Chapter Text
Prologue
It was storming on a dark and dreary night in Mondstadt. The rain was cold as ever, the crashing thunder and lightning, and rain pounding on the ground deafening out the noises of the woodlands. Rain is cold and numbing. It’s like a higher being from the skies above is crying tears of sorrow. When one cries in the rain, it’s often hard to decipher whether it’s tears rolling down their cheeks or simply droplets of rain. If a particular person hates crying in front of people, the rain easily blends in with their tears. Not unless…the face is stained with blood. Then tears would be visible. Diluc’s tears were mixed with blood and rain. He was clutching the body of someone who bore a striking resemblance to him. Diluc’s eyesight was becoming blurry, his mind empty and dizzy with nothing but shock. He looked at his crimson stained hands, blurring in and out from time to time. His chest was heavy, his throat was thick, holding in a sorrowful scream.
“Father….I’m sorry…” Diluc whimpers to the limp body in his arms, holding back choked tears.
The great Master Crepus, head of the Dawn Winery, was dying. The delusion Crepus bore was a dark, faint red color with a tint of gray. The delusion, a rather tainted object that Diluc soon began to think, mortally wounded his father. Diluc couldn’t stand seeing him die slowly from so much pain. Crepus might as well be put out of his misery. The sound of horses and soldiers trotting through the mud sounded behind Diluc. A figure with hair the color of midnight blue, pushes through the armed soldiers, prepared for battle. Diluc’s younger adoptive brother Kaeya arrived…a bit too late.
“Captain Diluc! The Knights of Favonius have arrived w-“ the young lad is cut off. He stares in disbelief at the limp and now lifeless Crepus on the ground. The man who willingly took Kaeya in and raised him was gone with a flash. Kaeya’s body grew colder than ice itself, standing to the side away from the father and son. They were of blood after all, and Diluc deserved to be the one sharing his last moments with their his father. But why did it hurt so much staying behind and watching Crepus slowly die? It stung Kaeya’s frozen yet delicate heart.
After all, Kaeya had his own secrets. A mission that he could not allow anyone else to witness. Not even Diluc. He was a spy for his homeland Khaenri’ah, an ancient kingdom destroyed by the very gods in which they rule the land he lives on now. He had to fulfill it, as he was Khaenri’ah’s last hope. That’s right, the last hope . Kaeya’s birth father’s words were echoing in his mind as he simply watched Crepus bleed out in Diluc’s arms. Kaeya’s birth father’s voice was hurting his head like stones being thrown at him. Kaeya didn’t want to hear it. He hated hearing the voice of his so-called father that abandoned him as a child. But that forsaken voice kept talking to Kaeya, making him constantly battle between the present and the past.
“Don’t forget this Kaeya…you are Khaenri’ah’s last hope. This is your mission.”
Kaeya’s heart was beating out of his chest. He mumbled a couple times to himself for his father to stop talking to him. No. He had to focus on Crepus. Crepus was dying and he needed a healer right now. No, Crepus was already gone, Kaeya was just in a state of denial. Kaeya snapped back into reality as soon as he heard the sound of flesh being torn by a metal knife. Kaeya’s eyes widened in horror. Diluc had put Crepus out of his pain and misery in an instant. Kaeya could only watch his brother cry out with grief and hold their lifeless father close. Kaeya stared at the bloody sight, shaking. He couldn’t stop looking at the horrifying sight. The limp body, the blood everywhere, Kaeya just felt his entire body shut down.
“M-Master Crepus…” Kaeya whimpered out in his mind. Wait. No. That was his father. Is he his father? Not by blood. Did he deserve to call Crepus his father? No, absolutely not. He did not deserve him. Not with the dark secret he hid from Crepus since the day he found Kaeya and took him in under his wing. Crepus was spared the pain before getting to know the secret of Kaeya’s past. Kaeya can feel a mix of relief and bitterness which plagued his mind. Kaeya covered his mouth with his hand, smirking a little that a couple knights had noticed. Diluc must’ve noticed too, giving Kaeya a brief sharp look.
But Crepus was a man who made Kaeya well…Kaeya. He gave him a life where he wasn’t a tool for Khaenri’ah, a chance for Kaeya to be a human for once. Now, Kaeya had a choice. Throw that old life behind and continue with his plan, or keep his secret from his remaining family, Diluc and everyone he was close to. But it has been a constant battle in his mind for years, for as long as he could remember. The destruction of Khaenri’ah itself plagued his mind as much as his ongoing mission to restore its former glory.
