Chapter Text
“Where are you going?”
Rosaria's question pulled his attention away from his satchel as he hooked it around his waist.
“Just down to the lake,” Bennett answered.
It was past midday. While the two had gotten used (or numb) to the ever existing chill in their backs, it did little to fill their stomachs. They needed food.
Well, his companion did anyway. The corroding flesh still hung in his mind, and there was no way he'd be able to eat until he got it out of his head. Rosaria was bound to the cave for the moment, and despite her insistently declaring that she was fine the adventurer knew she wouldn't fully recover without eating, as his healing would be able to help her fully.
It's not like I'm Barbara. He thought bitterly.
Her eyes narrowed “And what are you going to do down there that you'd need my spear for?”
He huffed, pulling the weapon from behind his back. “How'd you know?”
“You tried hiding it behind yourself, and it's taller than you,”
Bennett sighed in defeat.
Right, she’s not an idiot.
“Look,” he began. “I was only going to spear some fish for food. I know it's dangerous, but we'll starve if I don't get us something,”
He expected a retort, or something that would spark an argument, but what he got was anything but. The nun shook her head before speaking. “You're right to do so, but I'll need my weapon in case anything comes in,”
That made sense, but what was he supposed to use instead then? He didn't have a fishing rod; his brief stint with the fishing association ended up with him nearly losing his head to a catfish, leading him to swear off the hobby.
Always on the ball, Rosaria gave the adventurer the solution.
“You have some rope in your bag, right? Just tie that around a solid branch,”
It won't be an immaculate rod or anything, but it should still work. Bennett smiled.
“That's a great idea, thanks!”
Rosaria just nodded, turning towards the opening as the sky outside drew her attention once more.
Getting to the lake was thankfully not too much trouble.
That's ignoring that big dumb mitachurl that knocked him over the cliff, which the adventurer decided to do since he landed in a slightly soft bank of snow anyway. And sure, it was still pretty painful when he not only got stuck in the solid white mass, but also kept getting shot by those ice hillichurls and their stupid elemental crossbow shots as he tried to get out.
But it didn't matter. He was far from their camp, so they got bored of him before long and went back to their tents, and Bennett found one of those mechanical heat sources beside the lake to warm up and settle down nearby as he fished.
In a way, he was glad his journey down was that difficult. His bad luck hadn't appeared for a whole day, which usually meant it struck twice as strong the next. But now that it has, he didn't have to worry.
It would just be slightly bumpy from here, instead of a huge catastrophe. That he was sure of.
All he had to do now was wait for the fish to bite.
…
…
…
Nothing yet.
…
…
…
He didn’t remember the fish being this unresponsive last time.
…
Come to think of it, this was the first time since he got into the cathedral that he was alone for an extended period of time, right?
He was alone yesterday morning, sure, but it wasn't that long before Rosaria was with him again.
His grieving was cut short then. Now? Bennett had the opportunity to give himself a moment, and let his thoughts wander to a place that would only be for himself.
…
After the fright he got last night, he decided to get his mind off things, choosing to reminisce about the last time he gathered food for others.
It was just him and Razor in Wolvendom. They had agreed to try a ‘hotpot’ that they heard about from an old adventurer who had travelled to Inazuma before it locked down. Bennett had gathered berries, mushrooms and as many wild vegetables as he could for it. And when they tried it…
“It…bubbling,”
“Uh, yeah. Did you start boiling it?”
“No,”
“Oh. Well, lemme try first! Bottoms up!”
Bennett tentatively grabbed a spoonful and, after only a brief bout of hesitation, sipped half of it from the utensil.
And then the world exploded.
The ground fell away beneath him and he was falling. Then flying. Then falling . All around him was colour. Red, green, yellow, red again because he really liked red. There was even a colour he didn't know. He saw it first so he must have discovered it. He decided to call the colour ‘Roald’, after that famous adventurer.
He smelled anything he could imagine and it made him giggle. Fresh timber, bird poop, the colour red because again, he really liked red ! It was blissful.
He blinked.
Now he lay on a bed in the cathedral, as Barbara’s worried face leaned down just a little too close, with Razor right behind her.
Yeah, it turned out the mushrooms he picked weren't the type he should have eaten.
But Bennett survived, and now he could freely laugh at the memory.
Yet he didn't feel like it. For some reason thinking about it just… hurts now.
