Oh, how little you slept last night.

The dust in the air can be seen like white specks as the morning light shone through the stained-glass windows.

You only noticed the slight red cut on the side of your neck after you took your blouse off. It seemed like Chongyun managed to nick your skin with the slightest graze of his claymore after your little quarrel last night. You didn't feel anything at the time, you were too focused on trying to get him off of you.

The blood was already dried, all that was left was a thin line of parted skin. Good thing it healed quickly, you were sure that if the scab wasn't there, you would have been able to peel off a section and touch the fleshy inside.

You wondered where the exorcist had run off to. Then again, why worry about Chongyun's whereabouts when you should really be anticipating Lord Scaramouche's arrival. You couldn't believe that he hasn't shown up to your hiding place even after being seen by a handful of Fatui members.

Lord Dottore's hijacked ruin guard had spotted you and the Traveller's group travelling along the main road to Liyue Harbour. That recruit Cicin Mage managed to intercept (however she wasn't much of a worry since she is dead).

Next, Fatui Agent Kliment had found you inside the city - to your misfortune, he escaped. Scaramouche was most likely informed about your location in the Harbour. Then, those two Northland Bank guards Vlad and Nadia, know exactly what your disguise looks like. You wouldn't be surprised if Scaramouche laughed himself off his chair after being told about your little outfit change.

Finally, master Childe. After that totally unnecessary encounter with a group of Treasure Hoarders, it must have been purely coincidental that Childe happened to be there as Li Ding was being forced on top of you. Even though Childe promised not to tell Scaramouche about finding you, even the most faithful person has their trust wavered a little when it comes to the 11th Harbinger.

Though, a part of you wonders what happened to the Li brothers. You couldn't care less about the older brother, Li Dang, you never really like boisterous men like him. But his poor younger brother, Li Ding, wanted nothing but a reward for his job well done in kidnapping you. It was disheartening to hear him start to cry while his teammates laughed.

His insignia sat on the windowsill while his brother's was on the floor. You didn't bother touching any of the coins scattered in your room. You could guess where they were now.

Things like that. You only saw those things to be disgusting desires that took over people's actions. It would only be an inconvenience, that's why you taught yourself how to forget. Luckily, you didn't need to do that.

All of a sudden, there was a rhythmic pat in your door, not surprising you but enough to make you place your blouse back on. Not even a second later, the wooden door creaked open and a black hat popped through the entranceway. Under the hat, two flowery eyes peeked upwards and landed on where you were.

Hu Tao glanced around the tattered room and instead of being upset about the cluttered room, she stepped inside and stood there stiffly. She pressed both her pointer fingers together in a childish manner and rocked on her heels nervously.

"Hey, uh..." Hu Tao's voice trembled as she resisted the urge to giggle. "Next time, try to keep it down when you have boys in your room... the old man is coming over sometime soon and he'll start to get poetic about young love if he hears you having fun upstairs."

"I shot a bullet into your ceiling."

"So they're the wild type, oh Archons..."

You just about landed the harshest smack in the middle of your forehead the moment Hu Tao began wiggling her eyebrows at the mention of a boy visiting you in the middle of the night. So much for trying to admit that you were the cause of all this damage. You didn't think she saw the frozen gaping hole in the ceiling, even the wooden splinters had frost growing on them.

After explaining how Chongyun had decided to visit you (excluding the fight both of you had), she replied with; "It's always the quiet ones, huh?"

"YOU GOT IT ALL WRONG, DIRECTOR HU TAO."

"I mean, don't worry he hates me too..."

Groaning out of defeat, it was quite evident that you were feeling embarrassed that your explanation was being told to a brick wall. With the brown-haired girl giggling uncontrollably from seeing you almost beet-red in the face, you almost wanted to walk over there and slam the door right back in her face, but you figured that it wasn't really the best idea to be rude to your host.

Pressing your lips into a firm line, you glanced around the room awkwardly until your gaze landed on your closet door. You could almost see through the wood, there was a chest with your weapons inside, and on top hung your Fatui uniform. Hu Tao ceased her giggles and followed your eyes.

