"I was betrayed by someone who I thought was born to stay loyal to me forever. Forever stretched to eternal life and I was ready to be with her until the end of her mortal life. I don't care how many times this cycle will continue. I wanted nothing more than to have someone stay with me. To not betray me. Want to kill me. My lifetime is destined for endless betrayal... But I still think I am able to change my fate."

The air was cold. In a room where there was no light, no window, or a visible door, there was little chance of hope for escape.

"A man knows the consequences of stealing another man's woman. I believe the unwritten rule of this standard is that consequences have no limits. When there are no limits, humans almost always find a way to punish those who have wronged them. Humans divided themselves into thieves and punishers. So, what kind of man are you, exorcist Chongyun?"

A low hiss surrounded his ears, not to mention his shoulders ached from how tightly his wrists were cuffed behind his back. The slightest movement only made the pain worse, he winced and groaned at the tightness and it didn't help that his own arms seemed to anchor him to the chair.

"To think a mere exorcist managed to harbour away my secretary for so long... If I didn't hate you so much I would almost applaud you. It's not easy to get your hands on her, I can account for that too. She can be impossible sometimes..."

Chongyun kept his head low, no one knew for sure if it was cowardice or resistance.

"That day we first met, she was already trying to slice my face open! It's incredibly easy to disarm someone when they're acting out in a fit of rage. I was so ready to take that knife and stick it right back into her shoulder, but I saw the littlest bit of restraint in her movements. That is what I wanted to weaponize. Restraint during fits of rage... can deem any fight justifiable. If I could control someone like her, I would have my own walking talking war machine."

The taunting voice seemed to have spun around Chongyun, back and forth between his ears, a voice he hadn't heard in a very long time.

"Enough about the past. Due to the circumstances we're in, I would rather take this time to ask you; what were your plans with my secretary? Infiltrate Fatui-ran sites? Coerce her into becoming your spy? Assassinate the other Harbingers...?"

Finally, Chongyun raised his gaze and stared straight ahead. Before him, a giant Fatui flag hung against the wall with other multiple Fatui Insignia crested flags draped on each side. Without a shadow of a doubt, Chongyun felt his mouth go dry and his hands grow numb - he was distressed. The feeling only worsened at the realization of a certain Harbinger standing in the foreground.

"I have no doubts that you and the Traveller were working together. Doesn't it seem unfair that you're the one in handcuffs? If I were you, I would easily trade places with her by cooperating with the man in charge."

The look in Scaramouche's eyes was enough to make Gods tremble. Striking. Shattering. Sorrowful. Even Chongyun looked away from his eyes, it was as if the Harbinger was able to kill from a single glare. He tried to pull at the cuffs again, thinking this time the restraints would loosen at least a bit, but Chongyun stopped himself from wasting his strength.

"Will you cooperate?" Scaramouche asked calmly.

Chongyun was still at a loss for words. He slowly glanced over his shoulder to look at who was behind him, to his misfortune it was the Fatui Agents who arrested him in the first place. Kliment stood against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, Javert was twirling a glowing Sacrificial Knife in his hand, and the silent agent only stood on standby.

He recalled how harshly he was treated, Chongyun remembered how they forcibly took him to the Northland Bank. He remembered the flaming Sacrificial Knives being pointed at him, how bright they burned and how searing the heat was. It was like he was some kind of animal, they threatened to stab him if he didn't do as he was told. Chongyun thought it was strangely familiar yet couldn't figure out why.

"Lieutenant Kliment," Scaramouche called out and the soldier resumed a ready stance. "You and your men are dismissed. Expect an expensive reward for your troubles."

Javert and the other agent saluted to the Harbinger and hurriedly left the room, almost radiating excitement from the foreboding reward. However, the lieutenant remained standing. For a second, he held back his tongue almost as if he struggled with finding the right words to say.

"Sir," Kliment spoke up to which Scaramouche looked back with a tight smile.

"What?"

"I would like to use whatever Mora you're giving us to fund a boat ride back to Snezhnaya."

