Spell-Bound (Genshin x Magi! OC)

Chapter 6 - Disrespect

"Was it worth it? Begging D̵̯̣̹̱̳̉̀̀́̆̉̓̓͌̊̃a̸͙̦͔̝̫͂͆͜v̵̡̲̂̈́̏̽̈́͆́̋͝ï̶̧͓̟͚̟̜̈́̾͐̾̏̾̋̂͋̅̈ͅd̴̹̀̓̊͠ to release you, crying on your hands and knees...was it?"

"I-...You know there was no other choice S̴̡̱̬͕̫̆͆͑i̵̛͉͇̣͈͕̳̬̩̋̍͊̀̀̋̍̎͝n̵͉͙͎̾́̈́͐͐͌b̵̛̞̺̻͖̯̳̯̻̩̭̒͂̓͑͊̋͊̑͝ã̵̡̡͈̱̘̫͓͔̝̦̱̀̆͐͜͠͝d̵̬̜̼̂͜..."

"I could have been your choice."

"If not even all seven of your Djinn could break these chains, why would you consider yourself a choice?"

".....Because I thought I was just as important to you, at least enough to..." The man grimaced. "Forget it. We both made our choices."

"..."

"..."

"Thank you."

"For what."

"For everything."

Her memories blurred together, a whole plethora of cheerful voices and bright smiles, but even if she remembered that, the faces and names of these people could not be seen or heard.

Adalia hummed as she sat atop the abandoned structure, watching the nearby boar roam around while fiddling with a small ball of light. It wasn't in her to stay still, but she enjoyed the tranquility of the forest, choosing to release pent up energy through her hands. Though, with this unusual silence, she was bound to hear the thundering footsteps and the incessant chattering of two strangers.

"Paimon sees a lady on top of the roof, is that her?"

Aether looks at where the child points, sight settling on the blonde woman.

He figure looks defeated when he says, "No."

The long, blonde hair was much more different than his sister's short locks and the lady's eyes were a vibrant shade of jade green. From the way she looked to the air she emitted, everything was different, but even in that difference lay some similarities.

Had her eyes been a gold color, she would have looked to be their sibling.

Though, the fact remained she was not Lumine.

"You're nothing like her."

The Magi, who heard this out of context, grew a petty sense of irritation in her heart. She assumed he thought her different than the rumors, rumors that she herself thought were scarily accurate to her description. Even if she hadn't thought this way, she lived her life compared to another person. It simply left her with bad feelings.

"And your disrespect is unwarranted, child. Leave, unless you choose to present yourself with class," Adalia glared. "I shan't be treated as such by a stranger."

Aether immediately shakes his head and waves his hands frantically.

"I'm sorry. We heard rumors of a blonde stranger that wandered around and thought it was perhaps my sister," He apologized. "It was just that..."

She narrowed her eyes even more. "I am not her."

A bit peeved by the stranger's words, she scoffed and stood up.

"Now that you have ruined my mood, compensate me."

Aether blanked out at her unreasonable attitude.

"What?"

"You heard me."

_________________________________

"I had forgotten Mondstadt contained this many....people."

"Paimon quite likes that there's so many people here!"

"Of course an extrovert like you would enjoy such things."

"Hey!" She screeched. "Paimon doesn't think that was meant as a compliment."

With a roll of her eyes, Adalia retorted.

"It was not."

"Paimon's beginning to think those rumors about a "kind mage" were wrong."

"Quiet down, Paimon. It isn't nice to anger someone you've barely met."

Aether tries to placate his companion in fear of provoking the woman any more.

"Your companion is correct, especially when that someone is perfectly capable of killing you."

"H-Hey!"

Though, her response to Paimon's actions didn't help at all.

The boy nervously sweats, hoping that the trip to Diluc's tavern could go by faster.

"Magi, I was wondering....have you seen a girl? Short blonde hair, looks like me, wearing a white dress?"

"Your sibling, correct?"

He nods silently, a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

Adalia contemplates telling him of the girl she saw, riding atop a ruin guard and rushing to someplace, only to see her going back the direction she came with a somber look to her face. But that incessant chattering from the child irritated the magician coupled with the fact she despised being mistaken for another. Adalia herself was an extremely petty person, albeit it was well concealed most of the time.

She didn't feel like playing the nice guy right now.

So as her lips form into the gentle smile she always wore, Adalia answers.

"Yes."

Aether, now fully concentrated on the Magi, almost seemed to shine at the news.

"It's a shame I refuse to share that information with you."

That same gentle smile now appeared sinister to the boy, mocking the despair shown on his face.

"Unless you choose to follow all my given orders like a slave."