Our Cruel Fate

by SentryForge223

Teyvat is in ruins, with the world in chaos and everyone Aether knew is dead, he found a chance to render those mistakes. For a second chance might amend the knots he had broken. But gods never abide by mortal standards. And Fate, cruel mistress she is, never made his life any easier since. Can he save his family amongst the Eternal Game of the Unknown God? (AU)

12. Act I - Chapter V Part IV

Published: 08/28/21

Act I - Chapter V

Part IV

Hard Choices

---

...Aether is a traveler of many worlds, of many wonders, of many tragedies, and happy memories, both good and bad. He was a star among the heavens, always flinging across, finding new worlds, people, and experiences. Never did he imagine the consequences of his folly, of his naivete to the reality of life. It did not matter to him, of course, he was courageous, brave, willing to venture into the darkness, and never fearing the shadows that might bind him. The consequences did not matter, that is, until his sister was taken away from him...

Everything changed from then on, and yet nothing changed at all. It was still the same.

When Aether entered Wangshu Inn, it was in a state of disarray. No longer were the bright lights lit, but hushed in darkness, afraid to catch the unwanted attention of something. Or Someone. The usual vendors and caters on the ground floor disappeared, and it had seemed that they had left in a panic. Plates filled with food lay strewn across the wooden floors, utensils, chairs, tables, and other of the furniture lay scattered, wanton madness clearly visible around him. It was an improvement, though, compared to the environment beyond.

The Marsh itself barred in black miasma, a chilling and familiar sight.

Aether, alongside his companions, accompanied Kaeya and his new unit of Knights on his long journey towards Natlan. It was on the second day where they decided to stop by the Liyue Harbor for resupply before continuing their trek towards Sumeru. It was late in the evening, and Aether wanted to at least visit a familiar sight before joining on Kaeya's new campaign of negotiations within Natlan. Liyue was in a same state, but the city was safe, for now. Considering the last attack on the harbor made everyone jump at shadows, the Millelith and the retired Adepti made quick work in surrounding the city limits.

At least for the city, everything was safe and back to normal, as normal as a giant threat on their heads looming anyway. It was worse on the outskirts, especially on the many villages in the countryside, as hilichurls and mitachurls alike were cloaked in an ominous and dark energy. One that made Aether's instincts scream in horror. It was an eerily familiar sight. Aether made quick work over it, however, as he always had.

The blade on his hand, and the elements to guide him, Aether did not hesitate in putting those poisoned creatures down. It was a normal thing to do, especially to those who lived in this world. Not him, not Aether. He knew the truth of these poor creatures, and the deplorable fate given to them by the gods. A cruel punishment, one that the gods saw as justice. But what can Aether do, but bemoaned the knowledge given to him. It truly was a curse, Aether sadly mused as he trekked across the bridge towards the Inn. Lisa was right in that knowledge can prove fruitful and fatal at the same time. Aether wondered how long she was burdened by the cruel truth and knowledge of the world.

As he continued his trek and entered the highest level of the Inn, Aether noticed that the monsters are not the only ones tainted in the miasma, but also the unfortunate patrons of the Inn. They huddled in untold masses, and the other workers of the Inn had to board the entrance best they could, as the affected ones painfully succumbed to the dark energy. They would lash out to those near them, either in blind rage or was curling in agony. The sight alone was a nightmare to behold in Aether's eyes.

Fortunately, Miss Goldet was still fine, and Aether asked what was going on, and why Wangshu Inn was in a state of peril. The boss lady herself was pacing around the Inn, heavily occupied in assisting the guests who had fallen ill. The poor woman was distraught, frightened, and confused. When Goldet saw the Traveler, she gave him a frantic look, and was relieved to see Aether, almost weeping in joy.

The boss lady started to explain what was going on, and why the patrons were in a state of near insanity. She explained that recently Abyss Mages started terrorizing the patrons of the Inn, and surrounded the marsh with corrupted energy of the Abyss. It was subtle at first, the cold wind, the lack of creatures, along with the deathly silence. Then the screams started, as hilichurls attacked the Inn's ground floor. Worse still, Goldet was fearful of another creature she witnessed.

She has never seen a creature that walks among them with a commanding authority. Something, or someone, higher on the Order's ranks. It bore purple garments, spoke of salvation and peace despite the cackles of lightning dancing around it. The Vigilant Yaksha engaged it, locked in intense combat, to protect the people of the Inn. Aether knew what the boss lady was referring to, as the Abyss Lector seemed to find the Inn interesting. Aether couldn't think why the Abyss Order would be interested in a normal in like these at the middle of the marshes.

That is, until Aether realized with dread pooling in his stomach, "Where was the Vigilant Yaksha?"

Of course, Aether asked Verr Goldet if she had seen him return from battle, but she only shakes her head in sadness. She tells Aether that the Vigilant Yaksha has not seen in many days since the attack. In his absolute absence, the dark miasma only grew increasingly. If Paimon was still around, Paimon and Aether would share a knowing look, as they are the only ones to understand the presence of a dark miasma. It was karma personified, and without a Yaksha to cleanse the evil, it will grow like weeds in a garden without its gardeners.

Aether feels that there is a heavy weight on his chest, the dread only continues to pool further.

He assured Verr Goldet that he will find Xiao, and will assist him in stopping the Abyss. Aether wonders what his sister was thinking of doing something like this, as it was beyond what Lumine was usually capable of. He then realized that it was futile, but was saddened, as he did not seem to remember or even recognize the person that was his beloved sister anymore. The boss lady could only nod, as Aether ventures beyond the cursed marsh.

The marsh itself did not change much, but the miasmic atmosphere threatening to choke Aether in the sheer pressure in itself would make anyone think twice venturing alone. But Aether was determined, as he already lost Paimon, Diluc, and Jean. He won't lose Xiao either. That stubbornness usually pulled him through many hardships, but the underlying feeling of dread only continued to grow. The same times when Diluc assured him, when Jean bid her farewell, and when Paimon ate her last meal before meeting the Tsaritsa. Disaster pulled through.

Finding the Domain which congregates the largest concentration of Karma, Aether wonders what disaster would occur. He can smell it in the air, blood and battle. As Aether slowly descends to the ruins, the faint remnants of Anemo energy feels highly suffocating, forming a path that led Aether deeper into the ruins.

Usually at this depth, most adventurers would rather back out. Bennett wouldn't even venture forth and warned Aether not to as well. Even Cyrus, the most experienced member of the guild, told Aether that no treasures await him, only death. Unless he has an army of knights at his disposal, Aether was always warned not to venture deeper, far beyond the calming gaze of any ley line trees. Some even say, beyond lies the Abyss itself.

Aether felt the air shudder in despair, mocking him to come closer. He halted in his tracks immediately, as he sensed a dominating presence. The faint whispers of Abyssal energies. And the screaming concentration of karma tenfold.

Purple and black clouds Aether's vision, and the walls became tainted in ominously glowing Abyssal Runes. Words and scriptures beyond Aether's comprehension haunt the halls of the ruins. He pressed on, Aether's sword growing tighter on his grip.

It all felt familiar. Aether saw the chamber where all the dark energies coagulated, and a towering figure stood proud in the center of the room. It all seems familiar. Oh so very cruel.

The Abyss Lector.

Cackling in madness, the Lector spared him a curious glance before the balls of lightning hover around the evangelist, the book in his hand fluttering dangerously in front. Time stopped, as Aether gazed emptily at an unmoving figure beneath the mocking laughter of the Lector. Spear impaled to the ground, mask shattered, and the body slackened.

...

Ẅ̵̨ę̷͔͕͕̹̬̪̫̟̭͕͎̎̂̇̇̎͊̇̈́̽͌͝͝͝ ̸̡̼̪̹̰̲̯̞̝̜̙͖̌͌̽s̷̻̳̫̥͔̮̝̲͕̉̓̑p̷̨̘̣̠͎̿̇̑͑́̂̓̕͠͝į̴̢̛̼̪̼̺̣̣͉̯͓̩̀̂͋̍̔̔̕͘͘͠é̸̢̧̟̪͖̲̜̓̉͛͑͌̇̌̚l̷̬̟͙̱̬̙̠̞̪̠̭͌̈́́̍͋́͛ ̸̧̛̛͖̟̹̳͓̤̺̤̿͂̈͆͂̽̍̊͘̚̚ǘ̶̢̨̲̙̞̂̊̍̑̎̃̒̅̇͝p̸̧̈̽̀̀͒̃̂͘o̵̡̨̪͚̝͙̟̱̟͙̅͛͆̓̈͋̾͌̃̉̈́̾̚͜n̸̡̙͍̰̂̉̉́̎̐̌́ ̸̝̞͎̒̓ÿ̵̢͓͕̻͔̳̬́̌̌͛̿̏̓͝ͅͅȯ̶̭̺͈̰͕̿͋ư̶̢̌͗͛̈́̓͛̈́̈͠.̷̗̜̦̺͎̖͚̩̳̙̈́̅̀̋̾̿́̋̋͘

...

Then a scream.

Aether bursts into combat, blade in hand as he strikes. Closing in faster than the human eye can catch, Aether was already ahead in a blink of an eye. The Lector was keener than Aether would imagine, and the flash of thunder barreled towards him. He met lightning with the heavy slash of his sword, alongside the eruption of geo constructs to block the attacks. Aether did not relent however, and proceeded to close in the gap between them.

The battle lasted for five seconds, the clash and the trading of blows cathartic. It did not last, as the Lector mocked in glory, and flashed the whole room in roaring thunder. Aether exchanged that with precise strikes and the howling of anger. Both fighters were hit, both would not back down. Aether danced before, in festivals and some occasions, but the tango between them was something exhilarating.