Scaramouche narrowed his gaze, forcing his voice to sound nice, "You're a little too desperate to return to Snezhnaya. I didn't say you could leave the nation just yet. Seeing that you've captured one of the prime suspects-" Scaramouche gestured towards Chongyun. "I think you're a very valuable tool in this investigation, agent Kliment. Once I give you permission, you can go back home."

Kliment stared at the other man, silent for a few seconds before saluting for the last time, "Understood."

Then, he left just like the others.

Chongyun didn't know what he expected to happen next. Was he hoping to be taken away from the Harbinger? Maybe. He wanted to be anywhere but here. Chongyun would rather be dropped off in the middle of Natlan than be in the same room as Scaramouche, the reason was pretty obvious. The way Scaramouche glided with every cold, casual step was enough to strike fear in anyone.

"You see, Kliment is a man who understands consequences. He understands the way the world works. The idea of going back to Snezhnaya, back to his special someone, made him do what I ordered him to do. People belong to people. To belong to someone is the end goal of life. Human connection is so strange, isn't it?"

"I don't know what's going on, but all I know is that you've got the wrong person...!" Chongyun laughed inwardly, attempting to make light of the situation as a way to ease his nerves. His chuckles implied to Scaramouche that he wasn't being taken as seriously as he initially thought.

"I won't ask again; will you cooperate?" Scaramouche repeated, placing an arm behind his back and squeezing his hand into a rigid fist. The sound of knuckles popping combined with an ambiguous smile was one of many warnings before the Harbinger lost control of himself.

Chongyun fell backwards against the chair, leaning his head back at the same time kicking his feet from the ground to sigh heavily. His hair was tousled by the movement and his eyes shut for a moment. This was more than being stuck between a rock and a hard place, it was like being trapped between a mass murderer and a psycho ex-lover - how in the world did I end up like this?!

If waving a red flag in front of his face wasn't enough for Chongyun to realize that Scaramouche was already planning on ways to dispose of his body, you could doubt that outright screaming it in his face wasn't going to warn him either. The Harbinger was walking around the room, stepping in a steady pace while adjusting the sleeves on his wrists.

Without warning, Chongyun's hair was tugged so forcefully that he didn't have enough time to even react. Groaning from the sudden twist of his head, Chongyun was about to shout back at the other man. Only then, Scaramouche whispered harshly at him to quit it and pulled harder, allowing him to get a good view of the exorcist's neck.

"Serves you right..." Scaramouche taunted when he studied the scar along Chongyun's skin, almost smiling as his thumb picked at the wound. "I know what it's like to stare down the barrel of a gun. As risky as it was, at least I was able to avoid getting shot. Her bullets can freeze the air around them. Getting grazed is lucky for an idiot like you."

At the same time, Chongyun's hair was released from Scaramouche's unforgiving grasp and his face was shoved away like an unappetizing meal, "Ow..."

"Where is she?"

"I don't know..."

"I'm glad we got that question out of the way," Scaramouche raised his hand to strike the other man across his face but seeing that the exorcist flinched to brace himself for the impact, Scaramouche halted his movements.

Chongyun's shoulders rose and dropped heavily, his breathing was definitely faster than normal and his temples began to shine from his cold beady sweat. He glanced back to the Harbinger, eyes wide and filled with uncertainty. He saw the way Scaramouche lowered his arm and backed away from the chair.

It started off as small giggles and then slowly spiralled into wholehearted laughter. Scaramouche partially covered his mouth and grinned through his fingers, on the verge of unravelling into full-on hysterical wailing. Chongyun leaned back as far as possible, clearly freaked out by the sudden shift in behaviour.

"Of course! Why would my secretary waste her time with someone like you?!" Scaramouche laughed by himself, almost clutching his stomach from the cramping pain of happiness. "At first, I thought she chose you over me. I really thought there was another man but, for the sake of everyone's lives, I was wrong! Seeing how much of a coward you are, I bet she couldn't even stand breathing the same air as you! Ahaha!"

"Give me a break..."

"If this isn't another man scenario, it could only mean one thing." Scaramouche snapped his fingers at the realization. "You're smuggling her back to Snezhnaya!"

