Rising Storm || Genshin Impact

34: The Dark Side

srry besties this one took a while soifhsiod

i found a song that describes y/n and aether's relationship really well its called be nice to me - the front bottoms so yee listen to it maybe lol

...

"Aether!" Amber yanked her arm out of the traveler's grasp. "Wha-? What was that? What happened?"

Aether bit the inside of his cheeks, quelling the urge to let the tears welling in his eye sockets loose as he lets his arm fall limp to his sides.

"Forget it." he mumbled, his voice cracking as he left the shop, not checking to see if either Amber or Paimon had followed.

"H-hey! Wait!" Amber yelled as she stumbled to catch up with him.

She huffed and glanced at Paimon expectantly. The pixie widened her eyes and frantically shook her head.

"Don't look at Paimon!" she shrieked. "Aether should be the one to explain!"

The Outrider sighed in defeat. It was no matter. She would get to the bottom of this.

It was her job; for the sake of the Knight's unity, and the sake of her friends.

...

Y/N slumped onto the paper-covered ground. Her eyes tingled, but not because she was upset.

Aether deserved the awakening she compelled him to experience - in Y/N's mind, at least. She had done nothing wrong, and there was no regret lingering behind.

But something about this situation felt so familiar and bitter - like deja-vu - that she could wreck havoc in this entire room.

"You think you're so important, huh?"

A voice she could easily recognize rang in her head, but she couldn't remember who's face it belonged too.

"Just because you're the younger sibling? You think you can do anything?"

Y/N scoffed. "I was just trying to help you!" she retorted. "Why are you getting so mad?"

"Because everybody likes you! You get to go to all these tournaments and fancy programs! This was my one chance to show the one thing I'm actually good at! And you just have to take that away from me too, right?"

"Oh my god! I wasn't trying too-"

"I don't care!" the faceless figure shrieked. "I don't need your help! And you obviously don't need mine! Stop shoving it in my face! I'm so damn tired!"

Just like that, the blurred silhouette faded away.

What did her sister look like again? Y/N couldn't even remember.

It was funny: only when she was stuck away from home - a million light years away from her family - did she truly begin to understand what went wrong. Y/N couldn't recall if they made up or not, but she hoped they did.

If she didn't, wouldn't it make her no better than Aether?

Y/N shivered off the urge to dwell on any thoughts related to home. She had what she came for - a photo of the map - and she should've been celebrating a mission well-accomplished.

She heaved herself onto her feet, brushing off the cloth on her shoulders. The floorboards creaked as she stepped towards the door. The rusty, golden doorknob opened with a click.

Y/N was welcomed by sunlight, warmth, and a stampede of screaming.

"What the-" she sputtered.

Frantic mothers, confused children, angry hunters, and puzzled onlookers: the city plaza was crowded with pedestrians, their panic and impatience sending the streets into chaos.