the guard down the hall. Ajax watches him go until he disappears from sight. He flops back down onto his little cot and sighs.

He misses the warmth already. He misses Zhongli already.

Great. Now what?

"We should prepare in case things take a turn for the worse," AR says, seemingly reading Ajax's thoughts. "How is your pain level? Do you need another dose of painkiller?"

Yes, please.

Preparing consists of getting AR to stockpile abilities for free where he can. He manages to get one more Silver Tongue and Auto-Pilot in case of having to face any upcoming battles. It's too bad that All The World's A Stage and Time Manipulation remain firmly unavailable despite AR's cheat codes.

"It appears that the Administrators are not willing to let us have complete access to all the abilities. And here I thought our leash was much longer given their past non-interference," AR complains. "No matter, we have enough to be in a good position. What about items? Is there anything you would like to withdraw from your own inventory?"

Prior to Osial's release, under AR's guidance, Ajax had packed anything and everything he would need to survive in the wild. He is more than thankful for having the foresight to prepare as extensively as he did.

Let's get a small knife out, one of the flat ones that I can tuck up my sleeves. It's good to be armed in case he gets jumped without his Vision.

He still has no idea what his game plan is. Although he thinks the answer to getting MAIN MISSION (3) complete is to ride out this mess and come out on the other side unscathed—which is a lot easier said than done—how he'll be achieving this remains a mystery.

While he's trying to solve that riddle, he should also come up with a plausible story about what happened in case he gets questioned again.

"We can stick to the story of you being framed," AR says. "We can say that the person framing you is a higher-ranked officer but there's no way you're elaborating, not when that person has eyes and ears everywhere. As for what happened on the day of Osial's release, you spent the whole day at home until you heard the commotion outside. You rushed out and prioritized saving as many people as possible while finding a way to get to the bridge."

The only people who know I'm the culprit are Zhongli, Hu Tao, and Lumine, Ajax responds in his mind. I'm not worried about Zhongli and Hu Tao but what if Lumine talks?

"I don't think she will. She knows that you were contractually bound to release Osial and that Zhongli and the Tsaritsa are the masterminds behind everything. She's not the type to act in a manner that is unjust."

Ajax supposes that that's true. Despite her grouchiness, Lumine does exhibit the characteristics of a noble protagonist.

With the preparations done, Ajax spends the rest of his morning scarfing down his meal, chatting with AR, and monitoring his status effects. His health cap penalty is still in full effect but at this rate, he might be able to wait it out in prison before it's expired.

He's not so lucky with the Abyssal Taint effect, which doesn't run out.

"You're going to be alone," a sibilant, oily voice whispers in his mind. "Everyone you love will abandon you. They have in the past and they will do so again—"

"Gods, does it ever shut up?" Ajax mumbles.

"Unfortunately, no. But at least you're able to tell them apart from your own thoughts." AR answers.

Are you hearing the voices too? Ajax thinks.

"I do."

Wait, even as a System?

"Hm. It's fine, though. It's nothing I'm not used to. Zhongli's blessing is also helping, even if it can't completely wipe the effects."

What a depressing topic. He should talk about something more positive to keep morale up.

I've been meaning to ask, what's it like as a System? You mentioned that you signed a contract and have an instruction manual to follow so I just assumed you were some sort of an office worker slaving away at a cubicle, but if that's the case, how are you able to get away with your little acts of rebellion without getting caught? Won't your office mate like snitch on you?

AR laughs. "Luckily, my work environment is not as grim as the one you just described," he answers. "I have my own office with a chair, a desk, and lots of screens that span from floor to ceiling. It's…pretty boring here, to be honest. Everything is just white. I don't even get a window to look out from."

…Why does AR's description ring a bell? Oh!

That's similar to the setup I was in when we used that Auto Pilot Ability! Ajax exclaims in his mind. I was in a white room that has a large screen and a chair. Everything is super bright and super sterile.

"I'll confess that I haven't given too much thought to the mechanics of the Auto Pilot Ability on the host's consciousness, but perhaps what it does is it temporarily switch our places or at the very least, places you in the same realm as where my office is located."

Does that mean that the next time we use this Ability, I have a chance to find your Administrators' office? Because boy do I have a few choice words for them, starting with how they've been treating you!

AR laughs again. "I'm afraid I can't answer that question. I have no idea where the Administrators are located."

And they're all the luckier for it too!

Lunch comes and goes, and the day marches on. Ajax is expecting a pretty quiet afternoon, barring Zhongli's inevitable visit, but finds himself wrong when Yelan returns to his cell.

"Good afternoon," she says, making no move to open the cell door. "I hope your day is well."

Her eyes sweep around the cell, more specifically, at the furniture he's been given. "Hm. And the rabble-rousers are concerned about your mistreatment. Anyway," she continues, "I'm here to deliver your summons. You will be meeting with the Qixing tomorrow morning for a round of questions. You have the right to have a lawyer present and you can bring someone with you to spectate, though I'm assuming that person would most likely be your Mr. Zhongli. Please let him know that he is to be on his best behaviour."

"Wait, that's it?" Ajax asks as Yelan begins to walk away. "You're not going to ask if I want to talk?"

Yelan gives him a look. "Do you?" At Ajax's silence, she snorts. "I thought not. In any event, the offer will still be present after your meeting with the Qixing."

The clarification does not make him feel better. Something tells him that the meeting is designed to get him to crack.

His evening does not end on a more positive note; Zhongli drops by for a visit an hour later, his expression stony.

"La Signora's actions are supported by the Tsaritsa," he says, pitching his voice low from across the bars. "The Cryo Archon does not view her meddling as a breach of contract since she merely enhanced the pressure put on Liyue to get the city to shine in its darkest hour. It also ensures that the contract is thoroughly satisfied since I will have no grounds to complain that Liyue has not been adequately tested.

"She is, however, displeased that La Signora's machination has led to your arrest since such actions were unnecessary for the contract," Zhongli adds. "But she feels that such paltry matters can be resolved without her interference, so she intends to sit back and watch the situation unfold."

What a bitch.

"I've been summoned to attend a meeting with the Qixing tomorrow morning," Ajax says, adding to the pile of bad news. "I suspect that they are going to use the opportunity to coerce me into cooperating with them. I'm allowed a lawyer though and you can come with me."

"I'll be there," Zhongli says. "I will relay this message to your men so that they can hire someone for you. I can also recommend a few."

A flash of shame crosses Ajax's heart. With all the whirlwind insanity from the past day, he's forgotten about Ekaterina and company. "Are they doing alright? The Millelith haven't given them any trouble, have they?"

"The Northland Bank is temporarily closed, with the Millelith spending the past day questioning the staff and searching the grounds, but there have not been arrests made. Miss Ekaterina and a few others have tried to visit you but the Millelith have barred their entry. She is relieved that you are doing as well as you can. Everybody else have been keeping a low profile, but they are doing fine."

