Chapter Text
Bennett was a dreamer.
He dreamt of treasures, of happiness and joy. He dreamt of friends, of lazy summer days and wild adventures. He dreamt of his streak of bad luck finally coming to an end. He dreamt of happy faces greeting him at the gates of Mondstadt, finally proud of who he is.
He dreamt of horrors upon horrors. Of finding only death and destruction in wake of his bad luck. Of finding those he held near and dear to him looking upon him with fearful and distrustful gazes, casting him aside.
He dreamt of being all alone, of being unwanted and of being unloved.
He dreamt of being discarded and abandoned. He dreamt of hatred, of pain and of continuous heartbreak.
Bennett was a dreamer.
He only wished his dreams could be kinder to him.
-
When Bennett woke up, the first thing he noticed was just how sweaty he was, despite the chills wracking his body.
His blanket clung to his bare skin, as though holding on for dear life. Under the dim light of one of the many lanterns traveler insisted on placing around his room, Bennett could see the sweat stains on his shirt. He turned slightly, feeling the strange dampness of his mattress and pillow.
Sitting up, the blonde felt a weight settle across his body, pulling it down along gravity. His muscles ached, groaned upon every slight movement. His eyelids felt heavy and Bennett struggled to keep his eyes open.
It was just his bad luck again, he told himself, forcing his shoulders to relax and shrugged it off. Nothing he wasn't used to. Nothing he couldn't deal with.
Going against the wishes of his body, who called for him to lay back down and rest, Bennett stood up, going about his usual routine in the morning. This included stumbling over himself and his furniture.
His head was hurting, a sharp throbbing migraine nearly sending him tumbling onto the ground. His knees buckled slightly after a few steps, sending him off balance.
He was fine. He'd been excited for this commission with the adventuring party all week. Even stayed over in his semi-permanent room in the serenitea pot in anticipation for it. His bad luck couldn't ruin it.
Securing his goggles over his head, Bennett joined the main group that were coming along for the commission, smoothing his expression into his usual grins in an effort to look presentable. They were good people, his companions that he'd grown close to over time working with the traveler. They were good people but awfully busy— so he didn't need to bother them with something as small as this.
"Morning!" He took a seat at the dining table, grinning at the group. “Where’s the adventure at today?”
“We’re going to Lingjiu Pass to clear out some hilichurl camps in the ruins," Aether announced, pushing a plate of meaty skewers in Bennett's direction. "Apparently the hilichurl camps have been too much for people to handle."
Lingjiu Pass… Bennett recalled that it was a part of Liyue that was riddled with ruins. There was so much to explore about the place. An adventure that he wanted so dearly to be a part of. He wouldn't miss it for all the riches on Teyvat.
Besides, he's been through so much worse at this point. Another adventure wouldn't hurt.
"-Bennett?"
“Huh?" Was Bennett so out of it he didn't realise someone was talking to him? “Sorry! What did you say?”
“I asked if you were alright.” The tall blonde, Thoma he forced his foggy mind to remember, murmured. His brow furrowed as he looked down at Bennett with a concerned look. "You look a bit..."
Being one of the only other Pyro allogenes that Bennett actually talked to, Bennett had taken to looking up to Thoma as a mentor over his pyro abilities. Thoma was just so cool and handled difficult situations with ease.
He couldn’t possibly let Thoma think he couldn’t handle something like being a little under the weather.
“Yeah! Don’t worry about me, I just fell down the stairs again.” Bennett had laughed off, smiling brightly at Thoma.
“Are you sure—”
“—Bennett! Are you ready to go?” Aether called out to him, interrupting Thoma’s words.
"Yep!” He spared an apologetic glance at Thoma but was quick to push away, eager to escape the conversation. “Sorry Thoma, I gotta go, let’s talk later!”
“Wait.”
“Huh?”
“Promise me you’ll try to stay safe?”
Bennett looked at Thoma awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.
“Of course I will! I promise to try my best, Thoma. I really have to go now though! See you!”
