Chapter Text
"kaeya."
"diluc."
the conversation was stiff, unlike their normal one-sided banter. but that was before the events of the past few days. the two sat across from each other at a wooden desk, their eyes meeting.
"i figured you'd want some sort of explanation of the recent events." the blue-haired man spoke into the silence. "go ahead, ask away."
his golden eye gleamed in the dim, dreary light. diluc had never seen it before, and he would've never thought that it would bear the mark of khaenri'ah, a scary and powerful thing. his hair was down his back and his attire was something ancient that diluc had never seen before.
diluc did not want to speak. he did not want to
converse with this man he mistook for a brother.
but he knew he wanted an answer.
"why?"
the blue-haired man chuckled, though it was not the same light chuckle he'd heard before. it was cold and distant; it lacked its teasing, light-hearted nature.
"that is a question even i don't know the answer too." he sighed. "but everything must happen according to the plan.
"do you not feel apologetic for the crimes you’ve committed?"
"it is merely collateral damage for the greater good."
diluc was shocked. "who even are you?"
"kaeya alberich. former cavalry captain of the knights of favonius. your brother."
"you are not my brother." in the past, diluc would've meant that in regards to that fateful night at the dawn winery. but now, diluc was afraid of the person before him, this person that he had once perceived as his dear brother.
"is that so?" the man's voice had lost all emotion. "then what am i?"
"a murderer."
"now now diluc, i think you are one as well." a smile creeped up his face. "crepus never quite learned how to use his delusion properly, did he?" the blue-haired man laughed as diluc clenched his fists, anger brewing in his mind.
"i on the other hand, am quite good at using mine, don't you think?" he chuckled. "fire and ice, how ironic."
the same elements that collided on that fateful night were the same ones that tore down mondstadt.
diluc remembered the blue-haired man use the pyro delusion to burn down the city in a relentless pursuit of the bard.
it was so sudden. a rain of ice had formed in the sky and lay waste to many. he had watched lisa die in jean's arms, reprimanding herself for giving kaeya this information. information about khaenriah.
eula and jean tried to stop him, but a flurry of ice daggers put a quick stop to their pursuit. civilians tried to flee, tried to leave their collapsing homes, but the fire and crumbling buildings held them in.
he killed them all.
all the people that had come to know and love kaeya had died at his hand. except diluc. he was the only one left alive.
venti had fled and abandoned his people to die. there was nowhere else to go, however. the other gods had already met their demise and kaeya was not going to give up now.
the two were sitting in jean's office in the favonius building. fatui guarded every entrance. a once happy building now had a chilling air surrounding it.
outside the window was the ruined wreckage of mondstadt, a heap of ash and rubble. it had all happened so quickly. everything diluc loved had disappeared like that. his friends, his brother. they had all died that night.
the man had brought the bard's head and had placed it on top of the bookshelf. just looking at it made diluc queasy.
"why haven't you killed me yet?"
the blue-haired man smiled at this. "because we are brothers, of course."
that couldn’t possibly be the whole answer to that question. diluc wondered what purpose his life could serve for his cause. "what about jean? what about...klee?"
diluc had tried to save the little girl, but she had ran towards kaeya begging him to stop. a dagger of ice had impaled her in the chest and she’d fallen back onto the ground.
"if i cared about them, they'd be alive right now, wouldn't they?"
"what are you going to do now?"
"we will let the people of khaenri'ah back into their homeland and build anew."
"what about the tsaritsa and her people?"
"she has done much to help us three. we have no need to kill her or her people yet. but all the archons must fall eventually for khaenri'ah to be in complete power."
he could feel the guards tense at these words.
"diluc."
he remained silent, deep in thought. how long had the other been planning this? when he spent all those nights drinking and laughing in the tavern, was he thinking about how he was going to kill everyone inside? diluc felt sick to his stomach. betrayal was to kind a word for what he had done.
"join me." he outstretched his hand towards the redhead. "help me bring my true family back to where they belong."
my true family. diluc didn't want to help this spy and traitor to his homeland, but then again, when his golden eye looked deep into diluc's soul, he realized that this was not a request; this was an order.
diluc swallowed, slowly taking the blue-haired man's hand in his. the shake was hesitant. he was unsure of the promise he was making, of what his help entailed. yet, there was no other choice for him at the moment.
a smile grew on the blue-haired man's face. "i see we have a deal then."