Rising Storm || Genshin Impact

46: Gone

tw: suicide threats, blood, stabbing

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La Signora narrowed her eyes, looking the traveler up and down in disgust.

"Let me get this straight," she snarled. "You kidnapped our harbinger so that you can use him to threaten me? Is that what you thought?"

"You won't let him die," Diluc interjected. "You would never, and you know it. Turn off the devices. Now."

"And what if I don't?"

"Then he dies."

"What makes you think I give a damn?"

Her gaze shifted towards Childe, who despite being tied up, was sending La Signora that same stare he gave when he was begging her not to mess up. The other harbinger only scoffed in response.

He was pathetic, really. But luckily, La Signora was intelligent.

"To be frank, I couldn't care less about whether this ginger rat lives or dies," she sneered. "He means nothing to me, and nothing to the Tsaritsa. Her majesty would never value Tartaglia's life over the plan she set in place."

La Signora's lips cracked into a sly grin. "You're disposable, Childe. You're just one of the many who can carry out her majesty's wishes. So don't be so lenient on yourself, hoping that I will be here to save you. Tonight might just be your last."

"S-So..." Y/N stammered. "What are you going to do?"

"What am I going to do?" La Signora cackled. "Nothing! I could stand here all night until the day breaks. You're the ones who need me to act, not the other way around."

Without warning, she ambled towards the group, to which Diluc stepped out protectively in response. The harbinger simply smirked, seating herself comfortably on the chair beside Childe - the chair in which Y/N was 'kept hostage'.

"You put yourselves in this situation. So, what are you going to do?" She grinned, kicking her feet up to cross her legs.

The Fatui members stood on guard, surrounding Diluc and Y/N in every direction. There were 1, 2, 3...at least 20 the traveler could count, not including the two harbingers whom she faced in the center.

How could she have been so stupid?

Tears began prickling the edges of Y/N's eyes as panic welled in her chest. She could feel tiny chips of hope breaking away with each second that passed; each moment she realized how grave of a mistake she made

La Signora didn't care, their plan wouldn't succeed. After what happened with Aether, could the Knights truly forgive her again?

Had she not learned from her fall-out with Ganyu?

And Diluc trusted her, she really did. What if he was held accountable instead?

What exactly were the Fatui capable of?

Y/N grasped her eyes shut, silently praying that Amber was sprinting to alert Jean in Mondstat. Perhaps they could be saved. If she could just stall for a little longer-

"Don't you dare plan on dragging your time out," La Signora mused. "We could kill you at any time, with or without Childe."

She lazily flopped her head to the side. "And you don't think he's actually going to stay tied up, do you? He'll break himself free soon. He's a harbinger, for Archon's sake."

Y/N felt her knees shake. She wanted to crumple onto the floor and disappear; the lady's self-satisfied smirk, Diluc's fists clenched in anger, it was all too much to bear.

"So, Y/N, is that what they call you?" La Signora smiled. "What are you going to do, hm?

"Mondstat can starve, that's none of my concern.

"What are you going to do?"

Suddenly, an idea clicked in Y/N's mind.

But she quickly shoved it away, there was absolutely no way she could ever bring herself to do it.

"Something on your mind?"

Y/N's head shot up at La Signora's voice. Her vision fuzzed, sweat began dripping from her neck down to her back.

She had to do this. She deserved to after all the misfortune she had brought to the people around her.

There was no other choice.

Her arm trembled as she brought the knife away from Childe's neck, grasping onto it with both hands, pointing the blade towards herself.

"If you don't spare Mondstat," she quivered. "I'll kill myself."

The world went silent for a moment. Only the sound of wind rusting leafy trees succumbed the blank sound.

Then, La Signora burst into laughter.

Her voice was laced with venom, but mostly, pity. She slapped her knee with her palms, rocking back and forth hysterically as if Y/N had just told the most hilarious joke the harbinger had ever heard.

"You don't have the guts!" La Signora hooted. "Go on! Kill yourself, as if it would make any difference! I dare you!"

Y/N's grip tightened on the knife until her knuckles turned white and red. Tears poured from her eyes as she shoulders tensed in fear, her vision focused on the sharp metal blade in front of her.

Deep breaths, Y/N.

It's just one stab.

It'll be over.

Maybe you'll go home.

Maybe you'll be able to wake up and realize this was all some wicked dream.

And maybe you'll see your sister again.

...That sounds nice, doesn't it?

But no matter how hard she tried, no matter how much Y/N forced her arms to move, the blade wouldn't even budge.

La Signora grinned. "Selfish brat."

She burst into laughter again. "I told you, didn't I? You'd never be able to do it. Not even with your friends on the line!"

The knife dropped onto the grass with a 'plunk'. 

She couldn't do it. Y/N couldn't do it.

But then, another pair of hands reached to pick up the weapon from the ground.

"Diluc?" Y/N stammered.

He twirled the blade in his fingers before grasping the handle firmly in his palms, the tip of the metal facing Y/N.

"If you can't kill yourself, I'll do it for you," he muttered. "You heard me, Fatui. I'll kill her."

La Signora raised an eyebrow. "I bet you don't have the guts either."

"I do," Diluc hissed.

"Prove it."

Y/N widened her eyes. "Wait! Wha-"

But it was too late.

A sickening squelch ringed in her ears, an intrusive pang on her left shoulder.

She looked down to see Diluc's hands around the blade buried in her flesh, ghastly red flowing from the wound like a waterfall, staining her clothed in sticky clots.

"Diluc..."

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