“You have angered the Laws, Aether…. The Laws are now forcing you to choose.”
Those eerie words from the Prophetess suddenly echoed in Aether’s mind, sending a chill down his spine as he blankly stared at the ominous Ebon Stone.
“That motherfucking Law of Nature!” Aether growled, his teeth grinding together in pure frustration.
Dora, standing beside him, glanced at the stone with narrowed eyes. “Yeah… now that I think about it, there were no forbidden letters written on it, right?” She crouched down, running her fingers across its smooth surface, checking every inch carefully just to be sure.
Yet, no matter how much she searched, there was nothing. “Maybe it wasn’t written here to begin with?”
Aether shook his head almost immediately, “No, I know what I saw…” His jaw tightened as a surge of regret coursed through him. ‘Fuck! I should have at least read it before!’ His fingers dug into his palm as he cursed himself for not reading in the previous timeline!
Without those words, he had no idea what was required to activate the Ebon Stone.
Dora noticed the restless look in his eyes, a rare flicker of uncertainty that made her uneasy. “So… what do we do now?” she asked, frowning. She knew Aether wasn’t the type to panic, so if he was this troubled, then whatever was happening had to be serious—something she wasn’t aware of yet.
Aether pressed his fingertips against his forehead, ‘What the hell am I supposed to do now?… Without those words, I don’t even know the real objective here. And now, everything feels like a fucking dead end!’ He let out a low, irritated groan, struggling to think.
“Aether?” Dora called his name again, her voice softer this time, laced with concern.
Aether snapped back to reality and shook his head, trying to push the frustration aside. He exhaled sharply before focusing on why he had come here in the first place.
“Can you see the fate of this stone?” His voice carried an edge of urgency as he turned to her, his eyes locked onto hers.
Hearing his question, Dora flinched slightly. Then, after a brief pause, she shook her head. “…Yes, but I cannot.”
Aether blinked in confusion. “Huh? What do you mean?”.
She was his only hope, the only one who could untangle this mess!
Dora’s gaze darkened as she stared at the Ebon Stone again, “I cannot cut the fate of this stone…” Her voice was grim, her pink-hued eyes shimmering with an eerie glow.
As she observed it closely, her vision revealed something horrifying—millions of threads coiling around the stone like a web of tangled destinies. It was as if countless lives were intertwined with it, all connected to a single, thick, unbreakable thread.
Except there were two black threads in the middle of every twisted thread.
“It’s impossible, Aether…” Dora finally muttered.
Aether clenched his teeth, ‘Fuck this!’ His brows furrowed deeply as his mind raced, desperately searching for an alternative solution.
“You need to tell me the truth, Aether,” Dora spoke up, her tone firmer this time. She reached out, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “What exactly are you searching for?”
Aether sighed, knowing he couldn’t keep her in the dark forever. “It’s about Sandra and Aqualina,” he admitted. However, he chose to leave out the details regarding the wishes and curses—those were too personal to share. Instead, he focused on explaining how they were being sacrificed for the stone.
Dora listened intently, her eyes widening slightly at his words, “Wait… If that’s the case, then why don’t you just take Aqualina out?” she suggested, her tone sharpening with sudden realization.
Aether’s brows knit together. “What?”
“Just do it”
Aether hesitated for a moment but then nodded, summoning Aqualina back. In an instant, she materialized in his hands, still unconscious, her body completely limp. He looked at Dora expectantly, waiting for her to do whatever she had planned.
Dora’s eyes flickered again, her pink hue intensifying as she focused on Aqualina. But then—
‘What… was that?’ Dora’s breath hitched when she noticed something unusual—something she had never seen before in anyone else. A red thread…
She narrowed her eyes, concentrating on it. It wasn’t following the expected path, wasn’t flowing toward the Ebon Stone like she had initially assumed. Instead… it was going toward—
“Aether,” Dora murmured, her expression shifting into one of pure confusion as she stared at him.
Aether, noticing her sudden change in demeanour, furrowed his brows. “What is it?” he asked, his voice carrying a mix of curiosity and concern.
Dora remained silent for a moment, still fixated on the red thread connecting Aqualina to Aether.
Dora’s eyes flickered into an even deeper pink hue as she stared intently at Aether… but there was nothing.
No, that wasn’t right. What she truly meant was… there was no fate attached to him.
Every living being was bound by fate in some way—whether through a thin, fragile thread or an intricate web of intertwined destinies. And yet… Aether had no single thread connecting him to anything. It was as if he existed outside the very fabric of fate itself.
