"Is she alright?" Sera asked with a slightly worried tone as she stepped out of the bathroom, wiping her sweat with a towel after finishing an intense morning workout.
"I... I'm still not sure," Aether muttered, wearing a loosely tied night robe. He looked down at Helena, who was... like... just sitting there blankly, her wide eyes glued to the ceiling, mouth slightly agape, completely frozen.
He had guided her to sit on the chair, but since then... she hadn't moved an inch.
Aether crouched in front of her, waving his hand gently in front of her face.
No response.
He even tried to call her na, softly, then a bit louder, even with a slight edge of frustration—but nothing. It was like she had completely disconnected from reality. Just... staring.
Unblinking.
Unmoving.
A shell.
It felt so surreal that he muttered to himself, "It's like... like a child witnessing their parents do sothing they didn't understand but really horrified.... Maybe Traumatised?"
He wasn't even sure what kind of emotion was buried in those wide, glassy eyes, but Helena was absolutely not herself.
Not even close.
He was beginning to panic inside.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
He hadn't even told her anything yet. He hadn't prepared her. He hadn't even gotten the chance to explain his life or his past missions.
She knew nothing. She was completely blank about everything... and then, she had seen that.
And now, she was like this. Aether was filled with guilt.
He tried again, more desperately this ti, "Helena... co on, wake up. Say sothing..." He touched her hand—it was cold and limp, like her soul had montarily walked out.
Sera sighed and crossed her arms under her chest, glancing over with an amused smirk despite the situation. "She just walked in... and got emotionally nuked," she muttered with a slight shake of her head, walking closer to the frozen girl and leaning down to peer into Helena's face.
She tilted her head, inspecting her like a machine that had powered off, "You're really just gone, huh? Like a broken doll."
Aether scratched the back of his head with a worried expression, heart sinking deeper with every second. "I really ssed this up..." he whispered. "I didn't an for her to find out this way. I was planning to talk to her when I got back... but she avoided all of a sudden. Timing... perfect as always," he muttered bitterly. "Fucked-up situation."
He sat back beside Helena, glancing at her helpless state, lips trembling with anxiety. "Sigh... What should I even do now?" he muttered again, this ti with a note of fear.
He wasn't just worried—he was scared.
Scared he'd lost her.
Scared she wouldn't look at him the sa again.
Scared this blank stare was all she'd have left for him.
Sera, who had been tapping her fingers against her hips, turned her head with a casual shrug. "If you're worried she's gonna freak out about other won in your life..." she said, eyes narrowing slightly as she looked at Helena again, "then don't be."
"Huh?" Aether blinked in confusion, brows furrowing. "What do you an by that?"
Sera smirked wider. "Just trust ," she said softly as she stepped closer to Helena and gently stroked her cheek with a finger, "Sotis... people just need the right kind of push."
Then without warning, she turned to Aether, smirked, and leaned in—eyes glowing with teasing mischief—as she placed a kiss on his lips, "~Oh~ Aether~mmm~Aether~mmm~your tasty lips~mmm~ I want to bite all day~hmm~"she purred against his lips, biting and kissing him with sultry hunger.
The exaggerated sensual display was clearly deliberate... And it worked.
Helena, who had been a lifeless statue, suddenly twitched. Her ears flicked. The dullness in her eyes shimred for a mont... then colour rushed back like a storm.
She blinked rapidly as if waking up from a long dream, then gasped as her gaze focused on the sight in front of her: The Archpriestess—was grinding against Aether like a horny cat in heat.
Her cheeks turned crimson.
"IMPURE!!!" Helena scread, her face going beet red as she leapt up and shoved Sera away with unexpected strength, eyes wide and burning with righteous fury. She then lunged forward and hugged Aether tightly from behind, wrapping herself around him like a protective barrier, glaring daggers at Sera.
