!~Ding~!
[Achieved Compatibility: 97%↑]
The mist that clung to my body like a second skin slowly started to lift, dissipating in thin, ghostly tendrils. My neck came into view, followed by half of my upper body, as if I were emerging from an unseen fog… finally free.
I found myself staring at Ether—or rather, the version of me that existed in the past.
The moment Xara and Delphine left the house, Velc, seething with rage and humiliation from his earlier beating, turned his fury toward Ether. His eyes burned with hatred as he stormed over, his hands trembling with pent-up aggression.
He struck him, unleashing his fury.
“Because of you!”
Slap!
“Because of you, I lost my wife!!”
Slap!!
Thud!
My past self, Ether, crumpled to the floor under the relentless blows, his body weak and unresisting.
Yet, he didn’t raise a hand to protect himself. He didn’t flinch. He didn’t react at all. And… neither did I.
Oddly, I wasn’t angry. I felt no desire for vengeance or fury.
Instead, an eerie calm settled over me, like the eye of a storm, cold and unmoving.
I then saw Selene, furious with me for the same reason…. because I had cost her, her mother!!
Yet, she never hurt me or even raised her voice. Instead, she expressed her pain in the silence between us, in the tight line of her lips and the furrow of her brow.
I watched as Selene, once so shy and timid, began to change. After her mother left, she took on the weight of the world, doing everything herself, and refusing to rely on anyone.
“What are you looking at?” Selene spat, her eyes blazing with frustration as she glared at Ether, who stood there, as always, with that blank, distant expression.
He didn’t respond, as usual.
She scoffed, “Why are you always following me?” She frowned. Ever since her mother left, Ether had been trailing behind her for reasons unknown.
He never used to act this way!
“Are you deaf or just dumb?” she huffed, folding her arms across her chest. Her frustration finally bubbled over as she clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white. “Argh! I really hate you!!” she shouted, her cheeks flushed with anger.
With a sharp flick of her wrist, she threw a piece of paper at him, “Pick that up!” she ordered, her voice full of spite. She had been doing this for days—giving him meaningless tasks, testing him, waiting for him to snap. But no matter how many times she pushed him, he remained silent…. Even that game was growing old, and the boredom of it only made her more frustrated.
I watched, a small, sad smile forming on my lips as she tried to find some way to vent her feelings. She was just a child who had lost her mother, confused and angry. Of course, she would lash out at the person she blamed.
But that fleeting smile of hers—just a glimpse—made my heart ache. My eyes grew misty, and my lips trembled as a thought came to me. “Am I reliving the past?” I whispered.
It all felt too real.
The last thing I remembered was that ominous voice, the one that whispered of ‘Death.’ And now, here I was, reliving these moments of Ether’s past, without my memories(Initially), like an outsider looking in.
As I began piecing together the fragments, I finally understood: I had been born into this world as Ether. Mortimer, the one who had stolen the Chosen One’s authority from me, had shattered my soul, separating me from my true self.
I wasn’t entirely certain about the next part, but it seemed my fragmented soul reincarnated… Hmm, no.. not exactly.
I was still here, still seeing and hearing everything. So, technically, I hadn’t died…. not fully. Maybe only part of my soul had been reborn on Earth… something like that.
That’s why the Mother Goddess had said I lived two lives simultaneously…. I existed in both worlds at the same time, straddling the line between life and death.
Still,
‘Why am I not feeling anything?’ I asked myself.
No matter how hard I searched for it, the pain and grief were absent. There was only calm—an eerie, unnatural calm!
As if something was missing from me!
I continued watching, and one day, something significant happened.
Selene was reaching for something on the top shelf, stretching her arm as far as it would go. My heart skipped a beat as I realized what was about to happen.
“Oh no, she’s going to fall!” I shouted in fear, my voice echoing in the stillness. For just a second, my form flickered.
And then, Ether, who had been staring blankly at her, suddenly snapped into action. He moved faster than I had ever seen him move before and withstood the shelves as the blood trickled from his head, he smiled gently…. which made Selene’s heart skip a beat!
!~Ding~!
[Achieved Compatibility: 98%↑]
A small, proud smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. Slowly, over time, I saw the hatred in Selene’s eyes soften. Her anger melted away, replaced by something else… something warmer. Was it… love?
As past me moved closer to Selene, Timmy, who had always viewed me as nothing more than a lackey, began to grow increasingly resentful. Every chance he got, he beat me, venting his own insecurities and frustrations on me.
I watched as Selene, bit by bit, became more attached to Ether. She clung to him, never leaving his side like he was the only anchor she had left in this world.
‘Looks like I took her Mother’s place… Haha..’ I thought.
And the same like… Timmy’s actions escalated until he took things too far. He decided to kill Ether, throwing him into the deep water.
As I watched Ether sink deeper into the dark abyss…
But then, something miraculous happened. His body was suddenly bathed in a golden light.
His eyes shot open, and I—
Finally,
!~Ding~!
[Achieved Compatibility: 99%↑]
Suddenly, like a dam breaking, every emotion I had suppressed—the pain, the sorrow, the love—came crashing into me. It was like a storm, fierce and unrelenting, that had been locked away, and now, it was free, ravaging my soul.
‘I-I lost—’ Before I could fully grasp the weight of my grief over losing my loved ones, a new sound rang out.
!~Ding~!
[The Last Checkpoint is Verified]
‘L-Last checkpoint?’ I thought, frowning in confusion. Then,
!~Ding~!
[Survival Rate: 60.2%↑]
!~Ding~!
[Returning to the Last Checkpoint]
Something felt off. My body, which had been shrouded in mist moments ago, was now fully visible. Every part of me was clear as if the fog had lifted completely.
But before I could fully process this, a black hand shot out from the darkness, wrapping itself around my leg and dragging me into the deeper void.
…
…..
…
Third Person’s POV
Somewhere in the Aerionis Zephyra Empire,
In a secluded hotel room, the morning light barely crept through the heavy curtains. The air still carried the warmth and scent of the previous night, thick with passion and the memory of shared intimacy.
On the luxurious bed, a striking woman with red and black hair lay sprawled, her body still naked from the night before. Her long wolf-like ears twitched at the softest sound, and her lips curled into a satisfied smile as she stretched languidly….. The memory of the long, intense night she spent with Aether filled her thoughts.
“Mmm…” she hummed, her eyes still half-closed in the haze of sleep. Slowly, her eyelids fluttered open, and her gaze fell on the broad shoulders of the man beside her.
“A-Aether?” she called softly, her voice groggy as she rubbed her eyes, still adjusting to the light. Expecting a playful response or even just a lazy groan, she frowned when she was met with silence.
Something felt off!
Her frown deepened as she shifted in bed to get a better look. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him.
Aether sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the ground…. A single tear of blood trailed down his cheek, the crimson drops stark against his pale skin.