After that scary Overload explosion, the Traveller's party figured it would be best if you went back inside the Wangsheng Funeral Parlour to rest. So, funeral director Hu Tao was called and she quickly made her way towards the edge of the Harbour.

As the sun began to set, you were taken by the Pyro user and escorted up the stairs and back into the building you were staying in (obviously while half covering your face since the Northland Bank was above your head). It didn't help to know that both the guards, Vlad and Nadia, were out patrolling.

Seeing that you were perfectly safe with Hu Tao, Lumine felt like half her worries were taken care of. So, the Traveller (plus her floating companion) set off on another journey. The mission: locate and convince Captain Beidou to send you back home.

Xiangling also felt relieved to know that you were back in hiding. In order to make herself feel better, she figured it would help calm her nerves if she went back to the Wanmin Restaurant and cooked herself her favourite meal. She was finally calling it a day.

Xingqiu, as well, wanted to feel reassured that your health was just fine. But, he couldn't shake off the sight of your nose dripping with blood and your eyes almost going red. So, instead of heading back with Xiangling or going to Wanwen Bookhouse, he went to Bubu Pharmacy to look for more herbal remedies for headaches and nausea. Later, continuing the support in the morning.

All that was left was Liyue's exorcist, Chongyun, standing alone by the table where the scary scene unfolded. He wasn't moving, for some reason. The young man was just standing still, staring uninterestedly at the ground - looking guilty.

Like he was caught trying to rob the Northland Bank, Chongyun's face was almost turning a sickly green. He felt stuck in place, unable to move as if there was someone from the thinning crowd watching him. Still, although anxious, he furrowed his eyebrows and frowned deeply.

Two older men and a woman appeared behind the Cryo user, one had a heavy blacksmith hammer and the other had a crossbow at his side. Dark masks covered their faces and if it wasn't obvious enough, locals who were passing by could probably guess that some unwanted intruders made their way past the Millelith guards.

They didn't seem like they were looking for a fight - it didn't seem like they were willing to attack the exorcist. Even if it was three against one, Chongyun didn't bother to turn around to face them. He was just... quiet.

The lady with the dark brown braid crossed her arms over her chest, muttering emotionlessly, "We saw that Fatui soldier in the Harbour."

Chongyun shook his head in denial, "Please, leave me alone."

The hammer was raised onto the Crusher's shoulder as the man challenged, "We had a deal."

"And I said I didn't want to be a part of it anymore."

"You can't back out on this, kid!" The Marksman seemed to have reached behind himself to grab a hold of his weapon. "Like you promised, give us the girl!"

The woman raised her hand to make the men stand down, her gaze on the exorcist was stoically dead, "You said to me and my men that you were going to give us that wanted Fatui soldier in exchange for ceasing the stealing of treasure - as well as protection for your two friends. Remember? When you were in the middle of throwing your tantrum in the forest and stabbing your claymore into trees because of that Fatui girl, we made a deal."

"That was a long time ago!" Chongyun suddenly shouted, turning around to yell at the group. "I changed my mind! No more sneaking around, I quit! I don't care what you guys do, just please don't take [Y/N] away!"

There was a confused laugh from the hooded woman, "Did you forget that you proposed the offer to us?"

"Stop..." Chongyun felt his heart tear into pieces as he remembered what happened that night. "I wasn't in my right state of mind at the time...! I wasn't thinking properly! I didn't mean to..."

"We told you how that Fatui Harbinger killed all of our men after a harmless dispute over some abandoned tents. You said you hated the Sixth as much as we did. Only when you confirmed that his secretary was with your travelling team, we made a deal to take her away from your party-"

"Bao'er." Chongyun muttered threateningly. "I will call the damn Millelith to get you and your Treasure Hoarder idiots out of the city. [Y/N] is important to me, she may not know it, but I really do care about her... and I don't tolerate any harm done to my friends."

Both men glanced at each other and were unfazed by the declaration. The Crusher had a look of confusion behind his mask, "You said that you hated her and wanted her gone-"

"Because I did hate her and I did want her gone but, I don't want that anymore...!"

