Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It is dark. Thunder crashes outside the manor, but it’s hardly loud enough to silence the girl’s anger. With wavy red hair past her shoulders, pale and flawless skin, big tawny eyes, and money, too, she could have been anyone’s girl. But she had chosen to marry the one man who had abandoned her the moment she no longer satisfied him. She was too stubborn. To assertive-too independent! It makes her angry just to think about it. He, Leon Lawrence, only wanted someone he could use as a toy. He had only married her for her status, but after one too many fights, she had ended up back here with a bag full of clothes and things. Things she had found. Research. Things she doesn’t want other people to see. Including her brothers, who are wont to pry. Why Rafeus is here today of all days, she doesn’t know, and she doesn’t care. “Kiana!” The oldest’s booming voice echoes as Kiana tries to escape upstairs. Never mind that she is soaking wet. Rafeus is a strange man. He had given up his inheritance, a profitable business, and everything else to go practice sorcery in a cave. She shouldn’t begrudge him that; he’s living his life, and she is living hers. That’s all that matters, right?

“What do you need with her?” The voice is high and sweet. “She just got here! I thought we were doing my palm reading.” Emiline has spotted her, that only means…

“Kiana!” Her other brother, Crepus, has emerged somewhere from the drawing room along with his wife, Emiline.

“Wait, maybe she doesn’t—” Emiline starts.

“Leave me alone!” Kiana once again tries to go upstairs again.

“I sense a turbulence in your aura.” Rafeus stands in the hallway, intimidating at his full height, watching her.

“Oh, shut up, Raef! Why are you here anyway?”

“Why are you?” His tone shifts completely from powerful sorcerer to annoying older brother in an instant.

“I—forget it.”

Crepus seems to think it’s a good time to pry. “Don’t tell me you got dumped. I warned you about him.”

“Oh, my archons! Both of you, just stop!”

“Well, she wouldn’t be here with that bag otherwise.” Emiline smiles sweetly. “You know how it is. Some men…Fontainian men have no spine.”

“He’s not Fontanian! Ugh!”

“I’m only speaking from my experience. But you shouldn’t have married a Lawrence.” Emiline does a little twirl, her long dress spinning with her. She is a strange woman, but not disagreeable. In truth, Kiana would rather talk to another woman about her problems with men, but of course, she’s happily married to Kiana’s brother. Rafeus isn’t married of course, but he seems to hate people in general, so that likely isn’t a problem for him.

“Did you—have relations with him?” Rafeus asks, as if she is a child who cannot be talked to properly.”

“Of course she did! They were married after all.” Emiline says. “But why would you ask her that.”

“There’s no way that you could be…?”

“No. Absolutely not. Honestly, he’s horrid in bed!”

“Kiana!” Crepus whips around to glare at his disgruntled sister.

“Oh. Not in your house? I can’t talk about that in your house?” She says in a mocking tone. “Are we all little children?”

He sighs. “Kiana, I told you he was trouble.”

“And I told you Emiline was trouble. And she still is.” Rafeus says.

Emiline looks startled. “I mean…”

“How dare you say that in front of her?” Crepus retorts.

“I can defend myself, thanks.” She spins again.

“It is true. We need to have a serious discussion. Let us go sit down. Kiana, if you would like to have your palms read…”

“No thanks. But I would like to watch the show. It’s not like I have something better to do.”

The four convene in the drawing room. “Emiline first.” Rafeus instructs. He takes the reading. He ponders for a long moment. “You know well that you have cursed yourself during your experimentations, and your life expectancy is likely shortened. But what I am seeing is far more concerning.”

“Will my children carry the curse?” Emiline asks, barely above a whisper.

“That is unclear. However, it seems that bearing children will farther shorten your lifespan.”

“That doesn’t even make sense,” she whispers.

“Curses are a strange and dangerous business, Emiline. You should know that.”

“I know!” She says, tears springing to her eyes. “I messed up!”

“Are there any more details? Like how long she would live?” Crepus asks, grabbing onto his wife’s free hand.

“That is unclear. I do see children in her future.”

“So, she’s destined to have children? What if we do everything to prevent it?”

“But I want to! I don’t care!”

“Emiline!”

“That would be her own foolish decision. Or perhaps it is fate. I cannot say.”

“Can you see how many children?”

Rafeus furrows his brow. “No. I can read you and see if it is clearer.” He takes Crepus’ reading. “Strange. Very strange. There is a girl and two boys. But the youngest boy doesn’t look like the others.”

“Do they take after me or Emiline?”

“They take after you, but—”

“Does the second boy take after Emiline?”

“No.” Rafeus answers without elaboration.

“Then who does he look like?”

“I do not know.”

“What does he look like, Rafeus?”

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that.”

“Why?”

“If there is something wrong with our child we should know!” Emiline says, angrily. “Stop hiding things from us!”

“I do not believe it is your child. I don’t know whose child it is, or why it is in your vision. But there are more pressing matters. A terrible fate will befall you both.”

“I’m already cursed! But Crepus? What fate?”

“That is unclear.”

“Do you know when it’s going to happen?”

“No.”

“This is useless! Get out of my house!” Emiline jumps up, glaring at Rafeus. “I don’t want to hear it!”

“Emiline!” Crepus tries to get her to sit back down, but to no avail.

“He’s leaving or I’m leaving!”

“I was preparing to leave,” Rafeus says. “But please do not ask for my services if you do not like what I have to say. I can only tell you what I am able to see.”

“Get! Out!” Emiline jumps up to take a swing at him. She isn’t drunk, Kiana thinks, just a little crazy. Rafeus leaves without another word.

“Can I go now?” Kiana jumps up. “I feel like I have nothing additional to contribute to this conversation. I have to work on my research.”

“Kiana, just what are you researching in secret?” Crepus asks.

“Fatui.” She answers, grabbing her bag before Crepus has time to reply.

“That sounds serious. Shouldn’t you…?” Emiline asks, shakily.

“Later. I’ll find out what she’s up to, don’t worry.” He is practically begging her to sit back down. “We need to talk…about this.”

“You should leave me,” she says in a small voice. “I will only bring you bad fortune.”

“He didn’t say that my downfall was tied to you. And even if it was….”

“Just stop! I never should have put you in this situation!” She tries to get up again.

“Emiline.” He grabs both of her hands. “Look at me.”

“I—” She can’t look him in the eye. “I want kids, Crepus!”

“I know. But I can’t let you do that.”

“You can’t stop me!”

“Actually I—” He can stop her, but would it be right? If this is what she wants…. “We’ll talk about this later, Emmie. We both need time to process all of this.”

She nods, slowly. “All right,” she whispers. “We’ll figure it out. Together.”

Chapter Text

The Pool

“Are we there yet?” Clavia Alberich wipes the sweat off her brow and looks around the rocky landscape.

“We should be close.” Her brother, Kaeya scans the landscape. “This way.”

The mouth of the cave is wide, but it is very dark inside. Kaeya lights a torch and steps inside. “Clavia, I need you to take notes, got it? You’re my scribe for the day.”

She sighs, dramatically. “But I want to look at the funny rocks.”

A disturbance had been reported near this cave in Liyue, and Kaeya had been sent by the Knights to investigate the situation. Per request of both his brother and his roommate, he isn’t allowed to adventure alone. It’s too dangerous. Not that Clavia being here would be of much help, as she doesn’t know how to fight, but she insisted on coming along anyway. Archaeology is just the latest in her string of academic obsessions. “I don’t think you’ll find much,” Kaeya had warned her, but she had insisted regardless.

The cave glows with precious gems. This is not some mere mining cave, but a cavern naturally carved into the mountain itself, a path sloping downward and gradually narrowing before them. Nothing seems immediately out of place, but Kaeya is met with an uneasy feeling, as if he is being watched. It’s probably nothing. He shouldn’t be so paranoid. He always—his foot falters with no solid ground beneath it. A sinkhole in a cave like this? Unable to catch his balance, he trips and begins plummeting to another level. “Hey!” He hears Clavia shout but whatever hole had swallowed him up has quickly closed behind him. Any natural light from the outside is beyond his sight.

He lands on something soft, and wet. He tries to find a way onto his feet, reaching for his torch, which is long gone. He holds his vision out in front of him for what little light it will provide as his eyes adjust to the sheer darkness.

“Kaeyaaaaaa,” he hears a voice whisper. He jumps back. “Who’s there?” But there is no one, at least not that he can see. “Show yourself!” He feels himself falling backwards as he blacks out.

“I knew I would find you foolishly exploring dark places that you have no business around.”

“Albina!” He looks around in horror, to realize that he is in a blue void with seemingly no floor or ceiling, and yet he is able to stand upright. He knows the voice of his stepmother all too well from the times she tormented him as a child. It’s not his fault that Rancourt Alberich had a baby with an Eremite. He draws his sword.

“You don’t need that in here,” she smirks. “This is only a psychological plane to allow us to communicate. Your body is still somewhere in Teyvat.”

Kaeya looks down at his hands, that seem to be transparent. Albina too, is but a mirage. But her mind is here, and that’s all she needs to torment him.

“I was going to have you killed,” she says. “But I think perhaps you could be of some use to me.”

“And what makes you think that I want to help you?”

“Because it’s your fate.”

“Shut up! Get out of my head!”

“Oh, it’s not that simple, is it? You do realize that this isn’t normal, don’t you?”

“What?” Kaeya stares at her. “Nothing about this is normal. Where are we? How did you do this?”

“How bold of you to assume it was me who did this. Your mind has a—” she flourishes her hand, “Well, habit, of detaching from your body. If you learn to control it, you may be able to leave Teyvat all together.”

“Leave Teyvat? Why would I—?”

“I can sense you are as powerful as you are dangerous. If you don’t help me, I’ll destroy you!”

“Don’t you have more important things to do than to hunt your dead husband’s filthy affair baby?” Kaeya’s voice drips with contempt.

“You could have exactly what I need.” Albina hisses. “It might be beneficial to listen to me.”

“Kaeya!” A voice calls to him from the distance.

“Ugh!” He feels his head slam on something.

“What happened? You were like…not there!”

Kaeya groans and looks at his surroundings. He and Clavia are in a room glowing with some sort of artificial light. There is a glistening pool of water in the center of the circular room, with no apparent exit. “How long was I out?”

“Maybe a couple of hours? I was worried sick! And I’m hungry!”

“I guess time works differently in…wherever I was. It was only a short conversation.”

Clavia sobers up. “You saw Albina again?”

“She wants me to help her. She says I’m powerful and can separate my mind from my body and that I could even leave Teyvat—”

“That’s ridiculous, Kaeya. No one leaves Teyvat unless they die. Everyone knows that.”

“I wouldn’t say that’s entirely true. The Sinners…” he shudders. He doesn’t want to think of what that means for him. “I don’t want any part of it.”

“We need to get back and tell Dain immediately!”

“Yeah. Let me know when you find a way to leave this room. How did we even get here?”

“Fell about three levels down. They need to fix the floor up there.”

“So, we have to climb out?” That seems impossible given the structure of the room. It is a dome with no apparent exit. He has a feeling of dread. “We aren’t supposed to be here.”

“No shit.”

“What if the only way out is into the water?” Kaeya shudders. It’s not that he can’t swim, but he has no idea how deep it goes, and besides, it is glowing strangely, which isn’t something that water is supposed to do. Kaeya approaches the water cautiously and looks down. The pool appears more like a mirror, and he sees his own reflection perfectly staring back at him. Then it starts to swirl and shift and change. “Stay back!” He warns Clavia, in case something decides to jump out of the water. The reflection grows murky, and then Kaeya sees what looks like an endless starry sky. “Clavia, look!”

“Weird.” She leans over. “Should I poke it?”

“No!”

“What if it’s a portal to space? Maybe this is how you leave Teyvat?”

Kaeya’s heart pounds for a moment. He remembers what Clavia said about not being able to leave until you die. What if he can find his mother this way? There she is shimmering in the reflection.

“It’s not real, Kaeya.”

“How do you know?” He is breathing rapidly. “Albina said—”

“Even if it was real, you might not be able to get back! Would you just abandon everyone?”

Kaeya sighs, closing his eyes. “You’re right. It’s not worth the risk. And knowing Albina, it’s more likely a trap. Why don’t you take a look, Clav?”

She stares in the reflection for a moment. It begins swirling rapidly for her before clearing. She sees herself surrounded by stacks of books, holding a baton in one hand and a textbook in the other. “It’s me making my own school! Strange, it’s almost like…it can read our minds and knows what we want.”

“That doesn’t help us get out of here,” Kaeya sighs. “And we dare not touch it. We should look around for an exit.”

Earlier~

“Halt! By the order of the Milelith you are not allowed in Liyue without identification.”

“Says who?” The teenage boy smirks, crossing his arms. “If you knew who we were, you would let us pass.”

“We would know who you were if you showed us identification. Two kids with swords and half a dozen Abyss Heralds showing up isn’t normal.”

“Excuse me,” the girl says, “I’m seventeen. I am not a kid! I am—”

“Lindy. Her name is Lindy!” the boy interrupts, quickly.

“Lindy? What kind of name is that?” The guard stares at them. “And your entourage, what of them?” He stares at the Abyss heralds. One of them speaks. “I can assure you, we mean no harm. We are only escorts to the accused. They have a court appearance in the harbor you know.”

“That seems suspicious,” the soldier turns to his partner. “Who would have an Abyss escort for a trial?”

“Are you going to make this difficult?” The Herald asks, drawing a weapon. The Milelith soldiers draw their spears but can barely react before a tall woman lands next to them, holding a bow. “What are you doing?” She stares at the soldiers.

“Lady Yelan. The Abyss Order is—”

“I don’t think it’s necessary to get children caught up in this.”

“Yeah!” The girl shouts. “He’s fifteen. Leave him alone!” She glares at the woman. After all, Yelan is the reason that “Lindy” is blind in her left eye.

“I can’t let you pass.” Yelan crosses her arms. “But I will allow you to disengage peacefully if you take the boy back to where you came from.”

“Fine!” The boy crosses his arms. “It’s not like I wanted to investigate a stupid cave anyway!”

“Ah yes. One of Teyvat’s anomalies. Best to stay away.” Yelan clucks her lips. “I’m sure you’ll be able to explain this to your superiors.” She waves the boy off with two of the heralds. “Well then. May I ask exactly what you want, Alberich?”

“That’s none of your business.” Alina crosses her arms. “I’m sure you’ve also been on missions where you weren’t supposed to tell people what you were doing.”

“Well, yes, but—I’m also telling Lev.”

“Lady Alina?” one of the Heralds asks, “Who is Lev?”

“Uhh, I don’t actually know. Should I be scared of them?”

“That’s up to you,” Yelan smirks. “But don’t think about going to Mondstadt.”

“I wasn’t. How dare you accuse me of such a thing. I’m supposed to investigate a cave here in Liyue!”

“It’s not smart to tell people your plan, Alberich. Well then. Either you come with me, or—” one of the abyss heralds had attacked Yelan. She makes a quick dodge and retaliates. Alina makes a break for it, running in the direction of the cave, followed by two other heralds. Where the last one has gone is a mystery. Her footsteps thud on the muddy path as she grows closer to the cave. There it is, she runs for it and—she’s falling, crashing through layers of mud and moss….

“Perhaps we can find a way to break the ceiling.” Clavia is thinking hard.

