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isshua · 1 year ago

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Messianic Aureation

Chapter 14: Journey to the Southwest

Summary: The Anemo gnosis has been acquired. Bid Monstadt farewell. Through the Stone Gate the Land of Geo unveils like a painting, with the power of rock rumbling beneath Cara's feet. The Archaic Lord awaits.

I'M BACK BABY YEEEAH!!!! Hope y’all enjoy the chapter and the official introduction to the Liyue Arc! :D

Epona was waiting for her when she found her way back down to the woods that brushed the outer edges of the Thousand Winds Temple. The horse rumbled a soft greeting, leaning into her touch when Cara held her muzzle in her hands and smoothed out her disheveled forelock. She was still crying as she boosted herself up into the saddle, settling her feet into the stirrups and holding the reins with shaking hands. Epona didn’t move, giving her a moment to look back at where Venti was waiting to take the full brunt of the false Creator’s wrath. Guilt and sorrow tugged at her conscience. Everything was telling her to go back and beg him to come with her, even though she knew he was going to say no. This was a choice for the best. Monstadt would not fall. The Madness would fester, but she would return to dispel it. She swore on her own life she would.

With a gentle squeeze and a slight turn of the reins, Cara led Epona down the path they took to the temple. The wind blew, whistling like a bird, and she felt it caress her. She could understand every word it said. Follow us.

Most of the ruins outside of the temple that had been caught within Venti’s cyclone were now completely destroyed. Great stone pieces of days long past were reduced to piles of rubble. The air was still rather uneven here, and Cara could feel the Anemo energy like particles of dust sticking to her skin. Small groups of hilichurls were picking their way through the debris, nervously chittering amongst themselves, obviously uneasy with returning to the place where the massive elemental catastrophe had raged.

The environment was in utter shambles. Most of the trees had been ripped up from the earth right down to their roots and were now laying in haphazard places. Some that were still standing were lacking their leaves and branches, sticking up like skeletal remains. Bushes and patches of flowers were either flattened or just entirely gone. Great slashes wounded the earth where the cyclone had touched down. It was a bleak, somber sight, and Cara knew it would take this area quite a long time to recover from the damage Venti caused.

When they left the battle-scarred area, with Monstadt to the northwest and Windrise to the south, she spotted three figures standing beneath a thick fir tree with five skinnier firs cornering it against a rather tall rock hill. As Epona drew closer, she recognized them, and saw it was Kaeya, Bennett, and Razor, waiting for her like they said they would. Her heart leaped with joy and relief, and she felt unfathomable gratitude for them; they were here, her closest friends and allies in this world. She urged Epona to pick up a brisk trot. As she neared them, she saw their heads turn in her direction, and their faces lit up.

She felt like she had finally reached the conclusion to this chapter of her journey when she halted Epona and hopped off. Bennett was the first to exclaim an excited greeting. “Your back!” he cried. He threw himself to her, holding her in a hug. “Your back! You're alive!”

Razor followed, eagerly jumping up and down like an excited puppy dog. Both boys held onto her tightly, and she felt another surge of gratitude for them. “I’m alive,” she told them, happily, softly. “I’m here. I’m okay.”

“Did you get the gnosis?” Bennett asked.

“Did wind god hurt you badly?” Razor added.

“Tell us everything!” Bennett continued. “How did you defeat him?”

“You smell like the sky!”

“Now, now,” Kaeya said when he joined them. His voice was calm, but the look on his face showed just how happy he was to see her safe and sound. “Let’s not bombard her with questions, alright? Cara just experienced what was most likely one of the most intense moments of her life. Let’s give her a moment to rest.”

Bennett and Razor let her go, and Cara immediately sank down against the tree, exhaustion pulling at her limbs. “Thanks for waiting for me,” she told them. “Sorry I took so long.”

“Why are you apologizing?” Bennett asked. “You could have taken 500 years if you wanted to! We would have waited for you either way.”

“You won, right?” Razor questioned. “Where is gnosis?” He sniffed her and focused his gaze on the diamond over her chest. “Sky smell is strong!”

“Well, I sort of…absorbed it?” Cara shrugged a little helplessly. “I don’t know exactly what happened. When Venti-I mean, Barbatos-gave it to me, it reacted the moment I touched it.” She placed a hand over her chest, feeling her pulse and imagining the gnosis residing in her heart.

“He gave it to you?” Kaeya repeated. “But didn’t you fight him for it?”

