Cross-posted on AO3
Day 27: "You Have To Let Me Go"
"Diluc," Kaeya shouted over the thundering sound of the fighting around them, "you have to let go!"
"Are you insane, Kaeya," his brother shouted. Nothing about this situation made sense. "Do you really think they'll just call of their monsters if you give yourself over?!"
"Do you really want to take that chance?! Look around us Diluc!"
The Traveler was the only one moving all over the battlefield and focused on taking out as many as possible. Jean was busy protecting Lisa while Barbara was trying to heal her. Albedo and Sucrose were protecting Klee while she launched bombs left, right, and center. Amber had injured her leg at some point, but found some higher ground and was still able to shoot her bow from there. Most of the Visionless knights had already fallen are were fighting with injuries of their own ranging from mild to serious.
Needless to say, they weren't doing very hot. Their numbers were already stretched thin as it was. They wouldn't be able to last another hour at this rate.
"Why does it have to be you?!" Diluc demanded.
Kaeya could only offer him a sad smile before he disappeared from Diluc's sight. Caught off guard, the wine tycoon didn't react in time before he felt a sharp feeling in his neck and everything went dark.
Kaeya caught his brother as he collapsed, gently lowering him to the ground. Leaning down, he laid a kiss to Diluc's red hair before pulling back and pulling away.
"Thank you for everything, big brother," he whispered tearfully. He knew this would be the last time they would ever see each other. "Goodbye, 'Luc."
With those final words, he turned and walked straight into the enemy's hands.
He could hear the Traveler calling for him, Jean's distressed ordering for him to come back, Amber telling him to not be an idiot. It made him feel just a little bit warmer to hear their concern for him, but it also hurt knowing what he would be putting them through with his decision.
Even though he wasn't from Mondstadt, even if he had only spent a little over a decade here, it had become home. This city had become his to protect, as well as the citizens. If walking right into suspected death was the only way to it . . . he'd do it without hesitation.
His only regret was that he couldn't have spent more time with them.
Especially Diluc.
A/N: Finally, the last day of the challenge has finally been written and I can take a break for a while! To commemorate the ending of the challenge, I decided to write something short and sweet. The enemy was left vague so that you could imagine either the Fatui coming for Kaeya or the Abyss/Khaenri'ah coming back to claim him.
Of course, Diluc is going to go looking for Kaeya after he wakes up. Without a doubt.