Archon Quest: Custom Night [FNAF/Genshin]

Chapter 16: Time Flies

"So, the Geo Archon, huh?" Kaeya tapped his chin, staring at the sword and shield on his closet floor, "I'll admit, I had my suspicions. Rex Lapis's death makes sense now. An Archon like you wouldn't have been killed so easily."

Sighing, he ran the question through his mind once more: if Khaenri'ah and Mondstadt went to war, which side should he support? He felt like a ghost in his own body, a shell of what he should be. His life wasn't supposed to be like this; he was supposed to be free after Master Crepus's death. Otherwise, was it all in vain? What did Crepus die for if not to save his sons? Could Kaeya even call himself a son? The thoughts were growing to be too much for him; he found out about Zhongli's godly status days ago, yet he still couldn't shake the thought away. Was his friend now a foe? Should he run? Should he hide? What about his kids? His heart pumped faster, blood rushing through his veins. His room was growing hot, too hot, so he sprinted outside to ease the suffocation. He retreated to the balcony, stumbling to the floor and holding his head. As he curled into the corner of the railings, he panted to calm himself down.

It was nighttime, as he suspected. Diluc had Michael, Yanfei had Elizabeth, Childe had Evan...although the solitude was relieving, he felt as though he was losing the people he loved all over again. As he continued to lose himself, he lost them along the way, too.

He knew the children would only find out more about his upbringing. As careful as Diluc was, it was inevitable that some day, he would slip Michael information about what happened between the two brothers. Yanfei might answer Elizabeth's questions about Khaenri'ah—Kaeya blessed her curious mind—and Evan...

Evan already knew about his origins. But, as he grew stronger and adventured the world more, would he learn something else? Would he tell that information to Childe? Would Kaeya lose them both? He wished they would understand that his lies were to protect as much as they were to deceive. Maybe the only one he was protecting, though, was himself.

"Kaeya, I can't be with someone who keeps secrets from me. It just—it doesn't work."

"Can't you make an exception for me?" he wanted to ask, but he knew that wasn't fair. Childe deserved honesty, which was what Kaeya couldn't give him the last time they tried to date. He didn't forget, though, that he never told Childe everything he remembered.

"Yep. Khaenri'ah. And you're...okay with that?"

That was where the conversation about Khaenri'ah ended. Childe didn't know why Kaeya was sent to be the spy in Mondstadt, but if he was being honest with himself, even Kaeya could barely remember.

He inhaled, rubbing his face clean. He hated the feeling of his cries; he felt pathetic. What could crying do for him? It didn't make his father change his mind and take him home, it didn't make Diluc stop attacking him, what good was it?

"Shh, it's okay, Kaeya. You're still strong. You don't have to tell me what happened to you, but just know, I'll always be here for you."

Master Crepus wrapped him in his arms, stroking the soft, blue locks of hair on his sixteen-year-old head. He remembered sobbing into the man's chest, his pain becoming too much to bear. At the time, Diluc still cared for him, and he asked what was wrong. Kaeya didn't answer.

On the balcony, he wrapped his arms around his own torso as he took long breaths. He tried not to think about how much his heart missed Master Crepus, and he shakily pulled himself up from the floor. Just as he was placing his forehead into his palm, the balcony door opened.

"'Lizabeth?" he glanced from his palm, and she looked at him with tired eyes.

"Hi, Kaeya," Elizabeth bowed her head, "Sorry, no one was inside, and I got lonely..."