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Chapter Text

Childe blinked his eyes open only to freeze, he had been bleeding out on the ground somewhere in Snezhnaya, so why was he here in the place he hadn't seen in years?

Northland Bank.

Glancing around, Childe spotted Signora, Traveler, and...Zhongli.

Zhongli was here, standing here, alive and not dead alongside the rest of Liyue.

Oh gods.

Childe stumbled forward, unable to even think straight as he approached Zhongli, hands trembling.

It was at that moment Zhongli noticed Childe's reaction. "Childe, are you feeling alright? You're looking rather pale, if I have offended you by not telling you who I am, I apologize it was not my intenti-"

The God was cut off from finishing his sentence when Childe crashed his lips into Zhongli's.

It didn't take long before Zhongli returned the kiss, but after a few moments, he pulled back with a look of concern.* "Childe please, tell me what is wrong?"

"You died...how are you here, how are you alive?" Childe chokes out, tears running down his cheeks.

"Died?" Zhongli questions, mostly to himself, his eyes narrowed in thought and concern. "Childe, I need to listen to me...we're in Liyue right now, Osial has just been defeated, and you just fought the Traveler...does any of this ring a bell?"

Yes. It did.

But the problem was, it shouldn't.

These events had happened over five entire years ago, closer to six years.

"Enough, Morax, hand over the Gnosis," Signora demands. "You have yet to fulfill your end of the contract."

Zhongli's amber eyes seemed to glow, but he turned around calmly, not a single hint of frustration on his expression. Despite that, Childe could tell that Zhongli's patience was running thin.

"There has been a change of terms," Zhongli states simply, eyes narrowed. "I will hand over the Gnosis, in return for...your Eleventh Harbinger."

In return for...what?

Was Zhongli bargaining for him like one would with an object?

Signora seemed more amused than angry, she just laughed. "You want the brat, fine, take him...but I need the Gnosis."

Zhongli nodded, letting the Gnosis appear in his hand and handing it to Signora.

"There is a spell on the Gnosis, if you break the contract and try to control, Childe, the Gnosis will appear back to me," Zhongli states, giving Signora a cold look. "So don't bother attempting to get around these new terms."

Childe just stood there, feeling numb, he'd served the Tsaritsa for so long, but now he had been freed and Zhongli hadn't even asked him if he was ok with that.

Once Signora left Northland Bank, Childe turned to Zhongli with an unreadable expression.

"I'm not an object to be bargained for, Xiansheng," Childe says, his teeth gritted.

Zhongli inclined his head.

"You are correct, however, Signora doesn't see you that way and I only attempted to speak in a language she understood," Zhongli explained and Childe snorted.

"Yeah, well, thanks to you I'll likely never see my family again," Childe says bitterly. "Why did you need me to stay in Liyue?"

He watched as the former Archon gave him a guilty look.

"I...I fear that emotion got in the way," Zhongli admits, his amber eyes meeting Childe's dull blue ones. "I am concerned about you and how you're acting, but I also care about you, Childe. I do not wish to be separated from you."

Childe swallows, how much had he dreamed of this moment in the past, and now he was in the past and it was actually happening.

It wasn't fair.

Why couldn't this have happened in the previous timeline?

"What will I do now, I have nowhere to go and no job left," Childe says quietly, gesturing aimlessly with his right hand.

Zhongli hesitates for a moment.

"Childe, what do you know of the term Adeptus?"

Childe's eyes narrowed. "They're a group of immortal beings that work for you?"

Zhongli nodded, giving him a small smile. "Technically speaking, Adepti is not a species, it's a title...the title I give to those working under me. For example, Ganyu is half-Qilin, but she's an Adeptus because she swore loyalty to Rex Lapis over all else. The same goes for Xiao who actually named after his species, which is essentially a four-winged bird."

Zhongli pauses, taking a deep breath.

"What I'm getting at is that it does not matter the species, Adepti are simply people who work under me much the same as the Fatui work under the Tsaritsa. If you wish, I can give you a spot in their ranks."

"I...I nearly drowned Liyue, and you want to make me an Adeptus?" Childe choked out, confused and apprehensive.

The God sighs, tilting his head slightly. "While you did almost destroy Liyue, it was under my control and if any true harm would have befallen Liyue, I'd have stepped in."