Just then, the ceiling falls in. “Nonono, wait! Aaagh! Get off!” Clavia barely registers what she’s seeing. A girl has fallen through along with two Abyss heralds.

“Clavia! You bitch!” Alina screams. “Did you do this?”

“No?” She says, taken aback. “Actually, we’re as trapped as you are…”

“Great, and why is he here?” Alina points at Kaeya who is staring at the ceiling.

“Why do you care, anyway?” Clavia puts her hands on her hips. “I don’t know why you need to be such a bitch either!”

“Lady Alina what are your orders?” One of the heralds asks.

“Get them!” She shrieks, desperately trying to get the mud off her shirt.

Now, Kaeya is prepared. He fires an ice blast at the first herald, realizing too late that the herald also possesses cryo ability. Great, they just want to spite him personally. He can still do some damage with his sword, but he is knocked off his feet before he can react.

“Hey! Stop! Don’t hurt him!” Clavia screams!

“We don’t answer to traitors!”

Clavia winces. She can’t show them her powers. Not that she knows how to control them under pressure, but at least it would be some help.

Kaeya is able to get his sword out before he is stabbed, but the muddy ground makes it hard to get his footing. The other herald has turned toward Clavia. Sure, Kaeya is the illigitimate child, but why would Alina want to kill Clavia too? Is she that petty…? He tries to get up, but it’s too late. Clavia is hit with a cryo blast. So they’re both cryo. His worst nightmare. Clavia runs to the corner. There is no escape.

The ceiling opens up again and deposits a girl. “Well, shit.” She dusts herself off.

“Xena?” Clavia stares at her. “Why are you—?” She’s hit with another blast, and the herald is coming closer, sword drawn. Xena jumps in front, sword out. “You were gone for too long. Len—Lev was suspicious of Abyss activity, so we’re stationed in—”

Just then, Alina shrieks. She’s seen something in the water. “Wait!”

The Herald’s heads turn. Kaeya is able to get up. Something clicks, and a door begins opening inward on the opposite wall. The door is also glowing orange. “What the…”

Alina shrikes again. “Rohan?!”

Kaeya is still staring at the door as the door-opener clicks it shut behind them.

“So, there was a door there this whole time? Fuck me.” Xena groans. “Why didn’t you tell me—?”

Kaeya ignores Xena’s remark, turning to the cloaked figure. “You’re not Rohan.”

“Who’s Rohan?” Xena asks.

“In the pool!” Alina shouts, barely dodging the wall of flames. “Look! Clavia! Wait, Clavia?”

“Shit.” Kaeya turns around to find his sister unconscious on the floor.

“Does this mean he’s alive?” Alina starts sobbing. All her fierceness is gone.

Kaeya is stunned. “No. It doesn’t. I saw my mom—”

“I don’t wanna hear about it!” She screams. “But he wouldn’t be this old if he wasn’t alive!” Kaeya leans over and looks into the pool. “He would be 12, wouldn’t he?” Kaeya was sent away when Rohan was very young. He had only seen the youngest Alberich a few times as a baby. He supposes the boy in the pool could be Rohan. Anyone could be Rohan. But perhaps Alina would know better. Unlike the blonde hair of the other pureblood siblings, Rohan’s hair is a golden brown and falls to his shoulders. He had deep purple eyes with the signature Khaenri’ahn pupil. Purple eyes, strange. Purebloods aren’t supposed to….

“Take that!” He turns around to see Xena slashing at the Abyss Herald. “Lady Alina. We must retreat!”

“You can go!” She shouts. She seems to have given up the will to fight.

“The lady’s orders.” The two heralds vanish. Of course they can teleport.

“Alright, take off that stupid hood and tell me how you found a door.”

Diluc sheathes his sword. “It generally helps if you don’t run into things like an idiot.”

“I wasn’t.” Kaeya runs over to Clavia. “Hey, wake up. We have a…situation.”

She groans. “Cold…”

“I need you to come look in the pool.”

“Are they gone?”

“The heralds? Yeah.” Clavia slowly sits up, grabbing her head. She sees Alina, sitting next to the pool, sobbing.

“I don’t care! I don’t care anymore! I just want to find him!”

“Find who?” Clavia moves closer to the pool. She catches her breath. “Rohan? That’s what you want, Alina? I thought you would have wanted power or pretty clothes or—”

“I’m not that shallow, Clavia! I want to help find him!”

“We can’t trust you not to kill us,” Clavia says. “But…I don’t know. You should go home and think about it.”

“I can’t! I have to find him!”

“I’ll, uh, find a way to contact you if we find anything.” Clavia says. “The door is that way.”

“Fuck you!” Alina jumps up and runs through the door, slamming it behind her.

“Even I’m not that unstable,” Xena remarks. “What is wrong with her?”

“I’ve been wondering that my entire life,” Clavia sighs. “I’m cold.” Kaeya notices both where Clavia is bleeding on her arm, and that his own leg has seen better days. He’ll deal with it later. “Diluc. You should report this to Lena,” Kaeya says. “We have to go.”

“You have to report to the Knights?”

“Yes, but…there’s something else. I’ll…tell you later.” Albina’s voice echoes in his head. If you don’t help me, I’ll destroy you…

Chapter Text

The office is rather bare-bones, consisting of a simple desk and a chair, an extra chair for important guests, some papers in the drawer, a small lamp and writing implements. The walls are bare and unpainted, simply being made of tightly packed dirt. The only other object in the room is a framed picture on the desk: a smiling blonde woman, a dark-haired man, and two young children, a boy and a girl. Lena Kratz, or Leviathan as she is known in some operations, doesn’t like clutter. As the director of this organization, or well one of the directors—the other has an office that looks like a storm just came through it at all times, she considers organization a top priority.

The knock on the door is loud and clear. She looks up from her report and sighs, opening it. Two of her agents, Mila and Olivia, are standing there, along with a girl Lena has never seen before. She frowns. “Why would you bring a stranger in here?”

“She’s a new recruit,” Olivia says. “She’s Mila’s friend.”

“I see. How about we take this upstairs. My office only seats one person.” She shuts the door as quietly as she can and leads the girls up through a low-ceilinged tunnel that slopes upward. “I suppose my partner isn’t back yet.” His office door is cracked open. The three sit at a round table upstairs. “I apologize that I don’t have any refreshments to give you,” Lena says. “But we are a bit short on supplies.”

“It’s alright. I ate before coming here. I’m Gerta.” The girl says. “Mila and I go way back actually. We were in academy together but dropped out.”

“I see. Former students.” Lena says. “I’ll always respect an ex-Favonius child.”

Gerta shrugs a little. “It is what it is.”

“So, can you fight?” Lena asks, cutting to the chase.

“I practice in my spare time. I can learn, too.”

“Someone willing to learn….” Lena strokes her chin. “I suppose we’ll have to see if you have what it takes. I’m Lena Kratz, co-founder of this—”

“Fuck, where did I put my boots?” The door opens loudly. “Oh, uh, sorry.” The girl blushes. Lena frowns.

“That’s Xena. Never mind her for now.”

“Why do you need your boots if you’re coming in? Wouldn’t you want them if you’re leaving?” Mila laughs.

“No, I meant my red boots. I have my black ones.”

“I’m going to make a report, Le-Lev.” Great, her co-director has returned. This should make the situation slightly more bearable. Recruiting has never been Lena’s strong suit. Well technically, it was Mila or Olivia who did the recruiting, but convincing the girl to stay will be another matter.

“She’s going to have to know our real names eventually. And can it wait? We have a new recruit.”

“Also no one knows where your boots are, Xena.” Olivia shouts, before the door closes.

“All right,” Diluc sits next to Lena. “Did you ask her if she can fight?”

“Yes….” Lena glares at him. “I apologize,” She turns back to the girls. “I never properly introduced myself. Let me start again. I’m Lena Kratz, co-founder and director of this organization.” She pulls out a notepad from under the table. It consists of a list of names: Lena Kratz, Diluc Ragnvindr, Rosaria Engle, Olivia Schneider, Naya Ashi (absent), Xena Nadi, Mila Beck, Lorenz Meier, Franz Schmidt, Lise Ritter, Alf Huber. Next to each name is a word: Leviathan, Dusk, Bloodmoon, Wolfheart, Red Shot, Sandstrike, Violet, Annihilation Shower, Spinebreak, Lilac, Alfonson. “First and last name?” She goes to write it down.

Gerta laughs. “I’m sorry, ‘Annihilation Shower?!”

Lena frowns. “I told him it was a stupid code name. First and last name?”

“Gerta Kraus.” She answers, still trying to hold in her laughter.

“Now you pick a code name that isn’t stupid.”

“Uhhh. Paper girl?”

“That’s even worse than Annihilation Shower” says Olivia, clearly having none of it. “At least that sounds threatening. Yours sounds like you’ll fly away.”

“Well, my day job is working at a newspaper stand…” she trails off. It does sound stupid. “How about INK? All caps.”

“I swear to the archons,” Olivia puts a hand over her face. “I can’t with her.”

“Better than just picking a color,” says Mila. “Violet, my ass.”

“What’s wrong with Violet?”

“What about InkBLOOD?” Gerta asks.

“Done.” Lena writes it down. Now then. “You should be aware that this is a volunteer position.”

“I know. That’s why I sell papers.”

“You also have to be prepared to risk your life—”

“Oh, shut up!” Olivia groans. “It’s not that serious.”

“It’s extremely serious.” Lena glares at her. “Now Olivia, I expect you can handle the rest of the initiation?” Lena gets up.

“Oh, please,” Liv rolls her eyes. “What could possibly so be important—”

“So about that report—”

“Shouldn’t we uhh, know about it? Seems urgent?” Mila asks.

“Well first, we have to actually MAKE the report. Don’t want newbies to hear about the death-defying stunts we pull here. Might scare her off.” Lena clucks.

“This probably should be kept under wraps for the time being,” Diluc warns her. “My office.”

“Do you even have a place for me to sit?”

“You can stand. It won’t kill you. And since you’re so eager—I’ll let you write the report exactly as I say. No elaborations.”

Some things have to be pushed off the desk to make space for Lena to write the report but it’s surely manageable. Her handwriting is better than his anyway. He locks the door behind him—last thing he needs now is Xena coming in asking where her boots are.

“Can you not keep your office a little tidier?”

“I really can’t, no. Now, don’t freak out at anything I tell you.” He begins to recount the events to the best of his ability. “Kaeya had something else he wanted to tell me, but he said he’d tell me later.”

“Hmph.” Lena puts the pen down. “I don’t trust him. Also we work with Fatui matters.”

“No…we work with anything that could pose a danger to Mondstadt and Teyvat. Anything that traditional authorities are either mishandling or would be better off not knowing.”

“So the Fatui. Don’t we have bigger problems than—well perhaps Kaeya is a danger to Mondstadt as long as he works for the knights…”

“Not sure what they can do with him if they wanted to. If Kaeya were to turn—the knights would be the least of our problems.”

“That’s not what I meant. I’m saying that they might relay vital information to him, and then he tells the Abyss Order and it’s all over.”

“He has no love for the Abyss, I can tell you that.”

“How strange of you to vouch for him on this. You’re the one who wanted to play it safe the last time we—”

“That’s hardly relevant, Lena. The report has been made.”

“Hmm. And whatever he decides to tell you…I need that on my desk.”

“You don’t have final say in everything Lena. You are forgetting this is a joint venture. If it’s important to the safety of Mondstadt I will tell you—”

“Fine.” She crosses her arms. Lately, Lena has gotten on Diluc’s nerves. Not only due to her constantly being on him about Kaeya (and Clavia for that matter) but also due to her wanting to do things her way, all the time. When they had founded the guild together, it was an egalitarian effort. This controlling nature seems unnecessary.

“Well I have other matters to attend to…” Maybe Lena is so controlling because she’s the only one without a day job. The guild is her life, and nothing else brings her satisfaction. She doesn’t even have a house, she just lives in the bunker like a crazy person. But she has nothing left. It’s not entirely crazy. Although, at the moment, actual business can wait.

***

“Kaeya. You have to understand how serious this is.”

“I know. That’s why I came here to tell you, before I even told Jean, or anyone. I’m scared—”

“I feel this is something that the knights shouldn’t know about.”

“I need to report about the cave. That’s what I was sent to investigate.”

“I mean the part about your mind, Kaeya.” Dain stirs the soup, vigorously.

“Yeah…that would be a weird thing to explain. Jean would believe me though.”

“I’m really freaked out too. Like he was on another plane—”

“That’s exactly what’s happening, Clavia. It’s something he’ll need to learn to control. He is more powerful than even I thought. You will also need to be trained.”

“But I can’t let anyone know about my powers!”

“You’ll train in secret. Did someone take the salt?”

“No? Are we out again? It’s because you want to give everyone a heart attack!” Kaeya almost laughs. It would be funny if it wasn’t so serious.

“Come on! Who wants to have soup without salt?”

“Clavia, focus!” Kaeya jabs her a bit too hard.

“Ow!”

“Sorry. But I don’t want Albina to get in my head, how do I—?”

“I don’t entirely know. It’s something we’ll need to figure out.” Dain sighs.

“Is it too much? Will you leave me?”

“Kaeya. Why would I leave you because of abyssal powers. I was cursed.”

“Yes, but you can control it!”

“To a degree.”

They hear a knock at the door. Kaeya gets up to look through the peephole. Albedo. “Dain,” he whispers. “It’s Albedo.” Albedo does have a key for emergencies, much to Dain’s chagrin, but he knows better than to use it. “I can’t tell him. Not yet.”

“I don’t entirely trust him. But he would know more about such a matter than most.”

“He’s my best friend. I have to tell him, but not now. I need a little time to—” The knock happens again. “I know you’re home, Kaeya.”

He opens the door, forcing a smile. “Hi! Uhh, what’s up?”

“You don’t look good.” Albedo puts down a bag of groceries. “I stole your list earlier. I also got salt since Dain doesn’t know when to stop.”

“Oh, thank the archons!” Clavia jumps up.

“Hi, Clavia.” Albedo smiles. At least he’s alone and Klee isn’t here. That would be a potential disaster. “You mind if I stay for dinner?”

“Actually it’s not a good time.” Kaeya answers.

“Oh, do you have other company?”

“Not that I know of, but—I’ll explain later.”

“You need to tell me.”

“Tomorrow. Behind the cathedral at 13:00. Come alone. And you have to keep a secret.”

“Of course, Kaeya. I’m sorry to intrude. I’ll be going now.” The door closes, and Kaeya feels bad for turning his friend away. It’s not right, but he needs to think of how to tell Albedo without freaking him out. A single knock, now.

“Come in.” Kaeya sighs. Diluc won’t freak out, but he WILL tell Lena, and Kaeya doesn’t like Lena knowing his disturbing secret business. She’s a weird person. Reclusive and cold but also prides herself on efficiency in committing acts of justice. Does it even matter there’s no heart in it? He’s probably overthinking it.

Diluc doesn’t have groceries, thankfully. “You shouldn’t leave your door unlocked.”

“Albedo just left. I didn’t get up to lock it yet.” He sighs.

“Did you tell him whatever you were going to tell me?”

“I will tomorrow. But you’re not here just to make a report for Lena?”

“I already did with what I know. We also have a new recruit.”

“Is Lena being weird again?” Clavia asks.

“I suppose that’s one way to put it. I also assume you know whatever is going on with Kaeya?”

“I mean, I was there.”

“Perhaps we should serve the soup first,” Dain offers.

