Guizhong's Last Request: A Story of Love, Erosion, and Mercy
*Hi everyone. This is a piece of fan fiction that seeks to flesh out the missing moment from the "Echoes of the Heart" animation. It's my interpretation of Guizhong's final moments and the origin of Zhongli's deepest sorrow, built from in-game lore and artifacts. I hope you enjoy it!*
[Genshin Impact \\"Echoes of the Heart\\"](https://preview.redd.it/rszhe6zzvmgg1.png?width=360&format=png&auto=webp&s=6fe2131f41a54b6ae9b0a410b1f2061c807122b8)
**The Air** smelled of bitter tang, corroded by the remains of slain gods.
*Hurry! Get back to the Guili Assembly! You must protect the mind of the group!*
Morax thought to himself as he flew back at hypersonic speeds. He looked everywhere—the people were terrified, but safe. Yet, a particular god was not present.
He searched for hours, scouring the battlefield, even looking under fallen boulders, before coming upon a familiar flower field. It was filled with Glaze Lilies blooming at full strength. And there, he saw his dear friend—some might say lover—lying on the field, gazing at the stars.
He finally allowed himself to crack a smile.
"Guizhong, what keeps you up tonight? Such a brutal world. Poor me, fighting on the frontlines, while you get to lie among such beauty."
Silence.
Then, Guizhong stood up. Tears glistened in her eyes.
"Morax... I'm out of time."
"Wh-what do you mean? Ah, I see. You're hungry? Hahaha... I see. The corrosion has reached unbearable levels, has it not?"
"Unfortunately, you are correct." *She took a shaky breath.* "Morax. Please. Kill me."
"No. No, no, no. There has to be a way. I can try sealing you in time, perfectly preserving you until we find a cure— Why are you staring at me like that? Why are you smiling?"
"Hahaha... I was just thinking how cute you are. It reminds me of when we first met. Right here, on this very spot... It was such a fateful day, wasn't it?"
"Wait, Guizhong. Please, stop talking. You sound like you're saying goodbye..."
"That is what I'm doing, is it not? And— oh, dear!"
She collapsed to her knees. Her legs hadn't failed from lack of strength, but because her mind could no longer command them.
"Guizhong!" Morax exclaimed, rushing to her side. He held her left arm, keeping her body upright.
*Ha... haaaa...* Every breath was a struggle as she fought for control.
"Morax," she uttered weakly, "I have only one wish left. It is not that I wish for more time... but rather, that if the heavens permit it... I might once again become your close peer. Your friend. Perhaps... your lover. Will you abide by this contract?"
Zhongli, tears now streaming freely down his stony face, whispered, "Yes. Yes, I abide by this contract, as the Archon of Geo."
"Good... Good... Ehe\~ My, isn't this the first time I've seen you cry, my stone-faced friend?" Her voice was fading. "Hey... Let me enjoy the stars with you one last time... before the inevitable."
"Yes... Yes..."
*"Ehehehehe... AHAHAHAHA!"*
Her eyes were no longer her own. They had dilated wildly, and an abnormal power—a surge of corrupting energy—erupted from her small form. She floated up, seated upon a swirling pillar of malignant dust.
***"My, my, my... What a beautiful village you once protected,"*** she sneered, her voice distorted and cruel. ***"How about I destroy it first! AHAHAHAHA!"***
Morax, still on his knees, wiped his tears. His face hardened back into its immortal mask. He stood up fully.
The other Adepti arrived on the scene, sensing the catastrophic shift.
He did not look at them. His gaze was only for her.
"Goodbye, dear Guizhong."
A spear of condensed geo energy, faster than the blink of an eye, materialized and shot forth. It was not an attack of war, but an act of mercy—a fatal cut.
It was over instantly.
As the Adepti moved to seal the spreading, corrosive remains, Guizhong, in one final moment of agonizing clarity, whispered her last words to the wind:
"Thank you, Morax... Not only for preventing the harm... but for giving me so much happiness in this life..."
And then, her body crumbled into dust.
Streetward Rambler and Cloud Retainer finally reached the heart of the field. They did not see a battle. They saw only the lifeless, dissolving remnants of their dear friend, and their lord, standing as still and solemn as the mountains themselves, his spear fallen at his feet, his greatest contract fulfilled.