At least it doesn't seem like La Signora has done anything to them. That's one less thing Ajax has to worry about.

They chat a little bit more about the going-ons outside before circling back on what their next steps should be.

"I don't think it's feasible for me to partner with the Qixing," Ajax concludes, "I know that the Tsaritsa isn't lifting a finger to help me get out of this mess, but turning to treason will end up putting targets on the backs of my family back in Snezhnaya. It's more trouble than it's worth. But maybe, after this is said and done, I can use this whole situation as an excuse to get an extended leave from work or something."

Followed by Plan Pseudocide during his "trip". He's still holding on hope that he can recycle this plan and escape all of this once and for all.

"Your plans might not come to fruition for a while," Zhongli says with a growing frown. "Tomorrow's meeting with the Qixing is just the start of a long process. There will need to be a trial afterwards and the sentencing."

Let alone prison time if he does end up thrown into jail—but if that's the case, Ajax is definitely going to bounce while taking Zhongli with him.

"Not much I can do but wait until tomorrow, I guess."

How annoying.

Part XLVI. The End of the Road

Credit where it's due, Zhongli and Team Spy are quick to hire a lawyer, and Ajax gets the chance to meet her before his meeting with the Qixing.

"I would advise that you answer truthfully but take your time to digest each question first," the lawyer—Yanfei—answers while rapidly jotting down some notes. They've been afforded some privacy and were ushered into a small little office with just enough space for the two of them plus Zhongli. "The delay will also give me some time to make any objections for questions that are irrelevant or protected under solicitor-client privilege."

Ajax nods and eyes the horns poking from her hair. A half-adeptus, one who miraculously does not seem to sense Zhongli's real identity given how Zhongli is standing a few paces back being thoroughly ignored. She might have been one of the four-star characters in the original game, but Ajax can't recall for the life of him. He largely stopped paying attention to the roster of characters post-Liyue Arc of the game except for the occasional five-star.

"But first, in order to act in my best capacity as your counsel, I need to know your side of the story," Yanfei continues without looking up. "Your charges are serious. Walk me through what happened on the day Osial was released."

Ajax sticks to his cover story, including how he had been framed by someone else.

"I see." Yanfei nods and closes her notebook. "You know, Mr. Childe, I had thought the case to be pretty open and shut at first but hearing your story has made me reassess the situation. Given its complexity, I advise that you avoid admitting to any guilt should the Qixing press for a confession. Leave it up to the Qixing to prove their case against you beyond a shadow of a doubt during trial. For the purposes of this meeting, you should keep your explanation short and concise."

They don't have much time beyond that to prepare further. A guard comes knocking at their door and they're led through familiar ornate hallways before reaching the large meeting room, the same one he had been in when he was questioned about his involvement with Rex Lapis' death. Zhongli is guided to the back where the spectator benches are, leaving Ajax and Yanfei at the table before the raised seating area reserved for the Qixing.

Speak of the devil, here they come, and oh, looks like Ajax is dealing with a full house once again.

"Master Childe, we meet again," Ningguang says when the Qixing have made their way to their respective seats. "I had hoped we wouldn't have to do this again."

Keqing, who has taken up her seat beside Ningguang, has her trademarked scowl of disdain firmly in place. "Let's get to the bottom of this already. You: we saw your answers from Yelan but we need more details. On the morning of Osial's release, where were you and what were you doing?"

Okay, looks like they're just going to go straight into it. Cool, cool, cool.

AR, is Silver Tongue activated?

"Yes, ready when you are."

Ajax takes a deep breath. Welp, here goes nothing. "I was at home, preparing breakfast for Zhongli and I like any other day…"

Keqing is relentless with her questions, digging through every detail of his day to the point where Yanfei has to object a few times for lack of relevancy. It goes as well as it can, even though it's painfully slow.

"And then? What happened?"

"I made sure my men were alright and I told them to help as many civilians as possible to get to safety. I doubled back and did the same, trying to get as many people away from flying debris as possible while getting to the bridge. I waited around with everyone else until it was safe to return to the city. The moment that it looked like the coast was clear, I headed to the Bank to make sure everything was fine like we weren't robbed or something."

Keqing nods and gives Ningguang a look. Looks like it's her turn to lead the questions.

"Master Childe," the Tianquan starts, "we have some images of the Fatui members here. Madam Secretary, please put the images up for everyone to see."

What looks like an old-fashioned noticeboard on wheels is rolled into the room with various posters of Fatui members. Ajax has an idea of where this new line of questions is going.

"Do you recognize any of these men, Master Childe?"

"I do, but barely. I've been told by Ms. Yelan that these were the men I greeted at the pier upon their arrival, but beyond that, I have never interacted with them."

"Is it part of your job description to greet Fatui members upon arrival?"

"Yes. A diplomat is supposed to help welcome new Fatui members to the city. I volunteered to help that day."

More like he was dragged into it by Felix and Ekaterina to scare the Fatui into submission if he remembers correctly.

"Whose leadership are those Fatui under?"

Ajax blinks. "Pardon?"

"I understand that the Fatui are divided into different branches that are headed by specific Harbingers. Each Fatui member accounts for one Harbinger. Who do those men work for?"

Oh. Clever. Ajax had let slip that he was being framed but hadn't identified the culprit. By identifying who's in charge of the Fatui who had accused him, it will give the Qixing the answer they're looking for.

Ajax shakes his head. "That's…classified."

It's too bad. He would have loved to throw La Signora under the bus, but he does not want to even plant the questions in the Qixing's mind as to why La Signora is going after a diplomat. It will only lead them to conclude that Ajax is a fellow Harbinger, as the accusers have said.

Ningguang does not miss a beat. "What division are those Fatui working in?"

"Classified."

"Who are their immediate superiors?"

"Classified."

"Where were they stationed?"

"Classified, but I suspect you know more about this than I. I'm not privy to their movements."

A complete and utter lie, of course.

Yanfei demonstrates how much guts she has. She stands up and makes her objection. "With respect, Lady Ningguang, my client will not be able to answer any questions regarding the specifics of the Fatui army without breaching Snezhnayan national security laws. For the purpose of this preliminary meeting, I think it would be a better use of our time if we can proceed to another set of questions."

A Qixing member—the same uncle who made disparaging remarks about Zhongli from their first meeting—splutters. "Why should we care about Snezhnayan national security laws? They attacked us!"

Yanfei remains cool and calm. "It's about not forcing my client to break laws in his home country when you haven't established his guilt and in a meeting that's meant to be the early stages of fact-finding."

"I will proceed with another line of questions," Ningguang says, and the angry uncle quiets, though the disgruntled look on his face has not faded. "Are you aware that these very same men attacked the Jade Chamber when we were trying to stop Osial's advancement?"

