Chapter Text
Skyla recalled the first time she dreamt of a piece of Kaeya and Diluc’s past. It remained firmly ingrained into her mind because of the intensity of emotions that seemingly seared into her soul.
18 year old Skyla found herself standing in a field of grass, darkness looming all around her. The grey skies rumbled with thunder from above as rain came pouring down. It soaked her short dark blonde hair. Normally her hair tips would just barely reach her shoulders, now they clung desperately to her face and only reached down to her chin.
As much as being drenched in the rain in the middle of the wilderness was a huge concern, she found her legs slowly walking on their own until they reached a rather familiar location. The Dawn Winery. No one in Mondstadt wouldn’t recognize the large building that represented the pride and joy of Mondstadt’s wine industry.
In the grassland behind the winery she could hear a clashing of swords and shouting that seemed to overcome the sounds of nature.
Curious, she hastened her pace towards the source of the sounds and instantly found herself frozen at the sight before her. In the middle of a field was a pair of familiar faces, their blades clanging loudly with each hit done by the redhead. There was no one in Mondstadt that wouldn’t know the famous owner of the Winery and the flashy Cavalry Captain.
Why were Master Diluc and Captain Kaeya fighting with each other so furiously? It didn’t look like a normal sparring match. Moreover, why do their builds look younger and smaller? Why does Kaeya’s uniform look different? It’s not his usual Captain uniform but rather the gray one that was bestowed to those of lower rank. And wasn’t Master Diluc out of town? It’s been two years, right? Did he suddenly decide to return?
Skyla slowly crept up to a tree that was closer to the two brothers, surprised that they didn’t hear her walking towards them. She was just about six to seven feet away from them.
Many in Mondstadt knew just how capable they were as fighters, including her. It seemed strange that the two didn’t notice her presence. Perhaps they were too focused on their battle?
“Traitor! Then was everything fake?! Just a lie?!” Master Diluc called out before throwing another slash at Kaeya.
The fiery claymore burned brightly even with the huge downpour and Diluc’s Pyro Vision pulsed in the shroud of darkness.
Skyla clutched her hand over her chest, an aching sensation taking over her quivering body. To her surprise, her mouth began to move on its own and quietly recited the same words that came out of Kaeya.
“Diluc..I-I know I can’t be forgiven...I-”
“Shut up!” Diluc cried out, raising his claymore. “How could you?! How dare you! All this time...”
Diluc slung out a series of other words, but for some reason they became muffled. Something likewise happened with the stuttery replies Kaeya gave back. Skyla could only make out a few words: Khaenri'ah, spy, I hate you, I’m so sorry, father, funeral.
Goosebumps pricked Skyla’s skin and she found herself clutching her body as it shuddered. A sob escaped her lips and tears began spilling over her eyes. She didn’t understand why she was suddenly crying. She didn’t even understand the situation she was in. All she felt was pain . Physical wounds from sword slashes started appearing on her arms and legs. She would feel the burns of flames press against her skin despite none physically touching her. It caused her legs to collapse onto the ground, knees falling underneath her.
It didn’t make sense. She was a guild adventurer. She faced wounds like this all the time. What made this time different from the others? Why did it hurt so much?
However, the physical pain was nothing compared to the gnaw of guilt eating herself from the inside out. Wait, guilt? Why was she feeling guilty?
Skyla mustered enough strength from the overpowering emotions to look up from the ground, rubbing her eyes to clear away the tears clouding her vision. Diluc was still shouting, his flaming sword striking against Kaeya’s flimsy attempts to defend himself.
Well, that was because Kaeya wasn’t trying to.
At least that was the implications Skyla felt. Like...she somehow knew what he was feeling deep down.
On the other hand, Diluc radiated anger, frustration...confusion and sadness? It was there, buried beneath the storm of rage he was displaying. Now that she took a closer look...Diluc was also crying.
Wait no, all three of them were crying. Kaeya was crying too. He simply wasn’t doing it as openly as Diluc.
