The Dark Side Of Dawn.

the beginning of the end.

His horrified scream echoed through the streets of Mondstadt, awaking any citizen that wasn't still up. Which was most. It was unusual for people to still be up at this hour of the night, when the moon hung high in the sea of stars, the gentle moonlight like a blanket over the city. Diluc wished more than anything that he was one of those citizens. Someone normal. But no, instead he was standing here, tears rolling down his cheeks as an indescribable feeling of dread rose through him.

No.

Oh archons no.

The redhead staggered forward before falling heavy onto his knees, watching as crimson dripped from their lips, the sword that was snuggled lovingly into their chest all too familiar.

"Kaeya," he'd mutter, reaching forward and pressing two firm hands on their shoulders, ignoring the way their shuttering, haltering breaths hitched in their throat, struggling to get oxygen into their chest.
"Kaeya," Diluc repeated, sterner this time. His trembling hands pulling his brother onto his lap, ignoring how light their body was. Broken sobs tearing from his throat.

There's a warning. A sound that your heart makes the first time it realises that everything's gone to shit.

Except it's not clean, not as clear as a shatter, or even a crack. If his heart was broken, then it was easy to repair if he could find all the pieces again. But it doesn't break. It's quiet. So quiet that you almost don't realise until the moment has already passed. You don't realise the assassination until the air has already been ripped from your lungs. But you hear this noise and it somehow convinces you that there is another breath to be taken. But there never is. There never was. No matter how hard you fight and you thrash you can't go down easily. Because this thing that we call love has dug its claws so hard into you that it refuses to go down in a single swig. Instead, it has to be choked out, held beneath the water until it finally stops kicking, finally stops struggling. Until you finally be rid of its final breath. But then, by that time you're too far under. You've been sucked too deep, and it's too late to return to the surface to save yourself. Not even to take one final breath of air.

The first time Diluc experienced this was when his father died.

But people told him to keep swimming. That's what they told Diluc. That it'd get better. But the little, tiny flicker of hope, of light that's left in your soul can't even float, let alone tread forward. So, he was left with a choice. To either die whilst people constantly bicker about how he was weak, how he could be doing so much more with his life, his legacy. Or he could learn to breathe. Adapt to his surroundings.

He chose to breathe.

He chose to breathe, and it left him here.

"Kaeya," Diluc raised his voice, shaking his brothers' limp body, desperate for them to wake up and tell him that it was one of their sick jokes.

They didn't wake up.

"Kaeya, please- why are you so still? Wake up!" he'd protest, crimson licking at his once clean gloves, their blood soaking his clothing and the pavement below them. He couldn't believe it. No- no he wasn't too late. He couldn't be too late.

He felt a spark of hope light when they opened their eye- just barely. The blue glimmering in the moonlight. But something was missing. Something was wrong. So, so wrong.

"Diluc-" The sound of his brother's weak voice barely whimpering his name only managed to break him further. Fuck, he wasn't being broken, his heart and soul was being thrown and stepped on. Over and over again.

"I-I'm sorry, for... everything," the blue haired boy coughed up some more blood before closing their eyes once more, their neck no longer able to keep their head up, their body growing limp.

The redhead pressed a gloved hand to their neck, his breathing becoming heavier, more desperate, as he realised. Kaeya's tanned skin was already cold, still, lifeless. There was no pulse. No heartbeat. Nothing.

"Kaeya- no please- you can't be gone-" The red head muttered, shaking violently. He must've looked like a small child, rocking back and forth on his knees as he cradled what was once his brother in his arms, holding them as close as he could. His tears staining their clothing, a shaky palm wrapping around the cool, blue steel that was dug deep into their chest.

"Surely someone can help- I'll get Barbara- or- or anyone. Just please- wake up- you can't be gone-"he'd wail, sorrow and despair clawing at his hollow heart.

He was empty.

Kaeya was gone.

Forever.

No more jokes over the bar. No more vases. No more birthday wishes. No more lies. Nothing.

There was no more Kaeya.

And the worst part was that he knew he couldn't do anything about it. There was nothing he could do to help the cause. He knew the knights would perhaps hold a funeral service, but would then cover up the incident and move on like it was nothing.

Like what they did to his father.

Diluc clutched Kaeya's lifeless body close, afraid that if he let go, there'd be nothing left of them.

This was the second time his heart clicked.

The second time yet another part of Diluc's soul was torn away from him.