A landscape - beautiful like that of an impossibly gorgeous painting.
The golden rays masterfully dancing across the red-filled sky.
Laughter reverberates across the land known as Monstadt.
A land full of life...
As the night falls, the happiness slowly faded – a contrast to what the feeling once was.
The festive feeling dissipated as the people went in their homes – the normality of the events that occurred, made a blonde boy's stomach churn as a feeling of something cataclysmic washed over him, however he chose to ignore it, dismissing it as if it was just a mere feeling.
A boy glided from the high-rise of the statue of Barbatos, free falling as the familiar feeling of the wind dragging his body the opposite direction, with a small figure following suite.
With a landing so impossibly graceful and smooth, he swiftly moved through the increasingly lonely streets of the city.
He reminisced of the travels he and the small figure went through together.
The travels were filled with laughter, cheerfulness, and hope.
The traveler, also known as Aether hoped that this atmosphere and feeling would last forever.
...
He gazed upon the endless expanses of the night sky, perhaps looking for his sister lost in Celestia?
He could not seem to find a reason to rest and close his eyes to dream about his sister's return, nor does he have the desire to. To pass the time, he sat atop a wall with lush vegetations as he waited for this night to end while his companion known as Paimon slept on his lap, peaceful and undisturbed.
The time seemed to pass by like a breeze. There he witnessed the darkness of the night being overlapped by the glimmering rays of the sun rising. He turned his attention towards his sleeping companion who he smiled at.
"It is time to wake up, Paimon." he muttered gently to the girl's ear.
"Ugh, Paimon demands for more sleep!" she demanded, slamming her small fist against his experienced body, a gesture that he was not bothered at because that gesture was what he expected.
He could only sigh softly.
Leaving the girl with no choice, he gently carried his sleeping companion atop his shoulders.
"Time to go! Hold on tight!" He exclaimed, but that only seemed to fuel the little girl with fear, her eyes snapping open as her body started to shake uncontrollably.
"No! Paimon will do so herself!"
Her reaction was quite humorous as Aether himself was unable to hold in a chuckle.
"What is so funny!? Paimon swears, that if she becomes taller, she will beat the living day lights out of you!" the girl screamed with unbridled fury.
"Fine, fine. But you must be taller first before you do, right?" He smirked to which the girl fumed at.
The little girl floated in the air, angered.
"See? You are so easily triggered!" He teased even further.
"Stop it!" she fumed as she, with her full power, delivered a strike to his face, only to feel pain as her fists seemingly hit a metal ore.
"Ow! Ow!" she hissed in pain, blowing air towards her swelling fists.
"Come on! Commissions register as early as four in the morning!"
"Fine! Hmph!" she pouted, crossing her arms rather angrily.
"Let's go, I do not want any delays!"
"Whatever..." the girl sighed as she was defeated. Not physically, but mentally.
With gracefulness he was able to land at the streets quietly, swiftly running through the familiar infrastructures, perceived as a blur to the untrained eye as he appeared almost instantaneously at his desired destination: The Reception of Adventure's guild.
He was met with a familiar face, a face that he had grown accustomed to.
She was a girl with black hair only shy of her neck, gray eyes and was wearing a white dress with a black corset, green accents, and a red bow on the back.
This girl is known as Katheryne, the Receptionist of the Adventure's Guild.
"Ad astra abyssosque! Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild, Traveler! What can I do for you?" she asked with the same cheerful tone she always had.
"Any commissions me and my companion, can do?" He asked as he gestured to the little floating girl who catches up, albeit ragged and tired.
"Hm, there seems to be a slime infestation near Dawn winery..." she muttered.
"And...?"
"And a hilichurl infestation near Dragon spine." she finished.
"Huh? Am I having hearing problems? The average commissions that I do everyday is six, why is it two today?" He asked, confused.
"There seems to be barely any chaos caused by hilichurls today or any other creatures for that matter. Strange indeed, but nevertheless this is what you are given, Traveler." She smiled.
"I see. Well then, I will accept the commissions..." He muttered, defeated,
"If you succeed, you would be given about nine thousand mora, about a pound of crystal ore and a pound of electro slime residue. Do you have any concerns, Traveler?" She asked.
"Other than only having two commissions to do, none." He responded, sighing.
"Then, have a safe travel and be careful, Traveler!"
Thankful for the girl's wish of farewell, he turned his attention towards his companion, with a challenging smirk plastered in his face.
"Whoever reaches there first would get the Sticky Honey Roast! Ready!?"
Hearing the challenge, the girl smirked back mischievously.
"Paimon can do this all day! Your challenge is accepted!"
"Alright then..."
"Three..."
"Two..."
"One...!"
"Go!"
He swiftly ran out of the city while the girl flew as fast as she could, not wanting to be left behind.
In the end, it was obvious who won...
"Ugh! You won again this time!"
He chuckled wholeheartedly.
"I will still buy the both of us that meal so do not worry! Do you really think I will let you: my precious friend starve?" He asked with a smile.
The girl blushed as she pouted.
But unfortunately, their happy go lucky attitude did not last long.
Before they could make the slightest of movements, time seemed to halt to a complete stop, it was as if the very concept of it ceased to exist. Then came after that is a tremor, a tremor so strong that it shook the entirety of the lands, caused by what they could describe as a "crack" in the sky.
"What the-"
But what is strange is that the crack was familiar in nature to the rifts that he and his sister used to inflict upon the space – time continuum so that they could travel through worlds as they desired.
However, this one brought upon one of the most corrupted feelings he had ever felt.
It made him suffocate, as if it was the exact opposite of his nature.
The look of horror in his face, as he realized; It was a form of energy that he and his sister had encountered before they were transported in this world. A force of nature, one that he heard was willing to destroy entire space – time continuums that serve as the boundary in each world, just to inflict the end of humankind. He already knew its existence, but not once had he thought of the possibility that the day would come.
"Honkai..." he muttered quietly but loud enough for his companion to hear. Strangely the girl did not react at all, it was as if she knew it already, but he dismissed this as his only goal now was to run towards the most probable trajectory of mass collateral damage but before the two could move, a concentrated pillar of energy shot out from the rift.
At that very moment, the inhabitants of Monstadt, including the acquaintances and friends they made along the way, already had their grim fates sealed, but he could not help but scream desperately.
"No!"
He could only reach out his hand in a futile and desperate attempt to reach out...
For a city that no longer exists.
Tears of regret and anger welled up in his emotionless – dead eyes as his body gave way.
"Watch out!" The girl warned of the impending attack.
For him it was muffled, he was not able to hear it properly but knew her implication.
But he did not care, he did not listen.
He could only emotionlessly turn his towards the concentrated energy heading towards him.
He already accepted his fate because he knew...
That he deserved this fate...
"So long, Paimon..."