Zhongli takes a step forward. "I do not make this offer lightly, Childe, you will need to make vows you'd never have agreed to before...and there will be strict rules. However, if you agree, your lifespan will be made indefinite...you won't be immortal, as you'd be killed just as easily as before, but you'd be ageless."

Childe was reeling. Why was Zhongli offering him this, why did he have so much faith in Childe when he himself didn't? None of it made sense, but he wanted to believe Zhongli so much, and in the end what else did he left?

With a shaky breath, Childe nodded.

"Okay...I'll do it..."

Chapter Text

Childe looked around his new sleeping quarters, as soon had agreed to Zhongli's offer, the God had called Xiao and told the Yaksha to take Childe to one of the guest rooms on Cloud Retainers Mountain. Apparently, most of the Adeptus had a place to stay there, except for Xiao who stayed at Wangshu Inn.

Xiao didn't know that Childe had nearly drowned Liyue Harbor, if he did, Childe doubted that the Yaksha would have been so indifferent to him.

With a heavy sigh, Childe placed his suitcase and precious few belongings down.

A random part of him wondered if he'd even be able to treat Zhongli to those expensive restaurants or gift artifacts and antiques. He no longer had Pantalone's money to spend, and as such he was very much reliant on what was given to him, something he was not used to.

Moving over to the bed, Childe looked at the intricately designed pattern on the blankets.

"Fuck my life," Childe muttered under his breath, closing his eyes as a wave of memories from the future past flooded him.

Did he tell Zhongli about the future, or did he keep it to himself, he suspected the God knew something had happened.

It was what prompted the God to trade the Gnosis for Childe.

An amused chuckle escaped his lips. Did that mean he was worth a Gnosis, he should thank Zhongli for the compliment.

A knock at the door and Childe turned just in time for Ganyu one Zhongli Adepti to peek inside.

"Mr. Tartaglia, um...Rex Lapis and the Adepti are ready for you," Ganyu says, her voice soft and it was clear she didn't know what to do about Childe.

To be fair, he was positive she knew what he'd done to Liyue Harbor.

Childe just gave the half-Qilin a small smile. "I'll be out in a second."

Ganyu hesitated a moment later before nodding, she left the door open a crack as she left.

Childe looked back around the room, his new home...before turning to the door and deciding to get the chaos out of the way.

𖤹༺ . • . • . 𖦹 🐉 𖦹 • . • . ༻𖤹

Childe walked out of the cave the guest rooms were in, out into a large clearing. In the middle of the clearing was a decently sized pond with a small island in the center, swirling stone steps made their way across the water.

The island had a tree and a stone table with chairs in the center.

Zhongli was sitting on one of the chairs, his shoulders slumped as two large cranes and a stag seemed to be scolding him.

He couldn't help the chuckle that left his lips as he approached, causing Zhongli, the three Adepti, as well as Xiao, and Ganyu who were off to the side, to look up.

"I'm guessing they just found out you didn't actually die," Childe teased the God with a smirk, earning a small growl from Xiao and a glare from most of the other Adepti other than Ganyu.

Zhongli just coughed into his hand awkwardly, his ears tinted pink with embarrassment.

"Yes, well...I expected this kind of reaction, I'm afraid."

With a roll of his eyes, Childe glanced at the Adepti who were all staring at him.

"Did you tell them about your offer?" Childe asks hesitantly.

Looking at all the Adepti, as far as he knew the only one who was for sure in the know of his actions was Ganyu. The rest had been too busy dealing with Osial and the aftermath of Rex Lapis's presumed death.

"Yes, they know I plan to make you an Adeptus," Zhongli confirms with a nod, earning a scoff from Cloud Retainer.

"And one says that a human cannot possibly be an Adeptus," Cloud Retainer states, her wings fluffing up indignantly. "They're weak and frail, even if they won't age, won't change their composition."

Childe glared at the white crane.

Weak?

Him?

He wanted to laugh, and he would have if he didn't know he needed to actually get along with what were essentially going to be his new coworkers.

