‘I can’t see…’ he thought, frustrated, not by the dark but by the strange haze that clouded his vision of her…. He tilted his head up slightly, realizing how much taller she was than him.
Aether slightly looked up since whoever it was, they were really taller than him.
“Hey, pretty boy~” Her voice slithered through the night, both seductive and ethereal, “What are you doing here?”
!~Ding~!
[Manipulation Blocked]
Aether’s body stiffened as his frown deepened. Something about her words—no, her very presence—was trying to influence him… He clenched his fist.
“Oh, poor little thing~” she whispered, now lowering her head so close to his that he could feel the chilling breath, “Don’t do anything unnecessary, boy.”
!~Ding~!
[Manipulation Blocked]
Aether kept his gaze locked on her, ‘Why can’t I see her, Log?’ he asked silently, hoping for answers.
[Due to rare bloodline ability]
‘Bloodline?’ Aether clicked his tongue, still confused but unwilling to show any vulnerability. He straightened up, adopting a calm yet courteous demeanour, “What can I do for this wonderful lady?”
For a brief second, he caught a glimpse of two glowing, bloody eyes shining through the haze before she pulled back with a sly grin, “What a polite pretty boy~ Haha~” She chuckled, then pointed at him, “You’re the reason I’m here.”
Aether’s frown deepened, but he kept his tone gentle. “Me?”
She laughed again, this time with a sultry edge, “Hahaha… How naughty~ Not you, pretty boy” She stepped closer, her finger gently tracing the scratch marks left by Raven’s claws on his neck. “This…”
Aether glanced down, noticing the drop of blood she held up between her fingers.
“My blood?”
“Yes, pretty boy~” she purred, “The smell of thick, hot, vibrant blood spread for miles.” She inhaled sharply, her face contorting with barely contained hunger, “Do you know how hard it was for me to resist this?” She licked the drop of blood from her finger, her entire body shuddering as her red eyes glowed even brighter, “Interesting…”
Aether’s mind raced as a sinking feeling settled in his gut… No affection points had popped up, and the situation felt entirely wrong, ‘Everything’s changed,’ he realized…. His thoughts briefly wandered to the idea of the butterfly effect—one small change setting off a chain reaction.
He forced a polite smile, “I need to leave. My family will be looking for me.” He turned to walk away, but before he could take a step, the woman appeared in front of him, her movements impossibly fast.
“Running away?” Her voice dripped with annoyance.
“Of course… not,”
Her smile faltered, her tone now sharp and irritated, “Boy, are you playing with words?” Stay connected with empire
!~Ding~!
[Manipulation Blocked]
Aether’s annoyance slipped through his calm facade, “Miss, I really need to go,” he said firmly.
She smiled again, but this time it felt darker, “Need to go? And what about me?” Her hand landed heavily on his shoulder, making him flinch slightly, “Don’t you have something I want?”
Aether glanced at her hand, still unable to see her clearly but sensing the weight of her presence and her outline, “I don’t think I have anything you need.”
“Oh~ but you do.” Her grin widened, her fingers brushing over the scratches on his neck. “Didn’t you hear me earlier?”
!~Ding~!
[Manipulation Blocked]
Aether recoiled slightly as she touched the blood on his neck, “My blood?” he repeated, more as a statement than a question.
“Ding! Ding! Right answer!” she giggled, pleased with herself. “I’d like to have a little sip of yours.” Her voice was thick with anticipation.
!~Ding~!
[Manipulation Blocked]
Aether stared at her, his irritation now evident. “Well, you cannot!” He brushed past her, fully expecting her to block him again.
But to his surprise, she didn’t stop him this time. He walked away, glancing over his shoulder, half-expecting her to reappear in front of him.
!~Ding~!
[Soul Tracker Removed]
Yet, the woman remained still, her eyes glowing ominously as she watched him go.
The woman, stood still for a moment, savouring the lingering taste of Aether’s blood on her tongue, “Crimson Elixir of the Null…” she whispered to herself, her eyes gleaming with intrigue. The thick scent of his blood had called her out of the shadows, and though she let him go, something about him had piqued her interest.
Just then, she heard hurried footsteps approaching.
“Empress!!”
The woman turned, her expression softening into a bemused smile as Nyx Shadowfall sprinted toward her, breathless.
“Easy there, girl~” the Empress purred.
Nyx bent over, panting, before lifting her gaze, full of concern. “W-Why did you disappear before registering in the Teleportation?” she asked, exasperation clear in her tone.
“Why?” The Empress smiled playfully. “Because I smelled something nice.”
Nyx sighed deeply. “Empress, please. We’re in a foreign territory. You can’t just go hunting or killing just because you found some prey.”
The Empress chuckled, her eyes dancing with amusement as she observed Nyx scanning the surroundings for any trace of a bloodbath. When she found none, Nyx looked relieved, though there was a tinge of disappointment in her expression.
“Look who’s talking,” the Empress teased.
Nyx’s face flushed a deep red. “W-Well… I was just curious if there were any more souls I could add to my collection.”
The Empress shook her head with a smirk. “You and your souls.” Without another word, she disappeared along with Nyx.
Meanwhile, Aether had returned to the training hall at the Principal’s house, still slightly shaken from his encounter.
His current project was underway… two clones of himself busy working—when Celestia approached him with a serious expression.
“The Princess asked me to fetch you immediately,” she said, her voice calm but with an urgency that made Aether pause.
She handed a piece of metal to one of Aether’s clones to continue hammering as Snowflake assisted another clone.
“Why? Is she alright?” Aether’s face shifted into concern, his brows knitting together.
“I don’t know,” Celestia responded, shaking her head. “She said she has a surprise gift for you and wants you to wear this.” She handed him an elaborate set of purple clothes. “And she asked you to wait at the gate.”
Aether’s frown deepened. “At this time of night?”
“Yes,” Celestia confirmed with a nod.
…
…
Later that night, after dressing in the fancy purple attire, Aether stood outside the gate, waiting under the lonely streetlights.
The night was eerily quiet, with only a few people passing by.
“Did she mean tomorrow?” Aether wondered, but before he could dwell on it further, a carriage suddenly pulled up in front of him.
“Aether!” A familiar voice called out from inside.
“Aqu—!” Before Aether could finish, he was yanked into the carriage. Inside, he found himself face-to-face with a gorgeous woman who smiled at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“It’s time for a surprise date, my love~” she cooed.
Aether blinked in…. genuine surprise!