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Diluc sat on the edge of one of Jean’s office chairs, unable to meet the eyes of any of the others in the room. His stiffness was the only thing currently keeping him together at that point. He knew the others were talking. He should be listening, but he can’t. All he can think about, besides his throbbing headache and burning lungs, is the fact that Kaeya just… became a delusion.
How? Why?
Diluc didn’t know the answers to those questions, but he had a deep guttural ache that told him the truth: It’s all your fault. It’s always your fault.
You did this.
Suddenly, Diluc became aware of just what led him to leave Mondstadt all those years ago. The driving factor to just get away from it all. Perhaps in that moment, if he had been physically able to, Diluc might have just taken his horse and rode as far away as he could, maybe to Natlan. It was easy to blend in there. The large redhead population allowed him to melt into a crowd effortlessly. He could lose himself.
But he couldn’t do that now.
Not for various reasons.
The way his body loses strength when he stands up, and his legs shake like a newborn calf and his hands tremble as if he lost all control of finer motor movement. The way his throat stopped working the way it was supposed to. He could no longer produce any sounds through his mouth, save for the pathetic swoosh of forced air. The way he felt himself erode without the delusion… without Kaeya.
He truly felt it when it happened. When his vision had been ripped away from him by whatever ruling authority in Celestia ordered it so. It felt like a piece of him had been torn out, perhaps the keystone that had kept him together all these years because as soon as it was gone he felt himself fall apart.
Diluc cried out in the open, even though it had been in the woods near the winery, he didn’t care about anything at that moment. He bawled his eyes out like a child, unsure of where the strong emotion came from or why he couldn’t stop it. It was only until he finally heard Kaeya’s voice call out to him did he quiet down.
“Diluc?”
Where was the voice coming from? Kaeya had no mouth now. Why could he talk and Diluc couldn’t?
“Master Diluc?” The voice seemed to be laced with a tone that the redhead could only describe as omniscient. It pierced whatever depths Diluc sank to and pulled him back to the present—to Jean’s office.
He blinked, slowly taking in just what was going on around him. Jean still stood there by her desk. The frightened expression she wore didn’t suit her. Lisa stood next her, looking at him like he was some homeless kid kicked to the streets. Albedo might have been there earlier, he wasn’t sure. The past hours blurred together, and the alchemist’s presence wasn’t something important enough to bother remembering.
However, he was positive that Venti hadn’t been in the room with him before. That was new. The bard’s hands still cupped Diluc’s cheeks, forcing him to make eye-contact and remain grounded.
Diluc didn’t like it.
Venti’s green and blue eyes somehow penetrated his soul. Even without words, it seemed as if the archon knew everything Diluc wanted to say and more. As if sensing this unease, Venti dropped his arms and took a step back. He pulled out a notebook and pencil and gave it the now mute winemaster.
“Kaeya already explained what’s going on. I think I know what this is, but I have to be sure.” His green eyes, often full of lazy cheer, spoke enough to Diluc. This was serious. Even in the events with Dvalin, Venti hadn’t been this grave. His focus darted back and forth between the notebook and Diluc’s eyes.
“Please tell me what happened in your own words. Take your time.”
Diluc looked down, trying to ignore the delusion crested glove he wore on his left hand.
It’s Kaeya.
It’s Kaeya. It’s Kaeya. It’s Kaeya.
Venti laid a hand on his shoulder, keeping him from spiraling even more. Carefully lifting the pencil, he wrote out the events. It was difficult to write, to even hold the pencil, but everyone waited patiently. When he was finished, he held it up to Venti.
We argued and it became physical. During our fight a burst of lighting from the sky hit us. They took my vision and transformed Kaeya into the delusion fastened to the glove.
Some sort of secret conversation must have gone on between the others because they all looked at each other for a moment before returning their attention to him.
“Did you meet someone during that time?” Venti asked. The question appeared nonsensical, but Diluc couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to it. Regardless, he wrote his disappointing answer.
I don’t remember.
Venti sighed before walking around the chair and kneeling in front of the redhead. He spoke so softly that Diluc felt some tension leave his body.
“I would like to see what happens if you’re without Kaeya. Is that okay?”
The tension came back tenfold.
His heart began beating so quickly that it caused him physical discomfort. He leaned back and shook his head out of reflex to the horrific idea Venti just spouted. Without consent, the bard used his anemo on him to soothe him. Diluc grabbed the glove and held it to his chest, confused by the conflicting emotions crashing against him.
