Kaeya wakes up.

A gust of wind whistles through the air, sending a pleasant breeze fluttering through the gently-sloping landscape. Behind the verdant forests and the imposing peaks of Dragonspine descends the sun, the star's brightness transforming the grey clouds scattered across the sky into crimson-tinged shapes reminiscent of a painting. It was as if a palette of warm colors had been spilled across a painter's canvas, a symbol of everyday occurrence whose beauty could only be appreciated the longer it was viewed. The nearby settlements, once bustling with soldiers patrolling the surrounding areas and children playing in the street, had fallen quiet, the enticing promise of dinner and eventual satiation diminishing the noise reverberating from- homes and apartments.

Yet, despite the peaceful disposition of the surrounding region, two people wander aimlessly in the forests, following the faint trails snaking through the area, a sign of the once-familiarized paths etched into the ground by adventurers over the years. They had trudged through the wooded regions comprising the country's southern border, unwittingly making their way toward an escarpment that would allow them to view the surrounding lands in all their glory, a vantage point that would direct them to their destination.

A couple hundred feet away from the escarpment, a young boy, maybe around eleven or twelve years old and dressed in simple clothes, holds an older man's hand. The older man's face is obscured behind a half-mask, the rest of his appearance left to imagination courtesy of a long, black cloak that covered the man entirely. There's a silver sword tucked within a makeshift baldric near the man's waist, the blade's gleam encased within a sheath, covering up the intricately crafted blade from prying eyes and potential assumptions from wandering adventurers in the area. Behind the veil, the young boy knew of the regal outfit that the man wore, which was supposed to be hidden to avoid attention. Continuing to hold the older man's hand, the boy wordlessly follows the man, his mind devoid of thoughts about where the older man would bring him.

It's a scene that Kaeya's been in before, one that Kaeya is intimately familiar with.

Almost sixteen or seventeen years ago, that day had been a distinct memory imprinted upon his mind, those experiences still burning bright and shaping every portion of his persona and very being. Yet, this marked the first time he was treated again to these precious memories, his dreams and nightmares he suffered in the past few years lacking any details of this incident.

Tightening his grip on the older man's hands, Kaeya looks down at his fingers, intertwining with his more significant hand. They were so small in comparison, their size a symbol of the innocent purity that often accompanied childhood. The half-masked man, wait no, Father, squeezes his hands, looking back at him with a smile.

Despite the smile on the man's face, Kaeya saw through his collected demeanor for the first time, sensing a contrasting sense of unhappiness behind the mask. The feeling quickly disappears, replaced by a cold facade that any feeling of warmth would not be able to penetrate.

Continuing onwards, Kaeya and the older man walk toward the edge of the precipice, finally catching sight of the unknown country they had traversed from above. Gently sloping lands framed a hilly region, slowly transitioning into grassy woodland and open plains where people had established settlements. Near the horizon, gentle orange lights and faint grey objects signified life, indications of larger settlements far away. To the right lay a massive blue lake, its surface reflecting the crimson and orange colors of the sunset coating the sky.

Despite Kaeya's familiarity with the landscape, the younger version of himself couldn't help but gawk, the landscape being so much different, much more alive than what Khaenri'ah and the Abyss had exposed him to. Although Kaeya and his father had trekked through Mondstadt's landscape for several hours, seeing a sight of this magnitude stunned him.

"We'll be there soon," the older man whispers, pointing his finger toward the horizon. Following his father's hand, Kaeya suddenly notices a large building in the distance, surrounded by vast fields full of plants on four sides. Warm, orange lights within lanterns hang from the building's walls, a rosy glow bathing the estate. "Just hold my hand."

And so Kaeya does, following Father, who makes his way down the escarpment towards a nearby overlook, the journey taking almost an hour. Once they reach their destination, however, Father suddenly stops. Ushering Kaeya in front of him, Kaeya feels a sense of anticipation rise within him.