Getting serious with the trading of blows, Aether steps forward to slash, the Lector blinks out of existence. A ball of lightning tried to hit him, but Aether stepped back as well. The rhythm between them escalated, the whole world stopped to witness their fight, but in the heat of it all, Aether failed to sense it.

The sudden surge of the wind, Anemo energy in its terrible glory, Aether was too slow, as the inhuman pace of it was too rapid for him to react. Aether fell on his knees as a familiar weight was pressed unto him, and the harsh growls rang throughout the dark chamber. A spear digs into his side, and Aether desperately calls out his name.

Speak my name, and I shall come.

But no response.

P-please. Xiao...

---

The cold sweat did not stop, even when Aether crawled out of his temporary cot. Groaning in pain, Aether tried to stop the bleeding in his side, only to remember that there was no wound. But the pain was still there.

It hurts. The Pain. The betrayal. The sadness.

Wiping off the dried tears Aether shed during the night, he got up to prepare for the day. Seeing poor Qiqi hunched in the corner of the room, her facial expression wearing nothing, and the blank look was enough to remind Aether where he is. Taking a night's rest at the bank, Aether had no other place to stay. Plus, he did pay for the place, and might as well use it.

Aether remembered that he had ordered Qiqi to stay at the corner, and before he went to bed, he saw Qiqi obeyed him without hesitation and hunched in the corner during the whole night. Not a single inch of a difference. It might've been the stiff Rigor Mortis of her corpse body, but Aether still feels bad.

Thinking of where to seek help, there was only one place Aether knew Qiqi belonged to; the Bubu Pharmacy.

When Aether approached the Bubu Pharmacy in his past life, he felt both confused and intimidated by the height of the stairs. What architectural blunder might've occurred for someone with a lack of brains would create such a morally flawed design for a Pharmacy?!

I mean why would such a pharmacy be designed to challenge a man pulling a half-dead child towards a place where she denies to be? Aether's grumbling was fortunately shared by most parents that saw him forcefully drag a toddler into the top of the stairs, as they did too when their own children did not want to consume yucky medicines from the place.

Yanking the stiff form of Qiqi, Aether wonders if there was a sort of hidden disgust at going to the place, as all children do. But since the night before, Qiqi was just there, aimlessly walking around the unfurnished halls of the bank. There was something eerie about it, and Aether admits that the child seemed more wrong than her previous timeline.

His old Qiqi would still try to say a word, frown, or even tilt her head a bit. The only time he saw this Qiqi act on something was when he first saw the little thing staring at him. It was unnatural too.

The blank look Qiqi gives still haunts his thoughts. As he tried his best pulling the child up without truly forcing her limbs to come off, Aether's thoughts went back to the night before.

It was fortunate that the woman was a sensible person to talk to, and after convincing her that Qiqi came from the amber itself, everything went back to normal. Well, as normal as it can be. Still, Aether did his best explaining his outworldly capabilities to the woman whose name was Lrenya.

That was a winning case, Aether mused, remembering the shocked and bewildered face Lrenya showed when she was adamant to know how he brought a massive crate inside the bank without her knowing. For security reasons, of course. Aether assured, if he were to bring anything to the bank, Lrenya would be notified.

BuBu Pharmacy was still the same, apart from a few decorations, a decade into the future did not change much. The smooth counter was still there, cases, and locked cabinets are still a sight to see. Banners and scrolls written in the traditional language of Liyue. There two customers talking to each other, discussing what type of medicine to buy before going to the counter to purchase their choice.

Aether heard the last conversation of the Pharmacy dying as he pulled Qiqi's stiff body inside the Pharmacy. It was an unfamiliar woman at the counter, someone Aether did not know or heard of, that was speaking to the last customer who was a relieved-looking young man.

She wore a typical white coat, but beneath was a strange mixture of Liyue and Sumeru styles of clothing. Like the Baizhu of the last timeline, she wears glasses.

There was an air of frustration around her, as Aether sees the woman frowning every few seconds.

It was the boy, younger than him, that truly caught his sharp golden eyes. Long, bright emerald hair, tied with a wooden pin, his snake-like eyes. The young man beside the woman was none other than Baizhu himself. Qiqi's former ''Master.'' His snake companion wasn't with him, though. A very unusual sight for Aether. There was no doubt this young man would become a renowned healer of Liyue.

And the future owner of the Bubu Pharmacy.

At least in the past timeline, Aether wasn't so sure who the man is now. An apprentice? A student? He wasn't so sure, and he doesn't like it. The past, ten years prior, was a minefield for Aether to carefully navigate, lest he steps on one and explodes in his face. And with the lack of knowledge, he wasn't brave enough to test the waters just yet.

But still, he had no other choice. Qiqi needed a place to stay, and with the weight of the world on his shoulders, Aether couldn't provide a stable home for her. He wasn't just lying to himself was he? Aether was not a normal person in the first place, and back then Aether was known to be unusual. But after the war, he became a killer. Twitching at every movement, paranoid eyes scanning every corner. It was only when he was in the presence of his old companions did he relax.

Bennett was an eye-opener for him, it made Aether relax in his presence and slowly accept his reality. That the future he would fight for may seem so ever far, yet so near. Ningguang brought to him a new experience in his already turbulent life, by bonding with his old friends again, but with a new twist.

Even with his confidence having returned with a vengeance, he still feels unsure in taking care of another person. The truth is, he can't care for Qiqi, not in the way he is now. A broken man, wandering in the past, and filled with hope of a bright future that will shatter if he does not do something.

Aether can't help Qiqi.

Especially in her current condition. It was saddening to just see her like this.

The woman on the counter saw him approach, and she gave a curious look.

''Why hello there, young man. Come to see Bubu Pharmacy's wares? We are Liyue's biggest supply of medicinal plants and concoctions. Please have a look around, and if you wish for something specific, then call my intern, Baizhu.''

There was an air of calm and collected wisdom of the woman's presence, and Aether couldn't help but listen to the soothing voice she had. ''Can I have a moment of your time, miss...?''

''I see that you are new around here,'' the woman giggled in amusement. ''I am called Tianshang, Doctor to be precise. The 12th owner of the Bubu Pharmacy. How can I help you exactly?''

''Aether. A traveler of sorts. Let's just say this child with me might be the reason I am here.'' There's no reason to beat around the bush, and it was early in the morning as dawn passed an hour ago. Aether had to meet with Ningguang before lunch, and the situation right now is something to be handled with delicate touches.

''Is that so?'' Dr. Tianshang asked, obviously curious as to why a man would bring his child without sharing the problem. ''Well, I am sure that you can find the cure for the child's illness in here.''

''I do not think Adepti can make use of such medicines.'' The tone of Aether alone would unsettle a person, but the desperate plea in his voice says something else. ''I highly doubt it can cure her lack of memories as well.''

''Adepti? This… child?'' Dr. Tianshang frowned heavily, casting Aether a doubtful look. Taking a slow and deliberate look on the child's dead eyes, a horrified gasp sounded between them.

Sensing his mentor gasping in shock, Baizhu turned his attention towards Aether and Qiqi, before quaking an eyebrow at Dr. Tainshang. ''Is something the matter?''

''It can't be,'' barely a whisper of dismay, Dr. Tainshang gave his intern a grave look. ''I'm afraid we're gonna have to postpone the morning deliveries. Handle any other customers that might come our way, I need to do something urgent.'' Rushing off into the back storage room, Aether can hear the mutterings and curses of the woman.

''But the good-mother has been-''

''She can wait, Baizhu, this is something I must do. You, mister, come here with me and bring in the child with you.'' Sensing not to argue the matter, Aether decided to leap in anyway, and did his best avoiding the suspicious look Baizhu sent his way.

Opening the cloth entrance, he was greeted by a tall room filled with boxes, tables, and tools. Majority were sealed wooden boxes, probably medicines locked away. There was even an Alchemy station at the other end of the room, a place for an alchemist to do his/her concoctions. There was barely any lighting except for two sources. From the top, and at the Alchemy station.

''She is already dead, isn't she?''

The blunt query was enough to shatter Aether's small amusement of first time he saw the backside of the Pharmacy. Tianshang's tone wasn't accusing, but the hard note in the end made her quite curious in Aether's eyes. ''Yes, she was. For a long time.''

Aether did not know the specifics, Baizhu did not, and even Qiqi as well. But if he had to guess, only a few hundred years. Aether even noticed the amber she was trapped in was older than anything Mountain Shaper had in his collection. The Adepti's recent ones, anyway. Aether even found the amber older than that of the Ruins of Khaeri'ah.

''How is she alive then?'' The question was for herself than Aether's at that point.

"I do not know, to be honest," Aether shrugged helplessly. "I found her in the hands of a local gang."

"Gang? Whose gang?"

"I care not to know, as you said, I am new around here." Aether, of course, kept his true reason in seeking out the curious Syndicate. But Kaeya taught him a couple of things when he served under him, on how to dig information in a subtle way that won't make people suspicious. "Though, I had heard rumors of a group called the Syndicate, maybe they were the ones?"

"Doubt it," Tianshang snorted in distaste. "The biggest gang around here are from Sheng's gang, but they were mostly bandits off the beaten paths. They would never dare approach the city, and yet somehow they still got away with it. The Syndicate's another story, they're from Fontaine. Arrogant bastards."

It means someone let them in, and Aether must find who. The info of the Syndicate came from Ningguang's memories, does that mean the Syndicate wasn't responsible? Impossible, maybe the common folk did not know of the Syndicate's actions within Liyue, and it would make sense if they would rather use a local gang. "Doesn't the Millelith do anything about it? I mean, they must've at least captured a few."