Bennett ran off, joining the rest of the people who would tag along for the commission.
Led by Aether, Kazuha came along for this trip, with Fischl dragging Barbara along for a break from her duties. Bennett thanked Barbatos that Thoma wouldn’t be around for the commission as he followed the group out of the Serenitea Pot. He wouldn’t be able to handle the housekeeper’s constant attention if that was the case.
Thoma watched the silhouettes of the adventurer disappear into the adepti magic, a firm frown on his face.
Something was off with the unlucky boy. He wasn’t quite sure what but a sinking feeling in his gut told him something was wrong, that Bennett needed attention and care. But Bennett had said nothing was wrong, not more than usual and that was that. The strange feeling didn't dissappear and instead lingered, a twisting in his stomach that told him to have reached out. To have insisted to look more closely.
Glancing back at the door, he ran a hand through his hair and let out a deep sigh.
He could check up on the boy once they got back from the commission if he was so worried. Bennett was a good kid after all, he’d tell Thoma if something was wrong.
Right?
Bennett had long ago learnt that he hated climbing cliffs when his entire body was aching. It wasn't as though it was new to him, especially when he has done the same thing with injuries he’d sustained during his adventures. His entire body wracked with chills despite the warmth emanated from his body.
He lingered at the back of the group, a far cry from his usual attitude of leading the group straight into the heart of the adventure. His steps were slow and clumsy, and he was barely able to make sense of his own thoughts. Sweat dripped down his forehead and off his nose, body drenched in it.
“Bennett?” Barbara’s soft lyrical voice called out to him as she began to match her pace to his. “Are you alright? You’re a little out of it today."
Bennett spared a glance at Barbara, forcing out a bright smile.
"Y-yeah, I just need to take a breather."
Barbara frowned slightly and placed a hand on his shoulder, startling when Bennett had quickly jerked away from her touch.
"Bennett, your skin is so warm! Are you sure you're alright?"
A nervous look crossed Bennett's face as he laughed, awkward and strained.
"You know how us Pyro Allogenes run warmer than others! That's just how we are. Don't worry so much, Barbs!"
Barbara sighed, reaching to her waist, pulling out a canteen and holding it out to Bennett.
"At least take a sip of water. I won't let you keep going if you don't!" The hydro user scolded, pushing the water canteen into Bennett's hands.
"Alright Barbs, I've got it! Don't worry about me, alright? I've just got a case of unlucky blues… I'm sure some adventuring will fix me right back up!"
Barbara gave him a skeptical look, folding her arms as she looked forward to Kazuha and Fischl engaged in deep conversation about poetry. She glanced back at Bennett, who continued to give her his typical grins.
" Well… if you're so sure. But remember, if you just say the word, we can go back!"
"I know. I will." Bennett lied.
"Bennett! On your left!" Aether called out to the blonde, his own sword charged with electro energy.
"On it!" lighting his blade ablaze, Bennett sliced through the monsters with a smooth swing, though his steps seemed clumsy and unbalanced.
Though that was far from unusual for him, wasn't it?
The party seemed to get into the swing of things quickly, sorting out how to best fit their fighting styles with each other.
Fischl and Barbara had stuck with each other, the electro and hydro user using their visions together to provide a more powerful offensive attack from a distance. Bennett and Kazuha had stuck to mixing their elements together to clear the hilichurl camps efficiently. Aether had taken the lead, Paimon having hidden away in her own little pocket dimension, calling out commands to his teammates.
Bennett smiled to himself. It was just like a real adventuring party, just like how he'd always dreamed. He was finally living the life he's always imagined for himself. A little bit of sickness wouldn't hold him back from being happy!
But happy moments for Bennett were few and far between.
He saw the axe Mitachurl a second too late, unable to dodge the axe without getting hurt badly. He dropped to the ground, rolling over to hold his shoulder that bled profusely.
