“Aether, Aether, Aether!” Helena screamed, her voice cracking as she relentlessly banged on the Front wall that had swallowed Aether. Tears streamed down her face, her chest heaving with fear and desperation.
“Helena, please… calm down first,” Ashara said with concern as she tried to steady Helena.
She pressed her hands against the cold surface of the wall, pushing with all her might, but nothing happened. It was just a wall—silent and unyielding.
Helena’s mind felt like it was shattering. She had already lost her mother, and now her only beloved was gone, taken by something beyond her comprehension. Her vision blurred with tears as she clawed at the wall.
“W-Why is this happening to me?!” Helena screamed, gripping her hair with trembling hands, as though she might rip it out in sheer frustration.
Her telepathic link to Aether was severed, an unnatural void blocking her connection, which only heightened her panic!
“H-Helena?” Ashara stepped closer, her voice trembling. She froze when she saw Helena’s face. It wasn’t the lively, cheerful girl she knew. This Helena looked wild, unhinged, her expression dark and terrifying.
Helena began biting her nails, her breaths quick and shallow as her words poured out in a manic ramble.
“It’s my fault… It’s all my fault. I dragged him into this mess—argh! I’m so useless! I can’t protect anyone I love… I always let them suffer because of me! I should have stopped him! I shouldn’t have let him get involved! I should have—” Her voice broke off as her body suddenly began to glow, golden light spilling out of her.
Her shimmering hair lit up the dark alley, turning it into an eerie, otherworldly scene.
Ashara stumbled backward, shielding her face from the searing light. “H-Helena! What are you doing?!” she shouted, her voice tinged with panic as the heat began to sting her skin.
Helena let out a choked, bitter laugh. “Haha… It’s me! I’m the problem! I’m useless, worthless! I couldn’t even protect Aqualina when my beloved asked me to—Haha! I’m just utterly usel—OUCH!” Before she could finish, something struck her, hard.
She tumbled to the ground, clutching her head. Her dazed eyes darted toward Ashara, who was now looming over her. “W-Why did you hit me…?” she stammered, but her words trailed off as her vision cleared.
“Aren’t you… big?” Helena blinked, trying to process what she was seeing.
“What a pain in the ass,” a seductive voice muttered. Nightfire stood there, her hands on her hips and her expression a mix of annoyance and amusement. She flipped her fiery grey hair over her shoulder, glaring at Helena. “Are you seriously going to sit here, cry like a baby, and do absolutely nothing?”
Helena flinched, her cheeks burning with shame as she lowered her head, her glow dimming.
Nightfire let out an exaggerated sigh and walked up to the wall, running her fingers over its smooth, impenetrable surface. “He said something about hearing the ‘dance of flames,’ didn’t he?”
Helena sniffled, nodding as she slowly got to her feet. “Y-Yes… That’s what he said.”
Nightfire pressed her ear against the wall, her expression tightening in concentration. Despite her efforts, there was nothing—only silence.
Meanwhile, Helena wiped her tears and cautiously asked, “Are you… Ashara? You look… different. Bigger, even,” she said, studying the figure before her. There was something off—Ashara seemed taller, more commanding.
Her curves were more big… and busty.
Nightfire turned to Helena with a sudden, innocent smile. “Of course I am! Why would you even ask, Helena?”
“But you look…” Helena’s eyes wandered, her face flushing as she glanced at Nightfire’s chest and ass, “You look bigger.”
Nightfire’s cheeks turned pink, and she crossed her arms awkwardly. “I-It’s because… well, at night, my body changes. You know… succubus stuff and all.” Her face turned gloomy, and she lowered her gaze. “And… I’m sorry for hurting you earlier. Please forgive me.” Her voice softened, and her expression became one of guilt.
Helena blinked, realizing Ashara all this along…. She scratched her head awkwardly. “It’s fine… I overreacted. Don’t worry about it. You helped me realize I need to stay focused,” she said, turning back to the wall. She placed her hands on its surface, closing her eyes as if willing herself to hear something.
‘Hang in there, Aether. I’ll protect you… Please, just stay safe,’ she thought, biting her lip.
Nightfire, standing behind her, sighed, ‘Yuck! Acting all innocent and naïve… How the hell does Ashara even manage to pull this off? It’s disgusting.’
‘I’m not acting!’
Ashara’s voice rang out in Nightfire’s mind, sharp and indignant.
‘And you’d better not hurt my friend again!’
‘Yeah, yeah…’ Nightfire replied halfheartedly, her gaze shifting back to Helena. Something about this woman unsettled her. ‘Who is she? That power—’ Her thoughts were interrupted by a faint noise from the wall.
“Aether?” Nightfire’s ears perked up, her frown deepening.
Helena immediately whirled around. “You heard him? What did he say?”
Nightfire hesitated but nodded. “He’s calling us.”
“Let me hear it!” Helena exclaimed, pressing her ear to the wall. But before she could focus,
Chucckkk!
“KYAAAA!” Helena shrieked as a hand suddenly shot out of the wall.
Nightfire’s expression was blank as she sniffed at the hand. “It’s Aether.”
Helena gasped, her heart nearly stopping before she exhaled in relief. But as she looked closer, she noticed the hand making a strange gesture. “He’s… signaling us to come”
“Are you sure?” Nightfire squinted, mimicking the motion with her own hand. “Looks more like he’s asking us to pull him out.”
Helena smiled faintly. “I know Aether,” she said softly, grabbing his hand. She felt a firm tug. “See? He’s pulling me in.” Slowly, she pulled back, and the wall began to melt, its edges rippling like liquid.
As Helena’s body began to swallow, Nightfire stepped back. “Well, good luck. See you later, then,” she said, waving lazily.