"They did, a few months ago." The doctor herself was looking over the many containers, tools, and other boxes for something. "Curiously, they were set free. You can imagine the outrage most locals felt when they heard that, they mostly came from the southern districts. And the poorer ones."

Considering the untold amounts that the gang might've stolen or forcefully procured, Aether could definitely feel the anger of such an act. Especially with Beidou and Xiangling around the parts of the small district.

He wonders if Chongyun and Xingqiu are safe, and they are, Aether reasoned within himself. The Feiyun commerce guild are an influential group, and Chongyun's exorcist family are probably a little far from the city.

Aether was worried about Xiangling, but knows that her father was a tough man to beat, doubly so now that his wife is dead. Mao will be keeping a close eye on Xiangling for a while, at least when she finally gets her Vision.

It was Beidou that he was worried about, as a street urchin might not be safe in these hard times. But this is Beidou he was talking about, the badass future captain of the Alcor, and leader of the Crux Fleet. Even if she is still a child, she was fast when Aether tried to grab her before, there is no doubt that she'll survive her predicament. He did give her a bonus after all. No doubt she was enjoying her fruits of labor.

"Aha! Here it is," the doctor breathes a sigh of relief. "I thought I lost it. A shame it would be if I did. Now, bring the poor child here." She gestured at the small stool right beside her, whilst she was holding something akin to- a telescope?

It was incredibly small, and Aether doubts it can extend like any normal scopes. The energy the item gave off caught him off guard.

"What is that?" Aether asked, and gently picked up Qiqi on her armpits, and seated her to the tiny stool. She was as light as a feather. What the hell? Where did all the tension go?

The zombie girl was staring at the floor blankly, sagged shoulders and a blank look.

"A Mystical Device, one I got from my tenure at Sumeru. Ever heard of the Memento Lens?"

Aether did, how could he? It was one of the highlights of his stay at Inazuma, especially when Paimon was still at his side…

Shaking off the nostalgia and pain, Aether replied a quick no. It would be suspicious for an adventurer to say yes, as the shrine maiden did say that such items are sacred and unheard of from beyond Inazuma, and its islands.

It would make sense for the scholars of Sumeru to at least recognize the name, but Aether was going for the adventurer vibe, and it really wouldn't make sense for him to switch occupations immediately. It would look very suspicious indeed.

"It was a legendary piece of holy creation. Inazuma, thousands of years ago, had these many temples running around, and mortals need to tend to them. Some of the art and techniques of properly cleansing the land was lost, so the priestess created a piece of a lens, and imbued it with Sakura energies enough to even temporarily access hidden information or events.

"The information, of course, is incomplete, as the shrine maidens are very adamant to keep their secrets. But just the idea alone, of using lenses to identify different energies and substances, can make plenty of things easier. Those gifted with the rare ability to see elemental resonance around them are rarer.

"And so, the creation of the Mystical Device started. I won't bore you with the details, but basic things are; it can see any energies, spiritual essences, or even a touch of elemental energy."

Just like his elemental sight, but much more versatile. Turning to the child in question, Qiqi was still staring blankly at the floor. The doctor herself was busy configuring the device.

"Hey, is this okay for you? We can stop if you want." Taking a chance to finally get a word from her, no such luck. Qiqi didn't even bat an eye at him, and found the floor more interesting than anything else in the world.

Aether bets that if Qiqi saw Dvalin flying around Liyue now, she wouldn't even care. It worried him of how she could ever get past this, or worse, she wouldn't? The implication of her being like this for a while really worried him.

"There. I really need to tune this at least a few times a month." Twisting the device, runes and lines along the shaft of the telescope glowed purple. Pointing her gaze at Qiqi, the doctor began her thorough examinations. "Hmm, no corruption- demonic or abyssal." Twisting it again, the runes glowed green this time. "Not an ounce of Karmic energy. Huh..."

So that's how it works, Aether mused in silence as the doctor kept on twisting and observing the child. Still, not an inch of action with Qiqi. The floor seemed more lovely by the second.

"Hmm? That's odd..." Tianshang frowned heavily, inching closer to the child in interest. "There's elemental energy within her, but it seems to be intertwined with something else. Is that…?"

Tianshang gasped in disbelief at what she had seen. Aether sees the runes turning from gold to blue within moments. "It can't be. Divine energy?"

Aether frowned at that, what could divine energy be doing in her body? Or better yet, why elemental energy too?

Zhongli explained that both energies cannot co-exist. A Divine blessing is different from an elemental one. The seven elements in this world are raw, untamed, and volatile energy. It can only be calmed with a Vision. It is a foci, to subtly control the finer parts of elemental energy.

Divine energy is pure, and untainted. Xiao mostly used Divine energy to battle his foes, whilst his Anemo element only complements his other passive skills that pertain to the wind.

Such a case was unheard of, even in Aether's case, and with the tight look on the doctor's face, new for her as well. What does this mean for Qiqi exactly?

"I see that you were right, when you said that the poor girl was an adepti. But this… this is unprecedented. No cases such as hers would be able to exist." Putting down the device, the poor woman was feeling a bit lost. "No matter how miraculous it may be, it made sense as to why she has memory loss."

"How?" Aether asked, finally getting some answers on why Qiqi was like this. A dull looking child, both within and without.

"Astromania." A term that Aether was not familiar with. "Going by your look, I'm not at all surprised- it is a disease of the soul, usually common in exorcism. It is when a soul is being hijacked, and repaired at the same time. Some spirits are stubborn to stay alive, and they'll possess a person until their last strength. Even the most experienced exorcist can affect the victim with Astromania, no matter how careful they are. The question is, how did this poor child get affected? Especially, with the purest form of energy present within?"

Visions. Ei once told him that when a person receives a Vision, they gain a new soul- reborn as a proper vessel for a Vision, both in body and soul. It is why when a Vision is taken away from them, they lose who they were, and be a hollow shell of their former selves. At first, Aether took this with a grain of salt, he was gaining this information from the former Electro Archon after all. But it made sense in a way.

"Qiqi's soul was not hers." Another revelation he was burdened with, and he hopes it would be the last. "The old Qiqi died, but was gifted a Vision." Aether speculates that the human Qiqi is well and truly dead, but her soul was copied and replaced when she was gifted a Vision. Two souls lived within, a child and a newborn baby at once. It shouldn't be possible for a child, let alone a dying person, to receive a Vision in their last moments.

The Vision split her soul in two, earning her Astromania. But the true question is; "Is there a cure?"

Tianshang pitied the hopeful look of Aether, and sadly replied a firm no. "This disease existed even before the Archon War. What makes you think there would be a cure now? During my medical studies at the Academia, there were ancient texts that describe "an ancient nation that holds the pure-springs of the soul" and "the fountain of truth", alongside other missing texts. I tried bringing this to the elders, but they too had no clue. Everything changed with an event that occurred not long ago, five-hundreds in fact. Most of the common knowledge during that time was missing, and some people referenced in texts seemed to not exist. It's uncanny to be honest."

Celestia... Damned! Aether now knew that Sumeru would not aid him, if the woman was correct, the gods at Celestia might've censored information regarding the event five-hundred years ago. It was suspicious that only the Archons knew of what truly happened, and no one else. Aether smells the conspiracy already.

Aether still asked what should he do. "I really do not know," Tianshang tersely replied. The doctor herself was pulling her hair out of pure frustration and was wondering what could she do as well. Suddenly, an idea struck in her thoughts, and a certain old friend of hers came into mind. "I have a friend at his current tenure at Sneznhaya, maybe he'll be able to help the poor girl. He was a young colleague of mine, a junior when I was still at the Academia. His research was not seen in a good light, and was nearly casted out. Fortunately, the nation of Sneznhaya seemed to not have any regulations and strict morality codes when it comes into certain research topics. He was invited to conduct his research there freely and was never seen again since."

Aether can understand her wariness, as the nation of the north seemed to not have any limitations when it comes to new discoveries. Sure, most recent technological advancements are seemingly innocent in nature, not much known of their human experimentations. Super soldiers, development of dangerous substances, and the creation of Delusions. Much more was uncovered during the alliance between Liyue, Mondstadt, Sneznhaya, and Sumeru.

So much stuff, enough for most to reconsider the joining of the Fatui among their ranks. Luckily, most leaders like Kaeya and Ningguang were more pragmatic, as they needed the waning strength and slipping influence of the Fatui. The memories of bitter thoughts resurfaced. But it simmered down quite easily. Aether still remembers the blank look of the Tsaritsa and the lack of any mocking jabs from La Signora, it really showed the desperation they were in, as all of the alliance members did.

As much as he hated it, coming together to fight a threat that is universally mutual is beneficial in the long run. Ningguang and Kaeya had all the reasons the deny the aid and mutual alliance with the Fatui, as Kaeya might've lost a father figure (and Diluc metaphorically) to the use of a Delusion from the Fatui, and Ningguang had her home threatened when the Fatui tried to hinder the defense against Osial. But they never took that personally when it concerns the whole collective survival of Teyvat.

There are moments when Aether wished that it was them that had survived, not him. Maybe it was inevitable that Aether might fail, but he was determined to try nonetheless. Anything less than that would be an insult to his dead friends.

"Is it dangerous?" Not that Aether would normally care much, but this was Qiqi's safety and prosperity he had in mind. She already suffered enough, it was bad to add more to her plate. Aether did not want that in his conscience.

"Maybe, if you think physical enhancement and what he calls "super soldier" programs are dangerous, they might be or might not." So a shunned scientist. Not that Aether was surprised, but can he really help poor Qiqi? "I have a feeling that you are curious about him."

