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Aether dug his nails into the rocky cliff above him, one hand pulling him up, the other holding tightly onto the ridged stone ridges in the side of the mountain for dear life. He tentatively risked a brief glimpse down at the verdant rolling hills and slate-grey craggly peaks below, huge waterfalls roaring as clear, shimmering water cascaded down into the valleys with deafening, foamy splashes. It was all rough boulders, snow capped mountain ranges, dry savannahs and tiny flecks of vibrant green from rainforest trees in the distance. Above, flocks of birds swerved through the sky, weaving expertly through the fluffy cream clouds, filling the air with a cacophony of cheerful chirps and squawks. Aether gripped onto the mountainside firmer, clutching onto the wall with a vice-like grip as he tried to catch his breath.
He had come so far.
With all his remaining strength, Aether took a deep breath and heaved himself up onto the precipice, feet scrabbling onto the edge and landing on solid, sturdy ground. He peered over the edge again. It was easily a 2000 meter drop down, down, down onto the mass of jagged stones and slanted slopes at the foot of the towering escarpment. If his foot slipped, just by a mere five centimetres, he would be gone. His effort would all be wasted. Aether rolled over and stood up shakily, panting for air.
Up here, a fierce wind howled eerily, whipping around Aether's golden cloak and blonde hair, whistling through the crisp, cool air. Wispy cirrus clouds floated above him, hovering in the pale blue sky, tracing chalk-white swirly patterns in the radiant heavens. If he looked far enough, long enough, he could have seen Celestia, the empyrean realm.
However, Aether fixed his eyes in front of him, at the vast, presentiment expanse of land before him, just waiting to be explored. Oceans, ravines, canyons, forests, plains, deserts, sierras, lakes, glaciers, every terrain that he could think of, all and more.
But as he walked through the grassy, empty land, he came to a crossroads.
There were two obvious paths in front of him, forking away from the main road, splitting it cleanly in half. One side path to the right, back to the acquainted east where he had come from. He could go back, back to the dense, lush jungles and sun-baked sand dunes of Sumeru, back to the golden-tiled red pagodas and lantern-lit harbor of Liyue, or back to the breezy dandelion hills and soaring, windmill-lined stone arches of Mondstadt. Or the other path to the left, the one that led the uncertain, foreboding way ahead to the stormy islands and fuchsia sakura trees of Inazuma, the fiery vermillion couloirs and cobalt bluish grey basalt towers rising above the magma rivers of Natlan, the gilded high courts and ivory aqueducts of Fontaine, the biting, icy chill and endless frosted tundras of Snezhnaya... or the mysterious, enigmatic Abyss.
The left path was the way to his end goal: to find his twin sister, Lumine. Aether needed to search the entire world of Teyvat for her, so that they could be reunited at last. He had to find her. It was his responsibility as a brother to look out for her.
Despite that, the right path was the familiar comfort of the lands that he had traversed before, where no pressure was put on him, where he did not have to bear any responsibility. He could just relax. He could complete trifling matters that helped other people, that made them smile.
Aether did not know what to do.
Which way should he go?
Did he really want to find new ways to perish unceremoniously to the unknown?
Did he really want to waste all his assiduous effort?
He wanted to find his long-lost sister, but he also wanted to live in the present world, to take his time, build connections, to carpe diem.
Should he follow his mission, or follow his own heart?
Hesitantly, Aether shifted his gaze from right to left, left to right, weighing his options. He paced from right to left, left to right, trying to decide. It felt like the world was slowing down around him, the surging wind abruptly dying down, leaving him scared and alone in a endless pit of his own thoughts and choices. He nervously fidgeted with the edge of his white scarf absent-mindedly, the suffocating silence of the too high cliffside pressing heavily against his chest. Uneasiness settled deep in the pit of his stomach, a worrying, overwhelming anxiety gnawing mercilessly at him, snaking its creeping, blighted tendrils into the furthest corners of his mind, consuming him from the inside out.
He is being forced to confront the duality of human existence. Every step he takes towards joy is one step away from his duty. He fears that he has become a complete stranger to himself.
Was this even such an important resolution?
What should he do?
What would they think of him?
Wouldn’t Lumine want him to find and save her?
He didn’t even know where she was.
