"𝕿𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍 𝖜𝖊 𝖍𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖌𝖔𝖓𝖊 𝖘𝖊𝖕𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖊 𝖜𝖆𝖞𝖘, 𝕴 𝖈𝖆𝖓 𝖘𝖊𝖓𝖘𝖊 𝖜𝖊 𝖘𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖘𝖆𝖒𝖊 𝖘𝖙𝖗𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖒𝖎𝖙𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖙𝖊𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝕸𝖔𝖓𝖉𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖉𝖙 𝖆𝖙 𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖈𝖔𝖘𝖙𝖘." 𝕭𝖚𝖙 𝖇𝖊𝖋𝖔𝖗𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙...

⁜※⁜

Her breath clouded in front of her. She could feel her lance trembling in her grip as she shook from the coldness of her surroundings. She sniffed. This was what she got for patrolling in the early morning hours, she supposed—though that wasn't to say she wanted to bring back a cold.

"Come on, Jean," the girl muttered to herself. "Would the Lionfang Knight shy away from the cold?" She briefly closed her eyes, envisioning Vennessa standing before her, guiding her. She knew not what her idol looked like—only a silhouette of who she might've been shadowed over her. The silhouette pointed—back to the city. "No... I can't go back now."

There had been signs and omens of something wretched approaching—something that threatened Mondstadt. No one in the Knights had been able to find anything on the case—not that it had been handed to her in the first place. Jean was still young, too low of rank to be considered to take on such an important mission. But she had heard about it nonetheless. And she would prove her worth by finding the answers they sought.

She loosed another shaky breath as she found herself on the top of another hill. And there—a glow. She ran forward towards the Statue of the Seven, savouring its glow and its warmth—a beacon in the darkness and cold of the night. "Let the wind lead..." she murmured to herself. She knew Barbatos wouldn't take her by the hand—neither would Vennessa—and show her the answer, but she could at least ask for a sign.

After a moment of recuperation, Jean continued forward, casting her gaze over Dawn Winery. Most of its lights had been turned off, the only one still blazing in the night found in Master Crepus' office. No doubt he was busy with some form of paperwork, even at this hour. That man had much to tend to—his winery business, his Cavalry Captain son, and his adoptive son who followed closely in his younger brother's footsteps.

Jean's thoughts drifted to the red-headed boy who ranked above her. She'd crossed paths with him many times before, even joining him on a mission once. He was kindhearted, with a smile that always made hers and everyone else's day. A Vision at only age 10, Cavalry Captain at 14, and just years away from inheriting his father's legacy—he was everything she wanted to be. Two years on from his knighting, he had accumulated a mass of achievements, establishing himself as one of the greatest soldiers the Knights of Favonius had ever seen.

She sighed, then suddenly stilled as she felt a presence behind her. The presence was... familiar... but she could not tell who it was. She read the wind—listened to the alarm bells that rang endlessly in her head—and felt a hand reach quietly for her shoulder. Did the presence not realise she knew it was there?

Just as the presence made to grab her, she whirled, thrusting her lance forward. Her gleaming weapon was met with another—her gaze finding a shocked expression on the knife's wielder. Wait—a pocket knife? Her lance was met with a pocket knife?

She looked back to the face that stared at her incredulously, features glowing in the blue light of the Statue of the Seven. And as she recognised who stood before her, it was no wonder her skills were bested by such a feeble weapon. "Master Diluc," Jean said by way of greeting, lowering her lance.

"Jean," the boy replied in answer. "What are you doing out here?"

"Patrolling."

"At three in the morning?"

Jean didn't respond to his question, instead replying with, "Aren't you meant to be leading the task force right now?"

"I was—and now I'm here."

"Did your leads bring you here?" No way she was going to be bested by Diluc after having come this far. Sure—he was a senior she looked upon with awe and inspiration and intrigue and all the rest of it, but she wanted to figure out this case for herself. Without his help. Without anyone's help. And she would prove herself—

"No, on a break," he simply replied. She was almost shocked. Diluc, the relentless hardworking Cavalry Captain, on a break? "I came to visit Father before I resumed my searching, as it seems I will be away for a long period of time. My brother is also home." He glanced briefly at Dawn Winery and sighed. "Though it appears Father still has work to finish rather than retreat to our house." Diluc's gaze slid back to Jean, stern and commanding. "Go rest, Jean. You should not be out here. Father will provide refuge for you for the night. Tomorrow, you should head back to Mondstadt. Kaeya will accompany you."

