Cross-posted on AO3
Day 7 ALT: Time Travel
He just wanted this dream to be over.
Diluc clenched his hands tightly as he watched his father chat merrily with the other knights, giving out drink after drink. He looked just as happy as he ever had and, honestly, Diluc couldn't blame him.
Who wouldn't be happy to celebrate their son's eighteenth birthday? The whole scene was surreal and just as he had remembered it.
The one thing that was off about everything was Kaeya.
The young man had been glued to his and Crepus' sides since he had gotten up that morning. The boy had looked spooked when he had first seen them before smiling like he had found a chest with a ridiculous amount of mora in it. He had spent most of the day by both of their sides, only leaving to occasionally follow Crepus around the manor.
He had been physically affectionate from the start, giving out more hugs than usual trying to mess up Diluc's hair. For the most part, Diluc didn't know why he humored him and played along. Maybe a part of him wished that he could go back to those days when things had been this easy, joking around with his brother and spending time with his father.
He felt his stomach drop when Crepus announced that they were leaving.
Keaya offered, like before, to lead the knight back to headquarters before heading home himself. Crepus gave him the go-ahead while he and Diluc had made their way to the wagon. Diluc could feel his knuckles turn white as he gripped the reins to the horses, coaching them to go forward.
Every time his father would speak, Diluc found him responding, almost automatically, from memory, like they were repeating an old dance. He wanted to turn the carriage around and go the other way, to run far away from where he knew this situation was going.
Finally, he seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in as he pulled the horses to a stop, startling their envoy. He ignored the other knights and turned to his father. His father seemed stunned for a moment before he asked how Diluc knew.
"Father, I know about the Delusion," he started, trying to sound calm. He knew he was failing. "Hand it over."
His demand – no plea – was met with wide eyes. His father looked shocked and very much like a startled deer. Diluc could feel his heart batter against his ribs as he continued.
"Please. We both know that it's too dangerous. It's going to get you killed." The young man tried to swallow around the lump in his throat and tried to ignore the burning in his eyes.
"I can't watch you die again."
His father still looked stunned before his face turned into a resigned expression and turned to pull out a small box from under a blanket behind him and handed it over. Diluc breathed a sigh of relief as he accepted it. He knew from the look on his father's face that he would need to answer some questions later.
However, when he opened the box, he felt his heart dropped when he found it empty.
The Evil Eye was missing.
"Where is it?!" he asked frantically.
His father looked as stumped as him, staring at the box with a pale face. They both couldn't think of anyone who could have known about the Delusion, nor who could have had the time to take it since Crepus had kept it on him all day. The Fatui surely wouldn't have taken it back.
The two's attention is then taken by the strong gust of wind that nearly knocks the carriage over and the shouts of scared knights. Rushing outside, Diluc was greeted by the familiar sight of Ursa the Drake and a scene that had haunted his dreams for over three years.
He hears the sound of movement from the carriage and looks back to see his father climb out.
"Father, get back inside!"
Without a word, Crepus took a stance beside his son and raised his own sword. He wasn't going to let his son face a drake alone.
That's when he hears the sound of more footsteps running into the field.
Another irregularity in the dream that was rapidly turning into a nightmare.
Backup hadn't gotten here that fast before and, while terrified, they rallied around Diluc, waiting for his command, loyal until the end. His mind whirled as he tried to make sense of what was happening, why everything was changing so much.
"Hey!"
The shout, clearly an attempt to stop someone, came from behind him. It followed was quickly by a few more before someone ran past him. He tried to call the foolish knight back, but his voice was stuck in his throat when he realized who it was. He didn't miss the glint of red embedded in the glove he was wearing that was definitely not one of his.
"Kaeya," their father ordered, "come back!"
The seventeen-year-old ignored the order as he charged the dragon, the Delusion lighting up as he called upon its power.
" Kaeya, stop !" Diluc screamed. Something was very, very, very wrong. This wasn't usually how the dream went. Why were things going so differently this time?
He could only watch as his brother used the Delusion that was supposed to kill their father on the dragon. He felt as frozen as the vision he could see gripped in his brother's other hand, mixing ice with the chains as they pierced the Ursa, freezing it solid before it shattered.
And just like that, just as relief began to rise within him, everything ended.
The Vision and Delusion seemed to reject each other at the same time that the dragon shattered in an explosion of energy, and Diluc felt his heart drop as Kaeya flew backwards. He and his father ran to Kaeya's side, shaking off the knight who tried to stop them.
Kaeya was laying on the ground motionless and didn't respond when Crepus pulled him into his arms. Diluc felt his tears mix with the rain running down his face, wondering when he was going to wake up – please just let him wake up! Kaeya's eye opened, his pupil smaller than usual, shrunk in pain as he gritted his teeth in pain. He sighed when he finally registered that Diluc and Crepus were the ones holding him.
"Ah," he smiled tiredly, "I'm glad I made it in time this time." Lifting the hand that still had the Delusion, he rested it against Crepus cheek. "I'm glad the plan worked."
"What do you mean by that?!" Crepus demanded.
Diluc felt like some pieces were finally falling into place. Kaeya had been more clingy than usual today, both with him and Crepus. He also somehow knew the drake would be here and showed up earlier than he had before. Kaeya had somehow gotten his hand on the Delusion even though he shouldn't have known that Crepus even had it. Kaeya somehow had his Vision, which he would have gotten later that same night during their fight.
"Why would you do this?!" he found himself shouting, anger and hopelessness rise within him. "What do you have to gain by doing this?"
Kaeya looked surprised before he laughed somberly.
"I should have known that you were my Luc."
Before Diluc could ask what he meant by that, Kaeya seemed to lose consciousness and blacked out, his hand falling limply to his side. Crepus held him tighter as Diluc gripped his other hand, ignoring the Vision making his already cold hands even colder.
"Kaeya?" he weakly called. "This isn't funny. Wake up!"
Their father closed his eyes as he bowed his head, probably in silent prayer, but all Diluc could do was watch as his brother was slipping right through his fingers.
The two were eventually pushed aside when the healers arrived so that they could try to treat the injured knight. Diluc could only watch as his father put his arm around his shoulders and held him close.
He only felt numb as he waited to wake up from the worst nightmare he has ever had.
A/N: The draft for this story was written on the 29th of January, but the final draft was written in the 8th of February.
I kind of wish that there were more stories like this written, but I guess I have to feed myself. A little time travel with an ambiguous character death scene. I'm not going to say he is dead, but I'm not gonna say if he is either. You can just take what you want from this and join Diluc and Crepus in their tears.
Basically, Kaeya finds a way to turn back time so that he can save Crepus' life. However, what he doesn't know is that since a death happened there, another death must take its place and he dies as a result. Not that he minds since his family is alive and he wasn't really expecting to walk away from this anyway. Diluc thought all of this was a dream and that he would wake up, but is in for a rude awakening when he notices the inconsistencies. In the end, he's left in denial as his brother is probably going to die right in front of him.