vision • diluc

xxv

• third person •

"They're drooping a little."

The head housemaid tapped her chin, as the butler glanced around the door.

"Hm?"

"I somehow made them droop," she murmured.

Blinking, Elzer walked into the room, approaching the nightstand where the two flowers sat peacefully.

Adelinde had a clear frown on her lips.

"They're still glowing aren't they?" Elzer questioned.

Adelinde raised her head. "What?"

Elzer was smiling.

"The small lamp grass. They're still glowing brightly. So it's all fine."

Adelinde fell silent, averting her gaze, watching the two flowers sway softly in the warm breeze flowing through the windows.

"Yeah... They might just need a little more water... hehe."

• • •

Without another thought, Kaeya rushed into the small house.

His brother was standing still, silent, a shimmering piece of jewellery just sitting in the palm of his hand, staring at it, his eyes wide and unmoving.

"Diluc," Kaeya called. His lips turned downwards. "Diluc."

"What have I done..?" Diluc whispered.

Kaeya shook his head. "You didn't do anything. You didn't do anything, okay?"

Diluc remained. Frozen. A much too familiar wetness rolled down his cheeks.

"I betrayed everyone," he murmured. His hands trembled. "Everyone."

Kaeya sighed. "Diluc–"

"I told her your secret," Diluc's breath fell staggered, "when I was poisoned. I told her. I betrayed you."

"It doesn't matter."

"I betrayed Father. Father's wishes for me and the Knights."

"I betrayed Mondstadt. I didn't help at all."

"I betrayed (Y/N)."

"Diluc, you're being irrational."

"I hid everything."

Kaeya approached his older brother. Diluc remained still, his breathing becoming quicker by the second.

He grabbed his hand, taking the ring out of his sight. Diluc didn't dare move, didn't dare react. He couldn't even look Kaeya in the eye.

His chest heaved, quickened breaths rising and falling and rising from his lungs, quicker and quicker to the roars of the snowstorm. Kaeya clasped his brother's hand tightly.

"You need to breathe first-and-foremost. Get a grip of yourself, Diluc. Hey. It's okay."

A sudden knock caused Kaeya to freeze. Diluc hadn't taken notice of it at all, and was in no state of mind to either. It was only now that Kaeya had realised that they were stranded in an unknown, definitely dangerous place, with definitely dangerous people around.

Who was at the door? Fatui? Gloria?

To think that that woman had caused Diluc of all people to lose himself like this... Kaeya knew that she was not a force to be reckoned with.

The door handle twisted. Kaeya's eye sharpened, shielding Diluc.

"Sorry for the intrusion."

Kaeya's eyebrow raised as a gruff voice came.