Chapter Text
A lot of things happened on Diluc's eighteenth birthday, most of which, if not all, were bad. No, not just bad, that would be downplaying it, too much. It was awful. The things that transpired on that day literally changed the redhead's life forever. It was unfair; but then again, so was life, itself. Diluc remembers a saying ...When happiness is destroyed, there is always the smell of blood. Unfortunately, he finds that it's extremely accurate. There was blood on his father when Ursa attacked. There was blood on his mother when she lied weakly in her deathbed. And there was blood on Kaeya when Diluc had tried to kill him.
The redhead was sure that this applied to his enemies, too. The moment the smell of crimson caught the attention of a Fatui scum, they knew it was over for them. Their pride disappears in an instant, which Diluc found strangely satisfying at times. Gods, when did he become such a sadist? Though, the Fatui hurt him first, so in a way, it's reasonable, right?
Every time he brought down his flaming claymore, it was in the name of justice and retribution. But they were still people.
That's right. All of those Fatui Agents, those scum, the 'lowest of the low', at least to him. They remained human beings. They had thoughts, feelings, people who cared about them...Diluc was hit brutally in the face with this fact when he saw how the Fatui troop's expressions fell the same time their leader did. Some had called out their name, shook them, cried, begged for death to take anyone but them. Death isn't something that can be fixed with an apology.
The redhead knew that, if that Cryo Vision had shown up even the last bit later, he would've killed his brother on that night. Murdered him. That would've made twice, on that day. But thank Archons it didn't. Instead, Diluc had told him to leave, that Kaeya was not his brother, and that he never was. That was a lie. The bluenette was, still, and always has been Diluc's brother. From the moment they met to the moment they fell apart.
Sometimes, the redhead finds himself wondering how his brother's doing now. Good, he hopes. Diluc had left before the Knights could dig up their father's will, and knowing how much Crepus loved Kaeya, he would definitely leave something in his name for him. Perhaps the winery? Diluc wouldn't mind that. If that's what their father put as his final wishes, and if Kaeya wished to have it, then it was all the bluenette's. Diluc wouldn't argue, he wasn't allowed to. Not after everything...
He would be lying to say he hadn't thought of coming back home. However, Diluc wouldn't allow himself to go back. For now, at least.
He distinctly remembers running until he reached snow; Dragonspine. His entire body ached. Everything was so cold, though, he wasn't sure if it was from the cold climate, or the Cryo Vision that he found himself having. The bluenette wasn't sure if he was given one out of pity, or if this was Celestia's way of laughing at his misery. Either way, he refused to look at it any more than he needed to; in fact, he'd rather not look at it, at all. It was just a stupid reminder of what he's lost and what he failed to do.
His boots trudged through the snowy plains, continuing on despite his injuries. He needed to go, he needed to leave Mondstadt. His brother...No. No longer his brother. As much as it hurt, he couldn't call Diluc that anymore. The redhead was never his family, nor was Master Crepus, or Adelinde, or anyone else in the City of Freedom. He didn't belong there; he wasn't free. Forever brought down by the chains of his homeland.
. . .
His body tensed. He couldn't keep going...Taking a small nap wouldn't hurt, right?
Diluc wasn't expecting to return to an empty winery. Well, almost empty. Adelinde was there, although unconscious. It felt like the first time he's seen her take a break in, well, ever. With that in mind, he chooses not to disturb her slumber. The redhead made his way to his room, where he found everything to be the exact same as he left it. Neat, tidy, and a bottle of wine left by Jean as a gift. It was from Liyue, apparently. If Diluc hadn't been so focused on revenge, he would've tried all kinds of wine throughout Teyvat; not that he particularly enjoyed wine. He had simply hoped that he could use it as reference in an effort to get a wider variety for Angel's Share's menu. Though, he couldn't care less about that right now.
There was a question that lingered in the back of Diluc's mind: Where was Kaeya?
The redhead looked all over the winery, including the bluenette's room. However, it was in a similar state as his own. Perhaps he was simply at work? Though, Diluc wondered if Kaeya was even still in the Knights. Or did he choose to work at Angel's Share, instead, like their father had secretly hoped for the two of them? Only one way to find out.
It was a little disappointing for Diluc, to leave home right after he just got back. But he'll be quick. Just a quick check-in with Jean, and perhaps Charles, if his suspicions turned out to be true. Speaking of Jean, Diluc heard from his informants that she had become the Acting Grandmaster, ever since Grandmaster Varka had gone on an expedition. The redhead didn't dare to ask for information about his little brother. No matter how much he wanted to know how he was doing and if he was ok, he prevented himself from knowing. He had to focus on retribution, justice. But now he was done with that, he needn't stop himself from seeing his brother again, even if the bluenette wasn't willing to let him into his life. Diluc was fine with that.
Even just the smallest of glance would be fine with him.
...Unfortunately, Barbatos couldn't give him even that.
When Kaeya finally woke up, it felt like he had been asleep for more than a hundred years. His body didn't ache anymore; he didn't feel tired. Upon taking a good look at his body, he realized that his injuries had disappeared. That was...strange. Those don't usually heal overnight, right? He looked at his hands and realzed that his fingernails grew, just a little bit. They were sharp, too, for some reason.
But above all else, he felt hungry. REALLY hungry. It was then that he sensed something that could ease that hunger.