Chapter 443: Something changed…
Umbrionis Void Empire
An Empire steeped in darkness, where entities of the night and practitioners of forbidden, dark magic roamed freely…. Other empires often referred to it as the ‘Demon Empire.’
Here, souls of the deceased arrived, drawn by an unyielding force!! Void Eyes!
Each was judged for their sins… and upon judgment, they faced one of two fates: eternal suffering in unimaginable torment, or…. the chance to walk the Path of Samsara, where they would be granted rebirth… a second chance at life!
On this particular day, the process was as routine as ever… Countless souls stood on the highest peak, overlooking the empire’s ominous black river.
The river rushed violently, crashing down into an endless void below, its waters dark and foreboding!
The souls, ethereal in form, hovered in white misty shapes, waiting for their turn.
One by one, they leapt from the cliff, vanishing as the black river consumed them.
“Move along, no delays… step forward,” commanded the guard in charge, his voice hard and cold, as though he had long lost any care for the souls he governed.
The other guards, standing watch along the cliff’s edge, remained silent, their gazes indifferent, though vigilant.
Everything proceeded smoothly, until—
BOOOM!!
Without warning, a powerful, invisible force surged from the Path of Samsara. The sheer weight of its pressure shook the ground, rippling through the air… Like a pressured wave across the empire!!
The guards staggered back, their eyes wide in disbelief… Before any of them could act, the souls that had been standing there only moments ago were gone.
“W-What… what in the name of…” One guard gasped, his voice trembling as his gaze darted across the empty peak.
There were no souls remaining—none in sight! Every single one had vanished without a trace!!
“Where did they go?! What just happened?!”
Meanwhile, deep within the empire, in its very heart…
“Ether!” A commanding, yet elegantly sinister voice echoed through the air, originating from the swirling vortex that dominated the endless chamber.
The dark vortex spun relentlessly, a black hole in the centre of nothingness.
A flicker of light appeared before the vortex, revealing a projection—Aether, riding atop Liora, moving through the distant lands.
“The Holder of Ether…” the voice murmured, laced with frustration.
“Time has shifted… Souls have replaced…” the voice continued, a heavy sense of dread underlying each word.
The image of Aether flickered again…. Liora, her sharp instincts at play, suddenly halted. Her eyes darted around, more vigilant than ever. Something was amiss. After a moment’s hesitation, she continued forward, but as she moved, she glanced upwards, sensing an unseen presence.
Both Aether and Liora locked eyes with it!!
“Even my soul spells failed against a mere… human?” The voice, filled with both confusion and anger, dripped with doubt.
How could Aether remain unaffected? How could a low-level human withstand such power?
“Something strong enough to block my spells… Could it be Arcane? Or perhaps… Mother herself?” The voice pondered, deep in thought.
Then—
Snap!
With a sharp snap of unseen fingers, the image of Aether riding Liora dissolved into darkness, leaving only the swirling vortex behind…. Just then, the chamber’s dark void shifted, and someone entered.
“M-My grace,” a guard stammered as he knelt before the swirling black vortex. His face was as pale as snow, his body trembling with fear as he spoke,
“T-The souls that were meant to enter the Samsara River have d-disappeared! Thousands upon thousands… they are gone! P-Please, forgive us, My Grace!” His words came out in a panicked rush as he lowered his head further, bracing himself for the wrath that would surely follow.
Yet,
The chamber was silent—eerily so.
Sweat beaded on their foreheads as they trembled under the oppressive silence. Just when they thought their end had come—
“…. Tell me why Kai Frostblade has not been killed yet?”
The unexpected question caught them off guard. The guards flinched as one of them managed to reply, his voice shaky, “P-Please forgive us, My Grace. Ever since we attempted to take his life, the Sovereign has been on high alert. None of our people have been able to infiltrate their empire without strict oversight. We diverted their attention by claiming the assassination group acted independently, that it was not an official order from us.”
“I see…” The voice murmured in acknowledgement, before issuing a new command, “Call back Nyx Shadowfall.”
The guards quickly nodded, their relief visible as they processed the order. They knew Nyx was one of the chosen ones within their empire, and with her power and her being in that empire… the death of Kai Frostblade seemed inevitable.
However, one of the guards, emboldened by the moment, dared to ask, “S-Should I summon Jack Sparrow too?”
The vortex seemed to grow darker. A pause followed before the voice answered, low and cold, “… No. He’s already dead.”
Their shock was palpable!
Jack Sparrow… dead?
How?
None of them dared to ask for more details, though the urge to know was strong. Instead, one of them steered the conversation back to the more pressing matter at hand.
“W-What should we do about the souls that disappeared, My Grace?” The balance between life and death, birth and rebirth, was crucial to all empires. If the souls remained missing, the ramifications could be catastrophic.
“Do nothing… We wait until Kai Frostblade’s death,” the voice commanded. Then, after a brief pause, it added, “And inform Scarlet to meet me tomorrow.”
At the mention of Scarlet, the guards’ faces turned even paler, dread creeping into their expressions. They exchanged fearful glances as they whispered in unison, “Bloody Mary…”
…..
….
Back at the Academy:
In the Principal’s House
Aether, disguised as Victor, stood casually before the Principal.
And just as he like expected everything would be going the same route.
“Where have you been?” the Principal’s voice was sharp, her eyes narrowing into slits as she glared at Victor, who stood before her, a picture of nonchalance.
Victor shrugged, his lips curling into a lazy smirk, “Well, I was kind of busy,” he said, his tone deliberately casual.
He replied just like the last time.
However, this time, the Principal didn’t ask about the lab equipments as Victor had expected.
Instead, she scrutinized him closely.
“Principal?” He called again, The Principal’s gaze lingered on Victor, as she said, “You look… older?”
Victor’s smirk widened slightly as he replied, “Older? Oh, well, I’ve been growing… must be that growth spurt everyone talks about.”
Her brow furrowed, “A growth spurt, you say? In such a short time? Don’t you think it’s a bit… unnatural?”
Victor chuckled, nonchalant, “I’m special, remember?”
The Principal, though still doubtful, couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that lingered in her gut. There was something off about Aether… His playful demeanor was unchanged, but something deeper stirred beneath the surface.
She took an unconscious step closer to him, her hand instinctively reaching out. Her fingers brushed through his hair, soft and unfamiliar… In that moment, her mind went blank!!
Victor blinked in surprise, his eyes widening for a moment before softening. An unexpected wave of emotion washed over him,
“Principal?” he murmured softly with gentle and lovely that he never did before to her!
[+2000 AP]
Snapping back to reality, the Principal quickly withdrew her hand, confusion flickering across her face. She cleared her throat, regaining her composure, “You… have a visitor,” she stated, her voice now steady.
“A visitor?” Victor frowned slightly, confused. ‘I don’t recall anyone coming to see me…’
Before he could ponder further, a new voice rang out, gentle yet authoritative.
“Looks like you’re doing well,” the voice came from the stairs.
Aether turned, his eyes widening slightly as he laid eyes on…
Empress Marisandra Naiadia!
Her expression was stern as she ordered, “We need to talk!”
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