“Remember who you are…”
Kaeya puts his hands on his head. Hearing his birth father’s voice hurt again. Dammit. It hurt having to keep his past buried in a treasure chest miles below the ground. The memories stung so much that he used the Ragnvindr family to uncover the secrets in the realm of Teyvat. It hurts to know that one day, he will have to betray a place he called his home. Well, it was more than one home after all. Khaenri’ah or Mondstadt? Where do his loyalties lie? Kaeya knew he would have to decide one day, but he didn’t want to decide that so soon. But now was his chance. It was time to make a decision whether he was ready or not.
Kaeya didn’t realize how fast time flew by. Most of the soldiers had cleared the area, carrying Crepus on a stretcher towards the town of Mondstadt. Crepus needed to be laid to rest. Diluc remained standing in the spot where Crepus had just died. Diluc then grabs Kaeya’s arm and drags him back to the Knights’ Headquarters. He was silent and cold, not making eye contact with Kaeya or anyone else. The weight of the guilt was starting to really grind Kaeya’s mind bit by bit, almost as if he felt responsible for the demise of Crepus for arriving too late. It was latched onto him like hands were grabbing Kaeya’s throat, suffocating him. His past lingered not far in the back of his mind, creeping closer and closer to his mouth. The “treasured” secret of his homeland was ready to be unlocked.
Kaeya was silent on the walk back to the manor, contemplating in his mind whether to reveal his secret to Diluc or not. Diluc was his brother after all, a simple secret wouldn’t tear them apart, right? It was just a secret, maybe a dark secret that will become the downfall of Mondstadt. It was hard to keep it locked away in his chest for long. The pressure on him was becoming too much. Someone had to know the truth and Mondstadt had become a second home to Kaeya. Or really was it home if he knew he was destined to betray Mondstadt in the end? It was his brother he would be betraying, and the Ragnvindr family name. Yes, the family name. Was Kaeya even deserving of it? He’ll find out that answer soon enough.
Diluc isolated himself in his room for a long while, Kaeya giving him privacy for a couple of hours. Kaeya paced back and forth in his room, mumbling quietly to himself so Diluc wouldn’t hear him, conflicted with his emotions. He rehearsed over and over again on how he should approach Diluc and how much information he should really disclose.
“You cannot keep this secret forever.”
“Khaenri’ah needs you. It’s counting on you.”
“No matter how much you trust someone…you can’t.”
“S-shut up!” Kaeya growled, his hands pulling at his hair to try and grasp the present time. His father’s voice was a hindrance, an annoyance, a constant reminder as to what he needs to do. Kaeya was at his breaking point. Tonight was going to be the night he told Diluc his secret. It had to be tonight, even if Diluc was already going through enough grief. Kaeya couldn’t stand to keep this lingering thought locked away forever. Diluc had to know the truth. This will balance out his conflict after all. It was selfish of him to isolate himself on the sidelines and not share a single ounce of grief with Diluc. It was selfish of him to just stand there and watch Crepus, the father who loved him unconditionally, die a slow and painful death before a merciful blow was delivered. He had to reveal who he really was, because at least Crepus was spared from knowing the truth.
Kaeya leaves his room and makes his way towards Diluc’s. He takes a deep breath, having a bad feeling that this wasn’t going to go well. It was a serious secret after all. Raising his fist, he knocks on the solid, hard wooden door to Diluc’s room. The door knob clicks and the door creaks open, revealing Diluc with disheveled hair and baggy red eyes.
“What do you want?” Diluc asks Kaeya, his voice monotone and cold, expression blank.
“...We need to talk…” Kaeya’s voice is timid and quiet. His face was pale, his stomach was fluttering with butterflies, and his mind was jumbled with many thoughts. What does he say without pissing off his brother? Well, his secret is bound to piss off anyone. Even people he loved.
“...Go on…” Diluc hesitates, still robotic sounding, but he fully listens in.
“I’ve been meaning to tell you and Father this for years. Only just now, I realized how much I need to get this off my chest. You might not like it and as for Father, I have no idea how he would’ve reacted,” Kaeya begins softly, struggling to maintain eye contact with Diluc.
Diluc perks up a little, getting a stinging suspicious feeling about Kaeya. Kaeya appeared to be hiding something due to his strange mannerisms and it appeared to be a serious issue. He takes a few moments for Kaeya to think about what he wants to say, before nodding and leaning against the wall to listen.
