Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a dark and rainy night. The trees, almost off the ground, the waters creeping up to every house, and the animals hiding, seeking for warmth and safety. The lights in every house were only from the dim fires of the candles the towns folk lit. Every now and then a bright light would seep through their houses, lightning. It was a terrifying time for the people of Mondstadt. But this storm was not something that could easily frighten people filled with desperation to find at least a little hope for their survival.

King Kunaal, the king, perhaps the last king of Khaenr’iah, had one final mission for the future of his nation. That mission was to leave his son in the city of Mondstadt, to survive and bring hope to their country consumed by the darkness cursed upon them. Perhaps the child could become a spy, infiltrate the Knights of Favonius, and turn the city into a new paradise for his people. Or maybe, he could live and grow there and prepare himself for the heavy duty he has to carry to free his family and people from the misfortune and darkness they were shackled to.

The boy fated to an unavoidable path of pain, hopelessness, and blood was named Kaeya. 

Kaeya Alberich .

Chapter Text

Birds chirp joyfully as the winds lightly kiss their wings. The flowers sway along the cooling breeze as autumn approaches. It was the end of August and the children of Mondstadt were already on their way to school. Some were thrilled, some were not. The latter was more common among the students.

There was a certain group of three, two boys and a girl, that would always catch the eyes of parents and students for the past six years they attended their school. They all seemed awfully close and always looked enthusiastic everyday. Clearly being from families of fame and high status, the other students were too intimidated to even approach them. The students and faculty called them the young knights, considering the fact that they all act like knights with aspirations to be one.

The only girl in the group is Jean Gunnhildr from the Gunnhildr Clan, who also happens to be the daughter of the internationally famous adventurer, Seamus Pegg. Jean acts a lot like the big sister or the mom of their group. She is an angelic child with a heart of gold, golder than her long blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. Just like the people of her clan, she is a passionate young girl, striving to protect the country’s freedom and safety. 

Beside her was a boy with flame-like hair, also tied up in a ponytail.  His eyes burned red filled with determination. His name is Diluc Ragnvindr. He is the son of the wealthiest man in Mondstadt, Crepus Ragnvindr. His family owned a successful winery and is respected by everyone in the nation. Diluc is a simple and cheerful child and is always seen sticking beside a boy with an eye-patch and a peculiar past.

That boy was Kaeya Alberich, the adopted son of Crepus Ragnvindr, who was found half dead in the middle of a storm five years ago. He is a kind and cheerful boy despite being abandoned by his own family. He is very expressive yet not a lot of people know a good bit of his past, not even his adoptive family. Everything about him was somewhat contradictory and confusing, but everybody easily overlooks that due to his gentle soul, beautiful tanned face, and his unique blue hair with a greyish blue stripe at the front.

As they walked, the bell rang. There was no more time for the students to ogle at the awesome trio. They all headed to their classrooms not wanting to be late on the first day.

The young knights were classmates. They started their day with mathematics and ended with literature. It was a long first day. Usually the first day would just be self-introductions and class bonding, but since it was their last year in elementary school, the teachers figured that they didn’t need any of that. They already knew each other very well, it would be unnecessarily time-consuming if they were to introduce themselves to the people they bonded with for six years.

And so their first day was about a bunch of introductions to their new lessons. Despite that, it was still tiring for the students, so it was a blissful blessing for them to hear the final school bell ring.

Each and every one of them eagerly leaves the classroom. A few of the students stayed in the school to play in the playground with their friends, others went home early, and some were stuck in school cleaning.

Jean, Diluc, and Kaeya decided to go home early after the long day. They all came to an agreement that they would walk to Jean’s house and then Diluc and Kaeya would be picked up by their chauffeur.

‘What’s our homework for today?’ Kaeya asked the two while walking to Jean’s house.

‘We don't have any, they don’t give out homeworks during the first week remember?’ Jean wearily answered his question. Diluc nodded in response to Jean.

The blue-haired boy looked up at the sky and thanked the Anemo God. The wind blew a refreshing breeze. Kaeya knew his gratitude was heard. He continued on to walk with his friends until they reached Jean’s house. He and his brother didn’t walk in, they just needed to see Jean get into her house safely. Then they skipped along to the gates of Mondstadt where they will be picked up by their butler.

‘I wanted to go to Jean's house and play.’ Diluc said out of the blue.

‘Father said we’re supposed to go home early today for something important.’ Kaeya told Diluc, trying to reason with him so will not get all grumpy.

He then notices his red-haired brother pouting. ‘ But I miss her already ,’ a faint whisper said. Kaeya smirked mischievously. He finally had something to tease his brother about after a long while.

‘Diluc’s got a crush on JEAN,’ the tanned kid shouted followed by a chaotic laugh.

‘WHAT? NO! I do not,’ his brother retorted with a red face. Diluc was clearly flustered by the situation.

Kaeya ignored what the red-head just said and repeatedly screamed ‘Diluc’s got a crush on Jean’ for the whole town to hear. Diluc couldn’t do anything to stop the other boy, no matter how hard he tried to restrain him.

The eye-patch kid eventually calmed down and stopped his crazy antics that didn’t seem to end. He then reassured his adoptive brother that he wouldn't tell a single soul, specially Jean about the way he feels.

‘You basically told the whole town just now. What do you mean you’ll keep it a secret,’ Diluc pouted.

‘Oh, brother, not a single adult that heard what I said would care, trust me on this one,’ reassured Kaeya. He then put his left hand on the side and his right above his heart.

‘I, Kaeya Alberich, hereby promise Diluc Ragnvindr that I am being completely and utterly honest about everything I say. I promise that I will not tell a single lie and keep a single secret to my dearest sworn brother. Every word and action shall be filled with sincerity and I will be forever transparent to him. I will make sure to trust my brother, Diluc, and remain as trustworthy as he is. And also, I will not tell Jean or anyone that he has a crush on her.’

Diluc grinned gleefully at Kaeya’s words. It was silly and childish but they were kids after all. The red-eyed child followed what his adopted brother did.

‘I, Diluc Ragnvindr, hereby promise Kaeya Alberich that I will continuously trust him with all my life and be worthy of his trust all throughout our lives. I promise to always be by his side and believe him even when the whole world turns against him. I will be the first one to stand beside him and be the last one to leave him. Only death will separate me from him.’

The two brothers sealed their cute little promise with a pinky promise and a high-five. They giggled as they looked fondly at each other. Hoping in their hearts that things would remain as they are from now ‘till the end of time.

‘Hey, bro, is it just me or is it really hot right now?’ Kaeya wondered.

‘Now that you mentioned it, the winds stopped, quite weird knowing that this is Mondstadt, the city where the winds never stop flowing.’ His brother said in response.

Winds stopping in the city of Mondstadt was an ominous sign but the children couldn’t careless. They don’t believe in those ridiculous fairy tales. Nothing horrible has ever happened to their country even when the winds stopped. In fact bad things happen when the winds have grown stronger. The only thing that could set fear into their hearts and minds is not having each other by their side.

Eventually, their flow of thoughts on why the winds stopped disappeared when the carriage with the Ragnvindr family crest came into their field of vision. They safely went home, eager for the meal their maid, Adelinde, had cooked for them.

It was an eventful day for boys. They wonder what Lord Barbatos has in store for them as they move on to the next day.

Chapter Text

It has been at least 5 months since school started. It was another day for Kaeya and his brother. The sun rose up beaming into his room, telling him it’s time to wake up, and so he did. As his door opened, he was greeted by Diluc ready for a bath. He was also ready for a bath but his brother got to the bathroom a second faster than him. The starry-eyed boy had to wait for his turn, while doing that he wasted no time by eating his breakfast and brushing his teeth. Breakfast for today was avocado toast and blueberry yogurt.

Steam came out of the bathroom indicating that it was Kaeya’s turn to take a bath.

He stepped in the bathtub, already filled with a new batch of warm water. Ah, Miss Adelinde, always so efficient . Kaeya thought to himself. He relaxed into the comforting feeling of the water, keeping in mind that he needs to be on time for school. He washed his hair and body with the Calla Lily scented soap Crepus bought for him.

By the time he was done, Diluc was also done eating and brushing his teeth. They said their farewells to their dad and off they went to school. 

As the carriage leaves their home, the Dawn Winery, the atmosphere starts to change. It felt a little eerie and suffocating. The two boys sensed it and so did the horses. The horses started to go into a frenzied state. Panic spread through the horses and soon also filled the two little boys' minds. 

The chauffeur also started to scream in fear, the brothers didn’t know what was going on as they were inside the carriage. 

‘Boys! No matter what you guys hear coming from the outside, don’t ever open the door!’ Warned the driver as he continued to panic and struggle. 

‘Biadam unu du yaya! Biat!’ Curious words from raspy high pitched voices yelled. They seemed to surround the carriage. Despite being unfamiliar to them, Kaeya felt like he knew who those voices belonged to. He gave it a good thought instead of letting panic take over.

‘HILICHURLS!!’ Kaeya shouted, realising the danger that surrounds them.

Diluc turned to him in terror, mouth agape. They couldn’t do anything. They had no power, no vision to let them control any of the elements. They were helpless and weak. The two young boys had no choice but to sit still, in fear of the peril that’s befalling them. 

