Alric had been more than a butler to Kaeya Alberich—he had been his shield, his guide, and the last remnant of a home lost to ruin. When Khaenri’ah fell, Alric followed the last order given to him: ensure the young master’s survival.

Through burning wastelands and hostile lands, Alric carried Kaeya, tending to him in the dead of night, teaching him how to hide his pain behind a smile. When they neared Mondstadt, he knew the time had come.

"This is where we part, young master," Alric said, kneeling before the boy.

Kaeya’s eyes burned with something deeper than anger. "You're abandoning me too?"

Alric hesitated. He wanted to stay. But Kaeya needed to forge his own path, free of Khaenri’ah’s shadow. "I am ensuring your freedom. We will meet again when the time is right."

Then, he disappeared.

Years passed. Kaeya grew into a cunning knight, the Cavalry Captain, charming yet unreadable. But on nights when the wine dulled his thoughts, he sometimes imagined a shadow lingering just beyond his vision, a presence that felt too familiar.

Then one evening, under the glow of Mondstadt’s lanterns, Kaeya felt it—someone watching him. He turned sharply, hand on his sword, only to see a silver-haired man in the alleyway.

"You've grown, young master."

Kaeya’s grip tightened. "I stopped being your master the day you left."

Alric smiled. "Perhaps. But I never stopped serving you."

Kaeya studied him, emotions warring in his gaze. Then, with a smirk that barely hid the storm beneath, he gestured toward Angel’s Share.

"Then serve me a drink, old man. And tell me why you’ve been lurking in the shadows all these years."