“The night Father found me, the place where my biological father abandoned me, he left me with a mission. I am from another land called Khaenri’ah. I was assigned to infiltrate Mondstadt to find the secrets of this world so I could spy for my homeland. This is because Celestia destroyed Khaenri’ah, my homeland. Celestia had cursed Khaenri’ah and allowed those creatures, those cursed creatures to infiltrate this world because of the cataclysm,” Kaeya explains to him, though he could feel his voice shake with every word, fearing how Diluc would react.
Diluc is left in a stunned silence, blinking a couple times to process his words. Kaeya knew he was going to react this way. Stunned? Shocked? Hurt a little? All of the above. He was a spy after all, a traitor that was never meant to grow close to anyone. A reaction like this is normal. Kaeya looks at Diluc, expecting him to yell at him, curse him out or storm back in his room by slamming the door in Kaeya’s face. No, Kaeya saw stunned silence igniting into flaming fury without another second to spare.
“You’re joking. T-This isn’t the time to be jok-…forget it! What are you trying to say?” Diluc growls clenching his fists, sharing a threatening glare of denial at Kaeya.
“D-dear brother, I’m saying one day, I am going to betray Mondstadt in favour of Khaenri’ah. The gods of this world destroyed my homeland, so I must avenge it,” Kaeya stammered, feeling the heat emanate from within himself and his own brother.
Kaeya stepped back, seeing that Diluc had a rather murderous expression tainted across his face. Was he going to kill him?! He was not anticipating this kind of reaction. This is already going horribly wrong.
“So….everything my Father and I gave you was a lie?! Did my Father’s love mean nothing to you?!” Diluc shouts at Kaeya threateningly, grabbing a sword from a glass display case.
This was serious. Diluc was definitely going to kill Kaeya. Kaeya could see it burning in Diluc’s fiery eyes. He wanted him to burn. He wanted Kaeya to burn to ash and die for his betrayal.
Kaeya bolts for it outside, Diluc chasing him and cursing out at him. It was still raining outside, the thundering roaring from above as if the gods themselves knew of Kaeya’s secret. Kaeya sprinted to open ground, seeing that Diluc had unleashed his claymore now. Kaeya’s eyes widened, seeing that Diluc was craving bloodshed, but he didn’t want to hurt his older brother.
“Draw your sword Kaeya.”
“N-No!” Kaeya whimpered. He can’t do it. He can’t. Diluc might as well spare him the pain and end him right there as well. That way, he wouldn’t have to worry about his mission anymore if there was no one from Khaenri’ah left to fulfill it for him. But Diluc was not about to let him reunite with Crepus in the afterlife either.
“Draw your sword, you traitorous coward!”
Diluc was dead serious, challenging Kaeya to a duel. Kaeya had no choice but to draw his sword. Once Kaeya did so, there was suddenly a clang of metal clashing together. They fought and fought through the storm, even if their energy was being drained by the minute. Was this truly the end for Kaeya and his brother’s trust? Or the end of their familial bond that they grew up with? Kaeya avoided trying to hurt Diluc, mostly attempting to defend himself. His brother overpowered him with much greater strength, given he was always the stronger of the two. It only got worse when Diluc began using his pyro vision to burn him. Diluc exerts a violent swing that Kaeya fails to dodge, causing Diluc to cut the right side of his face. Kaeya lets out an agonized scream, his eyepatch and a strand of hair slipping off his face. Blood rolled down Kaeya’s cheeks as he covered his right eye immediately. It burned and stung horribly, but Diluc clearly showed no remorse for causing his pain.
“It’s your fault my Father is gone. After everything I’ve done to give you a home!” Diluc snarls at Kaeya, his claymore igniting in flames. Kaeya couldn’t fight back since the right side of his face hurt so much. He can’t face his brother without seeing his vengeful face. It was the punishment he deserved. Kaeya could see his reflection on the blade of the sword, his one visible eye showing a single tear rolling down his cheek. Kaeya braces himself, as Diluc swings down his claymore for a killing blow.
However… a deep rooted feeling emerged in Kaeya’s soul. A cold, bitter, icy feeling. It was the transformation of what these brothers were now, a cold and icy rift.
There was a swirl of azure ice that met with the fiery flames of the falcon. It startled the both of the warring brothers, causing them to stumble backwards. Then a faint snowy blue orb of light manifests in front of Kaeya. His eyes are fixated on the orb, before it forms into a solid, crystal like sphere with a snowflake engraved on its shell. Kaeya was drawn to its elemental power, the swirling feeling of the ice and snow taking over his mind and soul. It was the manifestation of his true feelings… his vision.
“So. The real you finally revealed itself,” Diluc glares at Kaeya bitterly.
“D-Diluc I-I-,” Kaeya opens to speak, but is suddenly shoved towards the ground. His cheek burned so much when Diluc raised his hand to slap him.