The sudden, bright strum of a welcoming lyre unexpectedly shattered the brooding quiet into smithereens, rending through the gloomy atmosphere like a blazing shooting star sailing through the inky, obsidian black sky in the dead of the night. Before Aether could even look up in shock, a pair of nimble, white-booted feet landed lightly on top of the granite slab right beside his head. The wind had been sharp, unruly, apprehending, but now, it became more tame, more warm. A sweeping gust of wind blew across the prairie, carrying the sweet scent of wild dandelions and fizzy apple cider. A green-clad bard holding a tawny lyre stepped right up to him, a beaming smile spread across his face.
Compared to Aether, he looked entirely too full of carefree joy and whimsy.
"Hey, friend. Long time no see," he winked, airily plucking at the cyan strings of his precious lyre.
Aether raised his head and blinked incredulously up at him like he was a fever dream, eyes widened and eyebrows raised. Also, he was smiling.
Why was he smiling-
"Venti...?" He stared at him like he could barely believe his eyes. What was his friend from Mondstadt doing all the way here? It was a exceedingly pleasant surprise, still, Venti was not very well known for being wise and helpful. This decision was crucial for Aether, he was sure. Was Venti really the best person to ask for advice?
He did not have anyone else to talk to, though...
Venti reached out and playfully ruffled Aether's platinum hair, his turquoise eyes glimmering. "You remember me! Of course. You see, I kept my word; I protected you! Where's your sincere gratitude, hmm?" He teased, blithe mischief sparking in his eyes.
Aether furrowed his eyebrows. "I guess you did. Xiao, Kazuha, Wanderer, they all saved me... Well, thank you," he offered sincerely. As sincerely as he possibly could in that moment, with Venti grinning like a drunk maniac and Aether having an existential crisis.
Venti let out a dramatic gasp, pressing an affronted hand to his heart. "That's it, best friend? I expected at least a bottle of dandelion wine for your favourite bard! You wound me..."
Aether narrowed his eyes, wearily letting out a long, ragged sigh. He buried his face in his clammy hands, looking like the epitome of anguish. "Venti, please. I don't know what to do. I don't know whether I should keep rushing forward to find Lumine or just... I don't know. I'm tired," he muttered. He looked exhausted. He looked defeated. The ardent light was practically draining from his honeyed flaxen eyes.
Venti's smile did not fade, but his eyes softened. He patted Aether reassuringly on the shoulder, looking plainly, candidly, directly at him. "Look, don't wallow in your own self-pity. Don't trap yourself, don't fetter yourself. You don't need to force yourself to carry the weight of the world like a sentence you have to serve. You aren't required to solve all of Teyvat's problems on your own, all at once. Choose your own path. The wind will be at your back, I promise you again," he affirmed, a soft azure glow emitting from his aquamarine braids.
Venti's smile faltered slightly, for a split second, with something like bittersweet wistfulness in his faraway, reminiscent gaze.
"Be free, Aether. Freedom isn't about rushing blindly towards a finish line. It's about choosing to do what you want without anyone pressuring you. You can go anywhere. You aren't bound to a single road. You have the world— and me— at your feet, so... you can breathe easy," Venti whispered, smirking roguishly as he tipped Aether's chin up with a single finger.
Then, he stepped back slowly and deftly played a jaunty, uplifting tune on his lyre, bowing theatrically in Aether's direction. "If you ever need me, you know where to find me," he smiled wittingly, and vanished in a whirling gale of gentle wind, the teal braids framing his face fluttering in the spiraling zephyr.
Aether sighed affectionately, his lips curving upward in a smile. He glanced up at the crossroads again, considering. Making his choice, he stepped forward, body facing and moving confidently, his head toward the horizon.
He looked back at the spot where Venti had been just a scant moment before, for a fleeting minute. His grin broadened involuntarily, a strange, warm feeling rising high in his chest.
"I suppose... I'll always get my second wind thanks to you, won't I?" Aether mused coyly. He raised his vivid saffron eyes to the cerulean skies mottled with aurum and argent. "Thank you, Venti, Barbatos, God of Freedom, Wind and Song."
He blew a kiss into the air.
Beneath his own gleaming alabaster statue in Windrise, Mondstadt, Venti froze. He looked to the west, where Aether was, and slumped forward helplessly, hiding his flushed, uncontrollably smiling face in his hands.