Bao'er giggled uncontrollably, "You showed little to no regard for that secretary's safety! Why the sudden change of heart? Did she grow on you?"

"Enough." Chongyun goaded. "I knew it was a mistake to get involved with Treasure Hoarder scum. I should have never spoken to you in the first place..."

"You have terrible decision making, exorcist Chongyun."

Even after his first conversation with the Treasure Hoarders, he woke up early in the morning to see if you were indeed taken away. When he couldn't find you, of course, he panicked. He then woke up his friends and the Traveller and began running around the wilderness to search far and wide. He was relieved to find you sleeping peacefully under a tree.

Did he care? Who knows.

"I don't want anyone to touch her. Alright? If I notice even a scratch on [Y/N], I will copy what that Harbinger did to you and your members. I don't even want to see a bruise." He couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth but kept his terrifying promise. "She will go home... and she will be happy... Now, I want you guys to leave and never come back."

But Chongyun did wonder how you would react to finding out that he was as much of a traitor as you were.

•••

One.

Two.

Three.

Scaramouche was practically carving his pen into the paper map as he marked specific locations of your rumoured whereabouts. He crossed out, circled, connected dots until Liyue Harbour was stained with red ink, countless stars and question marks also marked up potential hiding places, safe-havens, and checkpoints.

"Liuli Pavilion...? No. Bubu Pharmacy...? No, no, no...! She's not that stupid. Come on, I have to concentrate."

From time to time he rubbed his tired eyes and let out long-dreaded sighs as he battled to stay awake. He wondered how long it must have been since he last slept, everything had just been one hurried blur. There was still work to be done. Who cares really about the Gnosis mission? This was his top priority. Nothing else comes above.

"Here? No. How about- no, we already searched that area! Where else could she be?!"

In another (more stable) tent, the Harbinger was working independently with stacks of wanted posters, notes about the increase of Cryo energy in parts of the wilderness, and most importantly, maps of Liyue and the nation's Harbour. He wouldn't have thought that he would be spending his afternoon cramped up in here with his nose buried deep in paperwork.

"The Wanmin Restaurant... Highly likely..." Scaramouche whispered to himself as he dug the pen into the parchment, circling the image of the building. "Owned by Chef Mao and his daughter, Xiangling. Frequently visited by her two friends: the second son of the Feiyun Commerce Guild and Liyue's exorcist... So, these are the people who ruined everything? I'll send soldiers to the restaurant for a civil interrogation."

Although he vividly remembered the time when he and you first encountered the trio of best friends, he was still unsure of what they were capable of. It would be too risky to underestimate the very people that were hiding you. But still, would they even stand a chance against a Harbinger's army?

"Or better yet, I'll catch them individually. Separating them is better than having them together. And maybe I could bait the Traveller into swooping in like a hero to save them. Then, I'll have her shot down. From there, I'll take back my secretary! Even if it means by force... She better not fight back."

What could possibly ruin this idea? Oh, of course...

Scaramouche then groaned in frustration, "Still, the stupid Millelith are watching who comes in and out of the city. What a pain! This plan is going to have to wait a couple of days. I'll spare the Wamin Restaurant for now and keep an eye on those three adventurers."

But Scaramouche didn't want to wait a couple more days. It's been so long since your disappearance. He was starting to worry that you might have forgotten about him already. But he didn't see this mission as a kidnapping, no. Scaramouche had been saying to the other soldiers that this was a rescue mission, and no one seemed to speak against him.

"The Northland Bank... That's possible, but I seriously doubt it..."

The employees would have contacted him by now if that were the case. Maybe to be safe than sorry, he should send a follow back letter for an update. At least Childe was on his way to the Bank, Scaramouche felt a little comforted knowing that there was fellow Harbinger in the city.

"The Wangsheng Funeral Parlour...?" Scaramouche's pen movements halted.

This was the very place that he and you were meant to visit for further information about the Gnosis mission. A man named Zhongli was currently working in the building, he was supposed to be questioned. If you were there too, would you interrogate him for answers?