"[Y/N], you're free to leave whenever you want to, you know that right?" The Pyro user spoke with a downcasted voice, almost cheerlessly, a complete opposite of her usual attitude.

"I wish it were that easy..." You replied just as dismally. "I wish I could walk out onto the street normally without having to put on this stupid adventurer's disguise."

As you said those words, you could almost hear Scaramouche's snarky tone replace your voice. Your delusions only amplified when you irritably tugged on your shirt, you felt his wandering hands and restless fingers on your clothes once again. It was a little concerning how his touch was so familiar to you that you could feel his phantom caresses.

"I feel useless stuck in this cramp, dark, dusty room-"

"This is the cleanest room we got..." Hu Tao muttered in the middle of your rant.

"If I had it my way, I would already be at home by now, running away with my family - who I know is also being tracked down by the Fatui. Instead, I'm here waiting for the Traveller to schedule my little boat ride haha...!" You sputtered bitterly as you ran a nervous hand through your hair. "I can get ten ships to be ready at the port just like that with the snap of my finger. I would have been to five nations before Lumine made arrangements with Captain Beidou! Things would be going my way - if I still had my position as the Harbinger's damn secretary."

"Let's look on the bright side... At least you're not dead!" Hu Tao suddenly cheered happily while jumping for joy in the shape of a starfish.

Letting the girl's frilly and merry attitude take over your pessimistic thoughts, you sighed wistfully in response, "You're right, Director... At least I'm not dead..."

"You still haven't answered if you wanted a casket or a coffin~!!"

You were back to slapping your forehead.

However, you were bothered by what you said before. For some reason, you really did hear Scaramouche's voice in the back of your head. Like he was right outside the building...

Maybe you should start to lock your windows.

But it's been so nice to hear a Liyuen Opera singer performing from the loft above.

•••

Gun in your left hand, another gun in your right. Isn't it funny how you could just alternate between the two? Some people prefer one hand over the other. There's always got to be a dominant one, right?

Laying on your bed got you thinking again.

Even in human biology, there is always a dominant force. The brain, the mind, the nerves under your skin control every movement. Voluntarily and involuntary. In nature too, there is a reason why thunder comes after lightning. There is a cause and effect to each storm in Teyvat. A gust of wind in Mondstadt could turn into freezing blizzards in Snezhnaya. Tumbling rocks in Liyue, an avalanche. Fog from Inazuma, poisonous mist.

That rifle would be nice right now. Though it is convenient to have smaller weapons especially when travelling around the world, you started to look into other types of weaponry. These spray guns were without a doubt powerful in their own way. Light, portable, and easy to handle, deadly with every shot fired.

But why not have a single bullet have the power of two? It saves time, it's also more efficient. Similar to a Pyroslinger's rifle, the weapon surely would fit perfectly in your arms, you knew how to hold it. Keep your shoulders still, arms raised, and hands steady. Even the slightest twitch of your finger can throw your aim completely off balance.

Would Scaramouche adjust your posture as an excuse to get close and hold you in his arms? The rifle will be in your grasp, scope raised up to your eye while he would almost be cheek to cheek with you. His hands would hold your elbows, run up your shoulders, and caress the back of your neck. Like a doomed dance. Breathing in sync, same target in sight, death at the very end.

You've always imagined something like that happening. It would be nice to be with your partner, practising shooting dummies and getting praised for your hard work. His genuine smile instead of his usual scowl, just for you, on his face. Bright and you, brighter. You would have loved to be loved - what could have been.

The Wangsheng Funeral rarely has any visitors, let alone customers. So, it was a surprise to hear four steady knocks on the front entrance.

Normally, you wouldn't be so nosy as to look down from above to see who was at the door, but your boredom was almost lethal. Yet, you fought off the urge to eavesdrop on a customer's order. It must have been something related to a funeral preparation, after all this is the right place for that.

