Stardust

A L B E D O

Present Day, Mondstadt, Dragonspine

When Albedo opened his eyes, he felt the wet tears bite into his skin as he rolled over to empty his stomach. The feeling faded as only one thought existed. 'Kaeya.'

He scrambled to his feet, stopping for a second to give Diluc a good kick where he laid groaning. It was warm even though it should be freezing. Albedo's heart was racing–they were on Dragonspine. The sheer cold should-

Memories snapped into Albedo, blinding him for a second as his mind finally caught up. Dying in the snow, saved by himself. Burning Kaeya on a rainy night. Holding a dying man Albedo knew to be Crepus Raginvindr even though he had never seen the man.

The warmth.

Albedo's eyes snapped over, resting on Kaeya. He was so still, cradled in the melting snow. His shield sparkled, the light refracting through it, as the snowflakes dissolved against it.

"Kaeya," Albedo said, hitting his knees as he patted his cheek. It was not his most intelligent move, to slap someone who may have hit their head, but Kaeya always woke when anyone got near his eyepatch.

Breathing was good. Heartrate low, but not threateningly so. That Kaeya didn't even flinch as Albedo pushed a hair out of his eyes told Albedo he was out like a light. Unconscious, but okay.

Albedo breathed.

"What was that," Diluc said. Albedo paid him no mind, pulling Kaeya into his arms. Diluc blinked, startling before rushing forward, mouth gaping open and closed a fish Klee just blasted.

"He's out cold...the call of the abyss must have done it. I don't think he saw-ah," Albedo turned away because he was ashamed. Ashamed at what Diluc might have witnessed in his memories from his desperate, idiodic use of the ley lines. "Well, what you saw."

Diluc's eyes widened in understanding. "Those were your memories. Those places and the fire?" Albedo winced, 'of all the memories.' "That was Khanri'ah, wasn't it?"

Diluc pronounced Khanri'ah like he was born there.

"Move," Albedo said, unable to contemplate that right now. Kaeya's shield flickered before falling, as if he could sense that they were okay now. 'He's fine,' Albedo reminded himself.

The mountain was quiet now, the hole that tried to consume them gone without a trace. Kaeya's footprints just stopped in front of Durin's cave and vanished.

Despite only seeing it for a second, it was unmistakable. For whatever reason, the Abyss wanted him back. Whether it was the remnants of Khanri'ah searching for its lost heart or the hungry monster of the Abyss eager for power, Albedo did not know.

All he knew was they could not stay here.

Diluc kept his claymore out, ready and watching as Albedo paid his surroundings no mind. Now that the shield was gone, the cold was creeping in. Kaeya's cryo vision did nothing to warm him.

It was dark, too dark to descend the mountain with an unconscious Kaeya and unruly Abyssal creatures running around to try. They would have to reconvene at camp before returning to Mondstadt–this entrance to the Abyss wasn't feasible and Albedo wasn't about to descend without getting answers.

"We need to get back to the city," Diluc grimaced. "They ambushed us for a reason." Albedo knew that better than Diluc did. He knew how the Abyss worked. 'Lumine.'

"We can try but Kaeya has to wake first," Albedo said. "He's too cold." Diluc rushed forward, holding out his hands warmed by his vision. Albedo resisted the urge to step back, to refuse to allow those hands to even touch Kaeya– but that was the past. People changed.