Seven months.
Seven months since the first son's passing.
It took seven months for the last of the blood related Ragnvindr to die off.
The ceremony, the preparations— everything was heavy on Kaeya's shoulders.
Because Kaeya still struggled to accept that his father was not here.
Not there.
He thought that he would break from the pressure.
But Adelinde and Elzer helped.
Took the brunt of the preparations.
Organized everything in Kaeya's place.
He tried to help.
He could see how they grieved just as much as him.
Elzer was only a few years older than Kaeya.
Seen Master Crepus as a second father.
Was so happy to work under the Ragnvindr name.
Adelinde had been serving since she was a young girl.
Had seen Diluc and Kaeya as her own siblings.
Cared for her employers with all of her heart.
But Elzer shooed him away, "Please, rest. I'll take care of this."
And Adelinde gave him so many apple turnovers, "When was the last time you ate?"
Kaeya had no choice but to let them take most of the work.
Maybe it was because they were the only ones who knew.
How Kaeya scrubbed his arms and stomach raw on multiple occasions.
He could still feel his father's blood on his skin, soaking his clothes through.
How he screamed himself awake almost every morning with Diluc's name still on his tongue.
He was always, always late to grab Diluc's outstretched hand.
How he would linger in his brother's room without doing a single thing.
He could never forget how his days never went by without the other.
Kaeya tried to go back to work.
Grand Master Varka took the opportunity to return the odd box to him.
Empty of that glove he had seen.
When Kaeya asked, Varka looked confused.
"A glove? I'm sorry. I only saw this box."
"I see," Kaeya smiled then, fake and false.
Dull and hollow.
Because the box wasn't what he came for.
Varka looked close to sending him home after that.
But when Kaeya looked at him in the eye.
Varka gestured helplessly at three ominous stacks of papers.
"Help me sort this."
It was a different sort of stress.
And for once Kaeya forgot much he absolutely hated paperwork.
._._._._._.
All of Mondstadt appeared once more.
All gathered in the cathedral for yet another funeral.
Almost the same as Diluc's.
It struck Kaeya how much his family was so dearly loved.
So treasured.
Kaeya didn't know how long he stayed standing before the Ragnvindr graves.
One was still empty.
But the newest was full.
It took everything Kaeya had not to break down.
Jean was by his side this time.
She didn't leave when her mother called for her.
"Kaeya," she started when the sun had nearly set.
"Let's go home."
He looked at her.
Scrapped every last bit of his will to not break down.
And shattered right then and there.
Crumbled to the pavement.
Because home wasn't that empty house.
That now empty manor in Mondstadt.
Or that Winery near the boarder of Liyue.
Home was where his father was.
Where Master Crepus laid.
Six feet under.
Where Diluc's missing body laid.
Drowned in water or broken by rocks.
Where the Ragnvindr never failed to welcome him with open arms.
They were gone.
And Kaeya was all that remained.
Jean's arms didn't let him go.
._._._._._.
Kaeya never remembered how he managed through the night.
But he didn't have a hangover when he woke.
So he didn't drink.
There was a simple plate of food on Diluc's desk.
Kaeya didn't know why he ended up in Diluc's room of all places.
He just was.
Kaeya spent all morning in his brother's room.
Forced himself to munch on the crackers and fruits.
Tied up his navy hair several times.
It wasn't until half past noon did Kaeya finally leave Diluc's room.
Still dressed from yesterday's mourning clothes.
He couldn't be bothered to change.
He felt almost too numb as he walked past his father's room.
As he came down the stairs, Adelinde and Elzer waited for him.
They still smiled.
But strained, tired, exhausted.
Kaeya felt a guilt like no other.
He did this to them.
He moved to apologize.
Moved to propose the idea of leaving.
To get out of their hair—
But Elzer spoke first, "Good morning, Master Kaeya."
It wasn't "Young Master" anymore.
Just that.
Master.
It scared Kaeya to his core.
Because he wasn't supposed to be that.
Because he was no real Ragnvindr to begin with.
And these two did so much for him.
Adelinde didn't give him time to dwell long in his thoughts.
She ushered him into the kitchen.
Gave him actual food to survive the rest of the day.
Kaeya didn't want to eat.
He wasn't hungry at all.
But the constant stares from both Elzer and Adelinde made him eat.