“Cool it on the salt, all right?“ Kaeya says, before Dain dumps the entire container into the pot.

“You’re weird for not liking salt, Kaeya!” Clavia smacks her lips. Kaeya doesn’t have it in him to remark on manners, nor does he care. “I like salt. Just not the entire container!”

“Well we have enough to feed the entire city and then some. When did you buy this caldron, Kaeya?” Dain asks him.

“You bought it!”

“No, I’m certain it was you. And after 500 years, tastes start to blend together. You can’t blame me.”

“Put it in your own bowl then, not the whole pot!” Kaeya doesn’t think he can eat anyway. After earlier, he wants to hurl. His head hurts. He’s scared she’s going to come back for him anytime. Perhaps it’s only when he’s near abyssal energy…surely he is safe in his own home. Dain pours him soup anyway, and Kaeya stares at it, his eyes glazing over. He’s not even sure if it’s real at this point. He realizes “I’ll tell you later,” means “I don’t really want to tell you because you’ll tell Lena and then she’ll have more reason not to trust me and sabotage something or turn you against me after I’ve worked so hard for you to not hate me but it’s not like I care anyway because why would I but I obviously do care which makes this façade very fragile actually and I actually have no trust issues whatsoever.”

Dain almost reads him. “Lena can’t know about this. It’s not that she doesn’t have good intentions, but she has been known to have a loose tongue.”

“I have to tell her if it endangers Mondstadt, since I told her I would, and besides, it could become a problem—”

“You don’t even know what it is. If you think I’m a problem—”

“Kaeya—”

“I mean you can lie,” Kaeya says. “To Lena I mean.”

Diluc sighs. “I wish it was that simple.”

“I mean technically not telling someone something isn’t lying,” Clavia says, mid-slurp.

“No, I’d consider it lying,” Kaeya says. “It definitely has the same effect.”

“It depends on what it is. Not telling someone that you read a rather embarrassing light novel called “Miss Frou Frou’s Fragrant Fontainan Adventure” is very different from not telling someone that you’re a Khaenri’ahn spy.” Whatever book Dain has tried to hide under the table is now obvious.

“I was like 12! And only Diluc gets to tease me about that.”

“You were 18 when you finally came clean, actually.”

“I was 17! Ugh! Whatever. Maybe I’m a supernatural freak who doesn’t even belong in this world!”

Diluc gives Dain a look of “what the hell is he talking about?”

“Yeah, uhhh, no you’re not that, but also it was kinda weird…” Clavia says.

“You’re not helping!” Kaeya slams his spoon down, splashing soup on the tablecloth. “Sorry, Dain, I’ll buy a new one.” He’s just glad he didn’t hit anyone with hot soup. “And Lena already doesn’t trust me. When is she gonna make you choose between her and me? And also, I don’t trust her to keep a secret.”

“She’d have no reason to share such…strange information, unless you were actually a danger…”

“I probably am and that’s the problem. You shouldn’t protect me, but it’s still better not to tell everyone—”

“The guild documents are secure. If she leaked them, that would be a violation of what we agreed to. I would have a clause not to interfere in family matters. Except Lena doesn’t have family so it didn’t come up—”

He’s carefully omitting the part about how when he and Lena founded the guild, he also didn’t have family and he’s only trying to be courteous in Kaeya’s house not to—and if there are other actual Ragnvindrs, they haven’t shown their face here. Kaeya takes a deep breath. Positive thoughts, Kaeya. Doesn’t negativity make it easier for her to get to you?

“So remember that time Dain and I went to the domain? And I saw Albina? She got into my head? Well. It happened again. But it’s worse. She told me that I have the power to separate my mind from my body and if I get too good at it, I can leave Teyvat without dying which would almost be cool but is also scary and also Albina is using it against me and she could be lying—” he takes another deep breath and starts slurping his now cold soup, loudly.

“I think it could be true.” Dain says. “Many Khaenri’ahns have wielded powerful abilities, but few have mastered them. Some have cheated the system. Some are still out there…outside or Teyvat where they shouldn’t be. Not without dying. Celestia may be wrong for restricting its creations to this plane, but such blatant rule breaks are done in the pursuit of power only.”

“I don’t want to be like them…sinners,” Kaeya whispers.

“You’re not motivated by greed. You’re only here by accident. It is critical that you don’t lose your humanity, Kaeya.”

Kaeya sighs. “I want to go to bed.”

“That’s probably for the best.” Dain says. “Clavia, if you’ll help him upstairs.”

“Sure. Thanks for the soup, Dain. I’ll have it be known that I like the salt.”

***

“It isn’t common knowledge in these parts. Nor should it be.” Dain finishes his explanation of the story, as he knows it. “Do NOT tell your friend, was it Lena? About the Five Sinners of Khaenri’ah.”

“She would think I’m crazy if she doesn’t already,” Diluc sighs. “But you mean to say some worlds are open and people can leave whenever they want?”

“It depends. It is an area of forbidden knowledge.”

“I have more pressing concerns rather than what Celestia thinks of me.”

“I only know so much. I’ve not been outside of Teyvat myself. And those who have left, are those who have died. Something that I also haven’t done.”

“So everyone who has left us is simply world-hopping for eternity. Either that or they’ve ended up on another closed world….”

“I believe there is a third option. A sort of limbo. People have gone mad trying to break free.”

“And why would you share this forbidden knowledge with me? I am not a mage nor an astrologer.”

“This tablecloth needed to be replaced anyway,” Dain sets down his wine glass next to a soup stain. “Kaeya doesn’t like to throw things away. And how else do you suggest I should spend my evening?”

“I won’t tell Lena about it unless I have to. If she asks me directly about Kaeya’s powers or if there is a problem. I would like to think that Lena won’t act rashly, but as of late, I can’t be sure. Now if you’ll forgive me, I have to check on the tavern. Xena is running solo tonight and you know how she is.”

“All right,” Dain says. “I’ll be sure to lock the door this time.”

***

“And then, Rex Lapis took the creature in his jaws and—”

“Dragons don’t have jaws, Clavia,” Kaeya yawns.

“Don’t they? How else would they eat? And nothing was left of the monster but it’s skull and bones! And then—” she flips the page. She had tried to distract him with the storybook but it’s not exactly a sleep-inducing tale. Maybe Dain’s stupid novel would be more effective.

Dain opens the door, softly. “Clavia, if you need to sleep, you can take my room. I’ll stay with Kaeya.”

“I’ll be fine,” she yawns. “And I didn’t have anything to drink! I can walk myself back to Lisa’s, thank you very much. I almost had him asleep but then he told me dragons don’t have jaws!”

“Dragons obviously have jaws. Good night, Clavia. Thanks for staying.”

“G’night,” Kaeya mutters, sleepily. There is hope he’ll fall asleep after all. Dain knows that regardless, he isn’t letting Kaeya out of his sight.

Chapter Text

The odd assortment of individuals huddled at the small round table would not look out of place on one of those Teyvat travel pamphlets they sell in Liyue Harbor with a caption like “all the people you’ll meet!”. First, there is an early-30s woman with light pink hair to her shoulders, with two knots above her ears, as well as round glasses and simple attire. Next to her is a tall, slender mid-20s woman wearing elegant knee-high boots and what looks like a performance outfit, her long dark hair tied into a high ponytail. Next is a tall man in his mid-20s in business attire with long red hair hastily swept into a ponytail. Beside him is an older man, perhaps in his 50s and balding, wearing a suit and a crooked tie.

“It’s no osmanthus wine—” the older man says.

“Nobody drinks that anyway,” says the young woman, waving her hand over some papers.

“I thought you Fontanians prided yourselves on your manners!” The pink-haired girl retorts.

“Ah yes,” the older man crosses his arms, disapprovingly. “It’s Huewai. The one who is always late to make trade offers.”

Huewai flushes. “It’s not my fault I forget who my business partners are! I’m—just forgetful!”

“No one wants to be partners with you, Miss Lu,” The young woman sets her glass down gently. “And your brews taste like swamp water.”

“That’s because I source them from the swamp outside! It’s best to go natural!”

The Fontanian looks like she’s about to lose her lunch.

“Hmph. I’ve tasted worse.” The younger man puts down his glass with no intent to finish it. Perhaps he’s being polite, or perhaps he would rather drink this than Snezhenayan firewater.

Ling Pei sighs. Whenever meetings the Teyvat Alcohol Manufacturing and Sales Union, or TAMSU, as Ling Pei likes to call it, end up here, they never go well. Huewai is disliked by almost everyone in the union. Ling Pei, being Huewai’s assistant, knows all these people. The older man is Master Su of Liyue’s prime alcohol distributor, Sucorp. Huewai has been trying to compete with him for years, and failing miserably, due to her, well, interesting brews. The other man is Master Diluc of Mondstadt’s Dawn Winery, the only one who hasn’t completely turned on Huewai. The Fontanian woman is Solange of Fontaine’s largest winery, DuPont. Ling Pei doesn’t know or care what the four are here to discuss, only that it never ends well. The door to Wangshu Inn’s small, attached bar opens, and a girl walks in. She’s pretty, with blonde hair tied up in two knots, but she wears an eyepatch and looks like someone not to be messed with.

“Can I have a drink?”

“How old are you?” Ling Pei asks.

“17.” She crosses her arms, seeing no reason to lie.

“You have to be 18 for me to serve you. I’m 18. That’s why I’m allowed to run the bar.” Ling Pei catches strange glances from Diluc and Huewai.

“I need a place to say.” Alina slaps a handful of mora on the counter.

“You’ll have to go next door to the inn for that. But that doesn’t look like nearly enough mora.”

The girl takes a nervous glance at the table before shrugging. “Name?”

“Huh?” Ling Pei blinks.

“Your name.” The girl smirks.

“Oh yeah. Ling Pei. What’s yours.?”

“Alina.” She sees no need to lie. She’s tired of that Lindy nonsense. But she needn’t share her surname. The girl is hot, and the last thing she wants to do is make her feel threatened.

“That’s pretty!” Ling Pei offers her a strained smile.

“Excuse me?” Alina hears a female voice behind her and turns around to see the pink-haired woman who was sitting at the table moments earlier. “Can you, uh, come outside with me?”

Alina sighs. “Fine.”

“I’m Huewai, owner of Dihua Distilleries. And you are…?”

“I already said my name. What do you want?”

“I already know who you are.” Huewai crosses her arms. “I was seeing if you would answer the question. You’re the one Lady Yelan got right in the eye with her arrow.”

“Y-you know Lady Yelan?” She takes a step back. There are few people in the world that Alina fears, but Yelan is one of them.

“Why are you here?” Huewai asks, dodging the question.

“Solange is too sophisticated for stepping outside,” the older man from the table has appeared now. “May I ask what you’re doing Huewai? Trying to make an undercover sale to a minor?”

“This isn’t work related, Zao. I recommend not getting involved.”

“You’re really desperate to catch her for something, aren’t you, Master Su? Now step aside and let us handle it.” Diluc has arrived now, and Alina isn’t scared of him, however; she is concerned about where this might go. If he’s going to get in the way of her investigation—

“It’s kind of out of your league, Zao,” Huewai whispers, shooing the older man away.

“I didn’t even tell you what I wanted. No need to call backup on me.” Alina crosses her arms. Huewai looks stunned. “The audacity—!”

“You’re not making any friends with this, Alina. I suggest you don’t incriminate yourself.”

“Fine. I just need a place to stay, I’m not trying to bother you or the other Fatui hunter at all—”

Diluc sighs. “We’re not Fatui hunters anymore. But that’s not important. Why are you here?”

“Why are YOU here?”

“Business. You’re 17, you don’t have that excuse.”

She sighs. “I don’t mean harm. I just want to find Rohan.”

“Chief, who’s Rohan?” Huewai whispers.

“I’ll tell you later. And I told you not to call me that!”

“Sorry, chief.”

Diluc shakes his head.

“Well, I’m going back inside now.” Alina says, “I’ll ask at the inn for a place to stay.”

Diluc sighs, recognizing the girl won’t be so easily dissuaded. He will keep his guard up, but she doesn’t SEEM to be after Kaeya this time. And her attempt on his life was only at Albina’s behest, after all. Kaeya himself had said that Alina seemed disinterested, like it was something to get over with. And the time in cave, that was only a teenage outburst. The fact that she had Abyss Lectors on her side makes her more dangerous than a typical teenager though.

“So, where you from anyway?” Ling Pei smirks, but in a flirtatious way.

“It’s kind of a long story,” says Alina.

“What happened to your eye? Are you a pirate?”

“I fell off a cliff and a rock hit it. Yeah! That’s what happened!” Alina laughs nervously. Ling Pei doesn’t seem to be buying it, but she smiles. “That’s unfortunate. Well, my dad runs a martial arts school in Liyue Harbor. Taught me to fight as a kid. My mom and I don’t talk much.”

“Oh.” Alina doesn’t know what to say about her mom. “I guess my dad taught me to fight too. He didn’t want to though. He was mad that I didn’t—live up to his expectations. But he’s dead now. I don’t care too much. He was a little crazy. I think my mom might come looking for me—”

“You ran away?” Ling Pei raises her eyebrows.

“Sort of,” Alina says. “But I have my reasons. I can’t tell you that now. I’m gonna go check out the inn. See you later?”

Ling Pei shrugs, casually. “Sure. You seem fine. I’ve seen worse.”

***

The room is dark. 11-year-old Clavia holds her breath, trying to listen to her parents’ conversation in the other room. She knows she’ll get beat if she’s caught eves-dropping, but she heard her baby brother’s name and it’s her duty to protect him as the oldest, right? Now that Kaeya is gone. It’s been two years since he left. She tries not to think about him much. Besides her grandmother, Kaeya is the only person she could talk to.

“Are you sure your test was accurate, Rancourt?”

“My tests are always foolproof! How dare you insinuate—!”

“All right, all right. I was just checking.” Albina clucks. “Now. Get him out of my sight. You disgust me!”

“I was hoping Rohan would be different. I NEED an heir, Albina!”

“And I couldn’t give that to you? So you had to fuck the treasure hoarder from Snezhenaya!”

“It was my only chance. We tried three times!”

“And look how that turned out! He’s doesn’t have powers either! It’s time you give up on that. Gadgets will be enough. And if we find way to manipulate blood—”

“All in due time, Albina. I’ll have Rohan and his mother sent away at your request.”

Clavia gasps. Rohan never did anything wrong. He’s only three years old. It’s her father’s fault for having another affair, isn’t it? It’s not right. Then again, if he would beat him like he did with her and Kaeya…it’s for the best.

***

“So, if he’s anywhere, he’d be in Snezhenaya,” says Clavia, opening a map. “Problem is, Snezhenaya is a big place.”

“Yeah. He was only one when I was sent away. I only saw him a couple times.” Kaeya sighs. They’re huddled at a table in the Cat’s Tail Tavern. The door opens, and Kaeya looks up to see Diluc.

“Alina’s in Liyue. Or she was, last I checked.”

“She was last I checked too. In the cave.”

“She was trying to find a place to stay at Wangshu Inn. Last I saw her she was flirting with the barmaid. She didn’t seem to have much luck.”

“With the flirting or the inn?” Kaeya asks.

“Both. I’m not certain she has money outside of the few mora she was carrying. Probably stole it off a treasure hoarder.”

“I’m sure she does, but it’s locked in an underground vault,” Kaeya says. “Would you be up for a round?” He moves the map aside to reveal a deck of cards.