As if she was going to turn around after all her hard work. She offered the excuse, "And what if they refuse?"

Diluc's gaze hardened. "You know very well my father would not turn you down. And if Kaeya does—then I'll make him escort you."

"I don't need an escort, Diluc."

"I would feel much more at ease if you had one, Jean. Knights should travel in pairs, not alone."

"And you're different?" she pushed as he strode past her.

Diluc flashed a grin over his shoulder. The pure male arrogance in that smile made her seethe. "Of course. I'm Diluc." She balled her fists at her sides before following him with a scoff.

They soon reached the large doors of the winery. Diluc knocked with that aristocratic elegance he held and waited. The door was soon opened—not by a servant but by a young man wearing a casual half-smile. "Brother."

Diluc smiled as he pulled his older brother into a hug. "Good to see you, Kaeya."

Kaeya chuckled as he returned the embrace. "I wasn't aware I was missed. It's been barely four days."

Diluc pulled away. "That's more than enough time. When do you return to Mondstadt?"

"Soon—my ailment still drains me."

"You're unwell?" Jean blurted out.

Kaeya turned and smiled at her. "Well well, if it isn't young Jean. I didn't notice you. Apologies." Jean signalled that it was fine. "Yes, unfortunately, I currently find myself a little under the weather, but I should be fine in a few days' time. Do not fret."

Jean offered a playful smile, hands on her hips. "Who said I was worried?" Kaeya laughed. "But in all seriousness, if you hope to feel better, why aren't you resting? It's late. Staying up won't help you at all."

"She's right," Diluc said. "Go to sleep, Kaeya."

Kaeya waved a dismissive hand. "I'll be fine, Brother."

Diluc sighed through his nose. "If you insist—"

"Kaeya's not insisting nothing," Jean objected, shoving Kaeya into the house as she strode in, earning a wry grin from both brothers. "Kaeya's going straight to bed."

"Ah, but Jean, must you be so protective over us all the time?" Kaeya drawled. "I do believe I'm two whole years older than you."

"And?" she retorted.

Kaeya sighed and shook his head with a smile. Diluc patted him on the back. "Looks like you aren't escaping this one, Brother." He briefly explained the situation, to which Jean scowled. In that small moment where she sought to care for Kaeya's ailment, she had forgotten why she was out there in the first place—to find answers to their case. "I don't mean to trouble you, Brother, but if you could escort her back to Mond tomorrow..."

Kaeya bowed. "As you will it, Master Diluc."

"Don't start with that," Diluc said, hitting Kaeya across the back of the head. Jean winced slightly. It didn't look like he held back. She watched them carefully as Kaeya rubbed the back of his head, apologising to his younger brother before he turned from the door. Diluc offered Jean a slight nod of the head before disappearing into the dark.

Silently, she fumed as she realised she had allowed herself to be left behind—to be turned away. Kaeya looked upon her, arms crossed, before smirking, as if he had just read her thoughts. "He is older than you, Jean. You're just a child."

"So is he!" she retaliated.

Kaeya pressed a finger to his lips. "Quiet—you'll disturb Father." Jean backed down, nodding meekly, pink dusting her cheeks from embarrassment. Kaeya strode forward. "Come. Let us drink."

"Tea?" Jean asked as she followed, requesting the calming beverage.

Kaeya scoffed. "As if. We have Father's winery at our disposal."

"You're underage!" Jean countered. "And that won't help your ailment!"

"A little fun never hurt anyone," Kaeya said, glancing at her over his shoulder. "Goodness, you're just like Diluc. Always fussing over this and that and always following protocol as if breaking the law might kill somebody. You're no fun." Kaeya leaned on the door to one of the many wine cellars. "Honestly, it's a wonder he goes such lengths to make sure you're safe when you can clearly look after yourself, what with your safety regulations and all." Jean stared at him questioningly. Kaeya blinked at her, slowly, incredulously. "Don't tell me you didn't notice."

"Notice what?" she demanded.

"Just—think about it."

So she did—or at least tried. What was there to think about? Think about how he made sure she was looking after herself so she could continue serving in the right frame of mind? Jean lifted her gaze from the floor to Kaeya, who smirked at her.

