There were still guests left in the tavern when Crepus approached his son to say goodbye to everyone and return home. Kaeya finished the conversation he was having with a young woman and went after Diluc and his father, who were already leaving.

"I didn't realize it was so late," he said catching the attention of both.

Diluc said nothing. Before heading to the exit, he had looked for him with his gaze and it annoyed him a little to see Kaeya with that young woman. He was already used to it. In public places, Kaeya was always surrounded by people, especially girls who were looking for his attention or his parents who intended to marry him to them. Although Diluc also found himself in such situations often, he used to avoid them discreetly, but making it clear that he was not interested; unlike Kaeya, who gave them his full attention and even seemed to enjoy it. It bothered Diluc, but he didn't think he had the right to hold it against him, and he also didn't want to look like a jealous and selfish child in Kaeya's eyes.

"It's almost time for your shift, son," Crepus smiled. "Don't drink too much."

"Don't worry," Kaeya replied, "I've barely had a drink tonight. A pity, because I would have loved to celebrate Luc's birthday in a big way."

Kaeya looked for Diluc's gaze, but he only gave him a small smile.

"I'll go and get the carriage ready, dad." Diluc made it clear that he had nothing else to talk to him that night and walked away from both of them.

"He must be tired," Crepus excused him. "You know he doesn't like crowds."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's it," Kaeya smiled. "Have a nice way home. See you tomorrow, Crepus."

"See you tomorrow, son."

Kaeya didn't take his eyes off Diluc until he turned the corner. It amused him to see how he tried to hide his jealousy. It's not that Kaeya behaved like that on purpose, it was just his way of being.

The chimes that marked midnight and the beginning of his shift brought him out of his self-absorption and he headed towards the Headquarters.

"Why did you leave like that?" Crepus asked his son, who was sitting outside, driving the carriage. "This is no way to say goodbye to your brother."

A shiver ran through Diluc, as it did every time he heard that word. 'Brother' was not what best defined them. They had never seen each other that way, even if they had grown up together.

"I've said goodbye to him before" he said, remembering their conversation in the cellar.

His father nodded and changed the subject.

"Haaa, you're quite a man now, son. I couldn't be more proud of you." Diluc turned his head and flashed him a smile before fixing his eyes back on the road. "I've always dreamed of belonging to the Knights of Favonius, you know that. I wanted to help protect our people. Unfortunately, I was never good enough for it. And you managed to become a Captain so young... You have fulfilled your dream, son, but also mine."

"I'm glad to see you so happy, dad."

Crepus smiled and dropped the curtain separating him from his son. He leaned on the backrest and pulled a glove out of his jacket pocket. He looked at the gem sewn into it. An artifact called Delusion that he had possessed for many years and with which he had been doing justice in the shadows. He stroked it with a finger and remembered the words that Varka had said to him years ago: "Don't you think you've done enough already? It's time you let others protect people."

Crepus trusted his son's job as Captain and knew how dangerous it was to use the power of the gem. Diluc was already of age and had proven to know how to protect himself and others, so, at that moment, Crepus decided to do what the Grandmaster had asked him so many times. He would destroy the gem as soon as he got home. Maybe, after that, he and Varka would finally stop arguing and they could enjoy each other.

However, fate had other plans for him.

Suddenly, the carriage slammed on the brakes and a great roar sounded in the night. One of the two knights accompanying the carriage approached the window and ordered him to stay there. Crepus jumped forward and pulled back the curtain to see what was happening. He saw his son jump out of the carriage and, immediately, Wolf's Gravestone materialized in his hands. In front of him, a huge dragon was flapping its wings, threatening. Crepus' blood ran cold. He knew that even his son could not cope with a creature like that.

The three knights attacked the dragon, but it fought back with its claws. Two of the knights were killed after the first attack, and Diluc, although still standing, was clutching his side with one hand. The wound was not deep, but it didn't allow him to move freely.

He raised his weapon again. He had to protect Mondstadt with his life, as well as his father. He lunged at him, his claymore engulfed in flames, and fought as best he could, but the dragon was too big, too strong. Diluc jumped and rolled on the ground managing to dodge a blow, but as soon as he got to his feet, he felt the claws of the dragon on his back. They tore his new clothes and his skin, and threw him against the carriage He hit his head and a trail of blood began to fall over one of his eyes.