The chauffeur screamed and screamed. The horses whined and whined. The carriage shook and shook. Yet the boys sat in a frozen and quiet state, with no knowledge of what to do. All they could do was hope for a knight or a group of them to come and help. 

Then a loud roar was heard. It wasn’t a roar of an animal, no, it was like the roar of freezing waves. The hilichurls screamed in pain. Icey blue flakes creep into the carriage. Tension rose even more but it abruptly came to a halt. Finally it was calm and peaceful. The voice of the driver could be heard profusely thanking someone.

Kaeya and Diluc decided that it was safe to come out and took a look at the situation.

It seemed like eight hilichurls attacked them on their way, luckily for them they were saved by none other than Varka, the Knight of Boreas and the Grandmaster of the knights. Although they were now safe, it was still a horrid sight. The way those hilichurls died was brutal. It was instant but not a single human being would want to die like that.

Three of them were frozen to death. The rest were cut open, fresh crimson blood gushing out their bodies. Intestines hung out of their corpses after being severed in half, heads almost cut off by the huge ice glaciers that froze the other hilichurls, and limbs unevenly cut spread across the path that they were attacked. The blueish ice was no longer blue but red as the blood dripped and spread all over the ice created by Varka’s vision.

Regardless of the petrifying scene before them, Diluc smiled and gave a glowing gaze to the big middle-aged man standing in front of them.

‘Are you kids alright?’ questioned the mighty knight.

Diluc jumped up and gave a huge thumbs up. ‘Of course we are, You saved us! You are Sir Varka, right? You are like my idol, you are the best and the coolest knight to ever exist!’ Varka looked down Diluc fondly and raised his hand to give the exhilarated child a pat on the head.

‘You are definitely an odd one, usually, kids like you would be too scared to reply to me, given that you had to see this horrendous situation. It’s great that you’re okay, but I am very much concerned about your brother over there,’ Varka pointed Diluc to his usually bright and calm brother.

Kaeya was frozen. He was in complete shock because of the view presented to him. The brutality of the unsettling sight didn’t sit right with him. He wasn’t thrilled to see the Grandmaster of the knights nor was he happy that the hilichurls were dead and that he was safe. All he felt was a heavy feeling of guilt and pity. Poor living beings, they lived a cruel and pathetic life as monsters and died in the hands of a merciless knight. It was clear in his face that didn’t like it at all. It was too much of a heavy burden for his small and young heart and innocent eyes.

His brother, Diluc, came up to him. He lifts his hand to the terrified kid’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort him from the traumatic and bloody outcome. He asked if he was alright. The blue-haired boy turns to look at him, disturbingly slow. His eyes met Diluc’s, it was unsettling. His eyes filled with fear, sadness, and anger as if those creatures that just died were his friends.

‘Kid, we need to know if you are in a good condition. Can you tell us what you are feeling right now?’ an empathetic and gentle question came from the Knight of Boreas. He kneeled down to Kaeya’s level and rubbed the little boy’s head.

‘H-how… How can you just smile like that after they were murdered? They were living things too you know! Wasn’t there a nicer and gentler way to keep us safe?’ Kaeya finally managed to bring out some words with a tiny shaky voice.

‘Kaeya don’t say that, you’ll make Sir Varka feel bad when he just saved us. I get that you were scared and that you are very nice to literally all the things that live, but you have to thank him first before feeling bad for the dead monsters.’ Diluc told him off

The blue-eyed boy fully turned his body to his brother in anger. ‘Don’t you feel bad for them? What if they wanted to live longer? What if they just attacked us because they felt threatened? Haven’t you considered that?’

‘Well, even if we did consider that, what choice do we have? You're planning to become a knight, right? You should be able to learn that not every life can be saved. Especially when that living thing is threatening the lives of others. If you can’t understand that, then forget your dream of becoming a knight with me.’ The flame-eyed boy growled.

Varka noticed that the tension between the younger brothers was rising so he decided to step in. Being the only adult capable of thinking stably at the moment, he calmed the two down and reasoned with them. He managed to deescalate the argument and have the brothers make up. That day was the day the Grandmaster of the knights found out how hard it is to handle children.

And that same day, Kaeya and Diluc found out that they weren’t as similar as they thought.

Due to the predicament faced, they had to go home and be excused for a day off school. They returned to their ever so stressed father and were coddled and pampered by the maids and butlers of the Dawn Winery.

The boys didn’t talk with each other that much compared to the other days. After all, the both of them need to give themselves and each other some time to reflect and calm down from what had happened.

The day ended on a peaceful note. It wasn’t the best way to end their day but it was better than any way. They were both alive and well and that was enough reason for the brothers to sleep comfortably.

Chapter Text

Days passed by, and the brothers soon forgot their negative exchange after the hilichurl attack. Well, Diluc did. He thought nothing of it as he thought that the only reason they had a fight was because they just processed the situation at hand differently. Kaeya, on the other hand, had other things in mind. They were thoughts a twelve year-old shouldn’t be even thinking. Thoughts that can easily devour adults. To have these in your mind and still stay sane is an insane feat. Only the people who have truly lost everything can function properly when these thoughts come flooding down. And Kaeya was a child, a child who had lost everything, a child who had a responsibility to bring back everything that was taken away from him and his people. He had no other choice but to let the possibilities that will come in the future come to his mind, even if it was as painful as breaking his promise with his dear brother. A fool he is, he thinks. He has already broken his promise way before he had made it.

The what ifs are endless and also not far from reality. What if he has to betray his family one day? What if he fails? What if he ends up disappointing, not just the Ragnvindr family, but his biological family too? Kaeya recalls what his father said to him that night. ‘ You are the sole hope of our God forsaken land. It is a heavy responsibility for a child like you but your fate isn’t in your hands. Remember Kaeya. Remember who you are and why you’re here .’ He tried to remember his father’s face as he said those words, but to no avail. The two-tone haired boy couldn’t remember how his father’s face looked, it’s been only five years but his memories of him are already blurry. He can no longer think of what his father’s face was like as he leaves him in the deathly storm. Only King Kunaal’s voice stayed in Kaeya’s tired mind, refusing to erode.

Was he crying when he left me there? No, I doubt it. His voice didn’t sound like he was crying, it was more stern and serious. It didn’t feel like he was sad at all, it was as if he was more determined rather than sad as he leaves me . Kaeya’s thoughts rambled on. He thought about his responsibilities, what he has to do to achieve the unachievable. He recollects all of his past to remind him of why he is here and that he is the prince of a dead nation, whose identity has been buried in the hearts of his subjects, the hilichurls and the Abyss Order. Why did the Gods choose to destroy every single thing in relation with Khaenri’ah? Why did I have to be the one to carry out this mission, isn’t there anyone else who can do this instead of me ? Kaeya wanted to know how it feels to be a child not bound to a tragic future. He wants to know how it feels to be his brother Diluc. Free like the wind and mighty as fire.

The burdened prince thinks of the confrontation he had with his passionate brother. He knows that one day, no matter how much they love and care for each other, they will most likely be on opposite sides in the war. He reminds himself of the hilichurls, his subjects, unmoving and dead after Varka had killed them. The prince knew what his fate was gonna be, he was going to die pointlessly as he strives the best for his country. He knows that he is going to end up like one of those hilichurls. He knew that one day, all the people he grew up with and loved would see him as a traitor and will stab his heart when the moment comes. Kaeya also knew that the person who will give him the killing blow will be none other than Diluc. The lonely prince was completely aware of the predicament he will soon be in.

Alas, thinking about this will only stress him out more than he already is, it might blur his judgement once his fateful day comes. The only thing he needs to consider and remember is his family and his subjects that have succumbed to the curse brought upon them by the Gods of Celestia. But Kaeya being the kind soul he is, cannot stop thinking of what is going to happen to the citizens of Mondstadt once the Khaenri’ahns take action. He cannot stop himself from thinking of what he is going to feel and how he is going to act when his people begin their uprising against the Gods and Mondstadt gets involved. The prince was human too, of course he is going to be pained by all this.

Kaeya looked at his diary, the notebook where he wrote all of his worries as the twelve year-old prince of his homeland. He wanted to cry but crying was for the weak. He was convinced that he is a strong boy so he blinked his tears away.  He wrote and wrote all of the burden he has to carry into the notebook. But writing on the pieces of paper was useless, he still felt the weight in his heart, he felt it as he read the words he wrote. Kaeya wrote it in his native language so as to not forget what his mother tongue was. What if there was another person who knew how to speak and write this? What if one day I find someone who speaks to himself in this language just like I do ? But it was hopeless, he would never find anyone who spoke the same words as he did, and thought in the same language as he did.

‘Master Kaeya, dinner is ready!’

The blue-eyed boy looked towards his door. It was Adelinde. She had a gentle smile and smelled like sticky honey roast. It was obvious what they were going to eat for dinner tonight. The young Kaeya Alberich then stood eagerly and went down to their dining area to feast on one of the best dishes in Mondstadt.

‘Hello, Kaeya, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you playing around the house. Diluc also has informed me that you are not acting like your usual self. Was the effect of the hilichurl attack worse than what we assumed, my boy?’ Crepus asked with a concerned face.

