“Why is he taking so long again?” Thalia muttered, her expression growing increasingly irritated.
“Maybe he’s busy with his work or something…” Raven replied, her lips curling into a smirk.
Thalia’s eyes twitched. Those were the exact same words Raven had used last time.
Before Thalia could respond, “Hello, guys!” Aether strolled in casually, as if nothing had happened, and sat down—right beside her.
Thalia raised a brow, glancing sideways at Raven, who also shot a frown in Aether’s direction.
Sensing the tension, Aether blinked in confusion. “Is something wrong?” he asked, looking between the two women who were now glaring at him.
“Nothing,” Raven answered coolly, her voice calm but her eyes narrowing slightly. She placed a small crystal ball on the table between them, activating a barrier that sealed off their surroundings, ensuring no one could eavesdrop on their conversation.
Now that they were securely isolated, they could resume planning.
Aether, as usual, listened carefully—or at least pretended to. Their latest scheme was, in his mind, utterly absurd, ‘What the…? Are they serious? How in the world do they expect to escape if they block every exit?’ He held back a sigh, choosing not to voice his objections since his part of the research had already been completed. All that remained was for him to execute his plan… properly.
Suddenly, he groaned, clutching his stomach in discomfort, “S-Sorry guys, I really need to use the toilet!” he exclaimed, dashing toward the restroom.
Thalia blinked, surprised by the sudden exit, but then burst into laughter, “Hahaha! Maybe he was worried he’d stink up the place, so that’s why he didn’t sit next to you, Raven.”
Raven wrinkled her nose in disgust, “You really need to control your mouth,” she said flatly.
Thalia shot her a playful grin, “Okay, M.O.M.”
Raven sighed heavily, rolling her eyes as they waited for Aether to return.
When he did, Thalia looked at him with an amused expression, “That was fast,” she teased.
Aether gave her an awkward smile, rubbing the back of his neck. Raven, however, wasn’t so easily fooled. She squinted at him, sensing something was… different.
But instead of pressing further, she shook her head and refocused on the task at hand.
They were about to dive back into their discussion when—
Grrrrll.
A low growl broke the silence. Thalia and Raven froze, turning their attention to… Aether, who was now clutching his stomach again, a pained expression crossing his face.
“W-What are you going to do?” Thalia stammered, her eyes widening in fear as she instinctively scooted backwards, putting distance between herself and Aether.
Even Raven, who was rarely shaken, took a cautious step back.
Aether’s stomach growled louder, the noise deepening before—
Pufff!!
No, not the back door rather…. A small jet of crimson flame burst from Aether’s mouth, making both women jump back in shock.
Aether coughed violently, spitting blood as he clutched his chest. “C-Cough, cough…”
Thalia’s panic only grew, “H-Hey, are you alright?” she asked hesitantly, extending a hand to pat his back, hoping to help him recover when—
PUFFFFFF!!
A second blast of crimson flame erupted from his mouth, this one stronger than before, nearly cracking the barrier they had set up.
The sheer intensity of it left Thalia and Raven stunned!
Raven’s eyes sharpened, her mind racing as she stared at the vibrant crimson flames, recognition flickering in her gaze, ‘D-Don’t tell me… Phoenix?’ she thought, her breath catching.
“G-Give m-‘Cough, cough’… give me a minute!” Aether managed to choke out before rushing back toward the restroom, crimson flames still flickering around his lips.
As the door slammed behind him, Thalia and Raven exchanged stunned glances.
Thalia’s hand trembled as she whispered, “T-Those flames… that colour…”
Raven nodded slowly, her expression tense.
The flames were unmistakable that came from his mouth… Only Dragons races would be able to generate flames from their mouth and even more those crimson flames…
Thalia let out a heavy sigh, rubbing her temples, “First, we find out he’s a descendant of the Origin Emperor, and now… he has a Phoenix bloodline? Fuck!!!”
Meanwhile, in the restroom:
Aether stood over his clone, his face twisted with frustration as he inspected the damage. “Fuck, there’s a hole in your stomach…” he muttered, shaking his head.
With a snap of his fingers, the clone dissolved, vanishing into thin air, leaving only a small,
Thud
As something dropped to the ground. Continue your journey with empire
Aether crouched, picking up a small, broken crimson-colored crystal.
The faint glow it emitted was quickly fading. This was the key…. the device he had placed inside the clone to simulate the fire-breathing trick.
He studied it for a moment, admiring the craftsmanship he put into creating it!
