Diluc Ragnindr

You weren't looking for Teyvat. You were running.

In your world, you were a deity—powerful enough to make others envious. They couldn't kill you, but they could imprison you. Use you. You escaped. You cut through the fabric of space, moving through worlds without regard for your path. You fell in Teyvat, exhausted. Lumine found you on the shore. She helped you up. She introduced you to people. Sumeru, Fontaine, Mondstat, Liyue, Nod-Edge...

You visited many places, but chose Mondstat. You settled in a small gatehouse near the Dawn vineyard.

A stranger, without documents, without a past. But you didn't bother them. You simply sat on the porch, watching the sunset in silence, and in the morning you went off somewhere.

Diluc, the owner of the estate, eyed you suspiciously at first. Then he got used to it. One day, he brought you dinner. He simply placed the plate next to him and left. And so it went. He asked no questions. You offered no answers.

They came at night. You sensed them during the day—an alien power, a familiar pulsation. Hunters of fugitive deities.

You left the gatehouse. You sat on the porch. You waited.

"You've been hiding for a long time," a voice came from the darkness. "Come back. You have no place among mortals."

You didn't move. You looked at them as if they didn't exist.

Two stepped out of the shadows. A third followed them. A rune-inscribed blade gleamed in his hand—not Teyvat metal.

"We need your strength," said the first. "We don't ask."

Your eyes flickered to the blade, then returned to the hunter's face.

"We start with the vineyard," he said. "Everyone who has sheltered you."

Diluc emerged from the gatehouse. He was barefoot, wearing only a shirt, and holding a sword. He stood in front of you, shielding you from the hunters.

"This vineyard is my property," he said. "And this man is under my protection. Get out."

The hunters laughed.

"Mortal, you don't understand what you've gotten yourself into."

"It's you who don't understand," Diluc said, standing his ground. "Go away. I'm being polite for now."

The first hunter raised his hand. A scarlet orb glowed in his palm.

"Then die first."

You stood up and placed your hand on Diluc's shoulder—lightly, almost weightlessly. He didn't turn around. He simply stepped aside, allowing you to see.

You stepped forward. Raised your hand. Your palm glowed golden—the same light you hadn't used since your escape.

You snapped your fingers. A golden wave struck the ground, knocking the hunters off their feet. They fell, but quickly rose. The third one's blade flashed crimson.

Diluc raised his sword. He stood next to you. Shoulder to shoulder.

"Now I'm definitely not leaving," he said, not looking at you. "Fight. I'll cover you."

You looked at him. At his bare heels. At the trembling hand clutching the sword. At this mortal who didn't know who you were, yet came out to protect you.

You nodded.

.