The Promise

Entering the room, Allen was able to see Aleksei's condition. He was laid immobile over a stretcher with a huge hole in his left stomach with blood spmatted everywhere.

'He is certainly critical' Allen could hear his weak pulse that seemed to fail at any moment while multiple doctors moved around him trying to do everything possible to save him in what seemed to be a fight against time. 'An attack from the back... And that wound...'

"What's the situation?" Allen ordered one of the guards outside as there wasn't much to do inside for them.

"We were guarding sir Aleksei as usual when an assassin attacked him." The guard informed, "With the assailant suddenly appearing and its swift attack, we were unable to react to it."

"How was the assassin? Do you have any idea of the culprit?" Allen asked.

"It was a masked person wearing dark clothes covering all its body, making it impossible to discern anything from it other than its height being shorter and its slender frame. And about the culprit..." The guard was unsure "Sir Aleksei has made quite the enemies, so there can be quite the number seeking his death."

"Not very useful..." Allen thought "Anything else to take into account?"

"We were unable to react, but sir Aleksei managed to shoot his gun before falling, injuring the assassin's left shoulder." The guard explained.

"Okay, keep guarding for now and be alert of any possible attack." Allen ordered as she left the place.

'It could be that, but if I want to find out, I'll need more information about Liyue...' Allen made a thoughtful face as she turned over the high grounds of Liyue "It might seem a little forced but let's kill two birds with one stone."

...

Over the highest room in one of the most luxurious manors in the Yujing Terrace, a beautiful purple-haired girl was buried in a pile of documents, the pen in her hands never stopping as she went from one document to another.

"Lady Keqing, you should rest from time to time" A green-haired girl secretary entered the room with some tea in her hands, serving it carefully to Keqing.

"Thanks for always taking care of me, Shinobu. But I have too much work to do for this year's Rite of Decens" Keqing explained "With Ningguang taking the frontal role presiding it, I'll need to take care of her part."

"There are more people capable of doing it, it's only that you always push it to yourself" Shinobu reasoned.

"They never reach my standards!" Keqing jumped "They are sloppy in their work and leave things open!"

"Yes, yes. You always so perfectionist" Shinobu sighed "I suppose that there's no way to change your mind, so I'll need to help you. Another all night!" Shinobu lowered her shoulders as she approached Keqing's desk as she tried to take some work from her.

"Thanks and sorry, Shinobu" Keqing lowered her head at Shinobu truly thanking her.

Shinobu graduated as the valedictorian in civil rights. She was from Inazuma and thought about returning for some time, but she was unable due to the closing of the country, forcing her to stay at Liyue where she started working for Keqing as her secretary a little more than a year ago. In this time, she had shown how capable and talented she was, but overall she had become quite a good friend to Keqing and someone that she trusted a lot.

"It's not like it's the first time and even if I hate it, it won't be the last" Shinubu cursed "You owe me one so you better come with me tomorrow and buy me some things for the over hours."

"Okay, I will" Keqing smiled knowing that rather than the fact of paying for her shopping, Shinobu asked it to force her away from her office and relax.

"Let's start! The earlier we start the earlier we fin-" As Shinobu was about to take some documents, her eyes became sharp as she stopped her movements.

*Swiff* With a swift movement from her wrist, Shinobu shot a kunai hidden inside her sleeve towards the window.

*Crrr* *Clank* the kunai broke through the window, but rebounded as it clashed with a metalic object.

"I suppose that's the price to pay when you jump all formalities and try to directly talk with the Yuheng" From the windows a boy jumped inside the room with a sword in his hands. He looked at both girls who had already taken out their weapons.

"Who are you?!" Shinobu demanded as she was pointing a short sword at him.

"I have not come to fight" The boy lowered his sword and lifted his hands "I am-"

"Allen? Are you Allen?" Keqing jumped to answer.

"You really remember me?" Allen was a little surprised as in the end it has been almost 10 years since they met.

"Yes. You have... grown taller." Keqing looked at him all over. She could see how the little boy had grown taller and more handsome. He had a calm and strong presence unlike before and the color of his eyes seemed to have changed a little, but she was sure that it was him.

"It's what 9 years makes us" Allen smiled "You have grown beautiful, Keqing" It was impossible for Allen to not remember her as she hadn't changed much these years, it was simple the change of a cute little girl blooming into gorgeous young woman with now the perfect proportions.

"Do you know him, lady Keqing?" Shinobu asked without lowering her weapon, still warry of Allen.

"Yes, he is..." Keqing stopped for a second, thinking what to say as she made a complicated face, not really knowing what to answer.

"A kind of childhood friend" Allen stepped answering "Someone who promised to meet again with you." Allen took half of a hairpin with a butterfly design from his pocket.

"You still have..." Keqing opened her eyes in wonder as she looked at the hairpin. She went towards her desk and from a drawer took the other half.