"I was told that by Ms. Yelan."

"Are you aware that when we captured them, they made confessions against you?"

"Yes."

"Are you aware that in those confessions, they named you as the Eleventh Harbinger?"

"I am aware."

"And are you aware that they said the Eleventh Harbinger released Osial?"

"Again, I've been told that but I don't know how true that is."

"Are you aware they said they were working under the order of the Eleventh Harbinger to attack the Jade Chamber?"

"Yes?" Ajax's brow crinkles and he shakes his head. "I don't understand why you're asking me this. All this information was told to me but I don't know how true it is. Nobody else has said anything to support or deny it."

"Let's bring out our next set of items."

One of the secretaries walks over and hands over the item.

Aw shit. Shit, shit, shit.

"Do you recognize this item, Master Childe?"

A Sigil of Permission stares back at him.

Dread begins to sink into his stomach like lead. Fuck. This is not good. He has a very bad feeling about this, but what does he say? Does he lie? Wait, no, he's taking too long to answer. If he denies it now, it'll be suspicious.

"I do. It's an Adeptal sigil."

"How did you come to know it?"

"It was one of the items retrieved from when the bank collected the debt of one of our clients who had defaulted on their loan. I remember cataloging it."

"Do you know what it does?"

Ajax really, really does not like where this line of question is going.

"She's trying to set something up," AR mutters. "What's her angle?"

I don't know, but if I lie, it'll seem obvious. As a banker, it would've been my job to appraise the value of this item to determine its worth.

"I looked into it," he answers. He can feel his palms starting to sweat despite his mouth feeling oddly dry. He wipes his hand on his lap. "I was trying to determine what it was and how much it was worth to determine whether it covered the debt. It's a rare item and I think it stores Adeptal energy. It's a priceless artifact."

"How many sigils did the bank recover?"

The dread grows. "One."

Ningguang is steepling her fingers. Her gaze is locked onto his like a predator to its prey. "Let's switch gears. I would like to call a witness to hear their testimony. I'm sure you're familiar with this person."

The bad feeling in his gut did not lead him astray, because walking through the doors, escorted by Millelith officers on each side is—

"Lumine?" he blurts out. "What are you doing here?"

"The Traveller," Ningguang interjects, "is here on the Qixing's request to recall their encounter at the Golden House."

Oh no…oh shit.

AR is cursing in his head. "The Traveller wouldn't. She wouldn't…"

Lumine and a solemn-looking Paimon are guided to a chair a few feet away from Ajax. She takes a seat, leaving her companion to drift beside her.

She's not looking at him. Paimon is shooting him worried looks. Neither of those things are helping and Ajax feels his heart pounding like a drum in his chest.

"Traveller, please start at the beginning from when you arrived at the Golden House. What did you notice?"

"When I arrived at the Golden House, everything was very quiet. I couldn't see anyone anywhere, so I went inside. I was hoping to meet Rex Lapis to get more clues on my brother's whereabouts.

"I followed the hallway and found myself in a grand chamber with the Exuvia sealed at the far end of the room. I was trying to get closer to take a look, but I was prevented from continuing."

Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit—

"Prevented?" Ningguang asks. "By who?"

The room is completely silent. Ajax can hear the blood pulsing in his veins as he holds his breath.

Then, Lumine glances at him. It's a quick thing, so quick that had Ajax not been hyperfocused, he wouldn't have noticed. It was gone before he can make sense of it.

She straightens her back, clears her throat, and says: "I was intercepted by a stranger. He was wearing the stupidest outfit. He probably wore it thinking it made him look tough or something."

Oh. Oh.

Ajax manages to stop himself from clutching onto his chest. Oh, sweet Lumine! AR is right. She didn't sell him out! He's so happy that he barely feels offended by her completely baseless, ultra-mean comment about his kick-ass supervillain disguise!

"The protagonist is acting like she should," AR says with a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank the gods for protagonists and their need to be noble and heroic."

Ningguang looks almost disappointed with the little frown on her face, and it only makes Ajax feels that much more vindictive. Ha! She thought she got him, well—joke's on her!

"Did the stranger say anything to you?" she prods.

"He called himself a Harbinger and he told me to run. He wanted the Gnosis in the Exuvia."

The rest of the Qixing members murmur with concern. Ningguang raises a hand and the group fall silent.

"Did he say which Harbinger he was?"

Lumine nods. "He called himself Lord Tartaglia."

"The Eleventh Harbinger!" one of the Qixing says. They point to Ajax. "You! What were you doing at the Golden—"

Yanfei stands up. "With respect, honorable Qixing, the witness has not finished their story and you have not proven that my client is a Harbinger."

"I don't think it's Master Childe," Lumine adds. "I fought this Eleventh Harbinger. It was the hardest fight I've encountered. He was strong, unbelievably fast, and crafty."

Her eyes flicker to Ajax and her lips curl into a mocking smile. "Whereas with Master Childe…well, I once saw him attempting to catch fish by launching a water spear into a lake. And then I saw him flail around as water slammed into him, making him look like a drowned rat. I can't for the life of me imagine any Harbinger foolish enough to do that."

Ajax's cheeks flush red as laughter breaks out amongst some of the Qixing. Oy, is she helping him or hurting him?

But the member whose accusation got cut off is unamused. "Young lady, I would like to remind you that you swore to tell the truth. Are you sure if wasn't him? Was he in disguise?"

"I'm not lying," Lumine counters. "Although the person was masked, I would've recognized them based on the way they moved. That person was a complete stranger, I'm positive." She casts a glance at Ajax. "I've never met him before our encounter at the Golden House."

Somehow, Ajax is getting the impression that she's looking through him rather than at him.

AR chuckles. "Oh, clever. She's not lying. She's referring to me."

"Let's continue," Ningguang says. "This Harbinger, Tartaglia. What did he do next?"

"He managed to get to the Exuvia. He found out that the Gnosis wasn't inside the body and accused the gods of reclaiming it. In order to draw them out, he decided to do something drastic. He decided to release Osial."

"Very clever," AR praises again. "She didn't say the true reason for Osial's release was to draw Rex Lapis out from where he was hiding. She doesn't want to draw the attention that Rex Lapis might still be alive with her suggestion."

She's protecting Zhongli too, Ajax thinks. Lumine really is the best.

"How did this Harbinger release Osial?"

"He used a stack of Sigil of Permissions to unseal the monster."

"A stack?"

Lumine nods. "Yes. He activated them. I rushed back to the city and was whisked to the Jade Chamber shortly afterwards to fend Osial off."

As they say, the rest is history.

"Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Traveller," Ningguang says, with a regal dip of her head. "If you would like, you may stay and join the spectator seats."

She does so, taking a seat next to Zhongli.

"Well, this only raised more questions," Keqing says. "The Eleventh Harbinger apparently exists and is running around Liyue? But if that's the case, why did those Fatui members accuse the diplomat of being the Harbinger?"