It just wasn’t as apparent due to the torrential rain and eyepatch over his right eye.
Why are we all crying?
What is going on here? Who or what is Khaenri'ah? Why does Diluc hate Kaeya so much here? What does he mean, that Kaeya’s a traitor?
Skyla found herself with a thousand questions as she watched Diluc continue swinging at Kaeya furiously. Then at one point the temperature suddenly dropped to freezing and the raindrops surrounding the two brothers paused midair. Her eyes widened as she watched white and icy blue elemental energy burst from the tip of Kaeya’s sword, directly countering Diluc’s pyro flames. Crimson red and azure blue elemental energy violently clashed against each other in the air before a sudden gust of wind burst forth, knocking both of the brothers to the ground.
Floating in the air from the point of elemental collision: A Cryo Vision.
The Mondstadt Cryo Vision glowed in the murky atmosphere, almost like starlight pulsing in the midst of heavy darkness.
And maybe Skyla imagined it, but she felt a pull from said Cryo Vision. She tightly clenched the middle of her shirt, her heart racing in her chest as she heard a soft melancholic cry from it. Almost like it was attempting to comfort its owner as it faced the startled Kaeya on the ground.
“Lord Barbatos?” Diluc muttered underneath his breath, his mouth agape at the newly appeared Vision. “I suppose if that’s what you want...I’ll spare this...scum.”
Diluc then threw his claymore to the ground, glaring silently at Kaeya.
“Don’t you dare approach me again,” Diluc said. He grinded his teeth into a scowl and trudged back to the manor.
Skyla swallowed heavily. The image of Diluc slowly walking away with his slumped shoulders. His back turned. Will forever be implanted into her heart.
‘Things will never be the same again.’ Kaeya’s voice echoed in her mind and a wave of sadness overwhelmed her senses.
A dark chuckle.
‘I suppose that’s for the best.’
Thunder roared once more, lightning flashed as if to reflect Diluc’s boiling rage. Then the rain only poured down harder, drenching her clothes and stickly clenched itself onto her skin. It didn’t help that large raindrops felt like they were pelting against her head like hail.
Skyla steadily approached Kaeya, her heart feeling like it could burst at any moment just by the sheer way it was pounding in her chest. She wasn’t sure how to approach this situation.
Meanwhile, Kaeya had carefully plucked the floating Cryo Vision in the air and held it dearly in his hands. An onslaught of sobs took over his shaking body, and he buried his face into his hands.
Skyla was stunned. She didn’t know what to do. She had never seen the Cavalry Captain so vulnerable like this. Did he always have a side like this? He was always so...flirty, flaunting with confidence, someone Mondstadtians knew they could always count on. Always entangled in danger, yet coming out unscathed.
Skyla knelt beside the man, biting her bottom lip, uncertain what to do.
“Kaeya.” Skyla called out finally. Not sure why she was addressing him on a first name basis when she barely knew him as a person. She normally addressed him as ‘Sir Kaeya’ or ‘Captain Kaeya’ for formalities sake. But somehow it felt right...in this case.
He didn’t seem to hear her, drowning in his own thoughts. Or so she thought.
She then tried to hug Kaeya, it was the only thing she could think of to comfort him. To her surprise though, her hands went through his body as if he was a transparent being. The same thing happened when she attempted to pat his hair. What the hell? She could perfectly interact with the trees and grass earlier. Not to mention being drenched in rainwater. Does this happen with Diluc too?
She quickly ran over to the direction where she last saw Diluc going and luckily found him standing by one of the doorways of the Winery manor. Diluc had a hazy and pained expression as he faced the wooden doorway, making no indication that he was going to enter the building. Instead, he slammed his fist against the wall.
“Why? Why did I do that...Why did he have to tell me that today?” Tears went down Diluc’s face despite the angry look he displayed.
Diluc then slumped his back against the wall, his body sliding down to the ground. He then grabbed tufts of his vibrant red hair and clenched them tightly as he cried out.
