Mondstadt. A glorious and bustling city. The people were happy, and went about their day to day lives with a sense of joy, unaware of the archon in their midst.
Venti strolled through the streets, enjoying the flow of the city around him. He had an apple in one hand, and his lyre in the other. For him, he was at peace.
An excited voice called out from near the church, "Everyone! They're unveiling a new statue of Lord Barbatos!"
People murmured and started to make their way up to the church. Venti followed. They couldn't mean...
As he rounded the corner and walked up the steps, there it was. A large statue of himself, with long robes, his hands outstretched. A sad yet peaceful expression on his face.
Except, this wasn't Barbatos the god. This was his friend. And that expression...
The apple fell to the ground as tears welled up in his eyes. The expression on the statue's face reminded him so much of his friend's when he had died. The face he was forced to stare at every time when he looked in a mirror, the face he forced into a smile, because he couldn't *stand* to see it in any kind of negative emotion. He couldn't stand to relive that moment when the light winked out.
Venti turned around, and quietly made his way out of the city. He walked through the plains, heading towards Windrise, and specifically, the largest tree.
As he made his way upon it, his eyes went a patch of grass with cecilias over it. Venti collapsed to his knees in front of it, tears falling down his face.
Happy birthday, old friend.
(this is not meant to be a bday post or anything like that, it's just something that popped into my head and I had to write it :3)