For some years, she usually wore it in her hair, but in the end, she desisted, thinking that he wouldn't remember or that the time to meet again will never come. She was no longer the little girl who knew nothing of the world, she had investigated Allen's background during this time and it was quite the distrustful one that.

*Clank* Keqing approached Allen and both pieces perfectly joined completing the hairpin.

"We meet again" Allen smiled as he left the hairpin, giving it to Keqing.

"Yes, we meet again" Keqing thoughtfully looked at the hairpin in her hands as thousands of thoughts appeared in her mind. Finally, she lifted her face, looking directly at Allen "Allen, are you a Fatui?"

Allen blinked in surprise at the sudden question. He thought to make some light talk and slowly present again himself but all his plan was broken by the sudden question and seeing her serious face, Allen was sure that there was no way to escape from it.

"Yes, I am" Allen answered honestly. Shinobu tensed listening the answered but Keqing kept her face frozen.

"And were you part of them at that time?" She asked again.

"I was" Allen answered.

"I see..." Keqing said weakly as she returned to her desk and sat on her chair "Can I know your reason for this meeting?" She asked coldly and completely formally, devoid of any feeling.

"Lady Keqing, he had forced his way!" Shinobu warned.

"Calm down, Shinobu. You can lower your weapon" Keqing said "While his methods are quite rude, I doubt that he is planning any attack or he would not have come without hiding at least his face. And by the way, he stands and moves, I can see that he is quite used to deal with high ranking people, so his rank should be quite high." She turned over Allen "Or I am wrong?"

"Not at all, lady Yuheng"

"So? What is the reason?" Keqing inquired.

"I had two reasons to come, so I will start for the first one. It is about the attack of Aleksei." Allen stated.

"I am aware of the intent of assassination of Aleksei, however, your men had already made their move, making it clear that our help is not needed"

"You are right but I am in charge of my own investigation of the affair, and I lack the information necessary of Liyue to progress further." Allen explained "I will like your help with it, more concretely, information about hospitals and doctors."

"I thought that Aleksei was already attended by the best doctors of Liyue."

"He is, but I am not searching for Aleksei, but rather for the assassin that was injured during the escape."

"I understand." Keqing nodded "You are searching for places for the assassin to heal his wounds. Places away from the Fatui's eyes."

"While that's certainly correct, my search goes further. Being not controlled by the Fatui is not enough, I want information about places or people away from even the Fatui's information, clandestine doctors that we are not even aware of their existence."

"So you think the culprit is well informed of Liyue?" Keqing inquired "Are you blaming us?" She glared.

"Far from it" Allen waved his hand "What I am saying is that I perfectly know the culprit behind it and she is well-versed in both, Liyue and the Fatui. So she will choose the perfect place unknown to the Fatui."

"So in the end, it's an internal attack" Keqing deducted "Why should I meddle with it and help you?"

"For a reward, of course."

"Are you trying to buy me?" Keqing glared. "Do you know who I am?"

"I will certainly pay you some Mora for it, but would the fact that the Fatui needed the Yuheng's help to deal with it be more important?" Allen said with a smile.

"Are you trying to lower the Fatui's influence and make them look bad?" Keqing asked confused.

"Exactly" Allen nodded.

"Why?"

"I want some payback and this is a good opportunity" Allen took a Fatui emblem from his clothes, of course, it wasn't his platinum one of Columbina but the golden one representing Pantalone that he kept from Inazuma.

Keqing took it, analyzing it attentively before turning to Allen "Can I use it to take my pay?" Going to the bank with it while preparing a crowd would be a good push to the Fatui, forcing everyone to recognize that the Fatui needed the Qixing's help for their problems.

"Of course" Allen smiled and extended his hand.

"We have a deal" Keqing shook his hand and commanded Shinobu to search for the information related to the clandestine doctors.

Shinobu left a little unsure, not trusting leaving Keqing alone with a Fatui but eventually accepted Keqing's decision.

"What is the other reason for this meeting?" Once they were alone, Keqing asked "You said you have two reasons."

"Yes, I've said it" Allen nodded "My other reason was to simply meet you again and explain what happened that day and my reasons to join the Fatui."

"There's no need for it. No matter what you say, I would not trust anything from you, so you can keep the excuses for yourself." Keqing stated coldly.

"I am well aware" Allen nodded "And that's precisely why I am not saying you anything"

Keqing glared at him and both of them stayed still until Shinobu returned with the documents, giving it to Allen with a piercing glare.

"Thanks for it" Allen flashed a smile at Shinobu before lowering his body, making a flawless bow of Inazuman etiquette "Sorry for not presenting myself, miss Kuki. I am Niwa Allen, it's a pleasure"

"I wish your decision to leave Inazuma and the shrine had given your wished freedom and happiness," Allen said before jumping through the window leaving a confused Shinobu behind.

"How does he know...?" Shinobu wondered "Wait a moment, Niwa?!"