"I am," Aether nodded. "You said he was invited to go to Sneznhaya, but by whom?"

"A gentleman approached him one afternoon, and they left the next day. I only saw a glimpse of the man before they left. I have never seen a man so inscrutable in my whole life, wearing Fontaine noble clothes, Sneznhayan designs, and having a darker complexion than most. His pupils are weird as well, I mean, diamond-shaped pupils? That's really weird."

It can't be, a fellow from Khaenri'ah? It seems far-fetched, but it could be a possibility. "I see, I might consider it. For the meantime, can the poor girl stay here? She needs a proper home at least, because of my travelling tendencies I might not be able to give her a proper home."

The doctor herself was unsure, and was about to respond when she saw her student leaning behind them on the doorway. "Fascinating. Such an opportunity must not go to waste, teacher. This is an opportunity of a lifetime!"

Baizhu. The way he said that seemed so unnaturally creepy, and Aether was sure that every syllable he spews out of his mouth was slimy as hell. "Absolutely not." It seems even Tianshang agreed as well. "This is a pharmacy, not a personal lab of yours, Baizhu. We do not have the proper funding to conduct it even."

The young did not relent in the slightest, and in fact, he seemed to grow even more determined by the second. "Think about it teacher, immortality!"

"I already said no, Baizhu. We can't afford another mouth to feed." Tianshang got up from her chair and proceeded to lead the protesting guy out of the crammed storage room. Aether followed their lead and carried Qiqi in his arms, exiting the storage room and into the empty reception hall of the Pharmacy.

"...Well, she doesn't really need to eat-" Baizhu tried to dissuade his teacher's reasons, but cut himself off when she glared at him.

"Baizhu! Grab the medicine pack for the good mother! It's on the third rack of the last shelf." He wishes to not relent to the request, but hesitantly leaves in a hurry to grab the supplies. The young man entered the storage room again, leaving a bewildered Aether, a blank-looking Qiqi, and a frustrated woman alone at the counter.

"Why did you send him away?" Aether asked, still a bit off with Baizhu's desperation and lack of hesitance in demanding something from his senior and mentor.

"Look- Aether, right? I care for my student, but what he was insinuating is something akin to heresy. He is not from around here, grew up at Sumeru instead of Liyue. He does not understand the culture of Liyue, and its sacred history. What Baizhu was suggesting is meddling with Adepti affairs, something a mortal shouldn't do. If an adepti were to find their fellow here- or worse, Rex Lapis himself! They will administer swift divine justice among us all."

The woman looked exhausted, but gathered herself. She quickly grabbed a crate below the counter, slapped a piece of paper on the top, and handed it over to Aether. He was perplexed but relented, gently dropping Qiqi beside him, and carried the box on both hands. "Good thing I already had this prepared, Baizhu might take some time to figure out that I might've duped him, but I need you to leave immediately and deliver this."

"But why the delivery?" Aether was checking out all the angles of the crate, side-ways, under, and even the corners. It smelled like medicine, but he wasn't so sure.

"I just need you to leave as fast as you can. I have a feeling my student, when something has caught his attention, he won't stop looking for it. Make haste, deliver the package to a local orphanage behind the cloud district, near the entrance of the massive gorge, you can't miss it. I'll hold him off as long as I can for today. For the sake of the poor child, it is best you care for her for now."

---

Beidou was in big trouble. Absolutely screwed.

She came home grieved by the loss of little Xiangling's mom. The kid's just seven for archon's sake! Xiangling shouldn't be feeling depressed until she is twenty! It was hard acting tough when there was a crying girl in her arms. Beidou might've spent until late evening when mister Mao came back to bring her daughter to bed. The poor girl cried herself to sleep without eating! That itself was heretical, but Beidou couldn't help it. Mister Mao wanted to cook her something, in return for looking after his daughter.

Of course, she declined respectfully, telling the man that she was heading home to the orphanage. This did not stop him from cooking anyway, and cooked a meal for the whole orphanage. Beidou, of course, was ecstatic! She hasn't had any proper meals with the whole family since little Xingxing and Li Hua had gotten sick. It got worse when her big brothers refused to eat breakfast and lunch to just earn enough Mora to buy proper medicine from the Bubu Pharmacy.

On the way home, Beidou remembered the kind stranger's request. In the end, she had completed her end of the bargain and was awarded generously. She still hasn't checked the pouch of Mora he had given her. It mattered not, she'll give her lion's share with the rest. That was the point of helping the kind stranger after all.

It was only when she had underestimated the amount given to her, did she finally understand how "generous" the stranger was. Her brothers were surprised that she actually had earned some Mora, the good-mother even more so. She wasn't lazy! Just unlucky, that's all. As much as excited as they are with mister Mao's generous offerings, it was the Mora she earned that was the highlight of the night.

Even Li Hua and Xingxing were happy when they heard that they could be treated without worrying much of the cost.

The happiness turned to shock when Beidou confidently showed her pouch. Which was massive, and she never noticed how big it was, not until the good-mother softly asked where in the seven's name did she earn that money. Thinking about it, Beidou should've eased them in.

That shock turned into fear when the thousands of Mora flowed into the worn table of the orphanage, even escaping the confines of the table and into the floor. It continued to spill for about two minutes until the clinking of every last Mora was out of the pouch.

She remembered how deathly quiet the room was last night. Her ears also had felt the screeches of the good-mother. No one got a good sleep that night. Of course, with the exception of Beidou, every member of the orphanage was sleepless.

They of course demanded where she got the Mora, and Beidou responded confidently. Or as confident as she thought it was. "From, uh, an armored man? He was cool. And kind."

No one got a wink of sleep that night.

Now that it was in the late hours of the morning, Beidou was still being questioned. Every member of the household was gathered, from the little ones, to the older children. With the good-mother, as ruffled as she was, leading the urgent meeting taking place right now.

During this time, most of the younger members would do chores in the house, and on to the garden before lunch. After having a meal, they would accompany the good-mother in selling flowers to the visitors on the bridge leading to the cloud district. The older boys were much too early to leave and work at the markets, the docks, or even at the many construction sites in the city.

Rarely did any of the children go beyond the borders of the city and the bay. Only the good-mother was allowed, but with her busy in looking after the younger children, she rarely ever gets to leave.

Beidou on the other hand, was a conundrum. She was not young anymore to be personally looked after by the good-mother, but she still wasn't old enough (or healthy) to find work like her big brothers did. Beidou was stuck on both worlds, not knowing where or how she could contribute.

She wasn't as petty as to let that get to her, however, and tried as many things as she could. The fact that Beidou was confident enough to do anything proved how little she was able to. Her lack of patience made her a very incompetent fisher, Beidou is a little boisterous at trying to work at the market, her sense of value is a bit skewed, and no one wanted to hire a scrawny girl like her.

It easily frustrated her at the time, being unable to do anything useful for the orphanage. Of course, the good-mother assured her that she was still too young to worry about that and encouraged her to take time. As stated earlier, Beidou has lacked patience long before she was able to walk on two legs. In the end, she resorted to stealing. Even that did not end well.

And now, with the whole orphanage gathered, Beidou wonders where this conversation will go.

Before the good-mother can even address them, the curt knocking on their door halted any conversation that could come through. Beidou won't lie that she felt relieved, but the wait made her anxious. The future could only flow freely here from now on.

"Excuse me, are you the good-mother?"

"Yes, yes I am. What brings you here stranger?" Beidou did not miss the tone of worry of the good-mother. Who was visiting them now? Probably a disgruntled neighbor. She'll testify that she did not incur anything as she was gone the entire morning and afternoon yesterday.

"Worry not, miss. I was sent here by Dr. Tainshang. This is apparently your delivery." Shuffling noises were heard from the entrance and a thud sounded across the room. Miss Tian? From the Bubu Pharmacy? Relief flowed throughout her body, and she wasn't the only one to do so, as many children of the orphanage cheered on hearing the news. The older boys acted indifferent, but the smile they and happiness they gave off proved true. Both Li Hua and Xingxing wanted to cry in relief, and Beidou saw that both hugged each other in pure delight.

"...Oh? I see. Unfortunately, we could not afford the medicine at this time. Tell the good doctor my apology for the inconvenience, and I am sorry for wasting your time, good sir." What?! B-but the Mora she earned yesterday wasn't enough? But it was loaded with everything the orphanage needs! She wasn't good at "fy-nan-sees" but even a dim-witted cow could know the difference of riches.

What the hell was the problem then? No- it couldn't be!

"Miss Jang! I did not steal the Mora, I swear! It was given to me!" Beidou tried to salvage the situation, desperate in her tone when she saw the depressed atmosphere returned. "I earned it from a job! I already told you that it was not stolen! I-" Beidou tried to convince the tired woman, but halted in her tracks when she saw who was on the door speaking to the good-mother.

Golden eyes meet red once again. and this time it was filled with surprises on both sides.

She was absolutely screwed.

---

Aether was of course annoyed at the sudden request of Tianshang, but relented anyway because at that point he was already used to it. Teyvat's famous commission-boy, Kaeya joked.

As much as miffed Aether was at the simple request, it was the last conversation with the doctor that caught his attention. He already knew the eccentricities of Baizhu, he has a pet snake for fuck's sake, and the man spoke weird, but Aether never questioned what the man was hiding beneath.

Was Baizhu interested in the Adeptal ways, or was it the pursuit of immortality that Qiqi holds within? Aether did not want to find out.

