Ethereal [discontinued]

引き続き「十七」

Over a week had passed since Y/N disappeared. With no inkling on their whereabouts and no signs of them coming home, Yae, Sara and Ei were growing restless.

Has something happened to them? Were they still angry at them?

... Did they fell out of love?

All these negative thoughts kept circling around their minds as they patiently waited for the fallen angel's return. They wouldn't fall out of love so easily, right?

Whatever the case maybe, they just hope Y/N comes back home safe.

***

Aether sighed as he placed the last missing person poster up. Paimon floated beside him, a worried frown on her face. He was obviously distraught, more so than when he found out about Lumine being the one behind the Abyss Order.

"Don't be sad, Aether! Paimon's confident that they will come back." the pixie comforted.

"Thanks Paimon," his voice was robotic, walking back to Tenshukaku to calm down Y/N's lovers.

The sky was dark, a never-ending storm casting the once clear blue sky. It was a reflection of what Ei was feeling, and if Aether doesn't find his parent soon, he feared for Inazuma's future.

"I'm back..." the three women perked up at the traveler's voice, but soon deflated when they found him with just Paimon.

"Anything new?" Sara asked, rubbing comforting circles on Ei's back who hadn't stopped crying.

"No."

"Oh..."

Miko stroked the archon's disheveled hair, trying to soothe her wife but she wasn't fairing any better herself. "Ei, I'm sure they'll come back to us. It's not healthy if you keep crying yourself dry."

"But what if they don't?" Ei slowly looked up from Sara's chest, eyes red and puffy. "What if something happened to them and we're just sitting here doing jack shit!"

Sara and Miko winced, Ei rarely cursed. She mostly viewed swearing unfit for a noble like herself.

"They will." Aether spoke up, shifting their attention to him. "Y/N storming off isn't anything new to me, once they cooled off they always return. But..."

"But...?" Sara repeated.

"I've never seen them that angry before... the only instance I did was when my original parent got killed."

"They disappeared for years, if it wasn't for my younger twin, Lumine, we were sure they would never return to us." His words didn't help uplift the mood. "Times like this, I really wished Lumine was here with me. She understands Y/N's emotions more than I ever could."

A knock on the living area's door caught their attention. A guard rushed inside, a bright smile on his face. "I have good news, Your Excellency!"

"Don't you know how to read the room?" Paimon said sarcastically.

"Apologies for my rudeness, but this is important!"

"Well, spit it out then!" The pixie egged him hurriedly, crossing her tiny arms.

"I know where the outlander Y/N is!" Everyone in the room perked up, now highly interested. "They're at Higi village, inside a secluded Izakaya."

"There's an open Izakaya in Higi Village?" Sara said surprised. "I thought it was abandoned."

"Apparently it's mostly occupied by nobushis and kairagis, I heard one of them talking about a 'weird oni wannabe' when I was patrolling the area."