“Where have you been?” Thalia asked, her curiosity obvious as Aether slipped into Raven’s room.
Aether chuckled awkwardly, glancing between Thalia and Raven before heading toward her, “Just… setting things in motion for our plan.”
“Plan?” They both frowned in unison. He’d rejected their “brilliant” plan earlier, so now they wondered what he was up to.
“Yes,” he replied, his face suddenly serious. Taking Raven’s hand gently, he said, “Trust me, Raven. Everything will work out. I promise you’ll be happy—soon enough.”
Thalia tilted her head, confusion plain in her eyes, “But… what exactly have you been doing?”
Aether gave Thalia a playful wink. “That’s a secret. Now, have you both spoken with the Princess?”
Thalia nodded, a grin forming on her lips, “Yeah, Aqualina is really something else…. I mean, our plan is practically perf—”
Cough.
“I mean, it’s good—”
Cough, cough!
“…not… ba—”
Cough! Cough! Cough!
Thalia narrowed her eyes at Aether, hands on her hips. “Oh, come on! It’s at least decent, you know!”
“Decent?” Aether echoed, suppressing a grin. “Like walking straight into Arkanis’s chamber?… Sounds like a shortcut to death.”
Thalia’s cheeks turned pink. “A-Anyway… Aqualina’s plan is actually solid. She even found this rare artifact for it…” She held up an unusual orb, shimmering faintly in her hand. “With this, we can get in without worrying about getting lost.”
Aether raised his eyebrows, intrigued, “And what, exactly, is that?”
Thalia smirked, winking mischievously, “That’s secret ~” She whistled innocently, keeping the orb close.
Aether’s lips twitched with amusement as he glanced at Raven, who was watching him closely, almost intently, her eyes unwavering. He raised an eyebrow. “Is… something wrong?”
Raven didn’t answer. She just took a step closer, she removed her sunglasses and revealed her two heterochromatic eyes, her gaze locked on his face…. more specifically, on his eyes!
Thalia watched Raven’s advance in surprise, eyes wide. ‘Is she actually making a move?’ Thalia thought, her heart beating faster as she peeked through her fingers, anticipating Raven’s next move.
Raven’s lips hovered just inches from his, her gaze still piercing, as if searching for something beneath the surface. She was close—closer than ever before—but Aether knew she wasn’t going to kiss him.
No way.
As expected, she stopped mere centimetres away, her gaze never leaving him, “What are you doing?” Aether asked, his tone light yet curious.
Still, Raven didn’t answer. Her attention remained fixed on his eyes… on their crystal-blue depths.
Something in them was different, something dark and unrestrained, lurking just beneath.
It’s the same as usual but… she could sense something within them… as if something hiding in it!
Flick!
Suddenly, she flinched. A faint spark of purple flickered in his eyes, just for a moment, but enough to make her body shiver with a mix of fear and… excitement?
This power—it was dangerous, something that hadn’t been there before.
“What… happened to you?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, her expression serious.
Aether raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. “Hmm?”
“There’s… something strange about you. I can feel it. Your power… it’s familiar, but different,” she said, a hint of doubt in her voice.
Aether smirked, leaning just a little closer, “Didn’t I mention I had a plan?”
Raven’s curiosity flared, but Aether changed course, his tone softening as he looked at her. “Raven?”
“Hmm?”
He took a step closer, and instinctively, she took a step back, but he reached forward, his hand resting lightly on her waist. “Tell me… who are you?”
Raven’s eyebrows knitted slightly, a faint frown appearing as she looked up at him, caught off guard by the question.
“Raven or… Noirix?”
The name struck Raven like a silent storm. She flinched, her mouth parting as though to answer, but her voice caught, the words trapped.
Who was she?
She had asked herself that question countless times in those 100s of years.
And each time, she had come up empty.
No!
No matter what, she could not find a perfect answer for that question.
She was born Pyra Raven, but after everything—the losses, especially her sister—she couldn’t bear the loneliness.
When her sister’s memories surfaced, she clung to them, absorbing her sister’s essence. She’d decided that if she couldn’t have her sister, she could at least keep her close by accepting those memories as part of herself.
Aether’s expression softened, his hand brushing tenderly against her cheek. “Raven… it’s okay. You’re not alone anymore. We’re here, I’m here. Even if Thalia left you—”
“Oi?” Thalia pouted slightly.
Aether chuckled, then continued, his gaze never leaving Raven, “I’ll never leave you, Raven. Believe me. Your sister lives in your memories, not as you. You are Raven—the only Raven I love. So, accept yourself. Not just for her… but for you.”
Raven’s chest tightened, her heart missing a beat. Could she let go? Could she release her sister’s shadow? But those steady, sincere eyes offered a warmth she hadn’t felt in years. She swallowed, then nodded slowly. “I… I’ll try.”
[+700 AP]
Aether smiled, satisfied.
He knew she wasn’t there yet, but that was okay. She didn’t need to be perfect; all he wanted was for her to begin. She was already trying, and for him, that was more than enough.
Just as he shifted to leave, Raven reached out, her hand clutching the corner of his shirt. Her eyes met his with unknown emotions.
Aether’s lips curled into a gentle smile as he stepped closer, cupping her face and leaning in until his lips brushed hers in a soft, tender kiss.
“Hmm~”
[+800 AP]
Raven’s eyes fluttered closed as she leaned into him, her uncertainty melting away for just that moment.
“Oh!” Thalia gasped, a look of astonishment lighting up her face as she watched them kiss. When they finally pulled apart, she flashed a teasing grin.
“Raven, you’re quite the cute one, you know?” Aether said with a playful smirk.
Raven’s cheeks flushed pink, and she cleared her throat, glancing away. “W-Why don’t we go see Aqualina?” she stammered before striding out of the room, clearly flustered.
Thalia and Aether shared a chuckle as they watched her go.
“Hahaha…”
“Ha… haha…”
Thalia turned to Aether, her smile softening into something fond. “You’re… something else, Aether,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Aether arched a brow, acknowledging the compliment with a slight nod.
“‘Your sister lives in your memories, not as you.’ That’s… quite a line, Aether,” Thalia murmured, glancing in the direction Raven had gone, her eyes thoughtful.
Aether nodded, his gaze reflective. “If her sister were here, she wouldn’t want Raven living under her death. She’d want her to live her own life, as herself. Raven is… Raven. There’s no one else like her.”
[+300 AP]
Thalia’s smile turned mischievous as she leaned into him with a playful nudge, “You know… if my family were around to witness all this, they’d probably be throwing a big celebration and pushing me into marriage.”
Aether raised an eyebrow, “Oh? And why’s that?”
Thalia gave him a mock look of exasperation, clearly holding back a laugh, “Because, believe it or not, you’re ticking all the boxes: fighting for her, risking your life, supporting her in every way, and you even know how to handle a woman’s heart. You’ve checked off everything on my list except…” She paused, her lips curling into a smirk. “You’re not exactly strong enough for me…. Weak!!”
“Weak?”
“That’s right!” Thalia smirked, crossing her arms. “I don’t go for weak men.”
“Weak man?” He asked again.
“Exactly. You may have your charms, but I’m not interested in men who can’t handle a real fight.” She tossed her hair with a smirk, then turned, already following Raven’s path out the door.
Aether watched her go, shaking his head with a chuckle, “Weak, she says… after I practically wiped the floor with her just a few hours ago…”