They did not leave him alone as he ate.
Even had their own plates to eat with him.
It was quiet.
But not uncomfortable.
The grand manor felt a little less emptier after that.
._._._._._.
Two months.
It took two months for Kaeya to somewhat get a grip.
Tried to think about what would become of Dawn Winery and everything in between.
It was everything he wasn't taught to do.
Didn't know how to manage.
But he needed to know.
He needed to know for the sake of his late family.
For the sake of the staff.
He didn't want to leave the Knights.
But suddenly, there were responsibilities left and right.
All the vacation days Kaeya had stored away wouldn't put a dent in the combined work of a Winery Owner.
Until Elzer sat him down and talked it through.
It set Kaeya on a more decisive path.
To allow Elzer to handle everything he couldn't.
To allow Adelinde to work beside him in matters outside of the Knights.
Whatever burden Kaeya built for himself was nearly chopped in half.
It took two months to remember that Mondstadt was his home.
He had others to help him.
Others like Elzer, who didn't let him drown.
Like Adelinde, who kept him afloat.
Grand Master Varka, who helped in his own stressful way.
Even Jean, who supported him with her quiet strength.
Kaeya's heart felt a little less colder.
Felt a little lighter.
He could do this.
He could carry Diluc's dreams.
He could carry his father's dreams.
Mondstadt was Diluc's home.
Master Crepus' home.
And he swore to protect it.
As Kaeya Ragnvindr, Calvary Captain of the Knights of Favonius.
As Kaeya Ragnvindr, Owner of Dawn Winery.
Because it was all he had left.
._._._._._.
Elzer stopped him one morning.
Right after Kaeya returned from an early patrol.
"There is no right time for something like this."
Elzer looked mildly pained.
Kaeya waited patiently, as the other seemed rather hesitant.
"But there is something I have been entrusted with."
Elzer held out a key.
It was small.
Simple.
Almost dismissible.
Kaeya almost didn't know if he should take it.
"This was the late Master's key. I don't know what exactly this opens."
Elzer's smile dimmed, "But a few months after Young Master Diluc's death—"
Kaeya didn't even flinch.
He blinked instead.
"— Master Crepus gave me this key. Specifically instructed me to give this to you if anything were to happen to him."
Kaeya froze.
Because there was a heavy meaning behind those words.
Something that made dread flood into him like a broken dam.
There were so many things wrong with that statement.
Another thing that Kaeya realized he missed in his grieving.
"…Thank you," Kaeya took the key, "I'll… take care of it, Elzer."
If the tiny little key felt excruciatingly weighty, he didn't show it.
._._._._._.
Kaeya stood at his late father's desk.
The large office felt suffocating.
And yet so damn hollow.
He half expected his father to walk in at any moment.
But he crushed the thought a second later.
The odd box his father had sat innocently on a shelf.
As if it was supposed to be there.
His unsteady hand ran against the many spines of books.
The key was clenched in the other.
The shelves were so well kept.
So many books were so well used.
It almost made him want to back away.
He read the titles.
All of the records of the winery were stowed here.
Shipments, imports, down to every invoice.
Even books that he once studied with Diluc lined the shelves.
All of Kaeya's and Diluc's old workbooks were still kept.
They were sorted by year.
Even the workbooks that were clearly almost as old as himself.
But it was strange.
There were a couple of years missing on the shelf.
Only Kaeya's workbooks started halfway through Diluc's years, paired right next to each other.
He found it a bit amusing that his father kept them.
Out of curiosity, Kaeya picked one.
Diluc's perfect handwriting was scrawled all over the pages.
Answered the questions with barely any mistakes.
If there was a mistake, another handwriting would scribble corrections on the side.
Kaeya smiled.
Diluc was always so studious.
So focused on tasks that were handed to him.
Kaeya snapped the book closed, returned it, and moved on.
He only paused when he found an odd keyhole in the shelf.
Almost half hidden away by a small vase of dried flowers.
The key in Kaeya's other hand suddenly felt even heavier.
Like an enormous burden that his father had left him with.
Kaeya stuck the key in its rightful place.
And turned it.
._._._._._.
When Diluc woke up, he felt a bit off.
Not off in a very bad way.
In a rather strange way.
It felt like he had forgotten something very important.
Very urgent.
