Thalia Crimsonclaw…
There was something distinctly unusual about her.
She was fierce, unyielding, and had this intense way of facing down anything in her path. No hint of fear ever surfaced in her eyes, not even when she stood against the Sovereign herself.
In fact, Thalia had dared to declare that one day, she would claim the Sovereign’s throne.
It took a lot of balls to say that… especially she was a girl….
Anyhow,
Aether’s curiosity about Thalia had only grown. Maybe he liked that fierce, unbreakable personality, or maybe it was something else.
But there was something even stranger—whenever he interacted with Raven, Thalia’s reactions mirrored Raven’s in an odd, almost synchronized way, as if they were experiencing the same emotions….
And then there was Raven herself, who never really connected with anyone, yet somehow interacted so naturally with Thalia. Even if they shared a similar goal, that alone didn’t explain their closeness… or the uncanny similarity in their responses to certain things.
It was all too much for Aether to ignore, so he asked Celestia to dig into the Crimsonclaw family.
And what did she uncover?
The Crimsonclaw Household had been destroyed a thousand years ago. No records of female heirs, no direct descendants… just a family of ambitious old warriors who once tried to overthrow the throne before they were obliterated in a swift act of retribution.
So, if that were true, then… who was Thalia Crimsonclaw?
By all records, she was born recently—barely twenty five years old.
Something did’t sit well, right?
Aether looked at Thalia and said, “According to the Pure Phoenix bloodline abilities, those of your lineage reborn exactly one thousand years after their death… And as it happens, Pyra Noirix died exactly a thousand years ago.”
Thalia stared back at him, her face impassive as she replied, “I don’t know what kind of nonsense you’re spouting, Aether.”
Aether smiled slightly, “Nonsense, huh? Well, maybe. But you’ve been manipulating Raven like a pawn, so if I’m wrong, why does it hit so close to the truth?” He shrugged, his eyes never leaving hers.
Thalia’s body trembled as her crimson eyes flared. She stepped closer, her voice low and threatening. “I have not manipulated her.”
Aether didn’t flinch, “Then explain it to me. Tell me what you’ve been doing—why you’ve hidden your true identity, why you’ve stood by watching your own sister suffer. What’s stopping you from being honest with her?”
Thalia’s lips twitched, and without warning, she seized him by the neck, fury blazing in her eyes. “You don’t understand, human… You’d better shut your damn mouth.”
But Aether calmly caught her wrist and pushed her back, voice unshaken. “Then help me understand… Noirix?”
Thalia snorted, breaking free of his hold. “And what would you even do with that knowledge? A weakling like you wouldn’t know the first thing about handling the truth. Let it go, Aether. The less you know, the safer you’ll be.” She turned to leave, when—
“Then… how about a small exchange of secrets?”
Thalia clicked her tongue, annoyance plain on her face as she whipped around, ready to shut him up—until her gaze fell on the mask in his hand.
“V… Victor?” she stammered.
Aether let his fingers trace over the mask. His black hair lightened, shifting into a sparkling white. “Indeed,” he said with a smirk. “I am Aether… but I’m also the one who wiped the floor with you that day. Remember?”
For a moment, Thalia was too stunned to process what she was seeing. This man—who she’d thought of as merely a hard-working, yet weak servant, someone she’d never truly considered an opponent….. was Victor, the one who’d defeated her in battle.
She took a step closer, reaching out to touch his face, trying to see if it was some kind of disguise.
“I’m real, you know,” Aether said, amused by her disbelief. She was now so close that her face was nearly brushing his.
“It’s… really you…” Thalia murmured, her surprise giving way to grudging acknowledgment. But then her expression turned serious. “Even so, knowing your true strength doesn’t make you worthy to know everything.”
“Give me a break, would you?” Aether scoffed. “I practically killed Arkanis. Do you really think I’m not strong enough to handle the truth?”
Thalia immediately shot back, “Arkanis wasn’t even a true threat, Ae—Victor—wait, what should I call you?”
“Just call me Aether. That’s the real me.”
Thalia nodded with a smirk. “That brat Arkanis was the weakest of us in terms of power… He couldn’t even leave a scratch on me!”
Aether blinked in surprise. “Brat Arkanis? Us? Oh, so you’re admitting it, then? You’re Pyra Noirix.”
Thalia clicked her tongue, backing away as she scratched her head with a frustrated expression. “Damn it!” she muttered, clearly frustrated.
Aether crossed his arms, an amused grin spreading across his face.
Thalia narrowed her gaze at Aether, her voice dropping low and serious. “You’d better not breathe a word of this to Raven… or to my mother. Understood?”
Aether simply nodded, keeping his expression neutral.
She sighed, a mix of frustration and resignation evident. “Alright… fine. Yes, I am Pyra Noirix, reborn. Happy now?”
Aether shrugged casually, but there was a spark of curiosity in his eyes.
“What?” Thalia snapped. “Is that not enough for you?”
“No,” Aether said, leaning in slightly. “All I really wanted to know is why you tried to manipulate your own sister.”
Thalia exhaled heavily, then perched herself on the edge of a table nearby, her posture shifting into something more open yet burdened. “As I said, I wasn’t manipulating her. I was… protecting her.”
“Protecting her?” Aether’s tone turned serious.
Thalia nodded, looking away briefly before meeting his eyes with an intense gaze. “Yes, protecting her. It’s the only way to keep her safe, to prevent her… from being sacrificed in the first place.”
Aether’s expression grew grave as he leaned closer, “Sacrificed? What exactly do you mean?”
Thalia gave him a frustrated look, clearly debating within herself. “You really want to know?”
He nodded, not breaking eye contact.
Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire
Thalia sighed deeply, a hint of vulnerability showing for the first time. “Fine. But tell me, Aether… what are you going to do with this knowledge?”
He smiled, a calm yet confident expression softening his face. “Because I believe I can change things. I can save her… and maybe even you.” His gaze held hers, unflinching.
[+400 AP]
Thalia scoffed with annoyed face, “Those are some big words… coming from a—” She paused, catching herself, then muttered, “Oh, right… you’re not the weakling I thought.” With a sigh, she finally began. “There’s an ancient stone slab, hidden deep beneath the summit, far below the valley… Very deep and guarded by a creature… It’s called the
Ebon Pillar of Eternal Rite
.”
“The
Ebon Pillar of Eternal Rite
?” Aether repeated, a faint frown creasing his forehead. “And what does it do?”
Thalia’s expression hardened. “It’s connected to the Origin Pillars. To activate it, a sacrifice is required… A Phoneix!”
Aether took a moment to process,”Why does it have to be activated in the first place?”
Her shoulders slumped, and she hesitated before responding, her voice strained. “Because… that’s the only way to save my sister.”
“Come again?” Aether blinked, feeling a rising sense of confusion.
“That’s what the Mother Goddess told me.” Thalia’s voice held both bitterness and resignation.
Aether’s eyes widened, “That… bitch?” He was too shocked to hold back his reaction.
Thalia shot him a stunned look, genuinely taken aback by his words.