Chapter 354: Loss Over and Over Again
Aether sighed. He didn’t move; he just stared... he already knew what this memory was about. His inability to help those who had died in his life.
Looking at his foot this time, there wasn’t anything keeping him from moving, yet he still couldn’t move; he could speak, but all he could do was watch as Elpis died once more. It wasn’t going to stop just with his mom; with his first loss, it was going to show him every single one.
Aether gritted his teeth; this was the thing he hated most: to know he could do something, but not be able to.
’Just why aren’t my feet moving?’ It was as if he were given an illusion of choice.
He just watched as his old friend’s body dropped to the floor, and his brother left once more, as if he hadn’t just murdered his own blood. Only now he was able to move, of course, only when it was too late could he act.
But why was he even mad?
Wasn’t this what always happened?
He was always at the wrong time, too late.
Walking over to Elpis, he saw once more how the knight tried to smile, only to cough up more blood. He knew what he wanted, so he wasn’t going to wait. Summoing Voidpiecer, Aether thrusted the blade into the knight’s head, killing him.
There was no message, no confirmation from the Codex... meaning he wasn’t real. Which was pretty obvious, but still didn’t make things easier.
Aether closed his eyes, and the next time he opened them, he found himself at the door of an old hut... he knew exactly what awaited inside. So he didn’t waste any time; he slammed the door open, and he saw Avrie, on her knees, staring at the Sun, the thing they had spent all their hope on building, especially her, thinking it was going to be their salvation, only he knew it was not. And the worst part was that it was his fault they had started building it.
He slowly walked up to the witch, smiling a bit. Even if he only got to see their death, it was nice to see them, after so many years... Putting his hand on her shoulder, Aether turned her around, so see the same sight he had seen that day, Abyssal Matter flowing from their eyes and mouth. This time, he didn’t cover his mouth; it didn’t have the same effect it had on him that day. Instead, he just let the girl’s body fall to the ground, finally resting.
’I had... a great time with them... I don’t know if I had more fun with Kade and Lucien... but I can never forget my time in Frozen Crown...’
...
And he wasn’t done with this book just yet. The memory seemed to still want to show him more.
When he closed his eyes, he found himself face to face with his brother, or at least his brother inside Frozen Crown’s story. Not his actual blood-related brother, he seemed to be in deep agony, as if his mind was in shambles, fighting himself inside of it. It was interesting that the memory had decided to put him here in the memory... because this time, he actually had a chance.
Well... he didn’t really, if he didn’t kill him here, he doubted Eir would beat the Queen, and he would die instead...
Aether gripped Voidpiercer, smiling. "Don’t worry, brother, you may not know this, but I have already taken down the Queen in the real timeline. If you just rest, everything will be gone. Your little brother had grown strong..." After he said that, he thrust his blade into his head, just like he had done last time; it was almost identical; the only thing that had changed had been the words, but he couldn’t have said the same words, could he? It would not have made sense.
He turned around, blinking, and before he could react, he was already at the next loss.
Aether saw Azel and the Queen arguing. Yet this time, he could see everything; he could see how Azel’s shadow slowly prepared to stab its owner, because of the Queen’s commands, he tried to walk, to move his legs, but once more, he couldn’t. He tried talking to the shadow, but it wouldn’t listen, but of course it wouldn’t. His control was nowhere near the Queen’s. It would have been impossible for him, outside of using half control, even beyond the point he used before, to beat her.
He just had to watch as the shadow betrayed its own master and drove its blade through her.
...
...
When was this going to end?
Why did he have to watch all his losses once more? He understood, he was useless, and he couldn’t protect anyone, but was he really going to have to go through every single one? Was that what this memory was going to do to him?
None of the other memories were this long... and of course, the one that was longest had to be his, it wouldn’t have made sense if it was another.
...
’Doesn’t matter.... I’ll just get through everything.’
...
...
...
Death after death, sorrow after sorrow. The amount of cries he had seen had seriously gotten to his head; he still heard it in his ears... it didn’t just stop at the death of those really close to him. It showed him the death of everyone who had spent time with him. And in every one of them, he failed to help, or rather, he didn’t have the ability to do it.
He was tired, and it wasn’t hard to see that on his face, which was why the humanoid was hesitant. "You sure you don’t want to rest before we answer your question? I think it would help you a lot."
Aether shook his head. "I will rest once this is done... I really... hate this place, I just want to get home as soon as possible... well, it’s not like home is any better, but at least it’s better than this hell."
The white body sighed. "If that is your decision, I won’t argue anymore... There is this lighthouse at the edge of the island we are on, it has a staircase down that leads to Layer 3... though, it’s a pretty long walk... and you are already exhausted... I think you-"
Aether cut him off calmly. "I am not taking a break. I told you this, it doesn’t matter, I can take it, I’ve got so little left to endure, it wouldn’t make sense to rest now after everything. What direction do I have to go to get to?"
The humanoid stood silent for a good minute, almost as if he didn’t know if telling him the direction was the right thing to do. After all, just by taking one glance at the boy, you could clearly see just how tired both his mind and body were. They were completely destroyed, exhausted beyond a point that would have made almost everyone quit. And yet here he was.
And the worst part was that he knew there was no way he was going to make the young man reconsider... it was already too late. It was clear that in his mind, he had already long decided what he wanted to do. Which was fighting the Demon of Dread, and going home... wherever this home of his was.
Though to fight the Demon of Dread in this condition was suicidal.
...
After a long pause, the humanoid finally raised his hand, pointing in a direction. "There, if you just follow in that direction, you will find a path along the way that leads directly towards the tower... just be careful, alright? And don’t go too hard on yourself.
Aether nodded calmly, before waving goodbye...
To think he was this close... to ending everything. After everything he had been through, he was this close... how could he ever stop to rest... did he think this was how he was going to finish this book when he first entered... not at first, but then it did become a strong possibility fast, he just didn’t think he was going to do it this way. After the war in the Tides, his plan was hollow; he thought that it was going to be enough, but it wasn’t. And after that, he had no idea how to get where he was now.
You could say he had been lucky.
...
He still had to fight the Demon of Dread... and yet his mind still wondered to what he would do when he got back to the real world... after all, he had surivived a battle with the Vessel of Freedom, a lethal wound, and had also become a Seeker... but he was going to be alone... and he really didn’t know what he was going to next.
...
Aether sighed.
"I guess I will just have to see, there’s no point in trying to make something out now.
Either way... I have to focus on killing the Demon of Dread first."