What was even more unsettling was the single red thread that had extended toward him. It had another branch—one that didn’t just vanish into thin air. Instead, it stretched toward his shadow… No, not just his shadow. It was reaching toward someone hiding within it!
“W-What’s going on here?” she muttered, her voice trembling in barely restrained horror.
“What?” Aether’s frown deepened as he noticed the change in her expression. His concern grew when he saw how pale her face had become.
She took a sharp breath, trying to steady herself before she finally spoke, “H-Her fate… it’s only connected to you.”
“Huh?” Aether blinked, confusion flickering in his eyes. He tried to process her words, but then—
Seal of Aethernal.
Those very words suddenly echoed in his mind, sending a jolt through his entire body.
His eyes widened in realization before he suddenly shouted, “FUCK! How in the hell did I forget about that?!” His voice was filled with exhilaration as if he had just uncovered the most important truth of his life.
‘How could I be so damn careless?!’ His mind screamed at him, ‘Maelona is the living proof of what I did!’
Yes, Maelona—a woman whose very existence had been supposed to vanish in exchange for his survival. She should have perished long ago, her life sacrificed for him. And yet, she was still alive and well.
Why? Because of his seal. A power so immense that it even defied the will of Gods and Laws.
“T-That’s why… there was no mission about saving her… ah.” Aether muttered, as the realization dawned upon him with full clarity.
The reason why the Log never gave him any mission regarding Aqualina’s fate—it was because she had already been freed from her destined doom. Even the Gods and Laws had lost their claim over her soul.
Aether let out a deep breath before a smirk crept onto his lips. Relief flooded his chest, and without hesitation, he gently kissed Aqualina’s forehead. Then, without wasting another second, he carefully placed her back into the safety of the Sanctum.
Turning to Dora, he suddenly leaned in and pressed a quick kiss against her cheek as well. “Thank you,” he murmured, his voice brimming with unfiltered happiness. For so long, he had been drowning in worry over Aqualina’s inevitable fate. But now… one of the greatest burdens weighing on his shoulders had been lifted.
Dora blinked in surprise, her lips parting slightly at his unexpected gesture. Then, after a few moments, she slowly nodded, “…Okay?” Her fingers brushed against the spot where he had kissed her, as a soft, almost unnoticeable smile tugged at her lips.
“Now, all that’s left is Sandra and Raven…” Aether murmured before his gaze flickered back to Dora. His expression turned determined as he pointed at her. “You’re definitely coming with me.”
Dora tilted her head slightly, hesitating for a moment before softly asking, “…Am I really helpful?”
She hadn’t meant to ask that question aloud, but the words slipped out before she could stop herself. Lately, doubt had been creeping into her heart. Everyone around her seemed to blame her for her past decisions—for trusting someone who ultimately betrayed her. They had made her feel like a fool, like someone who had failed those she cared about. That feeling had slowly chipped away at her confidence more than she wanted to admit.
Aether’s response was immediate. “Of course, you are. Why wouldn’t you be?” His voice carried no hesitation, no doubt—only certainty.
Dora chuckled softly, “Well then, let’s finish up here first. Then we’ll go,” she said, holding up a crisped piece of hand she had been clutching all this time.
“Right. We need to check that, of course,” Aether agreed with a nod.
With that, both of them disappeared, teleporting back to the Academy in an instant.
Meanwhile…
“Hmm… It’s been a long time since our Lord went inside. Just what is he doing in there?” one of the guards stationed outside the village asked, his tone laced with curiosity.
“Tsk, what’s your problem?” another guard scoffed, shooting him an irritated look. “If our Majesty hears that you’re questioning the Lord’s actions, I swear, I’ll be more than happy to bury your body myself!”
The first guard flinched, instantly lowering his head in submission. Though he didn’t understand why their Majesty—Liora—had chosen this man over the other powerful alpha males in their tribe, he knew better than to voice his opinion. There were many who still harboured quiet disappointment over their Queen’s decision, but none dared to challenge her authority.
“Did you inform our Lady that our Lord has arrived?”
“Yes, Sir. I believe she’s currently preoccupied with that human girl who’s still trying to marry our Lady’s son.”
“Hah! Seriously? That human girl is still clinging onto that ridiculous hope?” The guard scoffed, shaking his head in amusement. “There’s no way in hell—”
His words abruptly cut off. His body tensed, his expression hardening into a deep frown as his sharp gaze swept over the area.
“…Who’s there?” he called out, voice laced with suspicion.
From the distance, two hooded figures emerged from the shadows, steadily approaching them. One was massive—his broad frame towering over most men, his sheer bulk radiating strength and intimidation. The other was lean, moving with an unsettling grace, their presence eerily quiet yet unshakably firm.
