A/N: Sorry for the delay. IRL problem. And no, havent solved. So expect more delayed chaps
"ETOMAAAAA!!!"
Diluc's voice shattered.
It wasn't just a scream—it was something raw, something torn from deep within his chest as he watched Aurelios' hand pierce straight through Etoma's body.
Time seemed to stop.
Kaeya stood frozen, his eyes wide—too wide—his fingers loosening as his sword slipped from his grasp and struck the ground with a hollow clang he didn't even hear.
Eula collapsed to her knees, tears spilling uncontrollably down her cheeks.
Lumine and Paimon stood motionless, their eyes wide, bodies locked in shock.
Aurelios slowly pulled a glowing white orb from Etoma's chest. He examined it briefly, then turned his gaze toward the group.
"My objective has been achieved. Now… farewell." A golden spiral gate materialized behind him. Without breaking eye contact, he stepped backward into it.
A final, mocking laugh echoed as both he and the gate vanished—along with the barrier that had sealed them out.
Diluc moved. No—he lunged.
His steps were uneven, desperate, almost collapsing beneath him as he ran. He stumbled once—twice—but forced himself forward until he reached her.
"Etoma—!" His hands trembled as he caught her, pulling her into his arms like if he held her tightly enough, she might still be there.
"Etoma… hey… hey…" He pressed his ear to her chest.
Listened.
Waited.
Nothing.
No heartbeat. No breath. Nothing at all.
"No… Etoma…" He can't hold it anymore. The tears he had been holding back burst forth, streaming down his face.
"Why… why did this happen…" His voice broke between sobs.
"WHY?! WHY HER?! SHE NEVER DID ANYTHING WRONG! WHY DID THIS HAPPEN TO HER?!" He shouted as he cried out like a child, his voice raw with grief.
"Why…" Everything he had held inside shattered at once.
Rain began to fall, soft at first—as if even the sky mourned her loss.
The others slowly approached.
Eula was the first to reach him. She stopped beside Diluc and sank to her knees, her body moving without her consent. Her hand lifted. It trembled so violently she almost couldn't control it.
Then—
Her fingers brushed Etoma's cheek.
Cold. Unmoving. Lifeless.
Eula froze. It was as if accepting the truth would break her completely.
"Eula is my beloved friend! I like Eula!" The memory came uninvited. Bright, warm... alive.
It echoed painfully inside her chest.
More tears streamed down Eula's already soaked face.
"Chu~ So… will you stay with me too? Until we grow old?"
That was it. No more holding back.
She broke. Her fragile heart shattered beyond repair.
Eula buried her face into Etoma's bloodstained body.
"Etoma… don't leave me… please…" Her voice was muffled by grief. "I won't ask for anything anymore… I'll give up everything… I'll just stay by your side… so please… come back… I'm begging you…"
Under the quiet rain, two figures clung to Etoma's body, weeping. Kaeya remained frozen where he stood. Behind them, Lumine held Paimon as the small companion sobbed into her chest.
"Traveler… why did Etoma have to die?" Paimon cried. "She was the kindest, most cheerful person Paimon ever met… why her?"
Lumine had no answer.
Etoma, who had a little dream of traveling the world...
Etoma, who was smiling everyday like there's nothing could stop those smile... whenever in her desperate times... those bright smile of hers still shine in her dark world.
And Lumine's future companion... was gone.
They could no longer feel that warmth.
They could no longer... see that smile.
Fate… was cruel isn't it?
A gentle breeze suddenly swept through the rain, sheltering them. Venti descended quietly nearby.
"Lord Barbatos!" Diluc rushed toward him, collapsing at his feet.
"Her… can you? please… I'm begging you…" He pressed his forehead to the ground with such force the earth shifted beneath him.
Seeing him in this state, Venti just shook his head then stepped closer to Etoma. The moment he saw her condition, his eyes widened.
"I'm sorry…" That was all he could say.
His face was hidden beneath the shadow of his hair.
But the wind around them somehow... grew colder, sharper... Angrier.
"No way..." Diluc collapsed again, his muffed cries echoing into the rain.
He had completely broke down.
.
.
A grand funeral was held in Mondstadt before the Favonius Cathedral.
It was Etoma's.
Diluc had insisted it be worthy of her—grand, beautiful, unforgettable—just like her smile.
Nearly all of Mondstadt gathered, umbrellas raised against the falling rain.
"Here lies Etoma Ragnvindr… the glorious hero of Mondstadt, who sacrificed herself to repel the enmity that threatened to bring ruin…"
The ceremony was led by Seamus Pegg, Seneschal of the Church of Favonius.
Diluc stood beside the coffin, unmoving. He held no umbrella. The rain soaked his hair and clothes, but he didn't seem to notice.
Eula stood among the crowd, also without shelter. Her gaze remained fixed downward, empty, hollow.
Jean, Amber, Lisa, Noelle, Bennett, Sucrose, Barbara—many wept openly. Further back, Kaeya and Rosaria stood in silence, their grief hidden but no less real.
High above, unseen by all, two figures hovered in the sky.
"Old man... can you help me look for that guy?" The voice was from Venti. His playful gaze was gone. The winds around him churned violently, like a storm barely contained.
"Old friend..." Another voice was from Morax, or as known as Zhongli who hide his identity as a Geo Archon. Zhongli glanced at him, then closed his eyes.
"I will keep watch."
"Thanks… I owe you one."
The funeral lasted over an hour. Etoma's coffin was placed deep within the cathedral, under heavy guard.
Diluc remained there long after the crowd had dispersed. Only when hours had passed did he finally leave.
Knock. Knock.
"Hm?" A young woman with long black hair—her bangs covering her eyes—opened the door.
Diluc stood before her, drenched from the rain.
His face was empty. Only sorrow lingered.
"Ara… how may I help you, Mr. Dark Knight?" she asked, tilting her head.
"I want to know everything about him," Diluc said coldly. "Don't pretend you don't know." A dangerous glint flickered in his eyes.
The woman smiled. "Fufu~ The Mask of Doom… Aurelios, I assume?"
Diluc said nothing. But that was answer enough.
"Well… unfortunately, my powers are still recovering from my last use, so I cannot give you full details." She paused, then pointed in a direction.
"However… his next destination is Liyue. Destiny says so."
Diluc followed her gesture briefly before looking back.
"Thank you. As for the price—"
"No need," she interrupted with a smile. "Consider it a token of friendship. I have a feeling you'll return… and we can discuss payment then. Also..."
She raised her hand. A white sphere and a bracelet appeared, floating in the air.
"This is?"
"Place the bracelet onto the sphere… and you'll understand. The sphere will destroy itself afterward."
"Why give this to me?"
"Because destiny says it belongs to you," she replied lightly. "I'm merely returning it."
Diluc took the items.
"I see… thank you." Without another word, he turned and walked away.
"You're welcome~"
The exchange seemed ordinary. But as Diluc disappeared into the rain…
The woman's smile widened—stretching unnaturally, almost ear to ear.
She was watching him.And she was very, very pleased.
.
.