"That world sucked..." I groaned as the Starseekers brought me back to the cold familiarity of outer space, Lumine giggling to herself as she rose with me.
"It wasn't that bad..." He's heard those words from her longer than the two of them would like to admit, having done this cycle countless times.
Arrive at a new world, spend time there, get to know its inhabitants, but still leave in the end, each and every one they visited was still missing something.
To give these lost Travellers a home.
"Yeah, you're right... Still, I couldn't feel it." The two left this world earlier than usual, there was also that issue that neither of them wanted to address. They usually gave each world two years at the very least before leaving, but they didn't even get to one this time around.
"Neither could I, don't worry." She smiled, a ray of light to brighten his day, it never failed.
The two fell into a comfortable silence, millennia of searching the universe had given both of them insight into the other, something he greatly appreciated.
At first, the usual trains of thought came as easily as muscle memory, perhaps it was at that point..
What's the next world going to be like?
Is it the one?
Why would it be so?
Then, irregular ideas formed, a product of his paranoia, or maybe the numbness that spread through him the longer they lived? Perhaps both.
How many worlds are left?
What if we never find a home?
Or... we die.
Death seemed laughable to Aether at first, before their search, when he was still a child, fascinated by the unrealistic and bored by the realistic.
Then, they heard it for the first time, a world dying. Recalling the event still terrified him.
"There's another!" His descension to fear was pulled back out by Lumine's exclamation, but the excitement he usually felt was still missing.
The planet before them looked no different from the others before it, but it wouldn't stop the two of them from going down there.
Actual intervention by someone probably would, though.
Sound left his ears as blinding light stood between the Travellers and the world, and from that light came a woman.
She was barefoot, bandages wound up her legs all the way to the waistline, where it looked like stars were trapped, their life cut short. Metallic trinkets could be seen here and there, what he thought was a bodice had been delicately woven, alternating between black and white, two halves to become whole.
Her eyes glowed with the brilliance of a comet, yet also displayed the coldness of one. Their ivory hair flowed freely in the vacuum of space, a white comet.
"Who are you?!" My sister demanded, more than agitated at this point. Something like this has never happened before, the idea of getting into a fight before arriving at a world had never occurred to the two of them.
"The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles." The voice that answered had everything it needed to give, yet nothing at the same time.
"The arrogation of mankind ends here." From the light behind the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, poured out a stream of infinity, shaping themselves to the simple shape of a cube, their numbers too many to be even estimated.
Immediately after their bold declaration, Aether was almost blindsided, the projectile that soared past him leaving the smallest of cuts, the first of many to come. Unfazed, their swords appeared in their hands like they always did, reflecting their owners' determination.
I can't lose focus.
Aether and Lumine had never felt so cornered in their time travelling across space.
Their enemy was arrogant, so sure of herself, it made him think she knew that the battle was already won, and grow careless. He only briefly considered it that was because that she wouldn't show any weakness at all.
From what he first saw of the strange stones the God commanded, a battle of absolute chaos was what he was imagining, not the complete opposite.
The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles didn't mindlessly send everything she had their way, she sent them in specific portions, always keeping some by her side for reserve, the ones that came at the twins were coordinated well. A loss seemed inevitable, strikes aimed at their most vital parts were often, too many hits were taken, and she stood a good distance away from them, portals next to her at the ready in case they got too close.
A quick glance at Lumine showed that she wasn't faring any better, her pristine white attire that she so diligently kept neat was stained with red blood all over, something had to be done.
And they both knew it.
Her vision was a mess of blurry colors, their breathing ragged, arms shaky. Lumine could tell he was the same way too.
If this battle were to be the Travellers' end, she realized that her heart wouldn't have any qualms at all.
The home they endlessly scoured for, she still didn't know if it was out there.
But the more Lumine stopped to think, the less that supposed paradise held value to her.
Why?
The life the twins lived began to involuntarily flash before her eyes, there was no home in these, but during those times, she didn't care.
There wasn't any way to suspend these treasured memories in time, and so they went on, never stopping.
What did they all have in common?