If not, why else would you be in the Funeral Parlour?

Scaramouche shivered at the thought of you inside a coffin. Seeing something like that was only a sight seen in his nightmares. There were so many things he needed to say to you. Countless things he wished he would have done, maybe even treated you better. The amount of regret and shame that would be hanging out of his chest would even cause him to die as well.

He didn't want to think about it anymore.

He slouched over the map and reached across the desk, taking the wanted poster and staring mournfully at the description, "Where are you...?"

Scaramouche's glossy eyes ran over the words Snezhnayan female, assassination, Fatui, and dangerous duo. As upset as he was finding out that the Millelith were on the lookout for the both of you, he felt that it was a little bit ironic that you had two bounties over your head - both with expensive rewards.

All of Scaramouche's Mora was just sitting on the table, waiting to be given to whoever brings you back alive. Ten million Mora he wondered if that was even enough to motivate someone to locate and bring back a missing person. He was getting more desperate by the hour, every second without any news about your whereabouts was slowly driving him insane.

"[Y/N]... I... really miss you..."

"I miss you too, sir." Your voice was heard from behind Scaramouche and he immediately darted his gaze back to stare at the empty tent.

There were only wooden crates and a single box full of equipment. To his surprise, no one was there. The only person in the tent was the Harbinger himself. So, hearing a girl's voice speak behind him was impossible. That was supposed to happen only in his nightmares.

Eyes widened and shaken by the auditory hallucination, Scaramouche looked back down at his trembling hands and curled up against the desk to silence his coursing thoughts. He held the rim of his hat securely and shut his eyes for a while, his breathing becoming increasingly heavier.

"Ugh, give me a break..."

The torment was endless. He could feel himself drowning. It wasn't a good feeling and all the more, he was alone. There was no one else he could turn to for support.

"Are you just going to stand there or come in and give me a report?" Scaramouche grumbled quite loudly towards the curtains and the shadow behind the cloth tensed up significantly. "Come on, don't keep me waiting. I need updates on my secretary."

With a swipe of the drapes, a Fatui Agent slowly entered the tent and placed his arms behind his back to announce the news. It seemed like this messenger was just as nervous as the last one.

The man leaned over to whisper something to Scaramouche. At that moment, his annoyed expression changed into an expectant one, eyes gleaming with hope.

"Really?!" Scaramouche exclaimed. "She's alive and she's sending out letters to her family?! That... That's great news!"

"We're glad to hear it too, sir..."

For the first time, since the beginning of your disappearance, Scaramouche smiled, "Well, show me! Where's the letter? I need to read it with my own eyes."

The Agent became paralyzed with fear and that only meant one thing.

Disappointment tore his grin away. The young man leaned against the back of the chair and muttered furiously, "You didn't even think about bringing it to me? Are you some kind of idiot?"

"I was only following orders..."

When Scaramouche swiped the papers and pens clean off the table, the messenger jumped back out of surprise. Even the soldiers standing outside the tent were prepared for another violent outburst, equally frightened.

After swiftly punching the desk with his already bruised knuckles, Scaramouche began to breathe in and out slowly. It was like hearing the news that you were alive somewhere in Liyue Harbour with access to a carrier falcon, which was enough to bring him back onto Teyvat.

There was an eerie calm as he motioned his hand for the Fatui Agent to come closer. When the man complied, Scaramouche sat up against his seat and prompted the million-dollar question, "Where is the letter now?"

"On route to Snezhnaya..."

Scaramouche felt his jaw clench tightly at the answer, "Why the hell would you send it back?"

"They were Master Childe's orders-"

With a harsh grasp on the back of the Agent's head, a loud bang rang out in the air as Scaramouche slammed the soldier's face into the table. The man was as still as a statue, taking in the violent force of his face being crushed against wood and then, the shock subsided and all he knew was pain.