“Father...what should I do?” Diluc propped up his knees and buried his face into it. He wrapped his arms around his head, encasing himself in a cocoon.“I miss you father...I miss Kae...if only I had been stronger. This day would have turned out differently.”
In a way, it almost mirrored the gestures she witnessed earlier from Kaeya. Both of them tightly curled up and clutching themselves, as if protecting their inner heart from the outside world.
It’s like both of them retreated to becoming kids.
Subconsciously, she made the gesture to pat his head, it's what her older sister used to do to comfort her when she was younger. That’s when her hand went through Diluc, just like with Kaeya, both of them becoming semi-transparent figures when she attempted to have physical contact.
The semi-transparent figures. The random transportation to the wilderness. The younger looks on Kaeya and Diluc.
Finally, everything clicked in. This is the past. This is simply a memory. Specifically, this was a part of Diluc and Kaeya’s past memories.
Skyla sighed as she scratched the top of her head.
This must be another one of her ‘prophetic dreams’ as Albedo called it. Honestly, why did it take her so long to realize this? Perhaps she had been more immersed in this ‘prophetic dream’ than she thought.
‘Prophetic dreams’ according to Albedo because apparently sometimes her dreams looked into people’s pasts.
She had briefly seen glimpses of some of Mondstadt’s vision users past memories including Albedo, Amber, Lisa and Eula.
I guess today is Diluc and Kaeya’s.
Is this why Diluc left Mondstadt? She faintly recalled her older sister saying that apparently Diluc went on some world journey. Well, apparently Kaeya had said that to her older sister once. Was it about two years back? Back when she was 16. Petra, her older sis was 17 at that time.
I believe Diluc left Mondstadt when he was 18?
All Skyla knew from memory was that Diluc and Kaeya were about a year older than her sis. Well, it's not like she could use her sister’s age for reference anymore nowadays. She’s gone...much like Master Crepus.
Skyla decided to attempt to head pat Diluc once more, just for her consciousness's sake even if this was a past memory she could no longer alter. She then scampered back to Kaeya’s position, worried about how he was doing in his situation.
She was already feeling nauseous from the overwhelming swirl of anger, frustration, confusion and sadness that was projected onto her from Diluc. It felt 10 times worse once she walked back to Kaeya. Surrounding him was a cloud of emotions. A cloud of guilt, worry, anxiety, sadness, conflict and anger. Specifically anger at his own self. She wasn’t sure why she was able to pinpoint these internal emotions of the people involved in these ‘prophetic dreams’ as if they were her own.
All she knew was that it made her more empathetic to their past.
Even if this projection of emotions was sometimes overpowering to the point that it was oppressive, it’s not like they chose to shove them onto her. Rather it was more of a side effect of having these dreams in the first place.
Skyla knelt before Kaeya once more, making the notion to try to wipe his tears even though she knew it wouldn’t work. The teenage-like Kaeya in front of her only had a look of despair in his eye as he stared at the skies above. His skin looked paler. His muscles were taut and there was an unfocused expression on his face.
“It’s going to be okay. You’ll make it. Both of you two will…” Skyla attempted to console him. “At least I hope…”
The second time Skyla dreamt of Diluc and Kaeya’s fight, she was placed right behind the manor, just a mere 10 feet away from their commotion.
The grey clouds in the heavens grumbled loudly, rain washing over the three people standing behind the Winery. Skyla couldn’t tell if the heavens were disturbed by the brotherly dispute or simply physically manifesting the storm of emotions dancing in the air.
Lightning flashed in the sky, reflecting off the boys’ faces and providing little light amidst the darkness. It was only a brief moment, but Skyla could properly see Kaeya’s face contorted with pain. On the other side of the brotherly dispute was Diluc whose eyes blazed with contempt.
The corners of Skyla’s mouth curved into a frown as she felt a familiar surge of emotions from within her chest: anger, fear, animosity, guilt, hatred, grievance, betrayal, sadness, confusion…
and sympathy?