"Indeed, there seems to be more than meets the eye," a Qixing member says. She gives Ajax a look. "What sort of Fatui plot have you embroiled yourself in, Master Diplomat?"

Ajax gives her a weak grin. "…That's classified."

"Hmph."

"Well, then," she continues, "if that's the case, I think we're just about done here—"

"I have one last set of questions if you don't mind," Ningguang interjects. "It shouldn't take too long. Just something to wrap things up. Master Childe, would you indulge me?"

Ajax nods, eager to get this over with. "Yes, of course."

"Good. Master Childe, you must be familiar with the Harbinger by the code name Il Dottore."

Ajax lets out an awkward chuckle. "Um, who hasn't?"

"Are you aware that he was in Liyue?"

"That's…classified."

"No matter," she says, waving away his answer with a dismissive gesture. "I'll just tell you. According to the Millelith's reports, Il Dottore was in Liyue working out of a laboratory in Minlin. There, he focused on developing weaponry, mostly mechanical monsters. He had since abandoned the lab to head for Sumeru."

Okay? Where is she going with this?

"I don't like this," AR hisses as the dread from before returns. "I don't like this at all."

"My men took the opportunity to scour the lab. Madam Secretary, could you please bring out the next set of documents? There should be a copy for everybody including Master Diplomat. Thank you."

Ajax takes the pages handed to him.

He goes still.

He relaxed too soon. Ningguang really has an ace up her sleeve.

"What is this document, Master Childe?"

It's one of his letters to Il Dottore requesting for more talismans to be made.

But how…?

"Master Childe?"

"Sorry, I was trying to figure out what this is." The lie slips out of him, courtesy of his Silver Tongue Ability despite the panic string of "ohshitohshitohshit" in his mind. "This appears to be a note between Lord Il Dottore and Lord Tartaglia."

"What does it say?"

"Lord Tartaglia is requesting for Lord Il Dottore to manufacture as many Sigils of Permission as possible."

How did this fall into the Qixing's hands? Il Dottore does not appear to be a sloppy man. He would've burned every note and every letter received from a Harbinger, Ajax is certain.

"Do you recognize this?"

"I don't." Another bald-faced lie.

"Alright. Maybe you'll recognize this letter?"

Another document is handed to him. His heartbeat has skyrocketed and sweat from his palms is threatening to stain the paper. He wipes his hands on his pants once more.

"What does it say?"

"It's another message. Lord Il Dottore is responding to Lord Tartaglia's request stating that he is including some prototype Sigils with the letter."

Now Ajax is even more confused. Why would they find a letter he received from the Doctor at the lab in Minlin?

Ningguang is quick to clarify. "The second letter was not found in Il Dottore's lab. Do you know where we found it?"

Ajax shakes his head and wipes his hands again. "No."

Ningguang leans over. Her smile grows cold and sharp, and Ajax feels like somehow, he has fallen into a deadly trap.

"We found this in your office, Master Childe."

It feels like the floor dropped out from under his feet in that moment, and Ajax is struggling to keep his breath even. No.

"That's not the only thing we found. We also found these."

With a flick of her wrist, Ningguang fans out four Sigils of Permission in her hand. She holds them up for all to see.

"Tell me, Master Childe, how is it that we were able to find a letter to the Harbinger Il Dottore signed by Harbinger Tartaglia in your office? And how is it that we were able to find four Sigils of Permission when earlier, you've testified that the bank only came into legal possession of one?"

"I…"

He has no answer because this is impossible. He knows he had gotten rid of the letter. The only Sigils he has lying around have been used up for releasing Osial. The rest of the ones the Doctor made for him are in his System Inventory, so how…?

"La Signora," AR hisses with poison. "Her elaborate setup did not stop with getting those men to accuse us! She also planted evidence!"

Ningguang presses on. "No answer? I'll move on to the next question. I've had an expert analyze the handwriting of the Harbinger's Tartaglia letter to Il Dottore and the letters you have submitted and signed as part of Northland Bank's tax paperwork. Can you explain why the writing for both documents are near identical?"

Fuuuuucckkkkkkk!

"No answer again? Let's call out another witness. Madam Secretary?"

A Millelith officer is guided into the room. Thick white bandages are wrapped around his head and arms, and as he settles into the seat Lumine had occupied, he shoots Ajax a venomous look.

Ajax doesn't think he can feel like the world is collapsing around him even more but shit, the man looks familiar in the most horrible sense.

"Sir, you were one of the guards stationed in the inner courtyard of the Golden House on the day Osial was released, correct?"

"Yes." Another poisonous look shot at Ajax. "My brethren and I were attacked."

"Do you remember what your assailant looks like?"

"He covered himself up pretty thoroughly, but I remember seeing a set of dark blue eyes. He had attacked us with Hydro blades."

Ningguang is practically purring. "Interesting. And what was the Traveller's testimony about Master Childe again? How he had launched a water spear into the lake?"

All eyes are on him. Ajax can feel sweat dripping down his face as his lungs and his heart are squeezed by an invisible grip. Everything feels warm and hazy and he can't—fuck. He can't think. He can't breathe.

"I-I…"

"They know," the same oily sibilant voice whispers in his head almost sing-song-like in its glee. "They know, and you're going to be locked up for good. Nobody can save you, not your friends, not your precious Zhongli. You'll be tossed aside like trash where you will rot all alone, alone, alone."

And of all the accusatory gazes stabbing into him, Ningguang's eyes are the most fierce. The most hungry.

"I'll ask again. Master Childe, where were you on the day of Osial's release?"

"Alone, alone, alone—"

"Why were you in the Golden House?"

"Alone, alone, alone, ALONE—"

"Why did you release Osial? Why did you order your men to attack the Jade Chamber?"

"ALONEALONEALONEALONE—"

"It wasn't him!"

Lumine is standing up from her spectator seat. Her face is red and her whole body is shaking with fury.

"It's not Childe's fault! It was…it was…"

She glances over at him with a look of pure apology. "It was another him. Someone else in his body!"

"You can't honestly expect us to believe that!" a member of the Qixing exclaims. "Someone else in his body? What? Like he was possessed?"

"It was a different personality altogether!" Lumine insists. "And it was fighting with the Childe we know! It told me that it was Tartaglia and that it had locked Childe away in his own mind! It said it was shackled by the will of the gods to find the Geo Gnosis!"

"This is utterly preposterous."

"Let her continue," Ningguang interrupts, holding her hand up. "Traveller, if you're saying is true, then do you know why Master Childe was locked away?"

"The Tartaglia persona said it needed to be in control to fulfill the will of the gods. It said Childe was too gentle and would only get in the way."

