Chapter Text

   “ Aether. ” Despite being just a whisper, their voice carried it’s way through the corridors like a chaotic symphony. He begged himself to move away from that disastrous being, but his entire body was enveloped by an unknown fear, dragging him towards the floor, unable to move. 

     A shiver erupted throughout his body as their arms wrapped around his torso like a snake, pushing him back into their embrace and trapping him within their grasp. Aether forced himself to bite his lip in an effort to cease his scream, allowing a crimson stream to trickle down his chin. His vision was glossed over by his sense of terror, making his eyes water as the stranger continued to coddle him. 

     “I truly tried my best to teach you how to behave, Aether. But I suppose puppies are quite disobedient in their early stages, and are certainly in need of a proper lesson.” Their giggle rang in his ears, flooding his brain with insanities and muddiness. They placed a dampened cloth over his mouth and nose, forcing him to breathe in its burning fumes. Eventually, Aether succumbed to its nauseating grasp, almost collapsing to the floor if not for their strong grasp on him.  “Don’t you agree, ▢▢▢▢▢▢▢ ?”

Everything faded to black.

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     His awakening was dampered by the sight of Zhongli hovering over him, carrying the same punchable smile as he always does. That unchanging smirk of his was a signature that could hide an array of malevolence behind it. His mightiness truly made Aether’s blood go cold. Worst of all, during his slumber, Zhongli had placed Aether’s head on his lap, his thighs acting as a pillow. Due to his close proximity to Zhongli, Aether’s senses were flooded with the man’s agonising perfume. At first, Aether didn’t mind the pollen smell, but after spending more time with the crook, Aether found himself having a difficult time tolerating the scent. If he had the opportunity, Aether would distance himself from the man. 

Unfortunately, Aether wasn’t in a position to refuse whatever Zhongli had in store for him, and therefore had to stay put. Eventually, Zhongli noticed his arrival from his dreamland, and welcomed him back with a cheerful whisper, “Aren’t you a strong one? You weren’t an easy target to sedate, I learnt that after taking you back from the banquet. Of course, I never realised that you were so quick to awaken.” 

     His comment confirmed Aether’s earlier suspicions; that being that Zhongli had used sedatives when he first brought Aether to his base. That groggy aftereffect stayed with him for a week, and wasn’t swayed by any sort of medicine. Aether already had an affinity with poisons and sedatives— being trained to resist all varieties and assortments. Unfortunately, his childhood training must have worn out. 

     It seemed that his glare fell through the crack of his facade and revealed itself to Zhongli, because the next thing he knew, Zhongli had propped Aether up on his lap. With a small yelp, his head spun from the sudden rush of blood exiting his head from sitting up. After the blood settled, the embarrassment kicked in, and Aether turned beet red. Only then, with his increased paranoia, did he notice Xiao sitting across from him, who stared at his new position awkwardly. 

     “I’ve been meaning to ask you this question, but I obviously didn’t want to disturb our sleeping Sora. Xiao, how has progress been within the Mondstadt territory? It has been quite a long time since I had a run in with their leader…” Zhongli sat back alongside Aether, adjusting his position so that he leaned against his chest. It took all the might within him not to throw a fit against Zhongli.

Excreting a grumble, Xiao frowned. “Barbato’s has been a thorn at our side for quite some time now. After all, he organised the Knights of Favonius. Despite our efforts to make peace, they refuse to listen to our proposals.” 

Zhongli chucked. “That is no surprise, considering the nature of that bard. Being a storyteller himself, I thought that even he would be able to discern the difference between truth and lies. Perhaps it would be wise to rethink where we have our attention set. While we are inevitably forced to use violence against our enemies, it is not within our morals to harm the civilians of this world. One day, they will come to understand our true beliefs.” He said with a small smile. 

     Thus, a dilemma had rooted itself within Aether’s mind. There had been irrefutable proof of violence and horrendous crimes committed against innocent civilians. If not committed by the Yaksha’s, then who would do such a thing? Even if Aether credited the Yaksha’s with being innocent, then how could he even prove their innocence? Who would frame them? As naive as the original Sora was, she probably would have had no trouble believing such lies. 

     “Ah, it seems that we have arrived.” Zhongli tapped the window, alluring her gaze. “Khaenri’ah certainly is a beautiful nation to reside within, after all, the work of their previous rulers granted Khaenri’ah it’s great success.” 

Aether shifted uncomfortably on Zhongli’s lap. 

“The royal palace hosts the current ruling family, Celestia. Be on your best behaviour tonight, Sora. I’m sure you’re smart enough to figure out why.” 

He didn’t need a reminder for that. 