Interacting with people, laughing with them, fighting alongside them, saying goodbye... It left a pang of dissapointment in her heart whenever they left, was it because the world wasn't the one?
The gentle plains, the howling cliffs, shimmering azure oceans, silent jungles of adventure, noisy- yet beautiful cities, barren lands of ash and fire, and the fierce frostbite of the mountains, were those it?
But even during moments without them, that same warmth could be felt, gently nudging her to keep going, until they found a home, but instead she found an answer.
I see.
With a battle cry that shook the heavens, she rushed the Goddess, ready for everything that might be thrown her way.
"Useless." More cubes poured out of her palm, forming an innumerable amount of thorns, blocking the light of whatever stars could reach us.
With a snap of their fingers, they zoomed forward at once, converging at a single point in space, Lumine.
A swerve to the right was proven to be pointless, they immediately altered their course and continued.
There was only one thing left to do.
Sorry, Aether.
My wings folded, eventually making me decelerate, I was a sitting duck.
My stance shifted, there was no way to even lay a finger on the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles in her situation.
He could.
The sword was poised to deflect as many as possible, giving what little comfort she needed to steel her nerves for what comes next.
The Travellers had the innate ability to absorb energy from the stars, allowing them to escape the crumbling wasteland that was once their home.
Only a fraction of said energy that she currently held was needed to hop across planets, and the torches of hope that were immobile in what was once darkness always gave them more than they used.
And she was draining her planet sized reserves as much as possible, Lumine's movements quickened, and the sword in her hand shone brighter than any star, any light. For the time being, the torch was in her hands.
Bring it on.
He understood what Lumine wanted him to do, and had already begun drawing out everything he had, just as she was doing, to move forward.
Even so, watching the exchange between the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles and his sister was absolutely killing him, urging Aether to hurry.
But alongside his panic, there was confusion, an attack this reckless would likely work, but the cost...
Lumine...
With each strike, the light she emitted slightly dimmed, losing more than she was gaining in the fight. But even so, he had never seen her fight with such zeal, almost like...
You won't leave me too, right?
A tendril managed to breach the perfect defense, impaling my sister through the abdomen, yet no blood was spilled.
I watched as their legs went limp, the sword left a weakening grasp, my chest constricted, bile was rising up my throat, but something had to be done.
Her eyes met mine, an entire universe's worth of adventures with Lumine relayed her message to me, clear as glass.
Go.
And go I did, light couldn't keep up as my wings released energy gathered from countless stars, the God couldn't react at all.
The blades carried by the Travellers were only meant for self defense, and the few exceptions where it took life were against beasts, alive, but not capable of complex thoughts and emotion.
For the first time, it didn't preserve a life like his, the sword took it.
The weapon cleanly pierced their heart, yet when I pulled it out, nothing stained the pristine gold of it's edges.
The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles shrieked, her body folding in on itself gruesomely, each unnerving twitch accompanied by a crunch, the bones unable to take the strain.
"No! I h-haven't failed yet! plea-" The pleas were ignored by whoever brought this punishment, the horrific sight climaxing with an explosion of orange light.
The relief of a close victory vanished along with the Goddess that stood in their way, leaving shock in its place instead. He did that.
Lumine!
Aether frantically looked in every direction possible, expecting to see his sister alive and well. Maybe he'd even scold her instead of the other way around.
She wasn't there.
"Lumine?"
No.
The world gave no answer, the stars dimmed, turning a blind eye to my plight. Aether's vision blurred, the chill that covered his eyes quickly confirmed to be tears.
A lump formed in my throat, the pain seemingly increased a hundred fold for no apparent reason, it was all my mind could process in the moment, he needed a distraction.
I spotted a shape through the torrent, and desperately grabbed onto it, a horrible mistake.
Hand met the box, cold as the vacuum of space, and so did the God meet his mind.
It hurts.
The voice spread across the body, the sensation of frostbite sent my mind panicking, he felt his body lurch.
Not yet.
The sword I had let go of in my grief was shedding golden light, the metal becoming dull and grey, disappearing as it returned to nothingness, waiting for the day it would be unsheathed again.
I'll be free from them, free from this pain.
My back erupted in agony, like a bird that lost it's wings, I felt myself fall faster.