The Ferrylady had opened the door and greeted the visitor, "Hello, are you interested in buying a coffin?"

Naturally, you sprawled your arm onto the mattress and rolled around childishly, tracing the muzzle of one of your spray guns to draw an illegible picture on the blankets. Being trapped in this room was doing quite some damage to your sanity, you just couldn't stand staying isolated for so long without any other human contact.

"Oh," The Ferrylady seemed to be taken aback. "I didn't know that there were others here with you..."

Now, these guests have grabbed your attention. Hearing the woman at the entrance stuttering and fumbling with her words, was enough to make you rise out of your bed. Your concern began to grow the more you imagined the worst-case scenario waiting for you down below.

Slowly, you made your way towards the open window. Light as a feather but you felt almost a thousand pounds being pressed against your shoulders. You were just about feet away from the opening but kept yourself hidden in the blind spot. You were contemplating snooping around, but you figured that it might be a little rude after all.

"I need information about this person."

That voice...

That familiar voice.

That voice might have pierced through your heart because now you were struggling with standing properly.

Finally, you gained enough composure and peered down through your window. When your eyes landed on a group with painfully noticeable uniforms on and you felt the world crash onto your body. Out of your sight, you knew who was standing right below. You knew.

Yet you denied it.

"I want to check that room up there," As a finger pointed in your direction and heads lifted upwards, you already had thrown your back against the wall. Feeling the gazes of each soldier crawling up the building was enough to make your heart start to race and palms go sweaty.

Although the Ferrylady had told them that they could not enter the Funeral Parlour, her efforts to keep them outside fell short and the area was stormed. You could hear her protests but to no avail. Sounds of furniture being toppled over and all sorts of glass breaking, made you snap out of your trance.

"Aiya...!" Hu Tao's frilly tone can be heard just below you, muffled and unbothered. Yet awfully louder than necessary. "The Fatui~? Are you here to waste your time?? Well, go right ahead~!"

That was just enough. You didn't need to hear any more. Quickly and quietly, you picked up as many traces of your existence as you could.

Dashing towards the chest with your belongings in it, you hauled your ice tank over one shoulder and draped your Fatui uniform over the other. One hand managed to hold onto the two spray guns while you were already hanging onto the edge of the window sill.

Word of a Fatui break-in already spread around parts of the city. Guards were on the move. The locals fled the area while the Millelith were on their way to intercept. To your luck, the officer who patrols the bridge on the upper level has left his post to head to the Parlour.

Now's not the time to be scared by heights...

Heavy footsteps were heading up the stairs, you can almost hear them from behind the door to your room. Whoever was on the other side, you didn't want to find out. Yet, a part of you didn't know why you wanted to stay put and be discovered. You wondered if you would be swept off your feet by this chaotic mess of a nightmarish scenario.

Shutting the window as calmly as you could, you began to hang on for dear life on the outer wall of your room. If Xingqiu and Chongyun can scale this building, surely you can too, right? In your defence, you weren't exactly used to climbing this kind of structure so you prayed to be forgiven for every small slip and hesitant shuffles. You just hoped that no one bothered to look upwards.

Balancing on the side of the building wasn't as difficult as holding onto your weapons. At one point you felt one of your guns slipping past your elbow. Another time, you thought that your ice tank was like a magnet trying to pull you down to the ground below. No doubt, you had a challenge keeping yourself upright. You knew you had to brace yourself for-

"I know you're in here, [Y/N]."

That.

"Kick the door in."

"Yessir."

Almost immediately, you practically imagined a Pyroslinger raising his leg and then breaking through the wood. You heard the door to your room burst open after that command which almost caused you to lose your grip and topple all the way down. Staying still and hidden was going to be a challenge you weren't keen on losing.

The bed you were just laying on was searched first. The blanket and pillows were thrown over and tossed to the side. The underneath was scanned and the mattress was flipped. You were nowhere to be found.

Next, your closet door was opened. Dusty and old funeral clothes were pulled out and dropped to the floor. More soldiers were turning up empty-handed and the Harbinger in command seemed to get increasingly agitated.