“It won’t be long, but I need to confirm something before I can tell you what’s happening.” He didn’t like it. Despite knowing it was no longer possible to do so, Diluc tried to tell him no. He tried to say a lot of things, but nothing came out.
“Diluc.”
He froze. This voice came from the blue delusion. Kaeya had probably been staying quiet all this time to keep Diluc from freaking out.
It didn’t help.
He looked down at the delusion in anguish. This was all his fault.
“Diluc, it will be fine. Venti is just trying to help. Take me off for a moment. It’s okay. I won’t go anywhere—not really.”
Why was Kaeya so willing to go along with this? If Diluc wasn’t wearing the glove, Kaeya was unable to see and hear anything. The only thing he could do was speak. How could he be so ready to accept that, even if it were for a moment?
“Please, Master Diluc,” Jean asked softly. All around the room, everyone that had eyes stared at him—pleading for him to do this one task. He didn’t want to. What if Kaeya’s consciousness faded forever?
“I’ll be alright. I was still kicking before you put me on. I’ll be safe this time around too,” Kaeya assured him as if reading his mind. “Go ahead.”
Reluctantly, Diluc loosened the clasp that held the glove on tight before tugging it off altogether. He delicately handed it to Venti as if handling a newborn. The bard thanked him and looked down at the delusion.
“Still here. See? It’s fine,” Kaeya assured everyone. Venti nodded in agreement before handing him over to Jean.
“Thank you, Master Diluc. You’ll have him back in a moment. Master Jean, could you please walk to the furthest end of the room?” The acting grandmaster did as told. The farther she walked, the more Diluc felt himself go numb. He reached out towards an ever disappearing feeling of lucidity. Venti gently kept him in place.
But with each step Jean took, Diluc felt the fiber of his being begin to unravel. It was as if he were melting into his surroundings. He no longer knew where the chair met his body, and the hands on his shoulders felt like they were about to pass through his very skin and bone.
“Stop, Jean. Any further and we might lose him for good,” Venti said in a dark tone that completely contrasted his appearance. Jean quickly hurried back, handing the glove (and subsequently Kaeya) back to the redhead. Diluc scrambled to put it on, clasping it tight so that it had no chance of easily coming off of his hand.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Lisa murmured. Diluc ignored her. He ignored everyone, even Kaeya who tried to reassure him that everything was fine.
Everything was not fine.
Kaeya was a delusion.
Diluc couldn’t speak.
Why?
Why? Why? Why?
“Diluc, stop.” Kaeya’s voice made him flinch. He begrudgingly looked down at the blue orb, not wanting to fully acknowledge that it was Kaeya now. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say I’m the one better off here,” Kaeya tried to joke, but it did nothing to lighten the mood. Perhaps Diluc’s expression proved that, because whatever encouragement Kaeya wanted to attempt seemed to have fallen off of his tongue.
He didn’t even have a tongue anymore.
“Venti wants to talk to us, so will you please pay attention? I’m not repeating any of this for you later.” Diluc finally realized that Lisa had left the room, and Jean and Venti had taken seats across from him.
“So, doc, what’s the news? Am I going to make it?” Kaeya asked. Diluc shot him a look of disgust.
“This is clearly a curse.”
“A curse?” Kaeya and Jean asked in unison. Diluc probably would have joined them if he had working vocal chords. Venti nodded.
“From Celestia,” the archon sighed in consternation. “I can’t tell you why they did this, but if I had to guess…” Venti trailed off as he looked between Diluc and the blue delusion on his glove. “Neither of you can be without each other now. It’s no coincidence that Master Diluc has lost his voice but Sir Kaeya kept his.”
“But I don’t understand,” Kaeya said quickly. “A delusion? Doesn’t that go exactly against Celestia’s wishes or something?”
“Maybe you aren’t really a delusion. Master Diluc, have you been able to summon any element since Sir Kaeya has transformed?”
“He hasn’t tried,” Kaeya answered for him. Jean and Venti looked Diluc in the eyes. He glanced away, fearing what might come next.
“Try summoning something small,” Venti commanded. It wasn’t even a question. Diluc glanced down at Kaeya again, wishing he could see his face instead of a lifeless orb.
“Go on,” Kaeya encouraged him. Diluc sighed before cupping his hands in front of him and closing his eyes. He concentrated on the energy that he felt on the back of his left hand and allowed it to flow through him into the palm of his hand. Pyro didn’t compare to the feeling. This was different. This was…
Cryo.
He opened his eyes and found himself holding a ball of ice.
“Are you okay, Kaeya?” Jean asked.
