The scene was chaos. Aether knelt on the cold, blood-soaked ground of Khaenri’ah, surrounded by flames and destruction. The kingdom he had poured his knowledge and effort into, the people he had fought to protect, were now broken. The land was lifeless save for the twisted forms of those who once thrived in its glory.
His wings, once radiant and full of hope, hung tattered at his sides. He rose, staggering through the debris, his eyes hollow as they took in the devastation. His voice, trembling with disbelief, broke the silence.
“Celestia… Is this your justice?” he whispered. His golden gaze flickered to the ruins, the charred corpses of mothers clutching their children, and the twisted, monstrous forms of the cursed survivors.
Aether’s voice grew cold, sarcasm dripping from his words.
“Few survived… but are they even people anymore?”
He knelt beside a figure crawling weakly in the dirt, a man who stared at him with glowing, monstrous eyes. The survivor’s face twisted with agony as his body contorted, limbs growing jagged and grotesque. Within moments, the man ceased to exist as a human—he had become a hilichurl.
Aether recoiled, his hand trembling as he clenched it into a fist. He shut his eyes, his breath ragged.
“Celestia,” he spat, his voice rising with venom. “You left no mercy for the ‘sinners.’”
---
The Unknown God’s Interference
His thoughts returned to Lumine, to the moment they were separated. He had tried to take her and flee from this doomed land, only to be intercepted by a being of overwhelming power—the Unknown God.
She had appeared before them, commanding dominion over space itself. With a flick of her hand, Aether and Lumine had been sealed, their powers stripped away like fragile wings torn from a bird. Aether had struggled, screaming as tendrils of light bound him, preventing him from saving his sister.
“LUMINE!”
She had tried to reach him, her hand outstretched, her voice calling his name in desperation. But the Unknown God’s power was absolute. In an instant, he was hurled into a portal, his vision going black.
---
Returning to Khaenri’ah
When Aether awakened, he found himself back in Khaenri’ah, though it was barely recognizable. Flames consumed the ruins, and an eerie silence hung over the land. He wandered aimlessly, his heart heavy with the weight of his failure.
“Lumine…” he murmured. “I couldn’t save you. Forgive me.”
Yet as he moved through the remnants of the kingdom, a grim realization settled over him. The survivors—if they could even be called that—were not spared by Celestia. The corruption of their curses had turned them into monstrous creatures: hilichurls, abyss mages, and worse. Their humanity was gone, stolen by the heavens’ cruel judgment.
Aether stood amidst the carnage, his fists trembling. He looked to the burning sky and the stars above, his heart consumed with rage and despair.
“One betrayal is enough,” he whispered, his voice a solemn vow. “Lumine… Forgive me, but as your brother, I can’t leave them. Not again.”
---
Crowning the Prince of the Abyss
Word spread among the cursed and the broken of Khaenri’ah. Aether, the foreigner who had brought prosperity to the kingdom, had returned to lead them. In the depths of the Abyss, where despair festered and hatred toward Celestia burned like a relentless flame, he rose as their prince.
The coronation was not one of celebration but of solemn resolve. Standing amidst the ruins, Aether donned the blackened crown of Khaenri’ah’s fallen royalty. The survivors—twisted, monstrous, and filled with anguish—knelt before him, their new leader.
Aether’s voice rang clear, his determination unshakable.
“We will not bow to the gods who cursed us. We will find justice, even in the Abyss.”
The people roared their approval, though their monstrous cries echoed with agony. Aether, however, remained expressionless. His once vibrant eyes had grown cold, his heart burdened with the impossible task of curing their curses and avenging their suffering.
---
The War Against Celestia
Aether’s genius and knowledge of his homeworld’s technology were repurposed for war. Under his leadership, the Abyss began to flourish—not as a kingdom, but as a force of retribution. He created machines of unparalleled destruction, crafted weapons capable of rivaling the gods, and unlocked the forbidden powers of the Abyss itself.
Despite his relentless efforts, Aether never smiled again. His grief consumed him, leaving him a hollow shell of the man he once was. He had sacrificed his joy, his morality, and even his reputation for the sake of the Abyss and its people.
In the depths of his despair, only one hope kept him alive: the thought of reuniting with Lumine.
“Lumine,” he whispered to himself, staring at the unending void of the Abyss. “I will find you. No matter the cost.”
Even as his actions plunged Teyvat into chaos, and his name became synonymous with destruction and terror, Aether’s resolve never wavered. He sacrificed everything—his humanity, his morality, his home—all to wage war against Celestia and find a cure for his people’s curse.
---
The Burden of the Abyss Prince
One night, as Aether stood on the edge of the Abyss, gazing at the distant stars, his mind wandered back to the life he had lost. His hands clenched into fists as he whispered words to himself, words that carried the weight of his sorrow and resolve.
“Leaving the kingdom and everyone… Paimon… Rindottir… Khaenri’ah…” His voice wavered before hardening. “That was my first betrayal.”
He turned, his golden eyes now devoid of light, his wings of hope long broken. Yet, even amidst the darkness, one truth burned in his heart.
“My sister is more important,” he said, his voice cold yet determined. “There’s no time to regret. Even if I lose another home, even if I betray the world itself… I won’t lose her again.”
As the Abyss swirled around him, Aether walked forward, carrying the weight of countless sins and sacrifices. His back turned to the light, his face set toward the shadows. For justice, for the cursed, for Lumine—he would give everything.
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Regret (Aether's Story)
FanfictionStory of my theory how Lumine and Aether go to Teyvat. And more.
