Eyes on you (Genshin Impact Story)

3 - Quiet as a needle

The head of the Kamisato clan was immensely tired. He always was, it was nothing too surprising to his senses, despite knowing it should not be a sensation which he could feel in his mind. The only problem was that it was yet another morning. An early morning, but a morning nevertheless.

Ayato looked towards the sky outside the window. It was still draped by darkness, only stars accompanying the clouds above. Only a few rays of sun seeped through the never ending ocean, only hinting at its rise as of yet.

He could not sleep. No matter what he tried to do, his mind was unwilling to give him that blessing of rest.

He clutched his thick blanket, pulling it over his chest. His eyes narrowed, lips sealed tight. His hair was more of a mess than usual, resembling a clumsy attempt of a bird's nest.

He sighed, turning his body to the side, giving his body one last chance for a little bit of rest.

Minutes passed by, and to his displeasure, he felt even more tense than before. He felt that nagging feeling, like he was forgetting something. But what was he meant to be forgetting? He did not even step out of his bed as of yet.

Something was wrong. He felt like that was the case, but everything in his head was telling him it was merely his fatigue playing tricks on him.

He glanced to the ceiling, sighing while he sat up, pulling his messed up kimono together to have at least something intact.

His feet soon found their ground. He took a few hesitant steps towards his door, opening it wide.

The last bits of moonlight were still dancing on the floor, clashing against the sun which seeped through the windows as well.

He passed multiple quiet rooms, roaming the place he was meant to call home. He could admire the painted artworks pressed against the walls he was passing by. He did not care to look at them for now, but as he walked by them, he wondered. How old could they be?

Who knew, maybe a hundred years, maybe more. After all, the Kamisato estate was hundreds of years old, being a testament to the Kamisato clan's stability. Maybe most of the buildings and walls were made of wood, but if Ayato wanted to be honest, he would admit that he believed that even a raging fire could not bring that sanctuary of his down.

He did not even notice he soon stood in front of Ayaka's room due to his deep thought. He stared at the door for a moment, not exactly knowing if he should check up on her. He left her in a rush the day prior, he felt guilty he did not consider coming back to her.

She was probably going to be asleep now, no? He mused on and on, discussing it with him and himself only in silence.

But, after a few blank seconds and another drop of hope, he knocked on her door, somewhat hoping she might be awake.

"Ayaka..." he started, his voice hushed and hoarse "I am sorry I left you at my office yesterday. I genuinely thought I had all the time for you, but turned out that no."

No answer came out of the room. It was immensely quiet there, some would even be a bit weirded out by the sheer dead silence. Ayaka was always an immensely quiet sleeper, her breath usually as quiet as a needle falling on the floor.

"As I said yesterday, I would genuinely like for you to be at ease, at least for the duration of the Irodori festival. I know you do not exactly like talking about how you feel, but I can assure you, even if you like it or not, I do realize you are tired, if not as tired as I." he continued, lazily leaning against the wall to have something to support his sleepy body.

Ayato glanced at the floor. The sunlight made everything more clear in the hallway than before. He would have been asleep for at least another hour by that point, but alas, fate has decided that it was the perfect day for him to be restless.