!~🔔~!
[❗️Notice: A Newly Identified Bloodkin Has Been Detected]
Aether’s eyebrows lifted slightly at the sudden notification, ‘You can actually identify it? Ah?’ He hadn’t been sure if that was possible, but before he could dwell on it further—
!~🔔~!
[⚠Warning: Instability!!]
[⚠Warning: Analysis Indicates That the Newly Identified Bloodkin Exhibits Extreme Instability, Posing a Severe Risk to Its Own Survival!]
Aether frowned, ‘Instability, huh?’ He had anticipated some complications.
Crack….!
Sssnnnngggg!
The ice continued to fracture, each splintering crack echoing through the air. A bright glow pulsed within, the light steadily intensifying as if something inside was struggling to break free.
!~🔔~!
[⚠️Alert: Due to the Alarming Level of Instability, the Survival Rate of the New Bloodkin Is Below 10%!!
!~🔔~!
[⚠️Critical Time Limit⚠️: 00:05:00 Remaining Before the Bloodkin’s Core Collapses—If Immediate Intervention Is Not Administered, Total Dissolution Into Nothingness Will Occur Upon Reaching Zero!!]
Aether blinked at the notification, His lips parted slightly before he let out a short breath and spoke, “Alright, listen up. We’ve got exactly five minutes before everything goes to absolute shit, so whatever needs to be done, it has to be done now.”
Sandra, who had been observing the ice with mild curiosity, tilted her head and glanced at him with a questioning look. “So what? We need to finish before the timer runs out?” Her voice was casual, but her eyes remained locked on the frozen form before her. The ice continued to crack, slowly revealing glimpses of the figure trapped within.
Master’s body, once pale and lifeless, was beginning to regain colour. His form shimmered unnaturally, the eerie light dancing across his skin as the fractures deepened.
“Yeah”
His gaze shifted to Dora. “Dora… can you see it?”
Dora’s eyes flickered, Her breathing slowed, at first she didn’t see anything… but after a moment, she saw it—a thin, black, transparent line floating just above Master’s head.
It was unlike anything she’d ever seen before. It wasn’t deep dark like Sandra’s or Raven’s; it was something else entirely.
Lighter… Almost fragile?
Aether nodded in understanding, his mind piecing everything together. His voice lowered as he muttered under his breath, “Looks like he needs an extra push…” he then handed over the cube containing Mary to Dora.
“The more, the merrier.”
Dora took the cube, though her attention lingered on Aether as she noticed him subtly stepping back. Her brows furrowed slightly. “Where exactly are you going?”
Aether smirked, slipping his hands into his pockets, his posture relaxing despite the impending chaos,
“Well, come on now. I can’t just show up out of nowhere, can I? Aether always makes an entrance. You should know that by now.” His voice carried a playful lilt, and the mischievous glint in his eyes only made his words more infuriating.
Dora and Sandra exchanged glances before simultaneously shaking their heads. Of course, even in a moment like this, he still had to act like this.
Aether, however, wasn’t being reckless. Every move he made was calculated.
He wasn’t just playing around—he was playing smart.
He had to be.
This wasn’t just about saving or killing someone; it was about ensuring nothing went wrong in the process.
After all, he was nothing more than an ex-servant, a stepchild of Xara—
‘Not the time to think about that,’ Aether quickly pushed the thought away, straightening his posture before moving out of sight.
Sandra crossed her arms over her chest and let out a slow exhale before turning toward Dora, “So… you love him, don’t you?”
Dora immediately stiffened, her entire body tensing at the sudden question. A fierce blush crept up her cheeks as she stammered, “L-Let’s not tal—”
Before she could even finish, Sandra’s lips twitched with a slightly annoyed face as if she knew it already as she commented, “Let me tell you something—I’m going to be his first. I found him first, after all.”
Dora’s expression went blank. She processed the words in silence before her eye twitched slightly. ‘The fuck, bitch?’ The words screamed in her mind, her lips parting as she prepared to fire back, but—
Crack…
The sound was deafening this time. The ice fractured even further, jagged lines racing across its surface. The energy within it pulsed violently…
Dora swallowed whatever retort she had and swiftly pressed the button on the cube. A thick, blood-red mist exploded outward, twisting and writhing in the air like a living entity.
And then—
“YOU FUCKING LITTLE SHI— Wait?”
Mary emerged, her form materializing amidst the swirling mist. Her face was twisted in fury, her body tense with rage as if she had been preparing for a fight. But the moment her eyes landed on the scene before her, everything in her expression shifted.
Her breath caught in her throat.
The overwhelming, blinding light filled her vision, consuming everything in sight.
Her heart lurched in her chest, pure horror washing over her.
“OH FUCKING SHIT! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!” Mary screamed, her voice cutting through the air. Panic gripped her as she took an instinctive step back.
That light—she knew that light.
The same holy light that had once nearly obliterated her.
And now, it was right in front of her again?
A chilling sensation ran down Mary’s spine as memories of her past battle with him resurfaced. A cold sweat broke out on her skin, her body reacting instinctively before her mind could even process it. Before she knew it, her hand shot forward, seizing Dora by the throat. Her grip was fierce, fingers pressing deep into flesh as she violently shook her, her movements almost erratic.
