“Where is he?” Lia muttered under her breath, her voice tinged with frustration as she paced back and forth through the castle halls.
She had been searching for Aether for what felt like hours, but there was no sign of him. It was as if he had vanished into thin air. Even Aqualina, who always seemed to know everything, had no clue where he was.
Lia bit her lower lip, she knew she had messed up—badly. But, just like Victor had said, she had no choice now but to face the problem head-on.
Her cheeks flushed, both with anger and embarrassment, as she muttered to herself, “You really fucked up this time, idiot! How could you let yourself lose control over a few drops of blood? What the hell is wrong with you?!” The thought of it made her curse again. Never, in her wildest dreams, had she imagined she would lose herself after drinking blood…
‘I suppose that’s why it’s called the Crimson Elixir of the Null…’ she thought bitterly. Just the memory of its taste made her throat dry. She swallowed hard, feeling a sudden pull of desire. But she immediately shook her head, trying to push the thought away before it consumed her.
“A-Anyhow… I have to face Aether. I can’t hide forever… I’m sure he’s nervous about all this too…” Her voice wavered, and her expression darkened as another thought crept in. “And… he’s Selene’s guy…”
Her heart sank a little at the last realization, but she quickly shook off the feeling, forcing herself back to reality, “He’s just a friend. Nothing more. Get a grip, Lia,” she whispered, trying to convince herself. Just as she spoke those words, she spotted Aether and Victor walking side by side through the corridor.
Her body reacted before she could think, darting behind a nearby pillar. Sweat began to bead on her forehead as her heart pounded in her chest, ‘W-Why am I hiding now?’ she scolded herself, wiping her brow. Taking a deep breath, she gathered her courage and stepped out from her hiding spot.
“Aeth—” she started to call out, but her voice caught in her throat as she watched Aether and Victor disappear into the throne room.
“Huh?” Lia frowned, noticing the Dragon Emperor greet them with a welcoming smile as the door closed behind them, ‘What’s going on?’ she wondered, her curiosity piqued. Quietly, she crept toward the large doors, pressing her ear against the cool surface, hoping to catch something… but nothing she could hear!!
Meanwhile, inside the throne room:
“Greetings, Dragon Emperor,” Aether said, his voice carrying a tone of respect as he bowed slightly.
Arkanis studied Aether closely, his gaze narrowing when he noticed the unusual pallor of the boy’s skin. “Is he alright?” Arkanis asked, casting a sidelong glance at Victor.
Victor shrugged nonchalantly. “He’s always like that… pale, distant… you know how it is,” he replied.
Victor turned toward Aether with a firm expression, “You need to sit on the throne,” he instructed.
Aether’s eyes widened in disbelief, “W-What? But… that’s the Dragon Emperor’s throne! I can’t just sit there! That seat belongs to someone far greater than me—” he stammered, his voice quivering as he turned to Arkanis, pleading. “P-Please forgive him, Dragon Emperor. My friend doesn’t always think things through…”
Arkanis’s lips curved into a faint smile, clearly amused by Aether’s fear, ‘Not bad… He’s got a ‘respectful’ attitude,’ Arkanis mused, leaning back slightly, “It’s fine. You don’t need to worry. Just follow your friend’s instructions,” he said calmly, waving a hand to reassure the nervous boy.
Aether hesitated, his body tense. His gaze flickered between Victor and the imposing throne. “I… I don’t think I can…” he began, but Victor stepped forward, urging him on.
“Come on, Aether. You have to trust me on this. Just sit.” Victor pressed, his voice more insistent now.
Reluctantly, Aether took a deep breath and walked toward the throne, his heart pounding in his chest. He could feel Victor and Arkanis’s eyes on him, watching his every move. Slowly, hesitantly, he lowered himself onto the black throne.
Immediately, golden vines shone from the throne, it moved like living tendrils.
Arkanis clenched his fist, his mind racing. He had high hopes for this boy, praying that he was indeed the descendant of the Origin Emperor. But as the seconds ticked by, his frown deepened. ‘Why is it taking so long?’ he wondered, frustration beginning to creep in. Just then, the golden vines vanished as suddenly as they had appeared.
Victor smirked slightly as he sighed and turned to Arkanis, his tone laced with concern, “What’s going on? Is it… broken?” he asked, knowing full well the answer.
Arkanis shook his head, his eyes narrowing. “No… that’s impossible. It must be something else…” He was deep in thought, trying to understand why the throne hadn’t reacted as expected.
Victor’s expression became more thoughtful as well. “Maybe… since he wasn’t thrown off like we were… he’s related to them, but the system is waiting for something specific,” Victor speculated.
