In The Midst of Snow

Aether Speedruns Through the Five Stages of Depression

Aether has never felt such rage before. Before him, using his sister's body like it was a puppet, was the unknown god. An unnatural smug grin was plastered on her face. With a swing of her hand, a red-gold sword glowing with power was summoned into her grip.

"Forgive the impudence, Traveller," the unknown god said impassively, her voice echoing around the deep, dank cave. "I had no choice but to use this form due to the situation. Surely, you can understand why I had to interfere."

"Get. Out. Of. My. Sister." Aether growled. The ground below him grumbled in his suppressed anger. Then a hand landed gently on his shoulder, and he glanced back, barely holding his fury back, but it simmered slightly down upon seeing Xiao, his amber eyes fixed on the unknown god too, blazing with a thousand curses.

"Keep your emotions in check, Traveller. Despite the state she has been reduced to, she is still a god. Don't let your guard down."

Aether huffed. A challenging smile made its way onto his face, and he held the Yaksha's hand away from his shoulder. "How 'bout you keep your emotions in check?"

Xiao's amber eyes flitted over his face, his face poker, as if saying 'you really just said that to me?'

"Boys, boys," the unknown god sighed exasperatedly. "If you're going to stare each other down, then I shall be going; I have better matters to attend to."

It wasn't a moment after she said that when Aether and Xiao appeared behind her, sword and spear aimed at her vitals.

BOOM.

The entire cave rocked with the sheer energy from the exchanges between the unknown god and the Traveller with the Vigilant Yaksha. Sparks flew in every direction; combatants were seen as nothing more than a flash of light amidst the dust-filled cave.

Aether and Xiao aimed blows on the unknown god like they were one, single stream of flowing water, both moving in perfect sync.

Although, in her part, the unknown god parried well. Blow after blow, barely one managed to fatally injure her. Instead, she harrumphed, skidding across the rock-strewn river with a scowl on her face.

Then, an idea came to her - one that could guarantee her certain victory.

She leapt into the shadows, taking advantage of her distance and the dust to hide. Aether and Xiao looked around frantically, trying to catch the rapidly darting unknown god. But of course, she wouldn't allow that.

From every corner possible, lengths of magenta cubes shot out at them. Aether instantly recognised those that would trap the victim the instant they came in contact with it. He leapt up, twirling a bit in the air before landing a few meters away.

"Xiao!" Aether cried. "Are you OK?"

But as the dust cleared, with utmost horror, Xiao had been caught in the unknown god's trap. The Yaksha had his mask donned. Black, smoky karmic energy engulfed him; he was trying to break free of the cubes' bonds by using his strongest power, but to no avail.

"XIAO!"

He felt the world crashing on him. No, if the unknown god took away Xiao like she took away his sister, Aether feel like something inside him would break, and he would be alone, alone, alone-

The next thing he knew, he was on his knees, desperately pulling at the cubes even if he knew it was fruitless, fruitless, useless.

At that time, he didn't realise why the cubes didn't consume him either. The only thing in his mind was to make sure Xiao was safe, to get Xiao out of this, that it was his own fault for not refusing the Adetpus' offer to follow him into the abyss-