“No. What makes you think I would waste my time playing cards?”

“Oh right. You’re no fun.”

“Alina is also trying to find Rohan.”

“I know.”

“If you would like to meet with her in a discreet location, I can stand guard.”

“I don’t need protection.”

“She tried to kill you twice.”

Kaeya sighs. “It’s been a long couple days. Let me think about it. I think she’ll turn up here before long.”

“I dunno. She doesn’t seem like the TCG type,” remarks Clavia.

“I meant in Mondstadt, silly. Let’s convene with her before we organize an expedition to Snezhenaya or whatever.”

“I would strongly advise against that.” Diluc crosses his arms.

“Well, I wasn’t asking YOU to come.”

“I still wouldn’t advise it.”

“We’ll see what happens,” Kaeya responds. “For now, I need to meet up with Albedo.”

***

“I have powers I’m afraid of too. I understand. You should know I’m here for you, Kaeya.”

“I know…it’s just…I hate not being able to sleep. I feel like she’s going to snatch my mind while I’m sleeping. I don’t want people to stand guard over me. I don’t want protection. I don’t want anyone to get hurt…” he trails off. He is NOT going to cry about this. If his ego is that fragile, he will surely be a goner.

“You feel like you don’t deserve to be cared about. I’ve noticed that. And you don’t want to trust people.”

“How could I?” Kaeya whispers. “How can I trust anyone with how they treated me?”

Albedo doesn’t have to ask who Kaeya is talking about. “I know.”

“Don’t tell Klee. I don’t want to scare her. I’m afraid it will happen in front of someone else…someone besides Dain and Clavia.”

“Of course not. She’s too young to understand, anyway. And be careful. Take care of yourself.”

“You too. I’m going back to the office.” Helping ease Jean’s workload (since his actual position is useless) is the only thing that can keep Kaeya’s mind off his troubles. He can only hope the work keeps coming.

Chapter Text

As the days grow longer, Mondstadt’s streets grow busier, and business in the taverns picks up. The large influx of strange faces are mixed with tavern regulars, which makes suspicious people rather unassuming. “So, guess this is Mondstadt. Maybe they’ll let me drink here. Inn’s full, too.” Alina sighs.

“I’m sure you’ll find a place eventually.” Ling Pei says. “Crazy I ran into you here again. For once I’m not here on business. I’m with my dad. He’s not here at the tavern though. He doesn’t drink. He’s at the library.”

Alina thinks it seems odd for a martial arts master to sit in a library all day, but she doesn’t question it. “Can I meet him?”

“Seems a little early for that,” Ling Pei remarks.

“Oh come on! We’re not dating!” Alina may have said that a bit too loud. Ling Pei flushes. Luckily, the other tavern guests seem to be rather apathetic to the situation.

“Alina,” she spins around to see Kaeya. “Who runs this place? Can I have a drink?”

“No,” Kaeya says, not further engaging the question. “So, you decided to show up.”

“I spent a few weeks staying in a barn in Liyue. I’m looking for something more…permanent.”

The red-haired fighter girl from the cave shows up now, appearing from behind the counter. “How old is she?”

“17. She can’t drink.” Kaeya tells her.

“You can’t drink,” says the girl, matter-of-factly. “But we do have those rooms—”

“Diluc will kill me. And then if Alina kills me, he’ll kill me again.”

Alina glares at him. “I don’t want trouble.”

“It’s not like we’re using the rooms for anything, but ok,” the girl shrugs. “I didn’t introduce myself. I already know who you are. Got some infamy among my friends and I. Our little group…” she laughs. “I’m Xena. Anyway, don’t even try to order a drink.”

Lena crosses her arms. “Fine. Got any barns I can stay at here?”

“So, you’re looking for permanent housing?” Kaeya enquirers, staring at her suspiciously. “Does that mean you’ve left the Order?”

“Well—I guess, I—I don’t really know. I just want to find Rohan and then we’ll figure it out—I’m sure I can explain to mother why I was gone!” She breaks into a nervous smile. She hadn’t thought that far ahead.

“And what if she comes looking for you and gets us all killed?” Xena asks. This random girl knows more than she should. Why does she know so much? Alina doesn’t like it.

“Well, I don’t think she’ll do that. She’s not stupid. That would look bad AND it would reveal her intentions.”

“We should go somewhere more private to discuss this.”

“Fine.”

***

“She can stay with me. It’s cool. The apartment does get lonely. Although I don’t miss fetching Lisa’s coffee.” Clavia has recently gotten her own place, which is great. She still works for Lisa in the library.

“You sure she’s not gonna kill you?” Kaeya smirks. “I’d keep my guard up if I were you.”

“Well, she’s my sister and it’s my duty.”

“She’s my sister too and I don’t want her staying with me!”

“Only until we figure things out, all right?”

“I don’t feel like we’re making any progress. We haven’t narrowed down an area. He could be anywhere.” Kaeya sighs. Luckily, he hasn’t been tormented by Albina lately, but he DOES have recurring nightmares, usually of someone (usually Clavia or Rohan) getting hurt and him not being able to stop it. Or just replaying certain things…it’s best not to think about it.

***

The boy pants, trying to catch his breath. He seems to have lost them for now. His knee is bruised, but he doesn’t care.

“Stay where you are! You can’t run away! Your mother forbade it.” He didn’t lose them. The voice behind him grows closer. “She doesn’t care about me!” He runs as fast as he can, tripping over a large rock that sends him flying.

***

“Hopefully he doesn’t have brain damage,” he hears the voice of a boy. “I don’t wanna get to close in case I curse him.”

“The princezzen won’t let that happen!” A girl’s voice now. They don’t sound like Fatui.

Rohan opens his eyes. “Where am I?”

“In the forest,” says the boy. He looks a few years older than Rohan with sandy hair and goggles. Next to him is the girl, blonde with a tattered purple dress. “We took that guy out. Don’t worry.”

“Did you kill him?” Rohan panics. If it gets back to his mother that someone he allied with killed a Fatuus.

“No, of course not. Just knocked him out good. I’m Bennett, by the way. What’s your name?”

“Oh. I’m Rohan.”

“Nice to meet you, Rohan. So, why are you running away?”

“My mom doesn’t care about me. She’s just working—always working and she doesn’t talk to me or make me dinner or anything. And I’m bored. I wanted to leave.”

“I see. I’m an orphan. I think. Well, I don’t know. I showed up in Dorman port as a baby. The Knights helped raise me!”

“Knights?”

“Yeah! The Knights of Favonius.”

“Would they raise me too?”

“I dunno. We should take you to the city to find out!”

“Ahem!” The girl speaks. “The Prinzessin der Verurteilung would like to introduce herself!”

“Is that your name?” Rohan is slightly impressed.

“You can call her Fischl,” Bennet says.

“New friend?” A boy with long scraggly hair and a hood appears on all fours.

“Yes. New friend. Rohan. Rohan, this is Razor. We have to get out of here before that guy wakes up!”

***

“Where did you find that kid, Bennett?” Swan is eyeing him at the city gate

“Oh, he was in the forest near the border. Running away from home.”

“Go on in,” he supposes that a boy of this age surely couldn’t pose much of a danger. “Let’s go get some food!” Bennet says. They walk up to the Good Hunter, and a blond girl with an eyepatch squints at him, then drops the plate she was holding. “Rohan?”

He stares for a couple seconds. Her visible eye is unmistakable, and she’s the right age. “Lina? What are you doing here?”

“I work here now—but we’ve been trying to find you! Sara I gotta go!”

“You can’t just leave work!”

“I think this constitutes an emergency!”

Before Rohan knows it, he’s being led down an alley and into a nearby tavern. “Hey!!! Is Kaeya here?” Alina shouts. Just as brash as she was she she was eight. Rohan had only been 1 when Kaeya left. He has no memories of him. But Clavia would tell him about “big brother. Not Rhinehardt, even bigger brother!”

The man behind the counter looks startled and then says something to the blue-haired man at the bar.

Kaeya spins around. He isn’t sure who was yelling at him at first. He sees Alina, and with him a boy—the boy from the pool. He jumps off the stool. “You found him?”

“Actually, Bennett and his friends found me,” Rohan says. “The princess and the wolf boy.”

“Oh. Really? How did you—? Let me get you two some juice. You should go sit upstairs while I go get Clavia. It’ll be quick, she lives up by the Adventurer’s Guild. Charles, two apple juices please!”

***

Clavia is most excited. They rush back quickly, as if they have a boat to catch. Rohan and Alina are sitting in an awkward semi-silence. “Sit down, Clavia!” He rushes to steal a chair from the adjacent table. “This constitutes an emergency family meeting.” He goes back downstairs to get a wine for Clavia and himself. “Charles, we need the upstairs. If anyone tries to go up there, tell them it’s reserved.”

He seems bewildered at the request, but nods. Kaeya also grabs Dain, who is reading yet-another light novel at the back table. “This is important.”

With everyone gathered, Kaeya looks for something to say. “So, Rohan. Did you run away?”

He nods, staring into his glass.

“You don’t have to be scared of us. Clavia and I are against the Abyss Order. I don’t know what Alina is…”

“I don’t care what you are. I hate it all. It doesn’t matter cause I’m not special anyway. He sent me away because I didn’t have powers. But none of you blonde kids got sent away.”

“You were sent away because Albina was mad that your father had an affair with your mother,” Clavia at least tries to handle the matter tactfully.

“So how are things down there? How did you guys get out?”

“I just left,” Alina says. “But I think my mom’s gonna come looking for me soon. I left because I saw you in a magic pool and, oh it’s so stupid!”

“It’s not stupid!” Clavia says. “There’s a lot of scary stuff out there.”

Kaeya sighs. He can’t say he disagrees.

“I know it’s out there. I believe it. I just want nothing to do with it.” Rohan says.

“I’m afraid it’s a part of you wether you exhibit powers or not. I’m Dainsleif…”

Rohan flinches.

“You don’t have to be scared of him. He’s nice when you get to know him, I promise.”

“No one is nice. Nobody cares. Dad sent me away and my mom doesn’t care.”

“I killed Rancourt Alberich.” Kaeya says, taking a long sip. Rohan’s purple eyes grow wide. “You did?”

“He hurt so many people. Perhaps revenge wasn’t the answer, but—now he can’t hurt anyone else.”

“I don’t remember him other than him telling me I wasn’t special.”

“You don’t want to remember him. But Albina is just as bad if not worse, and we need to keep our guard up. I fear this is just the beginning.”

“Are you asking me to help fight a war? Because I’m not doing that.”

“Of course not!” Clavia retorts. “I’m just saying what the deal is.”

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t stop the owner of the building from coming to a reserved section.” Kaeya looks up to see Charles, with Diluc next to him.

“I heard there was someone new let into town and I needed to investigate. Considering the arrangements here, I will assume you found Rohan.”

Kaeya nods. “Uh—you can go now.”

“No, I want to hear this. And it’s my tavern.”

“You have to sit at the kid’s table with the juice drinkers.” Kaeya crosses his arms. Alina snorts.

“Oh, can you two stop it? I thought you liked each other now.” Clavia remarks.

“He doesn’t like anyone. And I’m only being courteous.” It’s not the serious answer that Clavia wants. Lena. The real problem is Lena. “No more secrets, remember?” Kaeya jumps up, suddenly. Sitting at that table anymore is agony. He paces. He is only half listening to the conversation. The lack of a reaction isn’t helping. Kaeya only picks up a few words. “Find…mother…slippery…hit head…always working…Fatui.”

“Wait, Fatui?” Kaeya turns around.

“His mom is a Fatui agent,” says Clavia. “He was just telling us. It would have been HELPFUL if you were listening!”

“I’m sorry, Clav.”

“May I ask what she even does all day?” Of course, as soon as the Fatui were mentioned, Diluc had to be in on it.

“I dunno. Secret stuff. I don’t care. I don’t care about the Fatui. I just wanted her to pay attention to me. I don’t even know who you are or why you’re here.”

“I have to go.” Diluc retreats downstairs.

“Wait, you can’t—!”

“Let him go, Kaeya.” Dain is practically pulling on his sleeve. “It’s best we let Lena expose her true intentions.”

“But I don’t want—”

“It’s also best that we let Diluc expose his true intentions.”

“Fine. Then We’re going to the knights.”

***

“Your family just gets more and more complicated, doesn’t it?” Jean smiles a little, while pushing a stack of papers into her drawer. “Of course, we welcome Rohan here as long as the Fatui aren’t still after him. We need to discuss where he’ll stay though.”

“They won’t come over the border for this.” Rohan says. “A kid like me isn’t worth the effort. Surprised she even noticed I was gone. And if they do, I’ll deal with it. I don’t want to get in anyone’s business.”

“I’ll take the responsibility.” Kaeya says. “I am not letting a child deal with this.”

“I’m not a child,” Rohan protests. “I know what I’m doing!”

“So, the Knights don’t take anyone under 13. Except in special circumstances like Varka taking in Bennett but that was—”

“He can stay with us until then,” Alina says.

“I don’t even trust you with Clavia, let alone a kid!” Kaeya protests.

“No, it would be bad. We both work and he’d just be alone all day again.”

Kaeya glances at Dain. “It’s too dangerous,” Dain says. “Considering who we are.”

“He can’t stay in a boarding room by himself,” Kaeya says. He’s also not in the mood to ask Adelinde for a bed under these circumstances. It wouldn’t be safe considering—Lena probably has access to every room in that goddamn place. Lena knows too much, she—

“Focus!” Clavia grabs his sleeve. “You’re zoning out again! Don’t let her get to you.”

“My own thoughts are troubled enough. It’s not Albina.”

“Children with no place to go often go to the cathedral. They can apprentice there.”

“What do you do at a cathedral?” Rohan asks. “The Fatui aren’t churchgoing types.”

“Luckily, I have a friend who works there. Yeah! Let’s go!” Kaeya needs a distraction.

“Talk to me if you need anything, Kaeya.”

“Keep an eye on Lena Kratz.”

“We have an agreement not to interfere—”

“Just keep an eye on her. Don’t interact unless it gets bad.”

“Kaeya?” Rohan asks as they are leaving, “Who is Lena?”

“That’s not important right now,” says Kaeya, but his stomach churns.

***

“So, at first you’d be scrubbing floors,” Rosaria says. “But then you move up to washing windows and eventually you can do deliveries and greet people coming in for service.”

“I don’t mind hard work. I just don’t want to be ignored.”

“The good news is there are other kids in similar positions. And if you choose to go to Knight Academy when you’re old enough, that works too.” Rosaria shrugs. “The opportunities here are limitless.” She yawns. “Did I answer your question, Kaeya?”

Just then, the door opens. “I need that report by tonight, Bloodmoon!”

Kaeya knows that voice. His stomach bottoms out.

“I’ll do it when I’m not doing my stupid day job.” Rosaria groans. “Calm down a little.”

“Oh, perfect timing? It’s you strange bunch.” She directs her attention toward Kaeya’s group. Kaeya clenches his fists. He mustn’t snap at her. That would only make things worse.

“Be honest with me Lena.” Kaeya’s stomach drops again. He doesn’t know where Diluc came from or how long he was watching. He forgets Rosaria is also in the Phoenix Guild. Coming here was a mistake.

“Code! Names!” Lena whips around. “They don’t know…!”

“I assure you that all the adults in the room already know. And if you’re seriously threatened by a couple children, you should rethink your priorities.”