"Cloud Retainer, that's enough," Zhongli orders, almost immediately the Crane bowed her head and went silent. "Childe has proven himself to be no ordinary human, the Traveler himself stated that Childe was able to use a Vision, a Delusion, and Abyssal abilities without going insane, dying, or suffering permanent side effects."

Childe gaped, oh shit, had the Traveler mentioned those things that last time too?

"Well, with Delusion, my Vision counters the effects and it's the same with the Abyssal power," Childe admits, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "Does tend to make my Vision weaker than it would be otherwise, but hey...as long as I don't lose my mind, right?"

His joke was not well received.

Xiao turns to Zhongli. "My Lord, can we really trust this tainted human?"

Tainted?

Ouch.

"Could I say the same thing about you?" Childe asks casually. "I read all about Yaksha's Mr. Karmic Debt."

Xiao grits his teeth, his polearm appearing in his hands as he takes a step toward Childe.

"Xiao," Zhongli says sternly, and the Yaksha growls.

"My Lord, you can't be serious about this, this...human, doesn't deserve the title of Adeptus," Xiao says, glaring daggers at Childe.

The way Xiao said the word 'human' indicated he meant anything but.

"I trust Childe with my life," Zhongli says firmly, his amber eyes shifting to Childe who stood there frozen on the spot, stunned.

Why?

If only Zhongli knew.

Knew that he was the cause of Liyue destruction in the previous timeline.

For a moment Xiao didn't respond, but eventually, he let his polearm disappear and crossed his arms.

At that, Zhongli stood up and made his way around the table toward Childe.

"Childe-" Zhongli began but Childe stopped him with a raised hand.

"Call me... Ajax, that's my birth name," Childe says quietly, just loud enough for Zhongli to hear.

The God's eyes softened, and he nodded.

"Ajax, while Cloud Retainer and Moon Carver gather ingredients for the Adeptus creation ritual, I expect you to not leave this mountain," Zhongli states seriously. "As part of tradition, you cannot come into contact with other humans until the ritual is completed and your vows have been spoken. Do not fret, however, it shouldn't take more than a a week to gather the ingredients and prepare the ritual."

Childe nodded, resigning himself to not even being able to fight or spar for the next weak or so.

"Is there anything else besides agelessness that I should expect from this ritual?" Childe asks, releasing he had never asked when he agreed to this.

Zhongli hesitates for a moment.

"Yes, the main thing you should know is that you won't need your vision on your person any longer, I wouldn't get rid of it, however, it's still connected to you but your element will be stronger," Zhongli explains, glancing at Xiao momentarily. "You will also, potentially, gain a secondary ability... what that ability is, there is no way of knowing."

Childe tilted his head, wondering why Zhongli looked at Xiao like that.

"Understood," Childe says with a smile before clasping his hands together. "I suppose I should go unpack now... I'll see you all later."

Before he could turn and leave, however, Zhongli placed a hand on Childe's shoulder.

"I will be back tomorrow, and I want a brief word with you about something," Zhongli says, his voice quiet. "I won't take no for answer, not for this."

Childe swallows.

What was it that Zhongli wanted to talk about?

His weird behavior from Northland Bank?

Or was it about that damned kiss he'd given the God in front of Signora and Traveler?

Childe swallows nervously before giving a brief nod.

"Understood."

𖤹༺ . • . • . 𖦹 🐉 𖦹 • . • . ༻𖤹

As soon as Childe was in his new room, he slumped against the wall, sliding down until he was sitting on the floor.

Oh, Gods...

Had he made the right choice, agreeing to be one of Zhongli's Adepti?

He remembered the absolute nightmare that the former Hydro Archon had suffered in the last timeline, being human but not aging a single year for five hundred years. Could he handle the mental tole agelessness gave him, then again, unlike Furina he didn't have to keep his humanity secret.

He didn't need to run an entire nation and fight a prophecy, he just had to do what the other Adepti did.

Protect Liyue, stay loyal to Zhongli, and probably a few other things that were fairly common in subordinates to power figures.

Still, the mental tole would be something to watch out for.

He already had a lot of mental torment in his mind from the previous timeline, could he afford to add more?

Childe swallows, glancing around the room nervously.

If he told Zhongli, about how he had caused Liyue's downfall once before, would the former Archon revoke his offer?

Could Childe bear the idea of losing Zhongli's trust, just like that?