"Remember everything I've instructed you," Father states, squeezing Kaeya's shoulders softly. Gazing far off into the horizon, the older man looks towards the sky, his eyes unfocusing as he seemingly remembers something lingering in the back of his mind, hat. However, the lack of expression is replaced with a look that has been burned into Kaeya's memory ever since. Full of hope and hatred, Kaeya's father stares off into the horizon, presumably wherever Khaenri'ah was located. "This is your chance. You are our last hope."

Oblivious to Father's words, Kaeya stares off at the estate, its imposing walls towering over the surrounding landscape. His thoughts had already shifted elsewhere, resigned to the forthcoming action that had deeply cut into the relationship he had shared with Father. This was it, wasn't it? Father was going to leave him here, and he would never see him again.

Deep in his thoughts, Kaeya remains oblivious to the cool steel pressed against his flesh, his external senses dulled by his reminiscing and his younger self's capacity. Feeling a sensation of uncomfortableness centered near his upper body, Kaeya then looks down. Only then does he notice a blade protruding through his abdomen, the source of the sensation he was afflicted with.

Wait, this wasn't supposed to happen, was it? Kaeya thinks, his mind dulled by the unexpectedness of this situation. The unnatural feeling, once a steady, throbbing itch that had needed to be resolved, had begun slowly intensifying itself into repeated bouts of agony that sent his body spasming with pain.

Whirling around with whatever limited sense of mobility to identify his assailant, Kaeya can only cry in pain as the blade twists inside him, a sign of his assailant's hand still unexpectedly gripping the blade's hilt. A whisper of "forgive me" issues from behind Kaeya, something barely audible as pain wracks him.

Despite being in a dream, everything felt so realistic, every ounce of pain, every gust of wind, every word whispered in this dream- no, a warped, twisted nightmare- clear as day to Kaeya. Although Kaeya had anticipated the identity of his assailant, his heart sank as he finally comprehended the person who had moved in front of him, pain and fear simultaneously coursing throughout him at the sight.

Father.

In front of him, where a man with a clean-shaven face sporting a semi-genuine smile had previously looked at him, stood an imposing figure, one that intimidated Kaeya despite the relationship he shared with the individual. Now with a short, neatly-trimmed beard that hugged his jawline, Father stares back at Kaeya with contempt, his eyes glimmering with a dangerous glint that sends him shivering with fear. His handsome features, once displaying a steady smile, are contorted in a leer, his gaze burning through Kaeya's soul. His outfit, once hidden behind a cloak to avoid garnering suspicion during their journey, had been exposed in the fading sunlight signifying the descent of evening.

From here, Kaeya can see black gauntlets covering Father's hands, the incline of the metallic glove making its way toward his upper arms, where it connects smoothly with the rest of his armor extending across his upper body, stained unnaturally black by the otherworldly power of the Abyss. A similar set of armor, complete with boots and the carved eight-pointed star on his chest, covers Father, the addition of a black cape fluttering behind him only magnifying the outfit's regalness. On his head, a black crown lays poised, golden and purple markings etched onto the surface. All combined, it forms a menacing sight, one that sends shivers down Kaeya's back

However, it's not the outfit that catches Kaeya's attention, but Father's eyes. Burning with a cold fury, Father's eyes gaze back at him, violet irises contrasting with unnaturally black corneas, a dark wisp of otherwordly smoke rising from the right side of his face.

Taking the sight all in, Kaeya feels both mesmerized and terrified, his heart pounding despite his dulled senses.

Through the hazy atmosphere, he belatedly realizes that they're about the same height now, almost eye-level from each other, an unexpected change compared to the height difference that had characterized the younger version of himself and Father. Looking down once more, Kaeya lays his eyes upon himself, noticing the ragged cloak that had once covered his tiny body had been replaced by the familiar uniform of Mondstadt's Cavalry Captain, his body having transformed back into his current, twenty-eight-year-old state. The uniform occasionally flickered, allowing Kaeya to catch sight of something more regal, an outfit that reminded him of royalty. But that wasn't all Kaeya saw that changed. What had once been a silver blade protruding through his abdomen had changed color, coating the blade an ominous, otherworldy black, a similarly-colored haze hovering around the edges.

