“What’s wrong with you?!” Dora’s horrified voice rang out as she stared at Aether. “Isn’t this the same liquid used to create those damned monsters? What the hell have you just done? Are you seriously creating another monster from an already existing one?!”
Her voice trembled as she watched Aether move forward, his steps calm. He bent down and picked up the cube that held Mary inside.
His eyes lingered on the tiny hooded figure for a brief moment, unreadable, distant.
“AETHER!!” Dora’s voice cracked with fury as she appeared right before him, “Are you out of your goddamn mind?! Do you even realize what you’ve done?!”
Sandra, standing at a distance, frowned deeply. She couldn’t make sense of what was happening. She had no idea what Aether had just injected into Master or what kind of consequences it might bring.
But when she looked at Dora’s expression—pure, unfiltered fear—her stomach clenched. Whatever it was, it was bad.
Really bad!
Her gaze shifted to Master, encapsulated in the thick ice. He wasn’t moving. Not even a twitch. His body remained frozen, stiff, lifeless…
Forever!
“I am talking to you, Aether!!” Dora’s patience snapped. She lunged forward, gripping Aether’s collar in a tight fist, her knuckles white with strain. Her eyes blazed with fury as she shook him,
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?! What if the blood you just gave him unleashes his full strength?! Do you even understand what that means?!” Her voice dropped, her hand trembling against his collar, “I am telling you… I… No… NO ONE can defeat him if that happens… it won’t be a battle, Aether. It’ll be a fucking massacre!”
Aether met her furious gaze without flinching. Then, with a measured exhale, he gently pried her fingers off his collar. His expression was calm, almost indifferent, as he said, “That’s why I brought you all here.”
Dora’s frown deepened, her breath hitching. “Brought us here?” Her voice dripped with disbelief. “What the fuck are you saying?! Even if we fight together, we cannot—”
“Dora.”
His voice was firm, steady.
“Calm down,” he said, looking directly into her eyes. “You know me, don’t you?”
Dora blinked, her lips parting slightly.
Yeah, she knew him. Aether wasn’t reckless. He wasn’t the type to throw himself into something without reason.
There was always a plan, always a calculation behind his actions.
But this time… it felt different.
Her fear gripped her so tightly that she had forgotten to trust him.
She inhaled sharply, forcing herself to calm down. “Fine,” she muttered, her voice still tense. “Then explain. What the fuck is going on?”
That was her ‘calm’ way of asking. Believe her.
Aether studied her for a second, his jaw tightening as if he were carefully choosing his words.
“Aether?” Dora pressed, her eyes narrowing.
“… The Ebon Stone is nearby.”
Sandra and Dora both furrowed their brows at his words.
“So?” Dora shot back, her patience wearing thin.
Aether inhaled, holding his breath for a moment before releasing it. It wasn’t hesitation. Not exactly. It was just… difficult to say this to her. Maybe because this place held too many memories for her.
Maybe because her last death had been right here, in this very place.
“Come on, Aether,” Dora snapped, tapping her foot impatiently as she cast a quick glance at Master, still frozen in ice.
“In order to start the process…” Aether finally said, his tone steady but firm, “It requires the head of the strongest.”
Dora’s eyes slightly twitched.
“Hmm?” Her brows furrowed further.
Sandra, too, blinked, momentarily stunned by his words. Then—
Both women froze in place.
The realization hit like a shockwave.
Sandra turned her head slowly, locking eyes with Dora, her face painted with a mix of surprise and horror.
Now it all made sense.
Now she understood why Master had been so determined to pull Dora here.
Dora opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her throat felt dry. She turned back to Aether, who was watching her with an unreadable expression.
And then… he smiled at her.
A small, gentle smile.
As if he had done this for her.
[+8000 AP]
Aether turned away, his eyes shifting back to Master’s frozen body. He stepped forward, his gaze studying every inch of him. Master hadn’t moved at all—his eyes remained shut, his expression locked in eerie stillness.
But Aether saw it.
The barely noticeable veins beneath Master’s skin… pulsating ever so slightly.
‘It’s taking time…’ Aether mused, his fingers twitching slightly. ‘Is it because of my minute blood?’
Just as he turned back, Dora was suddenly standing right in front of him.
“Why?” Her voice was quiet, but firm.
“Huh?” Aether tilted his head slightly.
Her lips trembled. “If… if all it takes is my head… if that’s my fate… then I… I should be the one—”
Before she could finish, Aether cut her off.
“You chose one life over millions,” he said, his tone unwavering. “Do you really think that one will abandon you?”
Dora’s breath hitched, her teeth sinking into her lower lip as emotions surged through her.
Sandra finally stepped in, her expression serious, “Okay, wait a second. Let’s get one thing straight. What exactly did you give Master? And this whole ‘strongest head’ thing… You mean to tell me that in order to activate the Ebon Stone, it requires Dora’s head?”
Aether nodded. “Yeah… That’s exactly what Master was trying to accomplish. He needed her head to activate the stone. That’s why he held Victor as bait… So, I injected the blood that was originally created by him.” His gaze darkened, “Yeah… He will return to his prime power.”
Sandra’s expression twisted in disgust, “That man is pure evil… He’ll use any means necessary to get what he wants.” Her gaze flickered toward Dora, whose face was unreadable, her emotions clashing in a storm beneath the surface.
Dora still felt that what Aether had done was wrong.
They had finally captured Master. They had sealed him in ice. They had neutralized him. And yet… Aether had given him that accursed blood, restoring his power, and setting him loose upon the world again.
All for what?
Her?
