Aether briskly walked into the castle, his eyes darting around as he searched desperately for any sign of life. But no matter where he looked or how loudly he called out, the vast halls echoed back only silence.
“Where did they go? Thalia? Emberlyn?!” Aether’s voice boomed through the empty corridors, carrying a mix of frustration and rising panic.
Yet, there was no answer.
The Empire lay in ruins, its people wounded and scattered, and he couldn’t wrap his head around what had caused this catastrophe.
His footsteps quickened as he made his way toward the throne room… When he reached it, his breath hitched at the sight before him. The space was completely destroyed—walls crumbled, tapestries torn, and the air thick with the remnants of battle.
Aether’s heart skipped a beat, and a deep unease settled in his gut. Something felt profoundly wrong. The only thing keeping him grounded was the blinking signal from the mission. It was a faint reassurance that Raven was still alive, though clearly in danger.
“Just what the hell happened here?” he muttered through gritted teeth, his hands clenching into fists. His senses strained, but he could neither see nor feel Raven’s presence… or Thalia, or her Mother. It was as if everyone had vanished without a trace.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, Aether noticed something lying on the ground. His heart sank as he realized it was a figure—bleeding heavily and barely moving.
“Drakhairs?” Aether’s brow furrowed in confusion and concern as he leapt down, rushing to the man’s side. His breath caught as he saw the extent of Drakhairs’ injuries.
The old man was covered in wounds, his body barely clinging to life. Aether marvelled at how he was still alive. Without wasting a second, he retrieved a high-level healing potion and carefully administered it.
Cough, Cough
“Come on, Drakhairs, stay with me,” Aether urged, his voice low but firm, as the man coughed violently, his body reacting to the potion.
Cough, Cough
Drakhairs sputtered, his eyes fluttering open. The moment he saw Aether, his instincts kicked in, and he lunged weakly, his hands reaching for Aether’s neck. But he froze mid-motion when his gaze locked onto Aether’s eyes, now flickering with a distinct purple hue.
“S-Sir? Is that really you?” Drakhairs’ voice cracked, a mixture of surprise and disbelief laced in his tone.
“Yes, it’s me,” Aether replied impatiently. “Now tell me—what the hell happened here? Where are Raven and the others?”
Drakhairs sighed heavily, his breath still laboured as he began to speak. “It was… those Arcane Hunters. T-they attacked us. They invaded the Empire.” He slowly pushed himself up, his body trembling even as the potion worked to heal him. His eyes held a mix of pain and bewilderment as he looked at Aether.
Aether’s frown deepened, “Invaded? How is that even possible? The Empire is sealed off—no one can enter without permission.” His voice was sharp, his mind racing. “Unless…” His eyes widened as realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.
“FUCK!!!” Aether shouted, his voice reverberating through the area. He clenched his fists, anger boiling over. “That must be it!” He cursed himself as he pieced it together. The Master had used the horn—the previous Dragon Emperor’s horn.
The very thing Aether had handed over for research and… to get the trust!
‘That cunning bastard,’ Aether thought bitterly. ‘So that’s why he sent Victor away. The Master used Jack to lure Victor out of the Empire under the guise of helping.’
He gritted his teeth… The Master had been meticulous, planning every move to perfection.
They had been searching for a Phoenix, but how had they known about her presence?
The answer was painfully clear: Aether had allowed people and high-ranking officials to leave the Empire… That lapse had provided the Arcane Hunters with the opportunity to learn what was happening inside.
For others Victor was staying in his Empire.
“They couldn’t act while Victor was here” Aether murmured, his mind racing. “So they baited him away. And once he was gone, they struck.” He clicked his tongue in frustration, his thoughts a whirlwind of anger and regret.
“Where are the others?” Aether demanded, his tone sharp as his gaze bore into Drakhairs.
Drakhairs shook his head weakly. “I don’t know, Sir. I held off the invaders while the Empress and the others escaped… somewhere. I wasn’t told where.”
