The moon and sun cycled rapidly. Without either of them noticing, three entire weeks had passed in the blink of an eye.
Unlike other days, it was raining in Snezhnaya today.
A rare occurrence. Most days brought snow rather than a heavy rain like this one. The droplets hit the brick edges of the cozy house in a gentle rhythm, each one landing with a soft splash.
Inside, the fireplace crackled with a warmth that was both fierce and steady, filling the room with the kind of sound that made silence feel comfortable rather than empty.
Aleph and Columbina.
Three weeks since they had met — and somehow, without either of them planning for it, they had grown closer than most people manage in far longer.
Columbina was asleep on the couch, her body perfectly curled into its shape, her white cape pulled over her like a blanket.
Aleph sat in the chair beside her, a book open in his hands.
On the table in front of him, a mug of hot chocolate sent thin wisps of steam curling upward — just enough to obscure most of the cover, leaving only three words visible through the haze.
History of Khaenri'ah.
A classified book from Columbina's library. The discovery had caught him off guard at first — but after a brief hesitation, he opened it anyway.
The book was thin. Only a few chapters. But for him, every word, every sentence, every page was a reminder — and fuel for an anger that had no bottom.
He finished it in minutes. Closed it. Set it down.
His blindfold-covered eyes burned with a hatred that had no outlet. The book spoke of how the people of Khaenri'ah had committed unforgivable crimes. How they had reached for knowledge that would have destroyed the world.
But Aleph knew better. And knowing better only made it worse.
Not every Khaenri'ahn was guilty. The children. The elderly. The young who never knew anything about what the higher-ups had done — who had never been asked, never been told, never been given a choice. They knew nothing.
Yet they bore everything.
The thought made him clench his fists until a sharp crack echoed through the quiet room.
Columbina woke instantly.
She didn't speak. She simply reached out and placed her hand over his — and a soft blue light bloomed beneath her fingers, seeping gently into his skin, mending the fractures in his bones without a word. The light faded. Disappeared.
But her hand stayed.
Resting on his, warm and still, until she drifted back to sleep.
Watching her movements, Aleph froze.
Such kindness.
The thought surfaced quietly as his gaze lingered on Columbina. It made him remember his wife — Alice.
A soft smile appeared on his face. No one knew whether it was because of Columbina or the thought of his wife. He simply glanced toward the window, watching the rain fall against the horizon.
But he did not remove Columbina's hand from his.
Maybe that was confirmation enough. No words wasted.
...
Before Aleph knew it, 4 hours passed by. By the time he realized it the rain already stopped but due to how Snezhnaya was the sky remained cloudy with no hint of sun.
Realizing this and how much time has passed, Aleph gently extended his empty hand and nudged Columbina awake.
"Mmm..." She let out a soft murmur, her sleepiness hitting her directly the moment she woke up due to nudging from Aleph. For a moment she opened her eyes showing their mesmerizing color once more before she softly closed them again after she regained some resemblance of consciousness.
As if Aleph knew what she wanted to ask, he spoke before she could ask the question. His lips parting slightly as his low and unhurried voice echoed with the cracking sounds of the firewood.
"It is pretty late already, we should prepare breakfast for ourselves. Remember? We have things to do today."
Columbina gave a soft yet clumsy nod, clearly not fully awake yet but Aleph did not mind it as he gently removed her hand from his feeling emptiness on his hand for a second. Saying nothing about it. He simply rose from his chair which groaned softly at the sudden absence of his weight.
"Don't make me wait too long, after all cold food doesn't have much of a taste." With that said Aleph gave a light chuckle as he walked towards kitchen slowly disappearing from Columbina's sight — which she followed silently, her eyes just barely open.
...
..
.
After arriving in the Kitchen Aleph fell into a deep thought. There was one crucial detail he had forgotten.
He didn't know how to cook a proper meal...
'That's fine. It should be alright.' Aleph said inwardly gently slapping his own cheeks to hype himself while taking a deep breath as he stopped in front of the fridge [1]
As he opened the fridge in front of him, he got greeted with most simplest things out there. Some eggs, some meat and most diabolical of all entire loaf of bread in the fridge. [2]
'...' Aleph was utterly speechless at this moment, even he whom noble as the sun was completely shocked from the sight in front of him. His mouth gaped as he froze in front of the fridge.
But he was someone that doesn't lose his composure that easily. He quickly shook his head and carefully looked at the things available.
'Okay. Let's see... I can crack some eggs. Mix them and drip them into breads and make some Egg Breads. And with the same pan I can cook the meats, but before that I need to cut them into tiny cubes.' Aleph thought. Quickly forming a simple yet effective plan and breakfast. He didn't realize Columbina was watching him from the frame of the door.