“DON’T YOU DARE REFER TO ME AS THAT!” Diluc screams at Kaeya, lunging at him and pinning him down to the ground. Kaeya hardly had time to react, feeling Diluc’s tight hands squeezing the air out of his throat.
“B-brother?” Kaeya choked, which only made Diluc squeeze tighter.
“YOU’RE NOT MY BROTHER. YOU NEVER WERE. YOU’RE NO LONGER WELCOME AT THE MANOR. I DON’T WANT TO SEE YOUR DAMN FACE AGAIN!” Diluc looks at his brother, seeing absolute fear and terror in his eyes. That was the little brother he thought he knew looking at him. They could have been deceiving him. He could just kill Kaeya right now, but inside, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. It was a face too familiar with him in the distant past.
Diluc lets go of Kaeya’s throat, standing and walking with tense silence back to the manor. The force of the elemental burst caused Diluc to land on his arm. It was searing with pain and soreness. Kaeya is left on the ground, on his knees as he calls out to Diluc.
“B-brother please! I’m sorry! Come back! I-I need you! Diluc!” Kaeya cries out to him. Diluc ignores his desperate pleas. There’s no use in saving a traitor. Kaeya was no longer his little brother. Hiking all the way to the entrance of the manor, he limps inside and slams the door shut, sliding down and sinking to the floor. He brings his knees to his chest and buries his face in them, letting out soft cries.
He hurt Kaeya. He hurt him. He hurt him. The thought lingered in Diluc’s mind with a pang of regret. The image of a young and happy Kaeya smiling at him flashed everytime he shut his eyes. Behind that smile was a lie. A lie that Kaeya was keeping from his family. His thoughts battled with each other. Why couldn’t he just kill Kaeya? He had his hands right around the traitor’s throat. He hated his brother, or so he thought. Kaeya betrayed him and Mondstadt.
The rain never felt colder than it already was for Kaeya. He didn’t mind the cold, but this was all too familiar. Kaeya was hunched over his knees, curled up on the ground to gather as much warmth in his body as possible, blood dripping onto his coat from his eye wound. The cold, pelting drops of rain brought him all the way back to that fateful night his father left him. But this time, it was colder. Cold like the distance between him and Diluc. Diluc and Crepus provided a roof over his head with warm love and acceptance. But the flame of their familial love extinguished in this storm.
Kaeya’s birth father was speaking to him again in a disoriented voice. He could hear Crepus too, but he wasn’t warm and loving like he was when he first met Kaeya. No…it was cold and bitter, blaming Kaeya for his demise. Whenever Kaeya closed his eyes, he could see Crepus, covered in blood which was pouring out of his abdomen and mouth. Both their voices were eerie and bitter, the mingling of the two speaking to Kaeya at the same time gave him a haunting chill. Kaeya couldn’t shut them out, his voice screaming with the crashing thunder and lightning. He was shaking on the ground, whether it be from the cold or trauma, he was clutching his vision close and trying to contemplate on what to do without Diluc now. He could only remain in the rain, crying pathetically in a curled up form. Kaeya paid no attention to his surroundings, oblivious to the sound of shoes against the mud approaching him.
“Why hello there young boy.”
Kaeya snaps out of his trance, letting out a yelp and glancing behind him. The voice was deep and dark, a tall, buff male figure menacing with his dark clothing. He wore a heavy winter cloak with patterns that represented another nation in Teyvat. His hair was white as snow, only a streak of dark blue paint across his head. Half his face was covered by a mask, only one eye revealing. Kaeya observed him carefully, realizing that the man had a familiar aura to him. Like he was truly from a nation afar. The same nation that once died at the hands of Teyvat’s gods.
“You…”
“Yes… Alberich. I am from the same home as you. I am Pierro, head of the Fatui Harbingers,” the taller man tells him coldly. The Fatui? The ones responsible for Crepus’ downfall? Kaeya’s blood runs cold. This man knew who he was, but at least he didn’t have anything to hide anymore. He kneels down to Kaeya’s side, observing Kaeya’s injuries and trying to comfort him.
“I saw your fight. Your power is stronger than you think it is. Where is your brother?” Pierro questions him. Kaeya feels more warmth leave his body. The mere mention of Diluc made Kaeya dreadful. Brother…heh. Diluc disowned him, tried to murder him and threw him out. He has no one else by his side. The window to his past began to break and shatter, the memories of his childhood being suppressed in the back of his mind. He no longer had a brother. He had a mission. Avenge Khaenri’ah. Kaeya’s eyes flash with a bitter, dull, cold icy blue color. He clenches his fists, feeling anger boil in his blood.
