“Arrhh!” Victor groaned loudly, his voice filled with frustration and pain as he stretched his sore body.
The aftermath of his encounter with the Principal had clearly left its mark. “Ouch… My ribs! I’m sure they’re broken!”
“You should be thankful it’s only your ribs that are broken, brat!” the Principal retorted, clapping her hands together as if to brush off any lingering dust. She sat back down, her posture regal and commanding as she looked at Victor.
Victor winced as he tried to sit upright, muttering under his breath, “Thankful, huh? Easy for you to say…”
The Principal leaned back on her sofa and let out a long sigh, “Well then, care to explain why you decided to take down Arkanis and claim the throne for your….self… ” Her tone was casual yet, her words trailing off as she noticed Victor approaching her…. His tall, imposing figure seemed even more striking than before as he reached up and removed the disguise mask with a deliberate motion.
Aether ruffled his hair as he collapsed onto the sofa with a groan. He glanced toward the Principal, expecting a snide remark, but instead found her uncharacteristically silent. His lips curled into a sly grin when he caught her staring at him, her expression unreadable. “What’s the matter, Principal?” he teased, his voice laced with amusement. “Like what you see?”
[+5000 AP]
The Principal snapped out of her trance, her face contorting into a scowl as she snorted dismissively, “Hah! Don’t flatter yourself. I was just wondering what the hell happened to your body to make you even more insufferable than before!”
Aether chuckled, leaning back and crossing his arms. “Oh, come on now. Don’t be shy. If you’re impressed, just say it.”
Veins visibly throbbed on her forehead as she shot him a glare, “Enough with your nonsense, idiot! A-anyway… explain everything. Start from the beginning.”
Aether took a moment to gather his thoughts. The Principal already knew much about him, so there was no point in hiding the truth. With a deep breath, he began recounting his journey—how he had overthrown Arkanis, the dark secrets he had uncovered, the Heart of Blood he had taken, and finally about the Empire.
There was one thing he intentionally left out…. Thalia!
“Hmm…” The Principal nodded slowly, her sharp mind processing every detail. “So that bastard was experimenting on innocents… Hah, serves him right to meet such a fate.” Her tone softened briefly before she straightened up, her gaze turning serious. “Thrusters, huh? Not a bad plan. But Aether, you know as well as I do that ‘The Beginning’ is inevitable. No matter what we do, the gods are the ultimate authority. Their will is absolute.”
Aether knew this very well… Yet… “Even so,” he said firmly, his voice unwavering, “I will try. Again and again, no matter how many times I fall…”
The Principal stared at him, her expression unreadable. Finally, she let out a sigh. “You know, you really are a reckless fool, aren’t you?” Despite her words, a faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
[+6000 AP]
Aether smirked to himself. ‘What do we have here? A tsundere ~’ he thought, suppressing a chuckle. Out loud, he asked, “By the way, do you know anything about the Ebon Pillar of Eternal Rite?”
“Hmm? What’s that?”
“It’s the name of the stone slab,”
The Principal’s eyes narrowed, “How do you know that? Don’t tell me you’ve started deciphering those letters”
Aether hesitated, “I stumbled upon the name in an old book hidden in the castle library,” he said, keeping his tone light.
The Principal nodded thoughtfully. “Hmm, and did you find anything else about it?”
He shook his head. “Nothing significant. Just the name, that’s all.”
The Principal sighed deeply. “Well, that makes sense. Even Alaric couldn’t decipher those words. They’re from beyond ancient times.”
“Beyond ancient times?” Aether echoed, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes. I believe those symbols date back to the era of the gods themselves,” she said seriously.
Aether blinked in surprise. ‘Log? Is that true?’ he asked silently.
For a moment, there was only silence.
‘Tsk, come on, Log! I’m just asking if those symbols are older than ancient times,’ Aether prodded impatiently.
!~Ding~!
[Yes]
“I see…” Aether murmured aloud. If those words were from the time of the gods, then that white-haired man… ‘Could he be connected to the gods somehow?’ he wondered, the pieces of the puzzle slowly falling into place.
The Principal stared at him with a blank expression, yet inwardly, her heart was pounding like a war drum. ‘What the hell is wrong with me?!’ she screamed in her mind, the relentless thundering of her heart threatening to drown her senses.
The longer she stared at his undeniably handsome, rugged face, the more her chest tightened with an ache she couldn’t explain.
