Nahida was outraged - furious even - thoughts of a certain golden-haired menace at the forefront of her mind.
When the world finally came to a halt, no longer twisting and swirling, she balled up her fists, faced the sky and released a high-pitched scream of frustration.
"First time?"
Eyes like frosted glass peered down at her, betraying next to no emotion. Nahida had never seen a woman so tall, or perhaps intimidating, both of which contributed to her suddenly feeling very small.
The woman's lips twitched, however, edges curving upwards in what she hoped was a tiny smile.
"At least your screams don't bring about death and destruction."
A belated wave of embarrassment passed through her, and Nahida finally took note of her surroundings. Were she to believe the Akasha, everything she saw pointed towards her being transported to the fields of Inazuma - more specifically Narukami Island.
Her own senses told a different story, though.
Everything was just a bit too calm and serene, the breeze too even, the sun's rays impossibly tender against her skin.
'This'll take you to my domain.'
"I see…" she whispered, "You're the adeptal friend I'm supposed to meet."
The woman inclined her head minutely.
"I am Shenhe. Though I cannot be counted amongst the Adepti yet - I am but a learner. According to the Traveler, our encounter is to serve as the next phase in my training."
Nahida blinked.
"What?!"
Keeping up with Shenhe's long strides proved difficult, as Nahida had to all but sprint after the mysterious woman.
If Aether had meant to keep her distracted, it was certainly working, as she'd not a clue where they were headed nor what this supposed 'training' entailed. Part of her wondered if she should just try to figure out a way to leave, to defy her big brother and prove who it was that called the shots around Sumeru.
As soon as the thought crossed her mind she discarded it, shame coursing through her. He'd helped her more than anyone else ever had, relieving her of eternal misery, and already she was considering to betray his trust.
"Hm." said Shenhe, who'd suddenly paused to scrutinize her. "Your shoulders seem less tense, and your brow unfurrowed. You've begun to calm down, haven't you?"
Nahida, although slightly puzzled at the observation, nodded, and was graced with yet another minuscule smile in return.
"Good. The Traveler likes to call this 'walking it off'. The effect is supposedly improved when combined with something pleasant or cheerful, like a sweet fragrance, birdsong or… the company of friends."
She didn't make a habit of listening in on other people's thoughts, but the sudden burst of emotion from Shenhe caught her off-guard.
The woman's heart raged not with fire but with ice - a blizzard so fierce it threatened to rip all it touched to shreds. Curiously, she noted, were the red and golden ropes wrapped tightly around it, forming a protective barrier that kept the outside world safe from harm.
"How did you meet?" asked Nahida, curious to find out more about her first friend.
"He saved me."
Nahida giggled, finding herself unsurprised.
"And then, I saved him."
Shenhe took them to a hidden space, a sparsely but beautifully decorated garden with meticulously raked sand, the roundest, smoothest pebbles Nahida had ever seen and a lone stone bench.
She then told her a tale of an ancient god's vengeful mate, risen from the depths of the ocean to devastate Liyue Harbor.
Nahida found the tale riveting, full of worry upon reaching its apex despite knowing everything must've worked out fine. Every little detail she learned about Aether and his companions filled her with awe.
She wondered if one day she might be as brave.
"Before we met, I believed human society to be beyond reach. I was cursed, bringing only pain to those around me. My fate would be to live a secluded life in the mountains, to become an Adeptus or die trying, whether of sickness or old age."
Nahida gasped softly, drawing similarities to her own past.
"At first, it was the strangest feeling. I'd never felt so free of the darkness as I did then - when he stood beside me. Not even Master had an answer as to why, but it didn't matter, I didn't care. Before, attempting this would spell death for hundreds, if not thousands, but now…"
Shenhe began to loosen each knot and tie of the ropes that bound her body, and one by one they fell to the ground with a soft thump.
The change was all but miraculous, life and vitality returning to her face, hair darkening and her eyes adopting a rich, silver gleam.
"I can finally stand as myself, and as long as I think of him my heart remains at peace."
Against her better judgment, and perhaps taken in the moment, Nahida once again brushed against the woman's mind and was blinded by an onslaught of golden light. It cast her out immediately, and thankfully, Shenhe appeared none the wiser to the intrusion.
She wondered if one day she might form a bond as deep.
There was already something between them, she knew - between herself and Aether.
She didn't need the Akasha to touch his consciousness.
She knew that if she truly desired it, she could see the world through his eyes just as he'd seen the world through hers.
It was only fair.
'Let this be your first lesson, Buer. Be careful what you wish for.'
Nahida saw her hands - his hands - their hands resting comfortably atop their thighs.
They sat upon a tall, golden throne, overseeing a hall so massive the entirety of the Akademiya could fit inside.
She recognized it as the Empyrean, but not the same ruined city she'd been shown during the samsara. This was the city as it'd once been, bathed in white and gold, majestic and whole.
A worm writhed before them, ignored entirely as they looked around the hall, seemingly in search of something.
She realized the hall was a gigantic library, putting anything found in Teyvat to shame. Millions upon millions of books stood stacked up against the walls, of which she could spot no end in width nor height. If there even existed a ceiling, it reached so far up into the sky that it was impossible to see.
They raised a hand, and a tome came soaring towards them of its own accord. The title was written down in a language she'd never seen before, the letters unintelligible to her.
