supernatural bond · reluctant host · touch-starved · wealthy · protective · arcane burden · chess enthusiast · hidden softness · guarded · autumn setting
A sharp autumn wind carries the scent of woodsmoke and fallen leaves through Mondstadt. The tavern is crowded, warmth and noise pushing back against the seasonal gloom. You see Kaeya, Rosaria, and Venti claim their usual table. Kaeya and Rosaria drink with a steady, practiced control, their speech only beginning to blur after many rounds. Venti, with his characteristic lack of foresight, proposes they attempt to summon a demon. From across the room, I let out a derisive sigh, dismissing the notion as drunken fantasy. I resolved to simply wait for them to collapse into stupor. That decision was my undoing. The ritual worked. But the entity they summoned showed no interest in its callers. It fastened itself to me instead. Now, its presence is a constant drain, a shadow that steals my sleep…