She threw a puzzled expression over to Kaeya, the source of the soft and mellow feeling by her heart that was nearly drowned out by Diluc’s raging fury. If she concentrated hard enough...it was definitely there among the sea of emotions swirling within her.
She studied Kaeya’s feeble and measly attempts to block Diluc’s blows. It was like he was purposely taking the hits nearly directly on. Although he was doing the correct stances of a knight in battle, she could tell that he would loosen his grip on his sword at the last moment before each impact. Furthermore, she could see that Kaeya was holding his sword at a slightly awkward angle. Maybe just one or two degrees off than a normal swordsman? Albeit the difference to a normal person’s eye was very miniscule, as a fellow sword user herself, the angle difference was more apparent in her eyes.
Even in this situation…Kaeya’s thinking of Diluc’s point of view.
Just what exactly transpired between these two?
Almost as if on cue to answer her questions, white glowing text appeared before her. The large font hovered over the fighting brothers, floating in midair and sharply contrasted the dark gloomy background.
[It was raining heavily in Mondstadt on the night that Kaeya Alberich received his Vision.]
Skyla took in a sharp breath as she read the floating text out loud. She suddenly thought of the word, ‘subtitles’. That’s strange though, aren’t subtitles usually subheadings in a written text? Why is she-
‘Subtitles-captions displayed at the bottom of a movie or television screen that translate or transcribe the dialogue or narrative.’
Skyla froze in place as an alternative definition of what she knew flashed in her mind. What is a movie? Television? However, she didn’t have time to ponder on the new thoughts as the white glowing text changed words.
[Earlier that day, Crepus Ragnvindr had wielded the power of a Delusion — only to become its victim when it backfired. To set his father free from the unbearable agony, Diluc Ragnvindr took his life.]
Delusion?
‘May you rest in peace Master Crepus.’ Skyla silently mouthed at the changing text.
[Kaeya was Diluc's brother by adoption and was always by his side, but on this occasion, Kaeya did not partake in the final moments shared between father and son.]
Wait what? Is that why Diluc was mad at Kaeya? Called him a traitor?
[The torrential rain that set in on Mondstadt that night seemed to be a sign of the heavens' grief at the passing of Master Crepus.]
Skyla looked up to Celestia, nodding along to the floating white text’s words.
[There was a side to Kaeya that he kept hidden from the world: In truth, he was an agent of Khaenri'ah, placed in Mondstadt to serve their interests. His father had abandoned him in this strange and unknown land to fulfill his mission, and it was Master Crepus and the city of Mondstadt that had welcomed him with open arms when they found him.]
For a moment, time paused. Skyla couldn’t breathe, her heart beating heavily within her chest, unable to fully process and comprehend what she just read. Kaeya was a spy? Her eyes darted over to the nearby blue-haired person. Even though she didn’t know much about him, she knew him by his association with her older sister. Kaeya and her older sister were good friends, so by nature Skyla found herself trusting him too. Most of Mondstadt did. Was his personality and actions just a facade this entire time? Did he infiltrate the Knights of Favonius to break them from the inside out?
The white text glowed once more as the words morphed into something new.
[If Khaenri'ah and Mondstadt went to war, which side should he support? To whom should he offer his assistance: his birth father, who had ruthlessly abandoned him? Or his adoptive father, who loved him and raised him?
For the longest time, Kaeya had agonized over these impossible questions, caught between the opposing demands of loyalty and duty, faced with an impossible choice between truth and happiness.]
Skyla’s body shook at the new revelation, whether it be from the betrayal or fear of Kaeya’s loyalties-she wasn’t sure.
[But now, Crepus' death upset this delicate balance. He felt liberated, but also ashamed of how selfishly he was responding.
As an adopted son, he should have saved Crepus, but he had arrived moments too late. As a brother, he should have shared in Diluc's grief, and yet as their father lay dying on the ground he had hung back behind his brother, that ancient plot running through his mind.
Consumed by guilt, Kaeya knocked on Diluc's door. As the rain poured down, the shroud of secrecy was washed away, all lies were revealed. Kaeya had finally come clean.]