     The trio excited the car together, being greeted by an array of servants, all of whom vowed respectfully to their guests. One particular servant guided them into the building, where they entered a room that could fit an entire school. A chandelier lit the room up like stars, encompassing the royal-purple walls. It had only been a single glance and Aether already felt suffocated by the intoxicating palace. The walls seemed to morph together like a muddy mirage, and the lights distorted his vision. Aether didn’t come to his senses until a greeting was heard from across the room.

     “Morax! What a delight to see you! Our family greets you with the absolute honour as a partner of our humble reign!” A scruffy sound came from a man excreting a nasty smell from his body, a scent that Aether could barely keep resisting. If Zhongli weren’t there, Aether probably would have run out of the palace in an attempt to escape its terror.

Beside him, a woman who looked equally as aged, and a younger boy who looked to be within his early twenties. They both carried plastic smiles plastered on their pathetic faces, obviously holding back their arrogant nature. It was obvious that they lacked the discipline of respect towards those they deemed to be under them. Despite having the title of ‘royalty,’ they should have known full well that they were far from that. But humans were creatures who deluded themselves in fantasies and ignorance. Which encompassed their entire being, a family built on the work of others. 

Aether couldn’t help but smirk at that thought. Of course, he managed to hide it away before someone noticed.

     “Though I was not informed about your other guests, they are more than welcome to join us at the dining room table for dinner. I have been introduced to Alatus beforehand, but I have never met this beautiful young lady before.” The man gestured towards him, and despite his wife being right beside him, his eyes were akin to a putrid beast. The very same thing could be said for his son, who looked like he was holding back the urge to advance towards him. Silly.

     Zhongli must have expected him to stay silent, so he opened his mouth to speak. But before he could get the words out of his mouth, Aether crossed his legs with a slight bend, lowering his back ever so slightly, and curtsied in a noble manner. Of course, in order to prevent their arrogance from seeping out, he made sure never to lower his head once. Such a graceful action surprised the family. 

“That young lady has been trained in etiquette! What a surprise! Morax, you are truly acquainted with society’s best! It would be an honour to have this young lady around more often.” He gazed towards his son suspiciously, who understood the cue and lent a hand towards Aether.

     Zhongli gently placed his hand in front of Aether, blocking the son’s advances. With a defiant smile, he grabbed Aether’s hand, taking it in his own. “I apologise for interrupting such a kind offering, but I’m afraid that this young lady is my dear partner. I couldn’t dare give her up to somebody else, I’m sure you’d understand, right?” Narrowing his eyes, he glared at the son as he kissed the back of his hand. Immediately, the son backed away.

“Absolutely.” The father was definitely disappointed in the outcome, but wanted to keep his reputation in check. “Please follow us towards the dining room, we have kept you waiting long enough!” He gestured towards a hallway, walking through many doors before reaching a great hall covered in stained windows. Together, they created an image of a moon and a star. Representative of the previous rulers of Khaenri’ah. Though, that fact didn’t seem to be known by the current rulers, who were ignorant towards the symbols. 

     Sat at a long wooden table, the servants were quick to serve the food, and a luxurious selection of dishes were open for him to divulge in. In the past, his mother would have been quick to limit the amount he consumed, this very dinner table reminded him of those days. If only it had been replaced with happier memories… then he could have avoided leading himself such a path towards the present…

     Before he knew it, Zhongli was cutting into the roast ham and piling it onto his plate, urging him to eat. It had only taken him one vegetable soup to be full, but Zhongli continued staring at him, pressuring him to eat. Aether could only gulp in fear of angering him. Soon enough, Aether felt that he could have exploded from the amount of food he ate. 

Unlike Aether, the rest of the table’s occupants were still busy devouring their food. Even Xiao, who looked to be on the more reserved side, was eating countless portions of meat. At one point, they made eye contact, in which Xiao nodded towards the pile of meat remaining in front of him. But being too far full, Aether refused. Instead, he listened into the conversation at hand, being carried in. 

     “Sora, how did you become acquainted with Morax?” The King asked, talking with his mouth full of food. “Are you a member of the Adeptus? You don’t look like someone who participates on the front lines.” 

Aether had a very prevalent urge to simply scream out the fact that he had been kidnapped by the man after a banquet, but in doing so, he would anger all parties. Honestly, he would prefer being held captive by Zhongli, than the Celestian royals. Though, with that terrifying look present on Zhongli’s face, Aether was inclined to think twice. He wasn’t dumb enough to play any games right then and there.

He put forth an illustrious smile, “Morax was my saviour on a rainy night.” Aether shifted his tone towards a pitiful one, sporting a pair of tearful eyes and trembling lips, “I had been pursued by my family of crooks. They put me through the most terrible life, I couldn’t eat properly, nor was I allowed to make a single mistake. One day, I mustered enough courage to escape, but they caught on ever so easily! However, Morax took pity on me and became my knight in shining armour, saving me! To pay him back for his heroic deed, I am inclined to serve him until the day I perish.” 

