The evening wind was gentle.
It brushed softly against the open window of Aether's small rented house in Springvale, carrying with it the scent of grass and distant flowers. Golden sunlight spilled across the wooden floor as the day slowly began to fade.
Aether sat on the edge of his bed, elbows resting on his knees.
"…Staying inside all day is starting to get to me," he muttered.
He stood up, stretched, and stepped outside.
.............
Starsnatch Cliff
The wind welcomed him like an old friend.
It was calm—soothing—almost affectionate as it flowed around his body, tugging lightly at his hair and clothes. The sky had begun to glow with shades of orange, pink, and violet as the sun slowly descended toward the horizon.
"This wind…" Aether whispered. "It feels… kind."
Without thinking too much, he followed the familiar path upward, climbing until he reached Starsnatch Cliff.
From the edge of the cliff, the world stretched endlessly before him.
The rolling plains, the distant outline of Mondstadt, the sea reflecting the dying sunlight—everything looked unreal, like a painting brought to life.
Aether sat at the edge, legs dangling over the void.
"…Beautiful."
For the first time since waking up in this world, his mind was completely at peace.
Then—
Fwoosh.
A sudden burst of heat flared behind him.
A Flaming Flower crackled violently.
Before Aether could even turn—
"BLOORP!"
A Large Pyro Slime burst out of the ground and slammed into his back.
"—What?!"
The impact sent him tumbling forward.
The cliff vanished beneath him.
............
The First Fall
Wind screamed past Aether's ears as his body plunged downward.
"…So this is how it ends?" he thought calmly.
Then—
Pain never came.
Instead, something answered him.
WHOOSH.
Two radiant wings burst from his back, formed of shimmering light.
"What—?!"
His descent slowed instantly.
Aether skimmed just above the ground, boots barely missing the grass, before finally landing safely.
He stood frozen.
"…Wings?"
He turned his shoulders, watching as the glowing wings slowly faded and folded back into his body.
"…They disappeared."
He pressed a hand against his back, concentrating.
Nothing.
"…So they come out on their own?"
Aether's lips curved into a grin.
"I guess there's only one way to test this."
...........
Learning to Fly
He climbed a smaller nearby cliff.
Not very high.
Just enough.
Standing at the edge, Aether took a deep breath.
"…Here goes."
He jumped.
Again, the wings emerged, responding instantly.
"Yes!"
He glided forward, clumsy at first, barely staying balanced before landing.
For hours, he practiced.
Jump. Glide. Adjust. Land.
At first, his movements were rough and uneven. But slowly—naturally—his body adapted. He learned how to tilt his weight, how to let the wind carry him, how to turn, descend, and rise.
"Hah… hah…"
By the time night fell, he was soaring smoothly through the air.
"…I can do this."
Exhausted but smiling, Aether flew back toward Springvale, careful to stay hidden.
Inside his house, he collapsed onto his bed.
"…Tomorrow," he whispered. "I can't wait for tomorrow." With that he fell into asleep.
............
Rules of Mondstadt
Morning came quickly.
Aether headed toward Mondstadt, walking instead of flying.
"…Katheryne said it clearly," he reminded himself. "No gliding without a license inside the city."
And besides—
He whispered to himself on the way to the city "I don't want anyone knowing about this."
At the Adventurers' Guild, Katheryne greeted him.
"Good morning, Aether. Looking for a commission?"
"Yes."
She marked a location on the map.
"Hilichurl camp elimination. Standard reward."
"I'll take it."
.........
The Enemy Camp
Outside the city, Aether took to the skies only after confirming no one was watching.
From above, he scanned the camp.
"…That's a lot."
The enemies included: (Hydro Abyss Mage, Wooden Shieldwall Mitachurl, Dendro Samachurl, Pyro Hilichurl Shooter, Electro Hilichurl Shooter, Hilichurl Berserker, Hilichurl Grenadier and Hilichurl Fighter)
Aether hovered silently.
I should take out that mage like thing first—
"—Krrrk!"
The Hydro Abyss Mage looked up. It spotted him..
Aether "Oh shit...."
Aether pulled back—but the mage vanished. It teleported right behind Aether
Aether "What the....". It attacked him from behind.
Aether barely dodged. The mage reappeared in front of him.
Aether "This is going to be a pain in the ass."
.........
The Battle
Water surged.
Aether shot forward, wings flaring, striking with a downward kick.
The mage's shield absorbed the blow.
"Tch."
Water blades followed.
Aether twisted midair, evading effortlessly.
Then large water bubbles began to homing in on him. Aether evaded them.
He dove again—this time faster—spinning and delivering a brutal aerial strike.
Cracks formed in their shield.
The mage tried to teleport—
Too slow.
Aether rise high in the air and did a Ariel plunge attack. The shield completely shattered. Aether without losing another moment grabbed its mask mid-air and slammed it into the ground.
The Abyss Mage collapsed.
Aether didn't hesitate.
One final blow.
The Hydro Abyss Mage dissolved into mist.
"My wings, it sure is a huge help."
...........
The Camp Falls
Chaos erupted in the Hilichurl camp.
Projectiles flew.
Aether rose into the air.
The Pyro Shooter fired.
Aether spun and struck it from above.
The Electro Shooter charged—
Aether dive-bombed it.
The Dendro Samachurl tried to chant.
Aether silenced it mid-cast.
The Mitachurl charged.
Aether landed behind it, striking its spine repeatedly.
The Grenadier threw bombs—
Aether kicked them back.
The camp fell silent.
Aether stood alone.
"Whoo, that was fast"
Searching the camp, he found a red glowing crystal.
"…Another one. Seems like money." He took it back with him.
.............
Unseen Eyes
Back in Mondstadt, Aether sold the crystal to Marjorie for 10,000 Mora after acquiring the reward for completing the commission from Katheryne.
"Pleasure doing business," she said. Aether pulled out a gentle smile and started walking home.
Unbeknownst to him—
Two figures watched the entire transaction from a distance.
Venti and Albedo. Venti had already talked with Albedo about using alchemy to purify the crystals. Albedo have being thinking about way to purify the abyssal corruption in that crystal. Both of them walking slowly while discussing it. But to their surprise their eyes fell a young man trying to sell the same crystal to Marjorie.
"That crystal…" Albedo murmured.
Venti "Yes..."
After Aether left, Venti and Albebo met Marjorie. They intent to buy that crystals.
"We'll take them both," Venti said.
Marjorie "Pleasure doing bussiness with you sir."
Albedo asked casually " Who was the young man who sell them to you?"
"A new adventurer," Marjorie replied. "His name Aether. He is such a decent guy."
Venti and Albedo exchanged a look.
Marjorie "Anything that matters?"
Albedo " No no... nothing. I was just thinking how lucky he was."
Marjorie just smiled
Both turned toward the direction Aether had gone.
"…Interesting," Venti said softly.