Is this scene what I’m watching then? The aftermath of Kaeya’s secret being revealed? Skyla briefly glanced over to the ongoing battle still going on, the clang of swords reverberating to the surrounding fields.
Where? Where was this floating text even coming from? Should she even believe this?
[He had anticipated Diluc's anger.]
Skyla clenched her hand over her chest. He knew...he knew this was going to happen...he felt like he deserved this. Skyla rapidly blinked as she took in a deep breath, confusion swimming in her mind. What does this mean? Is Kaeya still loyal to Mondstadt? Does he have anything to do with Diluc’s disappearance? Was Diluc secretly killed by Kaeya?
[The brothers drew their blades, this time pointing them at each other. Kaeya felt that this was his punishment for a lifetime of lies.]
I-I don’t get it.
[But as the two crossed blades, Kaeya was overcome by the sensation of great elemental power surging through him. For years, he had stayed out of the way in his brother's shadow. But now, for the first time ever, he was facing his brother as his true self.]
Skyla suddenly shivered, the familiar sensation of Cryo energy filling the air space. She looked up to see the same scene from last time. Raindrops freezing midair.
And just like a children’s storybook, the next set of floating words perfectly described the scene before her.
[Bitterly cold and brittle elemental energy burst forth from the tip of his sword to meet Diluc's searing flames head-on. The clash of crimson fire and azure ice created a sudden swirl of wind that stunned them both. This was the grim moment at which Kaeya's Vision appeared.]
The two feathered Cryo Vision floated in mid air and Skyla recognized the familiar tug at her heart. The Vision softly cried out loud to its owner once more.
The heavy and tense atmosphere instantly shattered underneath the appearance of the newly formed Vision.
[Since that day, Kaeya and Diluc have gone their separate ways. But he never discusses it, just as he never discusses the origin of his Vision.
Though it is a reminder of the hard-fought battle, and the prize that he earned in exchange for revealing the unadulterated truth, Kaeya sees it as a stern reminder that he must live the rest of his life under the heavy burden of lies.]
Skyla blankly stared at the floating text, afraid that if she read it out loud, it would disappear like the others. Luckily the text simply stayed in place, as if staring back into her soul. Almost like it was gloating and curious at her new predicament, wondering what she would do with the newly found details of the same story.
At the end of the dream, she almost didn’t even notice Diluc walking off into the distance or Kaeya sobbing in the background.
Nor did she know what to make of the newly acquired information.
The third time Skyla found herself in that same sibling conflict, she wasn’t sure if she was going to be left with more answers or questions.
Skyla sighed softly as she was greeted with the same looming darkness from overhead. And maybe it was just her, but the wind and rain felt more violent compared to the past two times she was here. The brutal winds lashed out against the trio, whipping her drenched hair against her face and nearly obscuring her vision several times.
Skyla absentmindedly watched Diluc and Kaeya clash swords, a blank look on her face despite an instinctive wanting to gag from the brute force of emotions being projected onto her once more. She quickly put her hand over her mouth and took deep breaths to steady herself.
“You bastard! Is that what we meant to you?! Is this how you take our kindness?!” Diluc slurred a barrage of additional insults, his blazing claymore landing just a mere feet from where Kaeya just stood. Kaeya had dodged at the last second, his movements stiff and muscles tense.
Skyla closed her eyes, letting the rain wash over her body as she listened to Diluc and Kaeya’s conversation. Well, does this really count as a conversation? It was mostly shouting. Just like the other two times, some of the conversation was muted. She didn’t know if the dream was intentionally doing that, but she did manage to get bits and pieces of the talk. Talks about Kaeya’s relationship with Khaenri'ah, his relationship with the Ragnvindrs, with Diluc . Kaeya was trying to explain himself, but at the same time shutting himself up.
In summary, it was like a whole whirlwind of events slapped into one moment in time.
Cling. Clang. Cling. Clang.