.. Think about how he had personally asked his own brother to escort her back to Mond? Think about how he had explicitly stated that he valued her safety? Think about... that?

Kaeya nodded. "You got it, right?"

Jean dismissed those thoughts. "They don't mean anything."

Kaeya groaned, long, loud and low. "You're so dense. Whatever—it's not like my brother needs your help anyway."

Jean pointed a finger at him. "I'm sorry—what did you say to me?"

"Diluc doesn't need help," he said as he unlocked the cellar door. "He'll probably solve that case all on his own—without you."

Oh, he had played the right card. He had pushed the right buttons, for now, Jean fumed. "How dare you! I'll be a great help to this case! In fact, I tracked the evil down this far from Mond! I can track it further—and vanquish it!"

"Prove it, then."

"Oh, I will! You and Diluc—both of your selfish male arrogant aristocratic—" Jean couldn't even finish as she cried out in frustration, turning on her heel and storming towards the door. Oh, she'd show them.

But then she halted. Diluc had asked her to stay back. Now that he had left, she couldn't argue her point and convince him to take her with him. No matter how much she wanted to go, she couldn't betray his trust like that... could she?

"Why the hesitation?" Kaeya drawled from behind. "Scared?"

Jean scoffed. "Of what?"

She could feel Kaeya smirking at her back. "Maybe of... Brother being mad at you for disobeying him? You don't want his disapproval. If anything, you want him to acknowledge you."

"He acknowledges me plenty."

Jean heard footsteps echo in the lobby as Kaeya strolled towards her. "Ah~ but you want more from him." Jean reddened at the implication. Diluc never mentioned his brother was clinically insane. Kaeya chuckled. "It doesn't matter. Point is, you want out. So go out. Don't listen to my foolish brother. In fact—he's so blockheaded, he'll probably need your protection."

Jean turned to him. "You're letting me go?"

Kaeya nodded. "For my brother." Jean raised an eyebrow. His expression turned somewhat solemn and grave. "I'm being serious. He's strong—but not that strong. The information he has is too incomplete."

"But... that's all the Knights have gleaned. And Master Diluc's not stupid."

"Oh, believe me, I know. But he can be reckless. And from what I've heard, you've got more findings than the Knights do from your..." He waved a hand as he thought up the words. "Private investigations." The look he gave her was almost pleading as he finished, "Help him. Help my foolish younger brother."

Jean thought for a moment, contemplating what disobeying a direct order from the Cavalry Captain might mean for her. But she nodded. "I will. But I do this for myself."

Kaeya gave her a knowing half-smile. "I'm sure you are."

Her eyes narrowed. Insane and delusional. With that, she strode across the shining lobby floors to the great doors—to the truth, to her mission... to Diluc. Her hand rested on the door as the thought crossed her mind, her face reddening considerably. She exhaled, pushing away those thoughts, and opened the door.

"Good luck!" Kaeya called after her.

⁜※⁜

The forest was dark. Puzzles were scattered left and right, up and down, some plainly in view, others carefully hidden. Whoever had set up the strange system was certainly a calculating fellow—with something to hide.

Jean trudged forward. She had made good progress—great progress, even. Though she never doubted her skills for a second, nor her guiding hand, she never thought that she would make it so far so quickly, for the puzzles she stood within were certainly what she and the many other Knights had been looking for.

Small whispers of alarm had been calling to her since she entered this part of the forest, like warnings from whatever or whoever watched over her to be careful. Oh, she knew. She knew being reckless would surely end badly—very very badly.

But as she neared what was likely the centre of the puzzles, she began to wonder if this case was perhaps more than she had signed up for. "That would explain why they refused to let me help..." she mumbled to herself. She shook her head, lance held at the ready in front of her. "No no no... you've got this... You can do this, Jean."

She willed herself into calm. She was not afraid. She was strong, fearless—the Lionfang Knight herself—

Something behind her snapped. Before she could stop herself, she found herself sprinting, fear etched on her face. Archons, she was way out of her depth. As she ran further into the brush, the whispered warnings in her mind grew louder and more frequent until she could make out the words. Turn around! Run away!