There was nothing joyful to be found with those old memoirs anymore. Not the pleasant sounds of nature, or the smells of fresh grass and windwheel asters. None of it made him happier, because it just served as a reminder of what once was.
He wasn't going to be able to do those sorts of things with Razor any time soon. And even if he was, Bennett didn't think he'd ever be in the mood to want to do that again.
After all’s said and done, going on crazy adventures with his best friend won't be the same.
…
And neither would listening to Fischl’s stories of the other world.
…
Nor… visiting Barbara after the regular adventure-gone-wrong.
Actually, would he be able to talk to her at all after what had happened? He still remembered her false confession of love, and how it came to be from his screwup.
It was a mocking admittance that he failed to protect his friend.
Drip. Drip.
“H-huh?”
Tears were falling from his eyes, landing in the tranquil water below.
When did he start crying? Furiously drying his eyes with his gloves hand, Bennett let out a breath he didn't realise he was holding in.
The line didn't so much as snag a single bite. No point in trying any more.
Bennett began reeling in the rope, but stopped as it went taut.
Oh of course it got caught on a rock!
He tried to twist and pull at the reel to loosen whatever it was caught on, but it wouldn't budge. In fact, it was… fighting back!?
I caught something!
Bennett doubled his efforts, a surge of vigor strengthening his grip and tugging power.
Whatever he caught must've been big, not only was it putting up one heck of a fight, it was also winning said fight too.
C’mon, C'mon!
It was pulling the rod away from him, but the stubborn teen wasn't letting go, trying to keep his grip as he skidded closer to the lake’s edge.
He gave one harsh pull with all his might. I'm not givin-
The air was taken out of him as he lost his footing from the fish’s pullback. He tried to get back up, but another pull dragged him into the chilly depths.
It took a moment for him to collect his bearings. The boy gasped while heading in the water, and now he was stuck without any air, but he wasn't going to give up! The murky water shrouded the fish, but under the depths he could make out its size. It was as big as a person!
…
And it was also oddly shaped like one too, using two arms to pull the rod - and him - closer…
And only now did Bennett see the violet glow in the figure’s eyes.
He let go of the rod and propelled himself in the opposite direction.
They grabbed his leg.
He stomped them in the face, freeing himself in the process.
Bennett sped to the shore, gasping as he crawled, taking a moment against his better judgement to hold himself up on all fours and catch his breath.
Splash.
He turned to regard the collared person as it followed him out, and it made his chest tighten.
Eula Lawrence marched onto land, apathetic to the blood pouring out of her newly broken nose as she pulled out her claymore, her violet eyes holding an urge to kill.
The look she gave him as she entered a fighting stance screamed one word into his mind.
Run.
Bennett complied, scrambling to his feet as she dashed in for an overhead slash and booking it, clenching his teeth as he felt the heavy blade graze his skin.
He wasn’t stupid. With Razor he barely got out free. Jean was the same, and he got help from Kaeya and Barbara then too. There was no way he was going to fight a Favonius Captain alone.
The only thought that ran through his mind as he raced up the trail and weaved between the same hillichurls from before (who decided to try and fight him again ) was that he needed help.
Got to get to Rosaria.
Eula was right on his tail. He followed the plan he had right up until he was halfway up the hill. Another realisation struck him.
Rosaria was still recovering.
Leading Eula into their hideout would just spell doom for the both of them. And even if they did best the captain they’d have given their location away, forcing the injured nun to flee when she was in no condition to.
Can’t I just get a break!?
He ran past the ruin leading into Starglow Cavern, choosing to run further upwards and into the mountain instead. He’ll just have to lose her somehow and circle around.
The rationed portions since this all began were showing their consequences in full force now. The cold bit into the new gash in his back and hiis legs felt like they were on fire, but he couldn't stop. The continuous sound of shovelling snow from Eula dragging her claymore alongside her pushed him forwards.
A small ledge up ahead. He hopped over, barely outrunning the blade that impacted where he climbed.
A lawachurl came into view right as the slope levelled off. Bennett ignored his burning lungs and sprinted past. The adventurer was well out of range before it even summoned its ice armour.
If only escaping the Knight currently chasing him was as easy.
Still, Bennett kept running. No matter what cliff or terrain met him he refused to let his assailant catch him. He could get away from Eula, he knew he could. He just needed to-
Stop!
