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It was only a stray thought, a lone emotion. But that was enough.
The Balladeer was speaking to Aether, as smug and grandiose as ever. His back was facing him and yet, Aether could tell that the man didn't feel vulnerable at all. Now that he had become a 'god', nothing scared him now. Perhaps that was why he allowed him to see Kunikuzushi's past. He didn't consider it 'himself' anymore.
"Humans are a species that can only find bliss in ignorance."
It was that sentence that damned him.
Because, the word 'humans' sent a spark of amusement, lighting up through his body. It was the smallest thing, barely a speck of amusement. Aether had long since been used to humans viewing him as one of their own, and never denied it. But seeing a god react the same, brought out this emotion, satisfaction at fooling a divine being.
The brief emotion was gone the next second, but its consequences...
Scaramouche seemed to jerk up, turning to face him, a familiar frown adorned on his face. Displeased.
"You dare laugh at me?" Immediately, the Balladeer advanced on him, Aether taking quick steps back to maintain distance. It was for naught however, as Aether soon hit a wall. The Balladeer came close enough to stand right in front of him, eyes beaming furiously down.
The harbinger had never emanated such an intense ferocity, and despite himself, Aether felt intimidated. It was as if thousands of eyes had locked onto him, when only one was before. Scaramouche had deemed this slight his full attention.
A piercing pain ran throughout his mind, as if something was forcing itself in, deeper and deeper. It rifled through his thoughts. Clutching his head, Aether shook at the pain, hearing a distant cry of concern from what could only be Paimon.
He could tell when the God had found that thought. Everything paused, the pain, the eyes, everything had grown still. As if everything in the world was looking into their exchange, and had found something of note.
"Oh?" Spoke that voice, with an amused and deeply fascinated tone.
The world morphed then. Those ever-present eyes doubled their scrutiny, trying to understand everything that he was. The flowers nearby warped and vanished, along with the greenhouse they stood in. He was left alone, in a dark purple void. There was occasional dots of light that illuminated the space, but that was the only comfort that was given to him.
And of course, the Balladeer stood prone in front of him. A darkly satisfied light in his eyes.
"I knew you were a 'descender', but this... Hmm." Scaramouche then smiled, a distorted thing. It scared him. "Let us try an experiment."
And with that, the God approached him. Aether meant to move back, to run away, but it was as if he was frozen solid. None of his limbs would listen to him, to just move! In the end, the void was just left with the sound of Aether's panicked breathing, and the Balladeer's footsteps.
The man reached out, grasping his neck. His eyes lit up, sparking with electro.
Suddenly, Aether felt elements flowing through the God's hands. But rather than stopping at the tips of the God's fingers, they rushed through him, filling his body with elemental power.
He was overloaded, electro-charged, crystalized, all these elements reacting and colliding with each other as they raced through him. He gasped, cried out and clawed at the hands that gripped his throat. It was to no avail. The hands were as firm as a statue, as tight as shackles.
And the elements didn't stop either, they fused with his being, crashing against him. The elements that he had resonated with were kinder, his body having adapted to them. He could tolerate those.
But cryo, hydro and pyro were foreign, and his body struggled to adapt to them all at once, sending him into a furious attack of shaking, struggling desperately to be free.
His mind went blank, only able to register the pain of the elements, flourishing against each other. Dimly, he was aware of wetness sliding down his cheek. If he had the ability to throw up, he would have. Right now however, he could only shake and cry.
But then, something different happened. Hydro started to adapt to his body, becoming a soothing balm instead of a torrential tidal wave. It soothed him, regained some of his mind back. Pyro began to do the same. It stopped burning, instead providing a comforting warmth.
Cryo took a while longer, a glacial warpath having carved out inside of him. Slowly but surely, it thawed. It started to co-exist. The elemental reactions stopped.
And then they did the strangest thing.
The elements started to fuse together, not as elemental reactions, but as power.
The same way as how Aether's sealed powers slowly unlocked as he touched the statues, his seal began to vanish, as he had now fused with all the elements.
He could feel something he hadn't felt in such a long time. This comforting, familiar power... It was as if he hadn't been sealed at all.
