Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1368: Making Thalia Rowdy again: Part-2

Third Person’s POV

Aether stood comfortably on the strange tree—one of the clarion energy producers that flourished in this broken, forgotten land.

He looked down, watching his Thalia as she struggled against the monstrous bull.

His expression remained cold as ice, a mask hiding storms of conflict beneath. He knew exactly what he was doing... Sure, she loved him... anyone could see that devotion, but there was something in her eyes, a spark that had disappeared after a certain point.

Something in her soul felt missing.

The reason he hadn’t given himself to her fully, right from the beginning.... He was worried... No! haunted by the Ebon Stone.

He had no idea what consequences might unfold if he slept with her, with Raven tangled up in the stone’s fate.

And the truth was, the only living phoenix in the world was Thalia. If he crossed a line with her, who knew what sort of horror he might unleash?

The Stone was always hungry for his suffering, right?

So he held back, thinking that was best, for now. He convinced himself it was the right thing... but as time slid by, he saw Thalia changing. Becoming... wrong.

Not the right word.

It reminded him of what humans in the old world called a NEET—someone drifting, shut away, yet she still left the house, still did her work.

No, that wasn’t quite it either.

He watched her more closely, quietly... She started losing interest, not in the world, but in herself.

He noticed so many times: she just let things happen, let the world and people around her decide her path.

Sometimes, she copied Raven. Sometimes, she just sat quietly, as if waiting for someone to tell her what to feel or want.

She looked like a lost and confused child, one who had fought for something for so long that now, having achieved it, she no longer knew how to live.

A stagnant water, once a rushing stream, now trapped and silent, swirling on itself.

He told himself, Give her time.

Let her choose her way. She doesn’t need you to draw her map. Still, when she announced, almost out of nowhere, that she wanted to Learn to be a ruler... he was shocked, and even happy.

For a moment, he thought she’d found her reason to move forward. Yet... she gave up after just two days, as if boredom had smothered the fire before it even caught.

Not only that, she tried new things after Selene and the others arrived, testing herself. But always, always, Aether found one thing in common: she wanted his attention.

That’s all!

He almost smiled, bitter and fond at the same time. It wasn’t that he disliked giving her attention... if that was truly what she craved, he would have given her the world. The problem was, she lost interest every time. As if she already knew, deep down, none of these things fit her.

And yet, she did them all for him.

Sometimes, at night, he would catch her sitting on the edge of their balcony, staring at the stars with restless, haunted eyes.

Thalia kept changing, trying out new looks, new skills, new jokes just for his reaction, his approval, his praise... Not for herself, never for herself.

Unlike Selene, who fought to support him, or Raven, who bled? to protect the Empire. Even the newest ones seemed to have their own reasons.

Only Thalia seemed to be lost in the ocean.

But the situation kept tightening around him... In the chaos, he let Emberlyn take care of her daughter. After all, if anyone could understand Thalia’s heart, surely it would be her own mother.

To his surprise, Emberlyn turned out to be almost the same as Thalia. He realised this during a rare, honest conversation.

Both mother and daughter, living for him... not for themselves.

Aether’s gaze returned to Thalia, who even now grappled with the bull. He wondered, not for the first time, if love was enough—or if he was only making things worse.

It was then that he had no choice other than to take it into his own hands.

Aether blankly stared at her, getting dragged by the bull like nothing. Still, he hadn’t moved an inch. He knew this was going to be a tough one, and as much as he wanted to rush in—to protect her, to shield her from the storm—he held himself back.

Honestly, that was his mistake too... if anything, Thalia’s current downfall was nothing but his mistake!

He protected her too much!

Thinking only he could save them. Failing to understand Thalia’s great sacrifice and fight she did for her family... alone!

How laughable of him!

He had learned his mistake today when he saw their wounds, their broken bodies; he knew it was he who made them weak. It was he who did all this... and he couldn’t blame them at all.

Aether exhaled sharply, the sound cutting through the scorched air. His gaze followed her as she tried to summon her flames again, ”That won’t do you any good,” he muttered under his breath, his tone half warning, half regret.

For a second, the beast looked afraid—the sight of fire flickering in Thalia’s mouth made it hesitate.

He raised two fingers, pointing toward the flames that flickered to life. A jet of water surged forward, so fast it looked like a silver arrow.

The flames turned to smoke in an instant, and the next instant,

”AETHER!!!”

Aether’s breath caught. Every instinct screamed for him to move, to teleport to her side, to pull her away before it was too late. His body twitched—his heart almost won. But his fist clenched instead, trembling violently as he forced himself still.

He closed his eyes, shut off every sense, every plea within him.

No... He must not help her. Not this time.

Chuck!

The horn tore through her abdomen.

Thalia gasped, air freezing in her lungs as blood poured from her stomach, soaking into the bull’s horn that pierced her like a spear. The beast pushed forward, driving her body back through the dust.

Her body trembled violently as she coughed blood, vision blurring. Her eyes widened, shaking with disbelief.

Her Aether didn’t come to save her?

Why?

WHY?!

The pain jolted through her entire being. She clawed at the horn, trying to pull herself free. The bull jerked its massive head, flinging her like a shattered doll across the cracked earth.