Trust.

It was such a fragile thing, he knew more than most. It had taken him years to forgive Zhongli after lying to him originally, and by the time he did, it was too late and the God had been killed.

This time, he didn't have that problem, he trusted Zhongli.

What he hadn't expected was for the God to trust him, with his own life, no less.

Childe closed his eyes, fighting back the urge to break down. How could he live, knowing he'd killed Zhongli once before, yet also knowing the God trusted him so much?

If Zhongli knew what Childe had done in the past, he'd no longer trust him.

With that thought, Childe realized he could never tell Zhongli the truth, he could never let the God find out about his time travel. Even if it meant lying to him, and betraying Zhongli's trust in him.

Zhongli couldn't know.

𖤹༺ . • . • . 𖦹 🐉 𖦹 • . • . ༻𖤹

Once Zhongli finished his meeting with Adepti, he sighed, glancing back at the entrance to the guest rooms.

Something was off about his dear friend, and he didn't like it.

There was almost a cloud of exhaustion rolling over Chil- Ajax, it left him wondering if something had happened to the human in the time between his fight with the Traveler and meeting Zhongli and Signora at the Bank.

He wasn't a fool, he saw that look in Ajax's dull blue eyes, it was the same look that he'd wore many times in the past.

Grief.

Ajax was grieving, and the look appeared whenever the human turned to Zhongli himself.

Zhongli stared down down at his tea mug, the liquid inside had long since gone cold. A waste of good Osmanthus Tea, but he just didn't care at the moment. Ajax's situation mattered more than a few leaves in hot water.

The memory of the kiss Ajax had given him in the bank lingered in Zhongli's mind, his lips feeling tingly at the mere thought of the close proximity the human and he had shared in that moment.

Did Ajax feel the same as him?

Perhaps Zhongli wasn't prepared to tell Ajax his feelings, but he could test the waters and see if the human showed any signs of interest.

He chuckles to himself, knowing it would be a decent amount of time before Zhongli's efforts were noticed, the human was intelligent, but it was clear he was as emotionally intelligent. He often missed clues to Zhongli's mood, likely not noticing or not being able to decipher it.

With one last look at the cave that the guest rooms were located in, Zhongli gathered up his geo-energy, and disappeared, reappearing in his apartment building.

Once inside his apartment, Zhongli made his way over to his study, determined to write down as much knowledge he could about Adepti. He figured Ajax would appreciate the effort, perhaps Zhongli would create a cover for it, make it look official and neat.

Like a gift.

Like a courting gift, his mind unhelpfully supplied.

Zhongli sighed, it had been so long since he'd had romantic interest in anyone, and that was obvious in the way he let himself be distracted constantly by the mere idea of the one those feelings were for.

He tilted his head, looking at the parchment that had been sitting in front of him for a while now.

What flowers did Ajax like?

He'd have to ask one of the Adepti to ask Ajax, if he asked himself, it would raise suspicions of Zhongli's intentions before he had the chance to truly court the human.

A small smile spread across his face, and with a renewed sense of purpose, Zhongli began writing.

Chapter Text

The next day, Childe woke up feeling exhausted, he had spent most of the night awake, staring at the ceiling of the room wondering about the future.

Did he actively go out and try to prevent the war, deaths, and destruction?

Or did he just focus on keeping himself, Zhongli, Liyue, and the other Adepti alive?

Keeping Liyue safe was a much more manageable goal than keeping the entirety of Teyvat safe.

Perhaps he could even extend it to Mondstadt as well, considering the Nation of Freedom had a strong alliance with Liyue, even during the middle of the war in the future.

In fact, Barbatos's ability to read information through the air and wind was invaluable, if he wanted to avoid Liyue's destruction, having a positive relationship with the Anemo Archon was a must.

With a soft sigh, Childe sat up and gave a stretch, recognizing that he wasn't getting any more sleep, he might as well start his day early.

Even if he wasn't going to be able to leave the mountain.

As he began getting dressed, he wondered idly what Zhongli wanted to talk about today, he had noted the seriousness in the former Archon's expression during the meeting the day before.

He suspected it was about his behavior in Northland Bank.

A knock at the door caught his attention and he walked over, opening it, surprised to see it was Xiao on the other side.

