Rising Storm || Genshin Impact

31: Break It

bro i had no idea what to name this chapter

anyway hope you enjoy ! 

...

Huff, huff, huff

Y/N feet padded against the earth as she ran: down the stone staircase, out the city streets, through the bridge, and into the wilderness. She ran until her heels ached and her inhales scratched against her throat, until she completely lost sight of where she was going - in autopilot, like her legs were moving themselves - as the landscapes rushed by in a dark, shaded blur.

 Y/N didn't know where her feet were heading, but her instincts screamed to get as far away from Mondstat as possible. She needed to run away. She needed to go to Liyue, and she needed to make up for her mistakes.

She kept running, running, and running: until a sharp yank on her wrist made her stumble back in surprise.

"Y/N! Where do you think you're going?!"

She stopped, wheezing and panting as the exhaustion finally caught up to her. Y/N looked around to see Diluc's narrowed eyes staring back. His face was barely recognizable in the dark, but she knew it was him, for only Diluc would be stubbornly caring enough to run after her.

That is, other than Aether. But Aether wasn't talking to her anytime soon.

"I..I'm-" Y/N  gasped between agonizing heaves, "I'm going...to Liyue. I'm going to Liyue, and I'm going right now."

She lunged forewords in attempt to escape Diluc's grasp, but he kept a firm clutch on her hand. Y/N couldn't twist it away.

"You're not going to Liyue. It's almost midnight." he scowled.

"But I must!" Y/N cried. "Let me go! I need to go!"

"Jean's already sent Aether to deliver a formal statement! There's no need for you to go as well!"

"But there is!" Y/N spat. "Aether's statement isn't enough! I need to go apologize personally! So let me go!"

"Apologize? Why do you need to go apologize?"

"Because I punched their damn secretary!"

"You punched their- you did what?!?!" 

Diluc loosened his grip as he sputtered his words, not believing his ears. "You punched their secretary? Why would you do that?"

"I don't know!" Y/N hollered. "Okay? I don't know! Which is exactly why I need to go visit her right this second! So leave me alone!"

Diluc scorned. "You're being delusional, Y/N." he hissed. "Come back to the city, you clearly aren't thinking straight."

"You don't understand!" the traveler sobbed. "Why can't you just let me go? I need to go!"

"No you don't!"

Y/N flinched as Diluc shouted those last words. He shook his head between huffs, before taking a deep breath and looking the traveler straight in the eye.

"Look, I don't know what's going on between you and the Qixing's secretary, okay?" Diluc mustered up the calmest tone he possibly could. 

"But I'm sure she's a very busy woman. And if you two are friends that genuinely care for each other - so much that you'd be willing to run off to Liyue  in the middle of the night to see her - then you should put your faith in the fact that she may have already forgiven you."

Y/N shook her head, looking down at her shadow painted on the grass. 

"It's not the same." she murmured. "I did something terrible, and all she's ever been to me was kind. I need to make up to her."