“You can’t just be letting that child in here! His mother is FATUI!”

“There is no need to shout, Lena.”

“CODE NAMES!!!”

“Leviathan. No need to shout.”

“Lethiathan seems like a fitting name for her,” Rohan whispers. “And what do you mean she’s not a concern?”

“Get behind me Rohan.” Kaeya says, shakily. “Just…lets just talk this out.”

“Talking never worked on the Fatui!”

“He’s not Fatui! His mother is!”

“It’s the same damn thing!”

An older nun approaches now, speaking in a soft voice. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave the building ma’am. Screaming in the cathedral isn’t tolerated.”

“Fine!” We’ll take this outside! Best not to hurt the poor child’s feeling anyway,” her voice drips with sarcasm, and it takes everything in Kaeya not to hit her, but she and Diluc are already gone.

He keeps his voice as calm as possible. “Dain. Make sure Alina doesn’t get in any trouble. Clavia, watch Rohan. I’m going to follow them.”

***

“Lena, that is no way to conduct yourself, you know—”

“You’re not the boss!”

“Neither are you! This was a joint venture and—” They’re behind the cathedral now, and it’s late afternoon.

“I don’t care! Think of everything they’ve taken from us!”

“He’s a child—he’s not in the Fatui and even if he was, he wouldn’t know right from wrong—”

“Did they spare the children?” Diluc doesn’t respond. Is she insinuating thay they should KILL Rohan? He steps back.

“Did they spare the children, Diluc?!” She is uncomfortably close to him and her voice has reached unusual levels of shrill.

“No, but—”

“He’s lucky all I propose is banishment!”

“We have Fatui diplomats in this very city, you—”

“And whose fault is that? Don’t look at me! Kaeya is part of the problem!”

“I wasn’t accusing you of anything Lena, I’m—”

Kaeya holds his breath.

“It’s not a simple solution. Killing every Fatui member isn’t practical or right—”

“Don’t you want them to all suffer?”

“That’s not really relevant right now since Rohan isn’t Fatui…”

“Don’t you?”

He takes a deep breath. He’s not going to think about it. “We agreed that violence should only be used as a last resort.”

“And infiltrating our city? Is that not a last resort? It doesn’t matter because I don’t care anymore. The only way to stop it is for them all to burn!”

“Do you really think just because someone’s parent is in an organization that means they are part of it too? Does that mean you think Kaeya is part of the Abyss Order?”

“I never trusted him in this city. How dangerous is it it of you to cling to him. At least I understand him defending the brats. They’re all Khaenri’ahn like him. You have nothing in common!”

“That’s not the point—”

“Shut up and listen to me! You don’t owe him anything! He’s not your friend!”

“I never said we were friends.”

“He’s not your family! You’re dellusional!” She’s still screaming.

“I know what Kaeya isn’t: an Abyss sympathizer. Your theory doesn’t hold any weight.”

Lena’s voice lowers. “Perhaps even the Pentacle was too soft. Perhaps you are like them….”

“Lena? What is the Pentacle?”

“I shouldn’t have said that. Liesel’s secret. But really, he never told you?”

“Are you saying that Liesel worked with my father?” Now he needs answers to this: what the pentacle is and if it’s something he should join.

“You shouldn’t have asked.” Lena refuses to say more. The conversation is over. Diluc will have to investigate that another time. He’ll ask her about it when she’s not so angry. No, he can’t ask her about it. He can no longer trust her. Not like this. He will stay in the Guild for practical reasons, for the greater good of helping Mondstadt. But he will slowly break away. It’s a viable strategy. He’s better at working alone. And anyone who wants to come with him…

“Forget everything I said. Now tell me why you’re defending a Fatuus!”

“He’s not a Fatuus, Lena. But even if he was, I wouldn’t harm a child—”

“DID THEY SPARE THE CHILDREN??? DID THEY?!!!”

“No,” he whispers.

“I’m going to have to ask you to keep it down, Lena. I could arrest you for disturbing the peace.” Kaeya has appeared. He was listening the whole time. He was trained as a spy, after all.

“Ignore him! Children! Little children! Younger than your traitor friend’s brat of a brother! Throats slit! Dead!” Lena’s voice shakes. “I should never have spared them. Every last one. Even the children. I should have hunted them all!”

“Then I’m afraid you’ve lost your way, Lena. I’m asking you to go. Leave. Leave the nation for a few days. A week. You need to reflect on yourself.”

“Why am I the one who has to go? You’re the one putting Mondstadt in danger by—”

“That’s enough, Lena!” Kaeya shouts, sword drawn. “My family is none of your business! Leave before I make you!”

“Is he family to you or not?” She shakes her first in Diluc’s vague direction. “Because he’s my business!”

“That’s now what I meant! Stop twisting my words! Now leave! I’m not going to tell you again.”

“If you want to fight, then—”

“ENOUGH!” Lena rolls out of the way of the flaming falcon. But she doesn’t have to be asked again to leave.

Diluc’s hands are shaking. He could have hurt her if she wasn’t so good at dodging. That’s not going to be the way to get her to understand. He does this when he’s angry. It’s hurt people before. He gave up years ago trying to throw his vision away. That doesn’t work. But he wishes he could throw it into the lake. He has to leave before he hurts anyone else. He rushes to the nearest waypoint (visions do come in handy for being able to use those) and goes to the winery. He has to be alone. He rushes into his office, frantically flipping through his father’s notes for any mention of a pentacle. It will have to wait. He can’t think clearly enough.

***

Kaeya had followed from a distance, but he didn’t follow Diluc inside. Instead, he went to the back garden. “I don’t know,” he murmurs, lying down next to the exotic tree. “I don’t know what to do. I’m going crazy—I can’t help my family, I—I don’t even know who to trust—I trust you, but you’re not here and it’s my fault—if I hadn’t killed Rancourt—no—if you didn’t save me—!”

He closes his eyes. It hurts. He doesn’t know how long he’s lying there for.

“Tree’s still growing huh? Guess Adelinde’s magic fertilizer worked.”

“Xena?”

“Yeah. You’ve been out here for like an hour.”

“It’s my tree! Well? It’s my mom’s tree, I—”

“I get it. I used to make myself sick crying all night. Would be out here for hours in the rain. Jean came by earlier to check on you two. Diluc’s locked himself in his office, but she told me what happened. She heard it from headquarters. I never liked Lena, but I didn’t think she’d go that far…I’ll stay in the guild if Diluc stays. I’ll go where he goes if he makes another guild or something. I dunno. I know I should go home, but I can’t. That’s the thing. Before Azer it was my parents. The Fatui killed my parents too. I get it. I get why Lena’s mad. Liesel was her sister. I never had siblings. But Naya and I are close like sisters. My parents took her in when her mom was captured by the Abyss and her dad ran off with a “scholar”. She’s working with her mom back in Sumeru. Like sometimes I hate her. But I would be very mad about it if someone hurt her. I’d want to kill everyone who hurt her. I wanted to get revenge after they killed my parents. So, I did. I became a Fatui hunter. But after Azer…I don’t know I just…revenge didn’t make me feel better. It made me feel empty. I think that’s what happened to Diluc. But Lena hasn’t realized that, or she’s gone back to her old ways. Or maybe, she never changed.”

“Yeah. She said a lot of hurtful stuff about me too. I was more mad about what she said about Rohan. I don’t think she’ll try anything. He’s safe at the cathedral. She’s probably banned from there,” he tries to force a smile. “But yeah. I don’t know at this point. I don’t know if I should even be here, but the tree is here, so…”

“You’re good.” Xena says. “He’s not mad at you.”

“I don’t even know,” Kaeya sighs. “I don’t know if I should even try. He attacked Lena when he got really angry. She dodged because she was probably expecting it. I was a dumb kid. I wasn’t, that night. Because I trusted him. It’s something he does when he’s angry. I haven’t seen him do that to anyone else…him attacking me is only my fault. I don’t want to say the wrong thing.”

“I can come with you if you want. Maybe he’ll attack me. But I’m sure he’s calmed down by now.”

“If you say so,” Kaeya shrugs. “Well, let’s go.”

***

The knock on the door is soft. “Master Diluc?” He doesn’t answer. He wouldn’t care if the pyro archon herself was knocking. He doesn’t have the strength to get up. He doesn’t know how long he’s been sitting on the floor, nearly pulling his hair out. At least he didn’t burn anything this time. In Snezhenaya, when he was in jail at his lowest point, trying to hold his breath long enough to suffocate, or find anything in the room to slit his throat, Lena had been the one who had told him to keep fighting. Justice not vengeance. Wasn’t that the point? Hadn’t Lena also wished for justice? For her, they are now one in the same. There has to be a balance between feeding into the Fatui’s mouth and annihilating them. Mondstadt needs people that can fight. But not like Lena. And not like him when he’s angry. If Lena had a pyro vision…the whole world would burn. But he can’t trust her anymore. He’ll have to find out about his father and Liesel’s work himself. He’s lost one of the only people he can trust. True, he had felt betrayed before and had been able to repair his relationship with Kaeya but that was different. Kaeya didn’t want to kill children, even in anger.

The door turns. Of course, his most trusted employees have keys. It’s Elzer, and he seems relieved. Did he really think that Diluc would have tried anything? He’s too defeated for that. “Are you all right?”

Obviously, he isn’t. That’s a stupid question. He shakes his head, trying to make himself smaller.

“Kaeya’s here if you want to talk to him.”

“I don’t have anything to say to him. He isn’t the problem here. I take it someone filled you in.”

“Jean was here earlier. She brought cookies.”

“What doesn’t she do? I could have married her if I wasn’t so stubborn.”

“Hey,” he hears a voice next to him. “I’m not stupid. I know you’re not ok. But you’re not gonna attack anyone, right?” Xena has crouched down next to him. He shakes his head. Even if Lena was here, he doesn’t have it in him to do that.

“Is it safe for me to come in?” Kaeya. Diluc isn’t sure if he’s joking, trying to mock him, or being considerate. He’s too tired to try to read the younger’s mind today.

“Yeah,” Xena answers for him. “He’s not gonna attack you.”

“Do you ever clean in here?” Kaeya wrinkles his nose in disgust. The desk is full of papers and books laid down haphazardly, and about half a dozen empty cups. One of them smells like rotting milk. “You drink milk while working? Really? I’m gonna tell Adelinde to clean in here.”

“Fine. Lena’s always on my case—” he doesn’t finish what he was going to say. He doesn’t know what he was going to say, and at this point he doesn’t care.

“So, what are you gonna do?” Xena gets up and walks to the door, tracking mud around on her boots. The room is filthy anyway.

Diluc sighs heavily. “Well, first I’ll wait for her to calm down. Then I’ll threaten her with leaving the Guild if she acts out again. If she really cares about Mondstadt, she will listen to me. SHE knows it’s wrong…maybe that’s why…” he trails off. “I don’t even know if she knows. But I’ll be keeping a close eye on things. So don’t worry, Xena.”

“Whatever,” She yawns. “I trust you. I’m thirsty.” She begins to walk down the hall.

“Xena,” Elzer whispers, “The kitchen is that way.”

“Oh, right.” She almost runs into the wall as she leaves.

“And while you’re there, go find Adelinde!” Kaeya yells after her.

It’s not long before the two return, Xena holding a horn-shaped canteen. “I can’t even put this on the table!”

“We have cups you know,” Kaeya glares at her. Sometimes she is so clueless. “Where did you even find that? That looks Natlanese.”

“It was in the kitchen,” she shrugs.

“All right! Out!” Adelinde waves a duster at Diluc. “The hazmat team is here.”

Diluc sighs heavily, and gets off the floor. He knows that Adelinde won’t break anything important, and he trusts her as much as he trusts anyone. He still doesn’t like people going through his stuff.

“Well, I guess the office is out of service for a bit.” Elzer remarks. “It’s for the best. How hard is it to clean your own office?”

“You sound like Lena. Now go finish the inventory.”

“Are you sure you don’t—”

He makes his escape to the nearest washroom, shutting the door behind him.

“Thank you for asking,” Kaeya says in a mocking tone. “When will he learn manners?”

“You’re one to talk,” Elzer grins. “You know he only does this when he’s upset.”

Xena has appeared with another canteen. “Apparently, they’re a set if you want to try it. I don’t recommend.”

“I’m all right. What’s in there?

“Just water. Kind of tastes like clay, though.” Xena shrugs and runs off again to go who-knows-where. Kaeya doesn’t feel like tracking her down to ask her to help Elzer. Xena is a bit of a mystery sometimes.

A single knock, that was always the code between them. It started some time after Kaeya had arrived at the Ragnvindrs. He would always jump out of his chair when someone knocked. Little did Diluc know at the time it was because of Rancourt and Albina. Whenever they had the courtesy to knock, and it wasn’t often, as privacy didn’t exist in the underground, it would always be to scold him…or worse. Kaeya shudders. Adelinde had proposed the idea. “If we only knock once, you know it’s us. If they keep knocking, don’t answer under any circumstances. Wait until Crepus or I get back and stay quiet!” Even then there was always the slight possibility that someone would come looking for him, even if the others didn’t understand the severity of it.

“Are you done already Adelinde?” Diluc opens the door a crack. “Oh, it’s you. Come in.”

Kaeya shuts the door behind him softly, as to not startle the older. “So…” he starts, cautiously. “About earlier…please don’t attack me.”

“I’m not going to attack you,” Diluc winces before turning back towards the sink. His hair hangs down in clumps, damp and matted. He supposes he’s been neglecting it lately being busy with both the guild and the winery. Kaeya sits on the side of the bathtub and waits.

“Have you ever thought you knew someone so well when you actually didn’t know them at all?” Diluc is washing his hair in the sink with soap that smells too strongly of lavender. It’s not that Kaeya doesn’t like lavender, it’s just overwhelming.

“Not really, no. I mean the time you did attack me was an entirely understandable reaction to what I had just told you. Albina and Rancourt never hid their true colors. I guess you discover things about people when you get to know them better.” He’s far too tall to swing his legs back and forth. As a kid he would sit on his bed and swing his legs back and forth…it was something to do that wouldn’t get him in trouble. Instead, he just shuffles his feet awkwardly.

“I’m not talking about you. I mean yes, that too—” he winces as he pulls on hair hair, trying to wring the dirty water out of it. “But Lena. I didn’t think she’d considering hurting children. Rohan will be safe at the cathedral, and I’ll make sure she doesn’t get any ideas but—” he lets out a shaky sigh. “Hearing it still hurts. Even at my lowest point—I would have killed all the Fatui—all the adults. Not their kids. How could she—”

“She was there when her sister’s family was murdered. The little kids. She wanted to make them feel that pain.” Kaeya says. “But I still wouldn’t—Alina tried to kill me, but she was ordered—it’s not her fault, she’s still a kid, really.” Kaeya pauses for a moment. “What was Lena saying about something called the pentacle? Something about you being like them.”

“I don’t know. She froze up when I asked her about it. It’s something I have to investigate. I can’t ask her. I’ll have to investigate it alone. It sounds like an organization of some sort. Based on what she said—I can imagine Liesel was involved.”

“She found something.” Kaeya says suddenly. “It doesn’t make sense for her to go insane that quickly.”

“She’s just that unpredictable.”

“What did she mean when she said ‘he never told you’?”

“I wish I knew. When I have my office back—I wanted to look through all of father’s papers, but my head was hurting—I don’t know who else she was referring to unless you know something about it.”

