Chapter Text
It’s cold
It’s dark
It was like being buried deep underground, there was no light or sound. Just suffocating silence.
That is what it was like when Aether had been taken away from Lumine, his lungs contracted till he couldn’t stand when suddenly he felt a gust of wind in his face and finally
He could breathe .
The sand sighed at his skin. Sand?
He thought, his head pounded. Groaning, he sat up and took a look around, his eyes dilated, taking in light. The sun was blindingly bright here, the air clean and comforting.
Aether’s vessel had never felt so good yet so terrible at the same time before, in fact, it had never felt anything at all. Lumine and Aether simply traveled through worlds for eternity, without end, with no true goal or purpose in mind other then to simply explore and exist...
Lumine..
How long has it been? How long did it have to be? Aether sighed, bringing his head to his hands. Suddenly all the fatigue had hit him once again and this time, it hurt more, yet for some odd reason, sorrow replaced it, burrowing deep in his heart Aether brought his hand to his chest. Wet little droplets hit the sand. Aether looked up, confused about why it was raining, only to realize the water didn’t come from the sky, but from his eyes.
What had been a single tear drop became what seemed to be a never ending river of sobs until he couldn’t see past the water in his eyes. She’s gone…truly gone. Aether had gone from having one thing left, to having nothing, as if Lumine had never been there at all.
-
Aether remembers exactly when Aether and Lumine became Aether and Lumine because if he didn’t then she’d remind him. Over and over again, sometimes he’d forget simply so she could tell him once more. At the start of Star, two explosions so bright and massive. Two twin supernovas, and from then on it was just those two. Encased in their little cocoons, their lives forever intertwined with one another.
-
Staggering to his feet, Aether started trudging on. Lumine. He had to find Lumine. If not, what would become of him? How would he be able to go on?.Then, an unfamiliar feeling became of him– Aether’s heart was beating, and it was beating fast. Being a star, Aether never needed it. Simply living off the cosmic energy that flowed into him from the cosmos he had never felt so alive and scared. Aether’s feet kept moving faster and faster until he slowed to a stop.
What am I going to do?
A good question indeed. With no purpose or direction to where he was and a cloudy vision of who he was. For months, he walked the hills, too afraid to interact with any of the locals of this new, unfamiliar world. If he did encounter someone, he simply covered his mouth signifying he couldnt or didnt want to speak.
"Traveller"
That's the title people called him constantly, he's taken it as his name at this point if his own didn’t ring like a bell in his head whenever a picture of lumine came into his head. Lumine… The situation felt hopeless. A small part of him believed.. no, he hoped that Lumine would find him and they’d both travel onto the next world, and the next and the next until finally they both hit the end of the universe only to start again and again.
Aether needs to stop torturing himself this way, it only made his head cloud with despair. It was detrimental to his will to live as well, as humorous as that may be, it was frustrating needing to eat, but having no desire to do so.
As of right now however, it was hunting that was the problem. An abandoned Adventureres sword on his hip and a makeshift fishing rod could only get him so far, his lungs burned. Aether had been running for half an hour already from a giant slime, his sword had shattered in half from when he had sliced a boar open. Aether was on a hunt for another when he was ambushed.
He panted hard, his feet thumped against the ground like lightning when he picked up on a certain high-pitched noise, his morals screaming at him to change direction.
Aether’s feet pounded on the grass till he felt the sand underneath. The sound got louder and louder, until finally, he stopped directly in front of a large lake. Aether looked around, panicked, until he spotted a little white….fairy, bird? Whatever it was, it was screaming, and also.. drowning? Panic settled in again, without even thinking about himself, he grabbed his fishing rod, and fished the creature out. Panting and making sounds of concern, Aether shook the creature awake. It groaned and whined.
“phew…Paimon thought she was going to die..” The creature, who seemed to be named Paimon? Spoke although Aether just stared at her. Him?.. Them. Aether simply stared at them, his ears not familiar with the language.
“Hm? Were you the one who saved me?” ‘Paimon’ spoke again. Aether, still not understanding the small fairy-like creature, went to speak, but his throat was sore and constricted. It’s as if it was clogged with mucus and anxiety, he stood quiet. Instead, he nodded his head, assuming by her tone that she was questioning him. This, however, didn’t solve a goddamn thing, because the fairy continued rambling till Aether finally covered his ears, shaking his head profusely.
‘Paimon’ simply stepped… no, the creature was floating with ease and simply flew back in surprise. “Y..you can’t hear?!” She screeched, stunned by her recollection. Aether simply stared at her in confusion .
This language barrier will be more infuriating as it goes on.
Aether thought, sighing as he came to this realization. Aether and Paimon stared at each other, unsure of how to continue as Paimon, still thinking Aether was deaf, was trying to recall if she knew any sign language.
“So.. um..” She stuttered unsure of what to do. “Oh, this is no use! Paimon only knows the basics..” She pouted.
Aether having come to a simple conclusion, grabbed a stick and started drawing pictures in the sand.
So.. what your trying to say is that you fell here…
From another world?
But when you wanted to leave
And go on to the next world
Your path was blocked
By some unknown god?
“Outlanders. Your journey ends here.”
“Who’re you!?”
“The Sustainer of the Heavenly principles.
The arrogation of mankind ends now.”
And just like that, the god took away my sister. Some kind of seal was cast upon me, and I lost my power. So while we used to travel from world to world, we are now trapped here.
How many years ago was it? I don't know...
But I intend to find out.
When I woke up, I was all alone — until I met you two months ago…
“Yeah, Paimon owes you for that. Otherwise paimon likely would have drowned…”
“Sp, Paimon will do her best to be a great guide!”
We should probably head off. Let’s get going!