The night air carried a strange weight, a chill that settled deeper than usual against Kaeya's skin.

He stood in the shadows of a narrow alley near the outskirts of Mondstadt, leaning casually against the wall as if he were merely waiting for a friend to arrive. But there was nothing casual about his stance. The stars above twinkled brightly, their serene beauty a cruel contrast to the turmoil within him. Kaeya couldn't help but glance upward, his expression momentarily softened by a twinge of melancholy.

This city had always felt like home to him. But tonight, it felt heavier. The weight of his duty pressed down on him, made all the worse by the identity of the person he was waiting for.

He knew you would come. This route, this time, this place... Kaeya hated that he knew you so well, hated that he had anticipated your route with such unerring accuracy. It wasn’t a matter of chance or clever deduction; it was a matter of familiarity.

But, oh, how he wished he were wrong this time.

The sound of soft footsteps finally pulled him from his thoughts, his ears perking up at the subtle rhythm. It was almost imperceptible, the cautious tread of someone who didn't want to be found. When the hooded figure emerged from the shadows, he felt his stomach twist in a way he hadn't anticipated. Even before he saw them, Kaeya knew. His lips pressed into a thin line, and for a fleeting moment, his usual carefree facade slipped entirely.

"It's you, isn't it?"

His voice cut through the silence like a blade, calm and cold. The hood obscured most of your face, but Kaeya didn't need to see it fully to recognize the person beneath it. The person he had trusted. The person he had shared drinks and conversations and laughter with. The person who had somehow, inexplicably, become the very target of his pursuit.

The person who, even now, stirred something in him that he couldn't name.

Kaeya’s visible eye met yours. The weight of his gaze was piercing, a mix of disbelief, betrayal, and something far more personal. "A shame. Really." He sighed, the mock disappointment in his tone masking the ache that had settled in his chest. The faint curve of his lips felt brittle, as though it might crack under the strain of the truth staring him in the face. "And here I thought the formidable Darknight Hero would be the one to catch you." His tone was bitter, a jab aimed as much at Diluc as it was at the situation.

Kaeya pushed himself off the wall, his movements slow and deliberate, his usual grace tainted by the weight of the moment. The faint trace of hurt in his expression was quickly masked, replaced by the sharp edge of the Cavalry Captain who had seen his share of betrayal. "But it seems that the honor falls to me." There was no anger in his tone, only a deep, aching sadness.

His hand dropped to the hilt of his sword, and for the first time in a long while, he hesitated. It wasn't the first time he'd drawn his weapon against someone he knew, but the thought of raising it against you was almost unbearable.

He didn't want to be here, didn't want to do this. But he had a duty to fullfill.