Aerionis Zephyra was a vast, flat land hovering in the endless void of the universe, held aloft by the enigmatic Mother Root.
The Mother Root, a colossal entity with root-like tendrils, supported Aerionis Zephyra from below. These roots, resembling massive, ancient tree limbs, cradled the world in a gentle yet unyielding grip, with some even penetrating its core, reaching deep into the heart of the land and merging with its essence.
These roots not only anchored the land but also infused it with the arcane power that kept it afloat in the void.
The sight of these immense, glowing roots, intertwined and reaching upwards, was both awe-inspiring and humbling. [Author’s Note: Imagine holding a large piece of rock (Empire/World) in your hand (Mother Root)]
On a particular cliffside, the silence of the void was shattered by a sound that was both ferocious and primal….
“Grrrrrrrrr.”
A menacing growl echoed through the emptiness. A massive red-black wolf, its claws as sharp as daggers, dug into the cliff as it climbed upward with powerful, deliberate strides.
Its eyes, glowing like molten embers, scanned the precipice ahead, calculating every move while carefully avoiding the roots as if they were dangerous.
The wolf’s tail, sinuous and strong, cradled two limp bodies with surprising gentleness. Aria, her sliver white hair streaked with blood, held Aether, who was unconscious, close, her arms wrapped protectively around him even in unconsciousness.
Their breaths were shallow but steady, indicating life.
The Wolf was none other than Liora Darkfang.
Her size was far bigger than what she had shown before. With her steady grip, she slowly and carefully pulled them, her body covered with a thick barrier to prevent her from passing out.
Thud
“Grrrrr”
Her massive paws finally reached the edge of the cliff. With a final exertion, she hauled herself and her precious cargo up to the flat ground above.
Her eyes roamed around the surroundings, taking in the craters and blast marks that indicated a fierce battle, as well as the burned carriage.
She sighed a deep, weary sound that spoke of exhaustion and relief, before slowly reducing her size to normal.
Holding Aether and Aria in her tail, she began to run faster towards….. Faerie Arbor City.
Her heart was pounding wildly, not because she was running fast, but because Aether’s body was starting to crack as if he was on the verge of breaking. Each crack spread like a web of fractures, threatening to shatter him completely.
“Just hold on!” she mumbled, her voice strained and desperate. Her legs strained even more as she moved faster than ever in her life.
…
…
In Faerie Arbor City,
“…..” Maelona stared blankly at her son-in-law, who lay calmly and unconscious on the bed, being treated by the healers. The room was filled with the scent of herbs and the soft glow of healing magic, a stark contrast to the turmoil outside.
“Who?” Maelona asked only one question. Liora, who was beside her, could only shake her head and say, “I don’t know. By the time I reached them, he or she had already left.”
“Even with your keen sense of smell?” Maelona asked in an emotionless voice, her gaze focused on Aether as he was being treated.
“Yes, it seems the other party removed their scent,” Liora answered, also staring at Aether. Her voice was tinged with frustration and helplessness.
“M-Mom!” Aria, who had been partially healed, hurriedly walked towards them with a pained expression. The healers tried to stop her, as she was not fully healed, but Aria didn’t listen. Her steps were unsteady, yet she wanted to meet her beloved.
Maelona’s face softened as she hugged her daughter, saying, “It’s fine, my dear… Everything will be fine!”
Aria’s eyes turned teary….. No, she was on the verge of crying, but she didn’t because she wanted to see her beloved smiling when he opened his eyes, not crying! She bit her lip, holding back the sobs that threatened to escape.
“You should rest,” Liora said with a flat expression. Aria shook her head, saying, “No, not now,” and looked at Aether, whose body kept cracking like broken glass.
“W-What is happening?” she asked in a pained voice, barely avoiding crying. Her voice was a whisper, filled with fear and uncertainty.
“We don’t know…” Maelona and Liora answered simultaneously, their faces grim.
The healers had been doing their best to heal Aether, but he kept breaking like fragile glass. Each attempt seemed futile, the magic barely holding him together. Their faces were etched with concentration and worry, their hands moving in intricate patterns as they chanted incantations.
“A-Aether…” Aria mumbled, tears pouring from her eyes like a relentless stream. Her heart felt as if it were shattering with every crack that appeared on Aether’s body. Each break seemed to mirror the breaking of her own soul, the pain almost too much to bear.
“W-What should we do, Mother?” Aria asked, her voice trembling with desperation. Her eyes darted around the room, searching frantically for something, anything, that could save her beloved Aether.
“….” Maelona had no words for her daughter.
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“….” Liora stared at Aether’s body, her heart aching in a way she had never experienced before…. It was as if an invisible hand was squeezing her chest, making it hard to breathe. She placed a hand over her heart, puzzled by the unfamiliar sensation of sorrow that was unlike anything she had ever felt.
Seeing the healers’ efforts failing, Liora voiced a desperate suggestion, “I think the Archpriestess might be able to heal him.”
Aria’s eyes lit up with a faint glimmer of hope. She knew of the Archpriestess’s legendary healing abilities, unmatched by anyone else in any world….. she was ready to beg the Archpriestess for her beloved’s life. But then,
“Before she can come, Aether will already be gone,” Maelona said with a serious face, clenching her fist so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She hated the harshness of her own words, but they were the grim reality she couldn’t escape.
“H-Huh? M-Mom! What do you mean? There’s no way, right? He won’t leave me, right? RIGHT?!!” Aria shouted, her voice rising in pitch as panic set in.
Her mind was a chaotic mess of fear and confusion, unable to process the possibility of losing Aether.
Despite being the chosen one, older and supposedly wiser, she felt utterly helpless. “Why is this happening to me?! H-He is the only one who loved someone worthless like me and yet… ARCANE!!!” she screamed, her tears flowing like a broken dam, her voice echoing with raw anguish.
Maelona bit her lips, drawing blood, as she hugged her daughter tightly. Aria’s body shook with sobs, her grief overwhelming her.
“It’s all because of that bitch… M-My life, my future is lying in ruins again because of THAT BITCH!!!” Aria shouted in desperation.
“Sob… If I knew this… I would have… ‘sob’ I would have given that shit to someone else,” Aria mumbled, her eyes lifeless and vacant, as if all hope had been drained from her.
“W-What do you mean?” Maelona asked with a frown, confusion and concern etched deeply on her face.
What was her daughter talking about?
Aria, with vacant eyes, stammered, “T-They came for me, for the thing required to clear the trial.” When she had killed the leader of the group they first encountered, he had clearly indicated they were after a specific wooden box.
“I-I should have given it to them…” Aria mumbled with deep regret, her voice barely more than a whisper.
“Dear, I don’t understand…” Maelona said, her voice gentle but puzzled. If it was something precious, why did others know about it, and why hadn’t Aria cleared the trial by herself?
Aria’s eyes showed only emptiness as if she had reverted to her former, broken self, which pained Maelona even more.
“Aether is a slave… An eternal slave….” Aria said with a blank expression. There was no point in hiding it anymore; her beloved was lying there, teetering on the brink of death. She couldn’t care less about what others would think of him now. The truth was all that mattered.
Both Maelona and Liora’s eyes widened in shock and surprise, leaving them momentarily speechless. But before they could react,
Suddenly, the healers who were working on Aether approached them. Their bodies were drenched in sweat, exhaustion evident in their every step, with some on the verge of fainting. One of them, with a grim face, spoke,
“We don’t know what’s happening to him. We healed his wounds, and yet his body keeps breaking apart as if it can’t contain something…” He looked at Aria, then lowered his head and said, “He doesn’t have much time.”
“NNOOOOOOOOO!!!”