𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 • 𝔸𝕟𝕖𝕞𝕠

Hikari and Paimon

  Ah, Mondstadt. The city of freedom and wine.

Although it sounds like I'm about to ramble like some narrator in a nature documentary, I promise I won't.

  So there's this place that's fairly far from there called Stormbearer Point. It does sound like a gloomy place, but as they say, don't judge a book by a cover. Wait, did I just break the fourth wall-

There's a sunny shore underneath a large cliff, rocks scattered around the sand and clear blue water shimmering in the late morning sun. Sitting on a rather large rock is a girl with short golden hair and exotic clothing. She's talking with a small flying elf...and it's talking back...? Well, that's what I get for going into a fantasy world. Oh, me? Well, look at that golden-haired girl again. Yeah, that's me. You can call me Hikari.

ｐｒｏｌｏｇｕｅ - 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝

"So...what you're trying to say is that you fell here from another world? But when you wanted to leave and go to the next world, your path was blocked by some unknown god?" The small flying entity, whose proper name was Paimon asked. Yeah, about that universe-hopping stuff, maybe I should explain...

˚✧₊⁎ . ⁎⁺˳✧༚

Aether, my older twin brother and I both entered an arena where it was possible to travel onto the next world. We arrived in this world at the worst possible time, the land was plagued with black cubes and a ominous dark red glow.

  Just as we were ready to go into the next universe, we were stopped by a unknown god. It was weird how both of us didn't notice the red-black portal she entered through. She glared at us, ready to attack at any given moment. "Outlanders, your journey ends here!" She announced.

"Who are you!?" I shouted, in hopes of a name.

  "The sustainer of heavenly principles. The arrogation of mankind ends now!" The god replied dramatically as she opened her hand and let a small golden cube made of unknown compounds float in her palm.

'Couldn't you at least give your proper name...?' I thought disappointedly. I couldn't think any further due to the fact that the goddess was about to attack the both of us.

The cube in her hand grew larger and changed into the red-black color similar to the despairing sight we came across when we both descended onto this world. A platform that seemed to be made of the same material the cube from earlier sprouted from the ground, Aether and I managing to fling ourselves into the air so we wouldn't get hit.

  A pair of golden-white gossamer wings in the shape of three rhombus appeared on our backs, swords the color of warm sunlight manifested in our hands. It was our turn to strike.

  We charged at the deity, who in response to this raised her hand and called upon a chain of more red-black cubes rushing towards us at a almost frightening speed.
Swiftly dodging the many cube-chains, both of us raised our swords and striked the god simultaneously.

  After the smoke from the blow cleared, the god stood there with not a scratch on her. It was clear that she was going to go for one of us to make it easier to fight the remaining one. She looked at me and sent more cube chains to where I flew. In a stroke of luck and adrenaline, I barely managed to steer myself out of harm's way.

  However, Aether...hadn't been as lucky as I had. The goddess, deciding that I was a waste of time, sent more cube-chains towards Aether. Soon his hands were stuck in the cubes, as though he was chained. As he struggled to get free, the cubes rapidly multiplied across his body. It became clear that he'd become trapped in the dark substance no matter if I did something or not.

"AETHER!" I screamed out of desperation, reaching my hand out to him even though I was aware that I couldn't save him, like it or not. He looked at me one last time, a worried look that gave me his final words to me.

'I'm sorry, sis.' 

Seconds later, he was enveloped by the cubes. 

  The shapes then turned into a single cube before returning to the god, turning back into the small golden-brown cube from before.

Recovering from the shock of losing my best friend and my only family, I charged once more towards the god, aiming for the back of her neck and slashed furiously.
  After the smoke cleared, the bright yellow power I had been using had been encased in the cubes. No matter how much I struggled, she finally got me in the cubes in the same way she did to my brother.

  "Wait! Don't go! Give my brother back!" Was the last thing I said to the unknown god before my vision went black.

˚✧₊⁎ . ⁎⁺˳✧༚

"...And just like that, the god took away my brother. Some kind of seal was cast upon me, and I lost my power. So whilst we used to cross world after world, we are now trapped here." I pursed my lips.

  "How many years has it been? I don't know...but I intend to find out." I added, gazing at my hand as it closed into a fist. Maybe the role of protagonist sorta fits me. "When I awoke, I was all alone — right up until I met you, two months ago." I added.

  "Yeah, Paimon really owes you for that. Otherwise, Paimon likely would have drowned..." Paimon thanked me. She spoke in third-person, which was very odd to me at first. I came to get used to it later. "So Paimon will do her best to be a great guide!" She enthusiastically declared.
  I smiled a bit before gazing at the blue sky. At least I'll have someone accompanying me while looking for my brother.

Paimon happily twirled around in the air, ready to show me around. "We should head off, let's get going!" She said as she floated off into the nearby wilderness while I followed not too far behind.

Ah, my first ever chapter done! I feel so happy! Thanks for reading, please wait for the next chapter :D