The room falls silent once more at the revelation. Ajax is too busy keeping himself focused, a task made hard with the way the oily voice is practically screaming in his mind and everything is starting to hurt: his head, his arms, his legs, and his chest and…and…that damned stupid voice. It just wouldn't shut up.

"It's not going to work! Nobody will believe her! They think you're a murderer! You're going to be alonealONEALONEALONE! UNWANTED! USELESS! MURDEROUS TRASH—"

He grimaces and grits his teeth

"Master Childe?" he hears Yanfei ask, but his ears feel like they're stuffed full of wool. "Something isn't—what's this energy…? Honourable Qixing, I would like to request a recess!"

There's more sound coming from the back of the room from the audience seating area. More cries to his name but it's hard to make out.

"Denied," comes the voice of the annoying uncle who hates him and Zhongli. It rings loud and clear and it sounds so, so smug. "We're at a crucial part of the questions. If what the Traveller is saying is true then Master Childe is, supposedly possessed by a second spirit who is the actual Eleventh Harbinger."

Snide chuckles fill the room and the voice continues its taunts. "Nobody believes you. Nobody cares. They want to lock you up. They want you gone. Just like your old family."

AR! he pleads. AR, turn it off. Make it stop.

"Well? Where's this second spirit? If it's true then Master Childe, why don't you show us this Tartaglia? We'd love to have a chat with him."

More laughter. He thinks he hears Yanfei protests.

"If they want to talk to me so badly, I'll talk to them," AR growls out. How he's able to still stay coherent demonstrates the tolerance he has built up from a lifetime's worth of experience. "Ajax, activate the Auto Pilot!"

O-okay. AR, activate Auto—

A new window pops up, its bright light sending sharp pain lancing through his already throbbing head.

It carries with it a message in bright red: "Ability activation denied."

What?!

AR is cursing. "What is the meaning of this? System override, code: 4X1S325!"

"Ability activation denied."

"Why is it denied? This ability was used twice already with no issues!"

"Exceptions were granted in previous circumstances as they were crucial to fulfilling the Administrators' contract with System. The current circumstance does not merit the exception to be applied so the activation request is denied."

"Oh, fuck off with that! System override, code 4X—no, code 523S1R67, reason: emergency situation to prevent the death of User."

The window flashes red. "Ability activation denied. The reason submitted has been rejected. A warning has been issued against the System for abusing the emergency protocol. Another warning will result in a penalty."

"Fuck your penalty!"

The pain in his head is excruciating now, made infinitely worse by the shouting, the flashing lights, and that fucking voice that hasn't stopped dripping its poison into his ears.

"Nobody can help you now! Nobody can save you! You're destined to be alone. To live alone. To die alone. Just like how you died in your old world as a pathetic snivelling little rat, unloved and abandoned—"

AR!

"Shit. Hang on, Ajax. System override, code 5177XP09, reason: uh, fuck, emergency situation to prevent severe bodily harm to User!"

"Ability activation denied. Second warning was issued for abusing the emergency protocol. Penalty activated in 3...2…1…"

"Ajax, I—!"

AR's cry is cut off.

"AR?" he asks. "Where…?"

No response. Just eerie silence.

"AR?"

"Who…who is Master Diplomat talking to? Who's AR?"

Ajax ignores the whispers from the Qixing. The window flashes and a new message appears.

"Your System's functions have been temporarily suspended. An automated system is now in place for Mission notifications and Ability, Inventory, and Store access until your System is online again. Please stand by."

Automated System? What the fuck is this bullshit?

A hand touches his arm and he flinches. Yanfei is staring at him with worry. "Mister Childe? Are you alright?"

Is he alright? No, he's not fucking alright! AR is gone!

What the fuck is going to do now?!

It feels like the room is closing in on him and it's getting hard to breathe. AR is gone. He's gone, gone, gone, and…

"All alone," the voice singsongs. "All alone like you were in your little apartment. Nobody can help you now. Nobody wants to. You're going to be left to rot just like how your body is probably rotting in your apartment, slowly, steadily, until the stench finally gives away what happened. What a sad and pathetic life. What a sad and pathetic death."

"Enough!" a new voice roars out.

"What's going on? Oy! You in the audience! You're not a witness! You're not allowed to intervene!"

"Mister Zhongli," comes Ningguang's frosty voice. "I insist you stay put!"

Clearly, he doesn't listen, because in the next second, Ajax is pulled into a warm embrace. Strong arms wrap around his shoulders and back and his senses are flooded by the familiar, warm scent of sandalwood, incense, and silkflowers.

Ajax leans in desperately and breathes, gulping down the calming smell as he scrambles to hold onto any sense of safety he can with the desperation of a drowning man.

"It's alright, dear boy. I've got you. I've got you. The Abyssal Taint has gotten so strong that I can sense it all the way from where I was seated."

"Abyssal Taint?" comes Yanfei's voice. "Is that what I'm sensing? It's so ominous…"

Zhongli's hold tightens. "He's on the verge of another attack. Honourable Qixing, he cannot continue. I implore you to continue this at another time!"

"It's just one convenient excuse after another, is it? We're finally getting somewhere and you want to take the wind out of our sails? I say we press on!"

"Is your search for truth so important that you're willing to put his life in danger?"

"His actions have nearly resulted in the city's annihilation!" Keqing fires back. "His men caused the deaths of six officers! So yes, we need to know the truth! Our land and our people need justice!"

Ajax is released so that Zhongli can face the Qixing with his full wrath.

"What do you know of justice?"

"Enough to know that your actions constitute as another count for obstruction of justice. This time, we'll be sure to keep you in jail for longer than a day!"

"You want to know the truth this badly? Fine, I will tell you."

The message window flashes an angry red. "Warning! Warning! Warning! Critical failure is imminent for MAIN MISSION Objective (3). Stop Character Zhongli from revealing the truth before the timer runs out to prevent a one million-point deduction. Failure will result in Game Over. 20…19…18…"

It's as if a bucket of cold water is dumped on Ajax and his head jerks up. No.

Zhongli is standing beside him. He has a protective hand on his shoulder with his proud back straight and his face forward towards the Qixing. Under the torchlight, his eyes are blazing bright gold to the point of being inhuman. His lips are twisted into a snarl, showing off gleaming fangs that are visibly growing.

He looks…beastly in his rage. Proud and powerful and terrifying.

He looks like a god even though he had technically given up his Gnosis. Clearly, he hasn't given up his reign where it counts and he's about to tighten the shackles of his godhood around his own neck all for the sake of Ajax.

He's going to destroy any chance of freedom all for the sake of Ajax.

"The truth may surprise you but I assure you, everything I'm about to say is real," Zhongli growls out.

"15…14…13…"

"No, shit—Zhongli!"

He reaches a shaky hand towards Zhongli's sleeve. As he does, something hard knocks against his wrist.

His knife. The one he had taken out from his Inventory before. He had forgotten about it.

