Chapter Text
Follow the lights and you will get home
When the Abyss Order sees in him a plan to peruse.
The two boys ran hand in hand. Crouching, they skirted the path through the vineyard, jumping from here to there, keeping watch with the wooden fences and the grapes on the ground. Diluc went first, pushing the leaves out of the way, and Kaeya was holding a small bag tightly. The two crossed the field, where the adults were gathered, and crawled under a tablecloth. Kaeya opened the bag, showing the candies and cakes inside it. They both laughed.
Diluc stuck his head out from under the tablecloth. In front of them they had a group of older people, talking about their things, and next to a woman was a blond girl who tried with all her strength to stay upright.
“Jean!” Diluc called her, whispering. “Come!”
Jean looked around before spotting Diluc. Kaeya also poked his head out and motioned for her to come. Jean thought about it, looking at his mother. The woman seemed focused on a conversation, so Jean moved away and crawled under the table with the boys.
“What are you doing hiding here?”
"Kaeya has stolen food from the adult table” Diluc said.
“You're going to get in trouble...”
"No, if they don't find out" Kaeya said, handing out the cupcakes. Jean ended up accepting one.
“It tastes weird…”
"Because they have liquor" Diluc explained, tasting his cake.
"Well, I like it…" Kaeya mused.
"Diluc, is that your Vision?" Jean said, amazed.
Diluc was proud and showed the Vision tied in his pocket. Kaeya had already seen it a lot of times, but that did not stop him from marvelling. He and Jean moved closer to look at it, its red glow emanating heat.
"How pretty…" Jean said. “I'll try my best to have one too!”
“For sure YES!”
“I caught you!” a man said, uncovering the tablecloth. In a second, he had both boys caught. They both screamed as the man held them under his arms. "So here you were, huh?"
“Elzer, no! Put us down!” Diluc shouted, annoyed.
“They are looking for you everywhere and you are here, eating.”
"Mr. Elzer, if you're going to punish them, I'll take responsibility too" Jean said politely.
“Relax! Mr. Crepus is looking for this tadpole” Elzer shook the arm that held Diluc, causing the boy to protest. He put them both on the ground. "You know, sir, you have business to attend to at the party as an heir. Come on, go, your father is waiting”
Elzer took Diluc away and Jean and Kaeya were left alone. Kaeya stared as the other two walked away as Jean returned to her mother. When Diluc had business to attend to, everything became very boring. Kaeya was left alone and with no one to play with, and he would start wandering through the vineyard ― sometimes he would sneakily eat a couple of grapes, other times he would just walk.
Other times, he walked down the path of the streetlights until he reached the river. He wasn’t afraid, Crepus had told them many times that if they followed the path of lights, they would return home. So Kaeya always kept the streetlights in view while he sat on the shore and played with the lilies. He had discovered that they were better than lucettas, at least the lilies didn’t fade out if you plucked them. He also began to talk only about his things, although he had no one to listen to him.
“The party is a bit boring… And now that Diluc is busy, even more so. They always send him to do homework, but not me…” he murmured. With his hand, he began to draw ripples in the water. “When are you coming, dad...?”
It had become a habit to come to shore and call for his father, where he had left him. He still had the hope that his father would return, already cured and stable, and the two could live together in the vineyard. Surely Mr. Crepus wouldn't mind, he's always kind and attentive to him.
He was lost with his things that it took him a while to realize that the water was turning cold by the second. He pulled his hand away as his reflection covered in ice. He raised his head in time to see a masked figure who was giggling. It wore blue clothes and was surrounded by a force field that protected it. It was floating in the air.
"Here you are," the creature said, laughing. His voice was high, almost mocking.
“What do you want?” Kaeya hurried to get up and go into defence mode. He didn't have a vision like Diluc, but he knew a thing or two. Above all, to distrust strange beings.
"Too bad, very bad. You don't even know which side you're on” the creature turned on itself. More than offended, it seemed amused. “Your father kept you away from us… But you see, here we are”
“How do you know my father...?”
The creature laughed.
“Look to you. You are no longer cursed. It's a very, very good sign. If you want to see your father again, you will have to help us”
“What happened to him?”
"Your dad is hurt. It is up to you that he is saved. Him and all of us. You will be our little hope. Yes?”
“You're fooling me. My dad is fine, and he will come for me. Get out”
“Oooh, you already talk like them. As arrogant as a Ragnvindr. You should never forget your origins... And even less if you are with them...”
“Don’t talk like that. Mr. Crepus takes good care of me” Kaeya clenched his fists, annoyed.
"I see... You don't want to help your dad" the monster flinched, dramatic. “Your poor father, who fell ill to save you... All your people waiting for you, and you so selfish...”
“Stop it! My father is alright!”
“Is that what they told you...?”
“Get away from him!” a child's voice shouted, accompanied by a red flare. The creature took a step back, screaming. Diluc ran to stand in front of Kaeya. “On guard, monster of the Abyss!”
The Abyss mage began to store power, while he kept laughing. Diluc braced himself, flames beginning to surround him. He still didn't have enough Vision control, but he was willing to punch fire at that bug.
"Remember which side you came from...,” the monster said.
“Shut up!” Diluc shouted, throwing himself at it.
