Kaedehara 'Kujou Killer' Kazuha

The End.

I wait for you- Alex G

"Fire and ice cannot exist in harmony, either you freeze or I burn"

Rain fell softly, gently kissing the fresh soil. The tiny drops slowly darkened the gravestone.

Here lies Captain Kaeya Alberich

 Beloved to all- a son, a brother, a friend.

In another life...

The figure stood by the grave, hair as red as the vision that glowed on his waist and the anguish that burned deep in his soul.

Tears fell as his body wracked with silent sobs. He lowered and placed the bouquet of calla lilies, tied with a frost blue ribbon, in front of the stone. He remained there for a moment, hardly daring to breath for fear of disturbing the still air that hung in the graveyard.

They had come so close...so so close to repairing the old wounds, to being brothers again...and now he was dead. He bowed his head in defeat, holding onto the gravestone to prevent himself from falling to the floor.

Rain continued falling as Diluc mourned by his brother's gravestone, their chance of amends gone.

He never got to apologise and now he never would.

The rest of the earth around the  grave darkened from the continuous rain, Kaeya's grave however remained shielded by his brother, only momentarily until that soil darkened too, with tears.

It had been a month since his brothers murder, the fate he had sealed for himself. The last victim of the famed Kujou Killer and also the one to bring him to justice. 

He had stood away, watching as people came to pay their respects, it comforted him that Kaeya wasn't alone after he had left. It was the only comfort he felt and even that was tainted. He never visited the grave, instead he sat by the counter of the tavern and waited, he waited for Kaeya to walk in, to annoy him with a cocky smile and start his teasing.

But it never came, the tavern bell remained still and the only sounds he heard now were Adelinde's sobs and the roaring in his ears.

He left.

Diluc had stood afar and watched on as the grave received it's heartbroken visitors.

Bennet laughing through tears as he told Kaeya about how someone had finally joined his adventure team, scolding Kaeya for missing it.

Jean who sobbed and sobbed, bitter in her loss and furious 'It didn't have to be you, it never did' there was never a response and she simply sobbed on.

Klee, her face confusion and sadness as she asked big brother Albedo why they were here instead of visiting Kaeya like he had promised. Her brother could only manage a choked noise in response, quickly looking away.

Rosaria, Lisa, Amber, Margaret, Marjorie, Charles, Huffman, Otto, Hertha, Eula, Mika, Venti...

The list went on as gifts piled onto the earth by the grave.

Bottles of wine, swords and shields from the Knights, books, toys, souvenirs, trinkets, letters, poems.

He watched as people entered the graveyard and departed. Often without the closure they had come for. No matter who you asked they all agreed on the same thing.

It didn't have to be him.

And none felt that harder than Diluc.

As he remained kneeling before his brother, footsteps sounded out behind him. He turned to see Jean, her eyes wide and bright. She stammered an apology and made to leave but he motioned for her to stay. She knelt beside him, closing her eyes momentarily. 

The two sat in heavy silence before Jean suddenly broke it, her eyes wide with realisation

 'I finally know why he never wanted that promotion' Diluc remained motionless as she paused before continuing, her voice cracking.

'You were cavalry captain before you left weren't you.'

She didn't need an answer to her question. Diluc stayed frozen, staring straight ahead. 

She paused and leant over, pressing her lips to the cold stone. She turned to Diluc, lips parted before  hesitating and deciding against saying anything more. Instead she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder before rising and leaving, swiping at her tears with her gloved hand.

Diluc blood froze as the realisation hit him

It was lucky that Jean had departed in a hurry, if she had been nearer she surely would've heard the anguished howl that tore through his body, rendering him senseless as the grief finally fully engulfed him.

and just like how the residents of Mondstadt never received their closure, my dear reader , you won't either...

The End