She knew she had fallen for this insufferable bastard, but wasn’t this reaction a bit… excessive?
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Just one look at his manly, almost magnetic face, and her entire body felt like it was rebelling against her better judgment.
Yes, he was good-looking, but it wasn’t just his appearance. There was something deeper about him, something that made her very core tremble—a strange, inexplicable familiarity, as though she’d found someone she had been searching for across endless time.
Aether, lost in his own thoughts, suddenly noticed her gaze fixed on him. Her eyes were blank, indifferent, yet intense.
He smirked and stood, moving towards her with an unhurried elegance that made her flinch. The Principal’s heart raced wildly, but she steeled herself, forcing her breathing to calm.
Aether knelt before her, his gaze soft as he studied her face. Then, with a warm tone, he purred, “You look like something’s bothering you, Master~” His words were smooth, laced with a tenderness that made her body betray her again, trembling slightly before she managed to compose herself.
“B-bothering me? W-what are you talking about?!” she stammered, her voice faltering. But her words trailed off when Aether, without hesitation, took her hand in his and placed it gently on his chest.
“Whatever it is,” he said softly, his face suddenly filled with concern, “you can tell me. I’ll take care of it for you.”
‘YOU ARE THE PROBLEM!’ she wanted to scream, but the words stuck in her throat. Instead, she pulled her hand back quickly and straightened her posture, her voice firm as she replied, “As the Principal, I have plenty to worry about, but there is no need for my disciple to concern himself with such things.”
Her tone was resolute, but her heart betrayed her with its erratic rhythm.
Aether nodded gently, though his piercing gaze lingered, studying her deeply. There was something in her eyes—something flickering, elusive. He wasn’t sure what it was, but it intrigued him.
The Principal shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, wondering why he was staring so intently. She remained silent, unwilling to show her discomfort.
Finally, Aether smiled and murmured, “I’ve never looked at your eyes so closely before, but… they’re beautiful. Such a striking shade of pink. Just like your name… Isadora Pinkheart.”
Her eyes widened in shock, ‘He can see through my disguise!’ she screamed internally, her mind reeling. Before she could react, Aether leaned in and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head on her lap.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice low and almost vulnerable. “But I needed a little hug from my favourite… Master~”
The Principal, her body tensing as her instincts screamed at her to kick him off. Yet his words gave her pause. She sighed heavily, knowing the weight of his burdens all too well. Managing an empire couldn’t be easy.
Hesitating for just a moment, her hand moved tentatively before resting on his head, gently ruffling his hair.
Aether smirked inwardly, snuggling closer as if to savour the rare gesture. “You smell nice,” he murmured, his tone playful yet sincere.
[+6000 AP]
[+6000 AP]
Momentarily surprised, before a small, genuine smile tugged at her lips. “Yeah…” she started, but then her expression shifted, her eyes widening in sudden realization.
THUD!
Aether felt a powerful gust of air whip past him.
His eyes darted upward to see Isadora’s hand pressing firmly against her own face—so forcefully that her nose began to bleed.
“What the hell?!” Aether exclaimed, rushing to her side. He knelt before her, grabbing her hands in worry. “What are you doing, Dora?!” His voice was laced with genuine concern as he tried to wipe the blood from her nose.
The Principal… or rather, Isadora stared at his worried face, her mind swirling. She scrambled for an explanation, blurting out, “I… It was just a bug.”
“A bug?” Aether’s expression twisted with disbelief. “You punched yourself in the face over a bug?!”
She avoided his gaze, her face growing hot. “It was… a big bug,” she muttered, her tone weak but defensive.
Shaking his head, Aether sighed in exasperation. “You’re unbelievable, Dora. Hurting yourself like that—what were you thinking?” He continued tending to her, his tone now softer, almost scolding.
Dora blinked again, her heart aching at the sight of his worry and….. She definitely hated this feeling!
[+7000 AP]
“I need to leave now!” she blurted out, vanishing from the room in an instant.
Aether stumbled backward onto the sofa, blinking in confusion.
Meanwhile…
Dora reappeared in her office, leaning heavily against the wall. Her cheeks were bright red, and her lips curled into a reluctant smile. “Come on, Isa! Get a grip! He’s a millennium younger than you!”
Yet no matter how much she tried, Aether’s worried expression replayed in her mind over and over.
“Fuck!” she groaned, punching herself in the face again.
It seemed the storm raging inside her would take much longer to subside.