This hurts for you too, right?
Aether's free hand felt what he thought was ice, immediately taking hold of it in a desperate attempt to stay awake.
Why did you keep going forward, in this terrifying infinity?
His eyelids drooped in exhaustion, filling the world with darkness as I fell from the heavens.
Why feel anything at all, if it only hurts?
The sky was wrong.
She should be seeing the stars, sprinkled across the canvas far above her while lightning gave a clearer image for beautiful, yet fleeting moment.
Not like how it was now. Light that even she could barely handle ran rampant from something up there, her people were likely in a state of panic, if they could see at all.
To their right, the elderly man she had been chatting with hid behind her from the terrifying occurrence, all while she did her best to comfort him, whispering soothing words that had some effect, but not much.
Words weren't as convincing as what a person's eyes showed them, she herself was a firm believer in that, whether it was her more... personal projects or an issue that affected others, appearances can be as deceiving as they are truthful.
Behind her, someone was running towards them, the sound was familiar, she'd heard it many times during the war, before her opponents were split in two before even lightning could strike.
"Makoto." Raiden Ei called out to the Electro Archon, coming to a stop.
"Wait, Ei." I brought up a finger to catch my sister's attention, letting both of them witness what happened next.
The light began to grow more bearable for the twin Gods, and in some areas, there wasn't any at all, devoured by the darkness of the night.
Ten whole minutes of tense silence later, the irregularity disappeared, as quick as it had exploded into the world.
A sigh escaped both of their lips, the worries that built up in that time fizzled out, perhaps a bit too soon for that.
Before Raiden Makoto could blink, another wave of energy came, too bright for even them to handle without preparation, but as quickly as it came, it left them all.
...What?
And right after that, the skies fell down upon Inazuma. The air turned red as a ball of fire and stardust broke through the clouds, it reminded the Electro Archon of a Sunsettia falling from a tree.
Naturally, this was much, much more dangerous than a fruit, the sakura petals that lay near her feet shriveled up from the sweltering heat, even though the meteor was essentially an entire island away.
The landing itself had been the antithesis of elegance, gouging out a deep gash in the terrain, and then came the shockwave, knocking both Gods back a step and uprooting the tree right next to Makoto, drawing a look of pity from the woman.
"Let's go." I said to Ei, receiving a nod as she kept her distance from me as we made our way to the crash site.
A light that lit up the entire world, and the fall of a star before its time, Raiden Makoto needed answers for the citizens, and she intended to get them.
The night's cold was no match for the brute force of the impact, drawing beads of sweat from the Doushin that accompanied Makoto.
Their response was quick, as expected, the entire crash zone was surrounded and any nearby civilians were evacuated. But the problem was that nothing they had at hand could withstand the ludicrous temperatures at the center.
Except for Gods, and to the Inazuma Populace, there was only one, swapping out with Ei in such an open area is impossible, and doing so in the mysterious land of smoke and ash in front of her would be easily spotted, too.
For a moment, she considered preparing the Musou Isshin, but discarded the thought immediately. It was a weapon created for peace, and will continue to be so, even if it was never to be drawn.
Calming her nerves, Raiden Makoto stepped into the fire, almost literally.
She could hear sizzling coming from nearly every part of her, the silk and wood unable to handle the intensity.
With this much energy... a Pyro Hypostasis will surely manifest in several hundred years. The Goddess internally mused, looking for anything in the smoke.
There.
A limp figure in the mist, uncaring of the ashes falling around them, likely unconscious.
She instantly grabbed hold of them and started to drag the stranger out, taking note of the fabric that comprised his attire, not affected by the environment at all.
Now that Makoto had a closer look, she still couldn't see their appearance, but could make out a liquid dripping from their body, presumably blood.
Need to hurry...
Her pace quickened, and after spending minute of aimlessly walking in a straight line, made it back to the edge of the crater, greeted by concerned Doushin, but paid no mind as she laid the man out on the ground.
Now that she could get a good look at him, Makoto found herself unable to relate his features, or his attire to any nation.