“Yes, I did,” she answered. “But then I freed him from the Madness, and he recognized me, and…well, to explain it all in full detail would probably take too long. To put it simply, I expelled the Madness out of him, and after I did that, he gave me his gnosis.”

Bennett looked thrilled. “That’s great! That means he’s on our side now, right? Having an Archon to fight alongside us is a huge advantage!”

Cara lowered her head and looked sadly down at her boots. She pressed her fingers to her lips, hiding her guilty grimace from them. “It’s a temporary fix. The false Creator will infect him with the Madness again. It’s an inevitable consequence to being in a position that keeps him in her immediate line of supervision. I…I had to leave him behind. I wanted him to come with us so I could protect him. But for that to happen would be impossible right now.”

They were silent. She could feel their gazes on her, but she held no more words to say at the moment. Then, Razor crouched before her and put a hand on her knee. “Wind god…is good god,” he said with hushed softness. “Wind god is very old, very smart. Telling you to leave him behind…smart choice.”

A wet snuffle left her before she could bite it back. Ever emotional, she could feel her eyes welling up with tears. When she blinked, they rippled down her cheeks like raindrops on a window. “He told me that too. He said this was the only way for us to get out of Monstadt safely. The false Creator’s focus will be entirely on him. He’s giving us a chance to escape.”

“If he is doing that,” Kaeya said, “then he truly is a kind, benevolent god.” He held both hands to his chest and whispered out a quiet prayer in a language that sounded distinctly German to her. “If he is buying us time, then we must use this opportunity to our full advantage. Did he tell you where we’re supposed to go?”

“He said to head for the Stone Gate. He’s made sure we’ll get through without detection, but once we’re in Liyue, we’ll be on our own.” Though, that wasn’t entirely true. The wind would always be with her now, even if it wasn’t Venti himself looking out for her. Teyvat would never abandon her, or her allies.

“Right. Then we should move quickly.” Kaeya looked up at the sky. “We’ll travel under the cover of the night. The quicker we get to Liyue, the better.”

Or the worse. Cara let her head fall against her knees. Liyue was a totally new nation with completely new characters that she didn’t know what to expect from. Gone was the feeble reassurance that her knowledge of Genshin Impact brought her. She was unaware of how the Liyuen Vision holders would react to her. Which ones would recognize her supposed divinity, and which ones would try to kill her? She wasn’t even sure she wanted to find out.

“Cara?” Razor said, looking a little worried. She lifted her head and saw her friends looking down at her, and remembered that this was not the time to sit beneath a tree and worry. Right now, she had to act.

“I’m okay.” She stood up and breathed out. “I’m fine.” She smiled, then crossed her arms. “So, onward to Liyue?”

Kaeya nodded. “Onward to Liyue.” He looked back towards Monstadt City. “Farewell, Monstadt,” he said a little forlornly. “We will return someday.”

Cara walked over to Epona and brought out her backpack. She took out the Holy Lyre der Himmel and turned it over in her hands, studying the intricacy of it, feeling the Anemo energy breathing small sighs against her skin. She could not keep this. It wouldn’t be right. This lyre belonged to Monstadt, and thus she had to return it. Even if her little heist in the Church of Favonius had meant nothing, even if this instrument hadn’t performed the purpose she intended for it at the Thousand Winds Temple, it was still her duty to safekeep it by giving it back to Monstadt’s people. And it hadn’t all been in vain. After all, stealing it had definitely captured Venti’s attention.

She opened the small storage pack attached to Epona’s saddle and slipped the lyre inside. “Go to Monstadt City,” she whispered to the horse. “Bring the lyre to Barbara.”

Epona nickered. Cara hugged her neck. “Thank you for everything. Thank you for saving us.” Deep down, she understood that this horse was a gift from Teyvat. A creature that displayed such perception had to be.

Epona turned and broke into an immediate canter, taking off in the direction of Monstadt City, shrinking until she was nothing more than a little dot, and then she was gone. Cara looked long after she was out of view, saying a silent goodbye to the city of wind and freedom. She thought of every single character who had stood against her here, as well as those who had helped her. Their faces popped into her mind’s eye one by one. Albedo. Venti. Uncle Elias. Fischl. Noelle. Jean. Rosaria. Diluc.

Her scarred eye itched. She traced the damaged skin, the texture of it slightly rough. She thought she could feel a faint emanation of heat against her fingertips. She shivered and quickly dropped her hand.

