No Matter What

34

CHILDE'S POV:

I failed.
As much as I rattle on these chains, I know they won't break. They're thick, solid. All I'm doing is creating bruises around my wrists. My heart is in absolute shambles, and I can't contain my tears.

I did so much to prevent this from happening. In the end, being associated with me was always doomed for them. I inserted myself into Zhongli's life, knowing he had a child, and I put him and so many others in danger. This is my fault. This is all my fault.

There's no point anymore. If they have my family... if they're already dead... then what's the point of going on? I don't want to go on without them.

I stare up at the ceiling, tears fogging my vision as I take slow, trembling breaths. How could I have been so daft? I walked right into his trap. I've never made a mistake as terrible as this in my entire career. I let my sense of revenge cloud my judgement. I shouldn't have acted so soon. So carelessly.

My eyes shift around the room, looking for things that could possibly aid in releasing me from my guilt and misery, when my gaze shifts to the door above the stairwell.

Someone's coming? No, multiple people? What's all that noise? It sounds like a struggle... My lips part, brows furrowed as I sit still as stone and listen to the rumbling above. It sounds as though chairs and tables are being moved and thrown about. I also hear shouting and then... gunshots?

I remain quiet, eyes glued tight to the door I feel will open at any moment. They were going to come down here, and they were going to shoot me too. And if my family truly is dead, well... I'd welcome it.

There is definitely a struggle going on up there. Are the mob members fighting each other? Or, did someone else come in and ambush them? I sit up a bit straighter. If it's someone else, maybe they'll unleash me and I can go make sure my family is safe.

Two more gunshots and the struggle seems to stop. I lean back against the pole, ready for it to be my turn. Muffled whispers can now be heard against the door. It sounds like... women? I can't really tell. If they're enemies of the mob, maybe I can convince a few women to let me go a bit easier than a group of men if I mention my kids. If there is a chance they made it out alive, I wouldn't want to upset them further.

I can hear the door handle turn a few times, all the while I'm holding my breath. It takes a few tries and bickering, but it eventually clicks, and the door opens slowly after, letting in a bit of light.

I squint to see who is standing in the doorway, then my chest caves in on itself so tight I have to force myself to breathe.

"Xiao?!" I say, almost standing, but the chains pull me back down.

"Dad?" I hear my son's voice, and immediately, my eyes fill with tears.

"Oh my fucking god..." I sob. I collapse into myself, breathing heavily and trying to hold it together. "Oh my god..." I lift my head again, face soaked. "You're still here. You're still here... but, what are you doing here?"

"Looks like we're saving you this time," Xiao says, then the three boys make their way quickly down the stairs.

"Oh my god," I say again, sniffling. "Lyney... Aether..." I eye the other two, who look back at me. Lyney is crying too. He bends down by me to give me a hug I wish I could reciprocate. "I'm so glad you guys are okay. But, how did you find me? How did you get here? Did you come here alone? Where's Zhongli? Where's Freminet?"

"Dad's in trouble," Xiao says quickly. "We have to hurry. He's hurt... He's got a knife in his chest. He's still alive, it didn't hit his heart I don't think. But we have to hurry. Frem is there with him. He's fine."

"What?!" I shout. My heart sinks, eyes wide as I frantically nod toward the desk. "See if there's a key somewhere. Get me out of this thing. Fuck... Hurry!"

"I got a set of keys." Aether reaches in his pocket and pulls out a key ring, jingling it at me before bending down by the lock and trying them out. "Stole it off the guy out there."

"Did you kill him?" I say, scared for the answer. As much as I wanted him dead, I'd feel awful if this kid killed him because I couldn't do it myself.

Aether nods slowly. "I shot him... Lyney kneed him in the groin and I shot him... I'm sorry, but he almost killed Xiao. He grabbed him at knifepoint and I had a gun... I also shot the guys at the hotel... but they were going to kill Mr. Zhongli... I didn't know what else to do..."

The lump in my throat grows harder and harder. I feel terrible. This poor kid killed people on our behalf. This is exactly why I didn't want him to get involved. Then again, had he not been here, it's possible that neither would my family...

I shake my head and offer a small smile. "No," I say. "No, you did good. You were just trying to protect the ones you care about. They were going to hurt your loved ones. It was either them or us. Thank you. You're so loyal, Aether. You remind me a lot of myself."

Aether looks up at me, pausing for a moment with the keys, face bright. "So... you approve?" he says.

I smile weakly. "I'll think about it after you get me out of these chains."

"Right." Aether hurries with the keys, until finally, something clicks. The chains fall, and I waste no time wiggling my way from the rest until I'm on my feet. I nearly fall backwards at the sudden pain in my head. I almost forgot I'd been whacked earlier and my head was probably still bleeding a little. Not to mention the blows to the gut.

"Come on," I say. "Let's get the hell out of here." The boys help stabilize me, and I grab onto whoever's shoulders are closest and egg them along.

Xiao wraps an arm around my torso and lays his head on me as we walk up the steps. "I'm glad you're okay," he says. "I don't want to lose my dads..."

I almost lose it again, holding back so many tears I've refused to cry in front of him. I had already let them all out earlier.

"I'm not going down that easily," I say. But ironically enough, I nearly faint at the top of the steps. I must have lost more blood than I thought. It's a good thing I had dinner, else I'd probably have been out cold for quite a bit. The boys attempt to stabilize me again—I'm like a house threatening to fall on the cars below by the time we make it to the front door.

"Are you sure you can drive, Dad?" Xiao says. "Maybe Lyney should drive. He's the oldest."

I shake my head. "I can do it," I say, looking at Xiao and seeing two of him. I press a palm to my eye, rubbing at the dried blood now clumped in my lashes. The last thing I want to do is kill everyone in a car accident after all this. I sigh, turning to Lyney. "Do you know how to drive?"

Lyney frowns. "Umm..." he pauses to think, which isn't a good sign. "I drove once before."

I reach into my pockets, then realize I don't have my phone, keys, or wallet. "Fuck. My shit..."

"I'll look," Aether says, running over to where—judging my the mess—they'd fought the man earlier. I start getting antsy. I want nothing more than to get back to my husband and make sure he's okay. Just as I'm about to call for Aether to hurry, he emerges from a room with my stuff.

"Well, your phone is smashed," he says, showing me the crushed screen with the back missing a battery. "But your keys and wallet are here."

I snatch them, looking into my wallet to make sure my ID is still there. "It's fine," I say, throwing Lyney the keys. "Drive. Let's go."

"But—" Lyney whines.

"Now!" I raise my voice, not at him, but because the longer we take, the longer it takes for me to check on Zhongli. The thought of him slipping into death with every second that passes is driving me mad.

Lyney doesn't argue this time. I let go of Xiao and Aether and with my blurred vision and pulsing stomach, I walk myself through the doors and lead them to where I parked my car. My breaths are deep and shaky, but my adrenaline is stronger. I'm not going to let my love die because of me.
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TO BE CONTINUED (please vote 💛)