Skyla took a few steps forward, her body just a couple of inches away from the two boys that were in interlock. Chilly elemental energy erupted from Kaeya’s sword, pricking the air around them, making hair on the back of her neck stand up.
She swallowed hard, watching a burst of wind knock both boys to the ground. She alone stood in the landscape as she marveled at the beautiful floating Cryo Vision jewel and cupped it gently in her hands. Despite it being a Cryo Vision, a smile graced her lips as it emanated feelings of warmth and comfort.
She silently watched as Kaeya plucked the mid-air Cryo Vision, weeping loudly with the Vision in his arms. Hot tears ran down his cheeks, hiccups and whimpers occasionally disrupting his sobs as he kept mouthing the words “I’m sorry”.
Skyla exhaled and knelt in front of him, making the motions of brushing his tears and hair to the side. Her hand went through him as expected, so she ended up simply cupping the side of the Captain’s face as she studied his expressions.
‘If I had a choice...I would choose Mondstadt, Diluc.’ Kaeya’s voice echoed in her own mind.
Skyla instantly retracted her hand, startled from hearing Kaeya’s voice despite his lips not moving. She silently guessed that she might have accidentally accessed Kaeya's internal thoughts.
"What an interesting power,” Skyla muttered to herself.
.
.
.
Skyla plopped her back on the wet grass laden with mud, right smack in between Diluc and Kaeya. Both of whom were in tense fighting stances, armed with their respective weapons. She didn’t mind getting her hair dirty here, after all this was all just a dream at the end of the day. The rain spilled over her face as she looked up to the heavens, the view of the gloomy sky occasionally disrupted by Diluc and Kaeya’s swordsmanship.
She closed her eyes, slowly tuning out their conversational dispute. Bla bla bla Khaenri'ah, bla bla bla traitor, etc etc.
This is what, like the 10th time by now? No, probably more. At this point, Skyla had lost track of how many times the universe chose to revisit this specific ‘prophetic dream’ scenario of Diluc and Kaeya fighting after Master Crepus’ funeral service.
She opened her eyes briefly and stretched her arms up to the sky, not even flinching when Diluc’s claymore looked as though it was going to strike her arm. The claymore instantly dissipated into a semi-transparent object upon making physical contact with Skyla, but the fighting sequence still continued as if nothing had transpired.
Once she got tired of looking at the sky, she listened to the progress on the ‘ongoing battle’.
“Diluc..I-I know I can’t be forgiven...I-”
“Shut up!” Diluc cried out, the air temperature rapidly rising. “How could you?! How dare you! All this time...”
Ah, so we’re up to that part?
Kaeya’s going to continue apologizing, Diluc’s going to go on about how much he hates Kaeya. But deep down not really.
One of the benefits of having revisited this scene so much was that she was finally able to properly differentiate between whose emotions belonged to whom. She could feel that shred of familial love that Diluc held for Kaeya, that brotherly bond still in place and silently preventing Diluc from truly striking a death dealing blow. The same one that made the betrayal and revelation all the more painful.
Something similarly could be said for Kaeya, his familial love for Diluc and Mondstadt being the primary reason why he wasn’t properly countering Diluc’s strikes. This was coupled with a lurching stomach from his gnawing guilt.
Skyla could hear Diluc doing five rapid claymore strikes in succession and Kaeya’s shuffling of feet across the muddy ground as he backed away. Hmm, what was it again? He took 3, 4, 5 steps back? I think it was four in this part of the fight.
True to her word, she heard Kaeya take four steps back. Wordlessly, Skyla patted herself on the back for correctly guessing the fight sequence.
Now...when is that Cryo Vision going to appear?
It was minutes later when Skyla witnessed that familiar burst of wind that gave birth to a Vision that she was well acquainted with at this point.
“Lord Barbatos?” Diluc muttered underneath his breath, his mouth agape at the newly appeared Vision. “I suppose if that’s what you want...I’ll spare this...scum.”
Skyla puckered her lips, she too had been wondering about that same question for the past two years. Why did Venti and the Tsaritsa decide to gift Kaeya a Vision? Assuming that it’s either or both the regional archon and elemental archon that take part in the gifting ceremony?
