See pinned post (first chapter) for story credits and warnings.
Chapter warnings: violence, blood, battles
Darkness enveloped you completely, the sound of what you could only assume were birds filled your ears. Grunting, you rolled onto your side as something warm and soft cradled your entire form. The plush thing you lay on did its best to pull you back into that darkness, but the sounds around you made it impossible.
Your eyes fluttered open, and you were immediately blinded by light rays shining through the open curtain of the room sheltering you. Confusion filled your head as you tried to recall the details of last night.
You went out drinking with Kaeya and Venti.
Pulling the dark covers from your body, you swung your legs over the edge of the mattress and examined the room. A glass of half-drank water sat beside your bed on a cute wooden end table. What looked to be a white candle sat beside the glass. Its silver polished holder looked extravagant. Now that you thought about it, this entire room looked very elegant, almost as if this place was owned by someone with a lot of money.
Your heart jumped at the sound as your eyes darted to the door. Quickly jumping up from the bed, you shuffled around the room, fixing your hair in the rather charming mirror on the wall before straightening out your dress.
"Come in," you called out to the mysterious guest.
You watched curiously as the doorknob turned with a squeak, and Kaeya stepped out from behind the door.
"Well, hello there, sleepyhead. I was worried you'd be asleep all morning. How's that headache?" He seemed rather chipper first thing in the morning. How he managed it, you'd never know. But damn, he did it, and he did it well.
"Surprisingly, I have no headache. I guess the water fairy who blessed me with this gift saved me from that hell."
You motioned to the glass on the nightstand. The night had gone on so long, and you all got so wasted you couldn't remember half of the things that happened after Kaeya's story time.
"That fairy was Diluc. He noticed how you weren't keeping well hydrated, so he started giving you water like a concerned mother. It was actually funny to see him so attentive." Kaeya let out a laugh as he imagined how Diluc tried to convince your drunken self to drink water, but you adamantly denied it.
"He had to give you grape juice watered down and convince you it was liquor before you could be convinced to drink water."
Kaeya let out a loud belly laugh as he recalled the previous night. A deep crimson flamed up your heated cheeks as your hands balled up at your side. A wave of pure embarrassment flooded your body as you spun around to avoid seeing him laugh.
(E/c) hues locked onto the floor as you slapped your cheeks in a weak attempt at calming yourself down. What could have been more humiliating? The fact that you were drunk with Venti and Kaeya singing stupid songs all night, or the fact that Diluc "daddied" you all night after closing up.
"I'll never be able to face him again!" You whined out dramatically as you fell face-first into the sheets. The covers puffed out around you before deflating just as you did. You lay there, face covered in the soft sheets, all while Kaeya's footsteps grew closer.
"Hey now, no need to feel bad. He's just like that with people. He might look scary, but Diluc isn't the type to let anyone feel bad for just having a human experience. I also doubt Venti cared. I know the behavior didn't bother me one bit."
Kaeya's words helped you feel less ashamed and more comfortable. That's right. These guys were genuinely sweet men. It wouldn't make any sense that they would be upset with you.
Rolling onto your side, you peered up at Kaeya, who was now sitting on the side of the bed. His weight added to the mattress caused your body to shift slightly closer.
Though his body beside yours wasn't unwelcome, you felt like it may have been a bit too much for your heart after that embarrassment hitting you. Wiggling enough to get your feet on the ground, you slowly sat up, straightening yourself as you rested along the edge of the bed beside him.
"I guess I should go and thank him." A lighthearted chuckle left your lips, your eyes slowly glancing up at his. He looked so peaceful for some reason. Unable to place why, you just felt your eyes lock onto his, taking in the serenity his face held. Last night might have been something he needed.
"Kaeya, is (y/n)-" Diluc's voice rang out from the hall, only to stop mid-sentence as his red hues flickered between you both.
An awkward silence filled the air.
"Forgive my intrusion." Diluc's gloved hand grabbed the knob and slowly shut the door. The creak of the wood helped you realize what he thought, and before he could shut the door completely, you were already up. The guiding hands of the wind from your anemo vision swung the door open as you held your hands up nervously.
Kaeya and Diluc were left speechless after your little outburst. After everything you've seen, this was probably the worst thing yet. Unable to fully control your new powers, your emotions spiraled a bit, causing the vision to activate.
A sigh left your lips as you clapped your hands together in a mock prayer.
"Please do not assume such things of me. Kaeya and I are mere friends and nothing else."