He skidded to a halt, waving his arms out to keep his balance…
And to save himself from falling over the cliff. A cliff which was where a bridge used to be.
The boy watched as rocks and pebbles that were pushed by his feet fell over. They took a distressingly long time to hit the ground. On top of that, he could make out the familiar silhouettes of those cursed wolves below.
Five, six, seven…
He stopped counting them. It was doing nothing more than making his instinct to panic worsen. The adventurer frantically looked at his surroundings to see for another escape.
He recognised this broken bridge. He whirled to face both the Reconnaissance Captain and the cave he knew would be here.
They were at Albedo’s cave.
Did he really get this far? And this fast, too? Was the camp closer than he thought, or did the fear he felt give him that much energy?
Bennett took note of how the camp was bereft of any survivors, like he had hoped. Any optimism he had left was quickly being crushed.
He shook his head. There could still be a chance!
…
He weakly huffed a breath. He was tired. Too tired to entertain such a notion anymore. The only argument he had was that they didn’t see anyone who was said to be in the Dragonspine camp collared, and that logic’s just been shattered by the knight standing in front of him.
Eula had just stood motionless the whole time he observed his surroundings. She made no step towards him, raising her sword in a battle stance. She - or rather, whoever was controlling her - knew he was at a dead end.
…
That doesn’t mean I’m at the end of my road, though!
He saw the knight fight that evil Albedo-monster-thing before. He wasn’t going to pretend that had even a semblance of a chance against Eula Lawrence.
But he might hold a chance against whoever controlled her.
Every person he fought so far didn’t use their normal fighting styles. Their elemental abilities were raw and uncoordinated. And the difficulty fighting them depended on what weapons they used.
Jean and her sword were the toughest. The mastermind clearly had some skill with a sword.
Fischl showed skill with the bow, but was slower at firing her arrows.
And Razor?
He blindly swung the claymore, apathetic to the direction it went in, or where it landed.
And Bennett had a feeling Eula would be the same.
If he could exploit that, he’ll be able to dodge her blows easily and find a way to win.
Albedo’s camp was chock full of heavy furniture, tools and maybe even explosive materials. All he needed to do was get past Eula and he’ll be able to find something to use against her.
He just had to do what he did when he fought Razor. He could do it. He knew he could.
Bennett lowered into his own fighting stance.
His opponent - whoever it was - flashed a small, sadistic smirk, the blood from her nose only serving to add to its intimidating aura.
…
Well, here goes nothing!
The adventurer surged forward, sword stretched out from his side ready to send the mother of all slashes.
Eula channelled her vision, raising his claymore to block-
Wait, she wasn’t blocking!
She spun her whole body, swinging her claymore with all her might.
It was her signature move. Glacial Illumination.
DODGE!
Frantically doing what he could to avoid it, Bennett changed his direction, gritting his teeth as his left side roughly scraped against the rocky face of the mountain.
But he got past her.
…
He did it! Now all he had to do was-
The adventurer suddenly lost his balance as he turned to run into the cave, falling and harshly landing into the snow-covered ground.
Huh?
What happened? He suddenly felt lighter on his right side.
Did she knock my sword away and I didn’t reali-
The boy stilled upon looking down, and seeing that his forearm was missing, blood spurting out of the elbow.
…
…what?
…
Slowly, his gaze moved up, focusing on Eula.
She was standing still once again, emotionlessly staring down at him as crimson liquid dripped off of her blue blade.
He looked slightly lower and saw it at her feet; his lost limb, laying in the snow, still keeping a firm grip on his sword.
Only then did it hit Bennett that Eula severed half of his right arm.
Then the pain set in.
Bennett began to scream.
He was deaf to it, yet he still screamed, and screamed, and screamed. Because what else was he supposed to do?
His arm was gone, and he was feeling the pain from his lost arm and the pain was where his arm was supposed to be-
A shadow loomed over him. His breathing stopped, and vision cast upwards.
The knight was leaning over him, fresh collar in hand.
Bennett tried crawling backwards, but between the missing limb that pumped blood and hyperventilation he suffered from he couldn’t get far. Eula watched him the whole time, looking at him with neither pleasure nor pity.
She just waited.
“STAY AWAY! GET BACK!”
He hit the cliff wall. It pulsed a surge of pain from the other wound he had inflicted earlier, and his vision started to get darker. His existing hand found its fingers around a rock.