She hit the ground with a dull, sickening...

Thud!

She coughed heavily, clutching her wound as her fingers slipped over her own blood. Her stomach already carried old wounds—and now, this new pain ripped through her soul.

She trembled, body convulsing,

”The FUCK, AETHER! Arrh!” she cried, voice breaking, both furious and heartbroken.

”This is not funny anymore—”

Before she could finish, a cold voice echoed around her.

”If this is what you are...”

The voice wasn’t just sound—it was power itself.

Not only her... Even the monstrous bull halted mid-step, its massive frame trembling. Its blood-red eyes darted around, nostrils flaring in fear.

”Then you are not the woman I love... My Thalia would never let some monster beat her like this. She is the proud woman who would do anything for her family and... stand up for herself! Not look for attention and validation.

She does not need this man’s power; she needs herself... That’s how she survived all these years.

What do you want? What do you truly need? Only Thalia... No, only Noirix would know what she wanted!!”

Thalia blankly stared at the empty space, eyes wide, as those words thundered through her. Every syllable pierced her heart because she knew, deep down, they were nothing but the truth.

Thalia clenched her fist, nails digging into her own skin. She knew she had fallen too far, but couldn’t even name the reason why.

Where should she move?

What path remained?

Somewhere deep inside, she’d always trusted, almost subconsciously, that Aether would be there. That he would carry the weight for her, for the family—so she didn’t have to worry.

Just then, the Bull Monster charged, slamming its massive hooves down—

”MMMOOOOFFFFF!!!!”

”ARRHH!” Thalia screamed as the pain tore through her. The bull lunged back, then kicked, its huge hoof connecting with her head. She managed to raise her arm to block it, but the force shattered bone, pain exploding in her wrist and elbow, and flung her away like a broken doll.

Thud!

She hit the ground hard, the world spinning, her vision flickering and... fainted!

The monster bull slowly moved toward her, each step heavy as a drumbeat.

Aether stood on a branch, his eyes growing misty with emotion, yet he waited iron-willed, refusing to move.

Everything now depended on her choice.

Thalia’s body lay broken, but in the emptiness behind her eyelids, she found herself suddenly standing in a weightless, dark, endless void.

Her expression was hollow, lost.

”What do I want? I wanted to protect my family... I did, didn’t I? They don’t need me anymore... No one needs me.

Aether will take care of all of it.”

Her voice echoed in the blackness.

She stood there, on the edge of surrender, ready to fall... even though she did her best when he needed help and defeating anyone dangerous and strong and yet... somewhere inside her heart she felt... lost!

She was just moving on his words, nothing else!

Aether was there for her, but she... wasn’t there for herself!

She... Utterly lost.

When a cold, unfamiliar voice rippled through the void—

”Lost Little Bird?”

Thalia’s eyes widened.

”Who is it?” she asked.

Just then, a bright reddish-yellow flame flared into existence before her. It hovered, flickering, casting sharp light across her pale face.

Thalia squinted.

”Who are you?” she whispered.

The flame spoke with gentle but stern.

”Tell me... are you really content with nothing? Little bird?”

Thalia frowned at the words. The tone carried the weight of years, maybe centuries, and though it was unfamiliar, she felt an urge to obey.

”I... I don’t know,” she confessed, her voice tiny in the vast dark.

”I saved... no, Aether saved my family. That’s what I was trying for, for years. Now I know he’s strong enough to protect them.

I just... I don’t see why I should be powerful. The only reason that drove me until now was... my sister. So... I lost.”

Her eyes dropped, her confusion heavy and honest.

”No matter what anyone says... it’s all so confusing... Really! I tried to find anything interesting, but... but nothing came to my mind, even though I tried various things... everything felt boring and... lost. Aether’s other women are great yet, I... I feared he won’t look at me... I feared I would lose him.

That’s why I tried to act like I knew everything and I could take care of his burden, but I couldn’t do it... all I brought was fear to him.

When I lost the fight with random things and shitty monsters, I was annoyed and disappointed in myself, but I knew Aether would take care of it later... so why bother?

Even though I love to fight, as time passes, I don’t see or feel the happiness as I used to; it was like... I... I utterly lost somewhere”

”Then find it.”

”Huh?”

Thalia blinked, startled, as one flame after another began to appear in the void. At first just a few, then dozens, then hundreds—until she was surrounded by a sea of floating fire.

Each one glowed with a warmth that cut through the darkness, illuminating every shadow around her.

”What the...”

She uttered, utterly shocked to see those flames...

Some shimmered with rose‑gold light, others danced with green or sapphire brilliance, some small.

”Remember, little bird.”

The first flame spoke again, voice like an echo carried authority. Its glow deepened into molten amber, scattering sparks that circled her like fireflies.

”We lost, but that is what gives us purpose to move forward...

Find it, whatever it may be—hate, jealousy, love, power, miracle... Everything lies before you.

It is you who must seek it. And when you give your whole heart to it, when your will burns pure—believe me, you will reach the height of flames that never burn out!”

”Huh? Burn out—what do you mean—”