She batted the thoughts away—ignored Vennessa's warnings. As if she could turn back now! She had to finish the job. She was so close! So close to the answers! All she had to do was find enough evidence to bring back and—

She slipped. She suppressed a cry as her head hit the floor—hard. She massaged her temple, allowing herself moments to gather herself. It was there in the silence that she noticed the peacefulness of the forest—the quietness of it. The silence... it surrounded her—wrapped her in its care. How could such a serene environment house the secrets of something so malevolent?

She pushed herself to her feet, feeling Vennessa's warm guiding hand on her shoulder as it steadied her. There was nothing to be afraid of, despite the wind's warnings. She would triumph, she decided as she continued forward, no matter what.

She hiked through the woods for an unknown amount of time, the sun peeking over the horizon, filtering through the trees—though the forest was so thick it was hard for any light to seep through. It had hardly warmed up from the hours before, her body shivering.

She rounded a corner, finding herself at a cliff face, and embedded into the rock in front of her—

The alarm bells pealed in her brain, begging her to turn back, for what stood in front of her was... a domain. She walked slowly forward, gaze flitting from one part of the entrance to the other, looking for traps. The voice murmured in her ear, a gentle sound with a firm command: Turn back before it's too late. Run away.

But she ignored Vennessa's warnings—and she found herself within the domain.

⁜※⁜

It took her vision a few moments to adjust to the sudden darkness, eyes scanning the surroundings for anything that could serve as a telltale sign. Soon enough, the faint outlines of objects around her came into view. Cautiously, she took a step forward. Then another. No traps—if there were any at all—were sprung.

Jean took a breath, holding her lance steadily in front of her, before walking slowly deeper into the domain. There was nothing, save for old crates and barrels and messy piles of hay scattered around the many chambers.

Something glinted in the corner of her vision and she paused. A chest nestled in a tight alcove. How peculiar. The warnings grew ever louder, pleading her to stay away from it. Stay away from the chest!

But her gaze remained fixed on the chest as if trapped in a sort of trance. She yielded a step—before stopping firmly. "No..." she whispered to herself, steeling herself with a breath and turning away from it, its forbidden treasures forever unknown to her. A trap—likely one of many that preyed on the greed of man. And so she continued her trek into the domain.

Each step was louder than the one before, echoing and reverbing in its endless chambers. It was strange, she thought, how such a place could remain hidden for so long, considering its size. How had it taken people this long to find something so out in the open—so laid bare for all to see?

Unless... that was part of the trap. Come inside, adventurer. For years, that was its call, beckoning to fatally curious passersby, leading them to their doom, whatever it might be. And she began to wonder just what fate awaited her further in—or if it had already been sealed the moment she stepped into the domain.

Yes... out of her league. Truly and wholly out of her depth. But she had to come here, no matter if it was too much. For the people of Mondstadt—and herself. She had to. She had to—

Something slipped beneath her feet and she fell with a cry. The ground opened beneath her, a trapdoor yawning opening to present the darkest of dark just beneath her boots. She scrambled for something to hold onto, just gripping the edge of the trapdoor and hauling herself up away from the drop. She panted, staring at the darkness. She was so close to—

No, she reminded herself. She couldn't think about that, lest it inhibited her future performance. It was merely a lesson—a warning that traps lay ahead. Traps where other adventurers had likely met their end. She quickly got to her feet at the thought. Now was no time to stop. She had to move. Quickly.

There was something in this domain—something that had turned the place into its very own playground. And it was hunting her. She could feel it in the very marrow of her bones, whispering to her via the wind that managed to slip through into the domain, following her, guiding her.

She placed a hand on her shoulder, feeling the phantom wind caress it gently. A reminder that someone was there—always there—to guide her and see her through. It always had been. She wondered when the day would be when she would no longer need its constant presence—when she had matured enough that Vennessa would deem her fit to rule her own life without interjection.

She began to run, practically leaping over the dark stones deeper into the domain. There were answers. She knew there were. And she would find them and bring all those who threatened Mondstadt's peace to justice.

The tunnel she followed soon opened into another chamber—and there was light. Light produced by blue-grey flames on torches on the far wall. And in the chamber itself...

She held her lance tightly in front of her. Finally. Here they were—the members of the Abyss. The Hilichurls that had congregated into one large mob all turned to look at her fierce expression. She gripped her weapon tightly as she watched a Hilichurl slowly