Aether’s brows furrowed. ‘On the run? Damn it.’ He clenched his jaw, his frustration mounting. He had no way to contact Raven or locate her. They were completely in the dark.
“Even if they brought an army, how the hell did they manage to defeat dragons, Drakhairs?” Aether growled, his voice tinged with both curiosity and fury.
Drakhairs lowered his head, his shoulders sagging as if the weight of the truth was too much to bear.
“What?”
Drakhairs took a deep, shaky breath before responding. “Dragons… we only have our pride. Once that pride is damaged, it’s almost impossible to recover…” His voice was heavy with sorrow, his words carrying an unspoken truth.
Aether frowned, unable to fully grasp the meaning behind Drakhairs’ words—or perhaps unwilling to. His focus was razor-sharp on the task at hand: finding Raven and stopping the Master’s plans. The damage was already done, and there was no time to dwell on what couldn’t be changed.
‘Think, damn it, think,’ Aether urged himself, his mind sifting through the possibilities. The Master had mentioned completing a process. ‘Pyra? No, that’s already done…. Naiadae? No…. Void? No, it’s currently going on… so’ His eyes narrowed as a dangerous glint flashed in them. ‘The Aurora Empire… it has to be there.’
He quickly reached out to Helena, using his telepathy
/Hmm… Nothing here. Everything’s calm as usual, Aether. What’s going on?/
He got reply from Helena.
Aether frowned deeply. “Could it be Zephyra Empire? But there’s nothing there either. Isadora and the others haven’t found a single clue about the Ebon Stone… Ebon stone” His voice trailed off as a new thought struck him. ‘What if they deliberately moved Isadora away for some reason?’
“They used Victor, so it’s possible they’re playing the same game here,” he murmured, his expression thoughtful yet grim.
“Sir?” Drakhairs interrupted, his brow furrowed.
“Tell me exactly what happened,” Aether demanded
Drakhairs hesitated, then finally spoke. “I really don’t know everything, Sir. A hooded figures appeared near the castle, and… it was Thalia. She was the one who let them in.”
“Thalia?”
“Yes… She let them in. I don’t know why, but they had a discussion in the throne room.
I wasn’t close enough to hear it all, but… suddenly, there was this massive blast. By the time I reached the throne room, it was utter chaos.
The Empress was already unconscious in their hands, and Thalia and the others were heavily wounded. A battle erupted without any warning at all over the Empire…” Drakhairs’ voice wavered, laced with guilt, pain, and frustration, each word dripping with his sense of failure.
“I tried to hold them off, to buy time for the others to escape… But then they used the Previous Dragon Emperor’s horn. That cursed horn!” He clenched his fists tightly, his voice breaking. “They controlled me. They nearly killed me, Sir. I barely escaped with my life.”
Aether frowned deeply, his mind racing to piece together the events. “Thalia let them in? That means she either trusted them, or she was tricked… Damn it!” He groaned in frustration, running his fingers roughly through his hair, but then froze as a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
/Aether?/
He flinched, his eyes narrowing with recognition. /Liora?/
/Yes. I think… You need to come here quickly. The situation is escalating./ Her tone was calm, but the underlying tension was unmistakable.
Aether frowned further, his unease growing. /What’s happening?/
Before Liora could respond, another voice abruptly cut in.
/Aether!/
/Maelona?/
/Come to the Palace immediately, Aether! Dragons, Elfs are rampaging out of control, and we can’t contain them!/ Maelona’s voice carried urgency and raw fear.
Aether gritted his teeth, glancing at Drakhairs with a sharp nod. “Take care of things here. Manage the situation as best as you can. I’ll handle the rest.”
!~Ding~!
[Warning: Teleporting to Another World… Target: Aerionis Zephyra]
!~Ding~!
[-1,000,000 AP Deducted]
[Remaining: 2,168,021 AP]
In a flash of shimmering light, Aether materialized in the Palace. His sharp gaze swept across the throne, noting the frost that had encased it, but he wasted no time. He strode outside, his senses immediately assaulted by the overwhelming chaos engulfing the area.