"You never really took my lessons to heart, did you?" Father asks, looking strangely disappointed. Despite the disappointed expression he had assumed, there was a biting edge to his voice, one that made Kaeya flinch. Placing his hand below Kaeya's jaw, he tilts Kaeya's strained figure slightly upwards, his smoldering eyes now meeting his son's own. "Even after all I've done for you, even after all I've instructed you, you betrayed us."

Kaeya can only respond with a gasp, his strength sapping away slowly from the steady pulse of pain emanating from his core. Attempting to speak, he only encounters agony; every whisper, every sound he tries to make is interrupted by burning flashes of pain.

"I'm disappointed we had to come this far," Father states with a sigh, an unreadable expression- maybe regret?- flitting across his face before being suppressed, falling deep into the depths of his violet irises. Kaeya's not sure what to make of the barely noticeable reaction, but he's too focused on the situation playing out before him to devote any attention to comprehending the expression. "I hoped we could have... resolved this issue. So forgive me for this."

Only then does Kaeya feel the sword that father had wielded, the one he was currently impaled upon, twist, prompting another burst of agony to emanate from his lips. A sensation of being slowly drained of life floods through his body, the feeling of something unnatural worming its way toward Kaeya's innards.

Yet, despite the sensation of pain and the blurriness affecting his vision, he strains, noticing black smoke rising from the Abyss-stained blade and making its way towards a menacing ball of energy forming near Father's left hand. Looking up, he only manages to find a frosty expression on Father's face, his eyes dangerously as he further continues administering the brutal punishment.

And Kaeya screams, filled with terror and disgust, fear and panic. Oh, how long does he scream.


When Kaeya finally wakes up from the nightmare sweating and gasping for air, the first thing he hears is the rapid throbbing of his heart through his rib cage. No, it's not the harsh gusts of wind whistling through the air nor the slight crunch of snow as he shifts around frantically on the ground, making an attempt to get to his feet.

Propelling himself to a standing position with his hands, Kaeya whiles around with panic, summoning his sword which manifested from thin air with a golden shimmer. Gripping the hilt of the silver weapon with increasing force, he attempts to search for the assailant that had impaled him with the Abyssal Blade. Only when his shifting eyes find nobody in the vicinity does he realize that whatever had happened constituted a nightmare; everything that occurred, the pain, the fear, and the experience of encountering his father, all of it was not real. It was simply a nightmare

Letting out a breath, Kaeya can continue feeling his heart pounding against his chest, aware of the toll the nightmare had taken upon him.

He usually never had nightmares that felt this real, the pain and emotions so acute. Maybe they were about Crepus' death and the aftermath where he and Diluc clashed blades, his eye wounded in the process. Else, they were about his journey through the Abyss as a child, monstrous shadows ominously waning and waxing amidst the endless depths of blackness. Hell, even if the topic of abandonment had been broached upon in his dreams, they had only concerned the aftermath of the incident, where Kaeya stood still amidst the forests near the Dawn Winery, the sun descending in the horizon and darkness conquering the world while he stood alone.

Yet, the experience of meeting Father face-to-face after all these years, only to be run through by the mythical blade he wielded, had been highly unpleasant, the occurrence sending a shiver run up his spine. It wasn't something he would like to experience again nor recommend, the area near his abdomen still aching with a burning pain despite the absence of any deep or shallow wounds. Maybe his mind was just playing tricks on him, the memories within his subconscious about the nightmare influencing his physical sensations.

But that wasn't the most pressing issue at hand.

How did Father know about his betrayal?

