"We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year."

- David Gilmour, Wish You Were Here

Aether could not believe his eyes.

The lone Abyss Herald he had been fervently chasing down the past day had been cornered inside the large ruins that Aether had tracked down prior. The blonde haired traveller had almost finally subdued the Herald, not before it had attempted to escape through an Abyssal Portal. Luckily, the mysterious individual named Dainsleif had managed to prevent its escape by choking it using some sort of elemental magic.

However, this short victory was quickly ended by another individual entering the fray. Aether recognized them immediately. Their presence felt familiar… too familiar.

His eyes widened in shock as he locked gazes with this person. Her hair, blonde and graciously flowing, eyes unnaturally yet beautifully golden, with an outfit that looked as if it was from another world. All characteristics that he shared.

"LUMINE!"

"Aether."

"I can't believe it… It's really you! Come on, we need to get out of here!"

Floating right beside him was his more observant companion, Paimon. The white-haired fairy noticed a rather large discrepancy. The Traveller's sibling appears to have broken Dainsleif's chokehold on the Abyss Herald, almost as if they were…

"Aether, why are you with Dain?"

Aether blinked. Why would she be asking about a man that she doesn't even know about? A man that Aether himself had only met a day or two beforehand? A man with such wholefully mysterious origins that Aether couldn't even bother to question it?

"What? Why are you asking about Dainsleif?"

"Paimon thinks that your sister knows Dain, Traveller…"

The tall blonde man beside them sighed deeply, then spoke up. "Lumine, we meet again."

So they did know each other. But from where? Aether was absolutely dumbfounded at this revelation, so was his floating companion. However, that was cut short from his lost sister speaking up.

"You shouldn't team up with this man, Aether. He is my enemy."

"Quit saying things that don't make sense, Lumine! What the hell did Dainsleif do to get on your bad side?!"

"My dear Aether, it must be said here. Do not try to stop me. Do not try to stop the Abyss Order."

Lumine paused. Aether waited in bated breath. Was his sister really the "Princess of the Abyss" that they spoke of in Mondstadt? Or was this just a bad dream? A nightmare? She can't be. Surely not.

"That man, Dainsleif, was the Twilight Sword. He was one of the royal guards of the final dynasty that ruled Khaenri'ah. His ineffectiveness contributed to the destruction of that land, 500 years ago."

Right, Khaenri'ah. Aether thought. Dain had told him about it before descending into the ruins a second time. Recounting the man's words about it, he described it as a "nation without gods, only because they never had one to start with. An entirely human civilization that was destroyed by the gods of Celestia." And this guy was a royal guard of that damned place?!

"A curse of immortality was placed upon him, forcing him to forever wander the lands of Teyvat, while he watched the people that he was supposed to protect be turned into monsters of the Abyss."

The blonde traveller could not believe it. This entire time, I've been venturing with a Khaenri'ahn native? He was too stunned to speak, and Paimon had noticed. Thus, she spoke up for him, like always.

"Wait, you're saying Dain is from Khaenri'ah? The same place that was destroyed five centuries ago? And the beings that now belong to the Abyss Order are actually the people of Khaenri'ah themselves? Is Paimon hearing this right? This whole thing is confusing Paimon…"

Aether decided to speak up.

"Come on Lumine! We need to go home!"

"Home…" Lumine sighed. "Yes, of course. Home is wherever we are together. But… I can't go with you to find a new home. At least, not yet. Until the Order is truly and fully victorious, my war with destiny shall see no end." She paused.

"Listen to me, Aether. I have already seen this world for its true colours. Once you reach the end of your journey, as have I many moons ago, you will also see Teyvat's true nature. I promise you this."

The Abyss Herald standing silently behind her reopened the Abyssal Portal. The feeling emanating from it was ominous. It disturbed Aether, and especially Paimon.

"We'll meet again, dear brother. Though, we don't need to rush, as I have more than enough time to wait for you to complete your journey."

Aether, entirely overrun by emotion, began sprinting towards the portal. He could not afford to lose his sister yet again, and he was going to make sure of it. He didn't know what he'd do if he had to go through her loss again like he had years prior. Lumine locked eyes with him.

