Chapter Text
The sunlight streaming into the Grand Master’s office did little to lighten the mood. Varka, an exceptionally tall and muscular man with messy blond hair and a prominent scar across his neck, sat hunched in a chair that looked far too small for him. He was sweating under the weight of Jean’s unwavering gaze.
"You are the Grand Master, Varka!" Jean scolded, her gray-blue eyes sharp with exhaustion. "You cannot simply 'disappear' when the paperwork goes over your head. Not anymore!"
Varka sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose right near the small scar on his face. "I’m going to do it, Jean... just trust me. I’ll get to it... eventually."
From the corner of the room, Kaeya leaned against the wall with a smirk, while Aether and Paimon watched the legendary "Knight of Boreas" crumble under a lecture.
"I guess even the Titan of the Knights of Favonius loses to Jean’s discipline, huh?" Kaeya chuckled.
"Paimon thinks Varka is just looking for a window to jump out of!" Paimon whispered loudly. "He looks like he’d rather fight the Abyss again than sign those permits!"
"That is exactly what you said last year, Varka!" Jean huffed, crossing her arms as she stood her ground.
Aether leaned toward Kaeya, whispering curiously, "Is the paperwork really that bad?"
Kaeya’s smirk widened as he watched the Grand Master squirm. "Not really... at least, not for those who actually do their work on time."
Jean turned her sharp gaze toward Kaeya.
"You are no better than he is, Kaeya," Jean said, her voice dropping an octave. "You 'go missing' just as often, leaving Amber to handle the rest of your patrol duties."
"Now, now, Jean," Kaeya replied, raising his hands in a placating gesture, his smirk never fading. "I told you, I was simply... gathering intelligence on some local bandits."
"But that’s not what Diluc saw—or said," Aether muttered under his breath, remembering a certain grumpy bartender's recent complaints.
"Hey now! My dear brother is always biased against me," Kaeya retorted, placing a hand over his heart in mock hurt. "Besides, I’ve never lied to you... have I?"
Aether and Paimon both went silent, giving him a flat, synchronized deadpan stare.
"Anyway, this isn't about me," Kaeya said smoothly, stepping back. Varka’s expression immediately screamed "traitor" as he watched his fellow knight abandon him to Jean’s wrath.
Jean turned her focus back to the desk, her voice leaving no room for argument. "Varka, I expect these to be signed by tomorrow morning."
"Looking at that tower of paper, I don't think he'll be able to finish by morning," Aether whispered, staring at the massive stack.
Varka slumped dejectedly at the prospect, his shoulders sinking as he stared at the mountain of work. Feeling a bit sorry for him, Aether stepped forward. "I can help. While you sign the papers, I’ll handle the official stamping," he offered.
Varka’s head snapped up, a glimmer of hope instantly lighting up his blue eyes.
"Are you sure?" Varka asked, looking like he had just been rescued from the Abyss.
"Traveler, you really shouldn't. This is his punishment for neglecting his duties," Jean said. Her tone was softening, but she was still trying to be firm.
"I know I shouldn't, but two pairs of hands are much faster than one," Aether said with a shrug. He offered a sympathetic smile to the Grand Master.
Jean sighed, her shoulders dropping just a fraction as she looked between the three men.
"Ah, Jean, let him help," Kaeya interjected, his voice smooth as silk. "There’s no harm done. Besides, you wanted those documents finished by morning, didn’t you? Letting the Honorary Knight lend a hand is the only way that’s actually going to happen."
He leaned back against the wall, giving Aether a subtle wink of support. Varka looked like he wanted to hug both of them, though he wisely stayed silent to avoid ruining the moment.
"Now, Jean, come along. We have a group of Hilichurls to hunt—they've been terrorizing our people again," Kaeya called out, already turning on his heel. He didn't wait for an answer, his cape swirling behind him as he headed for the exit.
Jean let out a long, weary sigh, rubbing her temples one last time. "I’ll leave him in your hands then, Traveler. Varka, don't you dare slack off again," she warned, casting a final, sharp look over her shoulder before finally following Kaeya out into the hallway.