*This story is built on some lore points: the "Erosion" seen in beings like Azhdaha, the ambiguity of the "Echoes of the Heart" animation (Why was Zhongli there first?), and the profound bond symbolized by the Guili Assembly. It treats the popular fan theory of a "mercy killing" as its central premise.*
*Thank you for reading. I'm happy to discuss the lore and interpretations in the comments!*
[Genshin Impact \\"Echoes of the Heart\\"](https://preview.redd.it/rszhe6zzvmgg1.png?width=360&format=png&auto=webp&s=6fe2131f41a54b6ae9b0a410b1f2061c807122b8)
**The Air** smelled of bitter tang, corroded by the remains of slain gods.
*Hurry! Get back to the Guili Assembly! You must protect the mind of the group!*
Morax thought to himself as he flew back at hypersonic speeds. He looked everywhere—the people were terrified, but safe. Yet, a particular god was not present.
He searched for hours, scouring the battlefield, even looking under fallen boulders, before coming upon a familiar flower field. It was filled with Glaze Lilies blooming at full strength. And there, he saw his dear friend—some might say lover—lying on the field, gazing at the stars.
He finally allowed himself to crack a smile.
"Guizhong, what keeps you up tonight? Such a brutal world. Poor me, fighting on the frontlines, while you get to lie among such beauty."
Silence.
Then, Guizhong stood up. Tears glistened in her eyes.
"Morax... I'm out of time."
"Wh-what do you mean? Ah, I see. You're hungry? Hahaha... I see. The corrosion has reached unbearable levels, has it not?"
"Unfortunately, you are correct." *She took a shaky breath.* "Morax. Please. Kill me."
"No. No, no, no. There has to be a way. I can try sealing you in time, perfectly preserving you until we find a cure— Why are you staring at me like that? Why are you smiling?"
"Hahaha... I was just thinking how cute you are. It reminds me of when we first met. Right here, on this very spot... It was such a fateful day, wasn't it?"
"Wait, Guizhong. Please, stop talking. You sound like you're saying goodbye..."
"That is what I'm doing, is it not? And— oh, dear!"
She collapsed to her knees. Her legs hadn't failed from lack of strength, but because her mind could no longer command them.
"Guizhong!" Morax exclaimed, rushing to her side. He held her left arm, keeping her body upright.
*Ha... haaaa...* Every breath was a struggle as she fought for control.
"Morax," she uttered weakly, "I have only one wish left. It is not that I wish for more time... but rather, that if the heavens permit it... I might once again become your close peer. Your friend. Perhaps... your lover. Will you abide by this contract?"
Zhongli, tears now streaming freely down his stony face, whispered, "Yes. Yes, I abide by this contract, as the Archon of Geo."
"Good... Good... Ehe\~ My, isn't this the first time I've seen you cry, my stone-faced friend?" Her voice was fading. "Hey... Let me enjoy the stars with you one last time... before the inevitable."
"Yes... Yes..."
*"Ehehehehe... AHAHAHAHA!"*
Her eyes were no longer her own. They had dilated wildly, and an abnormal power—a surge of corrupting energy—erupted from her small form. She floated up, seated upon a swirling pillar of malignant dust.
***"My, my, my... What a beautiful village you once protected,"*** she sneered, her voice distorted and cruel. ***"How about I destroy it first! AHAHAHAHA!"***
Morax, still on his knees, wiped his tears. His face hardened back into its immortal mask. He stood up fully.
The other Adepti arrived on the scene, sensing the catastrophic shift.
He did not look at them. His gaze was only for her.
"Goodbye, dear Guizhong."
A spear of condensed geo energy, faster than the blink of an eye, materialized and shot forth. It was not an attack of war, but an act of mercy—a fatal cut.
It was over instantly.
As the Adepti moved to seal the spreading, corrosive remains, Guizhong, in one final moment of agonizing clarity, whispered her last words to the wind:
"Thank you, Morax... Not only for preventing the harm... but for giving me so much happiness in this life..."
And then, her body crumbled into dust.
Streetward Rambler and Cloud Retainer finally reached the heart of the field. They did not see a battle. They saw only the lifeless, dissolving remnants of their dear friend, and their lord, standing as still and solemn as the mountains themselves, his spear fallen at his feet, his greatest contract fulfilled.
*This story is built on some lore points: the "Erosion" seen in beings like Azhdaha, the ambiguity of the "Echoes of the Heart" animation (Why was Zhongli there first?), and the profound bond symbolized by the Guili Assembly. It treats the popular fan theory of a "mercy killing" as its central premise.*
*Thank you for reading. I'm happy to discuss the lore and interpretations in the comments!*
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