Aither Aeras

**Aither Aeras** is an antagonist in *Lament for the Loved*. He's Briella Aeras's younger brother and a member of the Elements. He was kidnapped by presumably Zeo Synchonesi at least a year after his sister was captured and suffered through both phases of the original-style experiment, coming out of both alive and with Fulugumen's blessing. He died on his journey to find the Skonia, as had almost every other member of the Elements, but was revived by Synchonesi as one of his soldiers. He served in the Collizevo until the very end, ultimately dying again at the hands of the Fortissimum. He greeted Ophelia in the afterlife when she chose to die and rejoin her friends.

## Appearance

As children, Aither and Briella bore a great resemblance to each other. They were lithe with fair skin, wide green eyes, and brown hair. Aither's eyes were a slight blueish green and his his hair was a soft brown, short, and spiky. In Briella's memories, he almost always had dirt and scrapes on his arms and legs from his reckless playing. He always wore shorts and short-sleeved t-shirts that seemed almost too big for his small frame.

After obtaining their Godsigns, the two lost almost all physical similarities. Though remained lithe and similar to her in build, the greatest changes he had were in his eyes and hair. By the time Ophelia and the others left to find the Skonia, it had become a dull purple color and was significantly longer, though he still spiked it up with two larger tufts on the top of his head. His eyes were more narrowed than when he was a kid, though that was likely more a result of the trauma that's caused by the experiments. His eye color also became a dull magenta. He had one of Fulugumen's Godsigns, colored a purple that was a darker color than his hair, on the back of his left shoulder. During their trip, he mostly wore a thin, dark undershirt with thin arm warmers on his forearms of the same color. He wore a cropped, sleeveless, light purple top over it with the collar popped. He had a simplistic white belt and dark gray pants that stopped halfway down his calf along with simple yellow-green shoes.

After being revived and recruited by Synchonesi, he underwent further physical changes. His skin became pale and his body entirely hollow, not having any blood or bones or organs within; his body was a simple husk hosting only his soul and life force. His sclera became black while his pupils became a light purple rather than being dark. He also wore his hair swept back, save for a single jagged, lightning-like strand in the front that hangs in front of his face. As was expected of him, he wore the same armor as the other revived Elements. He sported a dark gray chestplate with a lighter gray heptagon shape on the front and a light blue crystal in the center of his chest. It had a dark blue metallic collar that protected most of his neck as well as three small, square, plates on his shoulders. He sported metallic elbow and knee pads and metallic cuffs around his wrists. Attached to them on the back of his forearms were three more metal plates, serving as arm guards. He had simple black combat boots. Underneath his armor was a simple black bodysuit that extended up to his hands, but leaving the last digits of his fingers and his thumb exposed, making it appear as though he was wearing gloves. On the back of his hands were light blue crystals identical to the one on his chest.

Following his fight with Claire Lektri, he had a long, lightning like "scar" going up his whole right arm up to his right cheek. Really, it was revealing his hollow body. It matched the identical scar that Claire had received on the left side of her body.

As a spirit, greeting Ophelia as she died, he looked like he had before his first death, though his eyes seemed brighter and he finally smiles.

## Personality

In Briella's memories of him, he was very energetic and eager as a child. Like a child, he always enjoyed when things went his way, but would only start going on about how unfair things were once things didn't. He was very like an average child was. He used to care very deeply for things, especially the people he was close to (notably Briella).

His personality drastically changed after the experiments. He became inexpressive and critical of things. He wasn't quite a pessimist, but would often point out flaws in plans, no matter how miniscule, while believing that he wouldn't make even simple mistakes. He would never show any sort of attachment or attraction to anyone, now having an unsaid belief that those who were close to him were going to leave him, believing that Briella left him when she was taken. However, very small hints betrayed his statement that he didn't care for any of his allies. He was very reserved. He was never quite hostile or aggressive, though he was never scared to give threats.

Despite appearing cold, uncaring, and stoic, he never really grew out of many of his childish traits. When denied things he thought he deserved, he would become irritated and occasionally pouty. When things wouldn't go his way, he would get snappy and sometimes even go on tangents about fairness, despite claiming to not care about fairness as long as things were in his favor. On the verge of his second death, as he broke down, he practically threw a tantrum in front of his sister, shouting at her about how nothing was ever fair and that he was sick of "losing"/dying and just wanted to "win"/live. During this he also revealed that he was deeply hurt by Briella "leaving" him and that he loved her, at least until then, but his words were spiteful. Nothing could shake his hate, not even Briella apologizing for everything (even the things that weren't her fault) and telling him that she still loved him; he only glared at her as his body flaked away. His last words to her were "I hate you," even though hers to his were "I love you, I'm sorry."