“He’s not my brother,” Kaeya growls, picking himself off the ground to stand with pride. He didn’t need Diluc anymore. Survivors of the disaster had found him and that’s all he needed. Pierro gives the boy a sympathetic look, taking out bandages to patch his eye wound. He gently wraps it around his head and over his eye.
“I see now. Everyone, even those close to us, betray us. I am on your side. We’ll show the gods of Celestia what we’re made of. Let’s go…I’ll take you with me,” Pierro grins a little, reaching his hand out to Kaeya.
“We will…” Kaeya nods in agreement, gripping his eyepatch in his hand. It was a gift from Crepus when he first arrived at the Ragnvindr Manor. But none of it mattered anymore. This was who he truly was now, the last hope of Khaenri’ah. It was time to cast his past aside and work with the Jester to restore Khaenri’ah’s glory. He lets go of his eye patch and drops it on the ground, throwing away any reminders that he was ever a part of the Ragnvindr family. He was not afraid to hide his scars anymore. He was no pirate. He was a survivor. A rebel. A new journey was going to begin for him, serving as Pierro’s right hand man.
“Then we shall find more answers together, Kaeya,” Pierro tells his new recruit. Kaeya keeps a hold of the Harbinger’s hand.
Kaeya looks back in the direction Diluc left one more time. Dawn Winery was nothing but a mere, empty slate of memories he’ll shove to the back of his head. He then turns to Pierro, nodding in affirmation. The two disappear into the forest that night without a trace, not a single soul seeing where they disappeared to.
Meanwhile, Diluc composes himself for a while, thinking back to what he said to Kaeya. Oh archons… Kaeya was his only family left and he just threw him out and nearly killed him. He had just realized that Kaeya’s blood was splattered all over his hands. His anger got the best of him. Diluc was still tremendously angry over the secret Kaeya was keeping, but he needed more answers out of him. Dammit, that was his little brother he nearly killed. He couldn’t lose Kaeya either. He never had the heart to kill him in the first place because he truly loved his brother. Diluc’s heart was beating out of his chest, as a dreadful feeling lingered in the air.
“Kaeya…” he trembled with worry, swinging open the door to go search for him.
Diluc bolted all the way back to the field where he battled Kaeya, calling out his name through the roaring rain. There was no sign of Kaeya, nor were there any replies to his calls. No, dammit NO! Kaeya couldn’t have gone far. Diluc searched the parameters of the area, going in circles again and again when he couldn’t find him. Maybe Kaeya went to the Knights of Favonius. That was Diluc’s best guess. He takes off in the direction of Mondstadt, but skids to a stop when he sees something lying on the ground. Diluc’s eyes widened in horror, recognizing the object. He leans down and picks it up, knowing exactly what it was.
“K-Kaeya…” Diluc whimpers, knowing Kaeya wouldn’t leave behind a precious gift from their father. His eyepatch stained with burns and blood was the only evidence of Kaeya’s last whereabouts.
Diluc rushes to the Knights of Favonius headquarters, hoping to find Kaeya there, perhaps getting treatment from Jean for his wounds. Much to his horror, Kaeya wasn’t there. He confronts inspector Eroch and the knights on Kaeya’s whereabouts. He asked Jean if Kaeya was being kept somewhere nearby, perhaps afraid to face him again. None of them had seen Kaeya within Mondstadt, which failed to ease Diluc’s worries.
“Master Diluc we…we need to cover up your father’s incident for the sake of the reputation of the Knights,” one of them explains.
“Excuse me?” Diluc dangerously questioned, his voice plummeting to sheer coldness. “My brother is missing, my father just died and you’re treating my father’s death like it was all for nothing?!”
“This doesn’t mean anything against your father Master Diluc-,” the knight was interrupted by Diluc’s fiery rage. He yanks off his vision and sets it down on the desk in front of him.
“Fine then! You made it clear that you’re all incompetent! Don’t consider me your captain anymore!” Diluc shouts at them, storming out of the Knights headquarters. He grabs a bunch of supplies and his father’s delusion to take with him on a journey to find answers and his brother Kaeya. He holds Kaeya’s eyepatch close to him, knowing he’ll search for Kaeya until the day he dies. He wasn’t going to let his relationship with his brother end like this. Kaeya surely had a reason to hide everything the way he did. If only Diluc had asked him sooner. He would be away for many years from Mondstadt, confident he’ll gather information soon enough and bring his brother with him when he returns home.