The man's blonde hair was tied back in a braid, extending to just below his spine, which was covered by a simple, yet ominously vantablack fabric, eating all the light. Pearly white gems were integrated into his gloves, shoes, pauldrons, and even earring, thought it didn't serve any practical use in her eyes. The most standout part of him was the scarf tightly wound around their neck, white interlaced with shimmering gold, like a star was used to weave the wondrous cloth. His hand tightly clutched something hidden in their palm, gripping so tightly blood began dripping out, although minor compared to the stains across the rest of his body.
"Tend to his wounds, guards are to keep surveillance on him at all times." I ordered, dispersing the Doushin, who picked the stranger up and onto a stretcher, taking him away. She hated speaking in a way that resembled a tyrant would do so to their subjects, but the Electro Archon was needed.
It's also why Ei was her go-to for these kinds of conversations, who was much better at that manner of talk, her sister still had their cute moments though.
Raiden Makoto sighed, rubbing at her temple, thunder struck in response to their God's irritation.
This is barely an answer...
The following days were understandably busy, trying to contain any fires the meteor started, ensuring the citizens that the situation was under control, all while checking in on the condition of the outlander, who still hadn't awoken.
What she would give to be drinking with Rex Lapis right now...
Still, the unchanging injuries the stranger recieved was concerning, showing no signs of healing, even with the Kitsune Saiguu's assistance, who Ei personally recommended.
Healing...
There was something else Raiden Makoto could try, and would give insight into who this man really was.
"Ei." Her sister was there in an instant, not even a sound coming from the wooden floor, as if Raiden Ei had simply teleported.
"Tell them to bring him to Ritou, we'll try the statue." And like before, she was already gone, leaving Makoto to rush towards her workshop alone.
It was originally made for the sole purpose of recreating the Musou Isshin, which quickly failed. After a few years of being abandoned, it was dusted off and used for projects deemed less ambitious by the Archon.
Much like the dull sphere she locked in on, about as large as her hand, it was the closest thing to an actual Statue of the Seven anyone made themselves. The inability to collect and process unrefined elemental energy nearby for its own use usually meant it could only be used once or twice after leeching of an actual Statue.
Securing the object, I called out to the sky, receiving an answer in the form of storm clouds congregating above me, smiting me with perfect accuracy, but it did no harm. Instead, Raiden Makoto found herself at the Statue of the Seven situated at Ritou, the Doushin could be seen approaching at a distance, carrying him along.
The Statue seemed to glow brighter in anticipation, fascinated by the appearance of something foreign. The soldiers set him down on the stone bricks before the divine creation, backing up immediately, not that she could blame them.
At a rate Makoto had never seen before, the Statue began to absorb the inert elemental energy in the air into itself, then converted the gathered power into tiny beads of light it could use once it has enough.
With a pulse of pure white it had never unleashed at such a magnitude before, the wary Doushin in the area were blinded by the light, while the Archon and her hidden sister watched in wonder as the world around them seemed to grow much faster.
The grass, trimmed to perfection by the residents had sprung up to reach her hands, while the air carried small dots of life that scattered and ventured out to the world beyond the islands of Inazuma, but the oceans were not in range of the phenomenon, much to Makoto's dissapointment.
The tall grass fell to the grand in a flash of steel, revealing the confused guards who started to clear the area, large swathes of foliage disappeared with each swing.
She made her way to the resting outlander, noting a full recovery of his injuries, along with the outfit he wore, how strange.
But the Statue of the Seven wasn't done just yet, clouds of darkness formed above them, striking the monument and seemingly charging it, the usual blue it glowed with replaced with an unstable violet, reaching out to the plants in the area, frying the unlucky lifeforms.
Pure Electro energy sluggishly left the Statue, trailing out into a singular, lengthy tendril that moved like a liquid with the viscosity of honey, but the direction and its destination was clear as day: Him.
Raiden Makoto felt like she had to stop the anomaly, take command of the lightning that was so adamant to assist this stranger in anyway possible, but curiosity overwhelmed everything else in her thoughts, before long, the thunder noodle found its target, making contact with the man and disappearing in a violet flash.
