When the Stars Fall [Genshin Impact]

Chapter 15: Lest We Leave Our Sorrows Asunder

The door to the Dawn Winery opened silently. Kaeya stepped in, and shut the door behind him.

It had been a long, long time since he had been welcomed into this place. But surely the invitation wasn't just to reminisce?

Diluc was already waiting at the large table that adorned the room, but did not stand up to greet his brother. Kaeya took the initiative and took his own seat at the table, directly across from Diluc.

His eyes wandered over to a rather peculiar vase, colourful and out of place among the antiques of the room. Kaeya didn't realise Diluc had kept it after all these years. He smiled very subtly to himself.

"Well, dear brother. What seems to be so urgent you request my presence almost immediately?" Kaeya propped his two elbows in front of him, his two hands interlocked. But looking at Diluc's state, eyes dull and heavy, posture slumped, there was something definitely wrong. He didn't even object to Kaeya referring to him as his brother.

"Y/N is gone."

"What?" 

"Did you not hear me the first time? Y/N is gone."

Kaeya reeled as Diluc snapped back irritably. "I don't understand, I-"

"What about this do you not understand? My sister is gone." Diluc slammed his hands onto the table.

His sister. Not 'our' sister. His.

"Hey, hey. There's still hope, alright? Just tell me what happened. Fill me in and we can sort this out."

Diluc slumped back into his chair, drawing out a long, heavy sigh as he crossed his arms. "Sorry. That was quite rash of me."

Wow. Diluc apologising to Kaeya? That was a first. Kaeya supposed the stress he was under was causing him to act even more snappy and short-tempered than before.

"You know that Y/N has been investigating the meteors for the best of this week, yes?"

Kaeya nodded.

"She mentioned working with an Inazuman man. She didn't know why he was there, or why he was helping her, but they seemed to be on good terms," Diluc continued. "She rode to Liyue yesterday to chase after some of my missing workers."

"Have you seen her since?" 

"Yes, I did. Y/N came back early afternoon today. She dropped off the two workers and I looked out my window. Pavo was spooked by something and threw her off as she was heading to the stables. Pavo ran off to somewhere in Wolvendom, and she took my horse to chase after her."

Kaeya was silent. There was a dark feeling sinking into him.

"I left Dawn Winery to follow her, to make sure she was okay and not hurt. It took me a lot longer because she was on a horse and I wasn't. By the time I got there, she was gone. I ran into some Fatui, and they said that their boss was busy with her."

"She was taken by Fatui?"

"She activated the Thundering. By the time I got to where she was, the only thing left was an empty quiver of arrows."

"The Thundering? The same thing she did when she…" Kaeya murmured.

"When she got her vision." Diluc confirmed. "So she had to have felt she was in serious danger to have unleashed it."

"This… this is bad."

"I asked you to come here so that I could tell you I'm leaving under the guise that me and Y/N have gone travelling for business. You cannot tell the Knights of Favonius. They're already as incompetent as they are."