Echo || A Genshin Modern AU

Part One- The Beginning

This is my first fic, please don't be mean :'D! I'm not super experienced at this, but I'll do my best to take any criticism and learn from my mistakes. Thank you for choosing to read my story ^^<3

It never got easier.

Days, weeks, months, years. No matter how many times she'd try to drown his voice out, it never stopped ringing in her ear.

"Lumine! Run, get out! "

"Let him go, let my brother go!"

She took an oath to never rest till she found her other half, but it was starting to look hopeless. He was gone, like someone took a great big eraser and decided to wipe Aether off the surface of the planet. Only it wasn't some dumb eraser, it was a kidnapping and she could do nothing to save her sibling.

Why they took Aether, and not them both, will always be a mystery to Lumine. They were both only eight, hardly four feet tall, it wasn't like they presented a challenge. "Whatever their intention was", Lumine scowled, a familiar flame flickering in her heart, "I won't rest till I make them pay."

With that thought, Lumine parked her bike near the front gates of her school. As inconvenient as it was, skipping school to play detective was far from what their government considered legal. She'd have to continue with her studies while she was on the case of her missing brother. While she protested at first, she eventually realized that trying to defend her reasoning wasn't going to work. They didn't believe she had a good reason for all this anyway.

"Aether is still out there, why won't you believe me? I'm his twin, I'd know if something happened!"

"I'm sorry sweetie, but we've done all we can. There's simply nothing we can do without a lead, and you couldn't even give us a solid description of the vehicle. It's unlikely that he's still alive, but I hope he is for your sake, kiddo."

The police had closed Aether's case five years ago, and just brushed off a 12 year old Lumine when she insisted that he's not dead. She hated herself for not persisting harder, for breaking down when they told her they're done with it. Deep inside, however, she knew that this wasn't something she wanted the police involved in. No, this was personal. And if Aether's hurt, they'll pay for it with every last drop of blood in their bodies.

"Uhm, Earth to Lumi?? Hellooooooo~??? You alright there buddy?"

With a start, Lumine realized she had been staring at Amber without even realizing it. She had been dressed for the summer, little brown shorts and a red tank top. With stains on it, Lumine frowned.

"What's gotten you lost in your thoughts this early, huh? Come on silly, we're gonna be late!"

Without giving her a chance to reply, the wildly energetic (too energetic, honestly, it's seven in the morning) brunette grasped her hand and made a run for the doors.

***

"Could you, I don't know, not do that?"

"Oh dear, my sincerest apologies, your highness," Kaeya jokingly half-bowed. "I hadn't realized I was in the presence of someone as dignified as you, who'd get offended that a lowly peasant, such as myself, was trying to enjoy their lunch break."

Lumine rolled her eyes as Amber snorted and quickly clamped a hand to her mouth. Kaeya resumed flinging pieces of pasta at unsuspecting students with his fork. A stray piece of macaroni hit Bennett square in the face and the boy skittered back, losing his balance and falling hard on the ground with a startled yelp.