Cruelly, Scaramouche lifted the Agent up by his hood to glance at the aftermath of the sudden attack, and then thought it wasn't enough. He repeated the action over and over again. Cracked pieces from the Fatui mask scattered all over the surface as blood leaked from his face, there was no time to plead for mercy.

With one last, almost deadly, slam, the soldier's head was released and they almost couldn't stand up straight. The Fatui Agent was helplessly babbling about their broken nose, holding their hand below the bloody stream to catch droplets before they started to stain the place.

"Get out, you incompetent loser," Scaramouche ordered. "If you speak another word, I'll seriously kill you."

The Harbinger glanced sorrowfully at the crumpled map and spilt ink, bloodstains littered across the paper. His work was ruined, he had to start over again. More planning. More raids. More days wasted.

Less trust on Childe. Less happiness. Less hope for locating the one he treasured the most.

"You seem to be the incompetent one here, sir..." The Fatui Agent just had to open his mouth.

"What did you just say?"

"Secretary [Y/N] won't come back. There is no reason why... she would want to return to someone like you."

Scaramouche had enough and the soldier sensed it right away. As the Harbinger slammed his hands on the bloody table to get up from his seat, the other man was already pulling the curtains away and running out of the tent.

As if the wilderness feared him, birds squealed and squawked fearfully when Scaramouche stepped outside ready to kill. Even the light of the moon wanted to hide from the upcoming bloodbath, it cowered behind the clouds.

It seemed like the soldier was quick on his feet, hurriedly pushing past his comrades and bolting out of the campsite. The rest of the members stood dumbfounded. There was a huff of frustration and a furious kick to the dirt - until Scaramouche had another idea.

"Give me that damn thing!" Scaramouche shoved a nearby Pyroslinger Bracer and took the loaded gun. Encased inside the metal body was a boiling Pyro Delusion, fueling the weapon with elemental power.

As the Harbinger held the burning rifle with his bare hands, he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with rage. Fire raced through his body as he leaned back to take in a shaky breath, the pain of a Delusion was enough to drive the most experienced users into a state of shock. But for Scaramouche, all he felt was power.

With his veins practically rising up in his neck, he recollected himself and set his eyes upon the back of the runaway man. It felt like shards of broken glass stabbing at his arms as he fiddled around with the weapon, ultimately raising it.

Scaramouche skillfully clicked and readied the rifle and daringly aimed at the staggering Agent. All that left him was a single breath that steadied his painful shaking.

At the sound of a gun being fired, the air became a crimson shower. Clothes were torn apart and chunks of flesh spread across the ground like a firework went off inside someone's chest. It was pathetic the way the man's arm flailed over his head as the bullet of fire blew away his shoulder blade.

Skin was ripped, muscles were exposed, the nerves tried desperately to stay together. Bones are actually the colour yellow, but again it's a little difficult to see due to how much blood poured from the open wound. If witnesses looked harder, they could practically see a few of the soldier's ribs peeking out.

The sight was too gruesome to be put into words, only the sound of a mangled body collapsing to the ground was enough to make the strongest men feel the intensity of Scaramouche's anger. No one dared to speak a word.

The Harbinger was done playing hide and seek with his secretary.

"That's it. That is it." Scaramouche threw the gun violently onto the ground and sighed bitterly as the painful effects of the Delusion rushed out of his body. "There is something wrong... There is something terribly wrong going on here."

With a harsh snap of his finger, Scaramouche rounded up all the soldiers into their role-call positions. Many feared that they were the next victim of the horrific abuse.

"Childe is hiding something from me. I just know it." In the middle of his hateful speech, Scaramouche couldn't help but laugh in bewilderment. "I told him specifically to never hold back any information about [Y/N]'s whereabouts! Why would he do something like send her letters to her family?! What could he possibly gain from that, huh?! Nothing!"

The group stayed silent.

"He's siding with her, isn't he?!" Scaramouche was shocked enough to hit the side of his head with a closed fist. "I'm such a fool! Only an idiot would trust a dumbass like Childe to get a job done!"

Again, no one even wanted to look at the Harbinger the wrong way.