“Aether…?”
“Hmm?”
Hearing his name, Aether turned toward the first hooded figure, “Do I know you—wait, what the hell? What’s going on?” His expression twisted into shock as the dust settled, revealing Raven tied up. His eyes widened in disbelief, his face turning pale as he processed the situation.
“What the heck? Is that you, Miss Raven?” Aether’s voice carried a mix of confusion and concern. His gaze darted back to the two hooded figures, and he narrowed his eyes, “You two… what exactly do you think you’re doing to that innocent girl?”
Sandra, whose face was hidden beneath her hood, felt her lips twitch. ‘Seriously? Could he be any more obvious?’ she thought, barely holding back a sigh. She was about to respond when—
“What are you doing here?” the first hooded figure interjected sharply. She stepped forward, her posture tense, fingers subtly flexing as if preparing to summon her weapon at a moment’s notice.
Aether frowned, sensing the shift in the air, and also why this figure seemed to know him, then he said, “I’m here looking for Princess.”
“Huh?” The hooded figure’s expression darkened, and she exchanged a glance with Sandra,
“Princess? Who?”
“Princess Aqualina,” Aether clarified before tilting his head slightly, “And who are you guys supposed to be…? Judging by the situation, it looks like you’re up to something—”
Before he could finish his sentence—
BOOMMMM!!!
A violent explosion rocked the entire area, sending a wave of scorching heat through the air. Flames erupted toward the ceiling, consuming the old house in an instant.
“Shit! They’re here too?! Those fuckers!!” Aether cursed, whipping around just in time to see a horde of dragons descending upon them.
“Fuck!” The first hooded figure let out a sharp expletive, her frustration evident, “Why the hell are they here?”
Aether exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair, “What else? They’re after me, obviously. I smashed a few guards, and now they want payback.”
The group froze, blinking in unison.
“Wait… What the—” The first hooded figure opened her mouth, but before she could process Aether’s nonchalant confession, he was already stepping forward, ready to face the incoming dragons.
However, before he could make a move, the first hooded figure clamped a firm hand on his shoulder, “Are you out of your goddamn mind? That’s a fucking legion, you reckless asshole!”
Aether’s lips twitched slightly, ‘Asshole? Really?’… Still, he kept up his furious act. “And? What do you expect me to do? Just sit here while these brain-dead lizards come at me out of nowhere? I’m not the type to stand by and do nothing!” His voice carried a sharp edge, “I need to protect my Princess!” as his eyes radiated with determination and furious!
The group blinked again, especially Sandra and Raven. His acting was too good—if they hadn’t already known him, they might have actually believed his performance.
‘My husband is so incredible~’ Raven couldn’t help but swoon internally, admiration bubbling up as she watched him.
BOOMMMMM!!!
The force of another blast sent debris flying as the dragons drew dangerously close. The entire roof of the house was ripped away, exposing them to the sky.
“Fuck this! We need to get out of here—now!” The first hooded figure made a split-second decision, her voice laced with urgency.
Sandra nodded in agreement. It was better to put some distance between them and Aether—he was clearly up to something, and she had no intention of getting caught up in whatever game he was playing.
“I’m gonna teach these bastards a les—” Aether started, his body tensing as he prepared to charge forward.
“Nope. Not happening,” the first hooded figure cut him off smoothly, a sly smirk playing at her lips. Before Aether could react, she grabbed him like a sack of potatoes and took off running.
“…”
“…”
Sandra and Raven stood frozen in place, blinking in disbelief.
What the hell just happened?
Wasn’t Raven supposed to be the main target?
Even Aether found himself momentarily stunned. He had not expected this hooded figure to snatch him up as if he were the one she needed to secure.
Not exactly going as he planned but fine!
His mind scattered…. Did she know something about him?
Something from his past? And more importantly… in the previous timeline, No. 27 had seemed to recognize this figure.
‘Is she someone I was meant to cross paths with… or have we already met before?’ Aether’s frown deepened at the thought.
“Do I know you?” he asked, his voice edged with curiosity.
“Hmm?”
“I mean… you seem to know me… More than you should.”
The hooded figure let out a low chuckle, her amusement evident. “Hah… Of course, I do. After all, who could ever forget the Real Arcane King?”
Aether’s expression darkened… she definitely hiding something!
She knew him, but she was lying.
And things getting very interesting.
Well, he was not currently searching for any more pain in the ass… as his current job was to save that useless idiot who promised some shit or something!
Meanwhile, Sandra scooped up Raven and quickly followed after them.
Behind them, a legion of dragons pursued a relentlessly…
“Tsk, the only decent hiding place we had is gone now…” the first hooded figure muttered bitterly, her frustration evident.
They had lost their perfect hideout in mere moments!
“Well, I know a place where we can lay low,” Aether said with a soft smile, though inwardly, he was grinning to himself. This was working out better than he had anticipated.
“Hmm? You do?” The hooded figure narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “How—”
BOOOMMM!
Another explosion erupted behind them, shaking the ground violently. Smoke and fire rose into the sky. The hooded figure quickly changed
“Never mind! Just tell us where it is!”
…..
….