A new plan blooms in his mind. A desperate gambit but he can't think of anything else except the knife. He can't—his head feels like it's about to explode. The timer is down to the single digits now, ticking down to the end of everything he knows. A cacophony of shouts wrap around him, mixed with the sound of his own haggard, staccato breathing. All the while, the oily voice in his head laughs and laughs and laughs.

"Coward. You don't have the guts for it. You're going to fail and you'll end up in your world, dying alone, rotting, festering and all of this would be for nothing. You're all alone, alone, alone, alone while Zhongli's last chances of freedom shatters. You'll fail yourself and you'll fail him."

"Shut up, fuck, just shut up!"

Zhongli startles. "Childe?"

Ajax is standing up. He's grabbing onto Zhongli's arm in a death grip. The window is flashing brightly by his side, seconds trickling by fast and Ajax he—he doesn't want to but there's no other way. AR is gone (leaving him alone, alone, alone) and Zhongli is about to be trapped if he doesn't do something—

The knife. He's got the knife.

He needs to stop Zhongli.

"Alone, alone, alone, alone, little failure, little loser. Back to your own world with no future except death. You'll be trapped with no ways to escape just like your precious Zhongli."

"No," he shakes his head. "This—this can't be the end. I don't care about what happens to me but I won't allow it to Zhongli. Zhongli deserves better. Zhongli. Zhongli I hope you'll forgive me. I'm so sorry."

Zhongli looks alarmed. "Childe? What are you—argh!"

His eyes grow wide. They're so golden and lovely against the delicate stroke of red lining his eyes.

Lovely even as he clutches his stomach where Ajax had just buried the knife all the way to the hilt.

The same hue of red trickles from between his pale fingers and Zhongli is…he's…

"Childe?" he asks, his voice quiet and filled with disbelief. "Childe…why?"

Ajax doesn't answer. He's shaking too hard. He stumbles a step back, then another until his knees hit his chair and he crashes into it.

Zhongli's eyes roll to the back of his head and in the next breath, he crumples to the ground.

His body is weakened from the lack of his Gnosis, Ajax realizes. Or maybe, he let his guard down too much around Ajax.

"Guards!" Ningguang shouts. "Restrain him! And get the healers in here, now!"

Zhongli is laying on the ground. The red is starting to pool on the floor and the scent of copper fills the air. There's so much blood. Ajax didn't know an Adeptus can bleed like that.

A swarm of healers burst into the room just as he finds his head shoved onto the table and his arms wrenched behind his back.

He doesn't move as he feels his wrists cuffed. He can only watch the healers trying to stabilize Zhongli.

"We need to get him on a stretcher right away. He's losing a lot of blood."

O-oh. Oh god. Ajax didn't mean to—he didn't mean to—

"Zhongli?" he calls out and he tries to get closer. "Zhongli!"

"He's resisting!"

"Take him out!"

A sharp pain strikes against his temple and he's out like a light.

He's not in the same cell as he was before. His new location is a room with no windows. It's made up of walls with grimy stones, a cold hard stone floor, and a solid metal door.

Ajax shivers. It's quiet and dark.

It would've been completely pitch black if it wasn't for the glow of the automated system's screen shining a dull blue light on his surroundings.

"Game Over stopped," the screen reads. "Mission Status recalibrating. Please stand by."

He draws his knees to his chest. It's the only movement he can make with the way his arms are still cuffed behind his back and with how he can't seem to stop trembling.

"AR?" he calls out, his voice hoarse. "AR, is—is Zhongli alright?"

No answer.

"I didn't mean to hurt him that badly. I didn't—I just needed to get him to stop. I didn't want to hurt him at all, oh god."

No answer.

Except…

"Alone, alone, alone, alonealonealone, pathetic little worm who can do nothing but hurt everyone you love. You deserve it. You deserve this."

"Shut up. God, shut up!"

He drifts in that dark, cold space as the voice continues to gnaw at his every waking thought. AR is gone. Zhongli is gone. It's just Ajax now. Just Ajax in the darkness.

Maybe it's better that way. At least he won't be able to hurt anybody anymore.

He gets a short bout of reprieve. At some point, he must have fallen asleep, but his peace is shattered by the whooshing sound of a gust of wind.

He doesn't bother to move, not even as black and gold boots enter his vision nor when the tip of a jade green spear materializes to point towards his throat.

"I heard about your arrest," Xiao growls out. The spear tip is shaking. "Did you do it? Did you unleash Osial?"

What is there left to hide? Even if he evaded the Game Over, he's lost just about everything he's built in this world: his reputation, his home, AR, Zhongli—

"I did it," he rasps out. Xiao at least deserves the truth from him. "I released Osial."

"You!"

The spear tip nudges against his throat and Ajax doesn't resist.

"I should kill you for what you have done!" Xiao snarls. "If nothing else, it would redeem my foolish actions for leading you to his resting place. That's how you knew how to release Osial, wasn't it? Because I took you there!"

Ajax doesn't answer.

"You would dare to endanger this land like that! After everything this land has given you. After the way our Lord Lapis had loved you!"

Ajax lets out a weak chuckle. Zhongli may have loved him but that's no longer true, not after how badly he had hurt him.

"Well? Aren't you going to at least say why you've done this?!"

Ajax licks his dry lips. "Because the gods will it, so it must be done."

Because it's more than apparent now that just like Zhongli, Ajax is also chained to his duties. Bound by the wills of the Administrators to perform the rest of the play in the villainous role he was cast. And above all else, the show must always go on.

But at least Zhongli is finally free from his old role. At least Zhongli can finally rest.

The spear tip digs a little deeper against his skin. Ajax can feel it biting against his flesh. He closes his eyes.

Then, it pulls away.

"Will of the gods, huh?" Xiao spits out. "Then I suppose I should leave it to the will of the gods as to whether you live or die in this cell."

There's the sound of footsteps backing away from him.

"Goodbye, Tartaglia."

A small gust of wind ruffles his hair and clothes, and then, thick silence descends over the space once more.

The message window flashes. "Relationship status for Character Xiao update: F points are reduced to 0. R points increased to 3000."

Ajax curls himself into a tighter ball and goes back to sleep.

The next time he wakes up, it's to the sound of footsteps outside his door.

He ignores it and tries to go back to sleep, but doesn't find much success when he hears the clunking sound of a metal bolt unlocking.

The door swings open and footsteps enter his room. Then…a whispered voice.

"Shit, boyo, they put you through the wringer, huh?"

Ajax's eyes fly open.

"Hu Tao?"

"Shhh, not so loud!"

A pair of hands help him up so that he's seated. "Gods, you look awful. Oy, System, use one of my healing foods on him."

A rush of warmth floods through his body and just like that, the lingering, damp chill is gone. Hu Tao gives his cheeks a little pat before shuffling behind him to work on his shackles.