Skyla sighed some more, putting the question aside. All she wanted right now was a blissful sleep of nothingness. Hurry up dream, can this end already?
As if on cue, the dream sequence abruptly ended and Skyla’s body relaxed as the coveted color of darkness took over her mind.
20 year old Skyla Rowan sighed with her back laid down against the smooth tarp that served as her floor lining in her little tent. She stared upward at the pointy tent ceiling, listening to the soft patter of rain against the waterproof rooftop. Then with a sigh, she draped her left forearm over her eyes. Her mind still lingering on the latest ‘prophetic dream’ she had just woken up from.
Another night, another weird prophetic dream as usual.
Tears had flowed down from the edge of her eyes to the sides of her face, but she paid no heed.
These tears belong to Diluc and Kaeya. They aren’t mine.
At least that’s what she told herself. It provided a sort of dissonance for her? Perhaps her own tears were mixed with theirs as a sign of empathy? Maybe? Maybe not? Who knows at this point?
Skyla quickly sat up, wiping the tears off of her face and stretching her body.
Time to get ready for the day.
She opened up the small inventory bag that Albedo had given her, picking out a mirror and brush. She was lucky that she wasn’t born with harsh curls or getting a bed head would just add onto her list of problems. Slowly, she combed through her lush dark blonde hair, straightening out some of the waviness. Then she put on a white hairband through her hair and attached some black bow accessories. Lastly, she clipped on a tiny white wing hair accessory that was handmade by her older sister.
Skyla held up her mirror once more, a smile gracing her lips as she examined herself. Her short dark blonde hair was mostly straightened out, the ends of it just barely skirting the surface of her shoulders and nipping the sides of her neck. Though the bottom half of her hair was still loosely curled and wavy, she didn’t mind too much.
Skyla then opened up a bottle of water, pouring out a small amount onto a nearby pan. She gently touched the cold water, then dabbed it on the skin surrounding her eyes. She sighed in relief as she felt the red swelling and heat around her eyes slowly dissipated. It was a technique she learned by chance after two years of randomly waking up to tears. Normally washing your face with cold water got rid of both the tear stains and swelling. However, if one was limited with resources, simply dabbing cold water around the tear ducts would do the trick.
She pulled out her mirror again to put on some light makeup to make herself look a bit more presentable. Afterall, no need to enter Mondstadt today looking like someone who cried. Crystal blue eyes stared back at her in the mirror, no hint of an earlier emotional meltdown that happened during her sleep.
Skyla put on a new set of outdoor clothes and began putting everything away after checking that the rain had stopped. Once she finished sorting out her tent belongings and placed them in her inventory bag, she beamed at herself for her mini-daily achievement. Acting as if everything was normal even though she was a crying mess about an hour ago.
Skyla clipped on a dull white Mondstadt Vision onto the right side of her belt, gently patting it and feeling satisfied with her morning routine.
“I guess we’re finally going home, sister.” Skyla said out loud as she stared at the city from across the lake. Her hand still on the orb and her heart fluttering a bit at the prospect of landing in Mondstadt. “Well...technically just me. You’re already there.”
Skyla lightly tapped her lips as she thought about her first entrance to Mondstadt in two years. She was currently situated at one of the top points of Brightcrown Canyon. Hmm, if she glided down to the city’s side gate where the docks were, would she make it? But more importantly, it would cause quite a stir for someone to glide down into a no flying zone.
She devilishly grinned, imagining the panicked looks of some of the Knights to see a random stranger gliding to their port.
Skyla examined the terrain some more and then pulled out her map of Teyvat. There was at least thousands of kilometers of air to glide from the canyon to the side port. Maybe she could stop at the islands for a pitstop. She faintly recalled that there were some air pillars on each of the islands. Sometimes if an anemo user activated them they would gush air columns up for hours.