To raise his strength, so he could destroy everything in his path?!
Dora clenched her fists, her legs trembling. She had seen what Master was capable of. She had seen how twisted and wicked he became over Luna. And now…
Now, she could already picture it.
The massacre.
The endless bodies.
How many people were going to die because of this mistake?!
Aether watched her carefully. Then, without warning, he leaned in—
“~hmm~”
And kissed her.
Dora’s eyes widened. Her breath caught in her throat, and she blinked trying to process.. Her cheeks burned. “W-What was tha—”
“I may be wrong,” Aether murmured, his voice low. “Or I may be right. But no matter what… No matter how many times… I will always choose you.”
His words settled deep inside her, heavier than anything else he had said.
She had chosen him over millions.
And for that… he would do whatever it took.
Because this woman—this woman who was supposed to be the Sovereign of the Empires— Still chose him over millions for that…. He would do it… Protect her name at any cost!
“…”
Dora bit her lips, feeling them tremble slightly as she tried to suppress the emotions welling up inside her.
Her eyes turned misty, glistening as if she might burst into tears at any moment. She took a deep breath, trying to keep herself together, but her body betrayed her, showing just how fragile she felt at that moment.
Aether let out a soft chuckle, his eyes shifting toward someone who was practically an–
“I. AM. NOT. ANGRY!” Sandra snapped, emphasizing each word with an exaggerated pause, her expression fiery and indignant.
Aether weakly smiled, tilting his head slightly as he responded in a calm, teasing tone. “I don’t remember asking, did I?”
Sandra let out an annoyed snort before huffing in frustration. She turned away sharply, clearly unwilling to continue the argument.
However, Aether wasn’t one to let things go so easily. With a sly smirk, he stepped closer, gently turning her head to face him. His voice carried a playful lilt as he asked, “My Empress won’t get angry over something as simple as a kiss, right?”
[+8000 AP]
“Tsk, who the hell is your Empress? Don’t go around calling me that!” she scoffed, crossing her arms as she looked away. Then, as if catching herself, she quickly added, “And no way in hell am I getting mad over a damn kiss! You think I care that much?” Despite her words, she stomped her foot on the ground, her frustration evident.
She had told herself—had told him—that she was fine with him being with others. She had made peace with that, or so she thought. But watching him do it right in front of her, without hesitation, without even considering how she might feel at that moment—it irked her.
Aether, however, merely smiled. He took a step closer, lowering his head to press a soft kiss against her forehead.
His voice was gentle, “Maybe my words feel empty to you… Maybe they sound like nothing more than pretty lies meant to soothe your worries.
But I swear I will do whatever it takes to protect you. You will live happily with your daughter. No one—” He paused for a moment, his tone growing more solemn. “—no one is going to take that away from you.”
His grip on her hand tightened slightly, “You will not die under my watch. Nobody will.” His voice turned deeper, more serious as if he was making a vow not just to her but to himself. “No matter how many times it takes…. No matter how much suffering I have to endure…. No matter how many times I need to di—”
Before he could finish, both Sandra and Dora shot forward, their hands covering his mouth as their eyes glistened. There was something painful about hearing him speak like this—as if he was getting used to something… his last word held showed no pain at all!
Aether blinked, surprised by their sudden reaction. He stared at them for a moment before smirking, an amused glint appearing in his gaze.
“Come on, guys,” he mumbled through their hands. “It’s not like I can actually die and come back or anything… It was just a metaphor, you know… Just a metaphor.” He winked playfully, as if trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere that had settled between them.
Sandra bit her lip, her expression complicated. After a brief hesitation, she let out a soft hum before leaning in and pressing her lips against his. When she pulled away, her face was flushed red,
“You better not do anything reckless, you hear me?” she muttered, her voice laced with concern. “If you go and die before me, I swear I’ll drag your ass back just to kill you myself, bastard.” She huffed, looking away in annoyance.
Aether blinked at her words before breaking into a wide grin. He was just about to tease her further when—
“I will kill you before you even think about dying,” Dora said abruptly. Her voice was steady, almost too serious as if she had no room for jokes when it came to this matter. Her expression was cold, yet beneath it, there was something else—something deeper.
[+8000 AP]
She hesitated for a split second before leaning in, pressing a soft kiss against his cheek.
Aether stared at her, caught off guard by the unexpected gesture. But instead of commenting on it, he simply smiled. “Well, I guess if I have to die, this wouldn’t be a bad way to go…” He let out a small chuckle, about to continue when—
“Aether!”
“Aether!”
Both Sandra and Dora shot him sharp looks, their gazes carrying clear warnings. They weren’t joking.
Aether raised his hands in surrender, chuckling under his breath.
Dora frowned, arms crossed as she eyed him carefully, “Now that I think about it… You didn’t seem too surprised when you saw my real form. You didn’t even react the way most people do. And more importantly…” She narrowed her eyes. “You weren’t charmed. Not even a little. Why is that, hmm?”
‘Oh shit… I forgot about that.’ Aether cursed inwardly. His mind scrambled for a proper excuse before he quickly forced a smile,
“Well… No matter what shape or form you take, I will always find you, my dear Master~” he said smoothly, reaching out to gently rub her cheek.
Dora gave him a blank stare, completely unimpressed. “Cringe.”
Aether’s lips twitched slightly.
But before he could say anything, Dora added, “But I like it.”
Aether’s grin returned, full of amusement.
Just then,
Crack…
An ice-cracked sound echoed and,
!~🔔~!
[❗️Notice: A Newly Identified Bloodkin Has Been Detected]