With You | Thoma x Ayaka | Genshin Impact

Protector from Afar

'Protect those who protect you.'

- Evangelos Venizelos   

    "Sharar!" Thoma exclaimed as he and Ayaka ran into Sharar's hospital room. Ayato's attendant still had bandages on and was in bed but nevertheless, she was awake.

    "Thoma! Lady Ayaka!" Sharar tried to stand up to greet them but she winced.

     "Don't push yourself Sharar." said Ayaka and she came over, "How do you feel?"

     "Good but moving still hurts. I don't think I can go back to work yet." Sharar apologized.

     "Don't worry about work!" Ayaka assured.

     "Young Lady is the Acting Head right now and everyone is pulling their own weight." Thoma added.

     Sharar breathed a short sigh of relief and her entire body seemed to relax.

    "I'm sorry to ask you this but... do you remember what happened by any chance?" Ayaka asked tenderly, not wanting to force Sharar to talk about it.

    For a few seconds, Sharar had to think about it but then right after, her eyes widened and she began to shake.

   "Sharar?!" Ayaka exclaimed, "Thoma! Get the doctor!"

    "R-right!" Thoma replied but Sharar then said, "No! I'm fine, I'm fine."

    Thoma looked at Ayaka, not knowing what to do, and she nodded. Thoma came back over to Ayaka and sat by Sharar.

   "We had just entered Narukami Island-" Sharar started.

   "Wait! You don't need to-" Thoma was about to say, 'push yourself' but Sharar shook her head.

    "I need to make sure I remember clearly." Sharar said and then continued, "So we had just entered Narukami Island and we were walking back to the Kamisato estate when..."

     Sharar drifted off and she paused for a few seconds to remember what happened.

     "When an astray carriage was about to hit me and Young Lord" Sharar explained, "Everything after that is fuzzy but... Abdiel pushed both me and Young Lord out of the way..."

      Ayaka covered her mouth as she grabbed Thoma's arm and he put his hand on her shoulder.

     "But then he didn't push us far enough," Sharar carried on, her memory gradually beginning to return, "So me and Young Lord so run over but only with one side of the wagon but Abdiel took the full blow."

      At this point, Sharar was crying but she still continued her story.

     "I think the only reason why my injuries weren't as severe was because Young Lord covered me just in time." Sharar's voice cracked.

     For the rest of the time that Thoma and Ayaka spent in the hospital room, the two of them had to console Sharar, she was usually so calm, together, and strong but at that moment, she was as fragile as a bird.

                                                                         ...

     After that, everything was busy. The next day, Ayaka and Thoma would be attending a meeting with the leaders of the Tenryou Commission and Sangonomiya Clan to try and settle both of them down.

    Thoma was not aware of why the battle was happening and Ayaka continued to keep it a secret. But she knew all to well what it was about, the Vision Hunt Decree.