In the afterlife, however, he seemed more happy. Though he never spoke in the short time he's seen as Ophelia dies, he finally smiles and his eyes seem softer and brighter. Though he seemingly never cared in life, he welcomed Ophelia to the afterlife with open arms. While he likely didn't regain his innocent attitude from his childhood, he likely found peace in death and was able to mellow out, like most of the other spirits seen in the series.

## History

***Warning:** Most of this project is mostly an overview and in constant progress; many details in this section are likely to be incomplete or subject to change.*
Aither lived an average life as a child with Briella and their parents. As far as he was concerned, his life was perfect with his big sister by his side. Unfortunately, things began to spiral downward for him after Briella was tricked and taken. He didn't know the true circumstances of her disappearance, but he was under the impression that she had just left him, but he still remained optimistic for her return. He held onto that hope until he was kidnapped by an unknown character (though it was likely Synchonesi due to his knowledge of the Elements later on) and experimented on. He managed to survive both the initial experiment and the monstrous transformation afterwards, coming out of the whole experience with a Godsign from Fulugumen.

With the others he was trapped with, he escaped. Together, they decided to try and find their way to the Skonia in hopes of starting a renewed life there, officially creating the Elements.

[incomplete history; i'm working on it]

Following Luma and Stamos's sacrifices, when the group began to become polarized without their peacemakers, Aither took Rue's side without question. He held similar ideals to her and appreciated the authority she asserted regarding her decisions, not being caught up in bonds or alliances. He and Swyn stood beside her whenever the divide arose.

Like every other Element (save for Ophelia), Aither didn't get to see the Skonia in his lifetime. He met his end as the unfortunate, unintended victim of a trap. The Elements, or at least what remained of them at the time, were attempting to cross a bridge over a gorge while the water below was rampant. Unfortunately, they didn't know it was sabotaged to give out under them, though they weren't supposed to be the targets. Ophelia and Rue managed to get almost everyone back up to solid ground, but a crashing wave caused Aither to lose his grip while reaching for Rue. He ended up bashing his head on a rock. It's unclear if this initial impact is what killed him, but he was unresponsive as Rue tried to call and reach for him, ending up being swept away by the tide before Ophelia could save him.

### Lament for the Loved

Aither, with the rest of the Elements, was revived by Zeo Synchonesi and promptly recruited as one of the Collizevo's higher-ranking soldiers. With his ability and prodigal skill, he, Rue, and Azrael quickly earned their right to hold that ranking in a way that wasn't just Synchonesi's favoritism. Because of his already cold demeanor and minimal (if any) attachments, he was kept close to Synchonesi, along with Rue. As a result, his missions and tasks gave him very few chances to encounter the main cast of the arc. However, Cecilia and Avia once mentioned encountering someone in the Collizevo with electric abilities that could've possibly been him.

[There's... also a lot missing here. Sorry.]

He is seen often around the Collizevo's base thanks to Rue's POV. However, he's always by Synchonesi's side, so very little interactions happen with his old allies other than Rue. Interactions that do happen are short and harsh. One such instance involved the two of them overhearing Toby and Azrael discussing Ophelia. While Rue was content with observing it silently, Aither inserted himself into it. He told them that what they were saying sounded almost treasonous, given that Synchonesi wanted Ophelia dead. In response to their rebuttals, he gave his statement that he doesn't care about allegiances in a sentimental way, only in a realistic and logical way, prioritizing the "winners" over people he's worked with before. Before leaving, he threatens that if he hears them talk like that about her again, he'd tell Synchonesi of their plans himself and have them punished for their weakness. However, despite both of them going against orders to help her, he never tells Synchonesi, hinting that beneath all his harsh words about them and his attempts to not form attachments with anybody, Aither may have cared for them after all, if only slightly.

Aither's first major interaction with the Skonia actually occurs in the Fortissimum's Extra Chapter. He encounters his sister, face-to-face, for the first time since their childhood. It is here that he finally admits that he hated her ever since he left and he has no intention of going back to her, not even in his "second chance" of life. Rae and Claire arrive in the middle of their conversation, recognizing the Collizevo armor and fearing that Briella might be in danger, though they have enough sense to not attack immediately. He has a few harsh words for Briella's allies, which Claire returns with the same hostility.

