Mask

Mark regarded her with a bit of worry, unaware of what he should expect. At that point, he was as baffled as one could be.

"Well, sure, I guess..."

He walked outside, waiting for her to follow, which she did with gentle steps. There was some sort of grace she kept about herself, even when tiredness was the only thing she felt.

"Where were you planning to walk tonight?" asked Jean, regarding him with a shy smile.

"I sure hope you're not thinking about fighting another monster or something."

Mark chuckled, crossing that idea off his list.

"Well, I have no specific place in mind. I just wanted to walk around as I refreshed my mind a little."

They both walked outside in the dead of night. Despite having seen it a few times, it still baffled Mark that a city like Mondstadt could become so quiet once night rolled around. The streets were nearly empty, safe for a few people who were going home. Together, they went outside, and Mark took a moment to glance around.

"How about going this way? I think this leads to Windrise, right?"

"Indeed. It's a special place for the people of Mondstadt."

Mark nodded, speaking absentmindedly as he recalled tidbits of knowledge.

"That's where Vennessa is said to have ascended to Celestia, right?"

Jean didn't seem surprised this time.

"Had I not gotten used to you being like this, I might have been surprised."

Mark shrugged, walking without a care in the world.

"I just remember things, but for the love of God, I can't remember something important. Heck, sometimes I forget the date of my parents' birthdays."

Jean didn't look at him, instead glancing at the starry sky.

"Mark, do you know why I wanted to come on this walk with you?"

He shook his head, hoping that his past predictions about her losing her feelings were right.

"Ugh, because I'm cool like that?" asked Mark, his voice as ironic as he could make it.

"I wanted to come with you because I realized something: I barely know a few things about you. Perhaps I was too rash in making that call back then, but I still believe I should at least get to know you better."

Mark nodded, glad he was right, yet something deep down still ate away at his core.

"Well, I'm pretty sure there's nothing all that interesting to learn about me. I'm a man of faith; I enjoy eating sweets, perhaps too many, and I also like swords a little too much. That's the bulk of it."

Jean chuckled, waving her hand up and down a single time.

"Please, I'm sure that's not even scratching the surface. There are a lot of things about you that simply don't make sense unless one knows more, so tell me, Mark, what's going on inside your head?"

Mark chuckled as the words entered his ears, thinking about all the stupid cat clips and random songs that were swimming through his mind.

"Well, not a lot, actually. That place is rather chaotic, so I sometimes do things on instinct or as I feel I should. Ok, in all honesty now, I'm not sure how I should describe myself. There are a lot of things one can only learn through interacting with the specific object of the study."

He glanced forward as they walked, feeling his fatigue vanish as the night's gentle breeze rubbed against his face. He liked a little chill to keep him going.

"Is that so? Well, I'll make sure to keep studying you whenever given the chance. I won't stop until I know for sure who's behind that mask you wear."

Mark's eyes twitched, feeling the adamancy in her tone.

"Mask, you say? Well, isn't life but a simple scene where everyone wears a mask?"

"Ok, I didn't expect you to be philosophical about it."

Mark chuckled, smiling broadly.

"Always expect the unexpected from me; that's one of the main rules about getting to know me."

He put his hands in his pockets, slouching a bit as he walked.

"Well then, I'm really curious to see what others think lays behind my mask, but at the end of the day, you should keep that for yourself. No matter what, the mask differs slightly in the eyes of each person that gazes upon it."

Jean blinked, somewhat confused, an effect of the fatigue settling in even more.

"Then I'll make sure to try and get rid of the mask. That's one way to see the truth, right?"

Mark nodded thoughtfully.

"I guess you could say that, but who knows, maybe I wear another mask under my mask."

He gave a soft laugh, remembering a certain scene from a popular anime.

"Mask under a mask, huh? Well, human beings sure are interesting, so perhaps what you're saying is a truth in itself."

"My, is my philosophical self rubbing off on you now?" chuckled Mark, looking around as they continued walking.

"Perhaps it is. Lisa would sometimes say things like that as well, which is to be expected considering her background."

"Mhm. I think she was the best of the best in the Akademiya, back in Sumeru."

This time, she showed her amazement.

"How come you even know that?" asked Jean, almost walking up in Mark's face.