After a frantic sprint through winding alleys and ruined streets, they finally reached a secluded hiding spot—one so well-hidden that it seemed almost unnatural.
It wasn’t just an abandoned space; it felt as if someone had deliberately ensured that no one would come here. There were no footprints, no signs of life, not even a trace of dust in some areas.
“This place looks… new,” the first hooded figure murmured, her voice laced with suspicion as her eyes scanned the surroundings warily. The last hideout had been old and crumbling, its decay evident in every brick and beam.
But this? This place looked untouched, almost pristine as if someone had built it for the sole purpose of hiding!
“How do you even know about this place?” she asked.
Aether shrugged, his expression relaxed, “Oh, you know… Victor and I are friends. Whenever we needed some alone time, we’d hide out here,” he said with an easy, casual tone.
The first hooded figure’s frown deepened as she studied him closely. Something about him felt… off. ‘Is he playing some kind of game here?’ Her fingers twitched slightly, her instincts screaming at her to summon her weapon—
“What are you doing here?” Sandra suddenly stepped in, placing herself between Aether and the hooded figure. Her piercing gaze, concealed behind the shadows of her hood, bore into him like she could see right through his words.
Aether let out a soft sigh before answering, “Didn’t I already say? I came for Princess Aqualina.”
“That’s exactly why I’m asking—who told you Aqualina was here?” Sandra’s voice was sharper now, each word demanding an answer.
“…”
A brief silence fell over them.
The first hooded figure’s fingers tightened, ready to yank her weapon free when—
“Well, it was Professor Alaric,” Aether finally said, his voice carrying a note of irritation.
“Oh? Him?” The hooded figure’s brows furrowed at the mention of the name. Her grip on her weapon loosened slightly, though her suspicion remained.
“Alaric, huh? And how exactly did he tell you?” she pressed, even though she already had a good idea of what was happening. What she really wanted to know was how much Alaric had told this so-called servant of the princess.
Aether clenched his fists, his expression twisting into something fierce as if the memory alone was enough to reignite his rage. “That fucking old, incompetent bastard who was even NTRed by a random handsome, sexy, sigma Male…. was the one who took Aqualina with him.
And then—would you believe it?—he had the nerve to blame it on the Principal! Everything escalated, and we fought—”
“You fought?” The first hooded figure’s voice carried clear disbelief, her lips parting slightly in shock…. well she was shocked for many reasons in his talk, ‘Sigma, sexy, handsome’ but this was important.
He fought Alaric?
Aether puffed up with pride, straightening his shoulders. “Of course! I almost had him, too, but…” His expression suddenly turned dejected, his tone dropping into a dramatic sigh. “The Principal showed up at the last second and saved his ass. Tsk, tsk.” He shook his head as if disappointed in himself for not finishing the job.
The hooded figure was momentarily speechless, ‘What the…? Alaric almost lost to a child?!’ A slow, amused smirk curled at her lips. ‘Fu~Fu~… Interesting.’
As Aether continued, “Anyway, after all that mess, the Principal uncovered some other suspects involved in the kidnapping.”
The hooded figure nodded slightly. ‘Of course. That was part of the plan.’
But then—
“She said she wanted to have a talk with Alaric,” Aether added, his voice flat with annoyance. “And she mentioned the possibility that Princess Aqualina might be in this Empire.”
The hooded figure’s frown deepened, her eyes narrowing slightly, “What do you mean by that?”
“Hmm?”
“I mean… the Principal wanted to talk with Alaric?” Her voice carried an edge now, her suspicion sharpening, “Do you know where she took him? Her office? Somewhere else?”
Aether shrugged. “No idea. But honestly, she looked like she was doubting Alaric. Her expression was so stern and indifferent like she was onto him.”
Her blood ran cold. ‘Shit! That woman figured it out!’ Panic flared in her chest as her mind raced. Now it made sense why her Master had suddenly become occupied with other matters.
If Alaric had been found out… then everything was at risk.
Especially Master!!
Unaware of her spiralling thoughts, Aether continued spinning his tale,
“So after all that, I started searching for her. And guess what? Instead of finding Aqualina, I ended up being hunted by those fucking dragons! Those brainless fuckers!!
Some random bitches decided to kidnap someone important, and now these bastards are hunting everyone for what?! Because I am not one of them? Are they idiots or what?! Fucking morons.. they… don’t… even—”
His words trailed off abruptly. His gaze flickered toward Raven, still bound and silent. Something clicked in his mind.His expression changed.
Then, without another word, he turned to leave.
“Okay, guys, you busy with something… I am not someone who intrudes on other people’s lives. Well, See Ya—”
Just as he was about to walk off—
“Where are you going, darling~?”The first hooded figure’s voice suddenly dripped with sweet seduction, her tone curling around him like silk, laced with amusement.
Aether chuckled wryly, before—
“I FOUND THE KIDNAP—MMFFFF!!”
Both hooded figures lunged at him, their hands clamping over his mouth before he could finish his sentence. Within seconds, they had him tied up and tossed unceremoniously beside Raven.
Raven blinked, looking at him.
Aether blinked, looking at her.
Well… this escalated quickly.