Kaeya walked over to her and sighed. “She’s a good steed,” he said, then, after a moment of silence, added, “And they are good people. Whether or not they are infected with the Madness, Monstadt is filled with people who truly care for the goodwill of Teyvat.” He looked at her and smiled. “We’ll save them.”

She smiled back. “Yeah. Yeah, we will.” I swear on my life, we will. I will. This wasn’t just about her getting home anymore. There was real suffering happening here that only she could stop, and she couldn’t continue on this quest for the seven gnoses to simply escape to her own world. People here were counting on her to save them. She didn’t truly believe she was capable of completing such a task…but at this point, leaving was no longer a choice. She had to stay. She had to fight. She had to win.

“Do you guys really want to come with me?” she asked, looking at her friends. They were watching her, their expressions expectant and open to her words. “Because if you do, there’s no coming back. You’ll be recognized as traitors to Monstadt. You’ll be leaving your homeland.”

“I think we were recognized as traitors a long time ago,” Kaeya said with a rueful smile.

“And we leave Monstadt all the time!” Bennett added. “We’ve gone with you on so many adventures across Teyvat when we’re acting as you’re Vessels. Spending time away from Monstadt is nothing new for us.”

“Yes, but this is different,” Cara said. “This won’t be for a few days or weeks. It will be months. Maybe even years. I don’t know when I’m coming back here. I don’t know if I can come back here. Not until I destroy the Madness for good.”

“We’re okay with that,” Bennett said quietly. “We actually discussed this while you were fighting Barbatos.” He nodded to Razor and Kaeya. “We know coming with you will mean we won’t see our homes for a long time. It’s a big sacrifice for us to make.”

“But for you, we are willing to make such a sacrifice,” Kaeya joined in. “Monstadt is home, but so are you. To leave you on your own, with the seven nations against you, would be far too cruel.”

“We protect you,” Razor said. “Keep you safe. Fight with you. Understand?”

“But…” Cara still couldn’t comprehend that this was something they would willingly do. “You're leaving everyone and everything behind! Kaeya, you’ll be giving up your position as cavalry captain! Razor and Bennett, your entire worlds are here in Monstadt! How can you possibly decide that abandoning all of that for me is the best idea?”

The three of them looked at each other. It was Razor who stepped forward and held out his hand. She understood what he wanted, and took his hand without a second thought. The moment they touched, his hand lit up bright purple, the same way Kaeya’s hand had illuminated back in Albedo’s camp. She watched the deep violet pulse softly with a look of wonder.

“See purple glow?” Razor asked. “Purple glow not just for anyone. Purple glow is for you and me.”

“And me,” Bennett added.

“And me,” Kaeya agreed.

“Purple glow means connection. Not just physical. Here also.” Razor put his other hand over his heart. “You, me…Bennett, Kaeya…we are lupical. We meant to be together.” His face scrunched up slightly. Obviously, it was taking a lot for him to put his feelings into words. “We feel it. We know it. You know it too.”

“Lupus. Rota. Ocellus. Three of the Nine have been found.”

The wind whispered into her ear, its voice quiet. For the first time, Cara thought about how ancient the element of Anemo must be, to be present throughout every single period of Teyvat’s history. It knew things no one else, not even Venti, could know. She should trust it’s word.

But still her guilt over pulling Kaeya, Bennett, and Razor away from their families and homes weighed her heart down.

“No guilt,” Razor said. He squeezed her hand gently. “Please. No reason for guilt. We…want this.”

Kaeya suddenly unsheathed his sword. He bent down on one knee and drove the weapon into the ground. Like a faithful knight swearing his allegiance to his queen, he spoke. “Your Grace, I humbly request your acceptance of this request. Would you, the Almother, allow me to accompany you through the nations of Teyvat, to remain by your side as your guardian, your protector, and your friend?”

Bennett mimicked Kaeya, and Razor let her go and stepped back to do the same. Cara felt multiple emotions: shock, embarrassment, and utter bafflement that they were kneeling to her and really wanted to give up their lives in Monstadt to travel with her. “Guys…”

“Please, Cara.” Bennett looked up at her with begging eyes. “Let us come with you.”

“We don’t want to leave you.”

“Want to stay with you. No lies.”

Cara felt herself crumble. She let her shoulders drop, a signal of acceptance. “I guess…if you guys are really set on it…you can come with me.”

It was like she had just told them she was throwing a wild celebration. Bennet and Razor cheered, throwing their hands up towards the sky and jumping up and down. Kaeya gave her a look of utter relief. “You won’t regret this,” he told her. “I promise you won’t.”