The blue-haired boy anxiously smiled at his adoptive father, ‘No, Master Crepus, father. It wasn’t that bad. It's just that I’ve been thinking a lot about how to get rid of hilichurls in a much nicer way, so I have been writing down all of my ideas in my notebook so I can use them one day once I join the knights.’ He let out an unsure chuckle.

The red-haired adult expresses his relief after hearing what Kaeya said. Diluc too seemed to have been relieved.

Throughout the meal, they discussed what the two boys wanted to do after they finished elementary school. Whether they want to continue further in their education or train and study to be knights.

Being the highly motivated kids they are, they both decided to become knights.  Diluc also expressed his interest in running the winery business one day and Kaeya also chimed about wanting to help his brother out on the business when he takes over so Crepus agreed to teach them the trade every weekend when they are free from training.

‘Hahaha, you boys sure are passionate about your futures,’ exclaimed Diluc's father.

‘Well, it is exciting to think about what I’ll be like in the future. I would look so cool and brave and kind and awesome and great when I become a knight!’ cheered the fire-like boy. He then turned to the icy boy beside him, ‘What about you, Kaeya, what do you think you’ll be like in the future?’

‘For me, I think I’ll be a nice, reliable, and simple knight who occasionally helps around the Dawn winery. I’m not really into being super flashy, I just want to get along with everyone and help them and make them happy.’ Kaeya smiled warmly.

‘I am very happy and proud of you boys. Knowing that the both of you are enthusiastic about helping our nation and people flourish fills me with utter joy. I’m sure that one day, your names will be known by all of Teyvat, not just by the good citizens of Mondstadt.’ Crepus said as he brought a glass of water to his mouth.

Their talk went on and on and the three of them made sure that they made the best of it. After all, it was rare to have dinner with all of them present, the head of the Ragnvindr household was always busy with work and was out all the time. Kaeya, Diluc, and Crepus missed eating together a lot. Each of them wished they would have more days like this together in the future. No one said anything about it but they all knew in their hearts what they wanted and they all knew they wanted the same thing.

Dinner was finished soon enough and they all went to bed with happy stomachs.

After the dinner, Kaeya felt somewhat at ease. He closed his eyes and thought to himself that maybe he didn’t have to fulfil his duty as the prince of Khaenri’ah and the heir to the throne. Perhaps he can live a normal life as a knight and Diluc’s right-hand man. Maybe he was stressing too much about his people. His nation is long gone and so are his people, it will be pointless to bring them back as it’s better to let them rest. Surely his identity as a prince will not chase him down to the grave right? Right ?

The prince of the dead nation soon felt sleep creeping up to him. His body relaxed into the soft mattress of his bed and with hopeful thoughts, he dreamed of a peaceful life, the life he yearned for.

Chapter Text

Sounds of struggles could be heard not far from the Dawn Winery. There were none-stop grunts and panting echoed from three familiar voices. Their elementary days officially ended six months ago and so, the young knights have started their training. They were being trained by Jean's grandfather, a retired knight. He is a very passionate and thorough teacher, that is why Kaeya, Diluc, and Jean didn’t progress fast. He wanted each and every form they make to be proper and close to perfect. It has been six whole months but their progress seemed like they’ve only been training for four months. Such a brutal trainer he is, the children thought.

Out of all three of them, surprisingly, Kaeya has made the most and biggest steps in training. The prince was never that much of an athletic person, he preferred to sit at the side and talk to people or think to himself. But despite all that, he is a diligent and fast learner in training. His moves are detailed and graceful. He dances along the sounds of their wooden swords during drills and to the sounds of metal during sparring. Kaeya’s speed was to look out for and his cunning was to be feared. He has received the most praise from their trainer and has shown the best results in sparring.

Even though Kaeya has received the most praise and progressed the most, the two most definitely did not fall behind. Jean has shown great prowess in terms of flexibility, she is able to modify the different forms to something that utilises her flexibility and makes it more powerful when she performs it. Her grandpa never forgets to commend her creativity, wittiness, and fast thinking during sparring with the boys. She is a very competent fighter, and she was able to prove it within six months of training. Jean demonstrated her capability to take advantage of her opponents weakness and strengths, which delighted her grandfather and intimidated the two young boys.

Kaeya shows cunningness and speed, while Jean shows flexibility and intelligence, and Diluc demonstrates pure strength and endurance. His strength dominates the two combined and he uses his power wisely to conserve his own stamina. He is quite a fighter, their trainer says to Master Crepus when he asks for updates about the training of the two. The redhead trains more than the two but that’s exactly what is holding him back. When they have to train for a new form, he is already tired and worn out. Diluc is only able to show his full strength during sparring but even there, he is still getting beaten by the two due to his lack of rest.

‘You need to learn how to take care of yourself more Diluc, Jean’s grandfather has told me his concerns about you,’ Crepus said as he searches for the books he will be using to teach them for the month. ‘He told me about how you overexert yourself.’

‘Yeah… That’s right, every time we train, you always look so tired,’ Kaeya agreed as he sat on his own chair. ‘You know, it won’t hurt for you to give yourself some time to recover after training, Diluc,’ the eyepatch kid let out another remark.

‘Look Kaeya, and father, I have to get stronger fast okay? I need to be the strongest knight there is.’ Diluc explained himself.

‘Wanting to become stronger is great, but disregarding yourself for it isn’t an option,’ stated the bearded man with a stern angry voice.

Kaeya gave Diluc the look in which his brother responded with a nervous and unsure shrug. They both stopped looking at their father as he went over every single book trying to find the right one. They both just looked down nervously, they know that he’s mad. ‘It’s your fault, I told you many times to not wear yourself out,’ whispered the tanned boy. ‘Shut up, don’t even try to start an argument when dad is mad,’ angrily whisper-shouted Diluc. As the exchange of whispers stopped, a loud bam on the table in front of them was heard and a humongous book was laid before the two brothers. ‘Son, if you want to continue becoming a knight, you are going to do as I say, if you are not going to listen to me, your brother, and your trainer, you will officially have to give up on your dream of becoming a knight,’ sternly declared Crepus, ‘Remember I have the last say as long as you live in this house and live off my money,’ he added.

The fiery-eyed boy studied his dad’s face if he was being serious and concluded that he was dead serious. The stubborn kid has no choice but to listen to his father. As much as he wants to become stronger, becoming a knight was priority, and he won’t be able to become one if his father decides to get in the way.

And so, their training went on. On a cold December afternoon, after two hours of warm ups and drills, they were given a break for thirty minutes. In the middle of the break given to them, Jean’s grandfather called Kaeya.

‘Kaeya, my boy,’ Jean’s grandfather called out to Kaeya, ‘Since when did Diluc learn to take a rest,’ he asked the bluenette as he walked towards his side.

The prince giggled and answered, ‘Father threatened him, he said that if Diluc doesn’t start being considerate of his own health, father will make sure he will not become a knight.’

‘I see… so that’s happened,’ the trainer let out a chuckle.

The conversation of the two went on and on until the break has ended. They then proceeded with the weekly sparring. The sparring was done for them to be able to use real swords and get used to the weight.

Their sparring partners were based on luck. They had to pick a stick inside a wooden cup, at the bottom of the stick with a specific colour, whoever had the same colour as they do, that person will be their sparring partner, then they have to spar five times, whoever wins three matches will be the winner and the loser has to write an essay of more than six pages about the training they had for the whole week. Today, Kaeya was lucky enough not to get their trainer, his partner was Diluc. They both gave each other a high-five, glad that they didn’t have to spar with Jean’s merciless grandfather. They were already tired from the gruesome drills and their joints were stiff due to the cold. Shades of pink flushed through their cheeks and noses. The training during the winter was extra difficult as the cold slows down their movements.

Jean on the other hand holds her stick, frozen. She didn’t want to spar with her grandfather but she had no choice, I guess I would have to write another essay , she thinks to herself.

The first match was between Kaeya and Diluc. They both nervously walked into the circle, terrified of losing and writing an essay.

‘You already know the rules but let me explain again. To choose the winner, they need three wins. To win, there are three ways, it’s either you push the opponent out of the ring, disarm them, or knock them out. Be reminded that this is a friendly match, don't go too far. Got it?,’ The two young boys nodded and got in their fighting stances. ‘Ready…,’ their trainer raises his hand, ‘And, GO!’ The brothers clashed their swords as soon as they were given the signal.

Sounds of metal clanging filled their training grounds as the boys gave each other fast and heavy attacks. Diluc, motivated to demonstrate the fruits of training, pushed forward with furious consecutive hits leaving Kaeya on the defensive. Soon enough the icy boy found himself on the edge, it was a sure win for his brother. But Kaeya refuses to lose even if it’s just a friendly match.

As the next hit approached his face, Kaeya ducked and went between Diluc’s legs. In a second, Diluc found his body out of the ring. He realised too late that Kaeya had gone under his legs and pushed him hard on the back with the hilt of his sword, it would have been easy to regain his balance but his brother made sure to pull his foot, giving him no chance of catching himself. Kaeya has won the first round.

The second round was also won by Kaeya. These results drove Diluc into silence and intense focus. The third round started and in the blink of an eye, Kaeya flew two metres away from the circle. Jean and her grandfather watched in shock. Kaeya got up, grabbing his stomach out of pain. In an instant, Diluc used all of his strength to jump forward to bat his brother out of the ring using the side of his blade.

