With and Without You (AetherxAyaka)

Chapter 16: Horrifiying Revelations

(WARNING: this chapter is very graphic. If you can't handle 18+ content I highly suggest you skip at least until the ----------- line created below)

Aether was standing in the nothingness, everything around him was pitch black. He tried moving around, but it proved to be very difficult. Black liquid, similar to that of water covered him waist down. As he moved he could feel that liquid respond to his movement, creating ripples.

He blinked.

The sound of a droplet hitting water echoed into the nothingness, making him open his eyes once again.

All of a sudden, she was there in front of him.

There right infront of him was Lumine. She looked back at him with a serious intensity, a face he'd never seen before.

"Lumi?" He blinked his eyes in disbelief, just to find the space in between the two of them had grew.

"Lumine, Wait up!" He yelled panicking of losing her again. She had turned her back and continued walking away. Distance grew more by the minute.

He tried running, but was still waist down fighting against a still body of black liquid. It was fairly difficult to move let alone attempt to move at a jogging pace.

She walked further from him, now as if the black water didn't effect her movement.

"Lumine, please!" He begged followed by painful groaning.

He pushed his body above all limits forcing to move forward faster, but it was useless. She continued to gain distance and the water felt even harder to move through. As if it was fighting him.

The he felt like he was tugged into the water. It felt hard to get back on his feet, but he did.

Aether was now panting out of breath, on the verge of crying even.

Cling!

Crash!

He heard the terrific sound of metal clashing into metal.

He then wiped his eyes clean of fluids and opened them.

His stomach dropped.

No

"No" he said allowed stumbling forwards once more. He forced is way to a carcass floating in the water that looked very familiar to him. Upon reaching it his breath became hitched.

He mind said no, but his body did it anyway.

He turned the body over face first...

...

It was him. Aether's own body laid dead floating in the liquid. His chest plunged with blood at the heart, where a sword wound could be seen.

Panick surged into his lungs as he looked up.

It was a traumatizing experience for what he saw next.

A path of carcasses and bodies laid infront of him.

"Why is this happening?!?!?" His mind screamed.

"Why!" He screamed aloud.

He was moved forward, forced to get closer to the bodies as they revealed themselves. Some bodies laid dead further out than others.

But he knew the names of everyone. His suspicions of each carcass confirmed by a closer look of each individuals attire...

Venti

Jean

Albedo

Diluc

Morax