“Yes. That was…a strange feeling, but I’m fine. No harm done.” Jean breathed a sigh of relief. Diluc held the ball of ice, unsure what to do with it. Truly, he wanted to burn it. He hated the feeling of the cold seeping into his skin. Without his pyro vision, he wouldn’t be able to.
“Hmm, well I suppose you could be a delusion, but I don’t think that’s something that really matters.”
“Okay, then what do we do? If it’s a curse, then we can undo it, right?” Jean asked.
“A curse from Celestia is rare. Even I haven't witnessed one myself. That being said, the curse should be able to be undone in one of two ways.” Venti paused and held up a finger. “One, the curse is removed by the ones who gave it.” A second finger went up. “Or two, the ones who are cursed meet the parameters to dispel it.” Diluc swallowed a lump that formed in his throat. He wouldn’t have said anything even if he could.
“...what parameters do we have to meet?” Kaeya asked reluctantly.
“The only way to figure that out is to look at the situation at hand: You lost your body but kept your voice. You’re able to see and hear only when the glove is worn by Master Diluc specifically. And Master Diluc lost his vision and his voice. At first glance it doesn’t seem like an equal punishment, but you’re essentially acting as his vision now. When you’re taken away from him, he loses a part of himself.”
“Just like those affected by Inazuma’s Vision Hunt Decree?” Jean asked.
“Probably.”
The room fell silent. They weren’t in a good situation here. Diluc was very aware of it, and while he always deemed himself a realist, he couldn’t dare to consider the probability of being stuck like this for the rest of his life. If that were to happen, he would…
He would…
“That explains why Diluc isn’t quite acting like himself,” Kaeya muttered quietly, though it was startlingly loud in the silent room. Diluc couldn’t argue—well, wouldn’t argue that. He hadn’t felt like himself since losing his vision. He doubted he could ever forget that pain. Diluc subconsciously rubbed his chest as if it could soothe him.
“Indeed,” Venti said with a sad expression. “Given the circumstances, I’d wager that Celestia’s curse has something to do with you two getting along.”
“...that’s it?” Kaeya asked skeptically. Jean ran a hand down her face.
“Yes. You said you were arguing when it happened. It only makes sense. You two need to come to some sort of…understanding of each other.”
“That might be impossible,” Kaeya sighed. Jean stopped pinching the bridge of her nose and slammed a fist on her chair’s armrest.
“Don’t make excuses,” she snapped. The sudden outburst even scared Venti. He leaned away, not wanting to get into the middle of this. “I’m not going to ask what you two were arguing about. It’s not my business. However, you two being stuck like this is not acceptable. You both need to work out your business and fix this as soon as possible. It’s not just for your own sake, it’s for each other’s.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Kaeya said tightly. Jean eyed them both, more so Kaeya than Diluc, before she nodded her head in confirmation.
“Good. Also, you need to write a report on this.”
“I thought we were keeping this a secret?” Kaeya whined.
“You two could use a project that requires collaboration,” she said apathetically. Diluc looked to Venti, but the archon only shrugged. There was no getting out of this. He supposed it couldn’t be that bad.
The least he could do was act as Kaeya’s body.
The least he could do.
The least.
“Hey, are you there?” Kaeya asked. Diluc blinked and looked down at the delusion on his hand that was currently resting on the lamp-lit table. They, no, just Diluc sat at his personal desk in his bedroom. It had been fairly simple for Kaeya to explain what was going on, but Jean had Lisa accompany them to the winery to make sure Elzer and Adelinde were at least properly informed.
Of course, both of them looked at their beloved young masters with pity. They were prepared to do anything asked of them, yet when they handed Diluc a piece of paper and a pencil, all the redhead could write was “sleep.”
It had been a lie. What he really wanted was to be alone. Alone alone, but the best he could do was keep people from bothering him in his room.
“ Archons, Diluc. Seriously, snap out of it. You keep drifting between here and whatever la la land you’ve dreamt up.” The redhead picked up the pencil and wrote on his scrap paper.
Sorry.
Kaeya sighed softly.
“It’s not…you don’t have to apologize.” Kaeya probably wanted to say more. Diluc could just tell. Body language wasn’t necessary. “You told Elzer and Adelinde you were going to sleep. What are you doing?”
Writing the report.
“I appreciate your eagerness to do homework, but it’s late. We’ve…been through a lot today. Let’s call it a day.” Diluc shook his head.
I don’t want to stay this way.
“Well neither do I,” the blue orb scoffed. “But this doesn’t seem like something that will be solved overnight, now does it?” Diluc’s gaze fell to his lap. He fidgeted with the pencil in his hand before finally writing his thoughts.