In a final act of desperation, he chucked it with all his might.
She effortlessly threw her head to the side and dodged it.
The clack of its landing echoed in the valley, marking the end of his resistance.
…
It was unexpectedly followed by another clack .
Then another.
Then three more.
More and more clack sounds reverberated, starting a landslide below them, leading to the ground they stood on shaking intensely. He watched from his sitting position as Eula struggled to stand. The rumbling grew in power and force more and more, its reach now travelling higher and above them, causing rocks and snow to fall from overhead.
He started an avalanche. He needed to get out of here.
Bennett tried to crawl away. But he felt weak. And cold. and eventually numb.
A rock hit his head.
Everything went black.
…
….
…..
……
……….. “-me on,”
…
…
…… “-th me, kid,”
…
He told Rosaria to stop calling him that.
…
Don’t…call me…kid.
…
…
.. “-rry……..nna hurt,”
His right arm met some sort of burning mass, making his vision go white.
He smelled cooked meat.
Then darkness.
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
….
…… “-ett!”
…
That wasn’t Rosaria.
…
He felt cold on his back, and pain too. He was lying on something cold.
…
Huh.
…
A flash of light, then his eyes adjusted to the sun above him. His consciousness returned. Bennett felt a searing pain in his right forearm. He reached to put pressure on the wou-
His hand met air.
His forearm was gone, nothing more than a cauterised stump. It made no sense. He still felt the pain. How was it gone? Where did it-
Eula. Albedo’s camp. The avalanche.
…
It all fell together. It made his head fall apart. His arm was gone. His arm was gone!
He flailed, trying to clutch his head but failing with his right hand because he had no hand to hold it.
He needed to get a hold of himself. He knew he needed to. But he couldn’t. Every time he tried to calm down the image of his bleeding stump entered his vision along with Eula strutting closer to finish the job and he how was helpless to stop her and the avalanche andandand-
Hands held him in a vice-like grip from behind, pulling him into a sitting position and restraining him. Hugging him.
He flopped the hand he still had uselessly against their arms. Both of their arms. Because they had two. Unlike him.
The pain where his other hand once was kept trying to say otherwise. Kept trying to trick him.
Bennett couldn’t take it anymore.
He wept. He screamed. It was childish, selfish, and pathetic. But what else was he supposed to do? He lost everyone. Everything. Mondstadt had fallen. The Abyss won. It was hopeless, it always was. Yet he stubbornly refused to accept it.
And look where it got him.
I should have let them collar me at Wolvendom.
“Let it all out, kid,”
He knew that voice.
Kaeya!?
He had so many questions, but that could wait. He continued to bawl everything he needed to get out, hiccuping through it since he had lost control of his breathing a long time ago.
But eventually his crying stopped, and the pain in his chest eased.
Yet his nonexistent arm still hurt. Why, why, why did it hurt?
Once the boy had control of himself again, Kaeya let him go. Bennett crawled over and sat down, turning to face the captain and ask as to how he managed to escape the cathedral.
…
Only he didn’t escape. It was obvious now.
The captain wore his characteristic smile, yet the colour in his eye and the silver band around his neck showed that this was not him.
Bennett attempted to jump to his feet, but failed and fell over once he instinctively went to lean on his right side, expecting a hand to hold onto the stone for leverage when it wasn’t there.
Kaeya said something as his body sprawled, and he desperately tried to get up before he got to him. Hands grabbed his smaller frame and pulled him to his feet.
In a last-ditch effort to get away he threw his knee into Kaeya’s stomach, knocking the air out of him as he pushed himself backwards until an icy rock face behind him stopped any attempt to get away any further.
“GET AWAY FROM ME!” he shrieked, his vision darting to every detail of his surroundings, as he searched for a way to flee.
He was at that old bridge and ruin on the west side of the mountain. The snowing had thankfully stopped, making his chances of escape a little higher.
Kaeya was blocking his path back to the mountain. To Rosaria. His voice called to him. Lured him. Bennett wouldn’t let it. “Kid! Listen-”
“Shut up! I’m not gonna fall for it again!”
He skirted to the path and started walking backwards, green eyes on the possessed captain the entire time. It was hard. The ground was uneven, and he couldn’t get any control on his breathing.
His centre of balance was also completely lost thanks to the significant change in weight on one side.
