Y/n missed Ei.
That was a thought becoming increasingly frequent throughout her stay in Natlan. Her lover inhabited her mind like a parasite, ensuring it was purple-hair, purple-eyes all day, twenty-four-seven. She thought of Ei during the second match and thought of Ei upon their rendezvous. She had generally assessed the state of her student and praised his efforts. She'd informed him that the crowd had begun to root for the underdog, all whilst seeing desserts and kimonos. Oh, how she longed to be in her arms.
The second round had been harsher than the first. The opponent in this round had already worn a hideous grin before its start. He was severely injured, one of his arms missing as a token from his previous fight. It didn't appear to bother him in the slightest. He expertly avoided Carlos's blade time after time, once even doing so with an unnecessarily flashy backflip: a sickening sadist and a mutant at acrobatics. By its end, both were exhausted. Her student was thoroughly soaked by sweat, and the other was littered with slashes and scrapes. There was no outmatching this competitor in agility.
The man spat blood to the side and unexpectedly lunged at Carlos with a strike. He hadn't wasted a moment and allowed her student to breathe, instead generating a false sense of security and demonstrating his immense tolerance for pain. Despite this, the strike remained powerful and clean. Y/n was highly impressed.
The blade dashed straight towards the boy's heart with the highest degree of accuracy, and from the soldier's palm danced a thin layer of ice that instantly enclosed his chest like a cocoon. With its deflection, the ice shattered into thousands of minuscule crystals and created a dazzling show of light. The crowd murmured curiously, and Murata raised her chin in approval. This round, her dear pupil won both the battle and the onlookers' hearts.
They'd spoken after the second match. Not only was this chat thick with praise, but Y/n reminded him of her purpose: to ensure his survival. By all means, she had agreed not to make him a winner but to save his life. Foul or fair, it was simple as that. She explained the actions that had kept him from harm, and he decided to let them continue; the time had come for round three.
And Y/n still missed Ei.
It amazed her how much she missed the woman. This sort of longing was unlike her, and it was weak. Yet, after briefly acknowledging the enemy and forming an analysis, she lost herself to this fantasy and delusion. Such was a common effect of love's compelling vice. Subconsciously, she raised her palm and released tendrils of Cryo into the arena.
Y/n didn't notice other people heading her way until she was violently ripped from her imagination. A hand fisted the scruff of her outfit and extinguished all half-baked dreams, dragging her away by the collar as she made a scene.
"I knew the little brat wouldn't have made it this far alone!" Her assailant spat. "He's a fraud! Dishonour to Natlan! I found the bitch with the fancy tricks; let her have it!"
Too intent on the fight below, not many noticed Y/n's predicament. She kicked and protested, trying to squirm free from an iron hold as the barrier she'd built for Carlos threatened to burst. He yelped as a blade's tip pierced the ice, creating a crack and slitting the flesh of his shoulder. He countered the sword before it tore off his arm, heaving it upward with all the strength he could muster. He was laden with a new injury and oozing with blood.
"Let me go!" The soldier hissed, burning the attacker alive with a glare. He only cast her a callous laugh, hauling her far from the battleground under the Archon's watchful stare. Her eyes bore no insight into her thoughts. Neutral and judging, they were the last to meet Y/n before she was removed from the scene.
Murata was a lone witness to the conflict.
"Where are you taking me?" the soldier inquired, her lips curling with her sullen mood. A response came in the form of a thrust, her face eating the hot and infertile ground.
She groaned.
"What do we do with her? Do you think the boss will forgive us if we bring her in?" As they contemplated their next move, she sat upright and turned around. To her surprise, those outfits were ones she recognised.
"Treasure Hoarders?!" Her nose scrunched up with disgust and disbelief. "What are you doing here?"
"Shut it, bitch. Why do we have to tell you anything?" The one who grabbed her huffed, only for his companion to betray him with a hurried account of their intentions.
"Boss told him to win the tournament! But we were paired with Gonzales in the first round. First round! We lost, didn't stand a chance... when he finds out, we're in trouble."