He agrees that the kid might be young and brash, but at the end of the day, he will still take care of Qiqi as he did in the last timeline. But as it stands, Aether has no choice but to trust the word of a stranger. The woman knows who Baizhu is and what Baizhu can do much better than he can, and Aether admits not knowing much about the guy even in the last timeline.

Now, the question would be is; Can he take care of Qiqi?

Not that Qiqi would rebuke him or anyone at all, because the zombie girl in question was anything but desiring of her own path. She was as blank as the pavement itself, unmoving and never flinching. Even walking across the many districts of the Harbor City, bumping to anyone she can, there was no reaction at all.

She was just there, following him wordlessly the whole time. It was even surreal when on the way down from the Pharmacy, Qiqi did not even find the fishes in the pool interesting as her past counterpart did before. Her facial awareness was as dry as paint on the walls. Her sights are only down on the ground, or directly in his eyes.

Of course, Aether tried communicating with her, giving her simple commands like; walk, stop, jump, and lay on the ground. She did those efficiently, without any delays nor hesitation, and it scared him of the implications. He even asked a poor man in his own business to try to tell the child behind him with the same commands, and nothing worked at all, as he thanked the bewildered guy.

It only works on him? Interesting. He wonders if she can use her abilities, but that would be stretching everything, and he did not want to burden the poor child anymore. It was already bad enough she had to suffer through something that nearly took her life, then was forced into a situation that might not be recoverable. The best thing he could do at this point was to take care of her as best he can, and hoped for the best.

They both finally reached the bridge connecting from the Chihu-Rock to the mount Tianheng valley. There were barely any houses around the quiet neighborhood, and Aether wonders if the residents here are part of the city itself. It surely would be, but there are cases of exceptions.

According to the description of the house, the orphanage itself should be one of the houses here. Seeing a big shack, fit for a dozen people at least, Aether read the note on top and found the house itself. It was not as maintained as the other houses, but it was sturdy and tough against the elements of the harbor. It was a little quaint as well.

Checking if Qiqi was still with him, he looked beside him and found the little form of the zombie girl metaphorically strapped to his hip. During their trek here, there were times where he was too fast in turning corners or in his pace, Qiqi would grab his new yellow scarf and hold on to it. It felt cute, of course, but it also reminded him that he was now looking after her.

Knocking into the door, Aether waited until he heard footsteps approaching the door. Who greeted him was a very young woman of his age, brown hair, fair-skinned, and some would call her quite attractive. But it was the worry and exhaustion that truly caught his eyes, and it ruined her beauty. It did not help that the poor woman was a bit malnutritional and tired.

"Excuse me," Aether politely greeted, pulling off his best disarming smile. "Are you the good-mother?"

"Yes," the woman's eyes narrowed, scrutinizing every part of him. Seeing his armor, the woman could not help but panic, and Aether saw through that. "Yes I am. What brings you here, stranger?"

Paranoid. Good. That type of steady mindset can help a person survive in harsh times. Aether knew the feeling of helplessness, but did not pity the poor woman. He had a feeling that showing sympathy could only make her mad. "Worry not, miss." He dismissed her worries as best he can, waving a free arm from holding the crate in both hands. "I was sent here by Dr. Tianshang." Being a delivery-boy was surely exhilarating. "This is apparently your delivery."

There were sounds of cheers and laughter behind the woman, and with the tone of excited kids, Aether knew they must be the orphans staying here. He did not know of their situation, but he guessed that some are sick, and with the arrival of medicine, they could be well and healthy again.

It was the deep frown the woman gave that made Aether worry. "Oh?" The woman gave Aether a dismayed smile. "I see. Unfortunately, we could not afford the medicine at this time. Tell the good doctor my apology for the inconvenience, and I am sorry for wasting your time, good sir." The woman also gave a shallow bow, but before Aether could interject, a familiar figure rushed into the sight of the entrance.

"Miss Jang!" Beidou desperately calls out, and Aether can see the distress on her young face, something that no child should be burdened with. In fact, the child seemed a stranger to Aether. Beidou was tough, brash, self-assured, and headstrong. The scrawny figure before him and the concerned good-mother was not the Captain of the Alcor, Aether harshly reminded himself. She was dead because of him. "I did not steal the Mora, I swear! It was given to me! I-"

He could attest that, but held his tongue. Aether was not so sure that Beidou might've remembered him. He was just a stranger to her after all. Worse still, this was her orphanage, now that Aether realized. He even saw nervous figures, big and small, gathered behind her to watch the situation unfold.

"O-old man Aether?!"

Nevermind, she did remember him. He really does leave an impact on people. Aether hopes that they weren't too big or noticeable.

---

The forest was a quiet sight.

Too quiet for her tastes, but the Huntress trudged on, letting not the creepy vibes get to her skin. It was as fortunate, and maybe for the best, that she had lost her connection to the former Dendro Archon. Of course, it saddened her for a while, but the Huntress was not one for staying in the past. With her moving on from her mentor's death was a great example.

Making sure not to disturb the bushes and making any other unnecessary sounds, the Huntress ventured forward, out of the dense forest, and into the village's edge. It easily perturbed her by the lack of any activity. Not even the movement of a creature was present, birds, squirrels, and even large mammals.

Taking a deep breath, the Huntress entered the empty village. Her suspicions were correct, as not a soul was in sight. She was always used to people moving in and out, even at an early hour of the day. It was already noon, and not a peep of any civilized people were around.

It irked her, the lack of any presence at all. It was the Huntress' greatest fear; being alone.

Now, it felt worse, as the village was always her safe haven from that humane fear of isolation. It was as silent as the grave. This feels like a nightmare.

Of course, that was her first thought when she woke up at an ungodly hour, feeling stressed, and her instincts screaming at her. It was normal for a dream to be like that, feeling the dread and loneliness. She, of course, pinched herself.

Nothing happened, the dread only continued to grow, and the darkness of the early hours seemed to only consume her by the minute. The Huntress never rushed to dress and arm herself so fast before. If her mentor saw her panicking like that he would have smacked her a good one.

He always had preached the benefit of a calm mind. Letting not emotions cloud her judgment, no matter the situation. But this, this felt different.

There were no birds chirping in those early hours, not a single crisp wind managed to pass her, even in the later mornings of her quick journey to the village. The only wind she felt were the cold and dead ones.

She grew up living in harsh and mild winters, Barbatos forbid, and knew the chill winds. No wind was this cold.

She stalked the forest for hours, looking for any signs of life, animal or otherwise. And yet, no creature stalked as she did, prey, predators, and other creatures were nowhere to be found.

What's worse, she found a dead carcass of a buck amidst her desperate search. There was no happiness in finding that corpse. The pit in her stomach only grew worse.

That is the reason why the Huntress was here now, but she knew before coming here, that she would still be alone. She had hope, of course, who wouldn't have? But the denial was still there.

The fountains were running as normal, with no kids playing in sight. The market stalls were empty, ready for its vendors to show their wares, but no such souls were present. Houses and small homes were empty, everything was.

Usually, every time she would visit the village, stares and feelings of others looking at her was the norm. She didn't mind the looks, curious and all. But no such feeling came out since she arrived. Only the cold and dead wind passed her shoulders.

It was not comforting at all.

The silent trek continued, her steps getting louder and more prominent, on purpose. Never did the Huntress forced her steps before. She was born a silent hunter, not a person who craves attention. And yet, her stomps grew louder, and louder. Until, to a point that she stopped.

Seeing the edge of the village, the Huntress realized that she had trekked across the village, half-way being as loud as she could, and in the end there was no soul to greet her. No soul to catch her attention, no person to call her out in awe, no child to tug her cloak and ask to play with them, no elderly trying to give her free food, and certainly no one to even look at her anymore.

She was alone.

Panic caught her breath, as she tried to process her thoughts amidst a storm of emotions.

This can't be real. This is a nightmare. A dream.

She was alone.

Maybe the Huntress might've been eating something not right, she was never a picky eater at all.

She was alone.

It might be still night, and the cold winds were from her windows. Did the Huntress forget to close them again?

She was alone.

Did she stay up late, listening to those voice recordings? Maybe, the Huntress might curb her late night wonders for a while. When she wakes up, of course.

She was alone.

…

…

…

…

…

For the first time in her lonely and silent life, the Huntress screamed.

In desperation.

In sadness.

In confusion

In solitude.

Her scream, as embarrassing it was, felt like a new sensation. Born from these swirling emotions that rage within her. The Huntress felt like a newborn child, crying in desperate cries of help and in sorrow.

She had her mentor, but he was gone. She had her connection with the beauty of nature, but that was taken away as well. Now? The people around her, not even a part of her life, but a staple of why she was the Huntress in the first place, and why she took that mantle and name, was now also gone.

Where did it all go wrong?

What did she do that would incur such a terrible act?

All she wanted was to belong. To a new family, new friends, and a people that will accept who she is.

Those dreams, those ideals were taken from her, but why?

The bloodcurdling howls managed to break her from the pathetic reverie. Out of pure instinct, the Huntress gripped her bow harder than ever before. Her hawk eyes spotted three shadows moving from the edge of the dark forest.

For others, even experienced hunters, it would be hard trying to see through the dark forest. It was noon, but the dark clouds overhead made it seem like an hour of eternal night.

A figure dashed out of the bushes, but the Huntress was quicker. She rolled backwards, twice, and when she steadied her crouch, nocked an arrow out of her quiver. The draw was her quickest yet, and the release even faster. The growls of pain the creature let out was monstrous.

Dashing backwards after releasing her arrow, she gave a cold look against her foe. Her cold gaze broke, and her pupils shrunk in terror.

The Huntress encountered dangerous foes before, plants made out of elemental residues, slimes of a dozen varieties, and even mutated creatures from the essence of angry and defeated gods. But the creature in front of her was something else.