In this form, his original form, he always held a special connection to Lumine. It was normal, natural. A part of him couldn't help but reach out. He felt her physical distance from him, but he would reach her spiritually still. She was there for him, just as she always would be. He was so close, a few seconds away from her being. Painstakingly close. Just as he was a few flickers away from touching her, he felt himself yanked back.
Back to that 'God'.
And Aether woke up to the present. The God is still in front of him. A smirk of satisfaction resting on the puppet's face. Aether registered what was going on. He was flying, his wings beating a familiar rhythm on his back as he hovered in place. The God's hand still clung to his neck, keeping him by the ground. Aether shook once in an attempt to get away, which was futile. As he did so, some of his golden hair landed on his face. He realized that his braid had come undone during his struggles, and now rested along his back and face.
"This is your true self." The Balladeer murmured, voice low and anticipating. He seemed joyful, as if he had just received a generous gift. "Not a God, not like I. But divine all the same."
"That presence you were reaching out to." The Balladeer continued. "It was your sister was if not? That sibling, who had abandoned-"
"Lumine hasn't abandoned me!" He couldn't help but cry out, resuming his struggles. The grip on his neck tightened in return, and Aether let out a soft gasp. The God chuckled in amusement.
"That sibling of yours.. I imagine you'd want to go contact her now, with your powers back." Scaramouche continued, almost bored as he spoke. Then he picked up in eagerness, a sadistic sort of smirk on his face. "But I gave you those elements, you know. Doesn't your God deserve something in return for this gift?"
Aether attempted to shake his head in negative, but he was still pinned in place. Kept docile by the leeching grip on him.
"I think I have the perfect idea for you." The God gave an uproarious laugh, chuckling to himself. "God you are not, but divine you may be. And divine items belong to the Gods, do they not?"
He let go of Aether's neck. Aether fell to the ground, clutching and cradling his neck protectively. He could feel the pang of blossoming bruises. The Balladeer continued to laugh at him, before stretching his arms out, with a mock smirk.
"So Aether, why don't you be my pet?"
Aether froze at the proposition, flabbergasted. Even his wings drooped.
"I take very good care of my possessions." Scaramouche continued, unbothered. "You wouldn't have a thing to worry about in the world. Maybe I'd even capture your sister and let you visit her sometime?" Another chuckle. "Your God is just, so generous."
The Balladeer leaned down, taking Aether's chin in hand, forcing him to maintain eye contact. Aether shivered at the contact, feeling a jolt of electro at the very touch.
"My hands on your neck make for the best collar, but, I suppose I could use diamonds."
"What else.." He mused, turning Aether's chin to stare at the sides of his face. "Ah. How about this?"
Quick as an electro seelie, images flooded his vision. An immense golden birdcage, decorated and adorned with jewels. Thousands of interconnect pattern mixed within it. And in that golden prison sat...
"No!" Something within him cried out, despite his fear, his terror. He would not be a bird in a cage. He would never.
But the man just smiled down at him, acting with an air of righteousness. "It's alright Aether." He whispered, tracing a line down his cheek, wiping away a lone tear. "Your God won't be too harsh on you. Eventually, you'll enjoy it."
"But first...
Why don't I give you a gift?"
Not leaving him even a moment to react, the Balladeer surged forward, capturing his lips in a furious kiss. Aether flinched back, gasping. But the Balladeer only took that opportunity to enter his mouth, tongue intertwining with his.
The kiss was for but a second.
It felt like an eternity.
The God withdrew from him. Aether knew it was not the end. Scaramouche couldn't resist getting one more thing over him.
"Since we had such a wonderful talk, I think I'll give you an extra present." Scarmouche's arms crossed in a familiar position. "Come fight me if you want. Try to save Sumeru all you like. Your eternity will be with me, in the end."
And with one last laugh, Scaramouche vanished. And so did the void he was submerged in.
Aether woke from his dream, gasping, desperate panting breaths for a mercy that would never come.That foreign elemental energy was absent. His wings had vanished, a seal back in their place.
Lighting bore down outside the greenhouse.
He gripped his neck.
It was bruised.