âSo she herself didnât know about it then?â he thought, his brow furrowing as he tried to read her expression. Pushing aside his doubts, he pressed on with the story, recounting each detail of what had happened so far, his eyes searching hers for any reaction. The only response he received was... just a,
"Hmm."
She offered nothing more than a brief, disinterested hum.
Aether frowned, frustration creeping into his voice.
"Donât you feel... sad for the people who died? They didnât even understand what was happening to them. They just... vanished. Their families turned into monsters, left behind with nothing but grief and endless cries. Doesnât that weigh on you at all?"
Grace looked at him, her icy silver eyes meeting his. She could sense the disappointment in his tone, but she only shook her head, a cold detachment in her expression.
"Sad? You might have forgotten who youâre speaking to. I am Death, Aether. I do not mourn them. I donât feel sadness or pity for those souls. That is how Iâve survived all these ages. Without death, there is no meaning to life," she replied with a solemn tone.
Aether shook his head, struggling to understand her. Maybe, for her, death was as ordinary as breathing.
He sighed softly, "Anyway, Iâve been wondering... what if people from the Void tried to escape, moved to another land? Would they still be marked by the Blooddawn?" Aether asked curiously.
Grace yawned, stretching lazily, her hair cascading down her shoulders. "You could have asked that question to Mary, you know," she said with a hint of annoyance.
She was not his encyclopedia, you know!
Aether managed a weak smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well... I was actually trying to convince her to visit another Empire with me... for, well, our... You know... honeymoon," he admitted, glancing away, a little embarrassed.
Grace gave him a deadpan look. For a moment, she almost opened her mouth to say, âAre you really going to fuck that insane pussy?â but instead, she simply let out a silent sigh and fixed him with a disappointed stare. "People and their strange appetites," she muttered, wondering what kind of madness drove Aether to pursue women like Mary.
Aetherâs forehead tensed, veins threatening to stand out, but he gritted his teeth and restrained himself. Heâd gotten used to Graceâs lack of tact; endurance was all he needed.
"So?" he pressed, not letting her brush off his question.
Grace leaned back, folding her arms. "The curse isnât just tied to this Empire. Itâs tied to the blood of the people born here. Even if you leave, the curse remains inside you.
Without the Blooddawn, it sits quietly, gathering strength. Eventually, itâll overwhelm you. Youâll lose yourselfâyour mind will shatter, and youâll become a monster, with or without the Blooddawnâs touch.
Thatâs why so many exiles end up returning once a month, just to keep the madness at bay," she explained.
Aetherâs lips parted in a silent frown as he listened, nodding slowly, reality sinking in. It seemed... his wives would need to return to that cursed place, again and again, if they wanted any hope of surviving with their minds intact.
Yeah, come to think of it... Nyx sometimes took leave once a month for a few days during their academy days, and as for Nightfire... well, Ashara would always make sure she was taken care of.
So she would be fine.
So only Nyx needs to handle it... ah?
He nodded thoughtfully, then shifted his attention back to Grace, making some light conversation since she still seemed irritated by his sudden appearance.
He let out a quiet laugh, recounting how hard heâd been working to unite the empires, joking about the endless troubles between their rulers and the strange events spreading across the Empires.
After what felt like an eternity, Aether finally stood, stretching his limbs. "Looks like itâs time to leave," he said, offering a gentle hug to the cage that kept Grace anchored in this place. He turned to leave, but,
"Remember..." Graceâs tone changed, suddenly serious, her voice echoing with something ancient.
"This is just the beginning..."
Her words seemed heavy, layered with unspoken warnings and secrets yet to be revealed. Aether paused, glanced back at her with a small, knowing smile, and nodded before he vanished from the domain.
Later, his real body, still half-submerged in a cooling tub, slowly came awake.
He dried himself off, shaking droplets from his hair, and glanced over at Nyx, who was sleeping soundly beneath the soft sheets. He leaned down, pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, whispering,
"Donât worry, youâll have your baby... and your home," before slipping out of the room in silence.
Aether stretched, feeling the stiffness leave his body. Even though heâd spent the entire night working, not a hint of fatigue clung to his bones. If anything, a vibrant energy thrummed through him as he wandered the empty corridorsâno one else in the palace, only the gentle presence of his beloveds resting nearby.
Heck, walking naked was fine too... but he wasnât that much uncultured man!
But he was curious to walk naked around the palace, though... Fuck!
As for the Origin Children?
"Hmm... I heard from Selene, she tried to blend them in with the other children... but things didnât go as sheâd hoped. Xara said those children feel like a different species entirely. They need both Arcane and Clarion to truly interactâonly then might they start to understand one another," he muttered, frowning at the thought.
He wasnât strictly obliged to deal with them, but ever since Aqualina saved those lost children, Aether felt it was his duty.
They had no one else in this world.
He sighed and shook his head, just asâ
"Boo~"
Aether glanced to the side and saw Nightfire attempting to sneak up on him, her eyes glittering with mischief.
"No fun~" Nightfire pouted, disappointed that he hadnât even flinched. She let out a big yawn and stretched her arms over her head. "What are you doing up so early?" she asked, her tone playful.
Aether glanced at her, "What are you doing up so early?"
Nightfire blinked, feigning innocence as she tilted her head. "What do you mean? I wake up early every morning."