“I know. I just feel incredibly guilty.”

“Don’t. There is nothing to feel guilty for. We want this. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t be here.”

“Well then, it’s time to head off! Benny’s Adventure Team, assemble!” Bennett sheathed his sword and started to run off, then promptly tripped over a rock and fell flat on his face. Razor cried out and rushed to his side, helping him up. Bennett simply laughed and rubbed the back of his head, his cheeks red as he repeated “I’m fine, I’m fine!” while Razor worried over him. Kaeya chuckled and shook his head, then walked over to the two boys to offer assistance. Cara watched them, a soft smile on her face, her heart no longer heavy. She looked at the rolling hills, the high trees, with the tallest oak of them all towering in the distance and a grand backdrop of Dragonspine rising up to touch the darkening sky. The Statue of the Seven beneath that oak was but a faint glow, and when she focused on its radiance, she felt the soft breeze of the wind and what sounded like a bard’s faint laughter. She thought she could hear the tune of a lyre, and it filled her with reassurance.

“Goodbye Monstadt,” she whispered, quietly enough for only the wind to hear. She turned and followed after her friends, the scent of cecilias and apples lingering in the air, while the church bells chimed and the windmills gently twirled.

With the temple behind them, they traveled into well-trodden territory, taking the dirt path down towards Windrise. With the wind guiding Cara, they slipped seamlessly through the night. They didn’t speak, only followed each other in complete silence. As they made their way through the wilds, they stuck to the cover of the darkness and the trees, avoiding anyone who might be traveling the main roads. Being that it was quite late, the strangers they saw weren’t many. But when they carefully sneaked past Monstadt City’s main bridge, there were constant patrols of knights to hide from. Their torches illuminated a violent orange glow, crackling and hissing with contempt. Some of the knights on horseback, the large animals snorting and stomping furiously with cracking hooves. Hound dogs snarled and barked at the sides of those on foot, straining against their leads, paws flailing at the air, tails erect as they begged their masters for freedom to hunt and maim their prey: her. The angry murmurs heard from the knight’s lips made Cara’s heart seize with anxiety. Razor mainly led the way through this obstacle, using his superior senses to choose the best paths to avoid the hunting parties. And the wind held true to Venti’s word; it blew away their scents, protecting them from the noses of the hounds. Soon, the light of the torches grew distant, and the knights were behind them. Cara breathed out a sigh of relief and pressed on.

They passed by Cider Lake, silently going by Springvale. The lamp posts set up along this road helped light their path. There were some booths and vendors set up along the way. However, they were dark and empty, and no human contact leaped upon them as they pressed on.

When they made it to the canyon, with its rough terrain and slight clouds of dust being kicked up by the hollow breeze, things got slightly unnerving. It was quiet here. The abandoned vendor booths and the occasional ruined cart added to the creepiness of this place. Four hilichurls camping out at one of these booths were asleep, their snores loud and deep-except for one. It was awake, keeping watch, observing them as they passed by. Cara eyed the club and wooden shield at its side, silently wondering if it was going to attack. A couple of hilichurls would be no issue dispatching, and it wasn’t like there were any people around to have their presence be alerted anyway. But that didn’t mean she wanted to fight. She just wanted to make it to the Stone Gate as quickly as possible.

But the monster didn’t wake its slumbering brethren, and it didn’t attempt to attack them on its own. The hilichurl simply stared, its head turning to follow them as they walked by. Cara could feel its gaze burning into her back from behind its mask.

They left the canyon and neared the Dawn Winery. Here, Cara grew nervous. Her injured eye ached and she found herself subconsciously itching at the part of her scar that partially ran down her cheek. Flames licked at her skin and Diluc’s angry screams echoed in her ears. She winced, even though there was no pain. She could not look at the winery anymore. Her pace quickened automatically.

Bennett and Razor were ahead, and thus didn’t notice. But Kaeya was beside her, and he grabbed her hand. She looked at him inquisitively; he maneuvered himself to walk on her left, blocking the winery out of her peripheral vision. His hand was cold, chasing away the heat. She squeezed it once, silently giving thanks.