“What the fuck have you done?!” Mary’s voice was sharp, almost hysterical, yet disturbingly laced with something unsettling—an eerie amusement. A twisted grin curled on her lips, but her eyes were wide, wild with both fear and something else… something even she couldn’t quite understand.
Excitement? A deep, perverse thrill?
“Did you actually piss him off?! What the fuck is wrong with you, bitch?!!” Her voice cracked slightly, her words trembling at the edges as if she herself was unsure whether she was terrified or exhilarated.
It was a unique feeling.
One that sent shivers across her own skin.
Dora barely reacted, her expression remaining unreadable, eerily calm despite Mary’s rough grip, she easily pulled the hand and returned focus.
Sandra, silently summoned hundreds of razor-sharp water blades, each one hovering midair, glistening like liquid daggers.
And then—
BOOOOMMMMM!
The ice finally shattered in a violent eruption, detonating with a force that sent a powerful shockwave rippling through the space. The blinding white light exploded outward, nearly swallowing them whole.
And then—
“Finally!!”
A voice.
Ethereal. Otherworldly.
It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t even forceful.
Yet, it carried a weight so immense, so absolute, that it wrapped around them like an invisible grip, squeezing the breath from their lungs.
Mary was the first to take a step back. Her throat clenched, and she swallowed hard, her fingers twitching involuntarily. ‘Ah… here he comes…’
As the brilliance of the light dimmed, their gazes locked onto the figure emerging from within.
Slowly—
The Master rose.
His movements were unhurried, deliberate as if time itself bowed before him. White robes materialized over his body, the fabric appearing out of nothingness, flowing seamlessly like they had always belonged to him. The robes were pristine, edged with golden embroidery that shimmered, making them appear sacred—like something untouched by the impurities of the mortal world.
But it wasn’t just his attire that had changed.
His body—
His very existence—
Had transformed.
His once pale, lifeless complexion was no more. His skin now radiated vitality, pulsing with an almost unnatural glow, as if he were something beyond human. The sickly pallor that once clung to him had been replaced with something breathtaking.
His bald head—gone.
Instead, golden locks cascaded down, glimmering like strands of pure sunlight, gently swaying with the faintest movements. They framed his face, accentuating the sharpness of his features, the chiselled perfection of his newly reborn form.
The hideous scar that had marred his face for so long—gone.
His skin was now flawless, unmarred, smooth like untouched porcelain.
His features were refined, impossibly perfect, almost too perfect.
If there was ever an image of celestial beauty and terrifying authority combined into one being—he embodied it.
A man in his prime!!
He was… breathtaking. Almost distractingly so.
And yet—
Something else stirred the air.
Pure white flames burst forth from his very being, coiling and dancing along his golden hair as if they were an extension of him. They flickered violently, unpredictable and unrestrained, making him appear less like a man and more like a volatile force of nature—something that could either bless or destroy with a mere whim. [imgincmt]
Sandra, Dora, and Mary all gulped in unison.
He wasn’t even close to them. Not within arm’s reach. And yet—
The sheer heat radiating from him was unbearable.
It licked at their skin, scorching even without direct contact. A pressure, heavy and oppressive, settled over them, making the very air feel suffocating.
Mary, in particular, felt it the worst.
Her dark energy recoiled violently, trembling under the sheer force of his presence. It was as if her very essence was being repelled.
Even the air itself warped, distorting as though reality was struggling to accommodate the conflicting energies…. The dark energy in the surroundings—once thick, once all-encompassing—was now thinning, vaporizing in response to his flames.
And then—
He opened his eyes.
Golden.
Like twin suns, his gaze swept across them. His expression was unreadable.
Slowly, he blinked. As if processing.
Then, his gaze lowered to himself. He studied his own hands, flexing his fingers slightly. His brows furrowed as he ran his hands over his robes, over his now unblemished skin.
Even with all these changes, all this power… something was off.
“How?” he muttered under his breath. His voice, though calm, carried an unsettling weight, one that made the air grow heavier.
The last thing he remembered—
He had been frozen.
Yet now…
‘I heard a voice…’
His frown deepened. It had been brief, unclear. But he was certain—someone had spoken.
And now, here he was, standing, breathing, whole again.
His senses sharpened, stretching outward, scanning the area.
The cube—still intact.Victor—still inside.The surroundings—unchanged.
No one else was here.
Something wasn’t right.
His gaze darkened as he turned his attention back to Dora.
“Who is responsible for this?” His voice was steady.
Because he could feel it.
Something inside him.
Something foreign.
It coursed through him, unfamiliar and alien, twisting into his very being.
His voice dipped lower, quieter, yet heavier. “What have you done to me?”
Silence.
No one answered.
He exhaled slowly, almost as if savouring the quiet before the storm.
“This power…” he murmured. “It’s faint, but it’s there. I can feel it. I’ve never encountered anything like this before. Something is wrong here.”
Then—
A grin.
Sharp. Sinister.
“And I know a way to make you talk.”
He lifted his hand, fingers snapping together.
Crack.
Crack.
The ice that had encased the fox monster and the tiny hooded figure—suddenly shattered into countless pieces, releasing them from their frozen prison.
With a dull thud, their bodies slumped forward, collapsing onto the ground.
Both figures gasped seeing Master!