Can you sleep?
“Probably not. I’m not hungry or thirsty either. I’m just here. Guess that’s the life of a delusion.” Kaeya tried to be upbeat about it, but the thought of what he just stated made Diluc consider running to the bathroom to throw up. His stomach did flips as he looked between the delusion and his other hand.
Just earlier he had attacked Kaeya with these hands—something he swore on his father’s grave that he would never do again. Now he would give up his arms if it meant getting Kaeya back.
“Don’t worry about it. Just get some sleep.” Diluc glared at the orb where the stupid suggestion had come from. “I know, I know. Not easy, especially for one who spends his nights—” Kaeya cut himself off.
That had been what they were arguing about.
Diluc squeezed his eyes shut and looked away, taking a deep breath. He didn’t want to rehash this. Perhaps his only option really was to go to bed, if not to save himself from having to deal with this .
With the consequences of his actions.
The exhausted man pushed himself away from the desk and stood up.
“Diluc, I—” The redhead snatched the pencil he abandoned prior and hastily scribbled, going to bed. “Right…that’s a good idea.”
He got up and immediately started pulling off his clothes.
“Are you going to leave me on?” Kaeya asked. Diluc paused, looking down at the orb. He walked over to the paper and pencil once more.
You can’t see or hear.
“Sometimes that’s a good thing, Diluc,” Kaeya teased. “I don’t need to see and hear everything.” Diluc hesitated. He remembered well the feeling of being separated from Kaeya earlier in Jean’s office. He wouldn’t exactly be that far away, but…
“Hurry up now. Take a bath while you’re at it. I’ll be here.”
Diluc did as he was told. He normally would have soaked in his tub, but Diluc showered as quickly as possible before he put himself in nightclothes and refitted the glove.
“What are you doing?” Kaeya asked plainly. Diluc didn’t bother to answer with pencil and paper. Instead, he let his actions speak for him. He got into bed and closed his eyes. “You shouldn’t—” Kaeya paused before sighing. “You won’t listen to me, will you?”
Diluc rolled on his side and sighed silently. Listening was the only thing he could do now.
*****
“Diluc said he wanted pancakes and toast with a heaping gob of whip cream.” Adelinde raised an eyebrow and placed her hands on her hips, studying Diluc for any sign of something she should be concerned about.
“Did he now?” she hummed. Diluc shook his head. Adelinde smiled. “It does sound good though, doesn’t it?” The winemaster shrugged. “Pancakes with a ‘heaping gob of whip cream’ coming right up.” She made her way to the kitchen as Diluc joined his guests in the living room.
Jean and Albedo were sipping coffee and tea respectively. They both stood up at Diluc’s (and Kaeya’s) arrival.
“Master Diluc, how are you doing?” Jean asked. It had been only a couple of days since they had been afflicted with the curse, but as much as he hated to admit it, Diluc found himself starting to get used to it. They spent their days working on the report as well as shifting through winery paperwork, this time with the added “bonus” of Kaeya’s commentary made the chore harder to do than normal.
“He’s doing fine. I’m fine too, thanks for asking,” Kaeya joked. The knights looked down at the delusion, relieved that Kaeya could still keep the positive attitude, even if it were all an act. “I’m surprised Albedo joined you today. To what do we owe the honor of having the chief alchemist himself descend from Dragonspine?”
“I think you two could use a little…push,” Jean said warily. Diluc eyed her unamusingly. “He’s just going to act as a mediator.” Diluc’s pencil immediately hit the notebook he was holding.
I don’t need therapy.
“Not therapy,” Albedo clarified. “It’s just as Master Jean says: Mediation.”
“Oh dear,” Kaeya said. “As much as I’d love to, I’m afraid I don’t have much of a choice. If Master Diluc says no…well, my hands are tied. Hmm, I don’t have hands though, maybe—”
Stop making those stupid jokes, Diluc scribbled.
“Sorry.”
“Have you two properly talked since this happened?” Jean asked, bringing the important matter back at hand.
“Not exactly…” Kaeya trailed off.
“That’s what I thought,” she sighed. “Albedo, I leave this up to you.” She patted him on the shoulder before making her way to the door. “Tell Adelinde the coffee was amazing as always.”
*****
Albedo sat across from Diluc with a clipboard in hand. They were in the winemaster’s office. The redhead hated this as much as Kaeya probably did, but dealing with the awkward eye-contact with Albedo made it much worse for him.
“Before we start, I will give you my word that nothing said here will leave this office. I am only using this clipboard to write down questions I may have while you’re talking. You are free to keep it when we are done.”