This can’t be happening. I can’t take it! I-
He tripped and fell on his rear.
Kaeya started to make his way over.
Bennett roared again, his vision blurring from the terrified tears filling his eyes. “I SAID STAY AWAY!”
The older man stopped, immediately raising his hands in a desperate attempt to placate him. Bennett wasn’t falling for it. “Wait kid! I’m not… Like them- like the others!”
He stilled, watching Kaeya as his voice trembled through his explanation. “Yes. I’m collared, and it wont let me take it off. But also carried you here from Albedo’s camp! If I was like the others I would've collared you too while you were unconscious. Please, kid. You’ve got to believe me. Just… let me help you…”
The statement ended as a whisper. The captain was holding back tears, and his breathing was as erratic as the adventurer’s own currently.
The collar shimmered around his neck. His eye let off a violet glow.
Yet he sounded so scared. So sincere…
But so did Barbara.
His answer was low. “Leave. Me. Alone.”
(False) anguish marred the knight’s features as he clenched his teeth. “Don’t do this, Bennett. You’re going to die!”
At this rate he’d rather-
Bennett shut his eyes and struggled to his feet.
One step back.
Then another.
On the third he spun and sprinted down the trail.
There was a fork on the path. Left or right.
Which one do I choose? Which one takes me back to-
A voice yelled from behind him. It was weak, yet slightly clearer than before.
“I’d go right if I were you,”
…
Bennett went left.
“He better not be dead.”
It had been over five hours, and Bennett still hadn't come back.
Rosaria knew it was a bad idea to let him go alone, especially after what had happened yesterday.
But her hunger and desire to recover as fast as possible won out, and she let him go without any sort of resistance. Because she dared to trust him. Because after proving himself in their last battle and its aftermath the nun figured he'd be able to handle himself.
You stupid idiot!
How could she allow him to just run off? There were wolves, mages and Barsitobas knows what else on this death trap of a mountain. And now he's gone.
Hold on, kid. I'm coming.
She cinched the final lace of her torn up corset and gazed around the space, confirming that she had left nothing behind.
This would probably be the last time they're here, because once she finds the kid they're both going to get out of Mondstadt. No ifs or buts.
Stepping towards the small exit the nun stilled and listened for any sound.
Footsteps. From the rhythm and volume it seemed to be just one. They travelled to her left.
She could handle that.
Stepping away from the hole Rosaria drew her spear, steeled herself, and charged, before dropping to the floor and sliding underneath the stone wall and into the cave.
She spun to face her opponent, her spear held in front of her firmly and defensively, ready for any attack sent her way.
Only to lock eyes with Albedo.
Rosaria groaned.
He didn't stop.
He had been walking for an unknown length of time. It could have been minutes. It could have been hours.
His legs were numb. He had no ability to think beyond moving forward.
He didn't stop.
His boots walked on yellowed grass. The cliffs surrounding him lacked any snow. It was clear that he was far, far away from Mondstadt. He left Rosaria behind.
He didn't stop.
His vision was hazy, his throat dry and scratchy. He wanted to sit down, to rest.
He couldn't stop, he needed to get as far away from Kaeya as poss-
A village.
He stopped.
It sat in a valley, and the nearby tools seemed to indicate that it was a mining village.
It was deathly quiet. Like Springvale.
But he needed help. And rest. The sun had long since set. He wouldn't survive the night.
He might be fine. He might not. He had no choice anyway.
He dragged his feet to the nearest house - a straw hut overlooking the rest of the village - and peaked through the window.
It was empty. And the inside looked ruined on top of that.
But the half destroyed bed still looked tempting all the same.
He tried the door. Even such a simple act coursed pain through his body as he pulled it open. With his weak hand. He didn’t have a dominant one.
It hurt. It hurt .
He didn't cry. He was too tired to do that.
He slowly shambled inside and flopped onto the bed, shuffling around weakly until he lay on his back, numb to it all.
The pain.
The exhaustion.
His missing arm.
The roof was more damaged than he realised. He stared through a hole directly above him and counted the stars.
They were so clear. So bright.
So beautiful.
…
Bennett passed out not long after.
List of Confirmed Collared
Barbara
Diluc
Diona
Eula
Fischl
Gorou
Jean
Kaeya
Klee
Lisa
Razor
Sangonomiya Kokomi
Shikanoin Heizou
Sucrose
Venti