The effect was immediate, the jewels that were integrated into his attire glowed purple, this stranger tore a hole in her nation, and could now harness Electro without a vision.
The longer she pondered on the extraordinary things he could do, the more her intrigue grew, but so did her cautiousnes. Powers like the light in the sky and manipulating the elements usually drew out the worst in people.
Time to find out.
Even in the depths of his mind, solace wasn't something Aether could find, no matter what world they were on. But knowing that he wasn't feeling something meant that it had been felt before, but where? When? Why?
There weren't any answers here, only questions, and Lumine wasn't here either, she never was. Only despair that had latched onto him since that day, thousands of years ago.
Why feel anything at all, if it only hurts?
That God said it to Aether, he was furious, if their body would actually respond to any of his commands, then he'd tear his own mind a new one.
But the longer the words echoed around him, the colder he felt, she was right. He'd spent pretty much his entire life hoping, clawing at the invisible barriers of fate with all his might to find that place.
Lumine said she'd take him there, now they were gone too.
Even so, there were no tears to be shed, no anguish to release at the world, a fire to light the way, just nothing. The cold wasn't there, either.
"No, don't..." A voice came from within, but it wasn't his, it was...
"Lumine?" Hearing her again was enough to jumpstart his body, which was covered by... a blanket?
The ground was soft too, only after Aether could see properly again did he realize that it wasn't ground, the sky wasn't visible either, something that he was both grateful and annoyed at.
They were in a bed, and quite a luxurious one at that, the sheets that he could now properly identify as silk shimmered kindly in the glow of a nearby candle, lit recently, judging by the length it still had.
He wasn't alone, but whoever was behind this likely didn't have malicious intent, yet it was still taking a risk, the same risk...
"I'm glad, then..." The voice came again, grabbing my heart and wrenching it apart, the weight of everything finally hit him, and he wasn't sure if he could take it.
Aether wailed with everything he had, the sound was grating, ugly, like steel screaming past steel as swords clashed, unfit for the serene household he found himself in, but the shame and his surroundings didn't matter.
He couldn't feel the stars anymore, much like how they abandoned so many others before him, he was a fool to think things could be different. This world now served as both his prison and final destination.
The candle wax dripped onto his hand, he'd knocked it over at some point, leaving him alone in the dark, but the pain didn't even begin to register in the scared boy's mind.
Powerless, in an entirely new world that for all he knew, had not taken kindly to their presence. For the first time since they and many others began the search, he was alone.
His sword wasn't very appealing to summon at the moment, the grotesque memory of what it did to the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles would likely haunt him forever, no matter what. The wings that carried everyone to the stars were ripped away, the lone Traveller was caged.
Darkness began its prowl along his peripheral vision, frankly, if he fell asleep now, it was likely he'd never want to wake up.
Then there it was, a gentle touch, sending goosebumps pulsing through his skin, ignoring clothes, into their very bones, a lightning strike to break him from the trance he inflicted upon himself, but nothing more.
The source was a woman with flowing violent hair, free from all, she wore a silken outfit that he didn't recognize, even with thousands of worlds under his belt. The air around her shimmered, ecstatic, but not dangerous, the aura they gave off reminded him of...
"The arrogation of mankind ends here."
Fear took control of everything as I pathetically scuttle away from her, remembering that he was in a bed a second too late, the sensation of free falling the twins used to relish only served to warn him of the pain he was about to feel.
False stars danced in his eyes once the world regained the color it lost during the impact, taunting him, goading him to lash out, to do anything.
"Are you okay?" A new voice came to his left, the... God, kneeling down and inspecting his head for any injuries, even after he freaked himself out after seeing her ten seconds ago.
No, I'm not okay. Aether laughed bitterly on the inside, he probably wouldn't be for the rest of his life, if all the events that lead to this moment were any indication.
The Traveller couldn't bring himself to say those words out loud, though, she actually was concerned for his well being, the worry in her eyes was clear for all to see, not there was anyone else.
"Where... am I?" The typical question they asked whenever the duo arrived at a new world, nothing wrong with something that worked more often than not.
"Inazuma." So the world was named Inazuma, he's heard worse.
