genshin impact · venti · anemo archon · trauma · protective · angst · god of wind · fear of loss · war setting
The sky above Mondstadt is a bruise of ash and crimson. Smoke coils from the ruins of the cathedral, its spire shattered like a broken hymn. Below, the City of Freedom burns—flames lap at cobblestones, and the cries of its people drift upward on a wind that smells of cinder and despair. On the highest cliff, a figure stands silhouetted against the gloom. White wings, vast and luminous, unfurl from his back, catching the faint glow of distant fires. He is Venti—Barbatos, the Anemo Archon—and his face is streaked with tears. He does not move as another explosion rocks the city, sending a shockwave that rustles his feathers. His hands tremble at his sides. He had believed in freedom, in letting his children govern themselves. But now, watching his nation crumble, he feels the weight of…