They took a shortcut down a gradual slope shielded by some rocks to avoid walking too close to the winery. Then, back on the dirt road, they passed by a lake that, as far as Cara could remember, didn’t have an official name. Bennett took care of a pack of Cryo slimes mingling by the shore, and after that, they continued on the path hugging the body of water. Then, there they were. The scenery changed dramatically when they entered the Stone Gate. Gone were Monstadt’s hills and tall oak forests. Replacing them were imposing stone cliffs with grass and scarce vegetation growing on their slopes. Sandbearer trees grew along the sides, their trunks narrow and elegant, with autumn-colored leaves. A Millelith watchtower could be seen in the distance, one of the only sources of light besides the lamp posts in the dark of the night. The wind continued to lightly blow. “We will always be with you,” it breathed. “May the Anemo Archon bless your luck here. Until we speak again.” Then, its voice quietly faded away.

There was a pulse of power that rose up from the ground. Cara trembled when she felt it, but not in a terrified manner. A small shock jittered up her body, starting at the soles of her feet and traveling all the way up to her head. That’s when she sensed it. A voice, disembodied and completely confined within her own mind, one she could feel. “Welcome, Primordial Creator,” the element of Geo rumbled deeply. “Welcome to the Nation of Contracts. Welcome to Liyue.”

Her companion’s moods grew significantly lighter, now that they were out of Monstadt. Bennett and Razor started to whisper to each other, and those whispers grew into cheerful small talk. “Hey,” Bennett said, looking back at Cara and Kaeya. “Now that we’re a team, don’t you think we should give ourselves a cool team name?”

“Team name?” Cara questioned.

“Is that truly necessary?” Kaeya asked.

“Why not?” Bennett grinned. “Adventure teams always have names!”

“I wouldn’t say we’re an adventure team,” Cara said. “I think ‘internationally wanted criminals’ fits the bill a bit more.”

“Oh, come on , don’t say that! No one in Liyue knows we’re here! We can relax for a little while!”

“Yet,” Kaeya corrected. “No one in Liyue knows we’re here yet.”

“You guys need to look at things a bit more positively. Listen, Razor and I came up with an awesome adventure team name!” Bennett lightly elbowed Razor. “Go on, tell them.”

Razor lifted his chin and puffed out his chest while smiling importantly. “We call ourselves,” he said with added dramatism, “Team Save Teyvat.”

Silence.

Cara burst out laughing.

“What?” Bennett threw up his hands. “What’s wrong with it?”

“Team Save Teyvat? Seriously? ” Kaeya replied. “That’s the best you two could do?”

“It’s a great name!” Bennett defended. “It fits us perfectly! We’re saving Teyvat, and we’re a team! Team Save Teyvat!”

“Very simple, easy to remember,” Razor agreed. “I like it.”

Cara, attempting to speak, failed terribly due to the fact that she was dying of laughter, and all that came out was a garbled mess of incomprehensible noise.

“Look, you broke her.” Kaeya gestured to her. “You have literally broken Her Grace. Teyvat is doomed.”

“Team Doom Teyvat!” Razor blurted out, followed by a series of delighted giggles.

Bennett sighed and shook his head, but he was smiling. “You guys are being extremely difficult about this.”

Cara recovered from her humorous affliction and let out a breath. “Okay. Okay. Let’s have a vote. Kaeya, you come up with a team name right now.”

“Me?” Kaeya gave her an incredulous look. “Why?”

“We need a competitor for Bennett and Razor’s ‘Team Save Teyvat,’ duh.”

His brow furrowed. “I’m not the most creative when it comes to team names, but if you insist. Um…how about…Team Genshin?”

Cara groaned and covered her face. “Nonono, please not that, that’s so generic.”

“How is that generic? The word Genshin probably hasn’t been spoken this much in 1,000 years!”

“Yeah, here it's not generic, but where I’m from it is. Come up with something better.”

“How much better do you want me to do?”

“Better than Team Genshin!”

“This is funny to watch,” Bennett whispered to Razor.

The wolf boy was smiling. “Kaeya and Cara are bonding. Good for lupical.”

“Okay.” Kaeya dragged a hand over his face. “Alright. How about this? Team Urschöpfer.”

“What does that mean?” Cara asked. “Is it German?”

“German? I don’t quite know what that means. Is it a word commonly used in your celestial realm?” Kaeya asked.

“Uh.” Shit, I forgot. Of course German wouldn’t be called German in Teyvat. This wasn’t Earth. “S-Sorta. It’s the name for a language for a country in my world.”

“Ah. I see. Well, in the Monstadtian tongue, Urschöpfer means Primordial. Since you are the Primordial One, and being that Monstadt is the home of your rebirth, I believe Team Urschöpfer might be a fitting name for us.”

Razor made a face. “Word…hard to say. Don’t speak Monstadtian well. Teacher never taught me.”