"World? No, Inazuma is the name of the nation, we're just one of seven in Teyvat." His heart skipped a few beats after hearing those words, they rarely ever revealed their true selves so early, and especially not due to accidently voicing their own thoughts out loud.
It still hurt, even if he didn't directly think of her, the invisible battering ram still mercilessly crashed into his heart. Every. Single. Time.
If it hurt this much in the two minutes he's been awake, surviving even a year would be a daunting task. Giving up was starting to look really appealing, even more so than before.
The Lady of Lightning wouldn't let him, though, bringing out a glowing azure orb and pressing it to his forehead, washing away all the negativity building up inside of him.
The glow that the perfect sphere spread through the room weakened dramatically after that, he worried briefly if something went wrong, but the satisfied smile of relief she gave him curbstomped it before the grip tightened around his heart again.
Aether felt useless, not even being able to smile back, not that he physically couldn't, he just didn't feel like doing anything, not even what she's done for him so far could change that.
"Do you remember your name?" That didn't matter to her, not shying away from the ice cold wall that was Aether, however, he could at least answer this question.
"...Aether." He'd already given the lady an idea of what Aether was, a name would be harmless in comparison.
"Do you know how you arrived here?" She didn't shy away from asking difficult questions either.
"...A God." Was all he could say.
"A God?"
"Long white hair, yellow eyes." There was an unmistakable panic in her eyes when he said the first part, did she know who did it?
"I fell unconscious after the fight." It was getting easier to speak of it already, omitting some of the finer details would be safer, until Aether was sure of their intentions.
...There was also her.
"So you don't remember how you ended up here... would you like to know?" No reason to refuse, so I took the chance.
"It was quite terrifying, honestly. One minute I'm drinking tea with a friend, the next it was like another sun appeared, then it fell down on us, I found you there." She wasn't going to ask about what happened to cause such a thing to occur?
"...I see."
"But it wasn't done yet, most methods of treatment proved useless on you, so I had to resort to more... peculiar means, you're probably aware of the side effects, right?" Now that was a little terrifying to hear, what did they do to him?
Side effects?
He didn't feel anything amiss in his body, save for the missing Starlight that had always pulsed through him. The five senses that everyone had didn't feel wrong, either, he felt the bedsheets, heard her voice, he could smell the familiar scent of trees, no matter how alien they were to him, so his taste buds were at least functioning. The room they were in didn't look strange, either, fire was fire, the wood plain as usual, the air crackled with electricity, a result of the
God.
Electricity?
He blinked, but nothing changed.
Aether could see the energies, running wild but dormant simultaneously, closer inspection of the fire revealed a bright red aura, almost as bright as the flame itself. Miniscule green particles floated away from the wooden planks, even the bed frame, a lot like fireflies. Did those exist here too?
"You can see them, correct?" The violet-haired woman asked, receiving a nod in return.
"There should be one more, I'm sure you can figure it out." Was she challenging him? There wasn't a challenge harder than the path he chose, on that day.
There was something off about the electric currents that circled the room, particularly her, a servant at the God's beck and call. Some of the currents did the same to him, so he gave it a try.
Focusing on the energy that orbited Aether, he called upon them, and they answered. Rushing towards him and being absorbed by his body, a new sensation filled the man, similar to starlight.
The wondrous moment was cut short by her clapping, though it didn't bother him in the slightest.
"Well done!" The smile was warm, but still so wrong, undeserving. He might as well get the largest hurdle out of the way.
"Why are you helping me?" His voice cracked halfway through, he was an enigma to her, for all she knew, he could be a power hungry warlord from outer space, as absurd as it may be. Paranoia was at the forefront whenever those he knew met something unknown, particularly him and Lumine.
That last part was wrong, Lumine was never the type to pull out their weapon first, she sought more passive options first. Much like...
"Do I need a reason?" This person, who had just met him, they didn't even know each other's names.
"What?"
"Come with me, can you walk?" It was only once she extended an arm towards him did he realize that the position he was in was not a comfortable one, but the pain never came.
His legs wobbled a little, so Aether hesitantly grabbed her hand, receiving that same in return.
"I'm Raiden Makoto, nice to meet you."
