Raven Noir, intent on discovering what kind of bloodline Aether possessed, focused her power and stimulated his blood, expecting to see some sort of reaction… Yet, much to her surprise, there was none.
Not even the faintest hint of movement that even normal blood had!!
Raven frowned deeply, her mind struggling to grasp why nothing was happening.
No matter the bloodline—whether present or not—the blood should have reacted in some way to her stimulation. Yet… the energy she had used to provoke it simply vanished, dissipating into nothing.
‘This makes no sense…’ she thought, irritation bubbling within her.
She initially suspected it might be her half-assed Error.
Perhaps she had overlooked something or misjudged the situation.
Determined to get to the root of it, she shifted her focus to his soul. When a bloodline awakens, the soul undergoes a series of profound mutations to adapt the body to its new power. And yet, as she probed deeper… something stopped her!
‘What the…?’ She tried again, but the result was exactly the same. She was blocked, as if by an invisible wall.
Frustration gnawed at her as she repeated the process several times. Each time she attempted to bypass whatever was obstructing her, she hit the same impenetrable barrier.
“So… you’re telling me… I’m not human?” Aether asked, his voice tinged with disbelief as if he didn’t believe what he just heard now!
“Yes,” Raven replied with a firm nod, her expression serious, “Based on my search… You are indeed not human.”
Aether’s brows furrowed, his face thoughtful as he mulled over her words, “Then… who am I? What am I?” he asked, his voice quieter now.
“That’s exactly what I’m trying to figure out,” Raven muttered, her curiosity piqued, “Are you… a dragon?” She leaned in closer, scrutinizing him intently.
His eyes were a clear, striking blue… there was no sign of the vertical slits typical of dragons. She gently knocked on his forehead, searching for any hint of the hardened surface where horns might later emerge, ‘Maybe his bloodline hasn’t fully awakened yet,’ she mused, her face lost in thought.
Something about Aether felt… off. There was more to him than met the eye.
Suddenly, Aether grabbed her hand, startling her. His grip was firm but desperate, and his eyes were filled with worry, “P-Please, Raven… I need your help. I-I don’t want to die before I get the chance to meet my only family,” he stammered, his voice trembling with fear.
Raven’s expression turned awkward at the sincerity in his plea, “I’m not sure if I can help, Aether. You should probably consult with the Principal—”
“NO!” Aether’s shout was sharp, almost panicked. His face twisted into a look of pure desperation, “Y-You’re the only one I can trust…”
“Aether, listen…” Raven began, her tone more serious now, “The Principal might have—”
But Aether wasn’t paying attention…. His mind raced with thoughts, frustration building as he failed to see another solution, ‘Tsk, I’m running out of options here…’ he thought. With no other choice, he gathered his inner Arcane energy and directed it toward his throat.
Cough, cough.
He suddenly began to cough violently, blood spurting from his mouth, staining his clothes and the ground beneath him, “W-Water… cough, cough!! P-Please… help… me… Ra…ven…” His voice weakened with each word before he collapsed, his body going limp as he fell unconscious on Thalia’s lap.
Thalia blinked in shock for a moment before glancing at Raven, who quickly handed her a healing potion. Without hesitation, Thalia tilted Aether’s head and gently fed him the mixture, coaxing him to swallow.
Once she finished, Thalia wiped her hands and sighed, “Looks like he’s completely out cold… Unconscious.”
Raven’s gaze stayed fixed on Aether, her eyes narrowing with concern, “It’s his bloodline awakening… It’s causing him too much pain. Maybe it’s because he’s spent so much time here, away from the Pyra Empire. That could be the cause.”
‘No matter what I do, she always finds an explanation…’ Aether thought to himself as he continued to act unconsciousness, feeling a sense of relief, ‘She really is a genius…’
Thalia studied Aether’s face, her eyes full of worry, before turning to Raven,
“He trusts you, Raven. He really does. So why not help him?
Look at him… He’s the descendant of the Origin Emperor. And those flames… They clearly show he’s a Phoenix, just like you!
You might be the only two left of your kind… Can you really just let this go? What if the Principal reveals to the world that Aether has Phoenix’s blood? Do you honestly think the others will just sit by and do nothing? And with us heading to the Pyra Empire… who knows what kind of dangers we’ll face there?!” Read new chapters at empire
Raven let out a long, tired sigh, Thalia’s words weighing heavily on her, “Listen, Thalia… It’s not as simple as you think. His blood didn’t even react to my stimulation. There’s a fifty per cent chance he might not be a Phoenix… or even a Dragon.”