“If I told you Master Diluc committed a crime, would you turn him in?” Kaeya genuinely asked. Diluc whipped his head down to stare incredulously at the blue orb.
“No. Alleviating you both of this curse takes precedence.”
“Master Diluc is the Darknight Hero,” Kaeya admitted. If looks could kill, that orb probably wouldn’t have been crushed to dust.
“I already knew that,” Albedo said. Diluc’s jaw dropped before he quickly recovered. Kaeya laughed heartily, the most since anyone’s heard in a long time. “Is this related?” the alchemist asked unphased. Kaeya sighed before responding.
“Yeah, it is. It’ll be quicker for me to explain it to you.” Albedo held up a hand to keep the conversation from continuing.
“Master Diluc’s words are also important, so even if it takes longer, please write whatever you need to say. It is not an inconvenience.” Diluc nodded, appreciating the kind words he didn’t even know he needed to hear.
Thank you. Kaeya can explain and I’ll add anything he misses.
Albedo nodded before giving the cavalry captain the okay.
“The Darknight Hero brought someone to the knights, bruised and bloodied, but no one could figure out why. Diluc argues he left some important files next to him as evidence of the man’s crimes, but no one saw this. The man ended up being a tourist from Natlan who had no reason being beaten up. It’s causing a lot of problems with our international relationships, as well as causing upheaval in the city. Many citizens are divided on if the knights or the Hero is in the wrong. You probably already heard this from Jean. Anyway, that’s what we started arguing about and it just…led to us saying some things we’ve been wanting to get off of our chests for a while it seems.” Kaeya’s somber voice made Diluc feel ashamed. Their argument hadn’t been worth this.
“Master Diluc, do you have anything to add?” Albedo asked.
It was foolish to argue.
The alchemist seemed to wait for Diluc to write down more, but the redhead was at a loss for words.
“It was foolish of me to punch you. I’m sorry, Diluc.” Albedo seemed a bit surprised by Kaeya’s confession. Diluc shrugged his shoulders.
I deserved it. I shouldn’t have pushed you. I take back the things I said. I was angry and took it out on you.
“What were you angry about?” Albedo asked.
Everything.
“Can you elaborate on that?” Diluc looked down at the paper. Technically he could elaborate on it, but he didn’t want to. How was he supposed to just readily admit to his self-loathing that seemed to have swallowed him whole this past year? He avoided looking in the mirror. Not only did he see a ghost of his father in himself, but a murderer stared back at him as well.
Diluc had been tainted, and like some sort of toxin, everything he touched seemed to become tainted too. He’s ruined the “family” his father raised. He’s ruined the carefree atmosphere his house staff used to enjoy.
Diluc looked at his hands.
Some days they looked as if they were covered in blood.
Even though Diluc had been positive about the thief from Natlan, he began wondering if he ever had evidence against him in the first place. Could he do anything right?
“Diluc…” Kaeya said sadly. Diluc wiped his eyes to keep them from watering anymore.
“Tell us one reason you’re upset,” Albedo asked gently. Diluc picked the pencil up and shakily wrote down, I’m ruined.
The room fell silent, emphasizing the ticking from a clock on the wall.
I’ve ruined everything. I’m sorry.
Albedo rested his clipboard on his lap and looked between the two estranged brothers.
“Can you tell us one thing you think you’ve ruined?” Albedo asked.
Us.
…
“I…didn’t know you felt that way, ‘luc,” Kaeya said slowly. He probably wanted to say more, but Diluc didn’t care.
I’m done.
Diluc flew out of his office and ran to his room, not even giving Albedo a proper goodbye. He leaned his back against his door and slid down to the ground, hiding his face in his arms and tucked up knees. Kaeya might have said something to him, but Diluc couldn’t listen. He couldn’t hear anything over the sound of a high pitched buzzing in his ears that somehow resembled a scream.
*****
He flung himself up and out of the bed, trying and failing to summon his claymore.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Calm down. It was just a nightmare,” Kaeya said. Panting, Diluc looked around the room to check for any intruders, but there were none. “You’re safe.” The redhead finally accepted the reality and sat back down on the edge of his bed, running a hand through his disheveled hair.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Kaeya asked. Diluc shook his head and laid back down. He couldn’t “talk” anymore anyways.
He sat up quickly and let out a gasp. He took in his bedroom surroundings and slowly calmed down. Kaeya tried soothing him as well, but there was no soothing the lucidity of his recurring nightmare—Kaeya lying dead in his hands but still talking to him as if everything were normal.
It was just like…
“Diluc, I’m starting to get worried.”
