~ No One POV ~ 

Xiao woke up and looked around the cave as everything that has happened came back to him. He takes notice of the bed in  the other corner of the room. He struggled to stand up and he stretches as the position he slept in was uncomfortable due to the rough enviroment. He finishes stretching and walks over to the bed. He takes notice of the food that stay at the side of the bed. He picks up the water bottle and finishes it in seconds, ready for the food he looks at the bed and sees a note. It says, 

" I know this may seem very confusing but I am doing this to protect you, once things have settled I will bring you back to me but for now I will keep supplying you with food and water and other needs until it's all over.
- Aether <3 "

Xiao clenches the paper making it a ball and tosses it to the other side of the cave. He doesn't understand why Aether would go to such lengths. Is this supposed to be protection? Is this his way of showing he loves and cares for Xiao ? It seems Xiao still doesn't understand love 'the way humans do'. He doesn't know what to do, part of him wants to get out of here and to reunite with Aether but something's telling him to listen to Aether and to just stay there and trust he has it all under control. Xiao sits in the bed and doesn't do anything but curl into a ball and stare into nothing. He's confused, scared and lonely. For once he doesn't want to be alone, he wants company, anyone whether it be Aether, ganyu or hu tao, just anyone..

His vision goes blurry as his eyes flood with tears, he doesn't want to cry.. Using his hands he tries to wipe away anything that comes out of his eyes but it doesn't help the tears just keep flowing.. he hasn't cried like this since the other yakshas...died.. And suddenly he feels as though something just stared squeezing his heart, it hurt physically and emotionally. His karmic debt only gets worse.. Perhaps Zhongli was right, maybe Aether isn't good for Xiao.. but Xiao knows that's not true as he cares for Aether so much and Aether cares even more.

~ Xiao POV ~

It feels like every limb on my body is being pulled and stretched.. It hurts..so much. But it is what I must pay for aeons of slaughter. I do not deserve all this care I am recieving from everyone. I am a monster, I've killed so many.. I can never be forgiven. I don't deserve anyone or anything. I will not accept anything from anyone.. Once again I must rebuild my imaginary wall and block myself from everyone for their own good.. So I can't use anything he gives me including the food. My body feels numb and I fall off the bed grazing my knee and I feel so weak.. I can't move.. I fall onto my side and the cold floor sends shivers up my body. I lay there as still as a corpse and I drift to someplace else.. somewhere happier.

( DREAMING NOT DEAD )

Okay now I'm gonna start the next chapter and it will be much longer as it's going to be drama between Aether and Zhongli as I didn't know what to write this chapter :D