“Then how do you explain the flames he breathed?” Thalia shot back, her tone insistent.
Raven rubbed her temples, frustration bubbling to the surface, “That’s exactly what complicates this even more… I can’t make sense of it,” she muttered, falling into deep contemplation. Thalia, her concern growing, looked down at Aether’s peaceful face.
Thalia leaned over and gently pressed her fingers against Aether’s cheek. “Oh… his cheek is so soft,” she murmured, pushing a little harder, watching it give under her touch.
[+100 AP]
“Haha… it’s bouncy!” she giggled, continuing to play with his cheek, fascinated by how it responded to her prodding.
She was clearly enjoying herself, amused by the softness of his skin, until Raven, with an exasperated look, finally told her to stop.
Thalia smirked mischievously. “What’s the matter, Raven? Are you worried I might steal your mate?”
Raven’s lips twitched in annoyance, “Mate? What the hell are you talki—”
“Oh, come on, Raven,” Thalia interrupted, her tone playful but her words suddenly carrying weight, “I’m being serious. He’s a Phoenix, and I’m convinced of it!”
Raven frowned, remaining silent for a moment, her eyes narrowing.
Thalia pressed on, her expression turning more solemn, “It’s been exactly a thousand years since the death of your little sister, Raven… A thousand years since the death of the last Pure Phoenix bloodline!!”
‘What?’ Aether’s thoughts raced as he lay there, pretending to be unconscious. Inside, he was shocked at what he was hearing.
Thalia turned toward Raven with a serious look on her face. “You know what that means, don’t you?” she asked pointedly, gesturing towards Aether.
Raven bit her lip, her voice dropping to a whisper, “It’s Rebirth time…”
Thalia nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving Raven’s, “Exactly. The bloodline ability of the Phoenix… The Rebirth!!
And don’t forget—his body started acting strange the closer he got to you. Your half-Phoenix bloodline is triggering his pure bloodline’s awakening.”
Raven bit her lips!
Thalia’s smirk returned, her eyes gleaming with amusement, “And why do you think he’s drawn to you? Because of your half-Phoenix bloodline… Nothing more!! Do you really think it’s because you’re some stunning beauty? I am pretty sure, You are just a plain woman that ever he seen his life!!”
Raven flinched, her pride slightly bruised, “Plain?” she echoed incredulously.
Thalia chuckled, clearly enjoying herself. “Of course, plain! Wait a second…” Her face suddenly lit up as though she’d realized something, “Don’t tell me you actually thought he was into you because of how you look?”
Raven’s lips tightened in frustration. Before she could form a retort, Thalia’s expression shifted back to seriousness.
“Whatever the case may be, Raven, he is the pure one. We can’t allow him to get anywhere near the Dragon Emperor… This changes everything!”
Raven swallowed hard, her throat dry, as she glanced down at Aether’s unconscious form. “So… what do we do now?”
Thalia shrugged casually, as if the solution were obvious, “First thing’s first—buy him from Aqualina. He’s still technically her servant, after all.”
Raven nodded, considering it. “And after that? Should we hide him until he becomes strong enough?”
Thalia shook her head, her expression grim. “That would take too long… And you, of all people, don’t have time. Your two bloodlines are already starting to tear each other apart.”
Raven’s face grew darker, her gaze falling, “Yeah… I know. I don’t have much time left.”
‘Is she… dying? Two bloodlines? That means she has Phoenix and Lung Dragon?’ Aether thought, frowning as he continued to eavesdrop, piecing things together.
Thalia’s mood shifted, her expression softening with a hint of sadness. She ran her fingers through Aether’s hair absentmindedly before speaking again. “That’s why…” She glanced at Raven with an intense look, “You need to bear his child “
“H-Huh?” Raven’s eyes widened in shock, her sunglasses slipping down the bridge of her nose. Even Aether, who had been pretending to be unconscious, felt his heart race, his eyes snapping open in disbelief.
Thalia tilted her head, surprised. “Oh? He’s awake.” She swiftly knocked him out again with a quick tap and effortlessly slung him over her shoulder like a sack of grain. Turning to Raven, she said with a smirk, “Come on. You need to mate with him.”
As they kidnapped him.
Aether, now completely unconscious, could barely process the situation as his earlier plan unravelled. What had started as a way to gather information had gone horribly wrong…. His plan to get information fucked up in a way he was about to get fucked up!!
[Sigh… Why do his plans always both succeed and fail at the same time?]
A log notification blinked before his unconscious eyes.