You’re just starting to worry? Diluc thought. He should have been worrying ever since he lost his body.
“About you, idiot.” Diluc looked down in confusion and shook his head. “No. No brushing it off this time. What do you keep having nightmares about?” Diluc ignored him and laid down. “I’m serious! You haven’t gotten proper sleep since this whole thing happened.” Diluc clenched his gloved hand into a fist, trying to get the other to give it a rest. “Don’t you dare tell me to ‘shut up’ when the only thing I can do is talk!”
Diluc got up from his bed, suddenly feeling sick from the interaction. He stumbled over to his personal desk and fell into the chair.
I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sor—
“Stop! Just—” Diluc froze. Kaeya had actually yelled at him. It took him by surprise and didn’t help the growing pain in his stomach. “...just stop apologizing. Will you please just tell me what has been plaguing you for the past few days?” Diluc swallowed the lump in his throat.
You’re dead.
…
“I’m right here.”
Not really.
“Yes, really. My consciousness is right here. I may not have a body, but I am alive.” Diluc bit his lip in response. “Is that what you keep having nightmares about?” He nodded.
It’s so real. I’ve never had dreams like this before. It’s like they get worse every night.
“Hmm…is there a common theme among them?” Diluc considered it for a moment.
There was.
Every night in his dreams, Diluc found himself in front of a door. It was a regular door standing on its own in a forest. Every night someone called to Diluc from the other side. Sometimes it was his father, Adelinde, Kaeya, and even Jean. No matter who it was, Diluc always opened the door and walked through to a dark abandoned area, reminiscent of the innards of a dangerous domain.
Every night he would find Kaeya’s corpse somewhere in there, and every night it spoke to him like it was alive.
Diluc squeezed his eyes shut and nodded.
I walk through a door and find you dead, and your dead body speaks to me.
“...and what do I say?” The moment Diluc thought about it, a sharp pain cracked through his skull. He dropped his pencil and grabbed his head in surprise.
“Diluc? What’s wrong?” Said man couldn’t listen. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, waiting as the pain slowly subsided. “Diluc!”
I’m fine.
“You’re not fine. What was that?” Before Diluc could write a response, his balcony doors blew open. Venti landed on the balcony and invited himself in.
“Sorry for the intrusion, Master Diluc, but the wind sensed something it hasn’t felt in a long time.” The bard looked over the sorry state of the winemaster. His eyes wander over the glove and finally the paper that Diluc had been using to express his thoughts.
“It’s pretty lively around here despite it being two in the morning,” Kaeya said. Venti waltzed up to Diluc and leaned forward to where their faces were but an inch apart, heavily scrutinizing the young man.
“Just as I thought,” Venti sighed, pulling back. “Morpheus.” The word felt poison on the archon’s tongue.
“Morpheus?” Kaeya asked. Diluc ever minutely cocked his head in curiosity.
“The god of dreams and nightmares. He’s left his presence on you, Master Diluc. This is absolutely related to the curse.”
“Great,” Kaeya sighed.
“It’s not a bad thing. It’s very likely whatever you’re dreaming about is related to fixing your curse. The fact that the gods are still interested in you means that they likely are watching to see if you’ll break the curse. This might be Morpheus trying to lead you to that outcome, no matter how twisted his methods might be.” Venti spat out the last sentence with a vitriol that neither estranged brothers had seen before.
My dreams aren’t leading me to a solution, Diluc wrote.
Venti looked over the rest of the notes.
“You walk through a door and Sir Kaeya is dead,” Venti read.
“Hopeful, isn’t it?” Kaeya said sarcastically.
“Knowing Morpheus, he probably thinks it is. Anyways, I think you’re focusing on the wrong thing.” Venti pointed to a word Diluc had written down. “You keep seeing a door.” The redhead nodded. “Do you recognize it? Is it in the winery?” Diluc shook his head.
Outside in the woods.
“Hmm, when’s the last time you’ve been outside?”
“Since we argued,” Kaeya answered.
“Maybe you should look for this door out there.”
“A door in the woods?”
Venti nodded.
“It doesn’t hurt to try.” Diluc stood up and took one step towards the door before Kaeya called out to the sleep deprived man.
“You’re not really thinking of going out there right now!?” He froze. Why would Kaeya not want to pounce on the possibility of returning to normal? It’s not like Diluc could even get a good night’s rest, not with the wrath of a “god of dreams” targeting him. This was the only thing he could do. This was the only thing he wanted to do.
“Sir Kaeya’s right. You should at least get changed.”
