Keqing X Aether Novels & Stories

Safe. ​I stepped back slightly, breaking the flow. “What was that?” I asked. Elsa didn’t look surprised. She just met my gaze. “Aether,” she said. Cassian frowned. “That’s not a standard affinity.” “No,” she replied. Tarik’s gaze sharpened slightly. “Spatial?” “Close,” she said. She lifted her hand slightly. And the air shifted. Not visibly. But undeniably. “I don’t create,” she continued. “I stabilize.”

“Haven’t you heard of the darkspire alpha curse? They never live past fifty. Ryker will get himself killed if he keeps this going.” My eyes widened. I didn’t know that, I hadn’t even heard about it by accident. My admiration for Queen Scarlett grew even more. “I’ll do my best to keep him safe,” I bowed, meaning every word. Thank goodness I met up with her! I can’t imagine what would have happened if Ryker had gotten in trouble, or worse, executed if we had failed. “Good.” “Thank you, my Queen.” “Also,” she added, turning to face me. “Be careful. You and Ryker. There has been a cosmic shift. I can feel it. Someone who is not supposed to exist walks amongst us.”

earers had reached her—an ancient one, its mask gilded with old symbols. It raised its hands, and the Aether itself trembled. Runes ignited in a spiral beneath Clara’s feet, lines of crimson light that licked at her boots like living snakes.She screamed—a sound that ripped me open.“CLARA!”I lunged, but the Aether twisted around me, turning the air to glass. My mark burned like molten iron, the bond between us pulling me forward—and then holding me back.“RYKER!”Her eyes met mine—terrified but defiant. “Don’t—” she gasped, her voice choking on the Aether’s grip. “Don’t let them—”The mask-bearer’s laughter was a rasp of dust. “The Cradle claims what is its own. She is the Queen—she is the Flame

In Aetherium, life was chill. No body, no limits—just me, finally free. Time didn't matter here. No pain, no lies. Just calm. But lately, something gross kept tugging at me from the mortal world. It stank of obsession and fake guilt, like a greasy snake trying to wrap around my soul and wreck everything. I wanted to slice it away like dead weight. Then The High One showed up. "That pull's from a dark ritual. An Aster descendant's offering their life and soul to you—trying to drag you back in with chains made of shadow."

She looked defeated, vulnerable in a way that twisted something deep inside me. Throne didn't hesitate. His voice boomed through the chamber like a gust of wind. "Veyra! Let go of my daughter!" Veyra stood before her, cloaked in shadows, her eyes gleaming with malicious triumph. The Aetherheart shard—the ancient artifact pulsing with stolen power—glinted in her grasp. Around her, elemental guards materialized from the earth itself: hulking figures of rock and soil, their forms shifting and reforming, eyes glowing with unnatural green light. There were at least a dozen of them, lumbering forward with ground-shaking steps.

Just when I thought I was winning, Xavier pushed me back harder till I landed on the ground heating my head. Nyx winced in pain blood sizzling down. *You think you are strong huh?” His voice was loud in my head. I growled as his claws scratched my fur. Nyx snared in pain trying to fight back but his grip was tight. “You are no Enigma… Once an Omega always an Omega, don’t you ever forget that.” His canines sunk into my throat, Nyx howling in pain as everything started fading. "Sage..." I whispered as though I could feel him but couldn’t tell.

It had mentioned this word several times, describing the Aetherians as individuals chosen by divine entities to wield unique elemental powers that influenced the very balance of nature. “Legend tells of four primordial mages,” Professor Ealdwine continued, gesturing to the tapestry behind him. “They were the first Aetherians, chosen by the gods. Earth, Fire, Water, and Air were their domains. Each held a unique resonance with their element and could wield it with great mastery. They were guardians of balance, harmony, and the natural world. But over centuries, the purity of their lineage was lost, diluted as their descendants mingled with other species. Today, only a handful of true Aetheria

' Vrisha nodded. "However, Erica here", his gaze fixated on her, "Seems to be able to wield the power of Aether which is also called quintessence". His eyes sparkled as he explained further, "It's like an amalgamation of every other elemental. It's apparently been named after a Greek goddess". Erica's mouth hung open. "What?" Elias hummed, his lips tugging up, "You, my dear, have the power to fuse two powers or control another mage's power." Erica's mind was slowly filling up. "Huh?"

"Are you truly Lance’s son?" Aiden swallows hard, his throat clicking. "Y-yes." Kael’s expression hardens, his jaw tightening. The air in the room seems to thicken, pressing against Aiden’s skin. Kael’s voice drops to a whisper, but it is louder than a scream in the quiet room. "Then tell me, little omega," Kael hisses, his hand shooting out to grip Aiden’s chin in a vice-like hold, forcing him to look deeper into those dark eyes. "Where is the Aetherion?"

I kept my back turned to her, my fingers gripping the edge of the marble counter so hard my knuckles turned white. "You and Kael?" I asked, keeping my voice sounding small, fragile, and thoroughly broken. "Of course," Seraphina giggled, leaning back as our mother applied a gold face mask to her cheeks. "Did you really think a future Alpha would ever publicly claim a plain, quiet healer's assistant like you? with your weak wolf? Kael is a man of high status, Aria. He needs a queen who knows how to command a room, not someone who hides in the clinic all day."