Iridescent Ice

A Ghost's Secret

Jasmine stepped into Angel's Share late the next night. She put her head down on the counter. The past 24 hours had gone by in a blur. Unable to concentrate on anything, she had spent most of the day in bed. Kaeya expressed worry, but not even his playfulness brought her to her senses.

"Did something happen?" asked Diluc, setting a non-alcoholic drink in front of her.

She wrinkled her nose as she looked up. "Can I please have alcohol today?" I wanna drink myself dead."

Diluc raised an eyebrow. "Do that and I'll kick you out."

She sighed. "Then I guess I'll stick with this for now."

The door opened again, and she felt, rather than saw, someone sit beside her.

"Dandelion Wine."

The voice sounded like a child's and Jasmine turned to look at a boy whose two braids hung above his shoulders, a green cap on his head. "You're a child. Are you really allowed to drink alcohol?" She considered another question about his financial status, but then decided not to ask.

"Venti's not exactly a child, and his payment is in songs," said Diluc, setting a drink in front of him. Jasmine gave him a scrutinizing glance and Diluc returned it with a dry look. She growled slightly and he raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so fixated on alcohol today anyway?"

"I heard something yesterday and now my head keeps repeating it."

"What might that have been?" asked Diluc nonchalantly as he cleaned a glass.

"I'm just as curious," said Kaeya, entering with a gust of cool air. Diluc's expression changed to one of annoyance, while Jasmine considered her next words. Kaeya rested his arms on her shoulders as he leaned forward, his breath tickling her face. "Go on. We want to help."

"My dead sister."

Silence fell over the bar, and even Diluc froze, the glass half-cleaned. Kaeya took a seat next to her as Jasmine drained her glass in one go.

Venti twirled his glass. "How long has she been dead?"

"12 years."

He looked up with intelligent eyes, eyes seemed like they had seen countless ages come and go, countless lives appear and disappear, with no one left to speak their names. "Springvale's ghost."

Jasmine almost dropped her glass again, and Diluc seemed poised to catch it if she should. "How do you know that?"

He didn't answer that, but plunged on. "She's been refusing to move on for a while. Perhaps she too has a secret to share."

"Come on!" said Kaeya. Venti and Jasmine both turned to look at Diluc, who had snatched the bottle from Kaeya."

"You have to take the girl home. You're not getting drunk today."

"I can walk home by myself..."

"Absolutely not," said both Kaeya and Diluc in a firm voice that almost made her wilt.

Kaeya turned back to Diluc. "Fine, give me some of your famous Dandelion Wind then."

                                 *

The next morning, Jasmine heard the doorbell ring, the sound echoing through the house. She shared a look with Kaeya, who was sitting at the table, poring over a map. "Are you expecting someone?"

He shook his head, as Jasmine walked over to the door and pulled it open to come face-to-face with a pair of Knights. "If you're looking for Kaeya..."