"Adeptus Xiao," Childe says, inclining his head with reluctant respect.

Xiao grimaces.

"We're both going to be Adepti in a few days, I do not require your respect," Xiao says, his tone sounding almost annoyed.

Childe sighed, he had a feeling that Xiao would be difficult to deal with for a long time.

"Well, did you need anything or are you going to just stand there in the doorway?" Childe questions, crossing his arms.

Xiao scoffs.

"I am here to inform you that my Lord has seen me fit to guard you until your ritual, in case others attempt to harm you leading up to your Adeptus Ceremony."

He tensed, did Zhongli expect him to be attacked or was the God being paranoid?

"I see. Well, I am about to head off to my meeting with Zhongli now, so I doubt you'll be required for guard duty until later."

Childe gave a fake smile, that Xiao thankfully didn't see through.

"Hmm, I will continue to watch you from a distance, I don't trust you, Human," Xiao states coldly, disappearing in a flash of Anemo energy.

With an eyeroll, Childe quickly grabbed his Vision and Delusion before heading out of the cave.

As he walked over to the same place where the meeting had taken place the day prior, Childe couldn't help but feel bitter about how distrustful Xiao was toward him. In the previous timeline, he'd noticed Zhongli and Xiao had a close familial relationship, whether it was one of father and son or uncle and nephew, he did not know.

All he knew was that the idea of not getting along with Zhongli's family left a bitter taste in his mouth. He'd sacrificed ever seeing his own family ever again, and now he didn't even get along with his new God's family.

"You're deep in thought," A voice broke through Childe's thoughts, and he glanced up realizing he'd already arrived at his destination, and Zhongli was waiting for him.

Childe rubs the back of his neck with an awkward chuckle.

"My apologies, Xiansheng," Childe says, feeling a tad embarrassed.

Zhongli just smiled, shaking his head. "Do not worry, I saw no harm in letting drift off considering all the change you've been dealing with lately."

His heart squeezed in his chest at Zhongli's words. If only the God knew just how much change he was truly going through.

"Well, you mentioned you wanted to talk to me?" Childe asks, changing the subject to a safer one.

The former Archon chuckles but nods in agreement. "Yes, I wanted to first ask you what caused your behavior in Northland Bank."

Childe hesitated.

"It was nothing, I...I had an Abyssal vision," Childe lied quietly. "Sometimes, the Abyss tries to lure me to use more of its power or to push away people I care about...so it showed me your death, it felt real, so I was surprised when I 'woke' up and it was all just a dream."

It wasn't a complete lie, especially in the previous timeline, but in this one, it had never happened.

Zhongli's brows furrowed, concern leaking into his amber eyes. "The Abyss...influences you, even after all these years?"

With a huff, Childe shrugged. "What do expect, I'm only human, Xiansheng. You can't expect me to be completely immune to the effects. Even I have my limits."

He watched as the former Archon seemed to war with himself before eventually Zhongli just sighed, taking something out of his pocket and handing it to Childe.

Taking the object, Childe realized it was a book. Flipping it open, he nearly gasps as he realizes it holds information about Adepti, what to expect when becoming on, and what abilities becoming on might entail.

"Zhongli...this is..." Childe trails off, swallowing. "Did you write this?"

Zhongli nodded, looking quite proud. "Yes, it took most of the night to do so. I had to rewrite it a few times to make sure there were no mistakes."

Childe nearly chokes on air, staring at the God in genuine surprise. Zhongli had written this entire book, in one night, just so Childe would be able to know what to expect from becoming an Adeptus.

"Thank you," Childe says simply, not exactly sure how to react to the shocking gift. "You didn't have to...so, thanks."

Zhongli gained an odd expression, somewhere between proud and something else Childe couldn't place.

Either way, it was incredibly endearing and left Childe feeling like he was walking through the air.

"I'll make sure to read every single word and take care of the book," Childe vows softly.

He didn't mention to Zhongli that he'd put the book in a box of his prized possessions from now on.

𖤹༺ . • . • . 𖦹 🐉 𖦹 • . • . ༻𖤹

Across the sea, far from Liyue, Signora had just docked at a port in Snezhnaya. The Eighth Harbinger quickly makes her way to the palace, her expression is blank but inside she is panicking.