"System, lock picking tool. Awesome, you're the best, babe!"

The reminder that she still has her System sends a bolt of envy to his heart. He ignores it. "What's going on? What are you doing?"

"What do you mean, what I'm doing?" she says even as her deft hands continue their work. "I'm getting you the fuck out is what I'm doing. Took me a while to find out where they hid you but Auntie Hu Tao has a few tricks up her sleeve—ah ha! Gotcha, you little bitch!"

There's a clanking sound and the cuffs around his wrists come loose. Ajax winces and brings his hands to his front, rubbing at the raw skin while slowly wriggling his fingers to work off the pins and needles.

"Alright boyo, I need you to strip out of your old clothes and dress into this one. Oh, and I found this old thing for you. Catch!"

He barely manages to catch the thing tossed at him along with the bundle of standard green adventurers' clothes shoved into his face, but boy is he glad to have done so. "My Vision! Hu Tao, this is the best. You're the best!"

"Hey, no need to get teary-eyed. I promised I'd get you out of here safe and sound, didn't I?" she says. "Although I suppose it's understandable. You went through hell. Now, dress quickly. We need to get going."

He feels a lot more like his old self dressed in clean clothes with his Vision clipped to his pants. The cut of the clothing feels tighter than the looser shirts he's used to wearing, and the style feels more ornate with little metal buttons lining the cuffs and shirt front. Luckily, the shirt is loose enough so that he could simply pull it over his head; it would have been impossible for him to fasten all those little buttons up in the dim lighting.

He welcomes the distraction of the foreign clothes. If nothing else, it stops him from thinking and it stops the voice from getting too loud in his brain.

"Okay, kiddo, stand to the side. Try not to freak out okay, cause this is going to look a bit gnarly. Oy, System! Can you pull out the, you know. Set it on the ground too, please and thank you!"

A flash of gold light flares up from the ground where Ajax had been laying and a humanoid shape solidifies. Ajax wishes he wasn't watching.

"Oh god. I'm going to be sick," he mutters and turns away. "You weren't kidding when you said it's not your first time faking a death, huh? Also, how the hell did you manage to stuff an entire body in your Inventory? Isn't there like a volume cap?"

He tries his best to ignore the sound of rustled clothing from the way Hu Tao is, urgh, dressing the corpse in his old clothes.

"So many people have asked me to fake their deaths for them. At this point, I've perfected this like an art form. As for the volume cap, the first thing when I got to this world was to max out my Inventory. Figured I'd need all the storage I can get. Oh, wow, I'm really, really good at this. Look at that, I even got the handcuffs on exactly how you had them!"

"No, I really, really don't want to look."

"Suit yourself."

There are more clothes rustling and clinking sounds, then, footsteps and a tap on his shoulder. "Okay, all done, boyo. Out of the room you go. Out, out."

Ajax shuffles out of the cell. He's a bit wobbly and a part of him is still in disbelief over what's happening right now. But he's fairly sure his imagination is not vivid enough to concoct the image of Hu Tao dumping a bunch of fuel all over the humanoid lump in the dark that Ajax is trying very, very hard not to focus on.

She tucks the canister back into her Inventory and steps out of the cell.

"And now, for a little bit of spark."

A small red flame bursts from her fingertip. She lobs it into the room and quickly closes the cell door. It doesn't take long for the first sign of smoke to hit the air.

"This way," she says with cheer and gestures to the stone hallway to his right. "To freedom."

After everything that has happened, Ajax only feels a quiet sort of relief as he and Hu Tao crawl out of the caves that connected the Administration Building to the mountainside. It pays to be friends with the person who designed the world they're living in, Ajax supposes, because he's fairly sure there were no mentions of those caves in the original game.

"You doing okay, kid? Need another healing food? You're looking really pale."

Ajax shakes his head. "I-I'm good. Just…trying to process everything."

That's a bald-faced lie. Now that he's out with the crisp night air filling his lungs, his head, his body, his everything hurt like hell. His limbs feel weak and his energy is flagging by the second. He's not sure how much farther he can make it in his current state.

"It's okay, kid. Just a little further. I've got a getaway vehicle waiting for us."

As promised, they reach a little covered wagon. Two horses are grazing nearby. A quick little whistle has them perking up and trotting towards Hu Tao.

"Get yourself comfortable inside. Go sleep. You look like you need a million naps. I've got things under control here."

He clambers inside and gets himself comfortable. Shortly after, the wagon begins to move.

"Have you…have you heard about Zhongli at all?"

Hu Tao, who's seated in the driver's seat with the reigns in her hands, turns over. "Hm, he's okay, boyo. He's recovering in the hospital and he's expected to bounce back just fine. He may have lost his Gnosis, but he's still an Adeptus at the end of the day."

Ajax breathes a sigh. Oh. Zhongli is doing okay. Thank goodness.

"I don't know what compelled you to do what you did, but it's gotta be pretty serious, huh? You wouldn't have done something like this if it wasn't."

Just like that, the brief feeling of relief shatters. Ajax licks his dry lips. "I was…I was 5 seconds away from getting a game over because Zhongli was ready to reveal that he's Rex Lapis to everyone."

Hu Tao curses. "Look, the moment he's up and running, I'm going to let him know that you escaped—"

"Don't. Please."

Hu Tao gives him a look. "Kid. Whatever dumb thing it is you're thinking about, stop immediately."

"I stabbed him!"

Ajax buries his head his hands and chokes back the funny welling pressure threatening to rise from his throat. Everything is starting to crash down on him like domino blocks and fuck, he can smell the blood in the air. He can see the way Zhongli is looking at him, surprised and hurt and disappointed. He can see Zhongli lying there on the ground, paler than Ajax has ever seen him as red begins to spread and spread from underneath his body.

"I hurt him and…and he was bleeding everywhere. All he wanted to do was save me! How can I look him in the eye after that let alone just…ask him to come with me?"

"You think letting him think you died is a mercy?" Although Hu Tao's question is harsh, her words are gentle. When Ajax doesn't answer, she shakes her head and turns her attention back on the road. "You're tired. Now's not a good time to talk. We can chat later once you've had the chance to rest, okay?"

He sniffs and wipes his eyes with the back of his hands. "Okay," he mutters. "Thanks for saving me, Hu Tao."

"Hm. Always. Auntie Hu Tao is here to help."

Time passes in a blur, mainly because Ajax spends most of it sleeping. He's only awake for a handful of minutes to eat, wash up, and use the washroom before curling backing into the wagon, and passing out under the piles of soft blankets, lulled by its gentle swaying. It's not like he's interested in being awake any longer than he needs to, not with that voice's whispers filling his thoughts whenever he's coherent.

Yes, it's best to just…sleep. Sleep and forget.

Forget the way Zhongli looked lying there, covered in blood.