“I don’t. And you shouldn’t tie up wet hair. Let it dry first.”

“You want me to walk around looking like a lion?”

“It would be funny,” Kaeya shrugs.

“Whatever,” he ignores Kaeya and ties up his hair. His shirt is wet but he’ll go change later, whenever Xena is done using the shower upstairs. He knows that she’s in the shower because she always sings Fontanian show tunes off key. Kaeya hears it too. “Who’s singing?”

“That’s just Xena.” He sits next to Kaeya on the side of the tub. “You probably want me to talk about what Lena said about you.”

“I don’t care what she thinks about me.”

“I kept deflecting her remarks. I should have defended you. I—”

“I shouldn’t even exist!”

“What? That’s not what either of us said—”

Kaeya’s fists are clenched. He sounds angry. “I don’t even know who or what I am. I appreciate the concern, but I don’t need defending.”

“Why are YOU so defensive lately?”

“I’m trying not to lose my mind! If Albina—I don’t want to think about anything negative, because that’s just inviting the dark energy in. If I don’t let things bother me then maybe she can’t get to me. I keep working, that’s all I can do.”

“Don’t push yourself,” Diluc warns him.

“You’re one to talk. At least I can keep my space clean.”

“Touché.”

“But even if I wasn’t being defensive, I don’t care what Lena thinks. I’d only care if you start believing her. Not that it matters, I guess.”

“She was trying to get a reaction. It worked.” He stares at his hands in horror. He used to wear white gloves until he had to conceal the blood…he wasn’t stupid enough to wash his hair with gloves on. His hands look normal, but that’s not what scares him. What scares him is the way he swung his sword, the way he sent the bird after Lena…he could have badly injured her. “I can’t get angry. I’m going to get someone else hurt. But she’s probably just jealous since her sister is dead or something. Disregarding everything else—”

“So, of course you don’t believe it. Of course everything is fine,” Kaeys sighs.

“Something else is bothering you.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Just say it. Whatever you have to say about me.”

“It’s not your fault. Just—what if we killed Albina, took the other kid, and left. Then everything would be perfect.” He says this in a half-sarcastic tone.

“I don’t advise kidnapping.”

“No, what I’m saying is—”

“The Abyss Order would still be out there even if Albina was defeated.”

Kaeya waves his hand. “Details. That’s not the point. What I’m saying is that those kids are now my responsibility. Well, me and Clav’s. So that’s one. And then the Navatiis. Who are they? How many others are out there? I could have been an Eremite. That’s crazy, right? It would be pretty weird of me to show up and be like “hi, I’m Usura’s son and I hate sand and excessive sunlight, and I don’t want to be a mercenary but I’m here.”

“You would be a good mercenary.”

“Please. What I’m saying is that it’s bothering me since I can’t be apart of three families—”

“So, two is fine? Three is the limit?”

“No, I’m saying my head hurts. Like I have so many responsibilities.”

“I promise there are no strings attached. Just ask Adelinde.”

He sighs. “I don’t fit perfectly into any of them. So, it’s easier to say I don’t have family or that everyone is family except the people I don’t like.”

“It would be weird if you and Dain were related. Are you related? Pureblood Khaenri’ahn families can’t be too common.”

“You’re making my head hurt worse.”

“All I’m saying is not to listen to Lena. You’re a part of this family regardless of how we both feel about it. Unless you’re disowning yourself?”

“No—I’m just saying that family is a nebulous thing. And no one decides what it is except me. I’m more insulted by her audacity.”

“If that’s how you’re going to be. Xena is done. I’m going to go shower now. And don’t try to follow me this time.”

“Oh, I have to get home. Dain is probably trying to poison me with salt again.” Kaeya flashes a half-smile before leaving. It would be easier to ignore his responsibilities. His head hurts again. He can’t let anything happen. Every moment he’s alone, he begins to panic, afraid that she’ll come back, and he won’t have anyone there to protect him. He does need protection after all, and he hates it. Kaeya isn’t supposed to be weak. He sighs and heads for the waypoint before anyone else spots him. Dain will be worried.

Chapter Text

“Do you care to explain yourself, Alina Angossa Alberich?” Alina had expected this reaction. After she had received a letter from her uncle Albjorn on Albina’s behalf, requesting that she return to Khaenri’ah at once—how the courier had found her remains a mystery, although Alina had not been exactly hidden, working at Mondstadt’s restaurant and all—she knew that her mother would not be pleased. Expecting Albina to be pleased would be like expecting the sun not to rise tomorrow. Technically possible, but probably a once-in-a-five-hundred-year occurrence.

“I—well you see—” Alina stutters. She knows that her mother will scream at her if she tells the truth, but if she lies, she will be punished more severely. “I was trying to find Rohan.”

“Rohan?” Albina’s eyes grow wide as she takes a step closer to Alina. “That name has no meaning to me.”

“Clearly it does, or you wouldn’t be looking at me like that,” Alina retorts.

“Why on EARTH would you want to find your father’s affair baby? It’s best to have no contact with him or Kaeya!”

“He’s my brother. I didn’t even know if he was alive.”

“He’s not. There’s no way he would survive in Snezhenaya. His mother was a heartless mercenary. At least I provided you with food and shelter. And if he is alive, he’d be sheltered from the world.”

“I did find him,” says Alina, slowly. “He’s alive.”

“Hmm. Then where is he? Where were YOU?”

“I don’t think that’s important.”

“You’ll look my in the eyes and tell me the truth,” Albina places her hand on Alina’s chin and forces her to make eye contact.

“Mondstadt,” she says, barely above a whisper.

“Oh, with the other traitors. Expected. But come with me. We have more important problems. My experiments have been going well…but Aether wants to open the Abyss to the traitors as well. And he is so focused on making it perfect that he won’t pay any attention to our problems down here. That’s why I must overtake him. I could become more powerful than you know.”

“That sounds great,” says Alina, apathetically.

“I could rule all of Teyvat, the Abyss, and beyond. Now, how DARE you disrespect me?!”

“I’m sorry, mother.” she sighs. She doesn’t want to give her mother this. Now that she was away, she can’t begin to describe how suffocating life in Khaenri’ah was.

“You are my heir, Alina! Do you realize how irresponsible you were being? Now tell me everything!”

“Well, first I went to Liyue to carry out your mission investigating the cave. But I came across a magic pool and saw Rohan and I knew I had to find him. So, then I tried to find a place to stay.”

“Aisha! Bring the status report!” Albina barks orders at her attendant, a tall, dark-haired woman standing next to the throne.

“Yes, your majesty.” Aisha leaves to fetch whatever Albina needs. Probably something to do with one of her experiments.

“Anyway, Alina, you spoke of Liyue.”

“Yes. You see, it’s just so beautiful and there’s so much to do. Sunlight—maybe you’d be less grumpy if you went outside!” She is going to be punished anyway; she doesn’t care anymore. Albina’s face grows white, even whiter than it already is. “How dare you?”

“And the food. The food is amazing! Can you blame me for running away?!”

“It’s all a distraction, Alina!” Albina’s nails dig into Alina’s skin. “Teyvat doesn’t care about you. Its people are cold and heartless as are the traitors. The Heavenly Principals will awaken and what then? They will never accept you! You are Khaenri’an! You will die!”

“And how do you know that will even happen in either of our lifetimes? And do you even know what happens when we die? Maybe we go somewhere better. You shouldn’t—”

“Where are you getting this talk? From your filthy traitor siblings? Enough is enough. I already lost Clavia to the lies of Teyvat. I don’t need to lose you too!”

“You never cared about Clavia, you—!”

“Queen Albina,” Aisha has returned. “The report shows no significant progress on the project. Would you like me to—”

“Yes!” Albina whips her head around while still gripping Alina. “Make it work faster!”

“I’m sorry, my lady, but the technology will not allow for it. We are already running our energy at capacity!”

“Just do it!” Albina shrieks. “Now, Alina. Tell Aisha what you’ve done.”

“So, I ran away. I Have no shame.” Alina sees a hint of a smile cross the woman’s face before she quickly conceals it.

“Now, finish telling me about Liyue.”

“Well, what you said about the people wasn’t true! A lot of them are really nice, even if I don’t know their cultural customs and sometimes mess it up.” She thinks of Ling Pei. She shouldn’t say anything, but she can’t conceal it anymore. “There was this girl—”

“How dare you?!” Albina shrikes, slapping Alina across the face. She flinches. “You’re the heir to Khaenri’ah! Now I’m hoping I won’t NEED an heir, but if I do—you’re the only one who can carry your father’s name. The others are disgraceful traitors or half-blood! Or both! Think of how few pureblood families are left! To not only see someone from another nation but also a girl—you have disgraced this family!”

“Then send me away, then.” Alina puts her hands on her hips, trying to come across as unbothered. “I mean we aren’t official yet.”

“Not official?! How can you speak in such a way!”

“I mean Clavia likes girls too. I stole all her magazines before,” Alina shrugs.

“Clavia is a traitor! Pay her no heed! And you’re not allowed to leave! I can still talk sense into you!” Albina begins leading Alina through the dark corridors of the fortress.

“There’s still Rhinehardt…”

“And what if something happens to him? Then there will be no one! We always need a backup!”

“There are other pureblood kids. Not many but some. What about Helga?” Alina isn’t nice enough not to throw the responsibility on her no-good lazy cousin.

“The heir has to be an Alberich! It has to!”

“What now? You’re ashamed of your own name? Ahlstrom?” Alina mocks her. “That’s also a respectable pureblood family!”

“I am not ashamed of it. But the heir of the Abyss has to be an Alberich! It mustn’t be an outlander like Aether! How dare he try to control the Abyss! He doesn’t know what he’s doing!”

“And you do?” Alina is growing more and more tired of this conversation. She wishes to be anywhere else. She’s being led to her own bedroom.

“Not another WORD from you! Do you hear me?!”

Alina nods. Albina throws open the door to the girl’s bedroom, walls lined with fashion magazines and photos of Liyuean models and singers. “And all this time I just thought you were appreciating the clothing!” She flicks her finger and mutters an ancient Khaenri’an incantation. Fire emits from her fingertips. Alina is silent as she touches each poster, turning it to ash. “Now, is there anything else you’re hiding?
Alina doesn’t respond. “IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’RE HIDING?!”

“You told me not to talk,” she whispers. “But under the bed—” More magazines. Her last connection to the outside world. She must be a prisoner in her own home. It doesn’t take Albina long to destroy all of the papers. “Now don’t leave this room until I say so!” Albina shrieks. The door locks behind her. There are no windows underground…no escape…Alina is trapped.

***

The knock on the door startles Alina out of a restless sleep. She has been locked in the room for three, maybe four days now, let out only to be escorted to the nearby washroom three times a day. Some of Albina’s lower servants have cracked open the door wide enough to bring Alina some stale old food, but she isn’t really hungry, nor has she had the energy to try and escape. Despite being trained with Abyss devices and picking up a claymore, she is no fighter. Not that there is anything in her room that could be used as a weapon anyway; Albina had made sure of that. The knock repeats. Alina supposes she has to answer it. The knock doesn’t sound angry, but if the person was sent here by Albina, she mustn’t disobey her mother’s orders for fear of facing worse punishment. She had seen what Albina had done to Clavia and Kaeya…

She opens the door, cautiously, preparing to be yelled at. Instead, it is Aisha. It must be very late. Everything is dark outside the room, and even the candles seem to have been put out. “May I come in?”

“I’m not sure if I can—” Alina whispers.

“If she suspects anything, I will take responsibility for it.”

“All right,” Alina is desperate for someone to talk to, so she obliges. Aisha sits on the bed next to Alina. She doesn’t argue. “Khaenri’ah was once a nation with respect. Respect from people in outside nations too. Just not from Celestia. But that is another matter. Khaenri’ah died 500 years ago. This isn’t Khaenri’ah.”

“I mean, I know that,” Alina says. “What are you trying to say, Aisha?”

“I’m saying that you shouldn’t take being heir so seriously.”

“I’m not! I want to live an ordinary life, eat normal food, see the sun—I want to see her again…” She’s exhausted. She’s not going to cry, she’s not—

“First love is embarrassing and messy,” Aisha smiles, pulling Alina’s head onto her lap and running her fingers through her greasy hair. She hasn’t washed it since the incident. She changes the topic. “It has been my duty to serve the Ahlstrom family for five-hundred years. Ivar Ahlstrom was killed in the Cataclysm, so my contract never ended. I’ve seen many Ahlstroms as well as many Alberich’s. Some were nice…but most of them were consumed with greed. I have been waiting to be released from my contract, but it never happened.”

“Why don’t you just leave? Who is keeping you here?”

“You could say I am cursed to perform a duty. Or that if I don’t, I might start to go mad,” she chuckles. “Whether it’s actually part of the curse or not is all up to interpretation, of course.”

“Oh,” says Alina. “I didn’t know curses were interpretable.”

“Hmm,” Aisha hums. “Anyway, we should address your mother.”

“Yes, what about her?” Alina wishes to avoid the topic.

“Are you angry with her?”

“Of course! Why is she such a bitch?!” Alina sees no reason to lie.

Aisha chuckles. “I understand. You don’t need to hide it. Working for her is truly insufferable. It’s no wonder Clavia left.”

“She had it worse than me. I don’t know why. I guess just because she liked books? I mean I understand with Kaeya because my mother was angry at Rancourt—but he kidnapped the eremite girl. It was his own fault.”

“I’ve seen smarter people than your father,” says Aisha. “I want to ask you: do you miss him?”

“No,” Alina shrugs. “He didn’t beat me like he did with Kaeya and Clavia, but I can’t say he ever cared much. If what he said about the Abyss is true, about love being useless or a waste of time…I wouldn’t want to go to the Abyss then.”

“So, you would die with the rest of the world, as long as you’re with this girl. How romantic,” Aisha muses. “But what if she doesn’t love you back?”

“She tolerates me, that’s all I can ask for.”

“What if she stops tolerating you?”

“Then, I don’t know,” says Alina. “I’d still rather be up there than locked in this room. Besides I found Rohan and it’s almost like I have a family now.”

“Do you want to leave?”

“Of course, but mom’s gonna kill me!”

“It is my duty to serve the Ahlstrom family. You are an Ahlstrom. Allow me to be your protector and escort. We could help the resistance on the surface.”

“How do you know we aren’t being spied on right now?”

“Because Khaenri’ah’s best spy happens to be on our side. Are you with me, Alina? That means you’re willing to leave everything you know. You’re willing to go against your own mother.”

“I can’t stand her so yes! Absolutely, yes!”

“It won’t be easy, but perhaps we can teach you to fight better.”

“I’d rather die than stay here.”

“You’d better mean it, Alina. You’d better mean it.”

***

“So, I can take Fridays,” Olivia is sitting with Mila’s head on her lap, lazily running her fingers through Mila’s short purple hair.

“Can you please save that for somewhere private?” Lena is sitting at the table, arranging the schedules for the Guild.

“We aren’t even doing anything,” Mila protests. “Loosen up, will you?”

“Fine. It’s just very distracting.”

“Have you ever been in love, Lena?” Gerta who is sitting beside them, asks.

“No,” Lena answers, promptly. “Why would I waste time with that? Now if we continue. We need two people every night. I am always at the bunker aside from missions, but I can’t guarantee your protection. It’s best to be in pairs.”

“Can we go in threes?” Mila asks, “Gerta, Liv and I are a great team.”