“Venti! Don’t encourage him. He should—”
“There’s no changing his mind once he’s set on something. You know this well.”
“Fine,” Kaeya sighed.
*****
It was odd to carry a sword on him, but at the behest of both Kaeya (and Elzer who had woken up), he brought it with him. It was better than lugging a claymore around (he’d forgotten how much of a privilege it was to have a vision).
He walked through the whispering woods, hoping to see something different, but everywhere he went seemed the same in the dark. His lantern wasn’t as strong as the flames Diluc often summoned for light. Still, it was better than nothing.
Kaeya encouraged him to return to the winery, but returning to the winery wouldn’t solve anything, so Diluc pressed on. He walked and walked until he almost became lost. His motivation slowly dwindled as the cold night breeze started to breach his warm jacket. He was about to call it quits when he finally spotted it in the distance.
Diluc ran to it in disbelief. Kaeya called out to understand what was going on, but the redhead hadn’t brought any paper or pencils. He eventually stopped before the door, looking it over as if it were an object he’d never seen before.
“Diluc, nothing is there.” Diluc glanced at the orb and shook his head. He held the lantern out and motioned towards the wooden door standing out in the open. “There’s nothing. You’ve lost it. Great.” Diluc rolled his eyes and grabbed the handle before opening it.
On the other side of the door was complete darkness. Despite its foreboding nature, Diluc stepped through it, eager to discover anything that might help their predicament. The door slammed shut behind him.
“What just happened? Why is it suddenly dark? Did you take me off?” Kaeya asked in a panicked voice. Diluc rattled the lantern that illuminated only the rocky floor. “I can still hear, so I guess not…what did you do?” He shrugged even though Kaeya couldn’t see it. “Okay. I guess you haven’t lost it.”
No, that was still a very real possibility.
Diluc followed the path. A part of him quivered at the thought of stumbling across Kaeya’s corpse, but thankfully he found nothing of the sort. Instead, he kept walking forward into the unknown until torches lit up all around him, revealing a giant circular room. Actually, it resembled a spectatorless colosseum.
Diluc set the lantern down and pulled out his sword.
He knew a setup when he saw one.
“ It shall begin,” an ominous voice grumbled from around them.
“I’m guessing you heard that, too?” Kaeya asked. Diluc gripped his sword with both hands and nodded. “Can I convince you to go back?” He shook his head.
A ghost of a fully armored soldier appeared before Diluc. The soldier summoned a claymore and held it out.
It was unfortunate he only brought the sword, but it was better than nothing. Diluc dashed towards his opponent. It was better to close the gap. Claymores are weaker in close combat.
The claymore came swinging at him with scary accuracy. Whatever this was, it wasn’t playing around. He tried to avoid parrying as much as possible since the sword was quicker to break than a claymore, but it was a challenge Diluc no longer felt confident he was ready to face.
He dodged with grace despite his exhaustion, but it was clear this was a battle that wasn’t in his favor.
The soldier whacked Diluc’s back with the flat of his claymore, sending the man flying. The redhead was slow to recover.
“Diluc! Use me!”
No.
He jumped up with such vigor that it surprised his enemy. Diluc took a hidden throwing knife from his coat and aimed straight for his opponent’s head. It knocked the soldier back, but did little to deter him.
Diluc dodged the claymore that was effortlessly thrown at him before the soldier tackled him, easily sliding his armored-plated gloved hands around the exposed pale neck. The motion was so aggressive that the soldier’s helmet fell off.
Diluc momentarily forgot to struggle as he came face to face with himself.
The ghost version of Diluc was blue-tinted and slightly transparent, but it was him. It was Diluc. Not only did this strike fear into the mute winemaster’s soul, the pure fury in his enemy’s eyes terrified him.
“Use me, Diluc! DILUC!” Kaeya was screaming at this point. When was the last time Kaeya screamed? He didn’t even scream when he lost his body.
“You deserve this,” the ghost spat.
It had Diluc’s voice.
How unfair.
“No, you don’t! Diluc! Frostgnaw! Now!”
“You know this is how it should be,” his voice mocked him.
This is how it should be, Diluc thought as the edges of his vision began turning black.
“DILUC!”
But this isn’t right. Not for Kaeya.
Diluc took one of his hands and shoved it in his face. He felt the familiar power of the delusion and called upon it, summoning a frigid tempest right in his face.
The ghost pulled back and struggled to deal with his now iced-over face. Diluc gasped for air and slowly pulled himself up.
“Good, Diluc. You have to kill him. That thing is trying to trick you.” The redhead wiped his face and retrieved his sword. The ghost called upon pyro, quickly fixing his icy dilemma.