Forget the way the healers are swarming around him, trying to stem the bleeding from a wound Ajax had caused.

Sweet, blessed sleep will wipe those away.

But eventually, all good things come to an end. The next time he finds himself awake, it's to the soft, delicate tunes of harp strings strumming in the air. He shifts and…huh…those are soft bedsheets he's lying on with a fluffy pillow propping his head up.

The poisonous voice in his head is gone and everything is still.

Okay, he's definitely not in the wagon. What's going on?

He peels his sleepy eyes open.

He's definitely not in the wagon. Rather, he's in a cozy room with white plaster walls, large ornate bookshelves filled with all manners of trinkets, a small writing desk with a sitting chair, and a cozy, four-poster bed. There is a distinct lack of Liyuan decor—no silk banners, no brushstroke paintings, and no redwood panels engraved with geometric designs. In fact, the room is giving him a strong European vibe with the wooden beams in the walls and the curling flowers carved into the furniture.

He peels his covers back and sits up. Someone has kindly taken off his shoes, belt and Vision with the latter two placed on the nightstand beside him.

Ajax leaves his belt and tucks his Vision in his pocket. He gets up and heads for the standing mirror in the corner.

Yikes. Even with sleep, he looks gaunt and pale with purple bags under his eyes. He looks like he's lost ten pounds with how hollow his cheeks are. His dishevelled, greasy mop of bright orange hair only brings out the stark contrast between his pallid skin and dull blue eyes. Not a good look.

A sparkle on his chest catches his eyes. He looks down. Oh, his ring. The one Zhongli gave him. It managed to stay strung up as his necklace without it being lost despite the chaos. Thank god.

But just as the feeling of happy relief surges through him, so do the bitterness of regret and the heat of shame come snaking forward. He wonders how Zhongli is doing. He wonders how everyone is faring. Would they know he's missing? Do they think he's dead?

Is Zhongli okay? Does Zhongli hate him?

One way to find out.

"AR?"

He sighs when the automated system's window pops up. "Your System's functions have been temporarily suspended. An automated system is now in place for Mission notifications and Ability, Inventory, and Store access until your System is online again. What do you wish to inquire about?"

"When will AR come back?"

"Invalid inquiry. Please try again."

Ajax scowls. "When will my System become online again?"

"Invalid inquiry. Please try again."

Argh! This automated system sucks!

"Fine!" he tosses his hands in the air and gives up. "Do I have any unread notifications?"

A little loading circle begins to spin. After a minute, a new message appears.

"You have 328 new notifications. Would you like to review them now?"

Ajax gapes at the window. "328 notifications?" How the hell does he even begin his review?

"Can you group the notifications somehow?" he asks.

The spinning update wheel reappears. Then, "The notifications have been grouped based on the following categories: Status Effect Updates, Mission Status Updates, Relationship Status Updates, and Achievements. What would you like to review first?"

"Status Effect Updates, please."

A new window pops up. "All Status Effects from the use of Foul Legacy have been lifted."

Okay, that was quick and easy, although how his Abyssal Taint Effect is removed remains a mystery. He'll figure that out later. Next, "Can I look at Mission Status Updates?"

"Status update regarding MAIN MISSION (3): Ensure Zhongli (aka Rex Lapis Morax) is freed from the shackles of godhood. This Objective is now complete. Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations. User has now completed the three MAIN MISSIONS. The severe point deduction penalty has now been removed. Your Rewards are as follows…"

A long list of rewards pops up and Ajax scrolls down, paying attention to none of it. Under normal circumstances, he would feel incredibly elated, but now, the victory feels rather hollow when he doesn't have anybody besides him to celebrate with. Not even AR is here.

The message continues. "Now that the MAIN MISSIONS are completed, User is free to interact with the world however he sees fit. Optional Quests will appear with no penalties if they are refused or if User fails them. Wishing the User continuous joy from experiencing Genshin Impact 2.0!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Ajax mutters and scrolls through the text with zero fucks given. "Let's go to the next one. The Relationship Status one."

This time, it takes a few minutes for the loading spinning wheel to disappear.

"For ease of review, the Characters' relationships have been grouped based on level of intimacy. Starting with Character Zhongli."

Hoo boy. The guilt nearly sends him reeling. Ajax bites his lips as his hand flies to the ring on his necklace.

"Relationship Status Update. L points +10,000, R points +10,000."

Ajax chokes on air. What the hell are those L point and R point figures? What does it mean for both to increase like that?

And…does that mean Zhongli doesn't hate him?

Wait, no, shit, he can't be distracted yet. He has the other notifications to get through.

He scrolls down, and with each notification line, his surprise grows.

Lumine, R points +500; even with Paimon there are 100 R points added. Then, he gets to the Spy Team and the R points are in the hundreds range too.

On and on it goes with R points through the roof. Every person he's ever worked with or has a friendly rapport with sees a status update with an R point gain. Not even the merchants are spared.

The surprise doesn't cease because he gets to the Qixing next.

"Relationship Status Update for Character Ningguang: R point +500. Relationship Status Update for Character Keqing: R point +500."

What the hell? Why are the Qixing numbers so high?

Nothing compares to the Adepti though.

"Relationship Status Update for Character Xiao: F point has been restored to the previous number prior to the last encounter plus an additional 100. R point +1000. Relationship Status Update for Character Ganyu: R point +1000. Relationship Status Update for Yanfei: R point +1000."

Okay. What the actual fuck is going on?

"Can I look at the Achievements next?"

The list is similarly extensive and at some point, Ajax's eyes start to glaze over a little. There are a couple of Achievement titles that stick out to him though.

"You've earned the achievement: 'You're a Heartbreaker, Dream Maker, Love Taker' for simultaneously earning over 1000 L points and R points with a character.

"You've earned 'Hurt/No Comfort' for increasing 50 R points for more than 10 Characters."

"You've earned 'What a Senseless Waste of Human Life' for increasing at least 10 R points for more than 100 people in believing that you have perished."

Ajax rereads that last description. "Oh."

News of his pseudocide must have gone public then. But that doesn't explain the high numbers he's seeing among the Qixing and the Adepti.

Three sharp knocks on his door interrupt his thoughts. It just occurs to Ajax that the harp playing has stopped sometime during his musings.

He shakes his head, runs a quick hand through his hair in a futile attempt to make himself look more presentable, and opens the door.

"Hu Tao, I'm glad to see…you…?"

The person staring back at him is decidedly not Hu Tao. First of all, the person looks male, dressed in a white blouse, green pair of shorts with leggings underneath, and a green cape draped over his shoulders. He's also carrying a harp.

Second of all, Ajax knows he's not Hu Tao because he recognizes this person.

"Ahoy there!" Venti greets, all sunshine and rainbows, and Ajax is reeling because he's the absolute last person he expects to see ever. "I'm glad to see that my esteemed guest is finally awake!"