Kaeya closed his eyes. He heard sword noises, screams, and the creature's screech. He encountered some guards who were attacking the creature and Crepus, holding his son so that he couldn’t go after the monster. The Abyss mage spun around and screamed before fading away.
“What were you doing!?” snapped Crepus. The two children cringed; they had never seen him get mad at them like that.
“Kaeya went down to the river!” Diluc said, somewhat offended. He was getting the wrong fight. “And then I saw the Abyss mage!”
"Kaeya, why were you all alone? I have told you many times that it’s dangerous”
“I…”
Kaeya was disoriented. The Mage’s words still echoed in his head, it made him nervous to see Diluc so nervous and, above all, the concern that Crepus emanated. He was not only worried about his son but about him as well. The gestures, the tone of voice, the look, everything was the same as if his own father was there, scolding him. Remembering his father upset him even more, he began to sob and move from side to side. Will his father be alright? Will he be alive? Will he come to get him?
"Let's go home," Crepus said, seeing that the boy was in no condition to speak.
Diluc, who also noticed Kaeya's state, held his hand and helped him walk. With that, he noticed that the boy was trembling.
“Kaeya, are you cold? Did the monster freeze you?”
Kaeya didn't know what to answer. She was unable to put into words everything her mind was screaming at him. Crepus slowed down.
“Are you injured?”
Kaeya shook his head. Crepus scooped him up and continued walking with Diluc behind. They were silent on the way to the mansion, Kaeya had long ago hidden his face on Crepus's shoulder. He wasn't crying, but the feeling was the same. There was something about him that squeezed inside him, squeezing his organs and causing a desolation never before felt. Crepus's arms were strong, he felt safe, but at the same time he didn’t.
Once home, Crepus reluctantly kicked Diluc out of the room and sat Kaeya on the bed. The boy stared at the ground, hands together scratching slightly, feet swaying.
"Lucky they were tracking the mage from before… I don't know if you understand what could have happened to you, if we hadn't shown up. What were you doing there alone?”
“I like to go…”
“At night? Alone? It doesn’t seem to me reason enough. You'll have to explain more to me, Kaeya”
Kaeya looked him in the eye.
"Dad is coming back for me… right?"
Crepus sighed and sat down with him. It took a moment to find the right words. Kaeya was already affected, what was coming could upset him even more.
“The night we found you, I was able to speak briefly with your father. He… He didn't look very good, Kaeya. He knew it more than anyone, that's why he asked me to help you”
"Dad needed help. Didn't you save him...?”
"I left you at home to be cared for. When I came back, your father was gone. I searched for him for days and nights, but there was no trace”
“Why did you leave him alone...? He was injured... He had to heal...”
"Because he begged me. You were more important.”
“No!”
"I know you don't understand. It's all I can explain to you now. I can only promise you that you are safe here” Crepus took his hand. "In my house, you will never lack for anything."
That man who spoke to him, touched him, hugged him, caused him a lot of confusion. And more now. His way of taking care of him and helping reminded him of his own father. But that man was not his father.
Crepus was hinting that he was dead. But the Abyss mage said that Kaeya could save him. Maybe his father was in hiding. Injured. If so, he had to help him. But if someone strong and smart like Crepus couldn't do it, what could he do?
What did his origins mean? He only knew the underground, dark and unstable. Mondstadt seemed like a pretty city to him, people treated him well. Where was his house, then? In the vineyard, underground or in a hidden place that no one except a monster has stopped to explain?
Crepus left him alone, he supposed it was difficult information to digest. Kaeya was silent, there was a dark cloud in his mind that struggled between hearing a mocking voice and Crepus' sure words. Who to listen to?
Diluc wasn’t that patient and he came looking for him after a few days. He had listened to his father about leaving him alone, but he was already fed up. Kaeya didn't talk to anyone, nor did he want to play or practice swords with him.
"That bug isn't coming back. And if he does, I’ll burn him again. Okay?”
Kaeya didn't feel very good about it. The mage had never attacked him. It was annoying, but not dangerous.
"Kaeya, what's wrong with you? Did it say something to you?”
He had accidentally nailed it, but Kaeya didn't feel up to telling him. Neither he understood what had happened, much less will Diluc. Kaeya hugged himself, pulling away from him. But Diluc didn’t give up.
“Father scolded you a lot? He doesn't usually get angry like that”
“Leave me alone, Diluc...”
"I'm not going to move until you're better." Diluc climbed onto the bed with him. "Come on, Kaeya. We have a lot to do. You have to improve with the sword and I need help with homework”
"My father is not coming back…" he blurted out suddenly. "I've always waited for him, on the river, and maybe he won't come back...”
“What happened to your father?”
“He was hurt… and your father left him alone. And... and I didn't look for him anymore. I just waited. And he doesn't come. He's not coming…”
"We will look for him together," Diluc assured him. Kaeya sobbed. “Kaeya, if you join the Knights with me, we will find him. They always go on expeditions, surely, we will find a clue and find him”
“Crepus already looked for him…”
"But Father is not a Knight. We will both be part of them and we will find him. I promise.”
“Okay…”
Diluc could be trusted, he told himself. He didn't make vain promises and he was sincere. He would never hide anything from him or speak to him in a mysterious tone. Diluc was his friend. He let himself be hugged, now that he had a vision Pyro Diluc was very warm. So, he was fine, calm and secure. And the nightmares were mitigated a bit.