And then it hit him.
Diluc shot up, almost smacked a napping Ajax by accident.
He looked left and right, searching for the familiar vermillion.
Any glint of gold, even.
But it wasn't there.
Not on the night stand.
Or the table.
Or the window.
The desk—
Not anywhere.
A small hint of panic started to bubble in the pit of his stomach.
It caused his heart to pick up, and his crimson eyes to widen.
His father's voice echoed in his head, "Diluc, always remember—"
Diluc shook Ajax's shoulder, "Hey—"
"If the pain gets too much—"
"Ajax? Ajax, wake up—" His voice shook a little.
"It's okay to close your eyes."
Ajax was slow to stir, sleep almost drowning his words, "D'luc? What's wrong?"
"It'll be scary, but it's alright to let go and rest for a little."
Diluc tried not to panic, "My Vision. I can't find it."
"Because you'll wake up again."
Ajax looked confused for a moment.
A moment that Diluc couldn't wait to be over.
Ajax frowned, "It's… I don't know—"
"As long as it's by your side, your Vision will make sure of that."
Diluc froze.
Tried not to fall apart.
Because his Vision was not at his side.
"Diluc?"
Ajax's voice pulled him from his turning thoughts.
"I need to find it, " he breathed.
He slipped out of bed, legs shaking, but will determined.
His feet were cold on the floor.
He didn't listen when Ajax called for him.
Scrambled to snatch his arm before he got to far.
But it did nothing to stop Diluc from crossing the room and into the hall.
._._._._._.
With a loud click, the back panel shifted.
Even slid out of place a little.
Curiosity ate at Kaeya's bones.
He slid it open.
The sight he was greeted was not what he expected.
It was a small collection of books.
Workbooks, to be precise.
Kaeya picked one.
And blinked.
The spine of the book was just like all the others: dated with a year, well worn, and well used.
But the cover was clearly damaged.
Not torn— but ruined with water.
Or, that was Kaeya's first thought.
It wasn't until he opened the book, that he realized how wrong he was.
The pages crackled.
Red ochre soaked into the yellowed paper.
The very corners were crinkled.
As if half of the book had been dropped in some puddle.
Seeped in that puddle for a while, but not enough to reach the spine.
But Kaeya knew what it was better than anyone.
He knew how dried blood felt on paper.
Kaeya dropped the book.
It clattered loudly.
Almost resounded in the dead silence.
The single periwinkle eye scanned the other books.
His trembling hands pulled a couple books.
Flipped through the pages of Diluc's work.
Searched for the same red ochre.
Yet, there was nothing.
But the dates jumped too much in those books.
It wasn't until he reached for the thinnest book flushed between a book stopper and a miniature jewelry box that he stopped.
Its cover was unmarked.
Its spine unnamed.
It was such a small size.
Kaeya flipped it open, scanning the pages frantically.
But there were nothing but a handful of dates and tiny entries.
It was almost incomprehensible.
Until Kaeya really looked.
The dates.
.
23 January XX99
8 August XX03
.
He knew those dates.
The entires.
.
Wine Barrel Injury (Lived)
Mission Injury (Died) - IIIII days
.
He knew those events.
And his blood ran cold.
Because when his periwinkle eye took in the last date, the last entry.
.
30 April XX05
Fe/ of/f a cl/f (?) - IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (m/gh/t n/ot po/s/bly de/)
.
Still new with its ink still black without age.
.
30 April XX05
Dr/a/k/ (?)
.
Barely legible under the several frantic scratches.
.
30 April XX05
.
Rewritten one last time.
.
Missing (Unknown) - Unknown
.
As black as it could be.
Kaeya felt his heart drop.
And so did his knees.
The ruined workbook was split open on the floor.
Its contents of Diluc's childish handwriting years ago revealed for all to see.
The date was written in the corner.
The year XX93 recorded dutifully at the corner.
In the midst of August.
Kaeya's hands shook too much.
Shook terribly as he flipped though the bloodied pages.
From August 17, 20, 29—
September 8, 14, 25, 30—
November 3, 18, 23, 28—
December 1, 13, 20, 21, 22, 23—
Until the dates stopped.
Shook uncontrollably as he referred back to that tiny, tiny book.
.
23 December XX93
Horse incident (Died) - IIII days
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