4 years later
Mondstadt was as bright and sunny as ever. The town square was full of lively citizens and vendors along the streets. Mondstadt changed drastically over the past four years. The town received a highly praised acting grandmaster for the Knights of Favonius and deaconess of the cathedral. Jean and Barbara, a knight and healer, were given a high reputation among their people. The outrider Amber, was a bubbly and enthusiastic adventurer, always seen around the streets with her Baron Bunny. The librarian Lisa was Mondstadt’s best resource librarian in the Knights of Favonius library. She often loved napping or reading, but simply lived a carefree life. Albedo and Sucrose were Mondstadt’s renowned alchemists, always inventing and experimenting with new discoveries they came across. Noelle, a maid to knight, became the beloved cavalry captain of the Knights of Favonius. She was well respected by many in Mondstadt. There was captain Eula Lawrence, the captain of the Reconnaissance Company of The Knights of Favonius. Her family name doesn’t quite suit her reputation in Mondstadt, but she is well respected nonetheless.
Mondstadt was under celebration after a Fatui crackdown plot between Snezhnaya and Mondstadt. The crackdown called for a celebration for the return of a dear old friend to Jean. Diluc Ragnvindr. Jean was elated to finally be seeing her childhood friend again, though she was missing the other, Kaeya. Diluc was well aware of her status to Mondstadt and the Knights of Favonius. He never became fond of the Knights of Favonius ever since that tragic night and he never will. The two would never see eye to eye because of their differing views, but nonetheless, Diluc respected the work Jean was doing. He was grateful the two of them could still work together and hang missing persons posters of Kaeya around Mondstadt.
When nightfall painted the town of Mondstadt, the streets were just as lively as they were in daylight. It was the late hours when the soldiers were done with duties for the day to go to the bars for a nice drink. The best bar to the soldiers’ liking in town was the Angel’s Share. It was a lovely tavern where many of the town’s drunkards, bards and soldiers would gather together for evening chats, gossip, and story telling of adventurous travels and tales.
Diluc still owned the Dawn Winery, even after he spent four years across the seven nations of Teyvat searching for answers. After all, his family inherited half of Teyvat’s renowned wine industry because of his ownership of the Dawn Winery. He wasn’t happy taking a temporary break from his search for his missing brother, but this job would grant him access to information from the drinking patrons. Ironically, Diluc hated the taste of alcohol. The taste was far too bitter for his liking, the stench of the drink adding to his disliking of alcohol’s taste. The tavern was bursting with knights and soldiers, the air stinking of alcohol and smoke from cigars. Chatter filled the air with a chorus of drunken laughter. Diluc cringed at each slurred joke and obnoxious laughter made by the patrons. Their mannerisms were quite undignified
“Another long and painful shift tonight…” Diluc grumbles to himself, crafting together a beverage, namely the Death After Noon.
His eyes scan across the tavern, the usual patrons in attendance that evening. No one was suspicious or unusual that night. From time to time, there will be visitors from out of town. But they didn’t spoil any information Diluc would find valuable. It was just another busy and boring night at the tavern.
The door to the entrance creeps open, entering Jean. Diluc shares a glance with her, greeting her with a nod. Jean approaches the counter, grinning at Diluc.
“Master Jean,” Diluc calls to her.
“Good evening, Master Diluc,” Jean greets Diluc, taking a seat.
“Fancy seeing you here tonight,” Diluc compliments.
Jean lets out a chuckle, “I figure I’d catch up on things tonight.”
“You never seem to catch a break Jean,” Diluc mentions to her. Jean was also known to work endlessly. She hardly has time for herself to rest up her strength. After all, she was passionate about her role and reputation in Mondstadt.
“It’s for Mondstadt’s sake after all. I cannot fail to protect it,” Jean tells him confidently.
“We don’t see eye to eye when it comes to the Knights of Favonius…” Diluc responds, still rather bitter over the organization.
“Diluc… you and I both know we want to protect Mondstadt in the end. Whether you like the organization or not… you’re still doing us a favour,” Jean interrupts. She knew Diluc and his views pretty well.
Diluc lets out a scoff, before sighing, “Your position is admirable.”
“Thanks. Anyways, did you find him? Or at least make progress?” Jean asks, shifting to a different topic.
A moment of silence between them fills their little space, before Diluc silently shakes his head. Behind his mask, Jean could feel how distraught he really is on the inside. Jean missed Kaeya as much as Diluc missed him. But Diluc would never openly admit that or show any sign he missed Kaeya.
“It’s not like I’m going to find him anytime soon anyways. I needed to find… answers too,” Diluc sighs, avoiding eye contact with Jean.
