Chapter Text
"Y/N, I'm sorry to inform you that our investigation came out with no answers."
You held the doorknob tightly to ease your trembling, "A-are you sure? Surely they’re still somewhere..."
The cop removed his hat, "Even after you filed for a missing persons’ report, we were unable to find them. Some of their belongings were found in the motel, though. The front-desk worker informed us that they were clutching something, and it was glowing. Then your parents rushed out of the building and drove away, apparently going north."
You stared down in horror, your eyes burning, “Then this must be the direction they drove to. We’re literally on the outskirts of the city, and there’s only one way in and out of here…” You rubbed your eyes to prevent tears from leaking out, “But I never saw the car, even though it should’ve been easy.”
He looked at you warily, “The disappearance is definitely peculiar. We tracked down every account they had, but there were no signs of activity at all. Not even their bank accounts. When we were informed that this way was the general direction they drove to, we had cameras checked. But none of them showed your parents’ car. Do you remember seeing people similar to them at all, by any chance?”
You shook your head.
The cop proceeded, "I know it must be hard for you, but we did what we could. We searched everywhere for them, and even after being spotted at the motel, we lost track of them. Not even I could say for sure if we can find them at this point. I'm very sorry, Y/N."
You sighed, "You did what you could. If it's okay with you, I'd like some time for myself."
The officer nodded, "Take as much time as you need. Don't hesitate to phone me if something ever happens."
You said your regards to the cop and hastily closed the door. After waiting for him to leave your front yard, you dragged your feet upstairs to your room and sank to the bed, clutching your locket containing a photo of your family. You had a strong urge to take it off, cursing at whoever up there got your parents lost. Your anger and resentment for the world was threatening to spill over, but despite that, you held onto the necklace, for memory's sake.
You found yourself staring out the window, talking to no one in particular, “Why did they leave me? Did I do something that made them furious? Did they hate me so much that they chose to abandon their only child?”
You shut your eyes and wiped the stream of water that had fallen from your face without you noticing. You felt a tap on your shoulder, startling you from your thoughts. Slowly opening your eyes, you were met with a silhouette of a man who seemed taller than anyone you have ever met. There was something familiar about this man, but you were unable to put your finger to it.
"You'll be alright."
There was something about his voice, akin to that of a velvet fabric, that eased your nerves, and you slipped into slumber.
A month has passed since your last talk with the cop and there is still no sighting of your parents.
You take it upon yourself to clean the house of any junk that lay around. Bringing down the attic ladder, you hoist yourself up with cleaning products and a determined look on your face, groaning when you feel your back stiffen from the pain. Stretching, you fan out the dust that collected itself in front of you, and take a look around.
Now that you think about it, your parents didn't have a lot of personal belongings to begin with. You find a couple of trinkets here and there, some photos of you, but nothing about their past. You strike it to be strange, though you mostly thought their reason (being "estranged" from their families) is valid enough not to pry upon.
You examine the small boxes until a large mirror sitting at a corner catches your attention. Intrigued, you take your cleaning products and traipse over to the mirror.
Well, it would be called a mirror if it actually gives off a reflection.
You take a look behind it, and find it empty. The simple, dark wood frames around the strange item, with flowers etched on the thicket. You deem it nothing else but an art piece that was forgotten in an attic.
This looks too pretty to be here, though. Maybe I can bring it downstairs and hang it up somewhere, you ponder.
Taking a towel, you wipe the art piece, only to find a small dent on its right. Curiously, you push the dent, and it opens to a floating cemented path with a stone ingress at the edge.
You blink a couple times before rubbing your eyelids, only to find out that the concrete is, well, concrete. You reach out and place your hand on top of the path, gasping when you find out for it to be actually solid.
Around the path are stone pillars rich in detail, each carved and shaped so intricately that you are certain it does not belong to the human world. The clouds that surround the pathway and the pillars hint that you are above the ether.
You think to yourself for a moment, still refusing to believe despite the evidence, Where did this even come from? How come Mom and Dad have this? I could go check it out or just leave it here and forget about it…
You settle to a conclusion feeling exhausted from making a decision, "I'll come back to it later—if it's still here, I suppose."
After a day, you return to the attic. The mirror—or rather, the door—still sits at the same position, unmoving. Your anxiety suddenly skyrockets as you approach the door. You start to feel constricted in your black hoodie and your locket weighs as heavily as an anvil on your chest. You open the door to check if the same path and gate is still there, and much to your chagrin, it is.
Impulsively, you put your right foot in, as if to test the waters, and the rest of you follow. You carefully make your way towards the stone door, and looking back, the door behind you suddenly slams shut.
"Great, the way I come in won't be the way I come out. How cliché,” You roll your eyes, “Guess I really have to enter that stone gate." Your eyes warily glance at said gate, I don't have a good feeling about this.
You walk towards the gateway and push it away from you, only for a bright light to illuminate and knock you out of consciousness.
"Paimon's starting to think they're actually dead. "
"We'll have to wait and see. I'm pretty sure they're still breathing, though. Wait, look, they're waking up. Hello? Can you hear me well? Are you alright? "
Groggily, you sit up, rubbing your eyes from the sudden strain. You look ahead of you to see a blonde boy wearing intricate clothing cradling you, his golden eyes overcast with worry. A floating child with stars emanating from her peers down at you, her features filled with curiosity. From the looks of it, they seem to be friends.
"Who are you? Where am I? What do you want from me? Ah, where's the stone path? Did I fall here?"
You inspect your surroundings. You seem to wake up by a shore and see no signs of other human life other than the two in front of you.
"Do you think they can understand us? Um, how do we talk to them? Their clothes… look way simpler than yours." The floating child comments.
“What language are you two speaking? Why am I here? And most importantly,” you point towards the two, “Who are you two?”
“From the looks of it, I don’t think they don’t understand us.”
The golden-eyed boy and his faerie companion look at each other, and the latter points at herself, “Paimon.” She then points to the other, “Aether.”
You nod, understanding. Then you point to yourself, “Y/N.”
The girl gives you a thumbs up then points down at the beach and does a huge circle with her arms, “Teyvat.”
So the land we’re in is called Teyvat. “Definitely not English, and definitely not on Earth.”
“H-hold on a second, ” the blond blurts out, gaining Paimon’s and your attention, “ I think I know what language they’re speaking in, a-and I think I understand what they’re saying now. ”
The faerie looks at her companion, exasperated, “ Why, you should’ve said something in the first place! ”
“Well it’s not my fault I haven’t spoken the language in a while! ” He shifts his attention to you from the floating child, and almost timidly, he asks, “Do you speak English?”
“Oh my God!”