They had to stop the sparring and check on Kaeya. His injury wasn’t too bad but there was a huge bruise on the side of his stomach. Diluc started to tear up and started crying for real. He felt extremely sorry for his brother whom he sparred with and injured. The icy boy on the other didn’t really mind, he was quick to forgive his brother. In fact he was proud that his brother had improved and was able to beat him dramatically. Due to Kaeya’s injuries, he had to rest early. He fell asleep after a good meal and as for Diluc and Jean they once again went outside to train.

‘Children, since Kaeya is getting an early rest, I have decided to end today's training early so that you guys can rest early too. And Diluc, I would appreciate it to go easy on your opponent and not just yourself from now on,’ said their trainer, Diluc could only nod out of guilt. They both watched as Jean's grandfather got into his carriage and went home. Jean on the other hand, told her grandfather that she wishes to stay a bit longer, and so she did.

So, the two decided to hang out just beside the lake. ‘Oh Diluc… don’t feel bad about it, Kaeya isn’t even mad and he has forgiven you,’ consoled Jean.

‘But I hurt him real bad, have you not seen his bruise?,’ Diluc pouted.

The blonde girl then pinched the cheeks of the boy beside him,’You’re too soft and kind Diluc. We were sparring to become competent enough to be knights, it is expected to be injured like that, quit lamenting over that kind of stuff.’

‘Easy for you to say,’ sighed Diluc.

There was silence after that. It was a comfortable one rather than an awkward one. The sweet girl then leaned on the red-heads shoulders which caused the other to stiffen his shoulders. But as time went by he relaxed and leaned on to her too. 

It was a moment only the two of them knew and felt. It was as if both their minds and heart had synced. They watched the waves from the lake brush on the shore as the wind whistled, providing music for the trees, shrubs, and water to dance along. The birds, enchanted by their dancing houses and singing breeze, sang along.

The two children cherished that moment. They knew that they won’t get too many opportunities to experience this when they become adults. Their hearts beat slowly yet every beat can be felt all over their bodies as if the earth started quaking. Diluc and Jean continued to rest quietly under the tree by the lake like two children in love, leaning on each other.

Soon, the sun began to set and the sky turned orange. It was time for them to go home. They both got up and went their separate ways. The fiery-eyed boy decided to eat dinner and sleep early, Jean on the other hand had other plans.

After she arrived home, she went on a search for her grandfather. She found him inside his office reading a book.

‘Grandfather, spar with me. I was not given the chance to spar earlier.’said Jean.

Her grandfather gave her a tired look. He said,’I don’t want to, you should go rest just like the two boys,’.

Insistently Jean repeated what she said. Her grandfather sighed and got up.

‘Go get your sword and meet me in our clan’s training grounds.’

Jean beamed as her grandad and started to prepare for their match.

Chapter Text

The night was extra dark and winds howled. Luckily for Jean, the sparring grounds of their clan had one outdoors and one indoors, so her grandfather decided to spar inside the comfort of their own mansion. The lights beamed and the weaponry stood still only for them to be moved slightly by Jean’s grandfather, who was previously a high-ranking knight, as he choses a sword he’ll use against his granddaughter.

Anxiously, Jean approached the mat where they will be fighting. With a deep breath, she got into her fighting stance. Her granddad got himself ready as well and the battle began. Due to the anxiousness getting the best Jean was stiff and her thinking was blurred. Her grandfather decided to take advantage of that and pushed through, powerful enough to bring down Jean but not too strong to harm her. But Jean recovered quickly and was able to dodge and block her grandfather’s consecutive attacks. Despite that, Jean knew that defence wasn’t enough, she needed to disarm her opponent. Her grandfather was a strong and experienced man, but she could not pull the same trick on him as what Kaeya did to Diluc, also knows he is much heavier than she is so she cannot brutally make him fly away with a quick powerful push like what Diluc had done nor can she knock him out. The only way was to disarm her grandfather. But how? She continues to defend herself from her opponent’s ferocious hits. Jean knew she didn't have much time left, her grandfather would not wait for her that long to think of an idea to beat.

When her grandfather swung his sword back towards her she ducked and leaped away from him. She is small and light enough to speedily create distance between her and her opponent. She calmed herself and took the chance to take a breath. Then an idea popped into her mind. Jean remembered her grandfather’s arm injury he got before he retired. If she could hit him in that spot, he would be weakened for a short amount of time and she would be able to disarm him then.

The blonde girl took a stance, and then in a flash she closed the gap between her and her grandfather, the hilt, a millimetre away from his permanently injured arm. But the old man was faster. Faster than the eyes could see, he grabbed her by the back of her collar and threw her across the arena and out of it.

Jean lost.

She lost again.

Jean resiliently went back up with a sad face.

‘You don’t have to do the essay, my dear,’ stated the old man.

‘But I lost,’ Jean replied gloomily.

‘Well you lost to me, yes, but that was expected. Have you seen any of the boys win against me?’ asked her grandfather, the young girl shook her head.

‘See? None of you can defeat me in your state, all of you are too young and inexperienced, but out of all the three of you, it was you Jean, who was the closest to beating me.’ complemented the old man. His granddaughter looked confused and told him that he was only saying that because she is his grandchild and that she is better off as someone who heals.

The old man warmly smiled and put his hand on Jean’s head gently, ‘No, my darling. You are underestimating your talent for fighting. I see that you are powerful as a healer, after all, both your parents are healers but what sets you apart from them is that you, despite being born from two healers, are more of a fighter. I see and feel it from the way you fight. The way you move is like a loving mother or sister that is sick and tired of nursing your injured family, you decided to fight and protect instead of sitting inside the house waiting for them to come with new injuries to be healed. I guess it wouldn’t be a surprise considering what happened between you and your parents. But trust me on this one Jean, you are fated to be a great knight. I believe in you, so does Diluc, and so does Kaeya. So please, my child, don’t say those things about yourself. You were able to think of a plan and target my weak spot. The only problem was your execution and the difference between our skills in battle.’

Jean’s eyes gleamed at her grandfather’s warm presence and words. She relaxed and suddenly fell asleep out of fatigue. Her grandfather thankfully caught her and carried the tired child to bed.

That sleep was the best sleep she has ever had but the morning was the worst morning she had. Her whole body was sore and she could barely move.

The sore girl was about to push herself up only for her to see her mother with a tray of food. Her favourite food. Fisherman’s Toast and the most fragrant mushroom pizza, the dishes were mostly cooked by her mom.

She smiled brightly and started to dig in. As she munches on her breakfast her mom heals her. Jean’s mom is a medic in the knights, she was never really into fighting and didn’t like having to tire herself out just draw blood out from living things like hilichurls. She also didn’t like patrolling, she didn’t like the boredom that comes with it. So she stayed in the headquarters or the hospital where she could just help and heal the sick and wounded. This way she won’t hurt anyone and have people to talk to.

Her blonde daughter admired her for that. That is why when she and her husband divorced, Jean chose to stay with her. It was a hard time for the whole family, especially for the children but Jean persevered and remained in a loving relationship with her mother and sister and a civil relationship with her father.

Those days were harsh and so, Jean buried it deep down in the back of her mind and finished her food. She then laid down and had the rest she needed.

 *       *      *

It was noon and Kaeya was getting bored. He had no one to play or talk with. He was out of commission and his family was on a business trip. The blue-haired boy was supposed to go with them but the unexpected injury left him no choice but to stay behind. He was getting lonely.

He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. Kaeya let his mind relax and fell into a deep slumber.

This sleep of his was different from the other nights. It felt like he was floating in space. The whole place made him feel like some kind of feather or dust drifting in the air along with asteroids and stars. Kaeya could feel the cold air of the outer space and the silkiness of the colourful belts of the galaxy they reside in.

It was as calming and comforting as the scent of callas lilies and cecilias. But space was just as dangerous as it’s beautiful. The prince suddenly felt the suffocating feeling of air being sucked out of his small lungs. Kaeya tried to catch his breath but to no avail. The lack of oxygen in his brain made his mind feel fuzzy and his chest tight. Soon enough he saw his life flash before his eyes.

He lost consciousness and felt nothing afterward. It was like the nothingness of the abyss Celestia pushed upon them. He thought of nothing, he felt nothing, he heard nothing, he saw nothing. Just pure emptiness.

This black void disturbed Kaeya. He was never fond of the dark but couldn’t wake up. He couldn’t force himself up. It was as if he was trapped in a prison meant for him to stay and suffer in. It felt like an untimely death was about to befall him. But then came light.

It was the light that Kaeya hoped for. He reached out for it as he saw it drift nearer. He can finally escape this cursed place, he thought. He could feel the warmth of the light go through his weak and young body.

‘His heartbeat, it’s back!’ He heard someone scream.

"Get him to the operating theatre, immediately, inform the surgeons and the healers, and tell them we need their assistance.’ Another voice said.

What exactly happened to him in his sleep? He asked himself.

The feeling of life soon fled away from him and he lost his consciousness again. But it came back again in a flash or that’s how it felt.

Crepus’ sleepy body had risen up as soon as he noticed Kaeya had opened his eyes. The boy's lids were half closed but it was open. His father was glad, so glad after those nerve-wracking hours in the hospital.

‘Kaeya, my child, do you feel alright?’ The bearded man softly asks as he brushes his finger across Kaeya’s face and showers both his cheeks and forehead with light kisses.

