Chapter 1
It was a normal Thursday for Aether and his friends, Kazuha and Bennett. They were hanging out and playing the newest hit game in Teyvat city, Genius Invocation TCG.
"Awe man! I lost again! How are you this good, Aether?!" Poor Bennett exclaimed.
"Sorry benny. Sometimes it's just the luck of the draw." Aether apologized as he scratched the back of his head.
"Sometimes luck is like a seed in the wind, sometimes it lands in a place where it can flourish. And sometimes it lands in barren soil." Kazuha commented as he fiddled with a small leaf he had found on his way over.
"Kazuha, sometimes your analogies go right over Benny's head, ya know." Aether flatly said, Kazuha just shrugged.
"OH! Right! Did you guys hear! The Kamisato's are throwing a party this weekend! Do you guys wanna go?"
"The Kamisato's? You mean that rich family that always throws the most extravagant parties?" Aether inquired with the tilt of his head.
"Yeah! I hear its open door this time around! Anyone is welcome!" Benny stated excitedly.
"I say we go. Sounds like a good time, right Aether?" Kazuha suggested.
"Why not. It couldn't hurt right? What day and time is it at Benny?" Aether questioned, already thinking about his outfit.
"This Saturday at 9pm. I guess their parents are outta town. Awe man I'm so excited!" Bennett started bouncing around excitedly.
They continued playing rounds of the TCG for a few more hours before Aether looked at the clock.
"Oh Shit! My sister will be home soon! I told her I would clean the apartment!" Aether started to panic.
"Do you want some help cleaning up?" Kazuha offered with a smile.
"Naw man it's fine. I can do it. But you might wanna leave before she gets back. She has a wicked temper." Aether sweatdropped, thinking about the time she headlocked him for forgetting to do the dishes.
"I suppose you have a point. We wouldn't wanna get caught up in that storm. C'mon benny, let's head out." Kazuha said as he turned around only to see that Bennett had fallen asleep.
"Oh for fucks sake. Again really? How many times is this gonna happen?" Kazuha sighed as he walked over to Bennett and shook him.
"Doesn't look like he's waking anytime soon." Aether chuckled as he started to make his way over to his two friends.
"Here, help me get him on my back. I'll carry him home." Kazuha said as he squatted down to give aether easier access to load Bennett onto his back.
Aether slowly helped maneuver Bennett onto Kazuha's back and situated him comfortably.
"Up we go. I'll see you later Aether. I'll make sure he gets home safe." Kazuha huffed, exasperated at how many times this has happened before.
"Okay. Don't be too hard on him tomorrow though, you know how his home life is." Aether said as he held the door open for Kazuha.
"Yeah I know. So we'll see you on Saturday then?" Kazuha asked and he looked back at Bennetts sleeping face with a small, sad smile.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world. Not even my sister could stop me." Aether chuckled as he waved them goodbye.
"Now. To clean up this apartment before-" Aether didn't get to finish as the door opened up behind him.
"Aether I'm- WHAT THE HELL! I ASKED YOU TO DO ONE THING!" Lumine shouted as she tackled him to the ground.
"FUCK I WAS SO CLOSE!" Aether shouted as his sister proceeded to give him a hard noogie.
Two days later.
Aether stood in front of his long mirror comparing different outfits for the party. He was trying to decide whether to wear his leather bat crop and matching skirt or his cropped mesh turtleneck with a tank underneath and a frilly skirt. Thinking about his leather bat crop top made him think about what his sister would say. He looked at the door hoping she wouldn't come in when he spotted the perfect outfit. It was a black cropped tank with fishnet top that had a matching black pleated skirt that had a rose gold chain hanging around the waist. His eyes lit up and he knew he had to wear it to the party.
Once his outfit had been decided and put on, he moved on to his makeup and hair. He opted for a simple pink smokey eye with winged liner. Under his right eye he placed a small pink heartshaped rhinestone. In his left earlobe he inserted one of his favorite earrings, a black feather with a leather strap attached that was adorned with three metal studs. The cherry on top of the look was a cute rose gold choker with stars hanging down. This particular necklace was a birthday gift from his twin and is very special to him.
Aether looked up at the clock to check the time and noticed that it was twenty to nine. He had just enough time to meet up with Bennett and Kazuha before the party started. He peeked out of his room to check and make sure his sister wasn't around to stop him. Looking around he seemed to be in the clear. As he got to the door, he noticed that her shoes were missing, meaning she was still at work.
As he exited the apartment he looked around the streets to see they were mostly deserted except for a few late night stragglers. He made his way down the street towards the Kamisato Estate. As he went, he noticed that there were more and more missing persons posters up. He recalled the conversation he had with his sister about not going out after dark as it was getting too dangerous.
"She's going to kill me if she finds out." Aether thought as he wondered what his sister would do if she found out.
