Chapter Text
“Wait! Don’t go! Give my brother back!” Lumine screamed at the Sustainer. Her shouts fell on deaf ears, and the dark cubes enveloping her body reached her outstretched hand, her neck, and finally her entire face.
Darkness. Lumine could only describe her current experience as suffocating. She could not see nor could she hear anything other than an unsettling writhing in the background. Wherever she was, she didn’t feel like she was leaning against a surface. If anything, it was as though she were suspended. Whatever was happening was akin to the weightless atmosphere between each world, only 500 times less fun.
She tried to spread her wings. Nothing. She tried again and again, but each attempt proved futile. The same happened when she tried to condense light into the palm of her hand. Even her Crescent Sword refused to materialize.
Why? The powers, sword, wings, and even Aether were taken away in what would’ve been a mere blink in comparison to the years they lived. Why did they have to fall from the grace they were bestowed? What had they done wrong? What was wrong with trying to leave the world they did not belong in?
Lumine had never felt this hopeless in her life, or perhaps she had but could not recall it. If she had, she was sure Aether was there to hold her hand and guide her through her pain. But in this situation, not even Aether was by her side. What was going to happen to them? Would she ever see her brother again?
The dam in her threatened to flood open but she held her tears. No. She was alone right now without knowing if her enemy was watching. Lumine would not show weakness, though she could only hope the Sustainer would allow them to be imprisoned together later on.
Of course not all hopes could ever go as planned. When Lumine next opened her eyes, she was blinded by the red and black scorching smoke filled sky. The wind rustled harshly through her hair and clothes, and the clouds only grew more and more distant.
She was free falling. She tried to summon her wings with no luck. She was free falling to her death.
She was aware that flightless mortals were incapable of defying gravity. This was not how she wanted to die. She refused to die in the skies she and her other half loved to visit. What could she do without the golden wings she was so proud of?
Many memories of their previous worlds flooded her head. The beautiful landscapes, birds that soared with elegance, long braided blonde hair. Aether.
Hey Lumine, did you know you supposedly see your entire life’s worth of memories before you die because you’re searching for a way to live? That’s what the mortals told me.
Don’t say that Aether. We’re not going to die, especially when we have each other.
She could only scoff at how ironic it was for that distant memory to surface. Of course she would plummet the minute she lost Aether.
The tears that welled in her eyes slipped out, becoming tiny sparkles in the air she rushed through. She closed her eyes, awaiting the eternal slumber below her.
It was then that a familiar voice broke through her walls.
If death comes knocking at your door… call out my name. I will be here when you call.
Who was that? Lumine knew the name, but she had no idea who or where this memory was. Yet she felt a strange ease wash over her, and she held her hands together. The voice that left her lips was drowned by her descent, but she was sure that the name, a fervent prayer, would be heard.
“Xiao.”
When she blinked open her eyes, she was greeted with a flash of green. She was scooped into the arms of someone she could barely see, though she could make out a distinct teal in the tips of her savior’s hair. Her newfound sense of relief coupled with the warmth that shielded her from the bitter cold winds washed over her active senses and was lulling her to sleep.
Lumine’s eyelids fluttered shut. Whatever was happening now didn’t change the fact that Aether was missing. But maybe, just maybe, everything in the past moments were just a bad dream that would end when she woke.