A brisk wind whips through the air as soon as the two of you step out of the tunnel, and the air is thick and heavy with the pressure of an oncoming storm. You stumble along behind Kazuha, your footsteps uncertain as you try to navigate the unfamiliar terrain, placing your feet carefully so that you won't fall. Your guard is familiar with the path, only occasionally shining the lantern, finding the light of the moon enough. Your heart beats fast in your chest and your thoughts are a confused, jumbled mess. Every few minutes you glance over your shoulder, fearing that at any moment you'll see Vision Hunters, or Baal herself following after you.
By law, your Vision should have been given up. Baal had claimed it as her own; it wasn't yours any longer. You aren't sure what had driven you to defy her decree. Hubris, maybe. Or maybe you had disagreed with your Archon's way of ruling over her people, cracking the whip to remind everyone who was really in charge. Whatever the reason, Baal had found out. Spies and informants were everywhere. And her wrath had come crashing down upon you.
Your family home is gone, fire engulfing the estate one board and one stone at a time. Its burnt skeleton collapsing, heaving one last sigh, and giving up the fight. Your family is scattered, lost to the wind, and you have no idea if you'll ever see them again.
Everything is your fault; you groan in anguish. Seeing you lag behind, Kazuha draws to a halt.
"Is something wrong, Your Grace?" Kazuha asks, as tense as a bow stretched taut enough to break. "We have to keep moving."
You shake your head, your eyes heavy. "I – This is all my fault."
You wait for the blame to come. You'd once seen your Vision as a blessing, but now, tucked out of sight underneath your woollen cloak, it's nothing but a curse. Blood is on your hands, and he has every right to remind you of it. You deserve to hear it, though it might break you.
He's quiet for a moment, and though you can't meet his eyes, you can feel him looking at you. He reaches out to take your hand. It's a comfort you don't deserve.
"It is not your fault." He says. The conviction in his voice takes you by surprise. "This Vision Hunt and its consequences are not your fault."
You press your lips together to keep your protest down. Deep down, you know the truth lies in his words, but you don't want to believe it. You want to wrap your guilt around you like a cloak, but that doesn't help anyone but you.
"Where are we going?" You ask after a moment, focusing on the present instead of the past. To your relief, you manage to sound composed, instead of the mess of a person you know you really are.
"The overland route is dangerous, it will be safer travelling by sea. A boat will take us to Liyue. Things will be better there."
Liyue.
Despite yourself, you can feel your heart sinking. Everything is happening so quickly, falling upon you all at once. You want to believe that you'll be able to return back to Inazuma – your home – but you know that it's a foolish hope. You won't ever be safe, and Inazuma will have to remain a muddle of fond memories for as long as Baal remains in power.
Beneath your feet, the ground shifts from hard stone to sand. The smell of the sea is all around you, and you hear the crash of waves. Kazuha continues pulling you along behind him, occasionally casting an anxious glance over his shoulder. The sea seems to have taken on a new density, and you imagine that sharks are circling silently in the depths below. Clouds are blowing up over the horizon, and the storm seems to be brewing ever closer, ever nearer. You can't imagine how Kazuha plans to sail through it, but he seems strangely calm, his face carved white marble in the moonlight. If it weren't for how tightly he's clutching your hand in his, you wouldn't know he was nervous at all.
When the two of you are mere feet from the shore, Kazuha's grip on your hand tightens painfully, and he pushes you behind him, trapping you between his body and the cresting waves. Sea spray mists your ankles. You hear them before you see them, boots marching in tandem on the beach, a shout turned to gibberish on the wind, the clatter of swords being drawn from their scabbards. They're still far away, but they're approaching fast.
"Your Grace." There's a shifting of feet, the whispers of the wind, and five heartrending words. "Do you see those rocks?"
You understand instantly what he's asking, what he plans to do. Pain swells in your chest, until you think that you'll suffocate. "No."
Kazuha continues as if you've never spoken. "A boat is waiting there. You'll have safe passage to Liyue."
"Kazuha, please." You can barely see through the rapidly forming tears, and you can't finish as your voice breaks, and you're reduced to sobbing, choking upon your own words and your tangled, messy wad of feelings. "Please, please, please."
You know that neither of you has long, and fear clutches at your heart, terrified of what the Vision Hunters might to do him. He's in just as much danger as you are, with his own Vision clasped to the hilt of his sword.
"Stay with me. Please. You promised."
Kazuha looks physically pained as he wrenches his body away from yours. Tears seep from your eyes. Cool breaths tickle your face as even cooler hands reach up and touch your cheeks, swiping away at the tears as quickly as they form. Kazuha rests his forehead against yours.
"We will be reunited." Kazuha promises, the words as soft as a breeze. You inhale, instinctively leaning in to the hand cradling your cheek. "No matter where you are in this world, I will come and find you again."
Fresh tears trickle down your cheeks once again.