Tartaglia had been the Tsartisa's favorite Harbinger, there was no doubt about it, and now she had to tell her Goddess that Tartaglia belonged to Liyue's former Archon. She feared what the Goddess would do to her once it was found out that she had willingly handed Tartaglia over, making a decision that wasn't hers to make.

Perhaps she should have handled the situation better in Northland Bank, but she had been eager to get rid of the brat that she hadn't thought things through.

Signora pauses at the grand doors to the throne room.

Taking a deep breath, she pushes the doors open and enters the empty room. No one ever stayed near the throne room if they could help it, the risks of angering their Goddess keeping them away, that and the fact the Tsaritsa preferred to be alone.

"Your Majesty, I have news," Signora says with false confidence despite the storm of fear and anxiety inside her. "I've retrieved the Geo Gnosis from Morax."

The Tsaritsa turns from where she was looking at a painting in the room.

"And where exactly is Lord Tartaglia, he was supposed to arrive back with you," The Tsaritsa demands, frowning.

Signora took a deep breath before speaking, trying to reassure herself that she wasn't about to die to her Goddess.

"Morax changed the terms of the contract at the last second, stating that he wouldn't hand over the Gnosis unless Tartaglia became his," Signora says reluctantly, immediately flinching when a large spike of ice shot out of the floor and stopped mere centimeters from her throat.

"What. Did. You. Say?" The Tsaritsa all but hissed, walking up to Signora with graceful rage.

Snow began swirling around in the throne room, most of the candles being blown out, leaving the room in an eerie and unsettling darkness.

"Morax stole Tartaglia," Signora says, her voice shaking ever so slightly.

The Tsaritsa scoffs, her eyes narrowed in anger and disbelief.

"Signora, I've known Morax for a long time, and I know for a fact that thieves enrage the man," The Tsaritsa states coldly.* "Morax wouldn't have taken Tartaglia unless he thought that something was wrong. Morax is well aware of Tartaglia being bound to me, the manner in which he is bound to me is not unlike a contract."

Signora pales, realizing the Goddess has seen through her lies.

"As punishment for lying to me, I am demoting your rank from Eighth Harbinger, it is clear you are not fit to be a Harbinger," The Tsaritsa declares voice like shards of ice. "Please turn in your Harbinger cloak and any other items that are for Harbingers. I'll be assigning you to Dottore, he's been rather interested in... studying you."

Signora paled, taking a step back.

"Dottore?!" Signora exclaims in horror. "You know that bastard-"

The Tsaritsa snaps her fingers and Signora's hands rush to her mouth where ice has sealed her mouth shut.

"Dottore is no longer your equal, you will treat him with respect," The Tsaritsa says, her eyes narrowing once more. "Perhaps if you survive six months in his care, I'll consider giving you back your Harbinger status."

All Signora could do was stand there, shell shocked as the Tsaritsa called for the guards to drag her away, likely to Dottore's lab.

𖤹༺ . • . • . 𖦹 🐉 𖦹 • . • . ༻𖤹

The Tsaritsa sighs as Signora leaves, her silver eyes shining with uncertainty. If Morax had decided to take Ajax in, what had happened? Out of all her Harbingers, Ajax had been special, and little did the boy know... she'd already declared him her heir. Although the only ones who knew this fact were Pierro and the Captain, she wasn't inclined to make Ajax a target.

Despite her cold front, and all the effort she put into appearing cruel and cold, she was still the Goddess of Love. She couldn't help it, it was in her very nature, she was an Empath and could always tell how someone truly felt.

With a heavy sigh, she turned toward a small wrapped box sitting on one of the many empty tables in the throne room.

She had gotten Ajax a gift, expecting him back, but now that he had left the Fatui...

The Tsaritsa walked up to the small box, giving it a considering look. It had been a long time since she'd left Snezhnaya herself, mainly due to her constitution. She couldn't be outside of cold air for long, heat made her sick, and fire was deadly for her. Although no one knew that detail, she kept that weakness so close that not even her most trusted adviser knew.

"I suppose, it's time for a meeting, Morax," The Tsaritsa whispers to herself, picking Ajax's gift up.