𝘿𝙄𝙑𝙄𝙉𝙀 | genshin

四

           It was just like always. Run. Run away from a nightmare, get caught up in a fight between two serpents- Gods, and watch the other one fall. Its pained cries and screeches always seemed to echo throughout the void, haunting you of its unwanted past. But this time was different, the dying white dragon was laying in the center of an illusioned forest. An oasis of flowers and canopies, and a magnificent waterfall.

"Was it worth it?" you asked it, but it didn't answer, only turning away from you as it coiled its slender body like a snake. Having seen the bloody scene time and time again, you were beginning to get used to it; it happened almost every time you fell asleep in this distorted world.. wherever you are.

"Why am I here?" you asked again, but there was only silence. Those were the questions you asked it almost every time it came to visit you, but all it seemed to do was lay in your presence. It shifted a little, before you were greeted by its one good eye, slit focusing solely on your form. You wait patiently, after all, you did have the time. You do not remember, because every time you woke up, you had forgotten what had happened.

Only questions, never answers.

It was a routine that was driving you insane, leaving you to isolation as your mind tried to think, to realize. You were stuck here, for a very long time. As it had told you in the beginning before you fell asleep. "I'm scared." you admit, taking in a sharp breath, "There's no one.. to talk to. I feel alone, confused.

I want to go home.."

"Home. You are home," it snarled, raising its face to meet yours, all the while baring its fangs. You could see the ruined face of the majestic beast. "Home ruined me, destroyed the peace and order I bestowed upon the mortals. Without me, the world has turned into chaos, a wasteland of what was once mine. We will get the revenge we deserve soon enough, but not until the time is right. For now, I am to keep you safe. You will restore the peace, nothing more."

With that, your eyes closed. The memories of the past conversation forgotten, and you were running away from the wreckage and destruction from the same nightmare again.

"Mondstadt is so pretty!" you declare in astonishment, waving your free hand around while the four of you make your way to the towering walls of the city. You were feet away from the city, but you couldn't help but marvel at the breathtaking sights of the crafter bridge and the glimpse of the inside of the city.

"[NAME]! Over here!" Paimon yells over the top of her lungs. Aether and Paimon stood by a woman with a blazing campfire, a smoldering pot on top of the fire, with boiling hot water. Amber waves at them, telling them that she was going to wait by the entrance to the city.

The other traveler smiles at them kindly, stirring a spoon through the pot. You approached them right after you took another glimpse of Mondstadt, helping yourself down a low jump. "Oh? Are you a traveler too?" the woman asks, and you nod. You could see her smile grow bigger as she looks at you then at Aether, also glancing at Paimon. "Ah! I see! I don't see couples traveling often, and to bring your child too."

"H- hey, wait a minute!" the flying entity blushes in embarrassment, turning into a light shade of pink, "Aether and [NAME] isn't Paimon's parents.. Paimon's their travel buddy!" you only continue to nod, the tips of your ears hot and red.

"You got it all wrong, miss," Aether's eyes twinkle with mirth. It was rather comical for him, and did not find it as offending as he thought.