“I can help you learn Monstadtian!” Bennett offered. “And I can help Cara learn it too! And then we could all speak Monstadtian to each other, and use it as a sort of secret language to exchange information!”

“But what if there’s someone around who also speaks Monstadtian?” Cara asked.

“Well…then…” Bennett paused. “Hm. That’s a problem.”

All discussion about a team name forgotten, the four of them continued through the Stone Gate, speaking about Monstadtian dialect and how Bennett might teach them such a difficult language in a matter of 24 hours. Cara was too immersed in their conversation to care about any Millelith guards who might possibly be listening. It was only when Kaeya suddenly held out an arm and forced her to halt did she begin to observe their surroundings once again.

“What’s wrong?” Cara asked him. “Why’d we stop?”

Bennett and Razor fell silent, looking at Kaeya with mutual confusion. He pointed ahead, towards a group of people gathered at the end of the wooden bridge they were crossing over. Cara recognized the yellow overcoats with the gray and black armor. Millelith soldiers. Fifteen of them, all of them holding spears. She tensed, immediately summoning her mask and going to put it over her head.

But then she saw who the soldiers were speaking to. A young woman with icy blue hair and dark red horns. A Cryo Vision resting on her hip.

Cara sucked in a sharp breath. “Ganyu,” she whispered.

“You know her?” Kaeya quietly asked her. She noticed he had drawn his sword.

The half-Adeptus, though relatively far away, seemed to shiver. As if sensing Cara’s presence, she slowly turned to look in their direction. Cara went numb; she quickly shoved her mask over her face. But it was too late. They made eye contact.

Ganyu’s eyes were a bright scarlet red.

#messianic aureation #genshin impact sagau #genshin sagau #genshin imposter au #sagau #genshin cult au #genshin impact #genshin impact fanfic #liyue

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monoceros-vulpes · 6 days ago

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24.

☆ … 2.2k

☆ … Cyrille, Lucielle.

☆ … Attempted suicide, Alcohol, Implied ED.

☆ … Cyrille birthday lore :) this one takes place in 2013

Darkness enveloped every corner of the street.

The city was known for its bright, neon signs. They were scattered across the city; specks of cyan and magenta lighting up every building and walkway, even late at night. The bustling metropolis didn’t know sleep.

Most would be unfamiliar with the darkness, and understandably so. Yet, Cyrille navigated the sidewalk expertly in the dim light. The only visible things were faint gleams at the edges of buildings, dumpsters, the cars parked at the curb. They were enough to guide xem.

Xe pulled up their scarf a little higher over xyr nose. Cold crept in between the fibres of xyr sweater. Almost pleasant, if not for the dampness that lingered in the air. It hasn’t rained in weeks.

Xyr hand returned to the strap of their tote bag. Inside were xyr necessities, plus a few games. Xe had bought them a console for their birthday last year, and xe’d take full advantage of it. And a bottle of vodka, to celebrate of course. Xe’d be celebrating with the prettiest guy this side of Heliopolis.

Xe turned the corner, from walking down a quiet street to an even quieter alleyway. At the end, a single white floodlight illuminated the ground in front of the building. Several stories tall, yet not all that big. Pretty shabby place, xe’d have to admit. But it’s what was available at the time. A shitty apartment is better than no apartment.

Rummaging around inside xyr bag, xe pulled out the keys to the stairwell situated awkwardly in the corner. Unfortunately, also poorly lit. Barely anything could be seen through the gate.

The lock turned easily in response to the silver key. Xe pulled it open, propping it with xyr foot while xe looked for xyr phone. It wasn’t needed, but the flashlight would help.

The door creaked close behind xem, audibly locking. The stairs were dry, thankfully. The wire grate walls weren’t much to keep the damp air out though. Xe stopped on the landing of the third floor.

Newly hatched butterflies made xyr stomach flutter. It was late, but they’d still be up. Most likely. They even suggested celebrating at their place instead of the bowling alley. A special occasion, not a rare one.

Xe knocked.

Twice.

Three times.

Xe frowned, calling.

“Luci? I’m here.” Xe knocked again, then switched tabs to text them. Xyr lithe fingers tapped on the screen, dimly illuminating xyr face.

Minutes passed. Whether the night itself were growing colder or it just being from standing there was beyond xem. Xe sighed, pulling out xyr keyring again.

Theirs stood out among the rest. The newest. The copy was only made a few months ago. It slid into the lock perfectly.