It was Aither and his hidden child-like temper that instigated the fight between him and Claire. With nearly identical abilities, it was a destructive fight all around. It was nearly entirely him against Claire; Rae provided little assistance when she could, but didn't think it wise to step in against such destructive opponents. Briella, on the other hand, is caught in a moral dilemma: does she protect her little brother from her best friend, who is in a state where she never backs down from a fight until either herself or her opponent is destroyed, or does she protect her best friend from her little brother, who is now just an empty husk with his soul inside and a personal grudge against her and her friends? In the end, she couldn't intervene at all.

The fight ended when the two clashed with the same powerful attack, tearing up his right arm and Claire's left. In complete contrast to Claire needing Briella to catch her and then still not being able to move while writhing and screaming and crying in agony, Aither hit the ground straight down and, after catching Rue's glare from the shadows, got up on his own like nothing even happened, leaving his sister and the other two behind. When the two returned to Synchonesi, he expected his leader to restore his arm. However, as Rue gave a report on what happened, Aither was almost killed or at least injured further in Synchonesi's fury, expressing that the Fortissimum were off-limits because he wanted to fight them at their full power. Synchonesi refused to restore Aither's arm as punishment. Though he was shocked and terrified at Synchonesi's outburst, he later claimed that he didn't even need it and that the resulting "scars" only serve as a reminder of how stupid attachments are (whether he critiqued his own folly in trusting Synchonesi to help him or criticizing Synchonesi getting attached to enemies he could easily crush is not something he clarifies).

He meets them again in battle, though, in Synchonesi's final fight against the Skonia. Though he was initially sticking close to Rue, Larissa and Cynthia split them up. He fought them two-on-one for a bit before his ability began to overwhelm them. Fortunately for them, the Fortissimum stepped in. Claire stayed close to Larissa and Cynthia to keep them safe, since she didn't feel confident joining the fight with her arm not functioning, while Rae and Briella finished what Claire started before, destroying his right arm entirely. Inevitably, they overpowered him. As the husk of his body started flaking away, he broke down in front of his sister. He shouted and cried about how things weren't fair, about how he was sick of losing and just wanted to win, basically throwing a childish tantrum almost identical to one that Briella vividly remembered him having as a child. Briella gave him the same calm, gentle, loving reassurance that she gave him then. This didn't console him; he instead started shouting about how much he hated her, about how everything could've been prevented if she never left him, thinking to his second death that she willingly left him. With her little brother withering away in front of her, Briella loses her calm demeanor and begins frantically apologizing to Aither for everything (even the things that weren't her fault) and that she still loves him, no matter what, just like she promised. He didn't respond to her, only glaring at her spitefully as his the last bits of his husk blew away and his soul was allowed to finally rest properly.

### Legacy

Both of Aither's deaths had big impacts on the people that were close to him, most notably Ophelia and Briella.

Aither's first death put a lot of guilt on Ophelia's soul. It was worsened by Rue constantly blaming her for it because she, too, was wracked with grief at his death (conveniently forgetting the fact that Ophelia was also the only reason she didn't get swept away with him). This added another fear of not being able to save her friends, which only worsened by the other Elements' deaths, hence the pure panic taking her body on autopilot when saving her new friends/teammates from a flood. His and the other Elements' deaths also plagued her in the form of major survivor's guilt in being the only one of them to make it to the Skonia. Their eventual second deaths ultimately pushed her to chose to succumb to Synchonesi's poison and rejoin them in the afterlife. He seemed to have forgiven her and softened up in the afterlife, finally smiling and welcoming her back to the group with open arms.

His death constantly lingered with Briella, who never got proper closure with him, as her last words to him were "I love you, I'm sorry" and his to her were "I hate you." She felt eternally guilty for not just what happened to him after she was taken, but for having to kill him the second time while he glared at her and spat how much he hated her. It particularly clouded her perception of her morality when the Fortissimum were proposed to become the new leaders of the Skonia; she feared that she wouldn't be considered loyal to her family, as Nyx had always ruled that their family should always be what the Skonia fights for and protects. She didn't know that Nyx called the Skonia and other Divine-Touched people their family, nor that they, too, had killed their brother in similar circumstances. It's unclear if Aither learned the truth about Briella in the afterlife after his second death like Cassius had learned about Nyx, as he showed no knowledge of it after his revival nor does his spirit ever seem to contact or follow her like Cassius watched over Nyx. However, the former could've been an effect of Vivifica, restoring his body, mind, and soul to the state they were before his death.