‘Not really, father,’ he winces as he tries to sit up.

‘Don’t push yourself, Father will get you your doctor,’ Crepus breathily tells Kaeya with tired eyes.

‘But father, how’d I end up here?’

‘You… you don’t know what happened to you two days ago?’

Two days ago?

How long was he out, what happened to him while he was asleep? Why was he dreaming of such a place? How was he completely unaware of what had happened? How did he not wake when he was practically between life and death?

At that moment Kaeya was more confused than he was when he thought of his future as the prince of the abyss and as a knight of Favonious.

Chapter Text

Kaeya sat on his hospital bed by the window. He admired the captivating snow that lazily falls along the window sill and trees. As slow as the snow falls, he blinks. It’s been five days since he had woken up in the gloomy hospital and he still hasn’t gotten better. There are moments where he would wish time would drift faster, this was one of those times. The young boy yearns to go outside once again to train, to play, to be free from this melancholic room filled with dullness.

He reaches out to his neck where a bruise of his lies. It looked like a very new bruise but it has been at least seven days since he got it. Kaeya got it on that unusual night. His wound was just as unusual. It moved like the aurora borealis, it was black as midnight with white spots like stars and a pattern much like the aurora borealis that could be seen in their nation’s night sky. Everytime it was touched it would start to burn and then it becomes hot enough to immediately melt an ice.

The rest of his body was fine but his neck was a major concern. No one had an injury like his, so the doctors and alchemists had to gather to bring light to this mystery. Unfortunately, they couldn’t progress that much as the only person that got it couldn’t remember how he got his wound.

The only helpful people were Adelinde and Diluc.  Those two were the first ones to witness what had happened to Kaeya. ‘He was sweating a lot at first and was showing severe discomfort while sleeping. I assumed that he had a fever and was having a nightmare due to that so I tried to wake him up first, but he just wouldn’t. I gave up on trying to wake him and decided to focus on keeping him cool to keep his brain from getting damaged as I noticed that his temperature was only getting higher. I would occasionally come back to replace the cloth. The last time I went to Master Kaeya’s room  was when Master Diluc yelled for help because his brother’s condition had dramatically worsened. That was when I got the carriage ready for Master Kaeya to go to the hospital,’ explained Adelinde after being interviewed by the alchemists of the knights.

Then, it was Diluc’s turn to be questioned. The poor kid was still suffering from shock and worry as he was the one who witnessed Kaeya’s health go from bad to worse right after a tiring day of learning the business of the Dawn Winery. It took him a long while to answer. Recalling his brother’s suffering was hard enough for him but to describe it into words felt painfully disturbing.

‘What I saw was super weird. It was like someone was using magic on Kaeya to curse him,’ Diluc began.

‘Our father and I managed to arrive really early after the trip. Adelinde told us about Kaeya’s condition so we went to check up on him. We tried to wake him up but just like what Adelinde said, he wouldn’t wake up…’ continued the fidgety child. ‘Father decided to go to his study and do some work while I stayed with Kaeya a little longer. It wasn’t long until my brother started acting weird. He started to shake and was making lots of noises like he was being choked by someone, at the same time dark clouds with weird letters started to form around his neck. His shaking got worse to the point that he looked like he got possessed…’ Diluc paused. He was trying to calm himself before telling the alchemists the rest of the events.

‘Parts of his skin started to have dark blue patches like the night sky, it looked like they were moving, and the parts of his body without the patches are filled with black thick veins. He then started to speak some kind of language I have never heard before. Half of his face, the part with the eyepatch, started to turn darker and change shape and something like a horn started to grow out of his forehead. I was frozen in shock, I couldn’t do or say anything but I managed to cry out to Adelinde. She then got the carriage ready and brought Kaeya here with my Father, you know the rest of what happened there.’ the redhead looked down with tears in his eyes. ‘My brother Kaeya will be ok, right? His wound on his neck is still pretty bad and he says it is painful to touch. You will heal him right? That’s why you're asking me what happened, right?’ The worried youth asked, searching for reassurance.

The female alchemist asking him questions patted and rubbed his head, ‘Don’t worry Master Diluc, we will make Master Kaeya feel better,’ she smiled awkwardly and let out a chuckle. They both thanked each other and Diluc left the room and walked straight to Kaeya’s room.

*      *      *

‘I’m here~,’ said a familiar voice.

Kaeya looked away from the window and to the slightly opened door. He saw a young boy with bright red hair tied up into a braid. It was his brother Diluc.

‘How are you feeling?’said his brother as he entered.

‘I’m alright, my wound still hurts from being touched but other than that, it’s not so bad,’ replied Kaeya with a dull voice.

‘Don’t worry Kaeya, you’ll be out soon. Then we can train and play together with Jean again,’ comforted Diluc.

‘About Jean, have you told her how you feel?’ asked Kaeya with a smug face.

Diluc began to turn red like his hair. He looked away from his brother with a pout, ‘No, and I don’t plan to hmmmp,’ he crossed his arms and closed his eyes. Kaeya just laughed at his brother's silly reaction. Such a coward Diluc is. O h well, we are still young, he has a lot of time to tell her how he feels if he still feels the same way in the future , thought Kaeya.

The brothers’ conversation went on. It started with Jean as the topic and they quickly moved on to their training and how much Kaeya has to catch up to. They chatted about the Dawn Winery and their father and also about the knight exam they will be taking after 3 years and a few months. They were confident with the practical exams but were really worried about the written ones. They had a lot to memorise a lot of the rules for the exam, but that topic was over too soon too. They proceeded to talk about visions. 

Diluc said he wanted to have cryo vision just like Varka. He expressed how he found the way Varka controls the element cryo. He desires to stop every single harm that comes in the way of his family and Mondstadt. Kaeya on the other hand wanted a pyro vision. If Diluc is going to freeze everything, he’s going to burn everything, he says. He will destroy all the things that bring fear to the hearts of his people. Except, Kaeya doesn’t know who exactly are his people as of the moment, the citizens of Mondstadt or the subjects of Khaenri’ah’s royal family. But what he does know is that there are people who he holds dear, and those people happen to be in Mondstadt. So that's that.

The conversation that seemed to last for hours suddenly came to an end when their father came into the room with especially great news.

Kaeya was getting discharged. The doctors allowed it as the only abnormality in his body is the strange wound he has. The alchemists of the knights told them that they will be cooperating with the doctors to inspect the wound and keep it from getting worse as it is obviously caused by an unknown magical source.

The two redheads helped the blue haired boy pack up and get ready. Soon after that, they all went out to their house. It was a warm and happy trip for their family. Kaeya’s condition is slowly improving and they can once again bond together as a family after a whole week of chaos and worry. Their house felt like a home again and the rooms they entered no longer smelled of medicine and dust.

The prince was glad to be back. He was glad to be allowed to move about and sweat as much as he wanted to. The first thing he went to do right after getting off the carriage was race Diluc to the house, in which he won since he had an unfair head start. By the end of the day they were both sweaty and tired. They smelled like the sun and were completely breathless. They didn’t want to stop playing but their bodies said otherwise, they were hungry and exhausted which left them no choice but to go back home.

Their dinner was pretty grand. The Crepus had the maids prepare Barbatos Ratatouille, Calla lily seafood soup, Cold cut platter, Sweet Madame, Goulash, and some tiramisu. It was rare for the boys to have such a meal, the only times they have this huge amount of food is during birthdays and other special events, so they took the opportunity to gobble up a lot of the food placed in front of them without a bite wasted.

Now, the boys are full and tired. They groggily went to brush their teeth. Blink. Blink . Each movement was followed by slow heavy blinks. They could barely keep their eyes open. Blink. Blink . Kaeya and Diluc finally reached the doors of their bedrooms. The two kids were so tired they could just sleep on the floor in front of their bedroom doors but they couldn't. They are already there. Just a push and a few more steps and they can rest. Creeeeeek . Their doors opened. Stomp. Stomp . They are getting closer to their beds. Poooof . The boys, Kaeya and Diluc are now on their beds asleep.

Crepus went to the rooms of both boys. He went to Diluc’s room first. Half of the kid’s body was on the bed covered by a maroon blanket while the rest of his body was dangling up from the floor, exposed to the cold. His father picked him up and fixed his sleeping position making sure he was comfortable and protected from the chilly temperature of the winter season. The old man Crepus leaned towards his son and gave Diluc a kiss of the forehead. A rare opportunity for him as Diluc hates physical affection most of the time. He looked at his beloved son's sleeping face and walked out of the room to not risk waking Diluc up.

He quietly made his way to Kaeya’s room next. Kaeya’s position was pretty normal. He was on his side hugging his extra pillow in a foetal position with his blankets covering his feet. The bearded man pulled the blanket up to his other son’s shoulder. Crepus slowly brushes the messy strands of blue hair back as he melancholically observes his face and neck. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for not being able to do anything for you at that moment. I could’ve done better as your father. Guilt beats along with his heart as he looks at his injured son harder and harder the longer he looks. He closed his eyes and gave Kaeya a kiss on the forehead. He got up from the floor where he knelt and went to his room to get his own shut eye.

It was a peaceful night for the Ragnvindr estate. Everyone was at peace knowing that they were complete and no one was in critical condition. The winds howled and snow piled up but their home was warm and safe as ever.