In his past or future or whatever that shit was…. Aether had discovered that dragons, and many of those who possessed similar bloodlines, could generate fire naturally.
Each flame was unique to the individual, a signature of their heritage.
What had intrigued him was how they could do this without using any Arcane energy… like it was hardwired into their very biology.
These crimson flames… were an exact match for Raven’s but he wasn’t sure about whether it was similar to Phoenix or not but still, he used it.
He had suspected as much when he engineered the ruse, gambling that it would spark Raven’s curiosity, forcing her to take an interest in him.
And it had worked!!
Raven’s reaction told him everything he needed to know.
Aether let out a deep sigh of relief, “Thank goodness I didn’t fully commit to my original plan,” he muttered to himself.
In truth, he had considered pulling off the fire stunt himself rather than using his clone.
However, due to his current physical condition, touching those crystals would likely have caused them to either malfunction or explode, and he wasn’t eager to experience the outcome firsthand.
Using his clone had been the safer bet—and he was immensely grateful for that decision.
Otherwise, that gaping hole he just saw in his clone could have easily been in his own body.
He splashed a few droplets of water onto his face, loosened his shirt, and made sure it looked damp, giving himself the appearance of someone drained and sickly. For added effect, he roughed up his hair and let his shoulders sag.
Slowly, he stepped out of the restroom, his steps heavy, as though each one was a laborious effort. As he approached the table, he collapsed onto the chair with exaggerated weakness.
“–Ha-ha– cough-cough– W-Waterr–cough,” he rasped, reaching out shakily.
Thalia, who had been too distracted by the earlier events, snapped to attention. Without a second thought, she handed him the water bottle, concern etched on her face.
‘Gulp’
‘Gulp’
Aether drank the water greedily, casting fleeting glances at both Thalia and Raven through the corner of his eye…. He noticed their worried expressions and smirked inwardly. He’d played his part well, and they were buying into it.
Thud!
He set the bottle down on the table, “I-I’m sorry, guys. I-I don’t know what’s happening, but ever since I started hanging out with you, s-something i-inside me has been… burning up. It’s like—like something-Something… is trying to—”
“Calm down, man,” Thalia cut him off, giving his shoulder a comforting pat. She looked awkward, but her concern was genuine, “You need to calm down first.” She shot a quick glance at Raven, who hadn’t said a word, her eyes still locked on Aether.
Raven’s mind raced, ‘Could his bloodline be awakening because he’s been spending time with…. me?’ She furrowed her brow, troubled by the thought. The flames were undeniably like hers, but that alone wasn’t proof that he had the Phoenix bloodline.
She needed more evidence.
Her decision made, she reached out and took Aether’s hand, surprising him.
Aether blinked, his surprise evident. Then, he offered a strained smile, “Don’t worry, I’m fine.” He winked at her, even as he maintained his fatigue.
Thalia raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a grin, ‘Look at him…’ She glanced at Raven with a teasing smirk.
“Getting worried over your new potential… mat—ouch!” she yelped as something hard hit her leg.
Raven shot Thalia a warning look, her face expressionless, but the message was clear.
Thalia kept her smug grin but wisely stayed quiet.
Raven turned her attention back to Aether. “Let me check you,” she said suddenly.
“Huh?”
“I might know what’s happening to you,” Raven clarified, her tone serious as she placed both palms on his chest.
Aether’s brow furrowed in slight confusion. “I see…” He nodded but then, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, he interlaced his fingers with hers. “Please, check now,” he added with a smug grin.
Thalia’s lips trembled, barely holding back laughter. ‘This guy! He’s really going after her, isn’t he?!’
[+100 AP]
Raven, on the other hand, was less amused. She sighed internally, thinking, ‘Why is he getting so clingy with me? It’s starting to get annoying…’ But she closed her eyes, allowing a faint pulse of energy to flow from her hands and into Aether’s body, searching for any abnormalities.
Almost immediately, Aether felt his body heating up, ‘Is she going to burn me alive?!’ His heart raced with slight panic, ‘Maybe I should leave now…’ He thought, just as he started to pull away from her touch.
Then, suddenly—
!~Ding~!
[Soul Searcher Blocked]
Aether froze.
Raven inhaled sharply, opening her eyes, her expression now cold and unyielding. She exhaled deeply, her gaze piercing through Aether’s.
“You’re not human,” she declared, her voice devoid of emotion. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at him, her tone sharp as she demanded, “What are you?”