The coast was finally clear, and the two of them set to work without further delay. The office grew quiet, filled only by the rhythmic scratching of Varka’s quill and the steady, mechanical thud of Aether’s stamp meeting parchment. Seeing that the danger had passed and realizing there was no food currently on the table, Paimon let out a long yawn and drifted toward the side of the room. She promptly curled up on Varka’s oversized leather couch, claiming it as her own for a well-deserved nap while the others toiled away.
With Aether’s tireless assistance, the mountain of paperwork finally dwindled to nothing by the stroke of midnight. Varka slumped back into his seat, his massive frame looking completely defeated by the battle of bureaucracy.
"I am absolutely exhausted," he whined, the legendary Knight of Boreas reduced to a puddle of weariness. He looked across the desk at Aether with a genuine, tired smile. "Thank you for the rescue, Traveler. I don't think I would have survived the night without you."
"No problem, Varka," Aether replied, though his voice was cut short by a loud, echoing growl from his stomach.
Varka blinked for a second before letting out a boisterous laugh that shook the room. "I guess we both skipped dinner in the chaos, huh? Come on, let’s head to the tavern. After a shift like that, the first round and the biggest meal in Mondstadt are on me!"
"Paimon, wake up! We’re finally finished, and we’re heading to the tavern to eat," Aether called out, giving the sleeping fairy a gentle nudge.
"Tavern?" Paimon mumbled groggily. Her eyes fluttered open as the magic word slowly registered in her sleepy brain, and she sat up with a tiny yawn, looking around the room in a daze.
Yeah... the tavern, Paimon. We're going to get something to eat," Aether said, stretching his tired limbs as he stood up to join Varka by the heavy office door.
Paimon’s sleepiness vanished instantly at the mention of a meal. She shook off her daze and zoomed across the room, her tiny cape fluttering behind her.
"Wait up! Don't you dare leave Paimon behind!" she squeaked, nearly colliding with Aether in her haste to make sure she didn't miss out on the food.
"So, Traveler, while we make our way to the tavern, why don't we have a little chat?" Varka suggested, his heavy boots thudding rhythmically against the stone floor of the silent headquarters.
"Sure," Aether replied, casting a curious glance up at the Grand Master. "What did you want to talk about?"
He couldn't help but wonder if Varka was about to bring up something serious, or if this was just another one of his legendary tangents.
"You've seen quite a bit of Teyvat by now, haven't you?" Varka asked, his voice low and contemplative as they stepped out into the cool night air.
"Yeah, we've been just about everywhere except Snezhnaya," Aether replied, a hint of nostalgia trailing off at the end of his sentence.
"And the last stop was when we ran into you at the northern border!" Paimon added, fluttering circles around them as if the memory alone was enough to wake her up.
"So, tell me, what’s your honest impression of Teyvat after all this time?" Varka asked, his voice echoing comfortably against the silent stone walls of the city.
"Or are you specifically asking for my impression of Mondstadt?" Aether retorted, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth as he glanced up at the taller man.
Varka let out a boisterous laugh that seemed to chase away the midnight chill. "A sharp one, aren't you? Perhaps I am a little biased toward the City of Freedom, but I'll let you be the judge of that."
Aether fell silent for a moment, his gaze drifting toward the shimmering stars as if he could see every path he had walked reflected in the night sky.
"Every city I’ve visited in Teyvat has shown me something different," Aether began softly, his voice carrying a weight of experience that belied his youthful appearance. "They all have their beautiful sides and their darker ones. But seeing both of those things together? It only makes me love this world more."
Varka remained quiet, his usual boisterous energy softening into a look of genuine respect as he watched the Traveler. He realized then that Aether wasn't just a visitor passing through; he was someone who truly understood the heart of the lands he protected.
Without warning, the peaceful night air fractured. A swirling, pitch-black void tore open in the middle of the street, an unnatural gravitational force pulling everything toward its center.
"Varka!" Aether cried out, his boots skidding against the cobblestones as he reached a hand toward the Grand Master, desperate to find any sort of handhold.
"Aether, hang on!" Varka’s voice boomed over the sudden, howling wind of the abyss.
"Aether! Help! Paimon’s being sucked in!" Paimon shrieked, her small form flailing helplessly as the vacuum of the void claimed her first.
"Paimon!" Both men shouted in unison, their voices filled with dread.
They locked eyes for a split second, a silent understanding passing between them that transcended words. With a grim, determined nod, they let go of the world they knew and leaped together into the unknown darkness.