Aether gave her a deadpan look, folding his arms. "Oh, really?"
Nightfireâs cheeks tinged with a faint blush, but she pressed on. "So...? Did you fuck her all night?"
Aether met her gaze, already suspecting that was exactly why sheâd come looking for him.
"What do you think?" he replied, his voice low and amused.
Nightfire shrugged, her eyes bright with mischief, a sly smile curling her lips. "Well, Iâm the one who gave her advice, so I just wondered if my little disciple did her best to milk you dry~" she said, a note of pride in her voice.
Aether halted his steps before looking at her, "Milk me?"
Nightfire nodded, her sly expression morphing into something predatory as she drew closer, her breath already hot against his skin.
Without hesitation, she pressed her palm firmly over his crotch, her fingers tracing along the thick, curved length through the fabric, feeling every pulse and shiver as his cock stiffened under her touch. Her eyes grew dark and dangerous, hungry in a way that sent a delicious tremor through him.
"Damn, man... youâre still so fucking hard," she murmured, biting her lower lip as she gazed at the swelling outline with greedy delight. "Did she even milk you?" she teased, her voice dripping with seduction as she leaned over his shoulder, her nose trailing along his neck, inhaling deeply.
"Hmmm... Looks like you fucked her pussy till the morning... I can still smell her on you, that sweet, fresh scent..." Nightfire nodded in satisfaction, her tone lower, almost purring as she let her tongue graze his earlobe.
Aether looked at her with a mix of disbelief and amusement, stunned by just how well she could read him, âThe hell... itâs like sheâs watching everything,â he thought, nearly laughing at her bluntness.
She wrapped her hand tighter around his cock, fingers stroking along the shaft, her thumb pressing into the thick curve, tracing every ridge and vein.
"Maybe I should get my morning breakfast, then~" she whispered, her breath quivering as her lips curled into a trembling, hungry smile.
Slowly, she lowered herself, eyes never leaving his, her tongue running seductively across her lips.
"Oi... itâs the corridor... what if someone sees us?" Aether managed, though his hands stayed at his sides.
Nightfire parted his robes, exposing his cock to the morning air, her fingers curling around the base, guiding it to her mouth with a look of wicked glee.
"Well, everyone hereâs just another one of your pussies, right~?" she teased, winking up at him before kissing the thick, leaking tipâher lips soft and trembling, her tongue flicking across the crown with a desperate hunger.
"And you... youâre my cock~" she whispered, her voice trembling with lust.
Aetherâs face broke into a wild, amused grin, breath catching in his chest, cock twitching in her grip.
"Do you need more love, cutie~?" she cooed, speaking to his cock in a pitiful, coaxing tone, her tongue swirling around the head as she giggled with anticipation. Aether shook his head, a smile pulling at his lips, then answered in a childish voice,
"Yes, Mommy~"
Nightfire giggled, the sound low and hot, as she brought her lips down and pressed trembling kisses along the shaft, ready to swallow him deep, her tongue swirling, her jaw loosening for the first deep suckâwhen,
"Your Majesty, something importantâ"
A sudden, loud voice shattered the charged silence.
Aetherâs face turned to stone, dread slamming through his body. Nightfire froze, mouth just inches from swallowing his cock, her whole body stiffening.
She turned slowly... and there stood Emberlyn, her face a mask of pure shock, wide-eyed and trembling, completely horrified by the scene in front of her.
For a split second, the world froze... Aetherâs hard cock and glistening, Nightfire crouched at his feet, Emberlynâs stunned gasp hanging in the air.
Except,
Suddenly went limp... Turned off!
Emberlynâs eyes went wide with true, her whole body recoiling as though sheâd stumbled into a nightmare.
Aether yanked his robe closed, desperately covering himself, face burning with embarrassment and disbelief. "W-Whatâs important?" he stammered, voice a ragged attempt at normalcy.
Emberlyn didnât answer, just pointed to the sky, her hand shaking, face crimson with shock and confusion, and then she turned and ran down the corridor.
Aether facepalmed himself, mortified beyond belief. Heâd completely forgotten the one person in his palace who was still untouched by all this madness.... the only innocent soul left.
Now sheâd seen him like this, his cock out, Nightfire kneeling at his feet... fuck!
He cursed silently, his chance at a real bond with EmberlynâMother-in-law and Son-in-lawâsuddenly feeling shattered.
He glanced at Nightfire, who just blinked, nonchalant as ever, her lips still shining. He let out a long, disappointed sigh.
"What? She wasnât your pussy, too?" Nightfire asked, brows furrowed in genuine confusion.
The idea that Emberlyn was off-limits seemed to baffle her.
Aether shook his head... Anyway, Emberlyn pointed at the sky, didnât she?
He frowned, stepping to the balcony and leaning on the railing, as he looked up... but at first, he saw nothing.
"What did she mean?" he wondered aloud.
Then, his eyes finally caught the golden shimmering words in the sky.... had changed!!
<1. Umbrionis Void: 0000120 T.P.>
<2. Gaius Terravita: 0000015 T.P.>
<3. Aerionis Zephyra: 0000000 T.P.>
<4. Aquaris Naiadae: 0000000 T.P.>
<5. Pyra Fulgur: 0000000 T.P.>
<6. Elysiumis Aurora: 0000000 T.P.>