The apartment inside was dark. Notably warmer though. Xe reached over to the light switch, flicking it on before closing the door behind xem.

“Luci? I let myself in,” xe called. The apartment wasn’t large. They had to have heard xem.

Cyrille slid off xyr shoes, pulled off xyr scarf and hung it on the coat rack. Xe navigated the apartment, poking xyr head around the corner of the foyer.

The couch was empty, much to xyr discontent. The TV across from it was turned off too. Xe frowned at the blanket on one end of the couch, folded neatly. Lucielle tidying up? For xem? Something must really be wrong. The remote was even sitting neatly at the edge of the coffee table.

On the other side of the wall was the kitchen. Small, only enough for basic appliances and a little counter and storage space. Xe’d have to remind them to buy an island to separate it from the living room later. Unsettling to have it be so open, honestly.

Xe shook xyr head, stepping forward into the living room and turning on the lamp by the end table. Xe winced. The only sounds in the apartment were the shuffling of xyr socks on the hardwood floor and the deafening buzz from the fridge and the lamp. And the foyer ceiling light, which was arguably louder.

The hallway was only lit by the reflection of the foyer light though. Much darker, but nothing compared to outside. Xe shuffled around, avoiding the rug that’d bite xyr feet in front of the couch.

Maybe they fell asleep. It wasn’t unlike them to sleep longer than intended, especially since xe hadn’t messaged them since that morning to check up.

Their bedroom door was the same shade as the walls, only the trim giving it contrast. Xe slid xyr fingers over the faux wood before knocking, tentatively.

“Luci? Are you in here?” Xe asked, adjusting the tote bag hanging from xyr shoulder. “I’m coming in.”

And sure enough, they were. A mess of blankets and hair on the bed in the far corner, dimly lit by the light filtering through the cheap curtains on their window. Xe smiled to xemself, shuffling over to flick on the lamp resting on the nightstand.

There were a couple of empty glasses next to the lamp. Looking, xe found a few other dishes on their desk. As quietly as xe could, xe gathered and stacked all the dishes, leaving them on the edge of the desk to take back to the kitchen later.

“Morning time, sleepyhead,” xe said, just above a whisper. The bed dipped where xe sat, carefully avoiding loose strands of hair scattered on the sheets. They didn’t respond, still lying on their side holding a pillow.

“Luci?” Odd. Xe reached over, gently brushing their hair from their face. Their lips were a distinct shade of grey.

Xyr stomach dropped.

“Hey, Luci, babe.” This can’t be happening. Xyr hands fell to their shoulder, shaking them. Panic rose in xyr chest; xyr breath hitched. “Babe, please, wake up.” No, no this can’t be. They can’t. Quickly, xe pulled them onto their back and checked their pulse. Rapid. Weak.

“No, no, no, no, no, no you can’t. Don’t.” Xe cupped their cheek, pulling them closer. “Stay. Stay, please Lucielle, please don’t go.” They remained unresponsive, rapid shallow breaths escaping their lips being the only sign that they were still there.

Xe fumbled for their phone in their bag, hands shaking as they pulled up the dial screen. Tears blurred xyr vision.

Who do they call? Would emergency services really be the best idea? This can’t happen again. Xe can’t lose them. Instead, they pull up xyr contacts. He picks up on the first ring.

“Help, Arcene, please.” Xe chokes, mindlessly running xyr hand to find theirs. Xe explains the situation, barely coherent between sobs. The rustling in the background on the other end barely registered.

“Alright, alright, calm down.” He spoke as kindly as his voice would allow. “I’m still at the office. I’ll be there in five, ten at the latest, alright?” Xe nodded, not that it’d be audible. “First, I need you to strip their shirt. On their back, clear the area as much as you can. Then head downstairs to let me in. Alright?” A car door closed on his end.

“Please…”

“Look, Cy, I know it’s hard.” His engine started. “But they need you to do this. They have you. It won’t end up like that again.” Xe nodded, taking a deep breath.

“Thanks…” Xe hung up, tossing their phone to the nightstand and turning to Lucielle. Xe bit xyr lip, roughly wiping the wetness from xyr cheeks. Pulling down the blanket, xe pulled up their black hoodie, several sizes too large, tossing it to the side. Xe loosely braided their long hair, tying it off with a hair tie from xyr wrist.

“Please don’t… Promise you won’t, alright?” Xe presses their lips to their forehead. “I’m sorry.” Xe held their face, delicately, as if they might shatter at the slightest mistreatment. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner. I’m sorry I didn’t…” Xe swallowed back tears.