"This guy is insane..."

"I guess you haven't heard of the bounty I put on her head?! Ten million Mora could be yours if you only give her back to me! It's probably better than whatever the Traveller has offered you?!"

"Archons..."

"Unless it's not the Traveller." Scaramouche's words fell short as he quieted down, the look on his face was a telltale sign that he had a sudden revelation. The Harbinger crossed one arm over his chest while the other hand supported the bottom of his chin. His fingers extended upwards to cover his mouth, and he started to cackle once more.

Chongyun stared at the other man with defiance in his eyes. Even while tied down to a chair, the exorcist tried his best to remain composed, almost willing to challenge Scaramouche with a fight if needed. It wasn't all the time that someone would be face to face with a potential lunatic affiliated with one of Teyvat's most powerful armies.

Scaramouche fired back the same stare with an all-the-more manic look, "It was you that had connections with Treasure Hoarders, isn't that right?"

"Even if I did, you can't prove it..." Chongyun replied a little too quickly.

Once more, the Harbinger halted in front of the chair and turned towards him. Scaramouche steadily reached into his pocket and, without much hurry, held out his arm to the exorcist. Chongyun's gaze shifted upwards and all he could find in the other man's eyes were pure hysteria.

Scaramouche smiled wickedly as he opened the palm of his hand. Chongyun jolted back fearfully, even shouting a loud "No!" when Treasure Hoarder Insignias appeared in front of him.

The pieces fell from Scaramouche's grasp and landed on Chongyun's lap, toppling to the floor as each coin twirled and spun to a stop. As if they were some kind of cursed object, he made desperate yet unsuccessful attempts to kick himself off the chair. Instead, he fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

Furious, Scaramouche held the remaining Insignias in his hand and then threw his arm back to hurl the coins at the wall behind him. They crashed everywhere like the wide spread of a shotgun, even the picture frame hanging on the wall was shattered when an Insignia shot through it. The sound of glass falling and coins breaking through the wooden wall blended in with Chongyun's horrified wheezes.

"Get up!"

His collar was grabbed and he was forced to sit upright once again, pulling the chair up with him. No matter how Chongyun fought back, he was always put in his place right below the Harbinger. Even the Fatui members on the first floor that were listening to every chair scrape and harsh hit were silently telling Chongyun to stop resisting if he wanted to live after this.

"Look at her! You did this! I want answers now!" Scaramouche dug into his pocket and held the photograph in front of the other man, resisting the urge to smother it in his face with a forceful slap. "What did you do to my assistant?!"

Chongyun was now face-to-face with the square picture that just about sealed his fate. He recalled the mocking expression you flashed to him as you took the exact same photograph and shoved it down your shirt. Now, he regretted not stealing it away - he knew where you were hiding it anyway, he should have listened to his inebriated self.

Scaramouche flicked the photograph a few times, "Come on! Do not try to make excuses. Quick! Who took this picture and where is she? Answer and I might spare you a lifetime of suffering!"

"I don't know!"

"Then your pain will be short-lived!"

"Wait!" Chongyun shouted between trembling breaths, now whimpering at the sight of the Harbinger's hand. His fingers curled to resemble sharp claws, purple sparks built up in his palm and almost flashed around his body. "I got rid of them...They're all gone! Those Treasure Hoarders...! Those guys that hurt Fatui girl are gone-!"

"Fatui girl?" Scaramouche fixated on those words, finding it almost pitiful how he didn't think it was funny in the slightest. "Is that some sort of stupid nickname you made up for my secretary? Too cowardly to address her with her respectful title, hm? Next time, recognize the authority she holds. Though, I don't expect much from you anyway."

Chongyun goaded once again, he found it so painfully ironic how similar the two of you acted when it came to titles and names. Not to mention, his efforts to find a middle ground to stand on with the other man was growing quite weary. Still, he continued to forget that Fatui girl was not your name at all and not everyone knew he was talking about you.

It was a bad habit.

"I purged those Treasure Hoarders the moment I realized what they did to her! I'm basically her saviour...!"

