lingering memories & inteyvats

Aether stands before him, his long blonde braid swaying in the wind, his sword drawn, the tip of it gleaming brightly. And most importantly, his face, one that resembled her so much, one that stirred up so many precious memories. And for a moment, he can imagine that it's her that stands in front of him instead.

His memories had faded so much through the course of time, but he always remembered how much she treasured those flowers.

Inteyvats.

He had sat with her in a field of those flowers, their white and pale blue petals fluttering in the wind. The sun shone upon them radiantly, casting a halo around her golden hair, making her reminiscent of a living star. Her golden eyes were shining with happiness, and her laughter tinkled like bells, ringing all around them. Her lips were curved in the beautiful shape of a smile, yet tinged with the hint of incomprehensible sadness, of the wistfulness that comes only with the experience of too many lives and years. This all gives her an ethereal look, one of an unreachable star, so close yet so far away, still twinkling in the night sky.

He wished to erase that sadness that lie around her edges, to see the pain in her eyes gone, but he knows he can't do it, that he doesn't understand her fully either, doesn't understand what she's gone through, as much as he wishes otherwise. So he just smiled along with her, her laughter, is too infectious to resist.

The wind swirled around them, the delicate aroma of the flowers overpowering his senses. He wishes for this to last forever, to forever bask under the light of the nearby star, to gaze upon her radiance, for her to remain by him forever, for him to forget everything else. If only...but nothing is eternal, after all, even gods cannot withstand the erosion of time, so why would this moment be preserved? Even in his memories, it has faded, time having no mercy on any, and the memory of the moment could never match up to the real thing, just a cheap copy.

They had travelled around Teyvat together, so many memories that he couldn't remember anymore. Each time he tried, it was like trying to grasp something just out of reach, so close, yet not close enough. The ache and longing in his chest for something that he knew yet forgot is all too familiar to him. The passing of time is too strong a barrier and he stands no chance against it.

He remembers though, how she practically glowed everywhere, a light that cannot be dimmed, always attracting people to her, like moths drawn to a flame. She was so kind and so helpful to everyone, constantly helping them, even for the smallest of errands, and fulfilling all sorts of weird commissions. Her face always had such a friendly smile on it, that she seemed a saint, an angel, coming from the heavens above to grace their lives with divinity.

He knew better though, because after all the time he's spent with her, he could tell that as wide as her smile was, it was just a facade, and there was no sparkle in her eyes that otherwise shined. Some of her kindness was genuine, but she had put up an angelic front, plastered the expression on her face, to cover up her melancholy. He could see in her eyes of deep molten pools of gold, how distant she was, when she seemed right nearby. So close, yet so far away.

Sometimes, at night, when she thought no one was looking, he'd see tears silently trail down her face, her burying her face in her pillow, as her body shook a little from the quiet sobs that she'd muffle, never letting them out. Sometimes, he'd catch her in a sleepless slumber, her finger twitching, as a tear squeezes its way out under her eyelid, her voice cracking in a whisper, "Aether..."

He had thought of her as the embodiment of the sun quite some times, but perhaps the moon fit her better. The moon shines too, its ethereal presence hanging up in the twinkling night sky, emanating a feeling of warmth but also one of unimaginable distance. Not as bright and warm as the sun, with that cold detachedness, tinged with sorrow. The moon doesn't dare to show its true self, instead choosing to hide in the dark shadows of the night, in the peaceful slumber of many. It is graceful, elegant, beautiful, yet also unreachable, its warmth swirling with coldness, shrouded in mystery, in anguish.

As impossible as he knew it was, he longed to reach the moon, to at least see their true self once, for them to let down their guards just once.

As much as she hid herself away, he could see how fond she was of Teyvat, how her eyes slowly took in the beauty of the lands, entranced. Her eyes lit up at every interesting thing she spotted. She was particularly fond of Khaenri'ah, it was where she was found and taken in and she always returned to it no matter how far she and him strayed.

She had spent so long going around Khaenri'ah, captivated by the very existence of it, by the civilization that was Godless. She spent a lot of time conversing with the people of Khaenri'ah, many of which he didn't follow her for but he was glad that she had made such deep bonds with the citizens of his nation.

And then there was the cataclysm. The sky was tainted a nightmarish red and red cubes twisted as they came into Khaenri'ah from all directions. The city was ablaze in chaos, the screams of many distorted in the background, a scene straight from a horror story. Celestia's very own retribution against mortal arrogance.

He had pulled her away, about to escape with her when she wrenched herself out of his grasp. "What are you doing?!" He had questioned in shock. "I'm going back, there are innocent people there suffering and I'm not standing by! Why aren't you protecting them, aren't you a knight of this city?" She glared at him with such anger dancing in her eyes, he took a step back.

"It's dangerous there, it's too late to help them, so you should leav-" He tried to reason with her, but she was always too stubborn. One could never hope to have the moon and stars within their control. They were an unpredictable force of nature, and acted however they wished. "I'm not the cowardly person that you are. After all our time together, I thought you'd defend your home. But I guess I never should have trusted you, Dainsleif." She uttered his name with such malice that something in him breaks. She ran off, not looking back, tears leaking from her eyes, as she dodges the falling debris, trying to save the civilisation that buried itself deep within her heart, yet was long a lost cause.

The next time he saw her, years had passed, and he didn't recognise who she had become. Her eyes glittered dangerously yet still retaining that beautiful aura, turning them into icy golden spheres. The dark abyssal energy swirled around her and she stood flanked by two monsters and former Khaerianhans. Her face was the same, except where she had soft curves before, they now seemed like sharp corners, seemingly made of chiselled ice, instead of warm stardust. Her gaze that once aroused butterflies within him now were spears of ice, jabbing at his heart.

"So we meet again." Her voice of honey had frozen over, leaving it devoid of emotions, not monotonous but coldly apathetic. He tried to reason with her, but they only ended up fighting, swords clashing, his heart breaking more at the sight of her like this, her eyes empty and all her radiance siphoned away. The Inteyvats that were once in her hair were gone, taking all her warmth with them.

Would things have been better if he followed her that day, instead of trying to get her to safety?

He would never know but after meeting her as the Abyss Princess, he devoted his life to defeating her, the only way he had of freeing her from the chains of evil, so she could grace his life with her light once more, and shine like she's supposed to. So he could sit with her amongst the inteyvats once more, its calming fragrance all around them. So he could see the smile on her face, hear her laughter once more. So he could have the chance of seeing her facades drop.

In the perpetual meantime of a sheltered eternity, most are content to live, and not to dream. But in the hidden corners where the gods' gaze does not fall, there are those who dream of dreaming.

He dreams of dreaming about her, of her smooth fair skin, her fluttering white dress, her soft pink lips quirking up in a smile, her face framed by her golden hair, shining like they were made from the sun, and her deep eyes that always draw him into their golden depths.

His vision clears and he sees Aether across him once more, as he grips his own sword, unwilling to step aside.

"Now, you who has set foot in this world.

Your journey has reached its end, but one final doorway remains.

Step forth, if you have understood the meaning of your journey.

Defeat me, command me to step aside, show me that you are worthier than I to rescue her.

Then, the threads of all fate will be yours to re-weave."