!~Ding~!
[Warning: Dangerous Entity approaching… Please be extremely cautious!]
!~Ding~!
[Warning: Under no circumstances should you engage in conflict with this Entity! Failure will result in catastrophic consequences!!]
!~Ding~!
[Warning: Activating the ‘Unique Ether Bloodline’ is strictly forbidden. That means… Please, do not die!!!💀]
!~Ding~!
[Survival Rate: 71.8%↓]
!~Ding~!
[Survival Rate: 51.8%↓]
!~Ding~!
[Survival Rate: 101%↑]
!~Ding~!
[Survival Rate: -0.1%↓]
!~Ding~!
[Survival Rate: Error!!]
!~Ding~!
[Survival Rate: Cannot be Determined!!!]
!~Ding~!
[The Log will remain in slumber until you successfully escape from this Personal Realm.]
!~Ding~!
[Activating the Log carries a 0.01% chance of resulting in your death, a possibility caused directly by the Log. To mitigate that risk, the Log will remain in slumber!]
!~Ding~!
[Final Warning: RUN!!!!]
A torrent of warnings flooded Aether’s log, the rapid alerts blending into a chaotic mess that left him momentarily stunned.
Helena and Nightfire clung desperately to each of his arms, trembling uncontrollably as if their bodies could barely handle the fear suffocating the room.
“Ether~”
The Ethereal voice rang out again, low and sing-song, with a sweetness that made the hairs on the back of Aether’s neck stand on end.
Aether wasn’t scared—at least not in the way he expected to be. Maybe it was just a flicker of fear, buried beneath the sound of his name being called in that unnatural, melodic tone. But something deeper stirred within him—his blood, roaring to life, excited, almost eager for whatever was approaching.
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It was as if his body wanted to meet this threat head-on!
‘What the fuck is wrong with my body!!’ He screamed inwardly.
Still, he wasn’t a fool. The malfunction in his survival rate calculations was a grim warning that whatever was coming was far beyond ordinary danger. Worse, Helena and Nightfire were with him. He couldn’t afford to act recklessly, not when their lives depended on his decisions.
“Ether~ Come on, dear~ Come to Mommy~”
The voice grew louder, the sound of it slithering closer through the halls.
The trio’s bodies froze in unison, as though an invisible force had shackled them in place.
Whatever the shit it was… it was definitely something more dangerous than ever they had witnessed in their entire life… Even Aether felt it might be stronger than… Isadora?
Nightfire’s instincts screamed at her to run, her thoughts spiralling into sheer panic, ‘Fuck, Fuck, Fuck…… I should never have come with these two idiots! Of all the people I could’ve stuck with, why the hell did I end up here? Fuck you, Ashara, for dragging me into this mess!’ She turned her gaze to the puppy wagging its tail, oblivious to the palpable terror around them.
“H-Helena… L-let the damn thing go!” Nightfire whispered, her lips trembling so violently the words barely formed.
“Ether~” The voice was closer now, its tone playfully sinister.
Helena flinched as she too realized what was happening, so she loosened her grip and,
“WOOF!”
The puppy barked joyfully, It leapt from Helena’s arms, its tail wagging as it hurriedly walked out of the room.
“Oh~ There you are~!”
“WOOF!”
“Are you hungry, my sweet little one?”
“WOOF!”
“I see… Let’s go, then~”
The voice’s sweet tone faded as it moved away, and the trio released the breath they hadn’t realized they were holding.
Nightfire slumped against Aether’s shoulder, her face slick with cold sweat. She wiped her brow with a shaky hand. “Thank the stars that shit can’t speak… If it could, we’d already be—”
“WOOF!”
The sharp bark cut through her sentence.
“Hmm?…..What do you mean someone is here?” The voice, once playful, turned cold and dangerous.
The trio flinched as the puppy barked again.
“WOOF!, WOOF!”
“Someone… is stealing my book?” The words dropped like shards of ice, and the entire house quaked, the vibrations rattling the floor beneath their feet.
Nightfire’s face drained of colour. Her wide eyes darted to Aether, panic etched into every line of her face. “Throw the damn book!” she hissed into his ear, her voice cracking under the strain of her fear.
Aether’s gaze dropped to the book in his hands…. He wanted to know more, but….. Gritting his teeth, he hurled the book onto the bed.
“WOOF!, WOOF!, WOOF!”
“Huh? You want to eat the monster lady?”
Nightfire’s stomach dropped as her fear morphed into raw dread, ‘Oh, you son of a bitch!’ she cursed inwardly, realizing the creature was referring to her.
“Haha… Alright, my dear. I’ll get you the monster lady,” the voice purred, sending shivers down their spines.
The mansion trembled violently!!
‘This is it… Goodbye!’ Nightfire thought, her shoulders slumping as she resigned herself to her fate.
And then—
“….”
Silence.
The oppressive atmosphere dissipated, leaving an eerie stillness in its place. Even the puppy’s barking had ceased.
Aether took a cautious step forward, but Helena clung to him, her fingers digging into his arm. “We can’t stay here, Helena,” he said, his voice firm but quiet.
