Aether sat on the cliff edge of Cape Oath, listening to the silent breeze and the rhythmic crash of ocean waves against the sandy shore below. He leaned back on his hands, letting the cool air brush against his face, while Paimon lay beside him, visibly exhausted from their many travels. When the chaos of their journey became overwhelming, Aether always found himself drawn back to Mondstadt. It was the closest thing to home in this world—an anchor, even if it could never truly replace the life he once knew. He longed for Khaenri’ah, for the peaceful days he once took for granted, and most of all, for his sister, Lumine. That longing had become a constant ache, one that followed him like a shadow no matter where he wandered.

The people of Teyvat saw him as a hero, someone to solve their problems and fulfill their endless requests. But lately, he felt more like a tool—an unfeeling automaton carrying out tasks for those who seemed either too weak or too complacent to face their own struggles. He knew, though, that his true purpose extended beyond these trivial demands. He wasn’t here to be a mindless servant to the world’s needs. He had a goal, one that burned inside him like a dying ember refusing to be extinguished: to find Lumine and bring her back. That was all that mattered, the only thing he truly desired. More than anything, he yearned to see her smile again, to feel the comfort of her presence. Everything else was just noise, a distraction from the only quest that mattered to him.