Here we are Again || Childe x Aether|| Genshin Impact ||

Chapter 16

"...c-c-cold...cold..."

Aether hugged himself to keep his body warm but it did not help him because of the raging snowstorm that has been currently happening outside, Aether forced himself to get up as he hurriedly shut the banging window and immediately closed it, "come on...urgh..." Aether struggled in closing the windows because he was shivering due to how cold it got when he successfully closed the windows, Aether made sure it was tight closed so it won't open again.

He went back to his uncomfortable bed but the time he got there, the door opened to reveal Signora along with two Fatui guards behind her, Aether frowned.

"...I won't do it..."

Aether mumbled, Signora scoff and slap him across his cheeks, "wrong answer~ grab him." Signora said and snap her fingers as the two fatui guards grabbed Aether from both sides of his arms and forced him to get up.

Signora scoff to see how frail Aether became, the first time he came to Snezhnaya he was growling at everyone and being so stubborn but after spending his days in sheer cold, nothing changed except for his stubbornness.

Aether groan in pain when he was forced to walk but his lower body felt so numb and he needed heat, "w-w-what are you going to do with me..." Aether said as his lips shake a bit, Signora stop as well as the clicking sound of her heels that echoed around the walls of the dungeon.

Signora chuckle and glances at him with a smirk.

"a useless trash like you needs to be placed in their rightful trash bin" Signora said, even though Signora has her back turned away from Aether, he could definitely see that she was enjoying how miserable he looked.

Aether was scared and he needed to get away from this place but if he did escape, he would end up dying somewhere and no one would know since he'll be covered with a bunch of snow, soon enough, Aether heard the door creak and he was greeted by the strong breeze of a snowstorm. 

It felt like his lungs would freeze any moment, his body was shaking due to how cold it was and the snow almost buried half of his body but he was dragged back up by the men who threw Aether at the cold snow.

Signora smirk once more when he saw how Aether curled himself up and even struggled to get up and slowly walk away with all his might, "good riddance," Signora said and walk away as she did not struggle walking from the snow since she created an ice bridge to walk.

(A/N: I made that up but we all know Cryo users can make ice bridges.)

"what if someone sees him?"

One of the fatui guards said out of concern, Signora laughs.

"well~ even if someone did find him...he'll be dead the moment they see him"

With that, Signora left along with the other Fatui guards without turning their back, Aether made small steps as the only thing that kept him warm was his scarf but the moment he searched for it, it was no longer wrapped around his neck and his hair scattered everywhere since his braids were loose.

"I-I-I...n-n-need...t-t-t-t-to be...s-str--strong...I-I-I...still need t-to--- urgh!"

His legs gave up causing him to fall down, Aether gritted his teeth as his tears slowly fell from his eyes that soon turned ice, he could clearly see a cloud of smoke coming from the nearby village but his body was too tired to move.

Aether gasp for air as he turns his body around and faces the night skies, he chuckles and held out his hand and it was as if, he could reach the stars.

"...I still need to give Childe my answer...that I love him too..."

Aether mumble before closing his eyes and the snow slowly covering his entire body.

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|| THE NEXT DAY ||

"Teucer! stop playing around! come on!" 

His older brother yelled since Teucer was playing around the snow, he could only chuckle at his younger brother being silly all the time and the moment he settled his things down on the snow, he saw a glimpse of blonde hair on the snow.

He immediately knelt down and brush away the snow that covered the body, "TEUCER! COME HERE AND GIVE ME A BLANKET QUICK!!!" He yelled and Teucer came running as he almost stumbled on his own two feet.

"Here---huh!?!"

Teucer gasp when he recognized the person who was shivering as his older brother wrap his body with a blanket, his lips were blue and his skin became pale.

"what's wrong?! do you know him?!" He asked Teucer who nodded without any hesitation.

"it's big brother Aether!!!"

Since I gave myself free time from studying for my Midterm exam which is next week already, I decided to write a chapter AHAHA! I hope you all like this one.