It was canine, if the Huntress would guess, but juiced up to a point that it was bigger than humans and creatures alike. Its fur was as black as night, slithering, and an odd smoke popping out. Arms longer than the hind legs, standing upright, and claws stretching far-out. It was the eyes and glowing scars that caught the Huntress' sight.

The creature's scar, from its back, chest, and arms glowed ominously. Purple and bleeding with corruption. The eyes were milky-white, but held a contempt only seen from other humans.

Freak of nature as it was, there was intelligence hidden beneath those eyes. Growling, and snorting, the creature's terrifying claws grabbed the shaft of the arrow that pierced its neck.

And to her surprise, pulled it out as fast and painlessly as it can. Like a human would.

Steeling her nerves, the Huntress saw the creature hunching its back, readying for a second confrontation. It shouldn't have fooled her, but the creature did. It smirked at her, before the Huntress felt a burning sensation at her back.

Red liquid flew to the air, staining the wind with her blood.

The Huntress jumped back, even before her blood splat to the ground. She had dodged the killing swipe, but was injured because of her blunder.

Looking at her foes, the one she shot was smug as heck, the other that nearly caught her was merely contemplating its bloodied claws. The sight alone terrified her. These two creatures were not normal, worse still, there was a third one. And it has yet to show up.

Her sight became rather blurred, as the shock rolled through her sides. Pain. Wetness. Stiff. She was injured, no doubt about it.

Ripping the cloak off of her, the Huntress steadied her poise, ready for any surprises. Adrenaline rushed through her veins, dulling the pain of her side, albeit temporarily. It was a small technique that her mentor taught her if she was to encounter a predator she failed to catch, and injured her in the process.

Of course, this was merely a temporary solution. Her mentor expressly told her that being in that state would be unhealthy. Now that she was using it, the Huntress felt both free of burden and heavy at the same time.

Letting out an angry snarl of her own, her eyes fixed towards her foes, and readied her instincts if the third creature came out. Her bow, with a quick nock of an arrow, was drawn.

Both creatures charged without delay, not letting the Huntress target them. They were both deathly fast, but both her arrows were faster. Like a bullet, one arrow struck the other creature in the eye, and the smug one tried to dodge, but a second arrow smacked through an arm it used to block hastily.

Her draws were inhumane, her arrows strike like eager thunder. Most hunters would find hunting a flying bird a challenge. The Huntress herself struck a Windsprout Sparrow whilst it was diving for fish, all for the sake of a quick breakfast at the beach.

It never stood a chance, so did those two creatures who found the wrong side of a pissed-off huntress.

The first one growled in frustration, pulled the arrow out of its arm with its snarling mouth, and looked back at its foe. The Huntress disappeared, however.

The second one whimpered in pain, as it tried to pathetically pull out the arrow in its eye. The howls of pain only grew when the creature found more pain in trying to. It didn't even notice the disappearance of the Huntress, more occupied in desperately trying to remove the foreign object stuck in its skull.

Snarling in rage, the first one angrily sniffed the air around him, thinking that the human cannot hide from its strong sense of smell.

Trees.

Mushrooms.

Grass.

White-flower.

Fresh water.

Dandelions.

Huffing in annoyance, the snarling creature charged forth, much deeper into the forest, and the whimpering one in tow. Convinced that the human got away, two of the creatures disappeared deep in the woods, their figures becoming nothing but hollow silhouettes in the distance.

With the foul stench of the creatures gone, the Huntress breathes a sigh of relief before hissing in pain. Her sides burned in agony, as the drenched cloth was brimming red. The sensation of light-headedness made her sight blurry, but urged to pick herself up. Her adrenaline dwindled down, making her normally nimble steps very flimsy.

Hunching herself on a tree, she caught her breath in rasping desperation, at times even clawing her chest. Her limp to the village was something akin to a drunk night. The Huntress might've not tasted alcohol of the human variety, but there were plenty of fermented apples within the once bountiful forests.

Swaying into an abandoned house, the Huntress stumbled inside, and managed to hold on to a wooden table. Gasping for air, she crawled into a corner. Clutching her wound, she thanked the gods that her clothes were not as fully stained when the beast tried to sniff her out.

The odor of wild-flowers were fortunately present on her clothes, making her blend-in the thick bushes of the forest edge. Grunting in pain as the Huntress tried halting the bleeding, pressing as desperately as she could. Her thoughts went into the encounter, as the Huntress ripped off a part of her cloak to try and bandage the wound.

The beasts she encountered were something she never had seen before. It was like they were made of pure darkness. Akin to shadows than living creatures, as she remembered seeing the arrows she lodged within them did nothing, especially not bleeding red, and only seemed to piss them off. Especially the smug one. She wasn't so sure as to why she felt chills in seeing their human-like expression. Contemplative. Angry. Human emotions shouldn't belong to creatures like those, and yet they did.

But there was something familiar about their presence, like meeting them before. Of course, the Huntress denied it, as she would've felt the killing intent as easily as she did now. The smug one seemed to know her, and that wolfish grin was filled with malice and joy when the beast distracted her. The contemplative one, she wasn't so sure, it did feel familiar. Not as much as the smug one, but enough to put some thought into it.

Grabbing a bottle of alcohol in a nearby shelf, the Huntress hissed in agony as the burning sensation of pouring liquid into the wound was a very harrowing feeling. But at least it was clean. Her stained shirt was something to care for later, as the Huntress regained her senses. Her blurry sight disappeared, replaced by the feeling of perplexed thoughts.

Where did the beasts come from? Where did all the villagers go? And why now?

The huntress had a feeling that the village wasn't alone in this living nightmare, nor was she. The Order of Knights must've at least assembled by now, and the city of Mondstadt in lockdown. It might not look much, but the city was a natural fortress. Surrounded by Cider Lake, and a single bridge between land, Mondstadt was safe from the suffocating fog that surrounds the forest.

It would be nice to seek refuge in the city, but the Huntress never belonged there, and the villagers were still missing. She was compelled to look for them, it was the least she could do. She wouldn't be the Huntress they named if she were to just run away, would she?

But where to start?

Her sense of smell was obviously clogged by the cold winds and fog, making her half-blind if she were to venture forth. That, and the Huntress was injured. The claw marks to her side might stay for a while, not until she gets proper help.

Loud thuds of the doorway made her neck snap towards the intruder. The Huntress wished that it was a villager, or even a fellow man, but it seemed her luck had run dry. Another of those damned beasts slowly entered with its snout first entering the place, sniffing the air and the scent of fresh blood. She was too late, the beasts found her.

Knocking an arrow and drawing with lightning speed, the Huntress suppressed the pain of her sides as she aimed menacingly at her foe. If she was to die, the Huntress would rather take the beast with her. Curiously, when the beast saw her injured form laying at the wall with a drawn arrow ready to burst forth, it merely looked amused, and steadily crawled towards her.

Her breathing paced increasingly fast, praying that if she were to release her arrow, her unsteady hands and breathing should not affect her shot. Inching towards her, the beast continued to crawl unimpeded, making her panic. Her fingers couldn't hold it in any further, releasing it prematurely.

A loud thunk sounded throughout the entire room. She missed.

Her aim was much higher than she anticipated, and the beast ducked right in time. The Huntress can see her arrow lodged pathetically to the other side of the room.

The beast looked back at her, its eyes shone a curious gleam. She was dead.

The Huntress picked up the scent of wolfhooks, and heard the beast inched closer to her face. She saw the beast near her face, and snarled open, showing her the rows and rows of sharp teeth.

Maybe it would be painless, if the beast would grant such a thing, and if it would strike at her neck. Maybe she wouldn't feel a thing-

"Jo-...nathan..."

Huh? Opening her eyes, the huntress watched in horror and bewilderment as the beast opened and closed its maw, in an attempt to growl out the words. "...Hun...tress...Joh...nathan..."

Huntress? This beast know her? And what's up with the name Johnathan? Huffing in annoyance, the beast gestured with his head towards the door, its eyes begging her to follow. Of course, the Huntress was reluctant to stand up from her spot, but she had no other choice but to comply. Her eyes stared at the beast as the Huntress slowly got up. It waited for her to steady herself, before heading towards the door. Its back was turned, and the Huntress could take the shot, but curiosity won her.

Damn her curious nature.

Suppressing a sigh, the Huntress watched the beast exit the house, and followed close behind. The town was still empty, but watching it more closely, there were signs of short activity. Opened windows, unlocked doors, and even the usual lanterns were dark. It was like the villagers did wake up, but urgently disappeared.

The Huntress curbs her curiosity for now, as she hears the beast impatiently growl at her. She really was tempted to shoot the damned thing, but held herself firm. Maybe she'll get answers. If the cursed beast wanted her dead, she would've been in that house, but the beast did not want her gone. In fact, if she were to bet, it needed her help in something.

It was acting human. Desires, and the means to have it. The other two she encountered had desires of their own, the smug one wanted her gone, the second one was just along for the ride. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed so absurd, yet it makes sense.

As the both of them left the empty village behind, the Huntress caught a haunting thought. These beasts were once human. Could it be? No, the Huntress got rid of that thought. It was nonsense.

She was very naïve when it comes to magic, but not blind to the limitless implications. Her magical compass, which seems to not work properly anymore, was gifted by a man from the place called Sumeru. It showed her desires, but when she woke up this cold morning, the compass did not move an inch. It was dead. Her knowledge was limited, but the man did explain that her compass works in places filled with magical reserves. Forests had plenty of them apparently, and her compass worked like a charm, leading her into a prey she wanted.

