Rising Storm || Genshin Impact

52: Destiny

i literally dont play genshin anymore but i miss writing so !

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Y/N did not sleep that night, nor did she find any bit of interest in merely closing her eyes for one or two seconds. Unless you counted blinking, because as human neural mechanisms dictate, everyone has to blink. Blinking was inevitable.

No, she wasn't in the right state of mind to be resting at all. She laid down with her palms glued to the feathery sheets, overly aware of how the weight of her body sunk into the too-soft mattress and how the temperature of the room was a little too perfect to be comfortable. Her eyes glazed over the impossibly smooth white ceilings, digging into the sharp corners where the walls met the ceilings and tracing over the edges that made up the spacious rectangular box of a room.

No matter how tightly Y/N's gut twisted into a knot, she did not do so much as to attempt to move from her position in the bed. Partly because she found herself too comfortable to move - it had been a while since she'd slept in an actual bed, with sheets this warm and pillows this plump. But mostly, it was because she didn't really care. Escape was not a realistic option, for she did not know the way home. Besides, the Fatui's soldiers seemed a tad too strong and unforgiving for Y/N to not fear them.

For now, all she could do was listen to the mindless rambling of her inner thoughts. What did the Fatui want from her? Was she in trouble? Was she going to die? Did Mondstat realize she was gone?

Slowly, the darkness of Y/N's new room slowly brightened as daylight crept through the windows. After what seemed like a century of silence, the door finally creaked open as someone entered the room.

Y/N did not bother taking her gaze off of the blank ceiling. From the sound of the heels clacking on the marble floor, she could already guess who her visitor was.

"Slept well?" asked the voice.

"Go away, Signora," Y/N grumbled.

The Fatui harbinger simply scoffed.

"Get up you ungrateful shit," she spat. "We brought you breakfast."

As if on cue, two Fatui maids dressed in fine dark silks walked in carrying silver trays of hot food, teapots and sugar, cheese platters with diced fruits and all that good stuff Y/N couldn't afford. They carefully set the dishes on the little round table in the middle of the room, before scurrying away as quickly as they shuffled in. Signora took a seat and started pouring the steaming, rose-scented tea into the glistening glass teacups. To this, Y/N finally sat up.

"Is there apple juice?" she muttered.

Signora scoffed, setting down the teapot on the table with a quiet 'clink'.

"Apple juice is for common folk," she said. "We don't do that here. Sit, quickly. Do not waste my time."

Y/N frowned. "Then why are you having breakfast with me. Don't you have better things to do."

Signora sighed and turned to look Y/N in the eyes. "Believe me, I'd much rather be soaking in the outdoor hot springs with a servant pouring me red wine in a thin glass to start my morning right. But I'm here, serving you tea out of pure obligation, like a lowly servant. Make haste, you insolent traveler! Your Mondstat friends may have humored you with their warm welcomes and little songs, but waiting around will do you no good in this palace."

Y/N gulped. "Okay then," she murmured, slipping out of bed and taking her seat beside the Signora.

Hesitantly, she held the teacup to her mouth and took a tiny sip. The glass felt fragile in her hands, and though the flowery aroma of the rose tea was gentle and sweet, the taste was overwhelmingly acidic.