Arkanis’s eyes widened, a glimmer of hope reigniting. “You could be right…”
Victor called Aether back, snapping him out of the tense situation.
Aether stood from the throne, his legs a little shaky, and came over to them. “W-What did you see when the black screen appeared?” Victor asked.
Aether, still visibly shaken, replied nervously, “It… it said something like ‘Partially Awakened’ and ‘unable to access the system’… or something like that…” He glanced between Victor and Arkanis, clearly unsure of what it all meant.
Victor’s lips curled into a barely noticeable grin…. Everything had gone according to plan.
What had he done?
Simple. He had the ability to alter his clone’s characteristics slightly at the cost of Affection points…. So, he had removed the blood from his clone!
Once he had figured out that the throne tested the blood of the one who sat on it, all he had to do was remove the blood from his clone’s body, and…
‘Fuck it!’ Victor thought triumphantly. Without any blood to test, the throne simply considered there was no entity present and had shut down its scanning function entirely.
Aether glanced nervously between Victor and Arkanis, his voice trembling, “I-Is something the matter?”
Victor gave him a reassuring smile, “Nothing at all, my friend,” he said, his tone calm but calculating. Then, turning to Arkanis, he added smoothly, “It appears he’s indeed the one,” subtly guiding Arkanis’s thoughts in the direction he wanted.
Arkanis, however, couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. While he was no expert on the ancient system or bloodlines, his gut told him that there was more at play. Still, Victor’s influence was strong, and he nodded in reluctant agreement.
Despite Aether not being fully awakened, Arkanis couldn’t afford to let him slip away. There was too much at stake.
“Why don’t I take care of your friend for the time being?” Arkanis offered, his tone neutral.
Victor hesitated, “That won’t be necessary—” he began to say, but Arkanis swiftly interrupted, sweetening the deal.
“How about half of the Arcanium Mountains in my empire?” Arkanis proposed, a knowing glint in his eyes. He knew Victor had a vested interest in those otherwise seemingly useless mountains, “They could be yours. What do you say?”
Victor’s frown deepened, his lips tightening, “No, I don’t think—”
“65%,”
Victor still looked unconvinced.
“Fine,” Arkanis said, his voice firm, “80%. That’s how much your friend is worth to me.” His expression was dead serious now, eyes locked on Victor, daring him to refuse.
Aether, growing more alarmed by the cryptic exchange, stammered, “V-Victor, what’s going on? Why is he offering you—?”
Victor ignored him entirely, keeping his focus on Arkanis, whose smirk had grown more pronounced.
Victor let out a slow, deliberate breath before nodding slightly. “Alright… fine,” he agreed at last. “But remember this—make sure the Princess from Aquaris Naiadae never catches wind of this. If she finds out, she’ll come straight for you… My advice? Delay the summit for as long as you can. Sort out your affairs, and while you’re doing that, I’ll be mining those mountains.”
[+1 AP]
‘Not bad…’ Arkanis thought smugly to himself. “Don’t worry,” he replied, his voice confident. “I’ll take care of your friend ‘Personally’ and when the time comes for the summit, I’ll inform you directly. You have my word.”
Victor gave a thin-lipped smile as he turned to leave. “Goodbye, my friend. I hope you find peace—perhaps in whatever heaven there may be… if it exists at all.”
Aether’s face twisted with confusion and betrayal, “Victor… what are you talking about?” he cried, taking a step forward as if to follow him. But before Aether could act, Arkanis moved swiftly, delivering a sharp blow to the back of his head. Aether crumpled to the floor, unconscious, as Arkanis watched Victor leave. The Emperor’s smile faded, replaced by a look of cold fury.
‘The nerve of that lowborn to dictate terms to me…’ Arkanis thought darkly. He spat on the ground in disgust before turning his gaze to the unconscious Aether slumped at his feet. A twisted smile crept across his face. “I’ve found the final piece. Don’t worry, nothing will leave this castle. I will personally ensure that, Victor. You’re not as clever as you think.”
Meanwhile, Lia was still hidden behind the pillars, her brows furrowed in confusion and suspicion. She watched as Victor emerged from the throne room alone, her heart racing. ‘Where is Aether?’ she wondered, her instincts telling her something was horribly wrong.
Once Victor was out of sight, she quickly darted out from her hiding place, her eyes fixed on the slowly closing door of the throne room. Just as it was about to shut completely, she caught a glimpse of the Dragon Emperor…. Her eyes widened in shock!!
Arkanis was carrying Aether’s limp body over his shoulder as if he were nothing more than a sack of grain.
Lia’s breath caught in her throat, and her face turned pale with horror, “No…” she whispered, her mind racing, ‘What the hell is going on?!’