BOOOMMM!!
TTOOMMMM!!
A powerful shockwave rippled through the air, causing the ground beneath him to tremble violently. Aether’s head snapped upward. Far above in the turbulent sky, a massive brown dragon clashed ferociously with hooded figures.
His eyes widened, disbelief flooding his features. “What in the…?”
“Aether!”
He looked down sharply to see Maelona rushing toward him, her movements hurried and unsteady, her face pale with fear. “A-Aether… Y-you’re finally here!”
“Maelona, what’s going on? Explain!” he demanded, his voice edged with urgency and authority.
She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, “The situation is dire. The dragon and hooded figures appeared out of nowhere near the Wood Elf tribe.
They started fighting, and their battle spilled into our lands.
Everything turned to chaos.
The tribe all of a sudden rebelled, slaughtering everything and everyone in their path. Liora and the others are trying to stop them, but…” Her voice trailed off as a deep frown creased her brow, uncertainty clouding her expression.
“But what?” Aether pressed, his expression darkening with impatience.
“They’re… strange. Their bodies don’t look normal. It’s like—”
AAARRRRRHHHHH!!!
A guttural scream tore through the air, cutting Maelona off mid-sentence. She flinched, spinning around to face the source.
A monstrous figure charged toward them with terrifying speed, its distorted body bulking up grotesquely. Thick veins pulsed visibly beneath its taut skin, and drool spilled from its snarling mouth like that of a rabid beast. Its glowing, eerie white eyes betrayed no trace of humanity….. Most unnervingly, a rainbow-coloured Arcane Crystal jutted prominently from its forehead, shimmering brightly.
Aether’s eyes narrowed, ‘What the hell is that…?’
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The monstrous being roared like a mindless beast, its massive form hurtling toward them without hesitation.
“A-Aether…” Maelona stammered, instinctively clutching his arm for support…. she was not strong as before… now she was weak even a child could kill her!
Aether remained calm and composed. With a single wave of his hand, an invisible force condensed into a razor-sharp ice spear. The weapon shot forward with deadly precision, piercing clean through the creature’s chest.
Chucckk!
Chucckk!
Chucckk!
“Arrh–“
The Monster let out a guttural grunt, staggering before crumbling into a lifeless heap. Its body disintegrated into the sand, leaving behind only… the rainbow Arcane Crystal, which lay on the ground, glinting ominously in the dim light.
“That was an elf, wasn’t it?” Aether asked coldly, his eyes never leaving the crystal.
Maelona nodded hesitantly, “Yes… He was part of the Wood Elf tribe.” She still couldn’t believe what she just witnessed.
Aether crouched initially he didn’t think much just focused on the crystal… Its surface shimmered with two tiny stars inside, glowing faintly. His jaw tightened as a theory began to form in his mind. ‘Someone integrated the crystal into his body. That bastard… The Master must’ve discovered those monsters and… must have done something!’
Memories of the Rainbow Arcane Crystal snake monster flashed through Aether’s mind—the one he’d encountered during the Ebon Stone ordeal…. It all made sense now!
Jack was the one who found the Ebon stone in Void Empire so of course he too must have encountered some kind of Rainbow Crystal Monster and… Master must have used it to his advantage!
But then something clicked his mind, “Wood Elf tribe… You mean Alaric’s tribe?”
Maelona hesitated before nodding again. “Yes.”
Aether’s eyes widened, realization striking like a thunderbolt, ‘Fuck that bastard!’ Without hesitation, he scooped Maelona into his arms, carrying her like a princess.
“A-Aether!” she exclaimed, her cheeks flushing momentarily before she noticed the grave expression on his face.
“Show me the route to their tribe. Now,” he commanded.
Maelona pointed in the direction, her embarrassment fading as she sensed the gravity of the situation.
Aether’s gaze hardened, dread and fury swirling within him like a storm. ‘If my hunch is correct… Alaric betrayed us all from the very beginning.’