"YO! AETHER!" Bennett yelled from across the street and waved him over.
"BENNY! KAZUHA!" Aether shouted as he ran over to join his friends and walk to the party together.
"Man, you look amazing tonight Aether!" Bennett exclaimed, eyes sparkling at how good Aether looked.
"Thanks, Benny. You look great too! You look great as well Kazuha!" Aether smiled brightly.
Bennett was wearing a tuxedo t-shirt and a pair of cargo shorts. On his wrist he had a dozen or so colorful friendship bracelets. His hair was slicked back out of his face and he had a new bandage on his cheek. Kazuha chose a red muscle shirt with a black bomber style jacket over the top and a simple pair of blue jeans. He also had on a pair of fingerless gloves.
"Well what are we waiting for! Let's get in there!" Benny shouted with a fist pump.
Aether and Kazuha chuckled as they followed Bennett into the Kamisato estate to join the party. Inside the place was decorated with blue and white snowflake and sakura themed décor. Ranging from fairy lights and paper lanterns with snowflake and sakura motifs to fog machines and a dj both with an attached dance floor. There was even a bar and an olympic sized pool.
Aether, Bennett, and Kazuha stared in awe at how huge the party was as well as the size of the place. They felt so small inside of the Kamisato estate with how grand everything was. Ayaka herself came over and greeted them upon entering.
"Welcome! I hope you enjoy the party tonight. It's my turn to host and my big brother let me choose what we would have tonight." Ayaka smiled politely.
"Your place is so huge! How many jumpty dumptys can fit in here?!" Bennett exclaimed looking around excitedly.
Everyone in the proximity looked at Bennett like he had three heads, including Aether and Kazuha.
"Bennett? Did you fall and hit your head on the way here?" Aether asked, confused.
"No, but I almost got hit by a bus. Why?" Bennett asked, tilting his head to the side.
"Most people don't brag about almost being hit by a bus." Aether just facepalmed at Bennetts response.
"Anyway, I hope you enjoy your time here." Ayaka stuttered nervously as she walked away in shock.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's party!" Bennett shouted, as he bounded off into the party.
Kazuha and Aether just shrugged and shook their heads as they followed him into the party as well. Aether looked back to the door one last time because he thought he felt eyes on him and he saw a short male standing there. When he blinked the man was gone. He rubbed his eyes briefly before shrugging it off and continuing into the party.
Hours passed and the party was slowly winding down. Some people had already headed home while others had passed out from drinking. By now it was three in the morning and Aether realized he should probably get home before his sister decided to check his room looking for him.
"I'll have to sneak in through the window." Aether thought as he approached his two best friends.
"Yo! Kazuha! Benny! I'm going to head home. Are you guys good to stay or did you want to head out with me?" Aether asked as he looked around the room at the different people passed out.
"You can head home if you want. I'm going to stay until Bennett's sugar high wears off. He will be easier to manage then." Kazuha laughed.
"Alright man. I'll see you later." Aether waved goodbye to Kazuha before saying one last thanks to Ayaka before leaving.
As Aether was walking home, he noticed that the streets were completely empty and silent. It was so eerie that Aether slightly picked up his pace. As he was walking he failed to notice the strange pressure in the air. When Aether was just a few blocks away from his apartment, he noticed a boy stumbling a short distance ahead of him. He wasn't sure if he should approach the boy or not. Then he noticed that the boy was bleeding and rushed to make sure he was okay. That was the wrong move. The moment he touched him, the boy sprang to life; grabbing Aether's wrists and pinning him up against a nearby wall. Aether was panicking, he didn't know the boy's intentions. The strange boy brought his head up to look at him and Aether's heart froze. He recognized him from the party but that wasn't all. The guy's eyes were blood red and it didn't look like he was looking at him, but right through him.
The boy in front of him seemed to be oozing a thick black mist from his entire body. Aether froze as the boy leaned closer to his neck. He tried to break the boy's hold on him but the grip was too strong. A scream ripped through Aether as the boy bit down on the vein in his neck, piercing the skin. Aether stopped all movements and slowly became sluggish. He noticed quickly that the boy was drinking his blood and that it didn't hurt anymore. Instead, it felt oddly pleasant, almost euphoric. Aether's head was slowly becoming fuzzy as the boy let go and stumbled backwards panting. As the boy looked up, Aether saw the most beautiful golden eyes in place of the bloody crimson ones from earlier. Then he noticed the terrified look in the guy's eyes. The boy quickly took off and Aether was left trying to get his bearings.
Aether's head felt so light and dizzy. He wasn't sure where he was going anymore. Stumbling, he made his way in a random direction and ended up in an alleyway. Slumping against the wall, he slid to the floor panting. Everything was so hot and blurry. As his last shred of consciousness faded he was able to see three dark figures in front of him.