Sera staggered back with a laugh, her hand on her hip. "Well, look at that. Miss Purity is back to life. I was honestly thinking we'd need to show her that thing again to get her to snap out of it~"
Helena's face was now deep red, and her voice trembled with passion and confusion, "D-Dirty!!" She hugged Aether tighter—almost too tight—her fists clenching around his robe, as though shielding him from another predator chick circling her territory.
Aether let out a choking sound and tapped her arms in panic, "C-Can't... breathe..."
Helena gasped and instantly let go, flustered beyond words. She backed away slightly, covering her mouth, "I-I am sorry..." she muttered in a tiny voice, eyes low, unable to et his gaze.
Aether rubbed his neck awkwardly, a soft groan slipping past his lips as he tried to collect his thoughts. "Anyway..." he began, voice low, unsure where to even start. Since she knew now... There was no reason to hide it anymore. "I... I am really sorr—"
But Helena interrupted,
"So... I'm really your wife from your previous life?" she asked, her voice full of wonder and innocent awe, her eyes wide and glistening with newfound curiosity.
"...What again?" Aether blinked, caught completely off guard.
Helena suddenly zipped closer, face almost touching his, her expression childlike yet completely sincere. "I knew it..." she whispered. "I always felt it. The way you moved... your eyes... how you carried yourself. You're not just anyone, Aether. You're... my God."
She bowed her head with the kind of reverence that almost made Aether shiver.
Aether's expression turned blank as he slowly turned his head to the side... only to realise Sera was no longer there.
His eyes shot to the door, catching the sneaky priestess tiptoeing like a thief, her hand already halfway to the doorknob.
"Where are you going? Co here," he muttered with a sigh, flicking his hand casually.
Wind spiralled around Sera's feet and yanked her back like a ragdoll, pulling her to his side. She landed beside him with a surprised yelp.
"Oh!" she blurted, quickly pretending nothing happened by casually whistling, eyes looking anywhere but at him.
Aether gave her a flat stare.
Turning to Helena, he said gently, "Helena... I'm not a god."
But Helena only smiled—warmly, deeply—with a glow that radiated from her chest like holy light. Her aura was almost blinding their dirty eyes. Devotion sparkled in her eyes like stars.
"There's no need to hide it anymore... My God," she whispered as she turned to look at the Archpriestess beside him, her tone suddenly shifting to sothing darker, slightly jealous.
"Did you not tell him?" she asked, voice low but pointed, eyes narrowed at Sera like a devout believer catching a fellow disciple in blasphemy.
Sera flinched, "W-Well... I can tell him," she stamred, trying to play it cool but failing miserably. Her fingers fidgeted near her waist. "But... due to my position as the Archpriestess... I-I'm kind of... restricted..."
Then she felt it—that gaze. Aether's eyes, staring deep into hers, not angry, not disappointed, just... heavy. It was the look of soone silently asking, Why are you making this worse?
Her shoulders trembled, a nervous flutter rising in her chest. She swallowed and finally threw her arms up in surrender. "Ugh! Fine! You can tell him," she said, her voice fluttering as she awkwardly turned to Helena with a shrug, avoiding his stare like it burned.
Helena gave a reverent nod, her eyes softening like a warm breeze sweeping across a storm-ravaged field. Her voice, sweet and serene, filled the room. "The Archpriestess... she found the truth about you. My Go—"
"Let's stop with the God thing!" Aether suddenly snapped, exasperation flooding his voice. "Just call fucking Aether!"
There was a mont of pause.
Helena blinked, then nodded sincerely, completely unfazed. "As you wish... My Fucking Aether."
"PUFFF!! Hahaa—!" Sera burst out in uncontrollable laughter, slapping her thigh and doubling over, nearly choking on her breath. But a single deadly glare from Aether silenced her instantly. She slapped both hands over her mouth, yet her shoulders still shook violently from the effort of holding in her laughter.
Aether groaned and dragged a hand down his face. "Just Aether... Helena. Please. Just call like you normally do."