But the fog seemed to only not just clog her senses, but the magic in the air as well. It would explain as to why her compass was malfunctioning, and the dread in the air was filled with a type of malice that belongs to beings who can produce such things. Gods, demons, and the rest of the creatures in the Abyss.

The creature leading her seemed not bothered by the atmosphere, but that was a given. He was a beast that might be the cause of this. She'll go to the bottom of this.

There was an opening ahead, a bald spot in a forest if you will, and the Huntress did her best in looking for any signs of ambush, but saw and felt nothing. That is, until both the beast and the Huntress reached into the open area and towards a rock formation did she smell something. Blood.

Out of pure instinct, the Huntress jumped back, and knocked an arrow. Her glare at the beast was ignored, and it just huffed before laying on the ground. Her sight went on the small figure laying his back on the cold wall of the stone. It was a child, a bleeding child.

Rushing towards the injured kid, the Huntress was still surprised that the child was still alive and breathing, albeit a bit harsh in his breaths.

He looked worse than she did, bleeding down from his neck and into the boy's legs. His cheeks were gnashed, and he even has a deep scar in his chest. Most of the bleeding dried off and was patched, but he was getting worse. The boy's eyes stared into hers, and found fear and sadness within. What happened?

"The...huntress...you're here..."

She wanted to shush the boy, but he wouldn't have it. The child wanted to sit straight, but she managed to gently push him down. He was nowhere near a good condition to speak, let alone to get up. "Please... help us."

The desperation in his tone struck her, as the Huntress intently listened. "The woman...took my father...mother...brother..."

Woman? So, a person came into the village, and took them. But how? The person in question might be strong, or worse, a Vision user. She had no chance against that. "Brother hid me...they came back...monsters..." Must be the beast from earlier. The Huntress gazed at the third beast patiently laying on the grass beside them. What was its deal anyway? And why would the villagers come back with monsters?

The boy saw her contemplative look, and he suddenly became sorrowful. "N-no...the monsters...are...villagers-" Her heart dropped, and the pit of her stomach felt queasy once more. It shouldn't be, right? What kind of horrendous being would do that? The kid might've been seeing things, maybe he was delusional by the loss, or even delirious from the loss of blood. There was no way in the Abyss that could be possible.

Could it?

"...I heard it...my mother's voice...her growls...and cries...one of the kids...my friend...who stayed with me...tried...to run away with me...he was captured..." The child turned his gaze to the beast near them. It, or he in this case, refused to look towards them. The Huntress couldn't believe it. One of them was the third beast, and he led her here. The boy's friend. That's why those beasts felt familiar, it was because they were former villagers she had met!

Now that she thought about it, the smug one was one of the local hunters that bragged and fooled around. He was the least favored of the village, and the silent companion of that arrogant hunter was the second beast. They were hunting again, but this time a different prey. This angered her, how could fellow hunters betray the code? They should've at least fought back or resisted. But they didn't, and now there are more of the monsters. A whole village of them.

"Please...please...help us..."

She could have, if she had been any faster. But she wasn't, and now the villagers turned into monsters. Monsters she has to slay. Slay. Kill. This wasn't a hunt, but an act of vengeance.

Her mentor told her those who stray from the path of a hunter will never see the endless plains. If she were to act on anger, hatred, and vengeance, then she will never see her mentor again. The gates of the peaceful, and heavenly hunting grounds are gone. She will never know peace, happiness, and the meaning of life. Not after she would commit an act of emotions.

Hunts were a part of life, creatures of the forests will be hunted, and in turn those who hunted them will survive another day. A cycle of life. Butchering creatures, especially a hunter like her, never must stray from that path, lest she become the monsters she despised.

And yet, the Huntress could never sway herself away from the boy's pleas. He was desperate, just like her. He lost so much, just as she did. And he was alone, but she was here. "I- I promise."

The boy's tired eyes shone brightly. It wasn't him who said that, as it was the Huntress who did, filled with determination and resoluteness. Gently clasping the boy's stained hands, she did her best to comfort him. She realized why the beast led her here, a fellow human to see at least when he perishes. She also realizes that he was bleeding internally, as he was getting pale by the second.

"Your friend- his name?"

The boy smiled, but it did not reach his tired eyes. "Fa...Farnamo..." The beast's, Farnamo's, wolf-like ears perked in that name, but dwindled sadly a second later. "I'm so sorry...I was so useless...If I did not hold you back...you would still be...normal..." The Huntress wanted to rebuke that statement, but shut herself up, as she saw the beast rising up. She tensed up, but relaxed when the beast had his milky eyes look towards the child in a gentle way. Gone was the amusement when he led her here, only the sadness remained.

The Huntress had a feeling he was holding it in, but she couldn't help but pity the beast. No- boy. He was a child too, only to be turned apart and turned into that monstrous form. Her belief solidified when the beast's claws tenderly stroked the boy's cheeks. She wanted to cry, but the sudden scent of malice in the air prevented it. The beast and the boy were lost into their own little world, not noticing the Huntress tensed up.

She had smelled the turbulent scent like this before, but the fog got in the way, making her senses more confused. But the feelings within her guts were telling her about danger, but nothing was around. Or at least she would've normally done so if not for her earlier encounter. Those two beasts, they're here.

"F-Farnamo...please forgive me...can we still be friends? I-" It was too late, an arrow struck. The boy did not finish his sentence as the child hurled in agony before limping. He was dead. The pure white shaft of the arrow would normally enthrall the Huntress, but it only horrified her.

More so to the boy's friend, who clutched the limp and dead corpse of the once lively boy, shaking it in disbelief. The beast was howling in denial, and it pains her to see such a sight.

"My, oh my, you naughty boys really screwed up this time." A cultured voice snapped the Huntress in attention to a woman strutting towards them. The Huntress was never good in her choice of wardrobe, but the sight of the woman's sophisticated clothing far-exceeds her. The style reminded her of the tall man she encountered a while ago, her clothing laden with the purest of white, and slivers of gold. Glowing runes and symbols surround her sophisticated coat, bringing in a sense of importance and power. "Hmm, and a forest rat as well. Interesting."

The Huntress glared balefully at the woman in white, and in turn the woman gazed back in amusement, a beautiful teal eyes with three dots in her iris. The woman was tall, like the man she saw before, but her beauty was unmatched, especially with her dark ash-white hair complementing her style. Her glare turned towards the weapon that killed the child, a beautiful piece of a foreign war-bow, long and made of white crystals. Were those dust or smoke coming out of the bow?

An enraged growl sounded behind her, and the feeling of the killing intent doubled. Fortunately, it wasn't aimed towards her, but towards the woman. The Huntress can understand fully.

"This one seems strong, a shame it retained its soul. A waste of resources if you ask me."

"Nobody. Asked you." The Huntress barked back, unable to hold back the rage as well. Was this the woman who turned the village into monsters? And the one who murdered a child? The dead eyes of the once bright child would haunt her memories.

"So, the rat can speak after all," the woman mocked her, grinning in delight at the deed she had done. "And yes, the child's death was tragic, but both of you were cruel. Letting a boy suffer his wounds like that? Tsk, tsk, tsk. That would not do, that won't do at all. What's that saying Mondstadt always says? Oh yes; I set him free."

Her mocking laughter rang throughout the forest. The Huntress was silent as the grave. It was one thing to kill a child, but to relish in it? To mock his death? A hunter must respect the dead, else she'll join them. But as of now? The Huntress was willing to put that to the test. It would be a new experience for her, as she never had hunted a human before. A monster in human skin anyway.

"What's this? Thinking of attacking, little girl? Bad luck, try again next time sweetie." The Huntress dashed forth, but Farnamo was faster. "Good boy. Now, come to momma~"

Gasping in horror, the Huntress skidded into a halt. She tried to warn Farnamo, but it was too late, the smug one got him. Whimpering in pain, both beasts tumbled far, and Farnamo struggled against the tight grasp of the smug one.

"Good one, I'll treat you nicely soon enough-" The woman praised the smug one, nocked an arrow, and aimed towards Farnamo. The beautifully crafted arrow sailed into the air, and it would've hit the poor beast. It would've, if not for the Huntress' arrow hitting it midair. The woman gasped in shock before she felt a large weight pushed her into the ground- it was the second one. The beast growled in pain once again, as the Huntress tried to quickly shoot at the woman.

Hitting its back, the beast held on. The smug one saw what was happening, and before he could react, Farnamo gnashed into the smug one's throat. It was wailing pathetically, and tried to claw Farnamo, but its attempts were halted when Farnamo himself wrestled in control. Just between the two of them, it was a bloody struggle. Claw wounds managed to harm Farnamo's dark hide, but he pierced deeper into the once smug beast's throat.

"Damned rat," the woman cursed, as she tried to get up, but was pushed down by the second one when another of the Huntress' deadly arrows shot its back. "Stupid mutt, GET OUT OF THE WAY." Suddenly, the second beast was thrown away, by a giant construct of a flower. Huffing in annoyance, the woman saw the Huntress knocking an arrow. "Hmph, foolish child. Do you really think you can win? I'll enjoy your suffer-"

Thunk. The arrow struck the tree beside the woman. She felt smug, but the Huntress held it down. The Huntress was still hesitating to kill, as the words of her mentor continued to haunt her. The plains would no longer welcome me. And that is fine, the Huntress still has a promise to keep, she'll no longer cower whilst people like the child suffered. She can only hope her mentor will forgive her.

"I won't." She knocked an arrow. "Let you." Draw the string steadily. "Harm another-" Breath in. Breath out. "-SOUL!"