“… I see. You can always change your mind. I’m well aware you took back your vision,” Jean noted, glancing at Diluc’s fiery, orange pyro vision pendant hanging on a belt at the side of his waist.
“Oddly enough, it showed up out of nowhere in a vase. I don’t know who gifted me an exotic thing, but I don’t need it. Somehow, it ended up in there,” Diluc tells Jean, rather stunned himself that somehow, his vision showed up out of the blue. Surely it was a trap or someone playing a cruel joke. But there was no other way Dilic could explain the occurrence.
“Really? That is odd indeed,” Jean hums, her voice raising a little in interest. “Could someone else in close affiliation to you have returned it?”
“I don’t think so…”
It really was a mystery. When Diluc returned to the Dawn Winery, the head maid Adeline greeted him with the gift. The vase was quite colorful with red, gold and blue patterns on it. It was a useless looking thing Diluc didn’t need until he felt oddly drawn to it. He inspected it for some time until he looked inside the vase, seeing his glowing, pyro vision sitting there. Since then, he decided it would be best to keep it with him, especially since he no longer had his delusion on him.
“I must head out for the night. I need to attend an important meeting with Albedo,” Jean declares, standing from her chair.
The front door to the tavern swings open again, two knights breathlessly barging in. The noise caught Jean and Diluc by surprise. The two knights were leaning against the wall for support, eyeing Jean once they caught their breath.
“Master Jean! There’s been an intruder in the prison! They’re after the delusion!” One of the knights tells her frantically.
“What?! Secure the grounds!” Jean orders them, immediately dashing out of the tavern.
Diluc’s stomach dropped. That was his delusion he left behind. Dammit. Who would be after such a thing? Perhaps a Fatui member, especially after the last crackdown with them. Diluc rushes to the back rooms of the tavern, grabbing his claymore and rushing outside to see for himself. Shouting of knights filled the void of nightfall sounds, their distant cries to seal the front gates of the town.
Diluc rushes towards a back alleyway, looking for a suspicious figure on the run. So far, there was no one he could see in plain sight as a runaway. He still kept his guard on high alert. There was a sudden boom in the distance, the ground rumbling beneath his feet. Diluc whirls around, seeing smoke and orange light pouring out from a building in the distance. It was complimented with screams of people and knights. Now this seemed like a serious attack on Mondstadt. Far more dangerous than Diluc had imagined it. He took off towards the direction of the smoke. Diluc turned a corner and saw violent flames erupting out the Knights of
Favonius headquarters. Soldiers were screaming and running out, coughing and wheezing from the smoke inhalation. Jean was covered in ashes and soot from the smoke as she escorted and rescued people from the building. Her sister Barbara was healing burns and wounds of Mondstadt soldiers. Diluc would’ve first imagined Klee to have accidentally sent something off, but she was home with Albedo for the night and would be asleep by now. It couldn’t have been Klee.
An attack like this was unusual for Mondstadt. The perpetrator had to have some close relations with the Knights of Favonius to break into its prison quarters. His eyes darted from left to right, again trying to find the runaway arsonist. He approaches closer to the building cautiously, watching for any falling debris. A spark of light captures Diluc’s attention. Etched in the burning wood, was a fiery outline of a feather with an eye on it. It was a symbol uncommon and unrelated to any organization in Mondstadt. It didn’t look like a Fatui symbol, but the Fatui are unpredictable at times. The arsonist can’t be far off if they took the time to carve such a symbol. Diluc remains out of view from Jean and the Knights and sneaks further back into the training grounds. He wasn’t wrong when he predicted that the perpetrator wasn’t far on the run. In the distance ahead, he sees a cloaked figure in black, climbing on the wall to escape. Diluc charges after the figure, the figure reacting to his running footsteps, climbing faster to the top. The figure makes it to the platform and begins sprinting before Diluc could catch him. Diluc wasn’t too far behind, running as fast as he legs could carry him. The runaway ran along the top of the wall, charging for the front gates and bridge. Diluc suddenly lunges forward far enough to grab the figure by the cloak and tackle them both to the ground.
The figure lets out a startled yelp, his voice deep enough to be identified as a male. Diluc pins him down into the ground, his feet holding down the male’s legs so couldn’t kick him.
“You think you could get away with such a crime?!” Diluc growls at the figure. The figure squirms under his grasp, using his own strength to try and move away from Diluc. Diluc attempts to try and turn around the male arsonist without letting go of his grasp. The two appeared to have equal force, trying to battle between escape or captivity. Diluc managed to turn the figure over so that he was facing him. The male’s face was covered by a mask, the hood making a shadow hover over his face.
