𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝘼𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨, ᵍᵉⁿˢʰᶦⁿ

꧁ ⒉ The tale of Khaenri'ah 、꧂

TW : death, mentions of war(the archon war)
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I suppose I should start this story from the beginning.
All the way back to when it first started.

A different time, a different place, a different feeling.. a different us.

It started all the way back then..
..in Khaenri'ah.

The first city of freedom. It wasn't much different from the current one. The most notible change must be the lack of flowers around the walls. Now-days, it's only surrounded by dandelions.

Stupid dandelions.

What happened to the windwheel asters filled with color that could dance with the wind? Thrown away of course. Thrown away along with his memory of the city and the people that existed within it.

❝ Hey brother! Let's go meet the wind spirit today again, I'm sure he's going to love the flowers we found for him! ❞     A gullible little me chirped to my brother.

❝ Oh yess!! I hope he likes them! It took a while finding enough Windwheel Aster for a whole bouquet.. ❞

I must've been around what, 16..17 by then? I was the same age as my twin brother, Venti.
The townsfolk used to joke saying we'd never age cause we were so childish..

.. I mean.. they were halfway right.

❝ Wow! Your powers will never stop amazing me, Barbatos.. ❞       I sat there awestruck watching the windwheel asters we picked dance among the small winds he created.

What a beautiful sight.

My brother also loved the sight as much as I did. And we both adored the wind creature. I couldn't thank the celestials more for giving me such a kind brother and welcoming friend.

It was like a complete family..
.. until that day. The day it all changed.

The fall of Khaenri'ah.

Arrows flying everywhere. Buildings turning to ruins. People dying. It was all too much for me. Everything I had was this city. And it was falling apart. I limped my way to the city center in desperate look for my friend and brother.
There I found him.
My brother.. dead.. in the hands of an identical version of himself holding him tight. The person was crying.
I didn't know who they were.. but I didn't care. I fell to my knees, tears spilling out. I was screaming and crying. I couldn't take it.
I couldn't loose him.

The unknown person looked over at me with shock in his eyes.
❝ S,so on,one of you su,,survived... why did it ha,,have to be y,you.. ❞       he said through choked sobs. Slight anger coating his words.

..what..?

A strong gust of wind surrounded the unknown person, his braids with teal tips levitating with the wind.

It was him. Barbatos.

❝ W,wha-t d,do you me,m-ean by t,,,that..❞    I spilled through my tears. He didn't care for me? He only cared for my brother..?

He raised his hand towards the sky above. Teal energy gathering in a circle pattern on the palm of his hand.

❝You two were like two parts of a whole. If one of you died you both should've disappeared. So why did you get the luck of still being alive and not him? ❞        He snarled, no sadness could be found left in his voice anymore. Only anger and disgust could be heard within his words.

The last thing I saw was a glowing light. A big teal one. It reminded me of those summer days I would sit with my brother and watch our little friend play with the wind. Always careful of not harming us.. well, him.

I wasn't sad anymore. Just mad, angry. Not at my brother. But at the gods, specifically, Barbatos.

I couldn't see anything. Just complete darkness surrounding me until a voice spoke up.
❝ Live for us won't you.. my dear sibling. ❞ now that voice I recognised.

My brother.

Guess at least Barbatos didn't lie about one thing. We truly were two parts of a whole and my brother sacrificed his soul so that I, alone, could become a whole.
I couldn't let his sacrifice go to waste.

I refused to die. We refused to die.

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. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ Don't forget to vote!
01.07.21
Word count: 675.