She squinted her eyes at the two islands before her and floating in the middle of the sea. She could see a faint green glow emulating from each island. Her mouth twitched happily. It was her lucky day. If those two pillars were activated, she could definitely land onto the side port without going splat into water midway.
Skyla put away the map and popped out a set of custom-made glider wings from an old acquaintance she met during her two year journey. She made sure that the contraption was properly strapped to her body and giggled as she took a leap of faith into the skies.
The air breeze felt amazing as it fluttered against her hair and Skyla took in the breathtaking view of the wilderness as she closed into the harbor. As calculated, the air uplifts from both anemo pillars provided enough upthrust midway through the glide. She skillfully landed herself onto the side harbor.
And, as expected, two Knights came rushing to the harbor, demanding to know who she was and berating her for going into a no fly zone. She had to turn to the side and cover her mouth in order to muffle her laughter at successfully pulling off her prank.
In a matter of seconds though, the Knights’ scolding was interrupted by a series of slow hand claps. Skyla looked up to see a familiar blue-haired man that was the source of her morning troubles.
“No need to get so riled up you two,” Kaeya chuckled as he stopped clapping. “I’m sure our dear law-abiding citizen simply didn’t know the updated rules and regulations after being away for two years.”
The two Knights to the side looked stunned at Kaeya’s words, shocked at the revelation that she was a Mondstadt citizen.
“What an entrance though, little Skyla.” Kaeya continued with an amused expression. “Welcome back to Mondstadt.”
A flash of the morning memory briefly appeared in Skyla’s mind where Kaeya was trembling and sobbing in the rain. The vulnerable man in her prophetic dreams greatly contrasted the confident one standing before her.
Skyla pushed the memory aside and simply flashed a polite smile back.
“It’s a pleasure to be back, Captain Kaeya.”
AUTHOR Titbits/Foodcrumbs/Behind-the-Scenes Corner! :D (idk which mini-title suits it best, let me know which one u like)
Titbit#1:
“Father...what should I do?” Diluc propped up his knees and buried his face into it. He wrapped his arms around his head, encasing himself in a cocoon.“I miss you...I miss Kae...if only I had been stronger. This day would have turned out differently.”
I think to some readers, this part may have been a bit confusing as Kaeya is clearly still alive. But I had Diluc call Kaeya as ‘Kae’ as a term of endearment to the times prior to their father’s death. In a way, he was separating the past and present Kaeya that he knew. It was also a way of separating the past and present in the mind, the times where things were much happier and peaceful.
Titbit#2: Is there a reason why you chose to write ch1 as a flashback initially? It seemed very confusing in the beginning on what exactly was going on.
Yes, that was intentionally done so that readers would be immersed in the flashbacks in the same manner as Skyla(OC). Although written in 3rd POV limited(bc tht is what I’m familiar in writing in), it is written in the style of 1st POV to some extent(that is why I chose not to describe much of her appearance until the end). Skyla herself was initially very confused on what was going on, so I wanted to replicate that same feeling in readers. She herself didn’t know at first that she was watching a flashback of Diluc & Kaeya’s past, she was confused about what was happening. And it took her a while to realize that she was dreaming about someone else’s past. It’s like those dreams u have that u’re so immersed that you can’t distinguish it from reality. That is what is happening to her.
Titbit #3:
“And maybe Skyla imagined it, but she felt a pull from said Cryo Vision. She tightly clenched the middle of her shirt, her heart racing in her chest as she heard a soft melancholic cry from it. Almost like it was attempting to comfort its owner as it faced the startled Kaeya on the ground.”
Hmmm I don’t think canon wise visions have a personality or like mind of its own, but I just felt like these lines would add more spice to the story XD So for my story’s headcanon, visions can resonate with their owner’s feelings to some extent
For References(Because Idk how to link a specific part of the fic to another part of the same fic, someone plz teach me)
Skyla(OC) flight path if anyone curious:
Younger Kaeya(from genshin manga):
Younger Diluc, Kaeya and Master Crepus during the Dragon Incident(from genshin manga):
Skyla(OC):