“The team isn’t for flirting. This is patrol and guard duty. Serious stuff. Olivia, go with Xena.”

“Why me?” asks Xena, her mouth full of apple.” “I can’t do Fridays. Tavern’s too busy.”

“Swallow that or spit it out. And I don’t care about your work schedule. I can assure you that Diluc will understand when he gets here,” she glances at her watch. “Not like him to be late for a meeting.”

“Xena and I can do Thursdays,” says Olivia. “Gerta and Mila will cover Fridays.”

“Done,” Lena writes it down. “So, we have Lorenz and Alf for Mondays—” One of the boys nods before returning to their TCG game. The door creaks open. “I apologize for being late. I was with a client.”

“Wineries don’t have clients. Sit down.” Lena goes back to the schedule. “Rosaria for Tuesdays. Who can do Tuesdays with her?”

“I can,” Gerta says. “I Can do Tuesdays and Fridays.”

“Great. We also have Rosaria on Sundays, paired with Lise.”

“Now for Wednesday, Franz, does that work?” Franz nods. He’s locked in his own TCG game with Lise. “I’ll take Wednesdays with him,” says Lise.

“Now, who’s free on Saturday?” no one responds.

“Weekends tend to be a big day for business, you know,” Gerta says, “And news.”

“Oh, please,” Lena takes a shot of whatever horrid concoction is in her glass. “Surely someone can.”

“We have service on Sundays. I have to be at the cathedral late on Saturday to prepare. Believe me, if I could, I would,” Rosaria says.

“Does no one else care about this operation?!” Lena shrieks. “Two of you! Unless one of you is willing to go alone!”

“We have lives, Lena. It’s not that serious. You’re here,” says Olivia, still messing with Mila’s hair.

“I know I can’t do Saturdays either,” Xena replies. It only takes a moment for Lena’s eyes to go in Diluc’s direction. “I can’t believe that the co-founder of this organization wouldn’t care about—”

“I can’t control business, Lena, nor can I force others to change their work schedule.”

“What? That’s the whole point of running a business! Never mind! Since Xena has already said she isn’t available surely, she can run the tavern by herself?”

“I’ll be dead before that happens. Try coming in on a Saturday. If you care so much about the operation, why don’t you take over the tavern so we can patrol?”

“And leave the bunker unattended?”

“I can swap on any day except Friday and Tuesday,” Diluc says, not wishing to cause any more trouble now that Lena is somewhat, and he means somewhat, calm. At least she hasn’t tried shouting outside a cathedral in the couple weeks since THAT incident.

“I’m sorry, none of us are available on Saturday,” Lise says, implying that they all have discussed this privately.

“Are you going to be responsible or—”

“I won’t ask you to lower your voice again,” Diluc sighs. “I’ll figure it out.”

“Also, we have a big planned operation coming up. We’re breaking into the delusion factory under the lair. I’ll be sure to do it on a Wednesday,” says Lena, glaring at the table. A week from Wednesday. Everyone clear your calendars.”

“Sounds good, but do we have the intel on the place?” Olivia asks.

“Yes, thanks to Rosaria. Only takes a few nicely worded threats to shut those down.”

“I believe you are underestimating the intensity of the operation, Lena,” Rosaria glances sideways at her.

“No, I just don’t want to keep having such a negative attitude.”

“That’s good, I guess?” Gerta laughs. “But yeah, we’ll be prepared.”

***

“Take one down and pass em around, eighty-eight bottles of beer on the walllllll!”

“Why did you teach her that?” Albedo groans. “Now she won’t stop. And kids shouldn’t be singing about beer.”

Kaeya forces a smile. “She’s got to learn to count sometime.”

“Excuse me, Mr. Kaeya! I am TEN! YEARS! OLD!” Klee shouts, a little loudly. Kaeya’s head hurts.

“Well, I’m glad you are having fun,” Dain walks in the door with groceries and a large book.

“Jean forced me to take the week off,” Kaeya groans. Usually, he gets depressed like this in the winter, not now. Perhaps “depressed” doesn’t begin to describe the feeling of dread in his chest.

“Eighty-five bottles of beer on the wall—”

“Oh yeah, we have about 100 beers if you want some,” Kaeya says, gesturing towards the battered box labeled: “Test batch. Not for sale.”

“Are you sure that it’s safe?” Dain eyes the box carefully.

“Bedo and I already had some and we aren’t dead yet.” Kaeya’s stomach hurts. Not from the swamp water beer, but from worry. He kind of wishes he WAS dead, since then he wouldn’t worry so much.

“Seventy-nine bottles of beer on the walllll, hey! Wanna play spin the bottle?” Klee grabs the empty bottle and sets it in the middle of the floor.

“Uhm, no, Klee.” Albedo says. “I don’t want to kiss you. That would be weird.”

“It’s just pretend! And I want to see Mr. Kaeya and Mr. Dainsleif kiss!”

Kaeya flushes bright red. “Go back to the singing, Klee!”

“It tastes like swamp water,” Dain remarks. “But I’ve had worse. After 500 years, your taste buds become immune.”

“Apparently Huewai dropped them off at the tavern earlier,” Kaeya shrugs. “She’s kind of infamous in parts of Liyue and in the union for her experimental brews.”

“You don’t suppose she’s trying to poison us, do you?”

“No,” Kaeya says.

“Seventy-six bottles of beer on the walllll!”

A single knock now on the door. “Let me get it!” Klee jumps up.

“No, I will!” Kaeya tries to get off the couch to little success, falling face-first on the floor.

***

Diluc does not expect the chaotic sight he is greeted to. The door is answered by Klee who must have been playing dress-up as she wears a witches’ hat and boots that are several sizes too big. Behind her is Kaeya, trying to get off the floor, Albedo laughing at him, Dain at the table with a bottle of something, and there are a few bottles around. “Mr. Kaeyaaaa! It’s the weird man!” Klee runs somewhere into the house.

“Hold on,” Kaeya pulls himself off the floor. “I apologize for that.”

“Sixty-five bottles of beer on the walllll!” Klee sings.

“You weren’t waiting on a delivery of 100 test brews from Huewai, were you?”

“No. I can say I’m as surprised as you are.”

“She dropped them off at the tavern earlier and Charles said I could take them.”

“I don’t know why you’d want to take them.”

“I mean we’ve had a few. Except Klee, she’s just like that.”

“Sixty-three bottles of beer on the wall!”

“Given that you fell on the couch, trying to answer the door, I assume it’s not a good time to intrude.” Gods, he can’t even trust Kaeya to take care of himself let alone the tavern. “I had a favor to ask you, but it seems like you’re not feeling well.”

“No, I’m fine, really.”

“Jean told me she sent you on leave. You’ve been looking sick.”

“How can I not be sick? I can’t talk about that. I don’t want to ruin Klee’s mood…”

“Fifty-five bottles of beer on the wall!”

“I don’t think she’s too bothered.”

“Well for one, strangely, I’m worried about Alina. I don’t know what Albina will do to her.” Second, you aren’t just normal after killing someone…”

“First time, huh?”

“I guess. I know it was a year ago, but it isn’t a normal feeling.”

“I guess if you kill too many people, it makes you go insane like Lena.”

“But I know I’ll have to fight, and I don’t think I’m ready. I have a target on my back, and I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of who I am…I have nightmares every time I sleep—she wants to use me but for what, I don’t know. I barely know how to control my powers.”

“Visions are hard enough to manage.”

“Forty-two bottles of beer on the wall,” Klee has tired herself out and is now sitting in Dain’s lap.

“It doesn’t even taste good. You can’t have alcohol,” he tells her.

“Kaeya, do you have juice or something in the icebox?” Albedo asks.

“I think I have some Sumerian orange tea in the cabinet.” Kaeya tries to find glimpses of his lost heritage wherever he can. It’s something to remember her by. Albedo’s giant portrait of Usura Navatii looks out over the living room. He did such a great job based on a simple description. Kaeya still curses himself for not getting pictures.

“Halfdan had a sister around Klee’s age or younger. I don’t know what happened to her, if she survived and was cursed…She was only around seven or eight—” Dain muses. It’s something he remembered of his past. Sometimes, after so many years, his memories get muddled.

“I thought you were weird at first,” Klee says, “But now you’re nice because you’re Mr. Kaeya’s friend. And I know you want to kiss!”

“Klee!” Albedo shouts, turning red.

It’s more funny than embarrassing the second time. “He’s just shy and won’t do it in front of you,” says Kaeya, smiling a bit. “But don’t go around the city shouting that.”

“Yes sir!” Klee salutes, jumping out of Dain’s lap.

“Oh!” Kaeya suddenly remembers. “What’s the favor you wanted to ask me, Diluc?”

“I don’t wish to burden you.”

“Just tell me.”

“Lena is being difficult about our schedules.”

“Of course she is causing trouble again,” Kaeya sighs. A happy moment in his head couldn’t last. “Do you need me to keep an eye on her?”

“No. I was wondering if you can help Xena in the tavern on Saturdays. Charles is off that day and Lena needs me on patrol,” he sighs. “She’s accusing me of not caring about the Guild.”

“She needs to get a hobby. And sure. You know I’m just looking for a distraction. I’ll let you know if something-uh-more important comes up. But otherwise, its fine.”

“I suppose everyone needs a side hustle,” says Albedo pouring tea for Klee. “Be careful now, it’s hot!”

“Now save some for the rest of us,” Kaeya teases.

“Hmm, not bad,” Albedo sips it. “Tastes much better than the beer. No offense to your friend, Diluc.”

“None taken. Huewai is aware of the opinions about her brews.”

“Sumeru was always my favorite region to travel in,” Dain says, “And oranges were one of the reasons why.”

“I can’t blame you,” Kaeya says, “Whenever I got to have orange juice, I almost died with happiness.”

“Dying is bad!” Klee says, giving Kaeya puppy-dog eyes.

“No, Klee, it’s an expression! He didn’t mean it literally!”

“Okay!” says Klee. “I was just checking!”

“My housekeeper always has exotic teas and herbs lying around. Even some seeds. We don’t even know what half of them are for,” Diluc says.

“I suppose Adelinde is entitled to her secrets. But if it’s anything orange, I’m stealing it.”

“If it’s Sumerian, it’s yours as far as it concerns me.”

“I want the oranges! I want the oranges!” Klee says, jumping up and down.

“Don’t worry, Klee. I’ll be sure to bring you some next time I’m in Sumeru.” Kaeya doesn’t know when that will be, but he wants to find his mother’s family someday, although it might be impossible. The desert is a very big place.

Chapter Text

“That’s it! No more!” Xena glares at the drunk knight who has thrown a pile of mora on the counter. “If you won’t behave, get out!” It’s not the first time Xena has thrown people out of the tavern, and it won’t be the last.

“What are you doing?” Kaeya places two drinks on the counter.

“This guy is too drunk!” Xena says. “He’s gonna throw a fit! He’s leaving!”

“Manager!” The man shouts, falling backwards off the stool.

“See? You need to leave!” Xena glares at the man.

“I don’t want this stupid girl serving me!” He spits, trying to get up.

“I will grind my boot into your face until it’s nothing but bloody pulp!” Xena shouts. “Now get out!”

“Now you’re threatening him! I’ll get you fired!” The man’s buddy has stood up now, irate.

“You talk about me because I’m a girl?” That’s what you get!” She shouts.

“Now, that won’t be necessary, don’t you think?” Kaeya gives the fakest and most friendly smile he can muster at the men. “To avoid further problems, I do suggest that you leave. Especially since your friend is too drunk to walk. I suppose you’ll have to drag him out.” The drunk man is still sputtering on the floor.

“What is someone respectable like you doing working at this filthy place, Captain Kaeya? And if your girlfriend here continues to threaten my friends, whoever your boss is is going to hear from me.”

“Right,” Kaeya rolls his eyes. “Both of you, out! And Xena isn’t my girlfriend.”

“Wouldn’t ladies be all over a guy like you?”

“I’ll be reporting to Master Jean about your conduct. Im not going to ask you again to leave.”

“Fine! Have it your way! I won’t be coming back here!”

Kaeya crosses his arms. “Good.”

“You wouldn’t believe how often I have to deal with those people!” Xena says in exasperation. “Just because I’m a girl they think I can’t serve them, or I’m somebody’s girlfriend! I can’t stand them!”

“I’m sorry,” Kaeya says. “I’ll be mentioning that to Jean right away.”

“It’s not just knights. Random people too.”

“I know, but the knights wouldn’t want to foster that type of harassment. Escpecially since Jean is one of the smartest and most capable people I know.”