Kaeya stood tall, placing a reassuring hand on your shoulder as he leaned down. His smile was caring, almost protective. The fact that you said you both were friends must have made him feel happy, considering you just met yesterday.
You cannot forget that even though you know these characters, they do not know you. Dial it back.
"If that is alright with you," you made sure to add while he lightly rubbed his thumb against your shoulder.
"I would be more than happy to be your friend." With a shit-eating grin, Kaeya's attention went back to Diluc, who was standing there looking confused but a little more content. He seemed happy that he wasn't walking in on something he shouldn't see.
"Pardon the assumption. My intention wasn't to make you uncomfortable. Please, come down when you're ready. Breakfast is being served soon."
With that, he walked off, but not before his eyes glanced along your features once more. Something about the way he looked at you filled you with a new type of excitement.
Kaeya moved his hand from your shoulder, walking past you as he tossed his hand up, waving back at you before vanishing down the hall. The sound of his steps slowly faded into the distance, and you were left standing there feeling a newfound happiness. Making your way over to the window, your eyes widened in shock and pleasant surprise. Well-tended grape fields went on as far as your eye could see. A glorious golden sun beamed down, illuminating the beloved farmland. Trees danced in the wind.
This was the Dawn Winery.
A gust of wind flowed through the open windows, sweeping up your hair while the whisper of a familiar voice thanked you for the fun time. Was it in your mind that you heard this soft voice, or has the Anemo God truly shown his thanks?
Closing your eyes, you allowed the wind's touch to grace your body, allowing it to envelop you in its caring embrace. The gentle touch of the wind had given you a similar feeling to a warm hug gifted to you from a close friend.
Inhaling deeply, you opened your eyes and made your way down the stairs. Making your way down the hall, you noticed Kaeya stepping out of the front entrance, waving off a few of Diluc's maids. He was accompanied by what looked to be fellow Knights.
Now that you thought about it, Kaeya bringing you to stay with Diluc and him allowing it seemed a little odd. Clutching your chest, your mind raced as something strange overcame you. Your hands met the wooden rails, nails digging against the stained wood, all while your mind was flooded with images of that strange creature that stabbed you that fateful night.
Images burst behind your eyes in a way that was too quick to comprehend. Then the whisper of a deep, soothing voice echoed in your mind. Its words sounded far off, like a weak signal. Only bits of what he was saying filtered through.
"I grant you...---...gift...---..you..---..always...desires."
An electric whine erupted inside your mind, forcing your body to the ground. The lights burned your eyes as the sound grew louder and louder, cracking the very fabric of your sanity. Something chipped away at your mind bit by bit as the electric buzzing sound amplified, hitting an impossibly horrid level of noise. Quickly covering your ears, you let out a pained whimper, slamming your eyes shut all while the sound attacked your body and mind.
The pain of the knife filled you once again, causing you to gag in fear and agony.
Something strange was carved along the blade. The odd symbols glowed a fierce purple, like a smog of hate seeping from the words after your blood touched it.
"(Y/n)?" Diluc's voice cut through the sound, forcing your eyes to search for him. It's as if your eyes were glued shut. It felt like they were open, but all you could see was darkness.
"Diluc. Help. I can't-" reaching out, you felt someone directly in front of you. Without thinking, you clung desperately to their arm as your head ripped around wildly, searching.
The same smog slowly crept up along your body, appearing seemingly out of nowhere to devour you whole.
The strange mist touched your skin, and you were filled with an immediate sense of pain. The smell of rot filled your nose as the smoke slowly began burning up along your flesh, causing necrosis along every inch it touched.
You watched in horror as your body, now floating through darkness, slowly rotted away. The skin changing to a frustrated red, then quickly becoming a deep purple. Your skin flaked away, your blood turned to dust as you watched your muscle fall from the bone.
Letting out a bloodcurdling scream, you felt yourself vanish into nothing.
Diluc screamed out your name once more while two sets of large hands began grabbing your arms, holding you tightly.
A giggle sounded around you as you felt the stinging stop. Your hair lifted with the power of a strong gust, and the fog dispersed as if it was never there to begin with.
Your flesh built back onto itself like a puzzle being put together, as the loving hands in the wind helped keep you as one.
Gasping out in relief, you finally saw.
Diluc was standing in front of you, looking extremely serious. His brows furrowed down in worry as his red hues scanned every inch of your face. Pure panic lay behind his orbs as he assessed the situation.
"Your eyes, something strange happened," he whispered out as he brought his hand to his face. Biting his gloved middle finger, he tore off the cover, tossing it aside before feeling your head.