The other's eyes sharpened with his fury, and he reprimanded the bandit, who cowered in apology. It was too late. The gears had begun to turn in Y/n's brain, and she addressed them with conviction. "Your so-called 'Boss' wants the Archon's prize."
Her attacker scoffed, eyeing her indignantly from the side. "Everyone wants the prize. It's a damned gold mine, for Murata's sake. A desire granted by the Archon is enough to set you for life!"
'Oh. So that's the promised reward.' Her eyebrows rose before she burst into derisive laughter. "You're pathetic! Who enters a tournament like that just for Mora? You failed; badly. How is abducting me meant to make things any better?"
They had bound her with a rope to dispel free use of her Vision. Anger erupted across their faces as they were ridiculed, and both the brains and brawl of this dynamic duo raised his fist to assault. Unfortunately for Y/n, as the punch was thrown at her face, his eyes caught a reflection's gleam.
He faltered in his steps, and both pairs of eyes stared soundly at the silver chain as it swayed innocently from her neck. It had parted from her skin and exposed itself to daylight with her fall, resting untucked for Teyvat to see. The Treasure Hoarders glanced at each other as if to confirm what they saw, and smirks grew wide on their faces.
Y/n's heart dropped to her stomach, which devoured it with acid and restrained it from beating. Every trace of smugness had been erased from her face as soon as she realised the direction of those eyes. Her pupils constricted in horror; she thought she would be sick. Like a captive animal, the soldier began to thrash violently for freedom.
Her assailant was only spurred further by her reaction. "Would you look at that? The little bitch does have some use aside from running her mouth. If we were to pawn this piece of junk..." He ripped Ei's necklace from her neck and garnered a pained whimper. "Boss would forget about the tournament. We'd even be able to snag some Mora for ourselves!"
The other's eyes grew wide with visions of their future. He broke into a grin, his whole body trembling with excitement. "He'd promote us for sure! We'd live like gods! Let's take this piece; forget about the girl! With this, we can do as we please!"
Y/n begged them for mercy. She had run out of options. She pleaded and pleaded until she was too weak to do so, and her mouth was dry. She pleaded even as they packed their bags and left, leaving her to distant cheers and the scorching sun. Her head dropped heavily to her chest, suddenly weighing a ton. She didn't look up; she couldn't. She felt small and vulnerable. And before long, sobs wrecked her pitiful form.
Y/n L/n didn't often cry.
But the sobs wouldn't stop coming, and the tears didn't cease their flow. The pang in her chest settled like stone. It wouldn't leave, and neither would her regrets over her stupidity. Ei had spent for that necklace. She had gifted it to her with such affection in her eyes, and her servants had paid for its price. It wasn't just a necklace but a token of their love, something that had felt so far since she'd set foot on the mainland.
Now, it was further than ever, and she damn missed Ei.
All she wanted was to go home. The day turned to night, and Carlos finally found her; all evidence of her anguish had evaporated from her cheeks. She tenderly rubbed the bruise that stained her throat and refused to explain anything, only knowing she wanted to leave.
✧:･ﾟﾟ･
"Ah." The fox envoy's ears lifted as she cast a gentle hum. "Y/n's been injured."
The Electro Archon froze in place, her heart skipping beats and being wrung through a wringer. Her eyes fell frantically upon her friend, who garnered her full attention with that statement. "What?" She swallowed the panic in her veins, "what do you mean she's 'been injured'?"
Again, Yae Miko shook her head, unable to determine more. Ei responded with an unconvincing smile; it shook with nerves and betrayed her anxiety. "Please, excuse my abrupt exit, but... I have work to do."
She returned to the comfort of her room whilst blinking away watery tears that threatened to spill. Without a location, Ei couldn't even send a letter to her lover. Knowing that which was inaccessible to her was bitter and cruel, but she had no choice but to delude herself with ideas of the best.
If only that were enough to quench her concerns.
Instead, after the panic settled, Ei immersed herself in drawing plans for Inazuma's restoration. If she were to suppress her thoughts and throw away their key, effective distraction was a desperate need.
'...Will Y/n come home at all?'