Helena paused, her cheeks turning a delicate shade of crimson as she bashfully nodded. "Y-Yes... Aether..." she murmured softly, then added with a growing emotional swell, "The Archpriestess... she told you are... gulp... the reincarnation of the G-God.
That you descended to this mundane world to reunite with the wives you lost in a grand, tragic battle."
Her eyes shimred, and her voice wavered as if retelling an epic romance. "You abandoned everything... everything divine... just to be with us once more. You walked through fire and flesh to return to us..." Her throat tightened. "A-And... we are your wives..."
"...." Aether blinked. He slowly turned toward Sera with a flat, long stare.
Sera only shrugged with a helpless expression that practically shouted, I helped you. Mind that.
'That's not helping at all!' Aether scread internally, slapping his forehead with a groan.
Just then, Helena moved closer. Her steps were soft, but her heart was pounding like a war drum. She threw her arms around him, her body trembling with raw, unfiltered emotion. Her cheek pressed against his chest, and her voice cracked with both fear and longing.
"I... I don't rember our past, not fully.
It's all blank.
B-But I've always felt sothing, Aether... a connection.
Like an invisible string pulling to you.
Like I knew you before I even knew your na." Her tears soaked his robe as she clung to him tighter, "I'm so happy... that you ca for . Even if I don't rember a thing... even if I'm just a shadow of who I was... please... don't leave . I-I'll rember soday... our wonderful past life. I promise..."
Her words hit him like a weight to the chest. She was shaking—shaking from fear of losing sothing she didn't even fully understand... and love that she couldn't explain.
Aether gently patted her head, his other hand hovering awkwardly in the air. His gaze turned to Sera, who looked back with a surprisingly calm expression.
She knew what he was feeling. She had crafted that entire story not to manipulate—but to shield.
To soften the blow.
Helena was the target. A fragile girl thrust into a dark truth too heavy for her heart to carry. So Sera gave her sothing warr, sothing that could keep her grounded.
Aether's heart tightened.
He shook his head with a strained voice. "This is getting ridiculous... Listen, Helena. I'm not g—"
But Sera suddenly stepped in, her body fluid, tone commanding. "Helena, listen to carefully. You cannot just ask a god directly if he is a god. That's not how divine guidance works," she said seriously, placing a hand over her chest. "Gods are watched. Spied upon. Hunted. If a god reveals himself outright... danger follows."
Helena gasped. Her eyes widened as if realization struck her like lightning. "Y-You're right!" she whispered, both hands covering her mouth as she looked around nervously. "Oh no... Oh no, I didn't an to put you in danger... I'm sorry, Aether!" she whimpered, visibly panicking as if she could feel so invisible force watching them now.
Aether dragged his hand across his face again. "Ahh... Fuck..." he muttered in defeat.
He looked at Helena, who was now practically brainwashed—completely wrapped up in Sera's fabricated divine romance tale.
She wasn't angry anymore.
She wasn't afraid.
She was just... in love. With a story. With him. With the version Sera gave her.
Sera gave him a sharp glare that asked, Are you really going to ruin this?
Even if it was a lie... she was just trying to help. Help him. Help Helena. Keep them from tearing apart.
Aether gritted his teeth. He couldn't lie. Not to her. Not to soone who clung to him so earnestly.
Sure, it would be easy for him, but... Xara taught him sothing... There are things that should be said rather than hiding it from their closest ones, instead of letting it break apart.
"Just listen, Helena..." he said softly, but firmly, "It's not what you think it is."
Sera looked at him silently. Her face didn't move, but her eyes narrowed just a little—resigned.
But then... a small smile ford on her lips. She watched Aether closely, that smile growing with a tinge of admiration.
'Heh... Even though he's a shaless womaniser... he's still a good man. That's why... that's why I like him,' she thought to herself, crossing her arms and staying quiet as he finally began to open up about everything—his past, his missions.
Helena's expression, as she listened, slowly began to shift...
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