"Woah, woah, calm down. I told you that I remember things. Don't blame me for just spouting what I know. Anyway, my knowledge is mine to bear."

She backed off a little, blushing slightly as the realization of how close she had gotten crossed her mind.

"Either way, I just hope you're on our side, not someone sent here to spy on us."

Mark chuckled at the comment.

"Spy on you? I get attached to people all too easily. I'm not fit for such a job. Heck, sometimes I find it hard to even fight my opponents whenever I remember their background. Fatui henchmen, people working just like you as the Knights of Favonius. They're humans, after all, who strive to earn their bread for their families. I know it all too well..." 

A hint of something foreign within his usual self sparkled in his eyes, or rather, it lit up just to go out, leaving behind a hollow.

"You're right, but that doesn't justify their actions."

"You're not wrong, but not right either. In our eyes, they're the bad guys. In their eyes, they're simply doing their jobs, earning mora to feed their families. In the end, war is the same: it's the soldiers who suffer."

A few minutes of silence followed, during which Jean pondered his words. All the while, Mark kept staring at the sky, smiling softly as he kept counting the stars, amazed by the sight of a new sky, different from the one he had known all his life.

"The sky... it's but a lie here, right? Still, what a beautiful lie."

As blatant as he was, he made sure to keep the important things to himself. Some words are better left unspoken, while others would do nothing but cause more questions, truths as they were.

"I think we've walked for quite some time now. I can see the tree ahead," said Mark, taking in the beauty of it. He liked nature, which only made his joy sweeter.

A sight unlike any his eyes had met before—a tree that seemed to be a symbol of time itself, its branches spreading out far and wide, like humans along multiple lifetimes. He didn't even bother with Barbatos' statue, lying down at the tree's base.

"This place feels so serene, I might fall asleep in here."

Jean sat down next to him, both of them enjoying a sky full of white sparks, some of them brighter than the others.

"The atmosphere sure is enjoyable."

A light breeze began blowing, bringing along with it a faint melody, sweet like honey in his ears.

"That tone-deaf bard, I'm sure this is his work. Hah." 

Jean mumbled something, yet it did reach Mark's ears.

"Tone-deaf bard? Venti?" 

"Yep, Venti. He's the only one who could do such a thing... or at least was until I came here."

Mark used a hint of Anemo, a soft blue-green light glowing along his palm. In a moment's breath, another song filled the air—a soft lullaby—one that reminded Mark of countless nights spent alone.

"Dark snowy night, I think that was it... Heh, it sounds like home," whispered Mark, feeling a wave of nostalgia wash over him as the wind carried the melody along with his hopes that it would reach the bard.

"Mark, I know you said you'd come clean about your past at a later date, but I still wish to ask something, if it's alright with you. Do you have a family waiting for you somewhere?"

He looked at her, and for the first time she could see a certain longing in his eyes that crept out like a thief in the night, dwelling around in the darkness.

"I do have a family, but I'm not sure if they're waiting or not anymore. I'm not... sure if I'll ever see them again, but only God knows for sure..." 

"Is it the same for Ras?"

Mark nodded, speaking softly.

"I'm not really sure about what he's feeling, since he's different from me in some regards, but I'm pretty sure he misses his family too, even if he'd never admit it."

He hated what he saw in her eyes: pity. As he got older, he grew to hate the feeling when it was directed his way. Something within him decided to feel it but rejected it when shown to him.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

He shrugged, and in a split second, the hollow in his eyes was gone, replaced by the reflection of the stars as he smiled faintly.

"No need to be sorry. It's just a man's fate. Things like this happen at times. Either way, I'm fine. I can handle a little something like this."

He shuffled a bit in place, trying to sit a little more comfortably.

"Well, let's leave that behind now; I'm not in the mood for emotional talks. I think you caught enough of a glimpse under my mask."

They sat together in silence, both having come to their own conclusions. Jean felt like the awkwardness between them vanished, and along with it went her feelings for him.

"Just like that?" thought Jean, feeling the spark die out.

"Yes, just like that. It's a fitting end for the both of us. He needs someone who can be by his side, not me. I have my own duties here."

Mark let out a soft sigh as he felt the coldness at his side grapple with him more and more. The entire situation could have been completely different had he made another choice, yet he'd rather it hurt him than someone else.

"Don't worry, it's not the first time your side is cold."