NOVPUB"W-What do you mean? I don’t get it...? The answers? Him? I-I am not searching for a possible future husband!!" Xara stammered, her voice laced with utter shock and disbelief.
The Prophetess chuckled softly, clearly amused by Xara’s flustered reaction, "Haha... Who said anything about a potential husband?" Her tone carried a teasing edge.
Xara blinked rapidly, suddenly realizing what she had just blurted out. Her face turned crimson, the heat rushing to her cheeks, "I-I meant... I mean... I..." She bit her lips, struggling to find a way tover up her slip. But no matter how she looked at it... her words had sounded exactly like that!
The Prophetess, her face mostlyncealed beneath thick layers of cloth, had an amused expression beneath theverings. She then turned her attention toward Aether, who was busy running his hands along the stone walls. Watching his movements, she thought to herself, ’This boy... he’s really playing with fire, isn’t he? Haha... silly child.’
Xaraughed into her fist, forcing herself to regain hermposure. With a deep breath, she straightened her posture and adopted a serious expression,
"I don’t know what you’re trying to imply... but that’s not important. I will explain my question properly this time. I need to know... The Origin!"
The Prophetess, who had been calmly observing Aether, finally returned her focus to Xara. With a tone devoid of humour, she spoke in a slow and deliberate manner,
"As I said before... He is the Answer."
Xara’s brows knitted together, her face showing clear frustration. Her mind worked rapidly, trying to decipher the Prophetess’s words, but no matter how she pieced them together, they made no sense.
Howuld Aether be the Answer when she was searching for the origin?
That didn’t make sense at all!
She clicked her tongue in irritation. "Tsk." This wasn’t going anywhere. Sheuld already tell the Prophetess had no intention of revealing the truth so easily.
With a weary sigh, she shook her head and muttered, "Anyway... Here is the rewa—" She was just about to offer the Prophetess her reward when,
"I don’t need it," the Prophetess interjected before Xarauld finish. Her voice was warm, carrying an air of gentle affection. "This is my gift to my daughter-in-law, who has worked so hard for her family."
Xara’s frown deepened. She stared at the Prophetess, unsure if she had heard herrrectly. "Are you serious? You never allowed me before... now Daughter-in-law?" she said, suspicion creeping into her tone.
The Prophetess chuckled again, "Well, that’s because you never came with him before, did you?"
Xara opened her mouth to argue but found herself speechless. She blinked, staring blankly at the Prophetess before finally sighing in resignation. "If you say so..." She turned, just about to ask, "Well, If you don’t mind I need your bl--" When,
"Just remember this, girl..." The Prophetess’s voice took on a cryptic tone, one that sent a slight chill down Xara’s spine, "Your fate is already entwined with that child. No matter how far you run, no matter how much you resist, you will always end up in his hands. That... is what you wished for."
Xara’s frown deepened further, "What are you—" But before sheuld finish, the Prophetess tapped her staff against the ground, and in an instant, the barrier shattered.
Before Xarauld react, her body vanished.
The Prophetess shifted her attention to Aether, who was still preoccupied with the walls. Watching him, she exhaled and thought to herself, ’This guy...’ Her expression turned deadpan before she finally spoke up. "We don’t have any secret paths, Aether."
Aether flinched, pausing mid-motion, before turning toward her awkwardly. "Who said I was looking for a secret path? I was just, you know, checking. Like in those movies where the temple is actually the most unholy place," he rambled, saying far more than necessary. 𝑛𝘰𝑣𝘱𝑢𝑏.𝘤𝑜𝘮
The Prophetess’s lips twitched slightly. ’This brat...’ she thought. With a sigh, sherrected him. "This is not a temple... just a place for me to rest."
Aether shrugged half-heartedly, not entirelynvinced but decided to let it slide. "If you say so." His expression then turned more serious as he glanced around. "Where is Xara?"
"Your mother is waiting outside."
Aether’s lips twitched. He wanted to argue that Xara was not his mother, but he knew it would be pointless. Instead, he just sighed and shook his head before taking a step closer.
"So?" The Prophetess asked, her voice calm and unreadable.
"...Mind telling me what you two talked about?" Aether asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. He really wanted to know.
"Is that truly what you wish to ask?" Her voice shifted, growing serious, as if his answer carried far more weight than he realized.
Aether hesitated for a moment. Heuldn’t afford to waste this opportunity... What if she gave only one answer?
Ofurse, heuld not waste that!
After a brief pause, he exhaled sharply and shook his head. "No... That’s not what I need to know." His expression hardened with determination. "I want to know... the requirement for the Process."
The Prophetess fell into silence.
Aether, unwilling to let thenversation slip into riddles, added firmly, "And I don’t want any cryptic words or vague riddles this time. Just tell me the truth."
Another moment of silence stretched between them before the Prophetess finally spoke. "Why would I?" she asked as she slowly moved.
"..." The Prophetess turned silent.
Aether frowned.
She was right... Why would she?
It wasn’t like she owed him anything.
Maybe he was hoping for help because he got some affection points from her!