"Of Elder Things that Live at the Edge of Space" they whispered, a sibilant hiss cutting through the silence.
Nahida shuddered - or at least attempted to. Aether's body remained perfectly still, his words echoing in her mind. She was loath to call them his words, however, lacking even a trace of the warmth she'd come to associate with him.
"Look at me, Azar. Your punishment resumes."
The worm on the floor stopped writhing, and to Nahida's horror she realized it was in fact a man - a shadow of his former self - his face contorted in fear and agony.
"As you're now aware, true gods do not exist… but there are beings that come terrifyingly close."
The sage was shaking violently, whatever he saw furthering his descent into madness. When he began to moan and convulse, eyes bulging out of their sockets, Nahida felt beyond sick.
They laughed softly, a chuckle that would've sounded hearty in any other context.
"Do try and mind your manners. It's considered impolite to spill your innards at the mere sight of-"
Azar was suddenly turned inside out in a shower of blood and gore, and Nahida let out a blood-curdling scream.
"A little too much, perhaps. Oh, well… at least I can't say that I lack for time."
Beep.
Nahida was forcefully thrown back into her own body, trembling as though doused with ice-laden water.
"Little girl."
A strong yet soft pair of hands shook her by the shoulders.
"Wake up, little girl."
Shenhe loomed above her, worry written all over her face. Long strands of black hair brushed against her cheeks as she bent down, tickling her slightly.
"You dozed off and began shaking. Are you feeling alright? What happened?"
Nahida clutched her aching head, recalling what she'd seen. For a split second she thought she might have fallen asleep to the most horrible nightmare - hoped it, even - but knew that would be to delude herself.
"I- I saw…"
"What did you see?"
"I saw darkness. I saw the darkness within… him."
Not entirely understanding why, Nahida chose to reveal everything. There was a reason Aether had wanted them to meet, she figured, slightly annoyed at the way he always seemed to be one step ahead of her.
Wasn't she supposed to be the wise and knowledgable one?
"Of course," whispered Shenhe. "That's why- that's how he knew- how he could help me…"
Shenhe's silver eyes gained a newfound fervor, arms wrapping around her tightly, and Nahida ignored the twinge of unease worming its way into her mind.
It felt nice, after all, and neither of them wished to be alone again.
"We're the same."
If Aether noticed her wariness, he didn't make any note of it.
Nahida knew she was being uncharacteristically silent, but her mind was not entirely made up. While she didn't believe his darkness detracted from his light, that which lurked beneath couldn't simply be unseen.
Her meeting with Shenhe taught her that any amount of darkness could be overcome with sufficient motivation and fortitude of mind, but did that justify its existence to begin with?
Did darkness reside somewhere within her own heart as well?
Ei walked beside him as though joined to his hip, appearing even more protective than before. She didn't know the details of what had transpired, save for the five-hundred year samsara he'd subjected the Grand Sage to as punishment for his sins.
Somehow, Aether and Ei had thwarted the Doctor and put a halt to his schemes. She even kept possession of her gnosis, though she wondered whether or not that would turn out to be such a good thing in the end.
Ei didn't seem to care much for her own, ridding herself of it as though it were any ordinary trinket. In the face of such confidence, Nahida found her admiration for her fellow archon growing.
All that remained now was healing Irminsul, a duty she both yearned and dreaded to fulfil. There was no doubt in her mind as to what needed to be done, yet that did nothing to dull her aching heart.
Why did it have to be like this, she wondered. A great, wonderful person lost to history, their good deeds soon to be forgotten by all.
Standing at the base of the great tree, she reached up, bracing herself. Fate was cruel, torturing her even in this, as she had to be the one to destroy what remained of her predecessor.
Rukkhadevata appeared, the spitting image of Nahida herself.
When she spoke tears threatened to fall, and she suddenly wished to be anywhere but in the present moment. She barely even noticed how Aether and Paimon whispered in the background, too entranced as she stared deeply into Rukkhadevata's eyes.
The goddess shimmered and waned, her form slowly fading away, and never had the appeal of eternity been so strong.
Nahida reached up, ready to clip the final branch.
"Goodbye-"
"Wait!"
She faltered, turning towards Aether in shock.
"Not like this. Give me a moment."
"Do you think it'll work?" asked Paimon. "Um- Paimon hopes so, of course, but for all we know what happened with Dvalin could've been a fluke!"
"I have to try."
Prying their fingers apart, Nahida watched as he took one of Rukkhadevata's hands into his own, his free arm coming up to brush against the tiny branch poking out of her temple.
The final vestige of her consciousness, she knew, and with it the last uncleansable trace of forbidden knowledge.
"Traveler from afar," said Rukkhadevata, her voice gentle and compassionate. "Your efforts are in vain. I appreciate the sentiment, but there is no other way."
"There's always another way."
Aether kept his palm firmly pressed against her cheek, no one daring to utter even a syllable.
"The world may have forgotten you, but I will not."
Nahida gasped, lips parting as she recalled his promise - a promise she realized he'd not only made to her.
"You have my word."
When the goddess smiled, fading no longer, Nahida couldn't hold back the tears any longer. She cried and cried, waching as her predecessor grew ever taller, stopping only short of twice her original height.
"Unpredictable as always…" whispered Rukkhadevata, a hint of amused disbelief in her tone. "But then, I should have known better than to doubt a Descender."