     Being the bogus people they were, the Celestians were quick to believe him. The King and his son were quick to voice their concerns for his story, and the Queen was wiping her eyes with a cloth in her hand. For such sensitive people, how on earth did they manage to seize the throne? Surely this show of stupidity has to be all an act? However, even Zhongli was surprised by his ‘pitiful’ story telling, but he could see evidence of his amusement. Showcasing his deceit was a dangerous act, but it was a necessary predicament.

     Because he had finished his portion of the conversation, he decided that the time was right to exit the dining hall in pursuit of the bathroom. One servant offered to direct him through the castle, but Aether refused the offer, preferring to go alone. Taken aback, the servant let him forward, but he placed a bathroom key in his hands, bowing his respects. On his way, he passed through many old paintings of the previous Khaenri’ah rulers. Dressed in their luxurious silks, they wore themselves like gods within the sky. Not a single smile could be present on any of the paintings, nor were there any paintings of any miscellaneous activities. There were only three varieties, sword fighting, single portraits, or family portraits. Aether couldn’t help but think about how putrid the life of a royal was. Being confined to a frown your entire life surely would have made anyone insane. 

     All he could do was lower his head and avoid the paintings that surrounded the walls. They seemed to glare at him as he walked by, tormenting his every decision and action since his birth. Without a single touch of his skin, it managed to instil a crippling emptiness within him. In a moment like this, all he could ever do would be to suck it up and behave the night away. Luckily, he reached his destination, making his way into the one person bathroom. He quickly completed his business and exited, but before he could turn the corner, he was pushed into the wall without a moment’s notice. The force of his impact against the wall was enough to wind him, making him gasp for air. 

Shocked by the sudden attack, Aether scrambled to escape from the attackers hold, but there was no use struggling against somebody so strong. He attempted to latch on to their arm to try and pry it off, but he had already been stripped of all the energy in his body. The smartest choice would be to scream out in an attempt to battle the attacker with assistance, but he knew better than to yell. Instead, he decided to kick the attacker at their side, earning a yelp.

     “Hmm? Don’t you know who your boss is?” That familiar voice rang through his head, instantly making him relax. “Here I thought you were warming up to me.” 

Zhongli faced him, holding him against the wall without a hint of mercy on his face. Once his grip tightened, Aether couldn’t help but choke. As a sick form of revenge, Zhongli managed to cut off all the air flow to his head. He held that position for a minute before letting his throat go, allowing Aether to gasp for the merciless air. Aether couldn’t help but glare up at the amused man, resisting an assault. 

     “You’ve been here before, Sora.” He said, “How in the world did you find your way around?” Zhongli questioned. 

He bit his lip. “I’m not of the common class, my father and I have had the pleasure to visit and meet with the previous royals. I apologise if you are offended by this fact, but I simply did not know that you would be interested in such information. I truly meant no harm.” 

“Simply visiting once or twice doesn’t enamour you into the layout of this castle. This castle was designed to be a maze, making it impossible for unwanted guests to either enter or leave. ” He used his finger to lift Aether’s head up to face him, staring at him with uncanny eyes. “I find it very hard to believe that you could have been so competent in the castle without something else at play. Don’t you think so, Sora?”

Aether chuckled lightly, “The bathroom wasn’t that hard to find. I was always told to follow the wall of paintings until I found my way towards the restroom.” 

     It was true, simply following the paintings would lead you through the castle’s exteriors, which would eventually lead to a washroom. While he wasn’t Sora herself, he wasn’t an average citizen of Khaenri’ah before making his way towards the Knights of Favonius police force. If he hadn’t lost his sister, Aether may still be present within Khaenri’ah, serving the Celestian family with absolute distaste. 

     Finally, Zhongli was convinced enough to back away from him, falling into a fit of laughter. “You never fail to keep me intrigued by your character. It makes me want to peel away whatever mask you have placed in front of me, because it truly cuts away at my curiosity every time I set my eyes on you. Perhaps I’ll just have to try harder.” 

With only one last whisper, Zhongli disappeared from view, turning left to make his way back towards the dining hall. 

     “Hah… you’re truly a cautious one, aren’t you? I can’t even do my lady-business without being interrupted?” Aether hid his face in his hands, trying to hide his laughter. He staggered into the wall from his mini-fit. “You’ve lost your touch, Zhongli. If you aren’t careful enough, you might as well fall victim to a knife at your throat. Wouldn’t that be fun?” He chuckled darkly, losing his smile immediately. Aether turned right, heading towards the servant dormitories, a walk that he had known all throughout his life.