Faded Harmony

Prison Break

Kaeya shrugged, as Jean leaned against her desk. "She broke out of prison and ran out before we managed to barricade the walls. The guards in the prison during the breakout don't even remember her."

The door opened again as everyone turned to see Lisa walk in, holding up a letter in plain view. "My teacher says she doesn't know what's happening in Mondstadt, but would love to come check it out."

Kaeya chuckled under his breath, as Diluc muttered, "Useless."

"Which means she's the only one who can set things right again," said Jean, her head in her hands as Lisa put a hand on her shoulder.

"You think she'd do it if we asked nicely?" asked Kaeya, twirling his sword. Diluc gave him a disgusted look as he headed to the door. "Where are you going, Master Diluc?"

"To find her."

"He really loves Mondstadt, doesn't he?" said Jean, wincing slightly as the door slammed shut behind him.

Kaeya's eyes narrowed as he stared at the door, as if he were seeing something beyond it.

                                *

"So... are you an Abyss Mage?" Lyra asked the fluffy and adorable monster who was floating in the air. This one's fur was white. Dandelion seeds floated in the air, and Lyra wasn't sure how far away she was from Mondstadt. She hadn't walked very long, but still, the city was nowhere in sight.

"And you're the singing girl, aren't you?" He bounced around lightly in the air.

"Lovely. We need to talk," said Lyra, as the wind blew through her hair.

"And what makes you think I would answer your questions?"

'A thousand knives could poke your skin,
But the pain would make you feel alive,
Because you have a will to live,
Long enough to survive for seconds five.'

The Abyss Mage collapsed to the floor, dust fluttering around him as he screamed. "Make it stop!"

Lyra, with vague amusement and guilt, started counting down the seconds, a clock ticking in her head. "Five, four, three, two, one..."

The Abyss Mage stopped twitching, not a sound to be heard. Lyra knelt down next to him, wondering if asking him if he was alright would be going too far. "So, we could do that again or..."

"I'll answer your questions! Don't make me go through that again."

Lyra pulled the letters out of her pocket, and handed him the second one. The Abyss Mage looked at it, and then at her. "What does the gibberish say?"

"It says that the Abyss Order will attack Mondstadt at night, creating a perfect distraction for the singing girl."

Lyra shifted her weight from one knee to the other. "I'm assuming this same letter was sent to everyone in the Abyss Order, and that I was never meant to understand the full contents of the letter?"

He nodded, as Lyra handed him the first letter. Something grabbed her by the back of her collar and she gasped. Diluc was looking down at her, his eyes betraying no emotion. Lyra hadn't heard him approach at all.

"This says the girl Nocturna is being held at Falcon Coast. Well, was," he added as an afterthought.

Lyra tore her eyes away from Diluc, giving the Abyss Mage her full attention. "Was? Then where is she now?"

The Abyss Mage looked away, and Lyra waited five seconds before she decided to sing, but was interrupted by Diluc's annoyed sigh. The weight on her collar disappeared, and a burst of flame hit the Abyss Mage. Lyra whistled under her breath, leaning away from the searing-hot flames.

The Abyss Mage yelled again. "She escaped a few days ago! We don't know where she is. Please just stop!"

"Thank you for your kindness." Lyra bowed her head before she stood up. So this was why she had received no more letters — Nocturna had pulled a vanishing act. A sense of relief overwhelmed her, and she realized this was the first time in a millennia that she felt free. She got three paces away before Diluc grabbed the back of her collar, forcing her to stumble backward.

"You're going to wake up Mondstadt, or else, I'll kill you."

"Kill me and Mondstadt sleeps forever."

Diluc let go of her, and Lyra turned around to face him. He crossed his arms as he matched her gaze with his own. "What do you want?"

"Nothing. Take me back to Mondstadt, cause a distraction, and let me wake up the city." Diluc blinked in surprise, as Lyra smiled. "You heard him. Nocturna's escaped, so I don't need to listen to them anymore."

She jerked her chin towards the pathway she came from, and they headed back to Mondstadt together, stopping by Barbatos' statue to form a plan of action. The sun began to fall, and Lyra looked at Mondstadt with renewed determination.

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