She was so silent that Aleph whom was focused as if going to war did not realize her presence in the slightest.
First he got the pan from nearby shelf, pouring some oil to it before turning on the stove on medium heat letting the oil spread inside the pan while he also cracked 4 eggs into a bowl mixing them with surprising agility.
While he stirred the eggs in the bowl, Columbina took light steps, getting closer and closer to him until she reached to his side knowing he already detected her long time ago she just... poked his cheek with her index finger. His cheek was surprisingly soft. compared to his attitude.
Columbina mused inwardly not letting her cheeks form a pout as her finger stayed a bit longer than she intended them to be. Letting Aleph making comment about it directly.
"Is there something you need?" Aleph's voice had a tinge of amusement. Momentarily deciding to forget about the thing happened a few hours ago and tried to focus on the moment. Through his blindfold he glanced at Columbina whom already left his side and decided to sit on the empty chair near to kitchen door looking like a tired slug with such weird posture while sitting.
Aleph did not pay more attention to this certain slug and decided to focus back to making the breakfast. His 'eyes' focused to extreme as if ready to go all out war.
The oil in the pan started to sizzle softly making crisp sounds. Hearing this Aleph lowered the temperature of the burner lowering it slightly as he dipped one side of the bread into the eggs he just stirred. Being extremely gentle with it, as if the bread would break even with slightest mistake.
After dipping it into the egg he directly placed it onto the pan. The oil sizzled loudly with sudden entrance of egg dipped side of the bread, cooking the egg directly while making the bread crispy outside but soft inside.
While he dipped breads in and out while adjusting the burner's temperature like a madman. Columbina just watched him quietly. Her thoughts completely unknown, she would sometimes give a light chuckle ones that he can't quite hear due to his hyperfocus and sound of the oil sizzling with each egg dipped breads he adds to small and poor pan that never used this roughly before.
Half an hour later, Aleph was finally finished with all the breads and there wasn't single drop wasted egg on the bowl. Just next to bowl there was a plate that has small mountain of egg breads. freshly made. Their aroma was warm yet tasty. Despite both Aleph and Columbina being hungry they didn't eat yet.
As Aleph didn't close the burner yet and didn't add any new oil to the pan. Instead he got a cutting board and put down the pieces of meat into it. Afterwards he took a knife from nearby, and the moment he took it his entire aura changed. It became extremely shape as if even would cut air itself.
Columbina didn't even progress what happened next. She just saw a hand moving and the next moment the chunk of meat got cut into perfect pieces, each one perfect size without any of them being smaller/bigger than other.
With her sharp senses she instantly counted how many pieces there and there was total of 200 pieces. Perfect amount separated for two people.
After cutting the meat into pieces, the sharp aura around Aleph vanished like how it appeared, and then he picked up the cutting board while the meat pieces still on it and directly poured it into the pan without a hesitation.
The pan made a loud sizzling sounds as Aleph lowered the temperature of the burner while Columbina thought as if those sizzles were sizzles of burn out. But such thoughts disappeared the moment they appeared as she shook her head.
Maybe she didn't get enough sleep today? Or was it because she used her powers today? Whatever it was Columbina did not care currently as the aroma of the food cooking was too distracting for her to pay attention anything else for now.
Both of them waited as the meat pieces started to change texture. once Aleph saw one side is cooked enough, he instantly flipped the pieces with a cool movement along with the pan and once again they started to wait.
While waiting for meat pieces to cook, Nor Aleph or Columbina talked. they just watched the stove and the pan or to be specific the meat pieces inside it.
With some time passing, the meat pieces became crispy and golden brown as they emitted an aroma that would make one take a double sniff just to get out of the daze of it.
With that, Aleph quickly turned of the burner of the stove as if scared that even a second more they cooked the mesmerizing aroma would disappear into thin air.
After turning the burner off, Aleph took the pan handle and dropped the contents inside it into a new plate. All 200 Pieces of meat perfectly falling into the plate none of them going off-course or outside of the plate.
"Finally done with it" Aleph said wipping of the non-exist sweat from his head with back of his hand as a barely perceptible smile adored his face before it turned back to neutral quickly as it appeared.
Columbina just watched from the chair her slug like posture gone and replaced with a little bit more elegant one as she 'watched' Aleph placing the plates into the table while also pouring some juice into the cups he put down before even she arrived into the kitchen.
When he finished setting up the table, he pulled the chair from table and sat down front of Columbina only the table was seperating them as they slowly started to eat their food.
At first, both of them were silent but it did not last long as the silence was broken by Aleph's voice.
"Do you have any plans for today?" He questioned softly as he gulped down a piece of meat glancing at her with slightly tilted head.
