Prince of The Abyss

Putting on his hood, Aether jumped down in front of the women. Seeing him, she staggered a bit before regaining her cool.

Aether tilted his head, waiting for her to say something. He knew what she was here for; after all, he had been the one who promised what she was after, and there was no other reason for her to be here than the drawing on the wall he had left before.

Clenching her fist, she nervously spoke up. "I... expected you to also have been the one who painted that message... You seem to be everywhere nowadays, before with the silver coin, and now with the man in the Marketplace... and all the way back then..."

Aether smirked under his hood, only for him to see. "You remember? I wouldn’t have thought; time has passed after all, and in this place there are many things to remember."

The woman shook her head, slightly caught off guard by his voice... she had expected something far different. "No, not at all. I could never... as little as it might seem, giving a piece of bread in this place is something that doesn’t happen. And yet you did it, for whatever reason, and now, you also gave me a whole Blue Rose coin... what kind of Noble are you?"

Aether crossed his arms. "Who says I’m a noble? Doesn’t my mantle remind you of anything?"

The women studied him before speaking. "So then it’s the latter; I was between the two. But you should know not everyone saw you back with the Rebellion; they just knew who you were... or heard of what you looked like."

’... Actually never thought of it; I guess I just assumed everyone did, since I did get stopped sometimes on the street even with my hood off, but I guess she is right, not everyone has seen me, and now that there aren’t rumors of the Abyss leading the Rebellion while wearing one, just seeing someone with a cloak isn’t enough. Plus, my mantle has changed since Demon of Dread.’

Letting his arms fall, he rested one on his hip.

"So, what are you here for exactly? And why?"

The woman’s eyes widened; at first she was confused. Did he not remember about his own drawing in the Withered, promising training? But then it hit her... he did remember; but he knew that behind just wanting to train, there was also a reason and something she wanted to achieve with it.

"I... don’t want to let my child live in the same world I have been living... I want to change the Withered... no matter what I need to do."

Aether shook his head. "And what makes you think that I could help you? What makes you think I want that? Maybe I just wanted to get people who wanted to fight back and kill them. What makes you think you will leave here alive?"

...

"Because I trust you." The woman said, untouched by his comment, completely staring into the darkness of his hood, as if she could see beyond it. She couldn’t; a Reader like her could never see beyond a Bearer Relic... the one person who has been able but not fully has been his sister.

"You shouldn’t trust blindly. Trust is something hard to gain, and for a good reason."

The woman smiled. "It’s not trusting blindly... even if this is our first time talking, I know the type of person you are... maybe even more than you do. And even if I’m wrong, I’d rather die than let my child live in this place."

Aether’s eyes widened in shock beyond the darkness of his hood... he had never heard something like that, and he knew that he would hear it... Someone so desperate for a change... he knew she wanted it, but not to this level.

"Really? How crude. How can you say that knowing that your death would mean your child living alone in this place, without a mother to guide him? Would you really do that to him?"

The woman clenched her fist harder, frowning. "I know I’m a bad mother for it, trust me, it’s been a haunting thought ever since I first made my decision. But... you know how the Withered is; the chances of me dying in his lifetime are high... both had a high chance of dying, ironic, both because of the nature of the Withered, but only one actually made the life of my child better."

...

Aether smiled, taking his hood off to let the women see. He thought it was the right thing to do... she had proven herself to him.

She staggered a bit, just staring at his face. "I heard they said you were young... but I never expected you to be a child... How old were you even when we first met back then?"

Aether chuckled. "I was fourteen, and had just lost someone who I had been really close to... I was powerless... but wanted to get stronger for revenge. I never achieved it, but neither do I wish it anymore... do you still respect me now?"

The woman tilted her head. "I shouldn’t? If someone killed my child... I don’t know what I would do... I’m surprised you were able to make that choice... most people in your position wouldn’t."

Aether chuckled. "You say that, but you’re making a similar choice while being more hopeless than me."

...

"That’s why I said most, and not all." She smiled.

Aether paused for a second before laughing. "What’s your Affinity?"

The woman was caught off guard by that question, looking at the ground, nervous to answer. "It’s... nothing special, a utility type; it makes most things I cook good even without them being good... I know with it I won’t bring that much of a difference to the Withered, but I still want to try."

...

...

...

"I’ll make you a Seeker," He said bluntly, staring into her eyes with a smile.

"Name’s Aether, by the way."