"Have you come in contact with the abyss?" This was new. Diluc was always so well put together and able to hide his concerns fairly well. This wasn't the Diluc you'd known in the game. There was pure, unfiltered fear laced behind his eyes as he caged your face in his palms. His gloved hand was a cool contrast to the skin-on-skin contact of his other hand.
"No...no, I don't believe so...I...what happened to me?"
He stood up, helping you to your feet as his maids scurried around you both.
"Please give us some space. We may need to contact the traveler. Your eyes...they..." His words died in his throat while he guided you down the stairs.
"Diluc." Your voice was but a whisper now. He hummed a soft reply as you stopped midway down the stairs. All you wanted right now was a smidgen of normalcy.
"Would we still be able to eat?" Diluc looked like he was slapped for a moment. After all that, you were thinking about food? Raising a brow, he gave you a look of uncertainty but sighed when he understood it would be best to take care of yourself, even when you felt like this.
You and Diluc made your way back into town, walking along the dirt path paved by caravans and travelers alike. The breakfast was lovely, and thankfully the maids didn't pester you about what happened. It was easier when you didn't have a ton of people bombarding you with hundreds of questions. Besides, it's not like you'd be able to tell them anything.
Was it smart hiding all of this from Diluc? Your mind wandered to the traveler. They were pretty accepting of them when they found out they were from another world.
Maybe you could explain it to him.
"Diluc, I need to be honest with you, but I beg you hear me out before making assumptions. I also ask you to keep this a secret."
His curiosity was piqued at those words. Nodding his head, he stopped, pulling you from the path for a moment to rest under the shade of one of the large trees in the field.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he looked down at you, awaiting your words.
There was a hint of suspicion in his tone as his blazing eyes glanced you over yet again. He did that a lot.
"I am not of this realm."
He remained stone-faced and attentive, just silently listening, without judgment.
"I was coming home from work, and I saw a man. He blocked my path. He had a knife. All I know is that when he plunged that knife into me, something happened. He had these strange red eyes. It's not a red I've ever seen. It's almost like I couldn't comprehend what I was seeing. He adorned a black half mask that covered most of his face, all but his teeth."
As you continued to explain that night, along with the things you saw in your mind in the winery, you could see the alarm crying out behind his eyes.
"Who else have you told this? Does Kaeya know?"
The guilt ate away at you as you shook your head no. It felt strange telling Diluc but not Kaeya.
"Good. I won't tell anyone. Although..." His voice dropped, and he suddenly became more serious. "I urge you to explain everything you told me to the traveler when we meet up with him. He may know more than you think."
You both continued your trek to the city, bumping into a few people on the way there. Just when you were closing in on the bridge, you spotted the young boy who usually protected the pigeons being chased by a group of Hilichurls. Panic sewed in his expression as his body collapsed, breathless, on the ground.
Dirt flew around him as he let out a cry, scraping his hands and knees on the gravel below.
A flash of red streaked from behind, quickly darting towards the child. Within the blink of an eye, a large claymore struck the Hilichurl's sword before it could strike down the child. There stood Diluc, protecting the child. Swinging his blade, the beast was forced back. It let out a loud, angry battle screech as the other Hilichurls quickly ran alongside their brethren. Flames burst from Diluc's claymore as he charged the beast, slicing the marvelous sword through the air like a knife through butter.
The way he handled the sword with such grace and speed was breathtaking. His balance and agility almost felt like a performance to watch. Your eyes gazed upon him as he continued his dance through the battle.
Shaking your head, you remembered the bow. Without a second thought, you materialized the weapon and aimed it at one of the creatures. Doing as you did before, you focused your anemo power into the bow, concentrating the energy into the form of an arrow.
The world practically stopped as your arrow soared clear past Diluc, pulling his flames further. In seconds, your arrow was sucking in the fire he made, forming a flaming bird with your anemo and his Pyro.
A large explosion erupted around the group of Hilichurls, setting them all ablaze. They let out horrid screams of agony before dropping to the ground dead. Diluc made his way over to the child, examining his wounds. Seeing the child's wounds were superficial, he sighed as a wave of relief showered him with its grace.
"It's alright now. Let's get you back home."
You stayed back, looking through the remaining items the creatures dropped. There were a few items here and there, but nothing of real value. That's when you spotted what looked like a delusion.
Grabbing the item, you stuffed it away and turned to catch up with Diluc.
This may be worse than you thought.