"And you are my prisoner. Isn't it amusing how everything turned out?"

"She's in my debt."

For a moment, Scaramouche's lip with angrily tucked between his teeth. He seethed at that word and the context it was put in. Nothing annoyed him more than to realize that you were indeed in Chongyun's debt. There was no way that you would forget about it so easily.

At the same time, Chongyun stared back with wide eyes and stared upward as the other man finally stepped away. He felt the air return back to his lungs and the goosebumps on his arms left his skin, it was the static in the room that continue to linger longer.

"You will cooperate." Scaramouche muttered under his breath, his voice almost twisting into some sort of cursed tone. "My secretary being in your debt changes nothing. I'm having trouble believing you're telling the truth anyway. I will make sure you cooperate. Then, you will show me where you're hiding our Fatui girl."

"No..."

"I haven't finished speaking." Scaramouche kicked at Chongyun's chair to which the exorcist was almost knocked out of his seat. "You will help me find my secretary and only then will I leave you and your friends alone. Sounds like a deal, right?"

Chongyun said nothing.

"In the meantime, why don't you savour the last bit of your freedom? Start saying your prayers because I doubt sinners get to enter Celestia. Do you really think that you're some kind of knight in shining armour because you got rid of a few Treasure Hoarders? You're a killer. I guess it's something we both have in common, huh? Enough daydreaming, exorcist boy. Behave or I'll give you the most painful reality check ever that you'll wish you were put out of your misery a long time ago."

Scaramouche did nothing to hide the chilling smile on his face as he walked out of the room and slammed the door behind himself. The cracking sound was enough to startle the Fatui soldiers stationed on the first floor, many of them turned to one another to flash a look of morbid curiosity.

At the same time, Childe tried to ignore the other Harbinger's loud commotion as he focused on his work laid out on the desk before him. He was preparing the next phase of his plan. Securing the Geo Archon's Gnosis was the only thing on his mind now and if he had to fight for it in the Golden House against the Traveller... Then so be it.

•••

You stared at Liyue Harbour and admired its beauty at this time of evening. The sight got you leaning dreamily against the wooden fence, enjoying the evening sun shining along your face. Usually, the sunlight would bother you especially when you were taking long walks for an expedition. Luckily for you, the soft breeze was helping you keep cool.

"Forgetting to fight

is like forgetting to live.

A death by boredom."

"If you don't stop talking like an old person, I will jump over this fence and make sure I land face-first on the rocks." You threatened as your travelling companion chuckled wholeheartedly at your response.

Kaedehara Kazuha has been speaking in riddles for the entire duration he had been assigned with you. At one point, you really did try to jump off a balcony once. Nonetheless, this so-called pirate had been keeping a close eye on you - the Traveller's orders. You didn't know exactly what she told him to do, but whatever she said, he's doing his job all right.

Currently, you were (quote unquote) trapped in the safety of Bubu Pharmacy. At first, you feared that you would be babysitting that creepy child who sat patiently at the front desk, but it turned out that you were the one who needed to be babysat. Additionally, you had your vitals taken by that even creepier doctor.

Anyway, one thing's for sure; those two didn't know about your bounty - which was surprising since, you would figure, that a pharmacy would know about the news that floats through such a tight-knit city.

"My apologies, [Y/N], I know you're only putting up with my shenanigans because of my connection to Captain Beidou and the entire Crux fleet. I predict her arrival will be in the next hour or so." Kazuha leaned against the same fence and situated himself next to you. "Why don't we play a fun little game to pass the time?"

"Games are for children and adults who don't have jobs." You replied with a flat tone.

"Alright then," Kazuha grinned at your behaviour, seeing you so gloomy was almost amusing to him. "How about I ask you a question?"

"You can, but don't expect an answer."

"On the contrary."

"Why do you think so-?"

"Is this you?" Kazuha held up a crumpled sheet of paper and you shut up right away. To your horror, it was the same poster that you saw before entering Liyue Harbour. Your wanted poster and bounty were printed in black ink with an official Millelith stamp on the corner of the page.

The mere sight was enough to make your blood run cold.