Seeing this, Aether had swiftly dealt with the Mitachurl, running up to Bennett with a deadly gleam in his eyes. The look that promised only death and suffering was quickly replaced with one of concern and worry as the older blonde knelt down next to him, looking over the wound.
"Are you okay? Can you fix this by yourself or should I get Barbara?"
The Pyro user waved a hand off as he slowly sat up, Vision glowing with pyro energy as he focused on healing himself.
His entire body felt like it was burning up in flames.
Bennett's body convulsed, spasming in pure agony and horror. It hurt, Bennett wanted to scream. It wasn't meant to hurt. His usual healing felt like being in the presence of a warm campfire, the flames gently licking away the pain and the injuries. It was not supposed to feel like being burnt alive by the scorching heat of a thousand suns.
"Bennett! You have to stop! You'll hurt yourself!" He heard someone call out to him, placing their hands on his shoulders.
He looked up in the concerned eyes of Aether as his vision's power died down.
"What happened? Your healing doesn't usually do this." The traveler asked, sitting down next to the adventurer.
Bennett shrugged, still wincing from the pain.
"Probably just an unlucky mishap… I'll try again! My arm isn't healed yet."
"Halt! Just what does my loyal citizen of the Immernachtreich think he is doing?" Fischl had marched over, the rest of the team following close behind her.
"Just healing myself-"
"Does thou not see that thou has already harmed thyself? It is best to leave it to the maiden of the church to be of assistance!"
Barbara had leapt to action after that, calling upon hydro energy to survey the damage done to his arm, fixing it as quickly as she could.
"I think it's better to end our adventure off now." Kazuha commented softly.
"No! Please don't let my bad luck be a burden… we haven't even finished the commission yet!" Bennett had protested immediately, eyes widening at the very thought.
Kazuha and Aether shared a look before Aether sighed.
"Fine. But you're not going to do anything like fight or run, understand? Stay close to Barbara and Fischl and let us handle the rest." Aether said firmly, placing a steady hand on Bennett's shoulder.
"But-"
"No 'Buts' Benny. It's this or going back to the Teapot."
"I-...Alright."
Bennett slowly got to his feet, joining Fischl and Barbara at the back of the group as Kazuha and Aether took down the hilichurls as swiftly as they could.
Barbara and Fischl flanked his sides, worry evident in their eyes.
Bennett sighed to himself, foggy mind coming to a single thought.
'Just like always, his bad luck ruined everything.'
Finally, work for the commission had come to an end. The party had made it up a cliff in Lingjiu Pass, stopping to take a break.
Barbara handed out bottles of water to her teammates, healing any injuries she saw. Fischl, Aether and Kazuha sat on the ground, taking a minute to catch their breath.
"Good job today, guys!" Bennett called out, grinning from his position next to a rock formation.
Kazuha glanced back at Bennett taking note of the increasingly hazy look overtaking his eyes. The breaths the boy was taking were laboured and heavy. His eyelids were droopy and exhausted, like they have been all day, Kazuha realised.
Concerned, Kazuha reached out to the boy, a question of worry on the tip of his tongue.
Bennett's body suddenly tilted to the side, much to the alarm of everyone around him.
Bennett’s body crumpled to the ground, finally crumbling under the fatigue and stress he’s been putting his body under. His foot caught onto a stray pebble, tripping him. He fell back, not even able to muster up enough energy to scream.
He was falling, falling off the edge of the mountains at a far greater height than he had ever fallen before. He couldn’t gather enough strength to reach out to Aether’s outstretched hand, to use his vision, to anything-
Oh.
Thoma's Promise.
He broke it.
He could hear the alarmed shouts of his teammates as his mind began to slip into unconsciousness. Dread filled his heart, unable to think of the faces of his teammates who probably thought the worst of him now.
‘ Maybe this was for the best .’ Bennett had bitterly thought. ‘ My luck was bound to catch up to me.’ ’
It hurt that he had to let go of such a precious thing to him so soon.
He wasn't strong enough.
He wasn't good enough.
He was so sorry.