Grace’s jaw hung slightly open.
She stared at Aether like he had grown three heads.
He... he really jumped into the Cycle of Samsara?
For what?
So that his beloved Mary wouldn’t cry?
Was he serious?
’Fucking bastard! She’s just using you!!’
The words almost slipped out of her mouth, but she bit them back. She had already lost her composure earlier—she scread like a child throwing a tantrum. She wasn’t going to let him see that again.
Still, her expression didn’t hide much. Her face was twisted in raw disgust as she stepped to the edge of the cage bar, her tiny wings fluttering with visible irritation.
"Are you fucking brain-dead or what?"
Her tone was sharp, piercing.
"You really jumped into Samsara for that woman? That woman is using you! She probably figured out you were important to and took advantage of it. Did that bird-sized brain of yours even stop to think about that, asshole?!"
Aether’s temple twitched. A visible vein pulsed on his forehead.
’Calm down... just calm down...’ he told himself over and over. His hands clenched, but he forced his voice to stay steady.
And spoke furiously for another reason,
"How dare you accuse my Mary of that?!"
He shouted, his voice echoing through the quiet domain.
’Fuck here we go again..’ Grace flinched instinctively, half-expecting him to lose control and try to hurt her again. For a second, she was genuinely worried he might explode in rage.
But instead... he crossed his arms and sulked like a boy whose mother just insulted his first crush.
Grace blinked.
And then gave a strange, half-amused smile.
"Boy... you look so damn innocent. Why don’t you go fall in love with a real woman instead of that thing?"
Aether didn’t respond with anger this ti. Instead, his eyes softened—full of longing, warmth, and sothing that almost looked like desperation.
"Mary... is my life," he said quietly. "She showed what it ans to actually live. Before her, I was just drifting through everything. But when she smiles... when she’s happy... god, she’s so cute. I just... I want to see that happiness on her face forever. I need to."
His voice trembled slightly, cracking under the weight of his feelings.
"So please, help . I found a crack in samsara... and there’s this ghost blocking the path. Sothing’s wrong, and I can’t reach the crack unless I get past that thing. Is there any way to get through? Or fix the crack?"
Grace stood in silence, visibly surprised by the ntion of the ghost. That was new. Clearly, sothing had happened while she was imprisoned.
She glanced at Aether, her expression shifting into sothing more disappointed than angry.
’This guy is hopeless. Completely head-over-heels for that manipulative girl. And he’s too blind to see he’s being played like a harp string.’
She let out a long sigh, feeling every ounce of her willpower drain away.
’Seriously... why in all the realms did those two crazy bitches pick this guy?’
Her eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms.
"...Fine."
Aether perked up, eyes wide.
Grace’s voice turned serious.
"When you caged , you didn’t just trap my body. You severed my link to Samsara itself. We’re one entity— and the cycle. My connection to the outside world was my connection to Samsara. And the mont you broke that, everything started collapsing. That crack you found? It’s a symptom of that fracture."
She stepped forward on the bar, voice sly now.
"And the only way to make your precious Mary smile again... is simple. You have to release ."
Aether blinked.
"I see..."
Without hesitation, he reached toward the cage latch.
Grace’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Was he really...?
"Oi... are you seriously doing this?" she asked, watching him closely. "I’m still pissed about being locked in here like so damn pet. You know I’ll probably attack you the mont I get out, right?"
His hand paused—but only for a second.
He humd gently, eyes calm, and said just one thing.
"Anything for my Mary."
"...."
Grace just stared at him. Blankly. Quietly.
Then, slowly, she closed her eyes. Her lips pressed into a thin line, her mind spinning with a dozen emotions she couldn’t express.
But suddenly—
"Hmm... it’s not opening."
Aether blinked.
He rattled the cage latch again. It didn’t budge. He tried pulling it. Twisting it. Even knocking it.
Nothing.
The tiny cage door didn’t move a single inch.
"...Huh?"
Grace opened her eyes, stunned and wide with disbelief, as she watched him pulling at the cage with everything he had. His veins throbbed across his arms and neck, sweat dripped down his flushed face, and yet—not even a dent appeared on the tiny tal bars.
"Tsk... don’t play with ," Grace muttered, her brow twitching as her eyes narrowed. "You’re the one who caged , and now you’re telling you can’t even open it?"
Aether groaned in frustration, his hands trembling on the cage as he shouted, "I told you—I didn’t cage you! It just... happened like that!!"
But no matter how desperately he pulled, the door didn’t budge even a millitre.
Panting heavily, his breath ragged, Aether finally slumped down. His head lowered as his fingers slowly slipped away from the cage. His face was pale, and his voice ca out soft, broken.
"I-I guess... this is our end, then..."
He muttered those words as he rose shakily to his feet, his legs wobbling beneath him like they were barely holding him up. He turned around and began to walk away, slow and defeated, like all hope had drained from his body.
Grace watched silently for a mont, then let out a long sigh.
"...Fine. Co here. I’ll help you."
Her voice was low and tired, like she was already regretting the offer.
’Hehe...’
Cage locked... Fucker, it opened the mont he touched that cage... Hehe~
Aether instantly turned back around, his face lighting up with relief. He scooped up the cage carefully into his arms, holding it with trembling affection.
"Thank you... thank you... really, Grace. Thank you so much! I swear, I just want to give you a big hug right now~"
Inside the cage, Grace trembled in alarm. She gripped the bars with both hands like her life depended on it.
"O-Okay, okay! Calm down, will you?! Your love’s gonna kill at this rate!" she yelped as her body almost brushed the inner cage surface, which imdiately began to drain her energy.
"Oh? Sorry..." Aether mumbled in a sheepish tone, then let out a little chuckle and set the cage back down carefully, still wearing that ridiculous grin.
Grace saw that smile and frowned. "Please stop. That smile’s annoying ," she said flatly, shaking her head. "Anyway, give your finger."
Without a second thought, Aether nodded and slipped his finger between the bars.
Grace stared at him like he was a complete idiot.
’He doesn’t even question anything... just doing whatever I tell him.
Is this what love turns a man into? Pathetic...’
Her lips curled into a disappointed frown as she thought bitterly to herself.
[ 10 AP]
With a sigh, she reached out her tiny hands and gently placed them around Aether’s single middle finger.
"In order for your attacks to work against souls, you can’t just hit them physically. You have to infuse your own energy into your soul. Right now... I’ll transfer a small amount of my own energy into your soul. It’ll only last a few seconds... maybe five. After that, it’s up to you to beat that ghost blocking the path. Think you can manage?"
Aether’s eyes sparkled, his mouth curved into a soft, unwavering smile.
"Of course," he said confidently.
Inside,
’All I need is just one second.’
Grace nodded, then closed her eyes.
Dark, purplish energy began to flow from her finger to his—glowing slightly as it passed from one soul to another, wrapping around his finger like a warm breath of darkness.
anwhile, outside—
Starla stood beside the motionless Aether, who had been unresponsive for several seconds now. Her eyes flickered between him and her Queen, who was starting to wither—her once luminous aura dimming bit by bit.
Starla’s fists clenched. As much as she wanted to protect her Queen, this decision wasn’t hers to interfere with. The Queen had made her choice—and Starla had no right to question it.
Just then, her instincts flared. Her eyes darted toward Aether.
And in that exact mont—
His eyes snapped open, And in the blink of an eye—
He vanished.
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