Helena nodded shakily, the terror in her eyes unmistakable. She followed him reluctantly, her every step hesitant.
Nightfire latched onto his other arm, her grip vice-like. ‘If I’m going down, I’m taking these idiots with me,’ she thought bitterly.
To be fair, she hadn’t wanted to come here in the first place. Whatever happened next, she blamed Aether and Helena entirely.
They were only a few inches away from the door. Aether took a deep, steadying breath before cautiously peeking outside and saw….
Nothing.
Yet, His eyes darted through the dim hallway, searching for movement and saw…
Nothing!
Relief washed over him. He sighed and stepped into the corridor, motioning for the others to follow. Helena and Nightfire, still trembling from their earlier terror, hesitated but eventually shuffled after him.
Step… Step… Step….
The trio didn’t dare look back. Not even Nightfire, who had spent her life surrounded by restless souls. Whatever they had just encountered was on a different level entirely—it had truly scared the hell out of her!
Thud!
Aether slammed the heavy entrance door shut, the sound echoing into the eerie silence. For the first time in what felt like hours, he took a proper breath.
Nightfire managed a shaky smile, “Thank fucking goodness…”
Helena nodded quickly, relief evident on her face. For once, she felt like they might have escaped whatever unimaginable horror was hunting them.
Aether let out a small grin, “We should leave this place now,” he said, glancing at his log. The relentless flashing warnings still screamed at him to run at all costs.
As they crossed the mansion’s lawn toward the gate, Nightfire chuckled nervously, breaking the uneasy quiet, “Haha..”
“What’s so funny?” Helena asked, frowning at her.
“I-It’s just…” Nightfire stifled another laugh, “I thought Aether would pull something stupid, like insisting that the book was important, that it held the key to saving our empire or some shit… haha… Can you imagine dying just because of some book nonsense like that? Hilarious!” Her voice cracked with amusement as she gestured dramatically, “Dying for a book! Ha!”
Helena’s cheeks puffed in protest, her lips curling into a pout. “Come on, Aether would never do something that silly!” She crossed her arms defensively. Her faith in him was unwavering—
“WHO DARES TO STEAL PAGES FROM MY BOOOOOOOKKKKK?!”
The voice. It wasn’t just loud—it was soul-crushing, a blood-curdling scream that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once.
The mansion trembled violently, its decrepit structure groaning in protest.
Helena and Nightfire froze, their faces pale as they turned their wide, disbelieving eyes toward Aether.
Aether coughed, his expression shifting awkwardly. “Well… technically, I didn’t steal it. I just… borrowed it.”
Without another word, he grabbed both women like sacks of potatoes, hoisting them onto his shoulders.
“Phantom Steps!”
Step.
Step…
Before they knew it, Aether had carried them to the rusted front gate.. in a split second.
He set them down, his movements swift and calculated, kicking the creaking gate open. The rusted hinges groaned as the gates gave way, but just as they were about to step through—
“WOOF!”
The trio froze. Sitting at the entrance, its tongue lolling out and tail wagging, was the same puppy….. Its innocent, sparkling eyes were locked on them.
Helena tried to muster a smile, though her face twitched with nerves. “H-Hey there… P-Puppy. Aren’t you a good little puppy~? Such a cutie pie…” She inched forward hesitantly, her hands outstretched.
“WOOF!”
The puppy barked sharply, its eyes narrowing ever so slightly as it watched their every move.
Nightfire gulped audibly, her gaze locked on the creature. ‘This damn thing said it wanted to eat me, right?’ Her palms grew clammy as an idea struck her. Forcing a seductive smile, she leaned forward slightly.
“Who’s a good boy? You’re a good boy~ Ether is the best boy—”
“WARRRFFF!!”
The bark came with such force that the ground beneath their feet vibrated.
Nightfire stumbled back, her face paling as she muttered, “Oh shit… it’s not a boy.” She immediately turned on her heels and bolted inside!
“Where the hell are you going, Ashara?!” Helena shouted after her, but her voice faltered as she noticed the puppy’s face.
It was changing!
The creature’s face rippled unnaturally, as though something was shifting just beneath its skin. The soft fur bristled, darkening as the puppy raised one cute small paw and
Aether’s eyes widened. He lunged forward and yanked Helena back just as the seemingly tiny paw swelled to an big size and smashed into the ground where they had stood moments before.
BOOMMM!!!
The earth cracked under the force of the blow, chunks of grass and dirt flying into the air. The trio tumbled across the lawn, rolling into an awkward heap before scrambling to their feet.
Their horrified eyes locked on the “puppy,” which was no longer small or cute.
The creature was now almost the same as Aether’s height, its body grotesquely big and sinewy. Razor-sharp claws gleamed in the starlight, and its once-playful eyes now glowed with a sinister red hue.
It was similar to Kaelen’s wolf form! But it was more terrifying and disgusting.
Nightfire’s breath hitched… Her instincts screamed at her to run. Her knees buckled as she collapsed onto the ground, staring blankly at the monster, “I’m gonna die a virgin,” she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
“A succubus… dying a virgin hahaha…” Nightfire continued, her tone rising into a wail. “What kind of cruel fucking world is this?!”