掠夺 | Genshin Impact

𝔄𝔠𝔱 2

Fatui.

Asira whirled around, her body still pathetically weak from her previous outburst, and she clutched her chest. The constraints long-since embedded into her heart dug deeper, chains now mercilessly crushing the organ as she felt another wave threatening to escape, clawing and thrashing against its seal. She felt her own blood stain its jaws, spilling over the chains and over the cage, spilling right back into the monster's waiting mouth.

But when she was forced back into reality the mask was the only thing remaining sight. Who or whatever brought it was long gone. Or at least, that was the only thought Asira could summon to help sedate the rampaging storm from breaking loose.

She collapsed before the mask, lifting its feathered frame up as she stared into its hollow eyes, seemingly aglow with laughter, mocking her deteriorating state. "I don't understand." Her grip tightened. "How did they find me? W-Why? Why after throwing me to hell and back, why after implanting such a—"

A knock came from the wooden door of her apartment.

Asira threw the mask behind the kitchen counter, biting the inside of her lip as she began her approach to the entrance. The tang of blood flooded her scenes and she winced. Summoning one of her two blades she sucked in a breath, tensing, before blasting the door open wide.

"Apologizes for the late intrusion but I..."

Asira froze at the voice, blinking in confusion as the visitor's bewildered crimson gaze shifted from her disheveled appearance to the raw electrical burns along her arms to the sparking blade still clutched threateningly in her hand. "Archons, what on Teyvat happened to you?"

"Diluc." Her mouth went dry. Of all the people in Mondstadt Diluc was the absolute last she would risk seeing the mask. "You have to leave."

That was undoubtedly the wrong thing to say. The man immediately narrowed his gaze, grabbing her wrist as he pulled her arm up to further investigate her new wounds, lips twitching downward as she flinched from his mere touch. Diluc slowly took another step forward, and Asira noted the way his grip lightened, gloved hand trailing up her arm with utmost delicacy, warmth radiating off of the Pyro's touch as he traced all the way until the scars disappeared beneath her evening shirt. Only then he hesitated.

"These are your Electro burns, what happened here Asira? Where is Kaeya?" He scowled, "I give him one task to bring you safely home and instead I find you with scars all shaken up." It was her turn to frown.

"Master Diluc, I have said I am perfectly fine." His frown intensified at the title she tagged along to his name. "Sir Kaeya had escorted me home, I was just reckless from the evening's events and it seems its seal has gone loose. I'll be heading to the Alchemy Labs first thing in the morning."

Asira retreated and attempted to shut the door but the red haired male stuck his foot in the doorway, refusing to let her go so easily. He fought to meet her gaze and her chest tightened at the damned desperate look in his eyes. Don't. Don't look at me like that.

"Asira, if he did anything to you I swear—"

"Archons, your brother is a fine Knight and an even finer friend. I don't know why you insist on painting him as a villain even here! At least he had the decency to congratulate me and reminisce a little, not ignore me as if we haven't been companions and allies and who knows what more for over three years!"

Asira slapped her hands over her mouth and fell back, door slamming shut from her sudden weight against it. But from the soft thump outside she knew Diluc had yet to walk away. His gloved hand brushed by the door handle, pausing, and then retreating as he leaned against the wood frame.