## Abilities

Aither, despite his young age, is notably skilled. Like Briella, he's light on his feet, but is not quite as agile as his sister. Though it gives him better speed, his light weight can easily be used against him, as he prefers to fight up close and personal and deal as much damage as he can with his volatile ability, but can't take many heavy hits. He doesn't have much physical strength of his own, relying mostly on his ability to deal damage.

Along with his Godsign and ability, Fulugumen's blessing granted Aither additional, though minor, unnatural traits. As Fulugumen's blessings do, Aither has incredibly quick reflexes and a heightened reaction time, though they're not quite comparable to Nyx's manually-enhanced reactions. He also has an enhanced resistance to shocks and electricity, including to the effects of his own ability. However, it's not enough to fully protect him from the drawbacks of it or make him 100% immune to electricity, seen in his fight with Claire.

After being revived, he was not bound by physical limitations, since his body became a hollow husk with no bones, blood, or organs, yet can still function normally. He was able to take a variety of injuries without suffering any physical pain. His body was also able to be restored immediately, though that could be the result of whatever ability (or amaglamation of abilities) Synchonesi used to do it. He could even absolutely destroy his right arm, yet still use it like nothing happened, while Claire with the same wound couldn't even move and was incapacitated for a time. However, with it not properly restored, it was notably weaker than his other arm, easily able to be shattered due to the deep fractures going down the whole arm, as Rae easily demonstrated in his final battle.

### Divine Blessing

After enduring both stages of the original experiment, Fulugumen gave Aither a Godsign and the ability Tempestas, the same as his ancestor of some kind, Klara Procella. This grants him the ability to generate powerful storm energy. While its raw power is far stronger than the regular Fulgur ability, it's also far more volatile. While Aither never displayed suffering from the same occasional overcharges that Klara did, he would suffer from slight recoil from using the ability, receiving shocks that were typically just a fraction of the intensity of his attack, though it typically only occurred when he used it for an extended period of time or at a higher intensity. The fact that only certain attacks would hurt him might be a result of his "natural" shock resistance, since Malia Mercium showed sustaining immediate recoil and injury from trying to borrow and use Klara's energy, or when Nyx felt like they were being torn apart from the inside while trying to help Klara control an overcharge by taking some of her energy into themself.

## Relationships

### The Elements

Overall, Aither shows very little attachment to the other Elements. During his lifetime, he viewed them as necessary allies, not feeling a great deal of loyalty towards them. After their revival, the lack of these feelings intensified, not displaying any attachment to them at all and criticizing and threatening them even more. However, he always fought to protect them and never carried out any of this threats, so perhaps he cared a little bit more for them than he said he did, despite his insistence on never forming bonds or attachments to people anymore.

#### Rue Cherosub

Of all the Elements, Rue was the one Aither was the closest to. He never extended any affection or desire for closeness, still only treating her as a comrade, but he followed her without question and seemed to hate her the least out of all his allies. He admired her ambition and the fact that she was never interested in letting her bonds or past connections slow her down. Even after he was revived, she was the one he stuck the closest to. He never doubted her as members of the Collizevo, but it's unclear how deep these feelings of trust extend.

#### Ophelia Sietvazo

Aither wasn't too close to Ophelia in either life. Like Rue, he thought her weak, but not physically. The only part of her he would praise would be her impressive, precise control over her ability. Rather, the part of her he thought was weak was her "obsession with who her allies were." In his eyes, trying to hold the Elements together was a fruitless errand. He had no attachment to her whatsoever, seen after his revival, where he viewed her as an enemy and target to be killed since Synchonesi ordered it. After his second death, though, he seemed to hold no grudge against her, likely having learned about her struggles and tribulations during everything, welcoming her to the afterlife with open arms.

#### Swyn Gicae

As Rue's other ally when the Elements became internally divided, Aither had at least a slight respect for Swyn. It's unclear if he felt the same amount of respect towards her as he did Rue, as he seemed fairly impartial to her after his revival. However, he would work with her without complaint or remark, falling into an unsaid rhythm with her.

#### Azrael Ossa

Though Azrael and Aither are similar in demeanor, the two were fairly indifferent to each other in life. They had very few meaningful interactions during their journey to the Skonia, according to Ophelia's memories. After their revival, however, that indifference seemed to grow into hatred, at least on Aither's end. He detested Azrael's continued loyalty to Ophelia and even threatened to tell Synchonesi of his traitorous plans. However, despite Azrael and Toby going through with the plans, it was Rue that ratted Azrael out to Synchonesi, while Aither stayed silent on the subject.