It sailed through the air, like a hammer of judgement coming down from the heavens. The woman did not have enough time to react, but tried to use her alchemy to block the powered shot. "Ao Rhias- !" She did not have enough time, and was struck mercilessly. "Gack!-" Her once pristine clothes were stained with blood. Her blood. "...Damn it. Dirty rat! I'll kill you!"

The silence permeated throughout the clearing, the smug one was silent in its whimpering, the second beast was shocked, and Farnamo held a satisfied look. The Huntress herself calmly watched as the woman was hysterical on her every move. Red gushed on the grass, as the woman tried getting up.

"Stupid mutts! Useless puppets! Damned rat-!" The woman gasped in exhaustion, clawing her bleeding stomach. With a flick of a hand, golden light and dust gathered around her. To the Huntress' surprise and to Farnamo's anger, the wounds healed itself in quick succession. "As much I would like to enjoy flaying you alive, I have no time to dally. The knights will be here in a few moments." Gathering whatever elegance the woman has left, she gestured towards her useless mutts to retreat. "This world will be reborn, as they had promised. The doors of Celestia will be opened to me! I no longer feel any inclinations to help my brethren, and golden opportunities await. My job here was done, but this is just the beginning. Mark these days as your last, fools!"

Golden light showered her form, as the two beasts retreated deeper into the woods. With a flicker of dust, she was gone. The woman left. Only a bewildered Huntress and a pissed-off beast remained. That, and the dead body of a boy.

The Huntress couldn't help but nervously glance at the beast, Farnamo, and towards the child's corpse. "Can I. Bury him?" It still won't look her way, only staring heatedly at the spot where the terrifying woman disappeared. It still shook her how easy it was for the woman to heal a wound like that. Who was she? What was that light? Why do this?

Looking at the corpse again, the Huntress can only sigh dejectedly. It was best to treat the corpse with respect, and bury it as fast as she could, at least before any of the creatures would find it. She refuse to let a child be desecrated again.

The grave was of course as simple as she can manage. It wasn't deep, so there would be a mound right next to the boulder the child was leaning on. A simple wooden cross made of sticks was placed on the center, and a collection of rocks surrounded the mound. It was the best she could afford.

This wasn't the first time she had buried a body, and was in fact, the third. In her younger years, her mentor was teaching her how to hunt, they both encountered a body of a fallen hunter. She had to watch as her mentor solemnly and silently dug a deep hole and buried the poor lad in it. She, of course being a curious girl, wanted to know why people do that. Her mentor only shook his head, and expressed that she will understand when she had to bury someone.

It was only when she had to bury her mentor's corpse did she fully understand why. Because she must, lest she sees her mentor's body slowly rot and witness the slow and agonizing decay of a loved one. It also brought some closure to her, knowing where her mentor laid, and knowing he was resting in peace among the endless plains.

She could only hope to find closure for the boy as well. The Huntress might've not known him for long, but it was clear that he recognized her. Known who she was, her title as Huntress. What really struck her was when the boy was asking his friend to look for her specifically. Why her? She was just a Huntress in the woods. A loner, a nobody. But he begged for her help anyway. From a silent girl, and a girl with traits that makes everybody dislike her.

It struck her that she did not find the value of her title. It meant little, but when the boy looked into her eyes, and somehow knowing that she would accept, it really moved her.

Was she really just a huntress, or something more?

The sounds of hooves thundering in the distance alerted her senses immediately, they were horses. Many of them were coming this way. The Huntress glanced at the silent beast beside her, who was still staring at the spot where the woman was, and was refusing to look at the grave. She knew Farnamo was hurting, and badly at that, but now wasn't the time.

She had witnessed the knights in action once before, and was determined to avoid them in any way, but now? This crisis was bigger than herself, bigger than any of the villagers. They need figures like the knights to intervene, not people like her.

And yet, the promise stuck.

The boy put his faith into her, not the knights, not the gods, but her, a Hunter. She already broke the promise to her mentor, and planned to fight the beast anyway. It was Farnamo that she was worried about, as the beast still won't move from the spot.

When the knights finally reached the clearing, they of course kept their distance away from the beast, and circled around them. The leader caught the Huntress' attention, as he seemed to stare at her intently. It was unnerving of how much pressure he was pushing into her, and yet without saying something. He was young too, maybe around twenty years of age. He had a confident smirk on his face, but the huntress felt that there was no arrogance around it.

He gave the beast a curious, but neutral look. He frowned when the beast did not react to anything around him. The leader was more amused that his men were wary and scared of the passive beast. He turned his attention to the young woman in the green cloak, and gave another disarming smile. "Out hunting for beasts I see. Care to join us, young lady?"

She frowned, knowing that the leader of the knights seemed to recognize her. "More man. Than beast. I hunt."

It was the leader of the knight's turn to frown, getting the message that it was more than beast and monster roaming about. The change in demeanor was startling for her. "Care to join us then? The name's Rostam, the Captain of the Cavalry. I would ask you kindly to join us in returning to the fair city of Mondstadt, as a restless friend of mine might wish to hear your story."

Her nose wrinkled at the thought, but smelled nothing suspicious of the man's offer. The city stench was the least of her current worries. "Can he come?" The Huntress softly gestures to the silent beast. "He behaves."

Rostam himself was not thrilled, his men more shocked at the request, but considered it nonetheless. "Sir!" One of his men called, "You can't be seriously considering this! The city is already at an uproar, bringing this one in might escalate things for worse."

"Of course not," Rostam shrugged, but smirked mischievously. "The Grandmaster did need a live specimen to observe, most of our beastly foes were not exactly chatty." The knight zipped his lips after that, but still worryingly staring at the unnerving beast.

"Farnamo."

That name alone made the beast flicker his wolfish ears in interest. "Please come. I need friend. Your friend. Will be avenged." It contemplated her words for a moment, and nodded softly. He still did not glance at the mound, but paused in his tracks. The beast finally relented, and solemnly watched the grave of his friend. He spared not another second then he dashed forth to the forest, heading straight for the city on the lake.

The Huntress stared at the leader of the knights, and he got the message. "Good, you'll be riding with me. Men! Let's head into the city!"

"...Is this still wise, sir?"

"Heh, do you want to contradict the Huntress' word?"

The revelation that the Huntress herself was the young girl riding on Sir Rostam's back was a shocker, and that alone shut them up.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This was by far the longest chapter I have ever written.

Writing this chapter was much harder recently, and I already gave a long update and explanation on the Discord server, but the gist was that I had many limitations on what I was able to do. My five year old laptop finally broke down on me, but I wasn't as surprised since it was second-handed. I was forced to use my dad's laptop for a short while and my personal activities like writing stories and playing Genshin wasn't allowed. If he saw anything that doesn't resemble something from my school on his laptop, my internet privileges would be taken away.

It did hamper me for a while, but I always play Genshin on my phone, and started to begin the draft of the chapter on my phone as well. My first few days of doing it sucked badly. The quality wasn't as good when writing on a phone, but I had no choice.

The blessing came in the form of my cousin who stopped by, and he was generous enough to let me have my own private account on his laptop. Bless his kind soul.

I wrote this chapter on the grace of my good cousin. Other things popped up as well that hindered my progress on writing the story, but I'll catch up soon enough. I'm only half-way into my semester on my first year into college, and I struggled quite hard. The storm of trouble might pass, hopefully.

Thanks to Primordial Inscriptor Z-09 for giving out the advice of emphasizing the flashbacks. Usually, I would rather not, but most folks these days do not care for them. I still understand, though. I do not like to differentiate the content between inside the chapters, as they are still part of the story.

Apart from Aether's dreams, I will have to cut off flashbacks(Teyvat's history are not even flashbacks in the first place, as they are a story of their own with a clear purpose that will be explained in the future but whatevs). But I still need to at least find a conclusion to the Huntress' tale. I would be a terrible author to leave it with no fulfilling end.

I really was planning to tell the tale of past historical characters based on Genshin weapons and items. But it seems nobody likes it, so I was like "Fine, no fancy flashbacks or nothin'. A shame." It really was a shame. I already planned a nice story of characters like Arundolyn, Rostam, and others. The Huntress too with her new companion Farnamo, hunting down savage beasts made by Gold and even battle the infamous alchemist herself. The tale of Dvalin's sacrifice and the Crimson Witch's grief. Venti's screw ups. And more.

A shame. Truly.

No more flashbacks then, I decided it was best, as it saves time and effort on other things. Speaking of effort, I am posting a new long-term story with a lot of potential. A Self-Insert fanfiction. Who'll just have to guess which character I will choose for the story. Spoiler: A great comrade.

With the Genshin anniversary coming, it also marks OCF's first year on December. Yay.

Leave a review guys! An old friend of mine always said that a reader's opinion (Review) are an author's food pellet.

I must give a thanks to Crestfallen from my Discord server for creating a nice and quick meal for y'all. It's a small omake based on his interpretation on Aether's stay on the new timeline, getting "distracted" by Jean's affection. Bad Aether. Bad.

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Distraught and Despair (AKA Yandere Lumine) - written by Crestfallen

As she gazes at the two lovebirds from her Abyssal Mirror, Lumine feels like her heart has been ripped in half. The lovely couple of Aether and Jean blissfully unaware of the one watching them from afar.

How could he forget his original objective and settle down with some no-good woman like her? Unbelievable!

It sickened her just by thinking about it. Her anger rising by the second, her Mages and Heralds run for cover, lest they be the victims of her wrath.

The more she watches them from the mirror, the more she feels like she has been replaced by that whore! Clearing her mind of any unwanted distractions, Lumine has made plans to recover from this setback. Perhaps, tomorrow would be the time to give her brother a proper reunion.

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the world itself was cruel