When Kaeya had clashed blades with Anton before falling unconscious after coming into contact with the unknown substance, the Abyss Herald's actions had been unnerving, alien even. He had already suspected that something was off a few moments into the meeting, the agent's passive-aggressive demeanor far off from the diplomatic stance he assumed in previous meetings. While their communications had previously remained curt, the stand-offish bearing the herald had adopted, and the hint of anger seeping into Anton's statements had further reinforced those initial thoughts. The Abyss Herald's advance upon Kaeya had finally confirmed his preliminary thoughts, its assault upon Kaeya leading it to its untimely death. Kaeya found the undertaken move quite surprising, considering the significance of his role in Father's plans, leading him to deduce that the assault resulted from interference from a third-party, potentially independent from Father but connected to the Abyss as a whole.

Yet, as the details of his conversation with Anton before their clash become more vivid, Kaeya begins to doubt his initial conclusion. Despite Anton's actions and demeanor, along with the ominous gem he had found on its person suggesting something more sinister at play, the pointed statements and accusations that the herald had made were relatively in line with Father's mindset and potential reactions to Kaeya's betrayal. Kaeya already knew the extent to which Father's anger stretched, the increased brutality of his actions over the past few years only illustrating the point. He had picked up the information via whispers amongst members of the Abyss Order, Father's high-ranking position still not rendering the knowledge immune as Kaeya carefully filtered the necessary details from the sentient, rank-and-file members of the upper echelons comprising the Abyss Order's forces.

After all, it wasn't a stretch to say that Alberich had found out about his betrayal, sending Anton to Mondstadt to tie up any loose ends. Despite Kaeya's importance in Father's plans, he was simply a pawn, a replaceable piece, albeit an extremely important one. Father could still improvise, shuffling the pieces around the board and overcoming the deficiency if it came down to the worst. Whatever Kaeya had been considering in the past few years was essentially a gamble that would have only been uncovered over time. Regardless of how much distance he attempted to put between him and Khaenri'ah's remains, Kaeya resignedly knew that his ties with the country would eventually catch up with him, forcing him to make a decision he wouldn't want to undertake.

If Alberich had indeed been responsible for whatever had happened, whatever had happened was a foreboding sign. The strange sigil disappearing and reappearing near Port Dornman, the reports of Fatui casualties, the sudden disappearance of the sole witness to this incident, the presence of the Abyss Herald near the Falcon Coast. They were all related, and Kaeya was the only one that could connect all the dots.

Speaking of the Falcon Coast, where exactly is he?

Then only does Kaeya finally notice his surroundings, a vast white landscape stretching out endlessly in every direction, rocky mountains framing the horizon, and short, hardy shrubs peeking out amidst the snow-covered surface. Larger greenery, both a combination of dead tree trunks and snow-covered spruce trees, towered over the landscape. In the sky, dark, grey clouds loom overhead, a sensation of bleakness reflected in the desolate terrain stretching out for miles. Yet, despite the stark nature of the area, faint rays of light shine through the packed clouds, highlighting the landscape and giving the terrain a slight feeling of warmth that only somebody who had lived extensive periods of time in desolate conditions would appreciate. Snezhnaya?

As a cavalry captain of the Knights of Favonius, Kaeya had received reports of Snezhnaya. Of the below-freezing temperatures rendering the population extremely resistant, of endless blizzards running amok in the northern reaches of the country, of the frozen soil making agriculture extremely difficult. Hell, even images of the country had recently made their way to Mondstadt in the past two to three years, the advent of the Kamera and the growing popularity of the Steambird allowing pictures of Snezhnaya to be distributed amongst citizens of Teyvat, the grand Zapolyarny Palace housing the Tsaritsa and her harbingers along with the beauty of coastal towns such as Morepesok making their rounds amongst the continent.

But wherever he currently was didn't match either the widely-distributed photographs or rudimentary reports about Snezhnaya. There was the possibility that Kaeya had ended up in the country's upper-most regions past the mountain ranges, considered inhospitable due to the extensively cold temperatures. Maybe he had ended up somewhere completely different, the first witness to an unknown continent with frosty regions across the Dark Sea.

Either way, Kaeya wasn't in the picture. And without him relaying information from the Knights of Favonius toward Port Dornman and lending his assistance towards diplomatically resolving the situation, Mond was effectively fucked in the upcoming days.

