Thoma sat sewing the clothes, his needle moving deftly through the fabric as he hummed a familiar children's folk song. He looked at the sky, its calmness seemingly at odds with the anxious feeling gnawing at him. The events of the previous day still lingered in his mind, a persistent unease that he couldn't shake off.
The memory of Childe's troubled expression haunted him. There had been something in Childe's eyes, a depth of sorrow and guilt that Thoma had never seen before. Despite Childe's attempts to reassure him, Thoma couldn't help but feel that something was terribly wrong.
Thoma's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden gust of wind, rustling the leaves of the nearby trees and sending a shiver down his spine. He paused, his needle poised mid-air, and took a deep breath to steady himself. He knew he needed to focus on the task at hand, but his mind kept drifting back to Childe.
"What could be bothering him so much?" Thoma wondered aloud, his voice barely a whisper. He resumed his sewing, the rhythmic motion of the needle somewhat soothing his frayed nerves.
Then, Thoma saw a guard running anxiously to the estate. He quickened his pace, his heart pounding with a new sense of urgency.
"What's wrong?" Thoma muttered to himself, his eyes fixed on the scene unfolding before him. The guard, out of breath, was speaking rapidly to his leader, and both looked shocked. Thoma's curiosity piqued, and he strained to catch snippets of their conversation.
Before he could get any closer, the leader barked orders to the other guards. "Get your weapons ready and set up the formation! We have to secure the perimeter immediately!"
Thoma's unease deepened. He approached the leader, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him. "What's happening?"
He made his way to the town, the bustling sounds of people murmuring at the announcement board reaching his ears. As he tried to tiptoe and get a better look, he noticed Kise up at the front.
"Kise!" he shouted. Kise turned around, searching for the source of the sound.
"Thoma," came a familiar voice. Thoma turned to see the Traveler standing nearby.
"Traveler, what are you doing here? Do you know what the commotion is about?" Thoma asked, his voice urgent.
"It's about Raiden," the Traveler said, their tone cold. "She's on the move."
Thoma's heart skipped a beat. Raiden Shogun's movements often signified significant events, and coupled with the recent kidnappings, this couldn't be a coincidence. "What do you mean, 'on the move'? Where is she going?"
The Traveler glanced at the announcement board, then back at Thoma. "It seems she's mobilising her forces. There's talk of a crackdown on any Fatui presence within Inazuma. She's taking the threat very seriously."
"You knew about this, Traveler?" Thoma asked, concern etched on his face.
"That's why I'm here," the Traveler replied, looking Thoma in the eye. Thoma could see the determination in their gaze.
"What's this about your sibling, perhaps?" he asked again, trying to understand. "Are you really willing to risk your life?"
The Traveler's expression softened, but their resolve remained clear. "I have to find my sibling, Thoma. Whatever it takes."
Thoma remembered their earlier conversations about the real Archon and how the Traveler believed the current Raiden Shogun was just a vessel. The idea of sacrificing themselves to meet the true Archon had always worried him.