“SHOW YOURSELF!” Diluc shouts, grabbing the mask and ripping it off the escapee’s face. Well that was… unexpected. Diluc’s eyes widened, seeing a periwinkle eye and golden eye meet his eyes. He had midnight coloured hair, some of it tied back. No… how could this be? How was this….
“Kaeya?”
“.....Diluc?” He responds, quite as shocked as Diluc was.
This hurt Diluc so much. To see his little ex-brother again after four years. He’s… changed. A part of Diluc was relieved to see that Kaeya was alive and alright. But he had many questions. Why did he blow up the Knights of Favonius Headquarters? Why did he steal his delusion? That kind of thing was dangerous! Diluc observed Kaeya all over, seeing him dressed in dark clothing and armor. At the side of his waist, was his cryo vision. But on his arm, was a circlet holding an orange pendant orb… with a pyro symbol. No, a Fatui delusion? What was Kaeya doing with that?! Why a pyro delusion of all things as well?
Diluc was too caught into observing Kaeya, he barely had time to react when Kaeya used his delusion to burn Diluc’s hands with heat when Diluc touched him. Diluc lets out a yelp and lets go as Kaeya squirms out of his grasp, kicking Diluc off his body. Kaeya takes off, putting his mask back on and hood over his head. Diluc yells after him desperately, demanding that he’d come back. Kaeya ignored his calls and took off into the night. Diluc is left standing there in the dust as he tries to comprehend what just happened. The shock made words fail to come out. He was frozen in time, his head pounding with a lot of unanswered questions. What was he going to tell Jean? No, the Knights of Favonius can’t know about this. They’re incompetent. Of all places, he didn’t expect to see Kaeya again.
Diluc lets out a defeated sigh, turning around back to the tavern to think things over. His head hurt so much. There was too much to think about, too much emotions to feel and handle. The brother he threw out finally returns in the worst way possible. He hardly got the chance to even talk to him. Kaeya even had the audacity to burn him. Well, it’s not like Diluc had tried to do the same thing to Kaeya, but Kaeya didn’t want to hurt him that night.
Diluc makes his way to the tavern, settling down in a private room to recollect his thoughts. He throws his claymore to the side and takes off his jacket, sitting in a chair and burying his head into his hands. Kaeya attacked him and set fire to the Favonious headquarters.
Kaeya set fire to the Favonius headquarters.
There was clearly something he wanted from the town he was raised in. Perhaps it was his bitterness over Crepus and his fight with Diluc. Or something more since Kaeya had stolen the delusion. Impossible, Kaeya wouldn’t work for the Fatui, right? Diluc despised the Fatui as much as he despised the Knights of Favonius. All in all, Diluc didn’t want to find his brother like this. This wasn’t the Kaeya he grew up with. Yes, Kaeya was keeping secrets from him and Crepus. Perhaps that could be it. He could be continuing with his plan when he first confessed it to Diluc. This was not good. Teyvat is in danger with Kaeya’s plan to avenge Khaenri’ah. Diluc stood up and paced back and forth with how he was going to go after Kaeya. There was already too much to think about.
Kaeya was different as a child. When he first met Kaeya, Kaeya was a numb, robotic moving kind of lad that lacked a single ounce of emotion. As soon as Kaeya began adjusting to the Ragnvindors, he was a completely different person. A boy deserving of happiness, love and a family. Kaeya looked as if he genuinely loved his adoptive family. Whether that was a lie or not, Diluc needed to be sure Kaeya wasn’t lying about family. It took him years to get a decent amount of answers to why Kaeya did what he had to do. But it wasn’t enough to fully understand him. As much as Diluc wanted to admit he still resented him for what he did, he couldn’t stop loving his little brother. Kaeya was still his family and the only family he had left in this world. He wasn’t going to let him go that easily, nor was he going to let him carry out whatever plot he had against Teyvat.
Diluc was going to find more answers. There weren't going to be any more answers on the delusions and why Crepus was using one the night he died. It wasn’t about Crepus anymore. It was about Kaeya. He was going to save him, help him remember who he used to be. He’ll bring back his brother even if he dies doing so. He won’t forgive Kaeya until he sees him face to face for answers. He looks at Kaeya’s eyepatch, with nothing more than Kaeya on his mind. He’ll find him without the help of the Knights of Favonius. They didn’t need to get involved with Kaeya’s affairs unless he targeted the city more. Diluc holds the eyepatch close to him, promising to take back what was once his. His family.
To be continued