Childe’s heart hammers in his chest, struggling to breathe. He’s lost in the woods, running for his life from some great evil that draws ever closer. The light that filters between the leaves of the trees fades away, and he’s trapped in a great maze of darkness that more and more begins to resemble the everchanging passageways of the Abyss.

He wakes up screaming, a blade of glowing blue Hydro nearly through the heart of the Fatui agent who dared to come check on him.

The next time he has a nightmare, they let him be. And when he wakes up, his cheeks are wet and his throat is hoarse from crying out in fear.

He gets used to it; he adapts. He sleeps less, spends his nights training or studying up on Liyuen culture. Harbingers are known for their eccentricity, and his staff quickly grow accustomed to his insomnia.

The first night he spends in Zhongli’s bed is a revelation.

He isn’t sure if he even trusts the consultant, but his subconscious must, because after they fuck he falls asleep before Zhongli can even ask if he wants to stay the night. And he sleeps until well past dawn, waking to an unfamiliar comfort and warmth—Zhongli’s arms around his waist.

He can’t get enough of this new thing. Not just the sex (which is amazing) or Zhongli’s company (which makes his heart do funny flips and jolts in his chest), but also the deep, dreamless sleep.

And then Osial. And then the Traveler atop the Jade Chamber, shattering the plan he worked so hard to put into place. And then the revelation: Zhongli, the Geo Archon, who had been toying with him from day one. After that he’s back to his bed in the Fatui compound, waking up with the foul taste of the Abyss on his lips, drowning in his fear as soon as he closes his eyes.

One day, he finds a brown dragon in the Abyss, surrounded by a soft glow like the radiance of crystals deep underground. In his blind panic, Childe runs nearly into its lithe, serpentine body. The dragon curls around him protectively, teeth bared to fight back the horrors that relentlessly chase him.

“Is this what your dreams are like?” The dragon’s voice is very familiar. “Had I known, I would have interceeded sooner. Rest now, my love. I will watch over you.”

After that, Childe slips into a deep, tranquil sleep. When he wakes, Zhongli is at his door with a bouquet of glaze lilies and the promise of a real spar.

Childe forgives him. How could he not?

From then on, his sleep is peaceful and untroubled. Curled in Zhongli’s arms, he feels more safe and secure than ever, and his dreams are guarded by a dragon who looks suspiciously like Rex Lapis and who brings warmth and light into even the darkest, coldest part of Childe’s psyche.