***

The door to the nearby tavern opens and an angry man appears, seemingly dragging his friend by the scruff of his neck. “Get behind me, Alina,” Aisha says to the girl. Surprisingly, despite being alive for over five hundred years, this is Aisha’s first time setting foot in the city of wind. It seems somewhat quiet minus the rowdy drunkards. “Who are you?” the upright man points at Aisha, perhaps intimidated by her height. It is too dark to see her eyes, the Khaenri’an stars shining within them. “Lurking around at night? I haven’t seen you in these parts.”
“I don’t see why that is of concern to you. I was not trying to be suspicious. I was only looking for an address: 223 Main Street.”
“Well, this certainly isn’t Main Street,” says the man, trying to get his friend to stand up to no avail.
“Let’s just go,” Alina whispers, “I think I remember where it is.”
“Is there someone behind you?” the drunken man asks. “Show yourself!” He reaches into his pocket for some sort of sigil. “As a Knight of Favonius, I demand to know—”
“Please,” a voice sounds from the doorway. “You have no business working in this state. Aren’t you off duty? Now please get your friend back to his dwellings.” The man steps out of the shadows. It’s Kaeya. Both Aisha and Alina are relieved, as they didn’t wish to be sent to Mondstadt prison. “Uh-yes, sir!” The man begins dragging his friend back towards the road.
Kaeya steps forward. “My apologies. The two of them were very drunk. They also made rude remarks to my colleague and myself. I shall be reporting their conduct to my superior.” Alina slinks out from behind Aisha, and Kaeya quickly switches from his formal speech to a tone of relief. “Oh good. You’re back. Guess, Albina didn’t kill you after all.” He grins.
Alina winces, shaking her head.
Kaeya realizes something must have happened. He looks at the tall woman again. She looks vaguely familiar.
“Forgive me for not introducing myself properly,” she says, extending her hand. “I’m Lady Aisha, attendant to the Alstrohm family. However, after certain events, I helped Alina escape.”
“I think I remember you,” he says, slowly. “You cooked some of that Sumter beast meat for breakfast once, didn’t you?” He isn’t sure why he remembers this specifically, and Aisha doesn’t seem to remember this particular incident, but she smiles at Kaeya.
“The last time I saw you, you were but a young lad.”
“Why don’t you two come inside the tavern while Xena and I close up,” Kaeya says. “There’s someone I want you to meet afterwards.”
***
“Aisha…?” A flash of recognition appears in Dain’s eyes, as Kaeya had hoped. “I can scarcely believe it. The last time I saw you was in the desert when I was traveling with the Abyss prince.”
Aisha smirks, “I do believe we fought. I have been confined to the underground since by a stifling stream of Ahlstroms. Luckily, Alina wanted to run away, so I could escape without abandoning my duty.”
“Why is your house so empty, Kaeya?” Alina is looking around the large room consisting of a couch, a couple of chairs and a rug, the painting of Usura, a table, some more chairs, a sink, an ice box and a large cookstove. There is not much in the way of shelves and other furniture. One of the upstairs rooms holds many assorted books and various things that the two had accumulated, although Dain prefers to borrow books from the library. There is no need to own more.
“Why have things that you don’t need?” Kaeya asks, not sure if his aversion to clutter has to do with the Ragnvindrs’ innocuous messes of books and paperwork or a much grimmer depiction of being locked in a room teeming with Rancourt’s trinkets while he was in the underground, a pile that could fall and crush him any day. It’s best not to dwell on it. He had always kept his own room spotless, cleaning it himself, to a point where Adelinde had asked, jokingly perhaps, if she was doing a poor job. Nothing could ever be up to his own impossible standards. Dain has little need for excessive material possessions after hundreds of years of travelling, so that doesn’t get in the way of Kaeya’s vision.
Alina is still looking around, curiously. She glances at the painting. “Is that your mom, Kaeya?”
“Yes. Albedo painted it.”
Dain speaks: “If it concerns you, Aisha, I have left the Order long ago. I saw through Aether’s tricks….”
Aisha nods. “I would expect as much after seeing you in Kaeya’s home. I would question why you travelled with Aether at all.”
“And I would question why you served the Ahlstroms for five hundred years….”
Kaeya can sense a friendly rivalry in their tone.
“Aisha never mentioned you,” says Alina, “How do you two know each other? Is he an old flame?”
Aisha laughs, a bellowing chesty laugh that fills the entire room. “No,” she replies breathily, “He’s my cousin!”
***
It was after four by the time Aisha and Alina left to stay with Clavia. Kaeya had fallen asleep on the couch rather unceremoniously while Dain had gone to bed properly.
It is now morning, some time after nine, when a loud knock awakens Kaeya. He yawns, trying to roll off the couch graciously. He realizes, to his embarrassment, he is still wearing last night’s clothes and has a vague musty tavern smell on him. “Yes…?” He doesn’t wait to open the door. Someone who wants to kill him wouldn’t have the courtesy of knocking. Gone are the days where a normal knock would send him ten feet above his bed. A young knight stands at the door. Kaeya blinks in the light, trying to get a read on the young man. He isn’t one of the unruly patrons from last night, so that’s a relief.
“Are you Kaeya Alberich?” He pronounces the name like “Kay-uh AL-ber-rich.” Kaeya flinches. He doesn’t like to be scared with a butchering of his birth name so early in the morning.
Not sure how to respond, he settles for: “I think so?”
The knight squints at him for a moment and shrugs. “Grandmaster Jean wants you at headquarters.”
“Oh,” Kaeya groans. “Let me change. I’ll be right there.” He doesn’t correct the boy’s pronunciation. He just closes the door awkwardly. He’s asked Jean and others to use his mother’s surname on all documents, but this seems to be a logistical issue. It’s not like his appearance doesn’t betray the fact that he’s part Sumerian. Or perhaps it is non-traditional for a man to take his mother’s surname. Either way, a stupid kid would find a worse way to mispronounce “Navatii”.
The official papers, and there are a lot of them, all say conflicting things. “Kaeya Ragnvindr” “Kaeya Alberich” “Kaeya N. Ragnvindr” “Kaeya N. Navatii…” that one surely a mistake. If “N” stands for Navatii then what does the other “N” stand for? “Kaeya Navatii Navatii?” He’ll take it.
He hurries to get dressed and scribbles down a note for Dain. “Gone to work. Jean needs me. Let me know if you see a Kay-uh Al-ber-rich and send him my regards.”
***
“I know you were taking some time off,” Jean says, eyeing Kaeya’s obvious eyebags and vague stench of liquor, “But I wanted to know if you found anything.”
Kaeya blinks. “Found anything on what?”
“Lena Kratz. I told you to keep an eye on her, didn’t I? I mean as a trained spy and someone with proximity to her best friend, I think you’re a good person for the job.”
“The last thing I heard was that she was obsessive about scheduling watches at the Guild. I don’t know where the headquarters are, nor do I care. All I know is that Lena lives there. She doesn’t have a normal life outside of the Guild.”
“Well,” Jean smirks. “Just make sure she isn’t up to anything that could inadvertently cause a war with the Fatui.”
Kaeya shrugs. “All I care is that she leaves my family alone.”
“Well, I’ve told the people at the cathedral to keep their eyes peeled for anyone trying to take Rohan. I am only concerned about her involving Mondstadt in Fatui affairs. We do not have the personnel nor the training to deal with it.”
“Why me?” Kaeya says, suddenly growing irritated. “If you’re really worried, why don’t you talk to her yourself?”
“She doesn’t want to talk to me. She thinks I’m evil’s bane for daring to head this organization.”
“Why does she hate the Knights so much? It’s not like they caused Liesel’s death,” Kaeya blurts out, “And if she’s not going to listen to you, what makes you think she’ll listen to me?”
“She won’t. I just hoped that you could gather information and be a mediator if needed.”
“You want ME to be a mediator? She’d more likely kill me than listen!”
“Or perhaps you can be the mediator’s mediator…”
“What the hell is THAT supposed to mean?...never mind.”
A knock on the door now. “Sorry to interrupt, Master Jean.” This is Eula, and behind her is a young woman with curly light-brown hair and purple eyes. “But Miss Schnieder here would like to speak with you. I caught her wandering around the lobby. Not sure who let her in.”
“It wasn’t me,” Kaeya says, quickly, before Jean eyes him.
“Kaeya, do you know this young woman?”
“Vaguely,” he says. “I believe she used to be a trainee here.”
“Well, I trust we will have the situation under control. Captain Eula, you may wait outside.”
“What about me?” Kaeya feels like he has been ignored.
“You can stay.”
Confused, Kaeya closes the door behind Eula.
“Well, Miss Schneider, I suppose you may sit down.” He gestures to the chair in front of Jean’s desk. He’s fine standing.
“Please, just call me Liv. Can we get to the point already?”
“Well, why exactly are you here?” Jean asks, narrowing her eyes at the woman.
“Lena sent me,” she says bluntly, not wasting time.
“Are you the mediator, then?” Kaeya crosses his arms.
“Perhaps. I only have one request. That you do not speak of the incident with the kid.”
“The kid?” Jean asks, confused.
“I think she means Rohan.” Kaeya says.
“Yeah, whatever,” Olivia says. She almost seems bored.
“And why are you requesting this?”
“Lena doesn’t want people talking bad about her. Or talking about her at all, since she says her operations are supposed to be secret. Little rich coming from her. I wasn’t the one yelling behind the cathedral.”
“I only heard half,” Jean says. “My window was open. Now, did Lena start the altercation?”
“I saw the whole thing, and she definitely started it with me and Rohan when we were inside,” Kaeya says. “I took Rohan to the cathedral to meet the nuns. He was going to stay there and work. My sisters were there too,” he doesn’t find it particularly relevant to mention Dainsleif. “So, Rosaria was there, and Lena came in to ask her something. Rosaria is part of the Phoenix Guild.
“Then she started screaming about Rohan out of nowhere because his mother is a Fatuus. His mother who neglected him, by the way. He’s thirteen, and not a Fatuus. She said it was the same thing. I don’t know where Rosaria went then—oh, and Lena kept yelling at her and Diluc to use their stupid code names—then Diluc left with her, and I followed them. Not sure if Rosa saw anything else.
“So, then she started talking about how the Fatui killed Liesel’s kids so all Fatui should die I guess.” He decides it’s better not to mention the conversation about “The Pentacle.” “Diluc tried to deescalate…then she started talking about me being untrustworthy because of my heritage or something and I was going to arrest her for disturbing the peace. But she just yelled at me and Diluc scared her, and she left.”
“Scared her how?” Olivia is staring at him now.
“Well, how would YOU react if someone kept screaming about dead kids in a public space and you wanted to keep a low profile?”
“But he attacked her—you’re defending him.”
“Attacked, how so?” Jean asks.
Before Olivia can say anything, Kaeya moves to leave. “I don’t want to talk about this. Is he the mediator, or is she?” He points at Olivia, still annoyed.
“Last I checked, mediators weren’t supposed to attack people.” Olivia quips.
“Where are you going, Kaeya?”
“I’m not here to defend anyone. You just pulled me into a mediation with Lena’s friend. I only happened to be there. I had nothing to do with it, and Olivia wasn’t even there.”
“Actually, her appearance was merely coincidental,” Jean says. “Do you really think I would blindside you like that?”
“I need to clear my head.” He says, and leaves.
***
The roof is not only quiet, but it’s a good vantage point to see what’s happening. Three knights enter. Two others leave. From his perch, Kaeya can see the main doors of the building. He feels like a bird, if not slightly dizzy. It’s been some time since he left Jean’s office. He begins to feel sleepy. Last night was eventful. But a good spy must stay alert. It could be worse. It could be raining. He hears noise coming from below. He crawls along the roof towards the air duct and puts his ear to it to hear better.
“It was a mistake! I know you’re friends—” Kaeya guesses this is Olivia.
“Now, now. This has nothing to do with friendship. I only ask that you don’t interfere with procedure,” this is certainly Jean.
“And what kind of agent would I be if my boss were to be arrested?”
“I believe arresting her would be potentially dangerous. It would give her access to the cathedral, for one.”
“Master Jean, is everything all right?” This is Eula.
“Yes, we were just wrapping up.”
“Where’s Kaeya?”
“He had to leave. Now if I may ask you to escort Olivia out.”
“But I’m not finished,” she whines.
“You’ve said your piece.”
He hears a door close, and moments later footsteps rapidly receding. Are the Knights actually planning to arrest Lena? Kaeya hadn’t meant to that day. He was only defending Rohan. He should tell Diluc—no, Olivia will certainly have that covered, especially if she’s going to be blaming him for it. Not much Kaeya can do about someone being petty. It’s not like Diluc is being arrested for acting in self-defense. Perhaps he should clear the air about that—well…was it even self-defense? His head hurts. A few minutes later, he sees the door open and Eula and Olivia walk out. Kaeya gingerly descends from his perch and makes a move to catch up to Olivia, who is running down the steps. Eula has already gone back inside.
What is he doing? It’s not like Olivia was going to get anyone arrested. Then again, he had missed the part of the conversation after he had left—and why would Jean ask him to come over in the first place? Was he being asked to testify? He feels sick. Considering the mess with Albina worming her way into his head, as well as the appearance of Rohan, Alina, and Aisha—yes, Mondstadt is now harboring runaways—this is the last thing he needs to worry about. He’s almost got her now. He’s been careful to stay out of sight. She ducks into The Cat’s Tail before he has a chance to speak with her. Now she has nowhere to go, however. The tavern only has so many rooms. He opens the door and tracks her down, sitting at a table in the back. She crosses her arms. “What do you want, Kaeya? Don’t think I didn’t see you following me.”
He sighs. He has to remember that the Guild members are ALSO trained spies in a sense. “I’m not here to arrest you,” he says, hands at his hips. “If I was, I wouldn’t be sneaky about it.”
“Hmph. Well…I guess that’s it then.” She gets up, heading to the back door.
“Let’s talk outside,” Kaeya says. “I’m not here to cause trouble.”
“That’s what they all say,” Olivia mutters, trying to get away.
“Why did you come and vouch for Lena like that?” He closes the door behind him. “Jean didn’t call you to a mediation, did she?”
“No. I came on Lena’s request. If you really want to know, she told me a different version of events. Not that I’m inclined to believe her after she pulled that in public, and since she was so desperate to cover it up. But if she gets arrested because of me, she’ll be angry.”
“If she gets arrested, it’s her own fault for being an idiot,” Kaeya replies promptly. “And I’m sorry I was short with you. I’m dealing with familial issues separate from all this.” “Familial issues” doesn’t begin to describe Albina’s abyssal possession, but Olivia does NOT need to know that.
She shrugs. “Okay. All told, you’re not the problem here. If anything, Lena is…but I’m not gonna go against her and get the Guild in trouble…”
“I feel like I’m reading a light novel about a company falling apart in real time,” says Kaeya. “Except the Phoenix Guild isn’t a company. I’d still like to stay out of it.”
“Okay. I don’t want to get anyone in trouble. Lena just told me Diluc attacked her and was being needlessly dramatic—I swear she acts like a teenage girl.”
“Well, if he’s going to get in trouble he can always just leave the country.”
“What?” Olivia stares at him.
“But she dodged the attack and didn’t get hurt and considering how she was acting, a self-defense case would be reasonable.”
“I don’t think Jean’s gonna arrest him. She wants to arrest Lena but doesn’t know how. I suppose she’s just being spineless…but for once it’s in our favor.”
“Considering how unpredictable Lena is acting, I don’t exactly blame her,” Kaeya says. “But she just wants me to keep an eye on Lena for some reason…I want nothing to do with her.”
“Well, of course she’s just going to ask you rather than do the work herself.”
“What do you mean? Jean is always working. Say what you want about her, but she isn’t lazy.”
“Fine. I just don’t expect the Knights to have things in order.”
“So, what happened with you? I can see you left, but why?”
“It’s not really your business, but fine.” Olivia sighs dramatically. “It starts when I was too young to really remember. My parents died in an accident. That’s all I was ever told. I lived with my aunt and uncle. You know the old Stormpeak Winery?”
“Yes?”
“My uncle ran that place. After it was shut down, they left. Last I heard they were in Nod Krai trying to sell gray market Fontainian machinery.”
“So, they abandoned you?”
“Pretty much. Wouldn’t call them reliable people.”
“Scammers, or so I heard.”
“Dangerous scammers. They deserved to be shut down. Anyway—”
“You haven’t heard of something called the Pentacle, have you?” Kaeya asks, suddenly.
“No, why?”
“Never mind.” If Liesel died over this Pentacle, it likely had nothing to do with the wine industry.
“Okay. Back to what I was saying. So, I was training with the Knights, and I lived in the dorms. There were these two girls, Xandra and Elsie. Do you know them?”
“No,” Kaeya says. “I’m going to guess they didn’t pass either. I didn’t spend time in the girls’ dorms. We were friends with Jean, but she had private quarters since Varka was training her separately. We didn’t stay most of the time either—Diluc’s father had a manor by the docks, but it got sold—anyway, I don’t know them.”
“So, they were the worst. Always teased me for my hair and tried to get me to straighten it. Told me I couldn’t fight with curly hair. That’s not all though. Some of the male inspectors were kind of weird. But I learned about my parents and the cold case…not a case really. It was more that a mission went bad and got them killed. It was due to poor planning on the Knights’ part. That’s how I see it. But I was told that they wouldn’t open an investigation on themselves. I’m pretty sure the person who led the mission was retired. I don’t want money from it. Just accountability I guess.”
“Who was creepy to you? I want to make sure they don’t still work here.”
“Richard. Lutz. Oh, and Eroch.”
“Don’t get me started—never mind. Eroch got kicked out. Pretty sure the others resigned. I’ve learned that people who waste time causing trouble don’t go far in life.”
“I WISH that was the case. What about the Fatui?”
“Fair point.”
“Guess I’ll be leaving if that’s all you want to know.”
“Um…I’m sorry about your parents.” This whole situation is so awkward. Kaeya doesn’t know anything about this case, who was in the wrong, or if anything can be done legally.”
“Thanks, I guess.”
“Can you do me a favor and not tell Lena about this?”
“Okay, Kaeya. Your rules.” She crosses her arms and jumps off the step.
“See you around…Liv.”
The streets feel oddly silent for midday. And despite the warmth, Kaeya feels cold.