Chapter Text

The snow was still as thick as ever in the month of February. The only difference is that at this time, the air would slowly grow warmer by the day. The winds are much more gentle as it’s the last month of winter. To foreigners, February is the month where you can celebrate love but for the locals of the nation of Anemo, it is nothing but another month. The only thing making it relevant is that it’s the month before the Windblume festival. The time where Mondstadters gather their skills and creativity to prepare for the long awaited festival. 

The locals were busy, busy with the gossip and planning (but mostly gossip to be exact). All the rumours and speculations about who will give who what and the products of the shops in competition are spreading through the air. This time of year is when the people of the God of Freedom are bound by something. Those are the deep secrets they do not wish to drift along the wind to arrive at the wrong person. Only during the Windblume festival will they reveal all of those that they hide.

Take Sara from Good Hunter and Blanche from General Goods for example. Great friend, those girls. But they become different types of people this time around. Sara, the friendly and transparent girl she is, becomes more secretive and wary. Especially towards her best friend, Blanche, seemingly sweet and chatty who works in General Goods. This girl, despite being all nice and chatty, becomes nonchalant and quiet to most people during the month of February. General Goods doesn’t entirely sell the same items as Good Hunter most of the year. They just sell ingredients and as their name suggests, general goods, but when the festival comes, Blanche and the owner of the shop go all out in making food and selling them. The things they make are always unique every year. This is why Good Hunter considers General Goods as their competitor. There is always war between those two when Windblume approaches.

Another example is Fleur from the flower shop Floral Whisper. The woman in her mid-twenties is always outside enjoying the sun and the ever-changing breeze of Mondstadt with her two year old daughter Flora but during this time of the year, she stays inside secretly making decorations and making up ideas for bouquets to give her business a big push. Every March, it’s her husband who is always outside managing the store and gathering more customers. Mind you, her husband hates going out. He prefers the comfort of their house and making bouquets behind their huge counter.

But all these changes are a yearly expectation. What the townsfolk of Mondstadt are actually looking forward to are the new couples that will soon bloom during the Windblume festival. One of those people that are super excited about this is none other than Kaeya. This little is extremely hyped about what’s about to go down this Windblume festival. Why? Because he was able to convince Diluc to confess to Jean during new years.

It was 00:01 am in Mondstadt and people in their manor were shouting, making a bunch of noise, and shooting out fireworks to celebrate the new year. The heat from the excitement alone was enough to keep them warm from the harsh cold of January. Kaeya and Diluc were obviously there as well.  They screamed and jumped along with all the other people with them. As the wild celebration went on Crepus went to the two of them and carried them up high. They saw beautiful lights of exploding fire with many different colours. First it was red, then it was blue, then it turned, then green, then there was a huge pink heart. The boys were mesmerised by the unpredictable show of magical fire. Crepus was glad to see their faces. Happy and content. It wasn’t their first time to see fireworks but every time they saw those colourful sparks, it was always memorable just like this one.

What made it super memorable wasn’t just the fireworks, it was the conversation Kaeya and Diluc had as the noise continued. ‘What’s your goal this year?’ screamed Kaeya. ‘WHAT? CUT FOUR HOLES THIS YEAR? WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?’ yelled back Dliuc. ‘I SAID WHAT’S YOUR GOAL THIS YEAR?’ shouted Kaeya, louder than his previous words. ‘I DON’T HAVE ONE, WHAT ABOUT YOU?’ Diluc answered, finally understanding what Kaeya asked. ‘MY GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE YOU AND JEAN END UP TOGETHER,’ the blue haired boy said with a smirk. Diluc clearly understanding what his brother said, flushed red. There was no way he was ready to let Jean know that he likes her. Their exchange of words had abruptly stopped there since Diluc was too flustered to even talk but Kaeya knew what he was supposed to do. Pester Diluc until he loses it. That was Kaeya's first mission for this year.

He kept bringing up Jean and the idea of Diluc confessing to her until they were supposed to go to their beds. The younger redhead couldn’t handle his brother’s pestering anymore. He stomped his foot and faced Kaeya with a red face.

‘Fine! I’ll go and confess to her during Windblume, on one condition,’ said Diluc with a flustered and irritated face.

Kaeya looked at him with a bright face followed by a confused one, he asked warily, ‘What’ your condition?’

‘You have to go to the weird purple thing up on Musk reef in Cape Oaf,’ declared Diluc with a smirk.

‘That weird purple goo up in the air?? The one that only you and I can see? You can’t even see it by yourself!! You gotta hold my hand just to see it!! We don’t even know what it is and only the both of us have seen it!’ exclaimed Kaeya.

‘Oh please Kaeya, if I’m taking a risk on my friendship with Jean, you gotta take some kind of risk too,’ rebutted Diluc.

Kaeya stared at his brother in shock. ‘DILUC. Even Father can’t see it even if I hold him. Even the knights can’t see them if I hold their hands. What if it is something that targets and lures children in?’

‘Come OOOON Kaeyaaaaa!! I am totally not going to Jean if you won’t go there,’ Diluc whines.

Kaeya frowns and says, ‘Goodness gracious, fiiiineee.’

Diluc cheers after hearing his brother's acceptance of defeat but soon realises that he has to confess to Jean because of that. His face turned pale.

And that is why Kaeya is excited about this year’s Windblume. Of course he’s nervous about the portal but he gets to be Diluc’s wingman. He even planned out how he’s going to help out his brother during his wedding day with Jean in the future. Talk about a delusional optimist.

Kaeya is not the only one excited over people confessing at the festival. There are many pairings people are wishing and expecting to get together. There has been a rumour circulating in the high school department of their previous school. Marla and Marvin from the 10th grade have feelings for each other and Marvin is planning on confessing to Marla during the festival. Another rumour is that Rudolf and Marjorie’s relationship has been rocky these past few months so the people who know of this wish for them to reconcile. There are things happening in this town of Mondstadt other than couples and their shenanigans. Kaeya’s that his elementary teacher’s father just died and is quitting her job to take care of her mom and children. So the parents and students she previously taught have decided to show her an appreciation party during the festival.

Windblume festival is a time of love, appreciation, devotion, and freedom of feelings, words, and actions. The citizens of the Nation of Freedom know that from the very bottom of their hearts. The people make sure to show their appreciation not just to their loved ones but to the city, the people living there and themselves. To celebrate these things may seem silly, but this is what Mondstadt exactly needs after years of struggles their nation faced, past and present. They have their God, Barbatos, to thank for such a wonderful celebration. This is what makes Mondstadt such a great nation. 

That is why Kaeya loves it so much. Such a warm and safe home. The blue-haired boy smiled warmly and grabbed his dairy and wrote:

‘February 15th – 13 years old – 6 years after arrival in Mondstadt

Today was pretty normal but super fun!! Diluc and I went out to play near the statue of Lord Barbatos. We caught some anemo crystalflies and climbed trees. I nearly fell off while climbing but Diluc caught me. We had yummy pancakes for breakfast, Goulash and some grilled pork for lunch!! I think I smell sweet and sour fish being cooked so I’m assuming that’s what we will have for dinner.

The snow was still pretty thick but I noticed them slowly melting away. So sad. I like snow. I like throwing them at Diluc and Father. Also today, I listed flowers for Diluc to give Jean. He doesn’t know what to give her, that’s why. Diluc is an IDIOT. He likes someone but he doesn’t know how to show it like a man. Give flowers and a turtle, duh. Jean loves flowers. People love turtles. Turtles are the ‘it’ animals right now. I am such an expert. Diluc will not survive without me. Idiot. I will also prepare a gift for Diluc and Father too. I will also give Jean something. LIKE A CUTE ROCK. I will draw a face on it. She is going to love it. I am so excited for the festival. It is a very happy and awesome time.

P.S. ‘My scar’ is the same as before. I’m worried about it. But it’s okay right now I guess. After the scar appeared, my covered eye started to change colour. It went from galaxy-ish black to gold like the light from the burning sun with this pupil being the same diamond shape as the other eye but make it white with a tint of brown at the edges. It is still very sparkly like before though. I don’t think it’s anything bad.

Chapter Text

The snow has grown significantly thinner. The air is still cool but the sun shines brighter than before. The plants are starting to become greener. It seems like they can celebrate the Windblume festival earlier than they expected. The snow melts faster here in Mondstadt so the spring is welcomed earlier in their nation. The people are excited. But not Kaeya.

 Just a week ago, he and Diluc discussed something about the purple goo found in Cape Oath. They concluded that Kaeya will go there before the festival starts. That day they specifically chose is today. The icy boy was nervous and anxious. But he wasn’t gonna back down. He isn’t a coward.

First things first, he needs to get his things ready.

He went out of his house and noticed how fast the snow had gone. One of  the things so unique to Mondstadt is how fast its weather changes throughout the year. One day it’s cold and the next day it’s warm. It’s like the winds and weather goes according to how the people want it to be.

Kaeya strolled along the pebbled path of the city of Freedom, on the hunt for the necessary items he needed for his mini adventure. Diluc insisted on going with him to get the things he needed but the blue-haired boy refused and reasoned that he wanted to figure out the things he needed by himself. He stepped in front of a very familiar shop. It had a huge odd clock and a very unique sign. The bell rang as the shop’s door opened. It was Marjorie who ran the With Wind Comes Glory store.