He quickly regained his senses and gathered all his strength to stand up, but before he could do so, he saw a figure in front of him. He stared until he recognized his father. He had detached himself from his jacket and was clutching a gloved hand with a gem that shone with a deep red color.

"Dad. No—" he managed to mumble. He got up with difficulty and, using the claymore as a cane, walked towards him. But before he arrived, the gem's brilliance intensified until it covered the entire place. Diluc covered his eyes with his arm and heard a scream that was immediately drowned out by the dragon's roar. When he managed to open his eyes again, the dragon was flying away and his father was lying on the ground, covered in blood and motionless.

Led by the Intendant Kaeya, the knights who were on guard that night arrived in time to see the light projected by Crepus' gem, although they could not decipher where it came from. Kaeya, however, guessed it right away.

A few meters away from him, he observed Diluc holding his father in his arms. Even though Diluc was covered in blood, it seemed to him that his life was not in danger. However, Kaeya was convinced that Crepus was no longer breathing. He stood petrified while the knights behind him waited for an order.

Several thoughts crossed his mind as he looked at the one who had been a father to him all those years. A bitter smile was drawn on his face. Not even Crepus, an upright, kind, proud man... had been able to resist the temptation of possessing such power. At the same time, he felt relief that he no longer had to hide his secret from him, and he also felt shame about it. But most of all, he felt sadness. The last time his heart had ached like this was when his real father had left him in those strange lands in the middle of a snowstorm.

"Intendant—" murmured a soldier next to him, and Kaeya forced himself to regain his composure."

"Go and assist them."

Kaeya took a few steps closer, enough to see Diluc with his face covered in blood and tears, refusing to let go of his father. He was dead, and there was nothing the best of the doctors in Mondstadt could do. He wanted to get closer, hug him, share his pain, but he thought he didn't have the right to do so. He didn't even have the right to mourn the death of his adoptive father. And he didn't.

The days went by, and Diluc was more and more worried. Kaeya had not returned home and, if they crossed paths, he evaded him. He had not even been by his side at Crepus' funeral. He had indeed attended, but he kept at a safe distance, where no one would disturb him, and disappeared right after the funeral. No matter how much Diluc searched for him, he couldn't find him.

"Sir, what do you want me to do with this?"

Diluc, who was watching out the window waiting for Kaeya's unlikely arrival, turned to meet his maid. In her arms, she was holding tightly folded the outfit that his father had given him for his birthday night.

"I can have it fixed if you want. It's a good suit."

"Keep it that way."

"Are you sure? It wouldn't cost—"

"I will not use it again" he said convinced. At that moment, all he wanted was for that night to disappear from his mind.

The maid obeyed and walked away with the suit. Diluc took one last look out the window and sighed. He had never needed Kaeya so much, but he had to let it be. Everyone went through grief in their own way, and he was convinced that Kaeya needed to go through it alone.

People kept talking about the dragon attack. According to the investigations, it had been Ursa, the dragon that the Archon Anemo and Venessa, heroine of Mondstadt, had faced a thousand years ago and that had not been seen again until that night.

Kaeya, like the rest of Favonius' Knights, was still trying to figure out why Ursa had appeared again after such a long time, and why it had attacked Crepus' caravan exactly. He was convinced that it had not been by chance, but he had no way to find evidence. He didn't even know where to start. Besides, in the last few days he kept thinking about Diluc and whether he should tell him his secret. He couldn't hide it anymore. Rather, he didn't want to do it. Not to him.

"Shouldn't you do something else in your free time?" Jean put him out of his thoughts and sat next to him. Kaeya smiled and took a sip from his wine glass.

"It's a good place to think." He meant The Cat's Tail, one of the two taverns in Mondstadt.

Jean rolled her eyes.

"How much longer are you going to keep Luc waiting?

"What will Grandmaster Varka say if he finds out that you are in a tavern during your shift?"

"Why are you doing this? Luc is having a hard time. He needs you" she rebuked him. "Maybe your way of going through grief is being alone, but it's been almost a week and you still don't go to see him."

"I'm sure your company would be more comforting."

"Kaeya!" Jean slapped the table with the palm of her hand and stood up. "Stop being so selfish. You know he's waiting for you. Go and see him at once! It's an order."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not on duty."

"I won't repeat it again," she said more calmly, and headed for the exit.

Kaeya sighed and took another swig at his cup. No order was necessary. He had already decided to go see Diluc that very night. He was just enjoying what, perhaps, would be his last drink.