Slapped by Reality (Venti Fanfiction)

Chapter 3

My little hangout with Venti lasted only about twenty minutes until Jean came, but to me, it seemed like hours upon hours. And aside from the voices in my head, I enjoyed every second, even the crying. I always feel a little better after crying, it feels like I cleanse myself of unbearable burdens.

I'm currently walking to Springvale to pack, the sky above a beautiful mixture of pink, orange, with just a tiny hint of purple. Sunset. My favorite time of the day.

And yet I'm not enjoying the beautiful sky. I'm thinking about my departure from Mondstadt. Venti had escorted me to the gates, saying that he also wanted to go to a tavern nearby.

When we exchanged our goodbyes, he said something that surprised me. The thought of it made me smile.

"Wanna go hunting together sometime?"

He wanted to hang out. The voices in my head were wrong.

By now, the clear skies are covered by leaves and tree limbs, and I stop walking. I'm almost at my house now. I've always loved my house, perched on a small slope, crates and flowerpots and other gadgets surrounding it. Though the grey-blue tiles of the roof are cracked and dirty, this house has endured various thunderstorms and rainstorms. Though the dusty, stone walls are chipped and covered with moss, they had survived through centuries and centuries with not one casualty.

This is my home. And I have to leave it.

I start to approach closer, but then I hear people. Shouting. And clanging pots. From my house.

I don't walk anymore. I run. And when I reach my doorstep, I see light coming from inside.

Panic. Another emotion that I've experienced way too many times. For me, it comes in two different versions: panic of doing something wrong. Afraid of being looked down at. Afraid of getting picked on, and regretting doing a certain thing. The other is truly when you're scared. Confused, lost, afraid of something, of someone. When you never did anything wrong, but bad things happen anyway. Where any kind of power seems to be stripped away, and there's nothing you can do.

This kind of panic, it's happened before. Hunting out late at night and getting attacked, or getting lost in the woods with no sense of direction.

But today, this panic. Today, I've felt enough to last a lifetime. Enough panic to last a million years.

I take a deep breath. I know how to fight, I'm a hunter. I wield a bow. I can use a knife. I have a dagger on me. It's all okay. Everything's okay.

'Lies. Everything's not okay. Not at all.'

I reach out for the cold doorknob. But before I fully turn it, I hear voices inside.

"Done with the kitchen?" A masculine voice yelled.

"No, sir! One last cabinet," another male voice responded.

Then I hear the crash of china.

'Mom's china set.'

Anger. Here it is. The second time. But stronger. It burns inside. I could just about explode. I want to choke the people in my house. As if today wasn't stressful enough, and now there are strangers in my home breaking valuable things!

I burst in, a glare on my face. Two men snap their heads at me, in knights of Favonius attire.

What?

My eyes glance to a completely destroyed kitchen. Once beautiful glass and plates and china are now shattered pieces on the counters and floor.

Huh?