Columbina looked at him. Truly looked at him. Before she tilted her head and spoke.
"Not really... Tsaritsa... She never gives me any missions besides that one time." Her tone was light and same as before but Aleph could sense the underlying ache behind it, yet he didn't mention it.
They weren't that close and since Columbina herself did not mention anything else it wasn't his place to meddle in.
After that talk, an awkward silence followed as only the sound of the fork and spoon hitting the plates as they ate. But then the silence was broke by Aleph's voice once more.
'Perhaps he just wants to talk' Columbina thought inwardly as she noted the small detail.
"If you don't have any plans, then do you want to come with me? I went to blacksmith after we talked with Tsaritsa a few days ago about my position and sharing the third seat with you." His tone was light but cautious, after all meeting with Tsaritsa made him realize that his powers were weakened too much for his own good and safety. As a result he went to nearest blacksmith to get something rather special and really useful for current him.
Hearing this, Columbina once more tilted her head. Not responding, it wasn't that she didn't want to answer back but she was just too busy to chew the meat pieces in her mouth as it is been a long time since she did eat such good food.
Seeing such sight made Aleph's mouth twitched ever so slightly. But he didn't get angry and just shook his head inwardly deciding to bring Columbina along without hearing her response.
After half an hour passed by quickly the plates on the table was completely finished not even a single piece remaining on them. Both Aleph and Columbina rubbed their belly slightly due to how much they ate and drink. But after some time Aleph got up first carrying some plates into the sink. Seeing this Columbina also followed his gesture and carried some plates to the sink.
Carrying the plates a silent yet gentle atmosphere formed between them. No words or gestured were needed. Both knew what to handle and what to do without such things.
Aleph opened the water outlet, the sink groaning slightly as pure cold water poured from it due to freezing temperature at outside. But he didn't mind it, he took a plate and started to clean it. After cleaning it he placed it to his left whom Columbina was standing as she took the plate and placed it on the drying rack.
They stayed there for 15 minutes cleaning every plate, every fork and spoon with the cups. After they finished cleaning and drying them Aleph wiped off his hands into a towel as he watched Columbina cleaning her hands before wiping them off.
Seeing such sight made Aleph rather emotional. Remembering 500 years ago such similar scene with his wife. Wondering how she does now?
Realizing his own thoughts Aleph quickly shook his head. He couldn't. It wasn't his place to worry, when he couldn't even protect himself. How could he worry about his wife when he lacked the strength to even secure his own future?
Perhaps Columbina sensed his emotions after wiping her hands off, she walked towards him asking softly her voice tender as ever.
"Are you tired? Everything alright?" Her questions was followed with her gently tugging edge of his shirt, due to height difference.
Seeing the slight concern in her face, Aleph shook his head once more his voice neutral as he gently placed his hand over her's removing it softly.
"It is nothing, no need to worry. But we should sleep now, it is already night time and we need to go blacksmith after morning breakfast."
Realizing that Aleph didn't wanted to mention or talk about it, Columbina only could nod and turn around, taking the lead to walk upstairs where their room's were.
The road for the upstairs was unusually long. Neither of them talked along the way like how they did previous weeks. Even though the silence was louder than any sound, neither Columbina or Aleph tried to break it as they quietly walked upstairs till they reached their own door just standing front of them.
Columbina was the first to act as her delicate hand covered the door knob, twisting it slightly as the wooden door groaned not so low. But before Columbina could take a step inside her bedroom Aleph's voice echoed just ahead the hallway, freezing her in that exact stepping gesture.
"Good night and... Give me some time for it." Even though Aleph's voice was quiet, how can someone as Columbina can't hear it? She wanted to twist her head in that moment, and look at Aleph's eyes. Truly look into his eyes but Aleph beat her in that regard.
She only heard the door knob twisting so fast and only thing followed that was the loud groan of the wooden door and closing of it with a soft click.
The hallway became awfully quiet again as Columbina was still in that specific stepping position, and she stayed like that for a good minute before she also step into her bedroom and closed the door with a soft click. Not bothering to lock her door like usually.
This night... is awfully long and unpleasant.
Was Columbina's thoughts before she fell into sleep. No one knows what was in her mind in that exact moment. Not even Aleph.
-
[1]: I know Teyvat probably isn't advanced as enough to get something like 'fridge' like ours but the way they work in this fan-fic is rather different. Same function's as our fridges but completely new way of work behind the scenes.
[2]: Something that I wanted to include in world-building in khaenri'ah putting bread into fridge considered an actual crime! Of course non canon-wise, only specific for this series. Do not take it as canon.
A Non-Canon Fun-Fact from me: In this AU Columbina can't cook... Aleph learned it hard way.