Finally, drawers and desks were moved from their usual spots and turned over. Nothing, nothing, and more nothing. It seemed like movement inside the small room came to a halt. Their investigation came to a standstill.

"Just Treasure Hoarder insignias scattered everywhere and a talisman nailed to the top of the door, sir."

For a second, you could hear a foreboding hum.

The window was opened so forcefully you almost lost your grip trying to step to the other side of the wall. From the corner of your eye, a familiar partially-gloved hand grabbed a hold of the outer windowsill. The golden front of his hat just peaked out of the frame.

You choked on the breath you were holding.

"She was here."

Your legs almost gave way.

"This window was never closed before. She was here moments ago. I was mere seconds away... she was here and I was too late."

The group of soldiers stirred uncomfortably.

"Does this not look like a place where a runaway person would stay in?!" Scaramouche shouted at the armed men to which everyone gave him agreeable nods. "Get the funeral director! I'll let her know that hiding my secretary without my knowledge is considered unlawful imprisonment!"

"Yaa~!" Hu Tao's voice can be heard from afar.

Scaramouche shrugged her off and continued with the task at hand.

"The Wangsheng Funeral Parlour will be investigated, I'm calling for more soldiers to sweep the area." His tone of voice became more deranged as he rambled further. "When I infiltrate the rest of this building complex and find her, be prepared to face war with the Fatui military. Be prepared for hell...! I won't make the mistake of not checking every corner of this building!"

His command was noted and for sure, Hu Tao and the Ferrylady have heard his declaration. The young director was no longer making any funny noises. You let out a shaky sigh as your body started to ache and sway.

A bead of sweat rolled down the slope of your nose and you let the droplet drop to the ground below. The warm afternoon breeze wasn't helping you, strands of your hair blew across your face and you felt the urge to sneeze coming along.

"Let me stay in here for a bit."

You squeezed your eyes tightly and rounded your lips to let out a silent whine. You feared that your ice tank was going to fall from your grasp and crash down below. With the synced marching of boots, your room was left empty as a handful of armed sergeants exited. The young man was left alone.

Blinking a couple of times, you listened carefully before making any rash movements. There couldn't be anything else that could even hint at your presence. Right? There can't possibly be anything else, right? Why did it feel like you were forgetting something?

The spray guns in your other arm made you think back to last night when you last used them. That time when Chongyun pushed you down and in turn, you raised your weapon against him. As he tried to decapitate you with his claymore, you shot point-blank at the exorcist. You remembered the bullet stuck in the ceiling.

There were still traces of Cryo. Still traces of you. The universe has a funny way of using up karma.

"I was too late... again." Scaramouche spoke into the dusty air, wallowing in self-pity.

You hoped he wouldn't look upwards.

"[Y/N]... my darling...? Did you like it when I called you that? That silly name...?" There was a cynical laugh at the realisation that he was talking to an empty room. "Remember when we were on the Gnosis mission? Don't you want to put an end to this now? If you're hiding, it's okay to reveal yourself. I'm not mad... just in a hurry."

Something was peeking from under the blanket.

Scaramouche had stopped his mindless rambling as his attention was grabbed. He leaned over and with a steady hand, grabbed onto the silk blanket and lifted it up.

You held on tightly to the ledge, pressing your ear against the wall and waiting for anything. You wondered if he had left but, much to your dismay, he still stuck around.

The air around you went pure static.

"What is... this...?" There was a pause before a breathless rumble. "This is... why...? What...?!"

You felt chills run down your spine when glanced down into your cleavage and found nothing. From your interaction with Chongyun last night, you thought he must have had a quick hand and slipped into your shirt to steal the photograph. But, you were wrong.

"[Y/N], who... who did this...? These... men... Their hands. How dare they...!"

It must have fallen from your clothes when you were making your great escape out the window. The photograph of your imprisonment by the Li brothers was being crushed under Scaramouche's wrath.