Mondstadt Alter (Rewrite)

Act 1 Chp 1.2: The Worst News

"Can you please prepare tea for him?"

The Seneschal asked the sister, and she nodded. She throws a glance at me for a second before leaving. The Seneschal walks to my side to pick a chair nearby to sit on. He faces me, but he doesn't speak for a while.

Then he closes his eyes, holding his hands together firmly as he looks down. He raises his head to look at me again, sighing before speaking,

"Alright, Morgan. I want you to relax and calm down before I tell you what happened."

I stay quiet without looking away from him. I can't help feeling nervous, but I could say the same goes for him. The Seneschal seems hesitant to tell me as his mouth is agape, like the words stuck in his throat. When he was about to speak, the door opened. It's the Sister as she brings yet another tray in her hands.

"Your tea is ready." She gave me the cup.

"Thank you very much."

Before drinking it, the fragrance of the tea gets into my nose. It smells nice and makes me relax. I take a sip, then gulp it in one go. My throat felt dry, so I just finished it quickly.

"You don't look good. You should take a rest now." She said after taking a good look at me.

"No worry. I haven't listened to what happened to my parent."

The Sister looks at the Seneschal, feeling anxious. Not long after, he starts speaking,

"Morgan, your parents... already passed away when we found you."

"Huh?"

My mind went blank there. I couldn't think of anything. Processing what the Seneschal said, suddenly, I feel a memory surge. A bright light flashed before my eyes, blinding me for a moment. My ears buzz loudly, making me hear nothing. I hold my head tightly. The headache is nothing like before, and my head feels about to burst.

I hiss as I pull my knees close and then curl my body. The memory is forcing its way into my head.

"Argh...!"

When I open my eyes, I see myself and my parents on the ground while a man with a sword walks toward them. My father tried to protect us and even begged for mercy in front of the man.

The man didn't even bat an eye before striking my father. My mother shrieks, seeing what she saw. The man walks toward her with his sword still dripping blood. My mother crawled backward, trying to run from him and save me, but it was futile. Once she was in his range of attack, he slashed her.

Witnessed the scene, I was just sitting there, shaking, because I couldn't do anything, like a coward. I remember the feeling I had that night, and I could see it clearly on my face in front of me. I could sense death was nearing.

Fear and hopelessness.

[What can you do? You're powerless. You can't protect anyone, not even yourself.]

"Khh... Shut up!" I clenched my teeth.

I feel my body trembling. Slowly, I'm starting to feel my senses are back to reality. Opening my eyes as I release my hands from my head, I stare at my palms shaking. Suddenly, I feel a pat on my shoulders. It's the Seneschal.

"Morgan! Can you hear me?!"

I gasped for air for a while.

Still trying to gather my mind, I reply, "...Yeah, I'm so sorry. I lost in my thought just now."

He doesn't seem convinced by my words, but he decides not to ask me further. I'm staring at my palms again, trying to calm myself by breathing deeply and slowly. After a minute, I raise my head and sigh, then look at the Seneschal.

"Do you feel better now?" He gently asked.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"I see. As I thought, telling you what happened now is bad timing. I shouldn't-"

"Please don't apologize. I'm the one asking you to tell me. I'm thankful for listening to my request." I bowed lightly to him.

"Do you need anything, Morgan? Hearing that news must be rough for you." The sister offered.

"No." I shook my head before saying, "Maybe I need some time alone. Can you all please leave?"

"Right. You might need more time to digest what I said to you. We can continue the next time you're in better condition." The Seneschal said as he stood.

Hesitantly, they leave the room. But before closing the door, the Seneschal said another thing to me.

"If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask me or one of the Sisters, okay?"

I simply nod, and he closes the door.

I throw myself onto the bed while spreading my arms. I feel drained. I notice the window in this room is still open. The view from the window is good, as I can see Cider Lake from here. The fresh air in the morning, the trees near the lake dance as the wind blows, and birds fly in the sky.

I put my hands on the window to support my body, trying to enjoy the view. But there are some complicated feelings I couldn't put into words. These feelings I have encumber my chest.

My parents have died. That is the most bitter news I ever got, and I doubt there would be anything worse than that. My mind goes blank for a while until I come to my senses. Thinking about it again makes my blood boil, making me feel furious.

[Why?]

I feel angry and disappointed in myself.

[Why would you? Are you regretting something you can't control?]

"Then what the hell am I supposed to do?" I meekly asked.

...

[You are in grief.]

"Am I?" I scoffed.

I drop my shoulders as I look down at my feet, and my vision becomes blurry. My nose feels stuffed, so I sniff to clear my nostrils. Without my notice, a droplet drops to my feet, another fall, and more. It takes me a while to notice something dripping from my eyes to my cheek, and I wipe them with my hand.

"I'm- crying?" I stammered, realizing I shed tears.

I hurriedly wipe my tears with my sleeves.

[Just let it out. No one is here.]

"No, I-" My voice cracked.

I don't know what to do. My knees feel weak, and I drop down without resistance. Dragging my feet closer, I hug my legs tightly and burrow my face into my knees. Unconsciously, I let these complex emotions take hold of me and pour out like a forceful flood of emotions. Tears keep flowing as I squeeze my legs vigorously to a point where my legs almost feel numb.

A/N: No comment.

Thank you for reading, and carry on!