Third Person’s POV
Aether, who was now sitting on the edge of the bed, kept his gaze locked onto Sandra.
She was sitting there, staring down at the bed with a soft, unreadable expression.
Sandra remained quiet for several minutes after telling her story, her fingers lightly gripping the sheets as if lost in thought. Her mind drifted back to the day when everything changed—the moment she had crossed the line and realized the true cost of her revenge.
That day was burned into her memory, a wound that refused to heal!
Aether slowly lifted his hand toward her, hesitant but unable to hold himself back. He wanted to reach her, to touch her, to pull her out of whatever thoughts were consuming her. However—
“Please, don’t you dare feel pity for me,” Sandra muttered, her voice laced with annoyance as she shot him a glare from the corner of her eyes.
Aether paused but then let out a small, gentle smile. “Pity? I wouldn’t dare. I just want to touch you… is that wrong?” His voice was soft, almost teasing, yet filled with sincerity.
Sandra scoffed, rolling her eyes.
But despite her words, she didn’t pull away when his fingers brushed against her hair. She felt his touch, warm and gentle, as he softly ruffled her strands.
Her eyes narrowed as irritation flared inside her. He was treating her like an idiot, like some lost little girl or something!!
Yet, Aether simply smiled—strangely, warmly—without saying a word.
Something inside her stirred, an emotion so raw she couldn’t put it into words.
It annoyed her!
It confused her!!
Her gaze dropped slightly as his fingers continued to move through her hair, an action so tender it made her chest ache.
“Don’t you… hate me?” she asked in a small, hesitant voice as if she was almost afraid to hear the answer.
“Hmm?” Aether raised an eyebrow at her sudden question.
“I mean… I killed everyone, Aether,” Sandra whispered, her voice growing quieter. “I killed people, children… even unborn infants.” Her breath hitched slightly, but she forced herself to continue. “You know what kind of person I am. And you… you’re a good man.”
She had seen it with her own eyes—how he had once smiled at an unborn child and how he smiled when the family got the money during their visit to Ebon stone… with such tenderness, such kindness. It had made her chest tighten because, at that moment, she knew.
She knew just how different they were. A man like him… and a monster like her.
Aether’s fingers stopped ruffling her hair for a brief second. He blinked, as if absorbing her words, as if considering something deep within his own mind.
He should have been furious with her. He should have despised her for what she had done, for the lives she had taken so mercilessly. And yet—
His lips curved into a soft smile as he resumed stroking her hair, his touch steady and reassuring. “Honestly… I don’t know,” he admitted.
Sandra’s eyes widened slightly at his response. “H-Huh?”
Aether let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head,
“I mean it. I don’t know if I should hate you. Maybe I should. Maybe I shouldn’t.
But what I do know is that… I don’t.” He sighed, his gaze flickering downward for a moment. “I might not fully understand the pain of losing your mother… but I do understand how emotions can take control of us.”
His voice grew softer, tinged with guilt,
“I’ve done things I regret too…. I know how it feels to lose yourself, to be consumed by emotions so strong they twist you into something you… never thought you’d become.” His jaw tightened for a moment as memories flickered in his mind—memories of Raven and Sandra’s death by his hands… “Regret, self-loathing, hate… yeah, those things will come later…. And they’ll eat at you.”
He exhaled, nodding to himself, “But in the end… it’s still you. Your emotions, your actions. No one else’s.
I’m not your judge, Sandra!
The only thing I believe is that we should accept what we’ve done and carry it with us. That’s all.”
His gaze softened as he met her misty eyes. “So no, I could never hate you.”
Sandra’s lips trembled slightly… A part of her wanted to argue, wanted to throw his words back at him, to call him naive, foolish—but the warmth in his voice made her chest feel unbearably tight.
She swallowed hard, trying to push down the emotion threatening to rise. “You say things… like you’re some old man who’s lived through more than I have,” she muttered with a weak smile, attempting to shift the conversation.
Aether chuckled. “Haha… maybe I have,” he mused, his eyes never leaving hers. Then, after a brief pause, his voice softened. “I love you, Sandra.”
Sandra’s breath caught in her throat.
His fingers gently traced her cheek as he continued. “If you hate yourself… then let me love you. Let me carry the weight of your sins with you, even if it’s just a little.”
Sandra’s chest tightened painfully at his words. She clenched her fists on her lap, her breath growing unsteady, “My sin? Aether, you don’t understand… it’s far worse than you think. You can’t bear it all… No one can.”
Aether simply smiled, his expression calm, “Maybe not,” he admitted. “But if I can share even a fraction of your pain, then that’s enough for me. If I can lessen the weight you carry, even just a little, then what’s the point of loving you if I don’t try?”
His words struck her harder than she expected.
She stared at him—at those piercing ice-blue eyes that held no hesitation, no fear, only the raw truth of his feelings.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then, slowly, Sandra leaned forward…. no something pushed her forward!
Her lips trembled as she pressed them against his.
“~hmm~”
Aether, too, responded, his lips moving softly against hers, as if pouring every ounce of warmth he had into that one moment.
It was quiet, gentle, almost hesitant, yet filled with emotions neither of them could put into words.
When they finally parted, their foreheads remained pressed together, their breaths mingling as they stared into each other’s eyes.
The silence between them was different now… It no longer felt heavy!
It felt… warm.
“A-Are you sure, Aether?” Sandra asked, her voice trembling slightly as if she wasn’t sure whether she even wanted to hear his answer.