#### Toby Tenere

Aither is like the polar opposite of Toby and, as a result, never got along well with him. He was easily irritated by his optimism and further detested his bond with Ophelia, having tried to explain to him several times that getting so attached to someone as weak as her was a bad idea. Toby's defensive responses irritated him to the point of believing him to be a hopeless case. This annoyance and hatred extended to their "life" after their revival; the few minor interactions they had as members of the Collizevo displayed his obvious dislike for Toby. Aither eventually threatened to expose his and Azrael's loyalty to Ophelia to Synchonesi once, while simultaneously citing his own lack of attachments and loyalties. When Toby was killed for the second time after taking Ophelia's place in a trap, he was entirely unsurprised by the instance and said that he had it coming to him since their first life.

#### Eva Ankathi

Aither actually pitied Eva, at least in life. He sympathized with her, at least in that her family viewed her as just something to use rather than a real person. He fought beside her occasionally, but, as with the other members, Aither had very few meaningful interactions that Ophelia could remember (however, I wouldn't find it unusual for the two to have a few quiet chats alone that Ophelia was never around to witness). Whether these feelings extended into their life after their revival is difficult to tell, as the two were never given many chances to interact. He did seem slightly saddened at the report of her defeat and death, though Rue found his expression difficult to read and is unsure of his feelings on the subject.

#### Kaj Girra

Aither and Kaj didn't like each other, as they were two different ends of the same extreme: Aither despised deep bonds and loyalty to other people, while Kaj valued it and thought it to be the most important trait of people and their relationships. As such, he showed desire to work with him, especially after their revival.

#### Luma Lux

Luma was one of the few people exempt from his harsh perception of the futility of forming relationships. Her big sister-like attitude earned no qualms or complaints from Aither, who received them with a smile. A small smile, but a smile nonetheless. Her sacrifice actually made him upset, as all of the Elements respected and loved Luma and Stamos. Her death likely further enforced Aither's belief that those he formed connections and bonds to were fated to die and so forming connections was useless, especially since she wasn't revived with the others.

#### Stamos Skotadi

Like with Luma, Aither's rules about forming bonds didn't seem to apply to Stamos. Though they didn't seem incredibly close, Aither enjoyed Stamos's company. Unlike with every other member of the Elements, Aither never rejected or refused Stamos's attempts to praise and compliment him. When he and Luma sacrificed themselves, Aither was deeply saddened by their deaths; theirs was the only death he seemed upset by.

### Zeo Synchonesi

Though Aither claimed to have no loyalties, he followed Synchonesi's rule without question, since he allies himself with "those who win." However, he was Synchonesi's perfect soldier, fulfilling all of his orders to a tee and gaining Synchonesi's favor. Despite always claiming to not care or get attached to his allies, he apparently had a great deal of trust in Synchonesi being equally loyal to him, being genuinely shocked by Synchonesi's outburst after Aither's fight with Claire and when he refused to heal his arm. However, he simply used his arm as a reminder about how "stupid" attachments are, though with the hostility he spoke with, it was difficult for Rue to figure out if that was a jab at his own folly or annoyance at Synchonesi holding such value to his enemies.

### The Fortissimum

Aither hates the Fortissimum, no strings attached. He hates the three of them, each for a different reason, but his whole "hatred for bonds" thing could also summarize it pretty well.

#### Claire Lektri

Aither could tell that he was going to hate Claire the minute she arrived and placed herself almost between Briella and him when the two siblings reunited for the first time. He expressed such early displeasure in the form of harsh words, which Claire returned with no hesitation. Before their fight, he simply hated her spirit, personality, and heroic demeanor. After their fight, he detested her for destroying his arm, He makes a special note when they meet again, though, that she didn't defeat him (to which she replies that he fled, which is to admit that you can't win the fight, a.k.a. you admit defeat).

#### Rae Glaigos

Out of all of the Fortissimum, Rae is the one that Aither hates the least, though that isn't saying much. He doesn't hate her as passionately as he hates Claire and Briella, but he still hates her. Her fighting alongside Briella and Claire doesn't help his perception of her, even though she feels bound to her best friends the least.

### Larissa Tasi

Aither only met Larissa in the final fight of *Lament for the Loved*, but meeting on opposite ends of the battlefield does not make for good first impressions. He knew her only then and, of course, saw her as a natural enemy because of her being in the Skonia. He thought her attacks and ability were bland and predictable and thought her otherwise annoying.