Letting out a groan, Kaeya can only rub his eyes in disappointment with his right hand, attempting to clear his vision once more. Was this all real? Or was his mind playing cruel tricks on and deceiving him in the process? A sudden throb of pain snaps him out of his reverie, causing him to yelp and look downwards near his chest. Pushing his shirt forward, Kaeya notices a long gash running down his shoulder blade, the white of his blouse having begun to soak up the red blood slowly flowing out of his wound. He winces, feeling the one-time throb of pain transform into a steady pulse, an uncomfortable reminder of the injury the Abyss Herald had inflicted upon him hours ago.

Yep, this was definitely real. Fuck.

Sighing, Kaeya retucks his shirt back into his trousers once more, then making the motion to turn around and pay increasing attention to his surroundings. While he had taken notice of the snowy terrain stretching endlessly across the horizon in front of him, he had neglected the view positioned right behind him.

Situated right behind his back, another endless, white landscape stretched northwards for miles. However, while the terrain positioned on the other side had been a degree more welcoming, this new landscape was far harsher. Massive blizzards, large white storms of death depositing excessive amounts of snow upon the already-packed ground, moved quickly, wreaking havoc hundreds of feet away amidst the contrastingly-peaceful terrain. In the sky, darkened clouds blocked out any hint of light, casting an ominous shade of darkness upon the land, the lack of greenery making the sight even eerier. Peering forward, Kaeya can notice faint, dark shapes moving in the distance, the strangeness of whatever he was witnessing sending a shiver up his spine.

Surprisingly, despite the below-freezing temperatures which would have rendered anybody shivering in the lack of warmth, Kaeya doesn't feel cold. Dropping his eyes downwards, Kaeya finds his cryo vision hanging from his belt, its bronze casing shining crystal-clear. Feeling relieved that the item was still on his person, Kaeya turned around back towards the admittedly more hospitable direction, his eyes locked onto the rocky mountains far away on the horizon

Well, it was going to be a long journey ahead, wouldn't it?


It's been a couple of hours since Kaeya had traveled from wherever he had ended up. He can't tell how much distance he had covered over the course of his journey, the lack of specialized equipment preventing him from making an accurate estimate. His boots, far more suited toward making journeys along Mondstadt's city streets or the country's grassy hills, had sunk into the snow many more times than he could count, forcing him to exert more energy in fully lifting his feet out of the hole in the snow his steps formed, lest the speed of his gait became reduced. He could be anywhere from forty to seventy miles away from his initial landing space, factoring in the environmental variables and the increased speed and endurance his vision provided in his calculations.

Sighing, Kaeya turns back towards the task at hand, continuing to trudge through the snow, the phenomenon alleviated in the past few miles where snow-packs covering the surface of the ground slowly made way to a thin layer snow covering the temporarily-frozen soil characteristic of the tundra.

The sky had further darkened in the past hour or so, with the clouds adopting a reddish tint, signifying the presence of a budding sunset. It had been quite a surprise to Kaeya, who had thought it had been roughly sometime in the afternoon when he woke up, the bleak atmosphere conveyed by the relatively few rays of sunlight penetrating through the dense cloud coverage. By his estimates, it should have been around midnight by now, but darkness had only begun creeping upon the land, slowly making its way across the horizon and shrouding the landmarks in the shadows of night.

Although Kaeya had still not found any signs of life in the barren region, he still held onto the hope that any settlements were located nearby. His journey had already taken him across an endless landscape, allowing him to witness the environment change gradually.

It had taken him a couple of hours to cross the relatively flat, snow-covered terrain before facing the imposing peaks of the snowy mountains he had previously seen on the horizon. Fortunately, he had managed to bypass the mountain range, the chain of mountains abruptly ending a small distance away from the path he had taken, allowing him to avoid cutting through it directly. Once Kaeya had found the edge of the chain, he circled around it, the short detour revealing another stretch of the snow-covered terrain that had quickly become familiar to him.

