Chapter 429: Dream Big
Resting on top of the Marketplace, Aether watched from above. It hadn’t changed, not even a little bit; he could even recognize most of the sellers. Nobles came, and they robbed in broad daylight; it was the same dreadful process over and over again.
To think what those merchants had to go through; they worked so hard getting the things they sold, just for someone to come and give them a horrible deal they weren’t allowed to decline. Things needed to change, and he knew that...
This wasn’t going to be the life the Withered was going to have to go through for long... he had gotten stronger, and would continue to grow stronger. Meaning the Withered would always have a protector.
...
Aether rolled his eyes, walking away from the Marketplace. He had thought that maybe it would be more interesting, but it hadn’t. He had been dead wrong, and outside it, there was nothing new.
So there was nothing else to do but the thing he actually came for: to try and get something started in training and helping the Withered.
He didn’t necessarily have any way to announce this, so that was why he had gone around the place, painting some walls with his brush. He drew a sword and then an arrow from it directed towards a small library, which didn’t look that good, but good enough.
After that, he went on, expecting to at least see one person, but there was no one. ’Of course there isn’t anyone; they hadn’t had the time to come.’ So he climbed on top of the Library, and waited.
...
But no one came... ’Really? I go through all that... for nothing?’
Aether sighed. What had he done wrong? After all, he had given what the Withered needed: training; he had given them a chance for it, and yet no one. ’So where did I go wrong?’
"Where did you not go wrong?" Aether turned his head to see a familiar figure: himself. It had gotten quite obvious, honestly; he was getting bored of this whole gimmick. He scoffed, smirking. "And which one are you, the Abyss or Voidpiercer?"
His replica laughed, sitting down next to him. "The latter."
"Alright then, you all-knowing blade, tell me, where did I go wrong, since I really can’t figure it out?" Aether said, confident that the blade didn’t actually have anything in mind. But to his surprise, it did.
"Aether... do you even want to help the Withered?"
His eyes widened before he just stared at the blade as if asking it if it was serious; after all, to him, this was an obvious answer, one that he shouldn’t even have to say. "I mean, duh?"
... "Do you? Or do you just want validation from yourself?"
Aether frowned, confused, trying to talk, but Voidpiercer cut him off, getting back on his feet and staring at the Withered on the horizon. "A boy that has gone through so much, only to finally accept it all and become hollow. He was in search of a goal, but for what reason? Because he actually wanted to have one, or because he wanted to have one. I basically said the same thing, but they mean different things."
"Just how?" Aether said, more confused than he had ever been in his life.
...
Voidpiercer turned to him, staring into his eyes. "Why didn’t you help with the nobles? Even if it’s something that happens every day, if you wanted people to fight back and bring liberation for the Withered, why didn’t you help?"
Aether rolled his eyes in annoyance, opening his mouth to respond.
...
But he couldn’t find any words... maybe because he didn’t know himself.
"I personally find it funny, just how many times you say you want something, and then when you can do something about it, you just completely ignore it. And it’s not like this is something new. It’s just a part of you. Quite the procrastinator, huh?" The blade leaned in to face him.
"Why did you reveal yourself to your sister?"
Aether leaned back, trying to give himself some space. "You already heard my answer. I don’t need to repeat it."
Voidpiercer chuckled. "Quite the bad one, if I had to say. It’s obvious she remembers you, so it’s not like you can put up that whole maybe they forgot about me act, and even if they did, nothing changes. Is the truth really that hard to live in? That lies are better."
...
"You’ve started spouting nonsense, but I feel like you’ve spoken more lies to yourself than to others. And you don’t even recognize it, and the worst part is that you won’t until you face the truth right in front of you, until you experience it; you won’t change."
Voidpiercer sighed, looking at Aether’s frozen state. "Try to get their fighting spirit up first, then they will join you. And you know what’s a good way to do so? Revealing that the Abyss is alive, after all, when they followed you, so if they learned you’re back, they will again."
...
"But you won’t do that, will you? Because it will mess with your life in the Academy, and we don’t want that, do we?"
Aether stared at the blade. "But-"
"But what?" The blade cut him off. "There is no but. Dream big, Aether, like you always do; just say you do, and to help you feed that pride of yours, to prove to yourself that you are someone."
The Blade stared at him for another minute before waving him off, annoyed, and disappearing. Leaving Aether alone, still, without anyone who had come to him for training.
He clenched his fists into his lap. "What does he know about me?"...
Aether got up on his feet, jumping out of the library. "My whole mood is ruined. I’ll go back to the Blue Rose for now, and try to plan my next move since this one worked so greatly." He was, of course, being sarcastic.