### Cynthia Faudiua

It's unclear if the Collizevo member with lightning powers that Cynthia's team encountered was Aither or not, but he met Cynthia for certain during the final fight of *Lament for the Loved*. The two gave each other a bit of trouble, so it's very likely that he dislikes her, but he never made any mid-battle remarks like he did with Larissa.

### Family

To see all of Aither's family, check this page!

#### Parents

As a kid, Aither loved his parents. He admired and adored them as little kids do. He would generally believe them to be right about anything, but refused to believe them when they told him that Briella wasn't coming back after she was taken, leaving out the part about her being taken. After finally accepting that Briella wasn't coming home, he likely became distant from them in his grief. After his capture, he began to fully hate them, though not quite to the same extent that he hated Briella. He likely took his grudge to the second grave, though it's unclear if he and his mellowed-out spirit forgave them in the afterlife or not.

#### Briella Aeras

As children, Aither and Briella were inseparable. He looked up to her and she was his closest friend. He always relied on her to be there for him when he needed comfort or support, even during his childish tantrums. He couldn't imagine a world without her. So when she was tricked and taken, he waited patiently for her return, refusing to listen to anyone who told him that she wasn't coming back, faithfully believing that she was going to come back to him. When he was finally forced to accept that she was gone forever, he was devastated. After a while, this grief turned to anger which turned to hatred, as he believed that Briella willingly left him since he was never told the truth. This hatred only festered during his lifetime, holding a grudge against her until he died. It seemed only stronger when he was revived, as were his other feelings of hatred and dislike. Even on his second deathbed, this time done in by his own sister, Aither only felt hatred towards her, even as she gave him the same calm talks she would as a kid and apologized for everything while telling him she loved him. His hate and spite boiled all the way until the husk of his body was scattered to the wind. While his spirit seemed to have dropped his grudges, as seen by him greeting Ophelia again with a warm smile, it's unclear if he learned the truth about everything after he died, like another Cassius/Nyx situation, as his spirit and Briella aren't seen to interact, nor is his spirit ever seen watching over or following her.

## Quotes

*"You're not a fool, Rue. Not like Ophelia is. You prioritize the right things, prioritize survival, not loyalty. If I had to follow a leader I'd follow one that wants to live, not die together with people who couldn't get their heads on right."*

- Aither to Rue Cherosub when the Elements first showed signs of division following Luma Lux and Stamos Skotadi's deaths.

**Aither**: *"What of Ophelia? You sound like you still care about her."*

**Toby**: *"And you don't?"*

**Aither**: *"Synchonesi wants her dead. Why get attached to an enemy you plan to kill?"*

**Toby**: *"She was our* friend*! How can you just turn around on her like that?"*

**Aither**: *"I don't have alliances or loyalties or obligations to anyone."*

**Azrael**: *"No loyalties, but you're willing to work to help Synchonesi complete his collection?"*

**Aither**: *"I ally myself with logic, not sentiment. My allies are the ones that are gonna win, not whoever showed up first."*

**Azrael**: *"You're a bastard."*

**Aither**: *"And all this you're talking about... Sounds almost traitorous. [...] If I see you two trying to do something for her again, I'll tell Synchonesi myself. And then I think I'll stick around a little longer to see how he punishes you fools."*

- Aither, Toby Tenere, and Azrael Ossa about Ophelia Sietvazo

*"It's not fair... It's not* fair*! I always lose! I'm sick of losing! I just want to win for once... Why can't you just let me* win*!"*

- The same tantrum that Aither threw as a child and right before his second death

*"This... this is* your *fault! Ever since you left... If you hadn't left me, none of this would've happened! I waited so patiently, so long, for you to come home... because you always promised to never leave me! And you* left*! Nothing's been right since you left... I hate you! I hate you, Briella!"*

- Aither's breakdown and last words to Briella before his second death

## Trivia

* In all honesty, I originally had no intention of making Aither and Briella siblings. That only happened after coming up with Briella's last name and then working on the Elements in a separate Google Doc while not bothering to check who had what name already until I was adding the Arc 6 characters to my masterlist and saw them side-by-side. I decided to keep it and make them brother and sister, thinking that it could make for an interesting side plot, also forgetting that this is basically what I did with Cassius and Nyx, except this time both siblings remember each other, so it's a little different.
* Keeping in line with the Aither/Briella-Cassius/Nyx parallels I accidentally created, I think it's very possible that Aither learned the truth about what happened in the afterlife and forgave her entirely. While I don't think he watched over her as carefully as Cassius did Nyx, I think he still hung close to Briella, especially during hard times.