‘So what can I do for you little boy?’ Marjorie said as puts her hands on her hips, lips forming a welcoming smile.

‘I came here for one reason AND ONE REASON ONLY. Show me the best adventuring equipment you’ve got! Will you? Please?’ chimed the cute little boy.

‘Why do you need them?’ asked the shopkeeper.

‘Because I am going on a dangerous adventure alone! I need to be prepared,’ huffed the proud prince.

‘How much are you willing to pay me then?’ replied Marjorie raising her eyebrows with a smirk. Kaeya smirked back.

‘I saved up for this! HERE! 500 anemo sigils!’ Kaeya dropped a heavy bag filled with sigils on the hands of Marjorie.

‘Where did you get this amount of sigils?’ questioned the brunette, eyes filled with confusion and awe.

‘Our trainer would take us out adventuring to train ourselves for actual combat, then we’d take our fair share of the treasure and sigils! When we were able to chase away the monsters by ourselves, we’d take all of it for ourselves,’ beamed Kaeya.

He was proud of himself as he didn’t harm any hilichurls despite them attacking them. He was somewhat able to communicate with them from time to time but most of the occasions where he had to attack the hilichurls, they would just scream, bow, and then leave in a state of panic. It confused him a lot but paid no mind to it. They probably were scared because they saw him with a big sword and an awesomely terrifying eye-patch.

Marjorie knew that even though Kaeya did have a lot of sigils compared to a good amount of people, it wasn’t enough to get him the most high quality artefacts. Those relics are one of the gifts from the Gods, she cannot simply trade it up just for 500 sigils. Mora has got to be involved, but she cannot possibly exploit an innocent child. So she decides to give Kaeya artefacts with the weakest blessing of the Gods, some pretty decent exploring equipment like ropes and fire starters, and a special something.

Kaeya curls his eyebrows as soon as he sees one of the items Marjorie gave him, ‘ I don’t need this boring and dull thingy. It looks weird and useless,’ claimed the little boy.

‘But Kaeya… it's very special, you could never get it for a price of 500 sigils or even 5 million mora. It’s very useful and valuable, any person would kill for that,’ Marjorie says enthusiastically.

‘What exactly is this, Miss Marjorie?’ asked Kaeya.

‘It’s a vision. A very odd one too,’ answered the shopkeeper.

‘What makes it odd?’ Kaeya asked another question.

Marjorie went down to Kaeya’s level and gave him a big grin. ‘It’s a vision from a country barely anyone knows of. Its existence was wiped off Teyvat and only a few were given the knowledge of what it is,’ the brunette paused and continued, ‘Even I don’t know of that nation, I just know that it’s dead and so are its people and culture. I mean, my dad didn’t tell me much about it as he was the one who found it,’ with that, Marjorie finished her little story.

Kaeya’s eyes glowed and his heart was beating fast. He knew where this vision came from. It was from a citizen of Khaenri’ah who previously owned the vision. He was sure of it. But where exactly did Marjorie’s father get this vision? 

He smiled brightly at Marjorie, thanked her, and bid her farewell. Kaeya then proceeded to the adventurer’s guild headquarters to talk to Cyrus, Marjorie’s dad. The blue-haired boy was excited as much as he was confused. He quickly walked to the HQ and was fortunately greeted by the branch’s master, Cyrus.

‘Hello there Kaeya, what brought you here to the headquarters?’ asked Cyrus.

‘Marjorie gave me this vision, she told me that you're the one who recovered it, so I came here,’ Kaeya responded.

‘Ah, that vision. It’s very mysterious. It was just lying there on the ground all faded and blurry. I picked it up and noticed that its border is different from Mondstadt. I checked the designs of the other nations and none were alike. It was quite odd.’ reminisced Cyrus.

‘So where did you find it,’ chimed Kaeya. 

‘I found it near the cliffs of Cape Oaf.’

Hearing this, Kaeya knew that whether or not he had a deal with Diluc, he had to go there. He beamed at Cyrus and gave him his thanks. Kaeya then rushed to their mansion carrying all of the things he got for his adventure. He was greeted by Diluc with a huge bright smile. As Kaeya entered the door, his brother got something behind his back.

It was a windglider. ‘You cannot possibly explore that place without one,’ lovingly told Diluc. Its wings were of different colours. The left side was the colour of crimson with flowy textures of light orange, maroon, and bits of white. It was much like a Phoenix, which reminded him of his dear brother. The right side was navy blue with a similar flowy pattern but with powder blue, cornflower blue, and white. It resembled the snow-white bird, Caladrius.

Kaeya giddily took the glider and tried it on. It fits him perfectly. He tried to open it and retract it back, it felt really nice for Kaeya. It wasn’t as great as the ones he had tried on, as if it was made by an amateur. But the young prince didn’t complain, it was given to him by his brother and was filled with love. ‘Thank you so much Diluc, I’ll make sure to make great use of it!’ cheered Kaeya.

By that time, Crepus had already arrived. They went to the living room and started to talk about their whole day. The conversation led to Kaeya’s adventure. To make it less suspicious, Diluc said he’ll be coming with Kaeya. Since they were knights in training and are growing thirteen year-olds, Crepus didn’t mind letting them go. As long as they stay within the non-high danger zones in Mondstadt of course. Diluc was given a bird. The Umbertail Falcon, a bird that originates from Mondstadt. It’s very strong, smart, reliable, and loyal, the perfect guard for Diluc. Kaeya on the other hand was given a fox. Kaeya didn’t know where and how in the world his dad got a fox but he was happy with it.  It is a smart and cunning creature, it would be a great company for him.

It was 10am when Kaeya and Diluc had set off. Their whole walk there wasn’t too hard. A little bit of hilichurls here and there but since Kaeya was there, they didn’t have much trouble. Only the funky mitachurls would attack them occasionally. They made sure  to avoid areas where sightings of the abyss order were recent and frequent.

It took them three hours to walk up to Cape Oaf. They would have reached the place much earlier if they used their horses but they both insisted on walking. They said it would help them improve, but looks whose regretting their decisions now?

By the time they arrived at the designated location, both were out of breath, panting. The sun was bright as, well, the sun. It was scorching hot and they had to walk. Their water almost ran out, good thing they found a nearby pond to drink and refill their bottles.

They let their bodies collapse onto the ground as soon as their feet touched the highest point of the cliff. The grass was back to being bright green but the air was still cool. The flowers were creeping out from the ground, blooming shyly at the two youths. Spring is upon them, the flowers say it all. If only the flowers blooming here were the ones that bloomed in Khaenri’ah. Soon , Kaeya thought to himself. Soon I will see those flowers that could perhaps remind me of my mother .

After resting, they both got up and brainstormed on how to get up to the purple goo up in the air. They thought long and hard but none of their ideas could actually work. Then, Diluc spotted something. It was some kind of flying fairy. It looked familiar to him but he simply can’t remember its darn complicated name.

‘Hey Kaeya! Do you remember the name of that flying fairy thing?’ exclaimed Diluc.

Kaeya looked at the location Diluc was pointing at. His eyes brightened as soon as he saw it. ‘AN ANEMOGRANUM!’ yelled the icy eyes boy.

Diluc jumped up as he remembered what it was. It was an anemogranum. If they are able to collect 3 of those, they would be able to summon a wind current! The boys hurriedly started to look for more anemograna. Soon enough, a wind current blew up to the sky, almost taking the boys with it. Kaeya got his new glider ready and said goodbye to Diluc.

‘Remember, if it’s somehow a portal to somewhere and you don't return by six, I will rush to father and make a missing person report, stay safe alright?’ reminded the fiery eyed boy as he hugs his brother, who’s ready to leave.

‘ Don’t worry, Diluc. Surely, I will come back safe and sound AND on time, I promise,’ Kaeya says as he tightens their hug.

With that, the young prince opened up his windglider and flew up to the purple goo. He glided to touch it and found himself being sucked into a portal. 

The portal was dark and sickening. It was just like his dream that night when he got his bruise located on his neck. That’s when Kaeya felt it. The suffocating pain surrounding his fragile neck. His hidden eye started hurting too. He thought his brain was going to explode from the pain overload and fuzziness the suffocation is causing. Then it all came to a stop abruptly.

The blue-haired youth found himself lying down on a space-like floor. It was cold, he didn’t like it. He got up and observed his surroundings. Kaeya looked around some more. It seemed like he was in some kind of city of ruins. A not very normal one at that. It was upside down.

He walked around the city and found a door of a somewhat mysterious building. A door with the writings of his long gone country. Tears slowly crawled up to his eyes as he read them.

‘Here lies King Kunaal, his wife, Queen Calla, and his sons, Prince Krishna and Prince Kaeya.’

Prince Kaeya . What an odd thing to read. Prince Kaeya . He could never get used to it. Reading it just brought him more anguish. His tears were no longer just tears, he was bawling his eyes out. He screamed and he screamed as if it’s going to take the pain away. He hits the door. BANG. He hits the door again. BANG. BANG.

‘WHY? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO LEAVE ME ALONE? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DIE WITHOUT ME? WHY FATHER? WHY MOTHER? WHAT SIN HAVE I COMMITTED TO DESERVE THIS DAMNATION OF A PUNISHMENT?’

