Prince of The Abyss

”So...” Aerther said, after hearing the story from Kresis. ”You are a part of a group inside the Tides that has access to the second Layer... you found me inside the Tides, moments away from death, and decided to bring me to the real world, so I can survive.

The women nodded, chuckling. ”That’s right, and if you don’t believe me, you just have to look down at your feet.”

Aether tilted his head, looking down, but there was nothing weird with his feet... but that was exactly what Krasis was trying to say, nothing was special about his feet, but they were back, after all, back in the Tides, they had gotten cut off, so if they still were inside the Tides, his legs would be gone.

”The Second Layer... how is it? Is it dangerous... and more importantly, is the Demon of Dread inside?”

The women smilled at his questions, happy to know he was interested. ”Layer 2 is a very big place... You would be surprised, even with how much you have seen, its sheer size would definitely surprise you. And yes, it is dangerous, the monsters inside, some of them don’t even appear in the other layers, they are just there to make the second layer more dangerous.”

The woman stood up, walked over to a drawer, and took out a picture among many that she had inside. ”Here is an example, this looks like normal snow, but it isn’t. The snow is a parasite that will slowly kill you if you hide inside the shadow and let it develop.

Tossing the photo back inside the drawer, she cleared her throat. ”And for the Demon of Dread part, we have felt his presence many times, but never met him in that place, which makes us think there is still one more layer, where the King resides, and does everything.”

Aether stood silent, taking everything in. It would make better sense if there was another later beyond the second, one where the King, and only the King lived, he wouldn’t doubt that it’s what the story had in store for him, but he really had no idea how he was about to find it...

But before that, he needed to go to the Layer before it.

”Can anyone go to Layer 2?” Aether asked a bit hesitantly, as if knowing what was going to come next. The woman’s answer, he had a rough idea of what she was trying to say.

She quickly shook her head. ”Hell no! No one else but people from our group can enter; I don’t want to be guilty for their deaths, so it’s better that way. What do you want to get inside? Then my answer is no, so don’t try again.”

Aether sighed, but not out of annoyance, but rather exhaustion, knowing that this had just gotten harder, instead of getting better. Which was a bad thing, since he really couldn’t handle a mystery at the moment. What made it worse was that he needed to think of a solution on how to get to Layer 2, and while there were more complicated answers. He had an idea, just that it wasn’t the brightest, and neither was it the most plausible to work, but he really couldn’t think of anything else, not now.

”What about you?” Aether asked, calmly, without any energy in his voice.

The woman tilted her head. ”Of course I can go, I’m the leader of our group, if I couldn’t go it would be funny. I can, and I travel between Layers quite easily. I have some things I have to do in the city, before leaving for the second Layer again, but it’s fine.”

He nodded before sitting up. ”Then I will take my leave if you don’t mind.” He said, heading towards the door and leaving the room.”

’Just need to wait until she goes to the second Layer, and I’ll just come with her.’ Like he had said, a way worse plan than most he had made, but at the same time, with the others, he had resources, and opportunities, and more importantly, his mind, while still damaged, was in a state that allowed him to think; this one didn’t. But at the same time, it wasn’t one that wouldn’t work, just that it was both stupid and had a poor chance of working.

But it wasn’t like he was going to find a better one. So he was just going to take a stroll around, wait until she finishes, and sneak in.

By what he could see, they were inside the Harbor, out of all the places inside Stormfell, which made him think that the women had quite a lot of money, which made him wonder just how well-known her group was, and if they got paid for what they did, alongside the relics they probably found and sold.

Aether walked around the Harbor, a memory coming to mind, that of the guard Lost, the one that had told him about the war that was going on inside the Tides, and was the reason he wanted to get inside that place, and fight inside that battle, that they were never meant to try and win. But rather watch, they in no way had the man or resources to fight those monsters, even if they cleared the easier ones, they would never even touch the leaders, and they would just be killed by them in seconds. He was lucky to be alive.

Aether walked to the entrance of the Harbor, watching the sea. It was truly beautiful, but after what had happened inside the Tides, he couldn’t... see that beauty that much; he didn’t get the same feeling as before anymore. It was sad but true, and it was something normal for humans, as old as time. The Tides had ruined most water-related things, as fun and gorgeous as they were.

As he was about to turn around, he saw a guard, the same guard who had welcomed him on his first day. He walked over to him, and when he saw him, the guard’s eyes instantly widened. But then smiled. ”There’s no need to introduce yourself, your Aether, the only survivor of the Drowned City... you know there is a memorial inside the Harbor, a big one for the whole week, where all the people who have fought in the war, and were seen, their bodies to be precise, or those whose family had told us that they fought, rested... I think you should visit it, it’s quite nice.”

Aether nodded, his expression not changing one bit for a second, the same hollow gaze, and lack of interest in his tone.

...

It hadn’t been hard to find the memorial, given how big it was. Walking through the rows of graves, Aether saw people give flowers... a tradition he never understood, for what reason did they give flowers to a dead body, what could he do with them? It was ironic, though, as for most, it’s their first time getting flowers, and it’s at their grave.

A sad story, but true for more people than you would think.

He walked until he found the graves he was after, the ones that belonged to Kade and Lucien. He had also visited the others, but these two... were the most important.

Aether knelled between the two graves, staring at them.

He wondered what Kade’s family was doing... and what they were going to do now that one in their family with the most potential was gone, without even changing one thing about their horrible situation. It was sad... but all the work Kade had done had been for nothing. And it wasn’t just that, Lucien had also worked for nothing, he had gotten up from his feet after being in a situation where most would have chosen differently than him. And even if he had worked for nothing, the shards, the blade, it was back in Veyr, probably alongside all his money, and everything else.

...

’Rest.’ Aether stood one more minute, playing with the rocks they were buried under before leaving.

Finding Kresis, he followed her inside a building with some sort of weird transparent blue floor that seemed to go down for eternity. He waited until the ground started glowing and her body started to disappear before stepping inside a place where he wouldn’t be seen.

Feeling as his body slowly disintegrated.

...

...

...

[You have entered an Ancient place of Ruin, one where the biggest horrors created by the Demon of Dread live... good luck surviving, you will need it]

Aether planted his feet deep into the ground, as the wind blew heavily in his face, almost knocking him down; that was just how hard it was blowing. Putting his hands in front of him, Aether opened his fingers slightly so he could see in front of him.

So that he could see the starless yet bright night. Where the white sun burned far in space.