“Later? You’re coming with us!” Helena grabbed Nightfire’s waving hand before she could escape.
“Wait, no—” Nightfire’s protest was cut off as the wall swallowed both of them whole, leaving nothing behind but a dirty, unremarkable surface. A gentle breeze stirred the silence, as though the wall had never been anything more than ordinary.
Meanwhile… somewhere else, an unknown place…
Thud!
Helena and Nightfire crashed down—right on top of Aether’s face. To his dismay, he was immediately sandwiched between four… mountains.
It was a classic
lucky pervert moment~
Even though he had many lovers, he knew he couldn’t have any sandwiches like these… as they might kill each other at any moment… He didn’t want his peaceful and pleasurable night turn into a nightmare of blood!
“Heheh—cough! Get off me, will you?” Aether managed to say, his voice muffled as he struggled beneath the weight of the two women.
Realizing their position, Helena and Nightfire quickly stood up, brushing themselves off.
Helena’s face turned crimson, biting her lip to suppress the tears that threatened to spill. She looked like a child trying to hold back sobs, her adorably flushed cheeks making her appear even more vulnerable.
“I’m sorry…” she mumbled, her voice trembling as she lowered her head.
Aether frowned at her apology, then abruptly pulled her into a warm embrace. “It’s fine, Helena. I’m fine—look at me,” he murmured gently, tilting her face upward so their eyes met. “There’s no need to cry. Oh, would you look at that? Your nose is running. How cute,” he teased, leaning down to kiss her forehead.
Helena quickly rubbed her nose with the back of her hand, puffing her cheeks indignantly. “I-I’m not crying!” she protested, her voice shaky yet defiant.
Aether chuckled softly. “Haha… Of course, you’re not. My Helena never cries, right?” He kissed her eyelids tenderly, his voice low and soothing.
“Hehehe…” Helena giggled, her warm smile breaking through her earlier sadness. But as her hands gripped his shirt tightly, her voice wavered again. “But still… I was so scared. I thought I’d lost you forever.” Her shoulders trembled as she clung to him.
Aether’s hand gently ruffled her hair before moving to pat her back reassuringly. “Even if I fell into the depths of hell, I would crawl back just to see you smile, Helena. You don’t need to worry. I’m stronger than you think.”
“Aether~”
“Helena~”
Their lips inched closer, the air between them charged with emotion. But just as they were about to kiss—
“Please refrain from flirting in front of the single people here,” Nightfire interjected dryly, her face mere inches from theirs, her eyes locked on their nearly touching lips.
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Helena yelped, immediately stepping back, her face turning scarlet as she whistled awkwardly.
Aether laughed, shaking his head. Turning to Nightfire, he asked, “Are you okay?”
Nightfire shrugged nonchalantly. “Fortunately, my body’s fine even though I am close to you… But where
are
we?” Her crimson eyes scanned their surroundings—a desolate grassy plain that stretched endlessly. The night sky was dark yet breathtaking, illuminated by countless stars that bathed the landscape in a soft, ethereal glow.
Her gaze settled on an eerie stone statue in the distance. It depicted a monstrous creature with its mouth wide open, as though ready to devour anything. The sight sent a shiver down her spine. “What’s that?” she asked warily.
“That’s the way you two came in,” Aether replied, his tone calm but grim. “And… it’s also the only way out.”
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
Helena and Nightfire exclaimed in unison, their eyes wide in disbelief.
Aether walked over to the statue and reached into its gaping mouth. As soon as his hand entered, the jaws began to close, slowly but inevitably, like a timer winding down.
He withdrew his hand just in time and turned back to them with a defeated expression. “I was kind of hoping you’d pull me out before it came to this, but…” He sighed heavily.
Both Helena and Nightfire stood frozen, their faces pale. Then Nightfire turned to Helena, her expression dark. Helena immediately looked away, whistling nervously. “H-Haha… Well, you know, things happened—”
‘This bitch.’
Nightfire rolled up her sleeves, ready to pummel Helena into the dirt. But just as she raised her fist, Aether stepped in, holding her back.
“Enough,” he said firmly. His eyes softened as he looked at Helena.
He knew why she’d come…. She was searching for her mother.
Aether wasn’t stupid. He understood her motives—perhaps better than she did.
Even though Helena could be reckless, she wasn’t someone who acted without reason. She had known the risks and still made her choice.
“Whatever. Let’s move,” Aether said with a shrug, deciding to focus on the present, ‘I could not even use Teleportation…’ he thought.
His Teleporting skill would not work on the place that was restricted or some higher level of blocking spells however…. here he could no even activate his skill to move around here.
But just as they were about to leave, Nightfire crossed her arms defiantly. “Hell no. I’m not getting involved in whatever shit this is. Nope. I’m out!” Her tone was resolute. Her instincts screamed danger, and she wasn’t about to stick around to find out why.
“But they’re my friends!”
Ashara’s voice cried out in Nightfire’s mind, a mixture of pleading and frustration.
‘I’ll get you 100 new friends, ones that are way less of a pain in the ass!’ Nightfire shot back inwardly.
Grumbling, she stepped up to the statue and reached into its mouth to escape.
Chucckk!
Nightfire’s eyes widened in horror as the jaws clamped down, severing her hand in an instant. Unlike Aether’s earlier attempt, there was no slow-motion grace—just a brutal, unforgiving bite!
“Ahhh!” Nightfire screamed, clutching her bleeding arm. Helena immediately rushed to her side, her magic to heal the wound. “Stay calm! I’ll fix this!” she said, her voice trembling.
Nightfire winced, gritting her teeth. Her glare shifted to Aether, who, annoyingly, looked far too composed. “Looks like we’re stuck together now,” he said with a small, almost smug smile.
Nightfire’s face darkened. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you? You sadistic bastard!”