ON THE OTHER SIDE | AETHER

FOUR

You stood and watched as Aether handed over a meal to Jiangxue. The trade was to deliver food to the man in exchange for free food from Smiley Yanxiao. Aether walked away from Jiangxue after nodding in response to his thanks. He hadn't said a word since the two of you left the walls of Mondstadt. You were at the Wangshu Inn now, and Paimon was the only talking.

It was surprising to see Paimon when Aether came to collect you that morning, although you should have expected it. Even the floating child looked real. It was unsettling, but you got used to her presence rather quickly.

As Smiley Yanxiao prepared the free meal he promised, you, Aether, and Paimon all sat silently at a table. Paimon floated in circles, bored by the silent atmosphere.

Your hands felt through the pockets of the clothes Barbara let you borrow. You took the vision that you had next to you when you woke up in this world. Hands felt over every crease and indent. It reacted to you last night. You tried to do it again this morning, but it remained as dull as it was when you found it.

As you waited, you compiled all the information you had about the owner of this body. She was Inazuman. She had a cryo vision. She was dead (at least you were pretty sure she was), although it was still possible to activate her vision. That was really all you knew about her.

"Paimon heard from one of the residents pf the inn that the Rite of Descension will take place tomorrow. We'll be cutting it pretty close, huh?" Paimon spoke, stopping her spinning. She must have started to get nauseous.

"We wouldn't be if we had left yesterday." Aether was staring at the table when you looked up. His voice was quiet yet harsh and his expression was muted yet extremely telling. You knew that he didn't want you there. You felt it as you were travelling from Mondstadt to Liyue. But being aware didn't mean it stung any less.

Paimon chuckled nervously, her brows lowering as she glanced at the both of you. "Um, three is better than two, you know..." She trailed off, unsure of how to lighten up the mood.

Smiley Yanxiao arrived with free food in hand. A plate of golden shrimp balls and almond tofu was placed on the table. Paimon's face brightened up. "Food always makes things better!" she exclaimed, thanking Smile Yanxiao for the tasty-looking meal. Paimon snatched one of the shrimp balls and stuffed it in her mouth. "Hot!" She waved one of her tiny hands in front of her mouth.

A small smile formed on your, watching Paimon act so childishly. You felt like you were back in your bedroom, watching the scene through your computer screen. It was a small comfort, but right now, you'd take any comfort you could get.

"Here." Aether pushed the plate of almond tofu toward you after taking his share and placing it on a different plate. Your smile faded, meeting eyes with him. He broke eye contact almost immediately, looking down at his food. You never thought of the traveler as being someone who was so cold, always willing to help out and do the right thing. But perhaps it never crossed your mind that the traveler didn't want to do all that, just helping because the game wouldn't let him refuse.

You grabbed a handful of golden shrimp balls, dropping them on your plate. You looked at the almond tofu, using a pair of chopsticks you picked up to put it onto your plate. You blew on one of the golden shrimp balls, holding it between the chopsticks. As you placed it in your mouth, your eyes drifted back to Aether. He was silently eating his food, his mood seeming to lighten a little because of it. Paimon floated around him, happily eating her food now that it was cool enough.

You felt distant. As if you really were watching them through a screen. You almost felt like you weren't even there. Just like how it was in real life, Genshin Impact brought both comfort and desolation. Your stomach started to turn at the thought.