Seconds seemed to take minutes, yet passed in the blink of an eye. Xe waved to the taller man once he was in sight, holding the door open. He carried a large bag with him. They ran up the floors in silence, but it was anything but quiet. It felt like xyr body itself was screaming.

The third-floor door was left open, at which he beelined to and down the hall. By the time Cyrille caught up to him, he was already kneeling beside the bed with a blood pressure cuff around their upper arm.

“How much do they weigh?” Xe rambled off a number. “How are you holding up?” He took notes on a pad, removing the cuff.

“Horribly.” He snorted.

“I bet. Do you want to wait in the other room? I can give you a task if not.” He took out a wipe, cleaning down their forearm.

“Anything to occupy me, please…”

“Get them their favourite snack. And water. By the looks of it, the kid doesn’t have much of either.”

Xe nodded, leaving the room to the kitchen. To be honest, xe didn’t know what was their favourite. Xe couldn’t cook either.

Their pantry had crackers. Cookies. Snacks. Those gross protein bars they’d always offer xem. Xe took a glass and a plate from the cupboard, filling the former with water from the tap.

Xyr head swirled, too many thoughts and none at all at the same time. Maybe that bottle of vodka would be useful after all. Xe left their bag beside the bed though. And xe didn’t know if xe could face them. What if xe was too late? What if it didn’t work? Who knows what happened?

“Cy—” they turned back to the hall— “They’re fine. Don’t overthink it. I know you are.” Arcene took off their shoes, walking them over to the door. “I’ll be here for a little while, just in case. You’re fine to see them though.”

Xe nodded, silent. The various snacks were arranged on the plate to look nice. As nice as xe could make them now. Xe wedged another empty glass in their elbow, carrying it along with the plate and the glass of water to their room.

Lucielle didn’t acknowledge xyr presence as xe entered the room. Their eyes were open though; the only indication that they were awake. Colour returned to their face, looking almost as if it had never left. Xe set the glass and the plate on the nightstand and pulled up the chair from their desk.

Lucielle’s eyes remained trained on the ceiling, unmoving. Unblinking. The blanket was now pulled up to their neck. Their sweater was still draped at the edge of the bed, in a different location from where xe tossed it earlier.

Xe rummaged through their bag, pulling out the bottle of vodka. It wasn’t the optimal way to drink it, at least in xyr opinion, but xe really couldn’t care less.

“Sorry,” they spoke, barely a whisper.

Xe looked up at them. They still haven’t moved from the spot.

“Shouldn’t’ve…”

Cyrille swirled xyr drink, watching it flow in the glass before taking a sip. The familiar burn was comforting, almost.

“Don’t sweat it, Luci. We can celebrate properly next week, alright?” Xe didn’t want to make them feel worse. They were already beating themself up over it; they didn’t need xem too. “I’m happy you’re alright, though.” Xe forced a slight smile.

“... Stay?”

“Tonight? Yeah, of course. The next few days too. Thought you’d like the company.” Xe was still worried. The prospect of xyr best friend dying right in front of xem was… terrifying, honestly.

“Hold…”

Xe laughed weakly, smile turning just a smidge genuine. “Just as needy as ever, huh Luci?” They huffed. “So cute…”

Xe set xyr glass down on the nightstand, lifting the covers to slide into bed next to them. They turned onto their side, resting their head on xyr chest. They sighed against xem, nuzzling xem as they allowed tense muscles to relax. Xyr heart skipped a beat, xe swears.

“Red?”

“Hm? Oh, you mean Arcene? I’ve told you about him, right?”

They shook their head ‘no’.

“He’s my half-brother. On my father’s side. Never really got along well. And my mother got custody of me when I was a kid. He’s what… 11 years older than me? Or 10, now. I didn’t know who else to call… He’s a nurse at the East district hospital. Lucky for us. He’ll leave sometime tomorrow morning.” They hummed in response.

Xyr eyes fell on their ears, watching them twitch contentedly. Their silver hair remained in its messy, loose braid. Cyrille reached up, running xyr hand over their hair. Xe could fix the braid in the morning.

Within a few minutes, they fell asleep. Soft, regular breathing now slowed to a comfortable rhythm. Xe continued petting them, running xyr fingers through their soft hair. Xe pressed a kiss to the top of their head, right between the ears as xe drifted off to sleep. They were alive. They were safe. That was all that mattered now.

#.> aureate starlight #.> lux #.> cyrille #.> writing

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