His sadness becomes anger. He yelled and cried like a child having a tantrum. Kaeya’s hands had started to bleed and his tears soon were running out. He knelt down on to the floor and his head touched the stone plate with his nation's language.

A wince of pain was felt throughout his body. It felt horribly horrible. Soon enough, he was frozen stiff. Kaeya fell to the ground with a loud thud. The prince has fainted. He couldn’t fulfil his promise once again.

Chapter Text

In a dark cold room lies Kaeya. It wasn’t just some simple room, it was clearly a room for royals, except it wasn’t a royaly welcoming room. The designs were elegant but harsh, the walls were filled with unique patterns, they looked like the ocean, filled with different shades of blue. The corners were designed with decently sized posts resembling Greek temple posts. Everywhere you look, you can see shades of blue and the cool colour of silver, slowly fading with cobwebs and dust.

The place felt like it had been abandoned and neglected by its previous owner. It was cold and dull. Just like the boy in the room as of this moment. Clothes rustling can be heard in the lonely room. Kaeya slowly got up, confused. He looked around the room and bits of his memories as a child came back, the room was his childhood room. The dusty mattress where he once laid on with his mother until he fell asleep, the worn out shelves with books that were just as worn out, the faded paintings of him, his family, and his kingdom, and of course his toys on the brink of corroding. The whole sight was sad. He stared long and hard at the view before him. Without Kaeya knowing, his face became wet and salty from the tears flowing out. The room that was previously ethereal and comforting has become a place of  gloom and darkness.

His painful weeps, turned to breathless sobs and those sobs of his turned to uncontrollable bawling. Kaeya’s screams of agony as he gets struck by the memories he had slowly forgotten bounces around the walls, echoing in and out of the room. He wails and wails breathlessly. Kaeya’s eyes of the dark lonely space were accompanied by red veins of bloody memories. He kneeled there in a foetal position, breaking apart in every scream and cry.

This alerted a certain person of a certain status. She wore a black dress with gold embroidery and frills. Her raven hair in a half bun glowed dimly in the weakly lit halls. Although the elegance and beauty in her wear was overflowing, her face was a different story. Half of it was the face of an ethereal woman, the other half was deformed and midnight blue with hints of black. It was unsightly, ghastly even. The woman opens the door, hands slow and shaky. Her breath was silenced by the young prince's yells. She calmed herself. Lo and behold, the prince of Khaenri’ah consumed by the negativity the palace has crashed over him.

Despite her appalling appearance, her demeanour was nice and comforting. Somewhat motherly even.

Kaeya’s cries come to halt as he hears the door creak open. There, he saw the tall figure of a woman gently walking towards him. She seemed familiar. He couldn’t bring himself to remember who she was but he knows he has met her before.

‘Child, what is it that makes you create all these tears?’ The mysterious woman asks as she cups Kaeya’s salty face. The blue eyed boy’s eyes sparkled at her voice. 

‘May I ask who you are?’

‘My identity is nothing but an irrelevant fact to you, my darling. I am not but a speck in this ridiculous space of time and a forgettable experience in your life time.’Answers the tall woman.

‘But I really want to know who you are,’ whined Kaeya.

‘I really don’t think it would be good for you to know, it is irrelevant. But since it would be awkward to not have a name to call me, I permit you to call me, Umma. It was the first word I was able to teach my child,’ says “Ummi” as she lifts him up to stand.

‘Ma’am Ummi, do you mind telling me where we are as of the moment?’ asked Kaeya after finally going back to his senses. It was definitely a familiar place. Too familiar, but he just can’t put a finger on it. Kaeya thought that this was absolutely absurd for him to just get flashbacks and break down after the sight of a wall. If his assumptions were correct, this palace would be the palace he once lived in just a few years ago.

‘Oh, uh, uhm…. This is just an abandoned castle, I heard you screaming and crying so I came here due to concern,’ Hesitated Ummi. Lies. Kaeya was sure those words were lies. It wouldn’t be hard for him to know she was lying. He himself was a frequent liar. Her tone, hesitation, and choice of words were enough to tell him that she was lying. But this woman didn’t seem to have any ill intent, so to give her the benefit of the doubt would be the best choice here. After all, Umma seems to know her way around the castle, she could be a huge help along the way.

They got out of the room, on their way out of the castle. ‘Can I explore a little bit as we make our way out?’ Kaeya beamed at Umma. And of course being the soft-hearted woman that she is, Ummi gave him the permission to do so, on the condition that he doesn’t leave her sight.

Kaeya inspected the halls, the pictures, and the rooms up and down, left and right. He made sure not to leave any suspicious spaces out but he still couldn’t find anything close to memories of the past. Perhaps the room was just uncannily similar to his room in the real palace, or perhaps it was an illusion to trigger something out of him.

Time passed, and they were getting near the exit. They had to walk past a door, a door with a delicious smell slithering out of it and into Kaeya’s nose. He slowly looks at Ummi with a big, BIG smile, his eyes smiling along with his mouth with bits of sparkles glimmering out of his eyes. Ummi looked at him with a tired look, ‘But child, does it look like I’m still at the age of being able to explore and walk that much? I am tired to the bone.’

The blue-haired boy pouted and whined, ‘Ummiiiii, I’m hungry and tired. We can rest while eating and rehydrate ourselves. LOOK. My lips are super dried, I'M PARCHED.’ Kaeya gave his most innocent and cutest puppy face to try to convince the tall woman helping him go to the way out of the castle to let him eat, and of course, Ummi being a weakling towards children, allowed him.

They went into the deliciously fragrant kitchen and were pleasantly welcomed by all the tasty dishes. The food ranged from stir fried vegetables to outlandishly sweet desserts. Kaeya was about to simply use his hands to scarf down every single dish his eyes had laid on but Ummi stopped him. She bent down and firmly handed him a plate with a fork. The prince looked at her with a defiant frown, this frown was countered by a wide yet sharp intimidating stare from his new friend. They stared at each other for a long while. But of course, Kaeya lost the stare down, but instead of taking the plate and fork handed to him, he took a humongous charger plate and ridiculously large serving spoon. Ah, years have passed but he is a child after all . Umma sighed affectionately. She shook her head and got herself a plate and a fork and got enough food to energise her.

They both ate to their fill. Kaeya ate (and is still eating) more than he has ever eaten his whole life. All of it tasted so darn scrumptious. A majority of the dishes could never be found in other nations and he bets Adelinde doesn’t know ANY of these recipes. He eats and he eats, mouth constantly full of food. He ate a unique pig dish where the skin was all crunchy and hard while the meat was silky smooth and tender. There was also this sweet and spicy nut dish with unique textures. All of the flavours are so different from what he eats every single day back in Mondstadt. Not a single person could stop Kaeya now.

Meanwhile, in the corner of the room, Ummi admires Kaeya as he joyfully fills himself up. She giggles every time Kaeya comes up to her to offer food, she was especially happy when he went crazy over a Sumerian dish called Butter Chicken. Who wouldn’t be happy watching someone genuinely enjoy the food you have cooked after all these years of loneliness? Who wouldn’t be happy seeing a person happily eat dishes from a place you once called home?

After a while or so, Kaeya could no longer put one more crumb into his stomach. He took a little breather and declared the continuation of his exploration slash journey out of the castle. The icy eyed boy skipped along the shadowy hallways, humming the tunes he has heard from the bards of the city of freedom. Ummi looks at him more often after their meal. Kaeya has noticed that he thought it was weird and mysterious, perhaps she was waiting for something to happen to him. CRAP, I should have not eaten all that food. Why in the world would I eat food in an unknown place without knowing who made it and what it was made from . Kaeya thought to himself.

He looks at Ummi, she looks away. Weird. Extra hella weird .

‘I know you said that you didn’t want to tell me more about who you are, but WHO EXACTLY are you? I really really wanna know,’ chimed Kaeya.

‘You said it yourself, Kaeya. I don’t want to tell you,’ huffed Ummi.

Kaeya pouted and went silent. He looked at her once again. Something felt off with her answer but he can’t seem to identify what it was. He pushed it aside and focused on walking to the way out of the castle and investigating every nook and cranny in the palace rooms.

Tik tok, tik tok, tik tok. The clock went off. They have been exploring the castle for many hours but Kaeya still hasn’t found anything. He whined and sighed. He looked at the sky, it was getting dark. The two discussed that it’s best to take a rest for now as the inside of the castle isn’t a dangerous place to sleep in.

Kaeya set his bag down and pulled out his sleeping bag, Ummi too got ready to sleep. The night was not painfully hot nor was it brutally freezing. Kaeya says to himself, ‘I guess the Gods will be in our favour once in a  while.’ and he dozes off.

Chapter Text

Hi guys!!! It's me Venus_Vid, the writter of this fanfic. I know it has been such a long time since I have uploaded an update on this story and it;s because of school.

I am currently in senior high and this is a really important time as it will be helping me transition to college, as of now I am pretty busy with school and self-care. I have been sick many times and right now, I am struggling to walk. So please, if you happen to like my fanfic, just wait a little bit more because I am working on it, it's just that there are too many reportings and writing assignments, activities, and special events or smth. Sorry for the long wait, I promise I will get back to writing after all the stuff here is reduced.