A few hours earlier,
“Sigh… I don’t feel like sleeping at all,” Aether muttered to himself, his gaze fixed on the dark expanse of the sky adorned with countless twinkling stars.
His mind grappled with a single question that seemed to consume his thoughts: ….Should he jump from the terrace?
It was his ultimate opportunity to break free from the shackles of his humiliating existence…. Yet, an overwhelming sense of uncertainty held him back, tethering him to his current situation.
Though he wanted to run there was this uneasy feeling…..
He would die pathetically but more importantly,
“Eternal Contract, huh…” Aether murmured, his expression contemplative.
The name of the contracted individual remained concealed, hidden from Ether or Aether’s knowledge, much like the identity of his own race.
He pondered whether Mortimer, the cunning old man who had orchestrated his current predicament, was truly the mastermind behind it all or something else…. Without a deeper understanding of this unfamiliar world, Aether found himself adrift in a sea of uncertainty…. He wasn’t sure what the hell was happening around him.
Especially this contract, which left him feeling like a mere puppet in the hands of a young boy!
It felt like something was wrong with this contract…
“What should I do…?” Aether’s fists clenched in frustration. This was his sole opportunity to break free(Not entirely since he was contracted) from the shackles of his fate.
“Come on, Log, give me something to escape this fucked-up life…” Aether grumbled in annoyance, though he knew the log was unlikely to offer any assistance, as it had always remained silent.
But this time, as if in response to his plea,
!Ding!
“H-Huh?” Aether’s surprise was palpable as his body tensed with anticipation, his senses heightened by the unexpected sound.
“Log!” Aether exclaimed in excitement, his hopes rising at the prospect of something new. But…. instead of the familiar transparent black screen, a strange phenomenon occurred.
“sshhhhh….sssshhh!!”
A murky black smoke suddenly enveloped Aether, shrouding his vision in darkness.
“W-What is happening?!” Aether’s heart pounded with horror as he struggled against the suffocating darkness.
Suddenly,
In the midst of the darkness, strange noises filled the air, incomprehensible and unsettling.
“!@#@@()(@2”
“What…?” Aether’s brow furrowed in confusion as he attempted to make sense of the strange sounds echoing around him.
“!@$%##)(##@@”
Once again, the unintelligible noises assaulted his ears, only serving to frustrate him further. “What on fuck does that mean?!” he shouted in the darkness with fear and annoyance.
Growing increasingly agitated by the disorienting darkness and the cryptic sounds, Aether felt a surge of anger building within him. He was about to unleash his frustration when suddenly,
“Hehehe….” An ethereal laugh reverberated behind him, sending shivers down his spine.
Aether’s eyes widened in shock as recognition dawned upon him…. he knew that laugh.
With trembling hands and a heart pounding in his chest, he slowly turned around, his gaze fixated on a distant…. a White flickering figure amidst the darkness.
“Hehehe…” The familiar laughter echoed once more, causing tears to well up in Aether’s eyes as he whispered in disbelief,
“I-Is that you?”
“Hehehe… Come here, Aether. I found a way!” The voice, unmistakably someone that Aether knew, beckoned to him.
Hearing the voice, Aether’s breath caught in his throat, his heart racing with anticipation.
‘Ba-dump, Ba-dump…’
‘Step, Step….’
With each step, Aether’s heart thudded louder in his chest, the sound reverberating in his ears as if urging him forward.
‘Step, Step, Step…’
His eyes remained locked on the flickering figure, tears streaming down his cheeks unchecked as he pressed on.
He walked…. walked and walked, each step a laborious effort as he pushed through the darkness, his legs trembling with each stride, the agony in his muscles reaching its limit.
“Hehehe… Come faster, Aether…. Hehehe,” the voice taunted, its echoes serving as both a beacon of hope and a tormenting reminder of his distance from his goal.
“Y-Yeah… ” Aether’s voice quivered with fatigue as he summoned every ounce of strength, taking a deep breath before breaking into a desperate run towards the elusive figure.
Yet, no matter how fast he ran, the figure remained just beyond his grasp, its ethereal form flickering tantalizingly in the distance, always just out of reach. Sweat poured down his brow, his sacked dress clinging to his skin as his body strained against the relentless pursuit.
“H-How-ha-ha- How long it -ha- is…..?” Aether gasped for breath, his chest heaving with exertion as he bent forward, leaning on his knees to catch his breath, each inhalation a struggle against the suffocating weight of fatigue.
“Sigh, You are not coming?…. It’s sad, but I am leaving again,” the white, ethereal figure muttered softly, its voice tinged with sorrow, as it began to move away, the light surrounding it shrinking with each step.
“W-Wait!! D-on’t leave me!!!” Aether’s desperate plea echoed through the darkness as he summoned every ounce of strength left in his weakened body.
‘Step, Step…’
This time, fueled by sheer determination and fear of losing again, Aether ran with all his might, each step propelling him forward as if his life depended on it. To his astonishment, the shrinking white figure suddenly began to enlarge, as if Aether’s efforts were closing the distance between them.
With a smile of hope spreading across his face, Aether pushed himself even harder, his legs pumping faster as he closed in on the figure.
Unlike before, this time Aether almost reached the white figure. It was then that the figure came to a sudden halt, but Aether paid no heed, his singular focus fixed on reaching that figure. Ignoring the figure’s pause, he continued to sprint forward, his determination unwavering,
“P-Pe….” Aether muttered, his voice trembling with a mix of joy and desperation as he reached out towards the fading figure, his fingers mere inches away from touching her ethereal form, when suddenly,
“Sssshhhhh!!!”
The black mist dissipated in an instant, swallowing the white figure along with it, and leaving Aether stunned and disoriented in the darkness.
Before he could even process what had happened, reality crashed down upon him with a painful force.
“OUCH!!”
‘Thud’
With a resounding thud, Aether collided with something solid, his nose bearing the brunt of the impact.
“SHIT!!” he exclaimed in agony, his hands instinctively flying to his throbbing nose, feeling the shockwaves reverberate through his skull and brain….
As the initial wave of pain began to subside, Aether’s senses slowly returned, his vision clearing to reveal his surroundings.
‘Drip, Drip’
With teary eyes, Aether surveyed his surroundings, only to find himself face to face with a towering tree, its branches looming ominously overhead.
“T-Tree?” Aether’s brow furrowed in confusion and discomfort as he turned around, discovering yet another tree standing just behind him.
Another Tree!!
His heart sank as the realization washed over him…. he was surrounded by an endless expanse of trees, stretching out in all directions as far as the eye could see. A sense of dread gnawed over his body.
“Hehe…” A small, bitter laugh escaped Aether’s lips involuntarily as the realisation dawned on him.
He had been thoroughly fucking fooled by his System, or whatever entity was behind this!!!
‘Drip, Drip’
Blood continued to trickle from his nose, staining his sack dress as Aether’s eyes burned with rage.
“YOU FUCKING LOG!!! HEHE… I TOLD YOU TO LET ME ESCAPE NOT PUT ME THROUGH ANOTHER FUCKED UP SITUATION!! HEHE.. AND HOW DARE YOU USE ‘HER’!!!!!” His furious shout echoed through the forest, a testament to his frustration and anger.
‘Rustle, Rustle’
The sound of movement nearby caught Aether’s attention, causing him to pause in his tirade.
A sense of unease crept over him, his instincts warning him of…. impending danger.
!~Ding~!
Aether didn’t need to see what had triggered the notification; he already knew…. Someone or something…had stumbled upon a tantalizing meal, and that meal was none other than….
Yours Truly!!!