The Tragedies of Life {A Genshin Impact OC Story}

Chapter 21: Facing What You Fear Most

"The book is a journal of a Fatui soldier. He's one of the 100 members of Fatui searching for you right now." Wanderer said, showing Kinoko the translated entries of the journal. She took the old and dusty book and read the scribbled words out of it.

"Day 42: No signs of the being. A dead corpse of an accomplice to the mission was found at the top of Devantaka Mountain. Camera stolen. I have been ordered to these coordinates..."

Kinoko looked down at the coordinates written out in messy handwriting. "How do you know for sure that you know where this is?" She asked him, handing the book back. They were walking on endless hills of grass, definitely leaving Gandharva Ville by now, the trees slowly disappearing over the horizon of the darkness.

"Because I think I've been there." He muttered bitterly, his pace quick and motivated.

"Well how long will it take? It's getting late."

"Exactly. No one will suspect your absence." He didn't even look at her as he walked. How rude, just taking her out of nowhere to somewhere where she hadn't even agreed to go.

But she was a little curious, and a little nervous. "We know there's people guarding the area there. It's probably not a good idea to go there..."

"Don't you want to see the place? Maybe it'll bring back memories. Besides, if you go there, it could direct Fatui away from Sumeru to look for you." He looked at a mountain up ahead, his blue eyes fixated on it. It didn't look like he had fond memories of the place, and most likely, neither did Kinoko.

She stayed quiet and focused on the grass beneath her. Not Wanderer, and not the mountain they were walking towards. It felt like impending doom to her, and her heart couldn't stop beating so fast. She was fidgeting with her fingers, pressing her thumb to her palms.

"We're here." Wanderer told her, walking up to the dusty brown wall of the mountain in front of them. His hand reached forward and let his wind blades shoot out of it, breaking a shield that wasn't even there before. There was a shattering sound, then the sound of a cut-out door sliding away from the wall, revealing a long and dark tunnel. "Come on." He started walking through the tunnel, the darkness slowly consuming him.

Kinoko remained frozen. Everything she's built her life on was right here, the place where she was abandoned. She took slow and hesitant steps into the tunnel. As they continued walking into the darkness of it, torches slowly lit themselves, casting an eerie glow on the carved out walls of the place. She stumbled back when she felt Wanderer's hands push her back around a corner. But it was too late. A Fatui agent had already seen her.

"You're her, aren't you?" The guard looked at her with a mixture of surprise and harshness, his gun loaded at his chest. "You're coming with me." He stepped forward, but Wanderer shoved him back.

"Not on my watch." Wanderer said as he shot out wind blades after the other, leaving the guard limp and half-conscious on the ground. It was a quick sight, and an easy target to take down.

Kinoko didn't exactly comprehend what was going on for a moment, she was just worried about the penetrating headache she had, and the memories from her nightmares happening over and over again. She came here, knowing she failed, and knowing she would be punished harshly 4 years ago. She didn't know what to make of that. She quietly followed Wanderer, keeping her head down. There were many sounds of fighting, but she never paid close attention to any of it.

"This could've been the room, I believe." Wanderer spoke quietly, his eyes scanning the wooden barricade of a door in front of them. He held no emotion, except for maybe one of slight sadness.

Kinoko stared at it and nodded. "Yeah, it's the room."

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I walked down this long hallway. I didn't even know why someone as prestigious as La Signora chose this as a base for the time being.