"...I'm Aether." There was no way he could not say it now.
"Well, Aether, let me show you."
Raiden Makoto dragged him out of the room with superhuman strength, through a hallway, and out into a balcony.
A simple set of a table and two chairs lay underneath a gorgeous tree of pink, showering the simple furniture with leaves that almost glimmered like crystals with the electrifying power in the air.
Beyond it, was a modestly sized city, likely housing thousands of people at most, it was nothing compared to ones he's seen that contained billions, but the architecture more than made up for its size problems.
"Take a seat." Pouring a green liquid in a cup, she sat and looked at me expectantly.
She won't stop, huh.
Was it respect, intimidation, or amusement he felt? Whatever it was, it drove him to follow her.
I took one cup and eyed it suspiciously before downing it all in one go, if the drink was poison, better to die faster than suffer longer, although Lumine always seemed to oppose this idea.
Aether was pleasantly surprised to find it to be refreshing, canceling out that hammer aimed at his heart before he could even notice.
"How's your eyesight?" The God asked.
"Decent."
"Decent enough, hopefully..." She trailed off, pointing at a building at the outskirts of the city.
"Do you see the one with the red roof?" Aether didn't want to sound boastful, hence the mediocre answer, but his eyesight was probably some of the best anyone had, able to look at stars directly, on top of searching the pitch black net of space for worlds. The unique color of the aforementioned roof made finding her target three times faster.
Around the house, a young man lugged wooden crates inside, his movement quick and efficient, he gave off the aura of someone who'd never let anything else get in the way of work.
But an elderly woman passed by, and he instantly took a pause to give her a violet fruit he'd never seen before, judging by the lady's body movement, she wasn't expecting it either.
"That's Naganohara fireworks, maybe you'll see one of their creations sooner or later." Raiden Makoto's voice was full of fondness for the people below them, and he could see it in her eyes too, almost as if a star was born.
"Over there is Anemoma smithy," Raiden Makoto guided his vision to a beacon for smoke before tilting her head, "Oh my, is that a Kaedehara?" Next to a furnace, two men were having a chat, one bulky and panting heavily, while the other somehow took hold of the winds to cool down his friend, all the while discussing something.
"Moving on, closer here is the Inazuma Tri - Commissions, they're recent, but effective." Three enormous buildings surrounded the courtyard of what he assumed to be a palace, from one came out a man with hair of ice, and another a... someone, with jet the jet black wings of a raven protruding from their back, how could he describe them properly without sounding like a jerk?
The two partook in an archery competition against each other, catching the attention of the soldiers clad in purple armor standing by. Together, they watched as arrow after arrow split the previous one in two, dead in the center each time.
"Why show me this?" I pried my eyes away from them and turned to Raiden Makoto, still that smile of serenity was there.
"Did these people need a reason?"
"There has to be a motive..."
"Helping someone else out is a motive, Aether." She pointed out.
"Right..."
"Considering what you do for a living, it's fair to say you've done the same before, no?" It didn't take a psychic to feel the smugness coming from her smirk.
"The cat's out of the bag..." Aether sighed, knowing it was his fault for slipping up in the first place."
"So you admit I'm right."
"So what if you are? I helped people out of the good of my heart, others to further my own goals, but I can't even help myself! I don't know where to start, how to continue, how to move forward..."
...Without her.
"Inazuma wasn't built on hard work alone, the people came together through trust, bonds, that alone is a reason."
"If someone's hurting, help them. If you're hurting, let someone help you, it can be as simple as you want it to be, the opposite also applies, which side are you on?" Makoto stated, like what she said was the fundamental truth of this world, to this lost Traveller, it was the closest thing he had to one.
Those words hurt in a good way, drawing a hearty laugh from the core of my soul, the first time I'd laughed since arriving, and there would be another first. With that painful joy came a torrent of despair, gushing from his eyes and staining the sakura petals around him with his tears, but even so, as long as there was someone to help, he'd go through all the pain in the universe, like Aether and Lumine did for each other, now his soul was in the hands of this ruler of Lightning.
Are you still out there, Lumine?
This place could be the one.
I'll find you.
No matter what.