Far Apart || Kaeluc/ Genshin Impact fanfic

6. 𝕾𝖎𝖝

Dainsleif was merely strolling around the green plains of Mondstadt, when he spied a group of Abyss Mages leading some hilichurls. Some were dancing around a bonfire, others asleep, their simple weapons clutched tightly in their hands.

Very tightly. From fright— of humans, probably.

The Gods introduced hilichurls to us humans as an enemy... when they are not... they are merely defending themselves, I don't see wrong in their doings.

It is Celestia that is to blame, Dainsleif tells himself. But...

These days it is getting harder and harder to discern the truth from the lies.

What was justice? Perhaps it would be a mercy to end their long-suffering lifes— the Abyss and the hilichurls— but Dainsleif could not bring himself to bring down his sword— could not kill those people that he had once loved.

Confusion flashed across his features, but he was cut out of his deep thoughts when there was a bright flash beside him and the mage appeared, making to attack him.

It muttered some words, and pointed its staff at Dainsleif. Fire shot out of the ground, and its companion— a cryo mage— summoned frozen crystals from the sky.

The hilichurls ran over, many shot up from their sleep, raising their clubs and waving them around.

Dainsleif did not attack back. Did not even raise a shield for himself as they beat him up.

He stood still, and let himself feel the pain. The bold, sharp jolts of pain every time the fire and ice hit him.

"Of course. You cannot even recognise your own superior," Dainsleif laughed, bitterly.

Dainsleif raised his eyes and looked right at them. There was a kingly authority in his voice, but under it was a small pinch of sadness.

Driven from fear, they did not listen.

"I will not attack you," Dainsleif sighed.

One Abyss Mage stilled, tilting its masked face.

"I will not attack you."

But was it better for him to leave them here, alive yet suffering? Inhuman, these creatures were no longer human, it would be a mercy to end them, their miserably lives of fear...

But he couldn't, and he wouldn't.

Dainsleif's voice was more steady now, "I will not attack you."

The Abyss mage stopped its companions, watching Dainsleif wearily, and bowed slightly, speaking in its slightly high-pitched, yet strange voice, "Is there something... you wish to ask of us?"

"No," Dainsleif tensed, there were words he wanted to say... but he couldn't. He lowered his head, looked at the ground.

"I'm sorry," was the only thing he said as he left the dumbfounded mage there, his voice softer than usual, a tone of sadness in his voice and visible pity in his blue eyes. Sorry for sparing your lives, because I didn't know what to do.

I'm a failure of a Khaenri'ahn, he laughed to himself.

Just like this, Dainsleif's leisurely stroll was ruined. He walked away as the mage disappeared in a flash, along with the hilichurls, abandoning their old home entirely.

As they had... in the past... Dainsleif thought.

As Dainsleif walked away and up a hill, a blue-haired male stepped out from behind a tree, sweeping his hair out of his eyes and looking to the leaving figure.

"Isn't this most interesting~" he chuckled, blue eye twinkling. Kaeya wouldn't confront his former friend right now, couldn't afford to alert Dain that he knew about the incident. He'd have to figure out what all this was about by himself.

"Well, I believe I could use some more practise," his sword, Aquila Favonia, appeared in his hand, and he shot right towards the unsuspecting Mage and hilichurls, who had appeared and taken their places in their camp once more.

"Hey, wonderful mages, care for a spar?" He laughed, just as he landed a slash to the creature, who frantically raised its shield.

The hilichurls might've froze and stared in horror.

Kaeya did not notice their masked faces, nor cared for their screams as they dropped to the floor, their bodies fading into black and red dust.

"Maybe..." Kaeya looked thoughtfully at the last mage, "maybe I shall spare you today."

Kaeya sheathed his sword in an elegant sweep and dusted off his hands, as one would do after taking care of some pests or small hassle. 

There was a dull, throbbing ache in his head.

Kaeya chose to ignore it.

- - - - -

The mission to Mondstadt was a simple one: dispose of the spy there, as he no longer had any use for their kingdom.

But even though he was deemed heartless by many, he was not. He was as much of a human as his people were, and it was a human heart that beat in his body. Most do not agree— the cold, merciless Twilight Sword— the human "blessed" with immortality and the mysterious power of the Abyss...

Faithful hand of all the Kings of Khaenri'ah for as long as anyone could remember, the Twilight Sword had been the one to do the King's work. Well— his dirty work. Unexplainable mysteries, assassinations in the deep of the night, traitors and debts and information whispered behind hands... whenever in the morning when a dead body is found for no reason, the people would whisper and stare and point at Dainsleif as he walked down the halls to the throne room.

He was well-respected, high-class, untouchable and had power rumoured even greater than the King himself.

But he was loyal to the King, loyal to the point that if the King told him to fall on his spear and die, he'd do so without question— one could say that was his weakness, his loyalty to the King. He'd never thought loyalty could even be a weakness, but now...

Having to face a friend— the spy he was to assassinate...

The spy was his friend. His only friend in so many centuries, despite their friendship being built on lies.

He did not want to kill the spy. Yet he did not want to disappoint his King, either.

He'd done terrible things. He'd tricked his friend, forced him to endure and survive alone in a foreign land.

But he could not bring himself to kill his only friend.

When the choice came... between his kingdom and his friend... what would he choose, then?

Which was the right choice?

He did not know.

- - - - -

Not even 1000 words, but UH I'm celebrating this book reaching 9k waaaa thankyou ya'll for all the supportttt

Few days ago (or maybe it was yesterday?) I received a comment that was SO SWEET, thankyou ya'llllll

No Diluc this time UwU

Next next week I got exam so

Bai

Hope ya'll liked this UwU