“Hmm… hmm…” Aether nodded
Sandra weakly smiled but then narrowed her eyes slightly. “Even though you have so many secret women in your life? You still want to bear my burden too?”
“Hmm… hmm…”
“…Even though you could have an entire empire of pussy?”
“Hmm—” Aether froze.
‘Empire of what?!’
His mind short-circuited. What the actual fuck was she talking about? Was this a serious question or some kind of twisted joke?
“Hmm… hmm…” Aether nodded, though he wasn’t entirely sure what she was referring to. Still, he had long since learned the art of nodding when in doubt.
This definitely felt like one of those moments.
Sandra let out a dramatic sigh. “So you’re telling me that out of all the choices you have, all the women who would willingly spread their legs for you, you’re still choosing to bear my burdens?.. You’re not regretting this?!”
Aether exhaled. “You make it sound like I have a damn buffet of choices laid out in front of me… I don’t!”
Sandra smirked. “Oh? So you’re saying if there was a buffet, you’d—”
“That’s not what I said,” Aether deadpanned as he pinched her cheek with a slightly annoyed expression.
Sandra’s lips curled up before, “hahaha” she chuckled softly making Aether smile.
!~Ding~!
[+8000 AP]
[Survival rate: 83.3↓%]
Sandra’s eyes trembled, emotions swirling within them. Then suddenly—
“I… I… Hate you!! ~Hmm~”
And despite those words, she grabbed his face and kissed him again.
Aether’s eyes widened at her sudden movement before he gave in, his hands instinctively moving to her waist, pulling her closer. Her fingers tangled in his hair, gripping it with urgency, as their lips crashed together, devouring each other with every breath.
“~hmm~”
They fell back onto the bed, their bodies pressing together, their kisses deepening. The room filled with the soft sounds of lips meeting, heated breaths escaping, until the feverish passion slowly settled.
After what felt like an eternity, the intensity dimmed, leaving them both breathless. Sandra lay on Aether’s chest, her fingers lightly tracing circles on his skin.
For the first time in her life… she felt like she had found a safe place…. a place she felt like when she was a child… Like she found her mother?
Aether, still catching his breath, softly ruffled her hair, his fingers playing with the silky strands as he smiled inwardly, ‘She accepted it, right?’
Just then—
!~Ding~!
[⚠ Warning: You are about to make a crucial decision. Are you truly willing to share and bear the ‘Burden’ of Sandra’s sins?]
Aether blinked.
‘Is this fucking real?’ Aether was almost shocked seeing that!
[Well, duh! What, did you think you could just say anything to get in her bed?!]
Aether’s lips twitched at the remark. His expression darkened slightly, ‘Just to be clear… don’t ever say that again,’ he inwardly warned. If he truly wanted to sleep with her, he wouldn’t be taking this bitchy, long-winded route!
He loved her… not get in her bed!
[… Sorry, I was just kidding…]
Aether sighed, rubbing his forehead. ‘So this is real, huh… What happens if I share her burden?’ After a pause, he added, ‘Can I fully take it from her?’
!~Ding~!
[⛔Notice: Upon acceptance, your Ethereal Domain will suffer a reduction proportional to the severity of her sins. Any instability may result in the forced deactivation of your Origin Weapons due to an internal imbalance.]
[The burden cannot be fully removed. The sinner must bear their own weight—this is the law of nature.]
‘I see…’ Aether thought, his expression unreadable. He turned his gaze to Sandra, who was staring at him curiously.
“What?” she asked, tilting her head before reaching up to pinch his lips. “You’re making a weird face.”
Aether blinked at her before warmly smiling, “…Yeah, I accept it.”
“Hmm?” Sandra frowned, about to question him when she suddenly gasped. A strange sensation washed over her as if something heavy had been lifted from her body. She sat up slightly, frowning. “What… was that?”
Meanwhile—
!~Ding~!
[Twin Domains: 946/788↓]
!~Ding~!
[⚠ Warning: Tolerance of a 15% difference between the domains is NOT Maintained!]
[⛔ Weapons deactivated.]
Sandra frowned even deeper, her instincts telling her that something had just changed, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. “Aether, what did you do?”
Aether gave her a soft smile, “Nothing.” He swiftly changed the subject. “You still haven’t told me about your promise to the gods.”
Sandra’s expression immediately soured, her entire body tensing.
“Aether… it’s best if we leave that pa—”
“Sandra…”
She sighed dramatically, her fingers tightening on his shirt. “Aether, we’re talking about gods. I’m not allowed to speak about it. If I do, You will be cursed. Believe me, I’m not joking aro—”
“So do I,” Aether cut her off, his voice steady, his expression firm, “You’ve believed in me all this time… so believe me now. I’ll be fine.”
Sandra exhaled sharply, shaking her head. “Well, if you truly want to be cursed, be my guest. But make sure to tell your other bi—ahem—women that I warned you and that you didn’t listen at all!”
Aether let out a weak chuckle. “You’re really looking forward to me getting cursed, huh?”
Sandra smirked, “No, I’m looking forward to saying ‘I told you so’ when you get your ass smited.”
Sandra took a deep breath, her lips parting as if about to reveal something that could shake the very foundation of their reality. The atmosphere grew thick, anticipation humming between them—
“…Are you sure?”
“JUST FUCKING SAY IT ALREADY, YOU IDIOT!!”
“….”
“…. Sorry?” He was definitely not sorry!!
“….”
A long silence stretched between them before Sandra finally sat up, slightly pouting.
“I was… summoned by the gods!”