On the continent of Teyvat, a strange and wonderous land where gods walk among the people, those blessed by the gods are granted a Vision - an emblem od divine favor that bestows power beyond mortal limits.
At this moment, a blonde-haired boy lay on the carpet of soft grass, his eyes fixed on the clear, endless sky above.
Staring at the breathtaking view, Aether couldn't help but admit that the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles hadn't been lying.
"It has been so long since I've seen Teyvat this beautiful..."
He reached out as if to touch the sky, a nostalgic smile forming on his lips - an expression far too wistful for someone of his physical appearance would have.
"It's time to get moving," Aether reminded himself as he got up and brushed the grass off his back. "I probably won't run into Paimon yet, so let's focus on the task at hand."
The moment those words left his mouth. Aether suddenly appeared dozens of steps away. Within seconds, his figure had vanished from sight.
Paimon... His traveling companion. If he remembered correctly, he'd fish her out of the lake in about ten days or so. That's where the dream starts, where every little story between him, Paimon, and the others begins. Paimon becomes his guide and partner through his adventure across Teyvat.
The thought made him smile subconsciously.
"I may have lost some of my memories, but getting the chance to start over... It's truly a blessing."
As he walked, he tried to piece together what fragments of memory he had, already thinking about how and what to plan ahead.
Right now, everything before his arrival in Snezhnaya was still intact. The rest? Just scattered fragments - too broken to recall clearly.
Still, he could more or less guess what had happened in the end. Every time he tried to recall the people in his memories, a dull ache tugged at his chest, that something terrible must have taken place.
Before long, Aether arrived at his first destination: a Statue of the Seven in the middle of the Starfall Lake, near Mondstadt.
He paused, gazing at the state before him. A cloaked figure knelt at its base, head bowed in silent prayer, as if wishing peace upon someone dear. Every time Aether saw one of Barbatos's statues, he couldn't help but feel something was... Off.
The Anemo Archon he knew and the one depicted in the statue were so different.
Not entirely unrecognizable - at least in appearance, but in personality, they couldn't be more opposite. The Anemo god he knew was free-spirited, mischievous... a far cry from his solemn figure enshrined in stone.
"Venti, mind if I borrow a little power?" Aether said with a faint smile. "Don't worry, old friend, I won't let you take a loss. I'll bring back some of Diluc's wine next time."
As he spoke, he placed a hand on the statue. Instantly, the wind around him stirred, drawn in like bees to nectar, as if something irresistibly delicious had called them forth. Swirls of Anemo elements rushed into his body, wrapping him in a tide of energy.
In moments, his form was alight with Anemo elements. For any ordinary person, that kind of elemental influx would've been overwhelming. But Aether stood there like it was nothing; calm, steady, and effortless.
"Thanks. I owe you one. I'll take care of Dvalin's issue, so no need to worry about that."
With those parting words, he kicked off the ground, letting the wind carry him skyward. In an instant, he shot through the air, racing toward Liyue, the next step on his journey.
Aether knew full well that Venti couldn't actually hear a word he said. By normal timelines, the Anemno Archon was still in deep slumber. Though... he would be waking up soon.
Still, it has been far too long since they last met, and Aether couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic for his old friend.
That's right, his so-called 'important task' was actually to restore his full power first... or at least try to. After absorbing the Anemo element, he took a moment to check his condition.
Not quite there yet.
This body still needed time to adjust to the flow of elemental energy. Only after a proper period of attunement would his strength return to its peak. Still, once he reabsorbed all seven elements, even without synchronization, there wouldn't be much in Teyvat that could stand against him.
On his way to Liyue, Aether had taken the time to unlock a few Teleport Waypoints scattered along the route. They're unique structures, ones that allowed Aether to instantly move across vast distances, appearing wherever one had been activated. These strange beacons were scattered all across Teyvat.
And yet, only Aether can activate and use them.
As for why... even he wasn't sure. All he remembered was the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles once telling him: You are different.
Before long, Aether found himself standing before one of Liyue's Statues of the Seven.
This time, he said nothing.
Unlike Venti, Zhongli wasn't asleep. If Aether borrowed the Geo element from this statue, he knew Zhongli would be able to hear him.
And when it came to the calm and composed Geo Archon, Aether honestly wasn't sure what to say. But if he knew Zhongli's personality, which he does, then right about now, the old man would probably say:
"My old friend... it has been a while."
...
The thought crossed his mind, and without realization, Aether whispered the words aloud.
Far away, in the quiet serenity of Liyue Harbor, Zhongli was enjoying a cup of tea while listening to a storyteller. Suddenly, he paused, as if sensing something. His gaze turned toward the horizon.
"... My old friend," he murmured.
Zhongli fell into his train of thought. Which old friend of his had reemerged? And just how... had borrowed a bit of Geo energy?
Aether figured there was a good chance Zhongli had heard him. But he didn't linger. Explaining the whole reborn thing would take far too long, and besides, he had more pressing matters to attend to. There was no need to stay in Liyue any longer than necessary.
He didn't bother unlocking any Waypoints this time. For someone like him now, Waypoints were more of a convenience than a necessity. And truthfully, not much help.
More importantly, he had a job to do. Unlocking waypoints? That was just a side task.
Afterall, his control over the Anemo element alone was enough to keep him airborne indefinitely.
Soaring past the depths of The Chasm, Aether soon crossed into Sumeru. He resonated with the Dendro element, but instead of leaving immediately, he made his way, unnoticed, toward Sumeru City.
In the current era, the seven nations of Teyvat were still governed by the Seven Archons. But among the original Seven, only the Anemo and Geo Archons remained alive. The rest...
Perished long ago.
That was why Mondstadt and Liyue remained the most stable, free from hidden threats or looming crises.
The other five nations, however, each faced problems of their own. Problems are rooted deep beneath the surface. After all, their current gods weren't the original ones, and with that change came instability.
So, aside from regaining his strength, Aether's 'real mission' was to help these nations resolve those buried dangers.
And in Sumeru, the greatest issue lay in the little Dendro Archon's lack of confidence.
That's why Aether had come: to leave her a gift. Something small but meaningful.
And not just for the cute little Archon.
A few other friends in Sumeru had also received small gifts from him. With those pieces in place, the core issues plaguing Sumeru would likely start to resolve themselves.
Once everything was in order, Aether resumed his journey, heading next to FOuntaine.
By the time he arrived, night had already begun to fall.
...
Cyno was fuming.
He had just completed a mission that day, captured the criminal, delivered justice, and returned home expecting a quiet evening. What he found was... astonishing.
The Grand Sage, Azar, was lying unconscious on his bed.
There were no visible wounds, no signs of struggle, but there he was, completely out of cold.
At first, Cyno thought it was some lunatic playing games with him: Someone bold enough to kidnap Azar and leave him in Cyno's home as some sort of twisted provocation.
But then... He noticed a letter sitting on his desk.
He opened it, and his eyes widened in shock as he read:
"The Lesser Lord Kusanali was imprisoned by Grand Sage Azar. Azar has committed unforgivable crimes. I hope you can see to it that he receives the punishment he deserves.
- For Cyno, from a traveler who hopes to be your friend.
Aether"
If it had just been words, Cyno wouldn't have believed a single word said.
But included in the letter was a photograph, one that made his heart stop.
It showed none other than the Lesser Lord Kusanali, Nahida, imprisoned within the confines of the Sanctuary of Surasthana.