Night Exile || 𝗞𝗮𝗲𝘆𝗮 𝘅 𝗔𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗱𝗼 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗔𝗨

|07| Processes

The world looked different now as if someone had shifted the lens through which Kaeya viewed it. Colors were duller, sounds were flatter, and the air had a stiffness to it that he had never noticed before, and now it was starting to get on his nerves. The events of the past month had left him feeling drained and alone as if a part of him had been taken away. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing from his life, even though he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. It was as if something intangible had been lost, nagging at him, refusing to let go.

He missed Albedo unmercifully, but was he capable of losing a part of his life that wasn't even his own? Albedo didn't feel the same way he did; he most likely even hated him and, after so many weeks, had completely forgotten about his existence, convincing Kaeya that he was highly delusional.

As time passed, Kaeya withdrew from the world around him, feeling disconnected and lost. He tried to fill the void with distractions and temporary fixes, but nothing seemed to ease the ache in his heart.

Eventually, Kaeya was left with a sense of emptiness that seemed to permeate every aspect of his life. He longed for something more, something that would give him a reason to keep going and a sense of purpose once again. But for now, all he could do was try to keep moving forward, even if it felt like he was just going through the motions like a puppet.

Kaeya ultimately stopped obsessively monitoring Albedo's every move, ignoring the need to contact him and stuffing it into the far corner of his brain. He didn't forget about him because Albedo still visits his thoughts sometimes; Kaeya just learned to accept it and silence his thoughts. That doesn't mean it's good for him, of course, but it's better than having too high of expectations and imagining something that will never happen.

Kaeya will miss his princely smile and fluffy hair he'd love to run his hand through, but if the universe decided coexistence wasn't possible, so be it. He would just back off, hoping Albedo will love someone who would treat him with the respect he deserved. Whether it's him or someone else is another story.

Not knowing what else Kaeya could do to alleviate his feeling of loneliness, he decided to visit a small but adorable and cozy cafe in the city center. He doesn't go there very often because sitting alone at a table looks awfully moronic, but today he was very much hoping that some dessert and coffee would sweeten his sorrows. Besides, engaging and secretly listening to the problems of others is the perfect way to forget about one's own displeasure.

Kaeya stopped in front of the establishment, looking up at the sign. The cafe's name was in French, which made him unable to pronounce, let alone understand, what it said. Still, it looked aesthetically pleasing, so he wasn't going to delve further into its meaning and just pushed open the front door.

His arrival was heralded by a small, golden bell in the corner of the door frame, which seemed to fail its function, as neither the employees nor "normal" people appeared to pay attention to him. It's even better because Kaeya can stand in the corner and take a good look at the board of delicacies hanging behind the counter. That way, he will avoid an awkward moment of silence when it's his time to order, and only then will he think about what he's going to choose.

As Kaeya took the money out of his wallet, someone unexpectedly hit him with such force that all the coins spilled to the ground with a loud clink. Kaeya was about to scold the person who apparently couldn't walk like a normal human being while bending down to pick up the money that rolled around in every direction when he realized that the person who almost knocked him down was a small girl.

Kaeya blinked his eyes a few times, wondering how a small child could have so much strength, and the girl with funny pigtails looked at him with a similar surprise.