"We have always had enough time."

As soon as she had said that, she was gone. So was Dainsleif, as he had also ran through the portal as it was closing. But Aether could care less about that right now. The intense emotions that were coursing through him could only be described with one word. Sorrow. After all this time, he had come so close to achieving his goal of finally getting his sister back only for her to be snatched away right from his fingertips. And it was of her own volition, too.

Aether merely stood there in silence. Paimon attempted to console him, but to no avail. A single tear fell from his eye. Then two. Then multiple. A torrential downpour. He hadn't felt like this in decades, maybe even centuries, but he didn't care. He couldn't care at all. All he could focus on is the fact that he had failed. Again.

"Traveller, are you al-"

"JUST CALL ME AETHER, DAMN IT!"

The fairy recoiled in shock. Never before had she heard him genuinely yell out of frustration. She figured it was the right moment for it, but still, it felt like a punch to the gut hearing him yell at her right in front of her face. Both of them stood there in silence, albeit filled by the ominous hum of the defiled Statue of The Seven that was near them. Soon though, Aether collapsed to the floor and began hitting it repeatedly while still sobbing profusely.

"God damn it, Paimon.. I failed… I failed to get her back… AGAIN!"

The blonde haired boys' words resonated in the dark chamber. Paimon had a look of pure sadness on her face as she hesitantly floated down to be next to his face.

"Trav- I mean, Aether. Look on the bright side! We finally got some important information about your sister! Are you not at least slightly happy about it?"

Aether said nothing, nor even acknowledged his companion's comment. He merely began shaking in extreme anger and frustration.

"So, what's next then, Paimon? I'm going to be sent on another wild goose chase for her only to be told by those damn excuses for Archons that they have nothing on my sister? This entire thing is all a sick fucking joke. I worked my ass off for that piece of shit named Zhongli, only for him to give away his Gnosis to that bitch Signora? What the hell was all the gallons upon gallons of blood spilt over the death of Morax for, then? For a selfish archon to have his dream of a self-sustaining Liyue off the back of me? They did the same thing with Stormterror back in Mondstadt, too!"

Aether by this point was absolutely frothing at the mouth with anger. All of this made him realise how much he had been used by both the governing bodies of Mondstadt and Liyue, but he couldn't do anything about it. He was the godly hero of both countries, was he not?

"Look, Aether. Just be optimistic about this. I know it's been tough on you, and I'm glad you're finally venting your frustrations about Morax, but we can't give up here. Maybe Inazuma will provide the answers we've been looking for?"

"Or I'll get killed, Paimon! I'll get killed by that batshit insane shogun!"

Paimon twiddled her thumbs in disappointing, yet regretful agreement. It was more than likely that Aether would get killed in that hellish Shogunate, but she knew that they both had to try and get at least some information from Inazuma. If it was all for naught, however, she would have to owe him one. Eventually, Aether had made up his mind. He let out a deep sigh.

"Alright. We'll go to Inazuma. I just… hope she isn't as useless as the other nations." With that, he collected himself and Paimon and headed out of the ruins.

On the way back to Liyue, he went over the events that just happened in his head. It disturbed him considerably.

"Hey, Paimon?"

"Hmm?"

"Promise that we'll only talk about this when the time is right?" Paimon noted the sorrowful look on his face. She hoped that this wasn't a sign of things to come for the pair.

"Paimon promises!" Aether smiled at his floating companion, as he gently brushed her hair with his fingers. At least she didn't betray him. Not now, not ever. A truly eternal companionship, one that both of them hoped would stay eternal.

A/N: This is an idea that I've had in the back of my head ever since I started playing Genshin, only intensified by the beautiful work that is "The Traveler's exodus into despair" by EndouInazuma. This is merely a prologue chapter, which documents the first crack in our beloved Aether's foundations, being the loss of his sister. This isn't my first fanfiction, one of many, though I hope I haven't lost my edge with writing over the years. Anyways, thanks for reading!

-nbcman67