“Look.” Kaeya didn’t have to point for Diluc to know exactly what he was talking about. The ghost version of himself donned a pyro vision.
His pyro vision.
Diluc frowned and infused his sword with cryo.
They clashed back and forth for what felt like an eternal battle, but in reality it had probably only been a few minutes. It’s funny how different the passage of time can seem depending on one’s circumstances. There was nothing funny about his situation, though.
Diluc was exhausted. His ghost taunted him, and much like a machine, it never tired. It had some chances to outright execute Diluc, but it didn’t take them. It wanted to torture him.
It was understandable.
“Diluc.” He tried to ignore how quieter Kaeya’s voice had become. “Go all out. Use Glacial Waltz.” The redhead looked down at the orb in alarm. “We don’t have a choice. Do it. You have to defeat this thing. Please.” Kaeya probably didn’t mean to sound so pleading.
It was breaking Diluc’s heart.
He didn’t want to do any of this anymore. Kaeya was fading.
The ghost was running at him.
Diluc deflected the blade and shot a blast of cryo at him that was easily melted by pyro. Kaeya was right.
The claymore slashed across Diluc’s shoulder. He dropped the sword and fell to his knees.
“Diluc!” Kaeya’s voice was so small. He would disappear.
“You’ve accepted it. Good.” His ghost raised the claymore above his head. “Take pride in your willingness to finally accept responsibility.”
Freeze.
Diluc raised his hands and used every bit of power available to him. The ghost fully froze, allowing Diluc enough time to pick up his sword and drive it right through his exposed head.
The ghost instantly shattered into little pieces before dissolving away.
Diluc fell to his knees once more, looking at the delusion in trepidation.
Kaeya, Diluc mouthed. He gently tapped on the orb. Kaeya, please!
Its blue color seemed to have faded.
Diluc pounded the ground, ignoring the pain it sent through his wrist. He brought the delusion up to his forehead. Please! Please!
He let the tears flow freely. It didn’t matter whether he cried or not.
There was no one there to judge him.
No one.
Diluc silently screamed. Never before had he ever felt the need to do so before.
Diluc fell on his side and silently screamed and cried. Why did he do it? Why did he use the last of Kaeya’s power to kill a ghost? The wrong one died.
Perhaps it was seconds, minutes, or hours, but Diluc spent it curled in on himself and hiding his face in his hands. He threw the glove off. The feeling—the reminder—made him sick. Everything made him sick. He can’t do this anymore.
It took a while, but very very slowly Diluc came to realize the rocky ground he was on had turned soft. A slight breeze shook him from his thoughts. The distraught young man opened his eyes to the forest floor.
It was over.
The pressure in Diluc’s head gave him a splitting headache. He sat up slowly.
“Diluc!” Said man whipped his head around, ignoring how it made him dizzy. Sitting there on the forest floor was Kaeya, looking just as he did the day they were cursed. Without hesitating for even a second, Diluc scrambled over and hugged Kaeya so tightly that he cracked a few bones.
“Easy, easy. I’m right here,” Kaeya said, though he happily returned the hug. “Are you okay?” Diluc didn’t bother answering the question. What did his health matter? Kaeya was here and he was safe. Diluc pulled back and grabbed Kaeya’s head, planting a quick kiss on his forehead—something that he literally hadn’t done since they were nine years old.
Kaeya just blinked.
Diluc returned to hugging him.
“You can’t hide your tears just because you’re hugging me,” Kaeya teased, though he couldn’t hide the waver in his voice. “It’s okay. It’s okay.” Kaeya leaned into the hug and accepted it warmly.
He had forgotten how nice it was to have a body.
“Can you talk? Do you have your voice?”
“I don’t know,” Diluc answered in a scratchy quiet voice. Kaeya laughed and rubbed his back.
“Thank goodness,” he whispered.
They stayed that way for a few more moments before Kaeya pulled Diluc off.
“Look.” He pointed towards a pyro vision on the ground nearby. He picked it up and handed it to his brother.
“All’s well that ends well?” Diluc smiled and exhaled sharply through his nose—the closest he’d be getting to a laugh tonight.
“I’m sorry, Kaeya.”
“Don’t be. I’m sorry too.”
“I don’t expect you to forgive me,” Diluc said sadly, his voice still croaky from disuse.
“I forgive you.” Kaeya smiled before he dropped it. “...can you forgive me?” Diluc hurriedly nodded. “Then…brothers?” Kaeya asked hesitantly. Diluc responded confidently,
“Brothers.”