While the maneuver had cost him about an hour or so, give or take, it had been worth it. Despite the possibility of using his cryo vision to create frost structures that would directly cut through the mountain range and save him precious time he could utilize to push on further, the risk of falling down from such structures, which would be buffeted with high winds, at high altitudes was a risk Kaeya wanted to avoid.

Eventually, as he continued making his way through the snowy region, he found the scattered trees and hardy bushes peeping out of the snow had been gradually replaced by larger clusters of trees, the larger clusters of trees eventually forming an arctic forest where small animals hidden in the greenery chittered away. The sight raised hope within him.

Whenever small critters were present in the woods, Kaeya knew that further signs of life would surely follow next. After all, the presence of smaller animals suggested a viable food source available. Plus, the arctic forest could provide settlers with an ample supply of timber for construction and heating.

It would only be a matter of time until he stumbled onto a sign of civilization, Kaeya thinks, the belief causing him to continue holding onto his hope.

Yet, as he continues trudging his way along the snowy forest ground, he only encounters thickets of trees, the endless expanse of inhabitant-less land still stretching further into the horizon. The sun had already begun to set, beckoning darkness to take its place in the night sky. His stamina was beginning to run out, the enhanced endurance that his cryo vision had granted him being slowly worn away by the forces of time.

And when the first pangs of hunger and thirst hit him, does Kaeya realize the inevitability of his situation, his yearning for the possibility of finding any sign of civilization slowly receding.

He lets out a pained laugh, a sardonic smile peeking through the easy-going facade he mostly kept on.

After all the pain he had gone through, after all the betrayal he had suffered, and the self-isolation he subjected himself to throughout his entire life, he would end up dying alone in a frozen wasteland, his sense of direction wholly hindered. How ironic.

Granted, the circumstances weren't that bad at the moment. Yet, the foreboding sight of the inhospitable tundra stretching out for miles all around him had already been enough of a discouraging statement.

Kaeya can feel the strain in his legs, the lack of specialized equipment had finally begun to take a toll upon him, a dull, throbbing pain emanating from near the soles of his foot.

"Just a little bit longer," he whispers to himself, placing another foot ahead. Although his legs are beginning to cramp from the effort, he still powers on, ignoring the feeling of pains localized near his feet. "There's something just ahead, you'll find something."

The little bit of self-encouragement allowed Kaeya to move further past the woods, dragging his feet along the way. Thankfully, his efforts had luckily paid off, the thicket of trees slowly beginning to clear and reveal a deforested landscape, one that sent Kaeya's heart pounding in anticipation.

Maybe he had finally encountered a settlement?

Reinvigorated by the discovery, Kaeya picks up his pace, clearing the edge of the arctic forest easily and making his way a hundred meters forward before he sees something in the distance, something faint enough that rendered its outline blurry to his eyes. Peering ahead, Kaeya blinked a couple of times, attempting to adjust himself to the lack of light in the area, hoping that whatever he had seen wasn't simply a hallucination.

When the blurry sight clears, Kaeya silently cheers, his exhaustion rendering his mute celebration devoid of any wild emotions.

500 meters. 250 meters. 100 meters. 75 meters. 25 meters.

It's only when he's fifty meters away from the building does he finally make out what he noticed in the distance.

A series of buildings, all made with a dark material that had seemingly decayed, lay in front of him. Although it seemed that these structures were uninhabited, the confirmation that life once existed in this area internally warmed Kaeya, the feeling seemingly alien in the glacial temperatures of the region.

The steady pang of fatigue, once suppressed by the feeling of being revitalized, finally catches up to Kaeya, the discomfort caused by muscle cramps reappearing once more. Allowing exhaustion to catch up to him, Kaeya falls backward, gravity supplying the momentum to his descent toward the snow-covered ground.

Lying on the tundra's surface with his back on the ground, he feels a snowflake, one that had fluttered in the environment's chilly air, fall upon his face, imparting a cool sensation that remains so familiar to him. He smiles, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards in response, making the expression look absolutely radiant even amidst the darkening surroundings.

He would live.