The Prophetess finally said, "You have angered Nature itself... If I choose to help you, it means I, too, will face its wrath."
Aether clenched his jaw. He understood her meaning all too well. He had already defied Nature by halting the Process. If she, someone whould see the future chose to interfere and aid him... then she, too, would suffer thensequences.
"But then, why did you bring me here in the first place?" Aether questioned back.
If what she said was true—if this wasn’t possible—then why even bother allowing him tome all the way here?
Something was off...
"You want something from me, don’t you?" Aether pressed, his voice carrying a sharp edge, his mind working through the puzzle as fast as heuld.
The Prophetess, who had been walking away, suddenly halted her steps. Slowly, she turned her head just enough to glance at him from beneath the veil of thick clothvering her face.
"I want something?" she murmured, her tone as light as a whisper. Then, after a short pause, she chuckled softly. "Hmm... youuld say that."
Aether’s lips curled into a smirk.
"Then that makes this a trade, doesn’t it?" he said smoothly, his eyes glinting with intrigue.
The Prophetess let out another chuckle, this time one filled with quiet amusement. "A trade? Brat… my life is what’s on the table. Do you honestly believe you can handle that weight on your shoulders?"
Aether’s smirk wavered slightly. He wasn’t so arrogant as to think heuld casually brush off her words. He understood the weight behind them—understood that whatever she was involved in carried far more risk than she was letting on.
His options were painfully limited, and he knew this wasn’t going to be as easy as negotiating terms. Still, some small part of him clung to hope—that maybe, just maybe, the bond he had unknowingly formed with her would play in his favour.
’Is that why the Log suggested I seduce her? Was that the reason it nudged me in that direction? So that she would willingly give me the information I need?’ Aether thought, his mind racing.
If so... then he needed to work his ass of--
Then,mpletely out of nowhere—
"Take me."
Aether’s brows shot up innfusion. "Huh?"
"When the timemes…" the Prophetessntinued, her voice firmer now, "you need to take me."
"Take you? like...F.... " Aether immediately stopped whatever thinking at that moment and thought like a rational person and changed, "Where?"
The Prophetess remained eerily silent.
Aether ran a hand through his hair, "Come on now… you know I’m terrible at deciphering cryptic messages," he sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Can you just tell me directly for once?"
The Prophetess gave no further explanation. Instead, she spoke again, this time her voice laced with finality.
"Take me… or leave this place."
Aether clicked his tongue.... Without the fullntext, he had no idea what she was really asking of him.
Was this some kind of test?
A hiddenndition?
Some unspokenntract he had unknowingly stepped into?
But then again… Sandra and Raven’s lives were on the line. There was no time to hesitate.
His fists clenched.
His jaw tightened.
"Fine…" He let out a slow breath and nodded with determination. "I’ll take you."
"Good," the Prophetess said, nodding slightly as if she had expected his answer all along. "Then listen carefully. The answers you seek—"
Suddenly—
Sssszzzzzz!
A sharp gust of wind tore through the room, despite it being tightly enclosed with no windows or open doors.
Then—
"Cough,ugh…"
The Prophetess swayed unsteadily before stumbling forward.
Aether barely had time to react before a sickening sound filled the room—
Blood!
Dark red liquid splattered onto the ground, seeping through the thick white cloth thatvered her.
"Shit!" Aether instinctively stepped forward, ready to catch her if shellapsed, but—
"N-No… don’tme near me…" she rasped, her body trembling violently. "Cough… ahem…"
’She really did put her life on the line for this?’ he realized, watching helplessly as blood dripped from herncealed face onto theld floor.
"W-What you seek…" she whispered, her voice barely above a breath, "...is already in your hands... Look closer."
Aether frowned, his mind struggling to grasp the meaning of her words.
"Wait—what the hell does that even mea—"
Before heuld finish his sentence, she raised her staff and struck the ground.
Thud!
Aether disappeared in an instant.
The moment he vanished, the Prophetessllapsed onto her knees, her bodynvulsing from the aftershock of whatever force had just surged through her.
"Cough,ugh…"
Her breathing turned shallow and ragged. More blood seeped from her body, staining the floor in thick, crimson pools.
"Arrrgh! No… I didn’t tell him… it was just a hint… Stop it!!" she screamed in agony. Her body trembled violently!
Within snds, several nuns rushed inside, their robes fluttering as they surrounded her. They wasted no time, raising their hands in unison. A bright, radiant light emerged from their palms, pulsing with energy before surging toward the Prophetess.
Meanwhile—
Aether blinked, suddenly finding himself standing outside the gate, right beside Xara.
His breathing was uneven as he slowly lowered his gaze, staring down at his hands as if expecting to find some kind of answer hidden in his own palms.
"I really hate cryptic words, you know," he muttered under his breath.
"I hate them too..." Xara chimed in with an irritated sigh.
Both of them paused.
Then, as if moving on instinct—
They turned to look at each other, then blinked in unison and.... they smiled amusingly at each other.
Without another word, they clapped their hands together at the same time—acknowledging that, for once, they werempletely on the same page.
