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The sun was just beginning to dip beneath the horizon, casting a warm glow over the rolling hills as the trio made their way down the familiar path. The soft rustle of the wind through the trees was the only sound, save for the occasional chatter between Aether, Paimon, and you. Despite the serene surroundings, there was a subtle tension in the air, one that had lingered ever since you'd left Windrise.
Paimon, who had been flying just ahead of you, suddenly turned to you with a concerned expression. "Hey, you've been really quiet. What's on your mind?"
You didn't answer immediately. Your eyes were focused ahead, though you weren't really seeing the path before you. You had been thinking about Tatiana, about the strange way she had left, the silence that followed. It didn't sit right with you.
"She hasn't shown up in a while," you finally said, your voice soft but laden with suspicion. "It's been days, Paimon. She said she was coming with us, but now, nothing."
Aether glanced at you, his expression neutral, though there was a hint of worry in his eyes. "She probably got caught up with something back in Mondstadt," he suggested. "You know how things can get when you're on the road. People get distracted. Maybe she's just delayed."
You shook your head, your hand subconsciously tightening around the strap of your pack. "I don't know... It feels different this time. I've been thinking about the way she left. Like she was in a rush to go... and didn't want to tell us why."
Paimon blinked in confusion, floating closer to you. "What do you mean? Tatiana seemed fine before she left. She was always so energetic and excited to join us."
"That's just it," you murmured, your eyes narrowing slightly. "She was too eager to join us. It was almost like she was trying too hard to be part of the group... like she had something to prove."
Aether frowned, sensing the tension between the two of you. "But that doesn't mean she's up to something suspicious, does it? Maybe she just didn't want to seem like a burden, so she left to do something on her own."
You stopped walking for a moment, your gaze now fixed on the distant hills ahead. "Maybe," you said, your tone distant. "But I can't shake the feeling that she's hiding something. Or... maybe she was never meant to stay with us for long."
The breeze picked up, rustling the surrounding leaves. Paimon, ever the optimist, tried to ease the mood. "Come on, we don't even know where she is. She could be in Liyue already, waiting for us there! Let's not waste time worrying about things we don't know. We've got our own journey to focus on, right?"
Aether placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder, his smile gentle. "Paimon's right. We can't let one person's disappearance derail everything. Whatever's going on, we'll figure it out when we get there. For now, let's focus on Liyue. We can't keep wandering in the dark."
YOU ARE READING
𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑠 𝑂𝑐𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑚 ⎮ 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑛 𝐼𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑡
FanfictionIn which you, a gamer, gets transported into the Genshin Impact world and decide to accompany Aether and Paimon on an adventurous journey to find his sister, while some things turn out to be quite... peculiar. "I have an idea!" "What is it?" "It inv...