Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1857: Of course… it’s for our friendship, right?

Young Aether stayed quiet while Nova, a woman older than him, cried like a child in his embrace.

Under different circumstances, he might have found the sight strangely amusing, but there was nothing amusing about it now.

He gently pushed her away from his embrace. Though Nova hesitated, her fingers lingering against him for a moment as if she were reluctant to let go, she eventually released him and wiped her tears with trembling hands.

“P-Please… Believe me… I… I am not an ungrateful person. I know the days and nights you stayed right beside him… When I thought I was going to die, you stayed right beside me and gave me strength and hope. I would never, ever forget that. If not for you, this woman would have died a long time ago…” Her voice cracked as more tears quietly slipped down her cheeks.

Young Aether stared at her in silence for a moment before asking,

“Then… why didn’t you even call me? All these years… If you never forgot me, couldn’t you spare even a second to message me?”

Nova bit her lip. Her eyes lowered as though she were searching for an answer buried somewhere she was afraid to uncover.

“I-it’s complicated… Aethy. Believe me… I… I…”

Young Aether remained silent for a second before taking a slow breath.

“Is it really that hard to tell me… or did you simply forget me?”

Nova’s lips trembled as she shook her head. She pressed them together, her gaze drifting away from his as if she could not bear to meet his eyes.

Young Aether nodded quietly.

“Well… thank you. At least now I know that the love and effort I gave you weren’t completely wasted.. .even if it meant nothing to you,” he said, his voice carrying a quiet bitterness.

His gaze shifted toward the child beside him. The child smiled at him with a softened gaze.

Young Aether slowly stood up.

Nova looked up at him. There was no anger in his eyes, nor hatred. Somehow, that hurt even more. He looked at her as though he were looking at a stranger.

“A-Aethy… I—”

“I’ll take you back to your world…” Young Aether said in a blunt tone. “After that, do whatever you want.”

Nova’s heart stung at the coldness in his voice. Even so, she forced a small smile and nodded her head.

“Oka—”

Her voice suddenly stopped. Her eyes widened as though she had just remembered something crucial.

“N-No!” She immediately said.

Young Aether frowned.

“No? You don’t want to go back to your world?”

Nova nodded slowly.

“I… I cannot… Not after this.”

Young Aether’s frown deepened.

“Not after this?”

If he remembered correctly, didn’t she run away the moment she escaped?

Why, now, did she suddenly refuse to return?

Something was not making sense… unless…

“So… if it weren’t for me, you would have gone back?” Young Aether asked, his tone carrying a faint trace of curiosity.

Nova remained silent.

“…” Young Aether blinked in confusion. “Nova?”

Nova swallowed hard before asking strangely, “What is it?”

“I asked if you want to go back… on your own?” he asked.

Again, Nova shook her head.

“I cannot.”

“Hmm… May I know why?”

Nova remained silent.

“…” Young Aether narrowed his eyes before stepping closer to her.

“Are… you hiding something important?”

Nova remained silent.

“…”

Young Aether tilted his head slightly, confused.

Just then, glowing warning windows suddenly burst across Young Aether’s visor.

^Emergency Beacon Detected.^

It’s about time…

Young Aether glanced at Nova. She was smiling at him now, a strangely peaceful smile, as though she had finally decided something and would not hesitate anymore.

He took a quiet breath before raising his hand.

Pat!

He gently patted the head of the grown woman before him.

Nova blinked.

For a moment, she simply stared at him. Then her eyes reddened as tears gathered along her lashes, her lips trembling as she tried desperately to hold herself together.

In the next second, she was swallowed by the portal.

Thud!

She landed right before… the Huge White Temple.

Nova blinked several times, disoriented by the sudden change in scenery.

“Where… am… I?” she wondered before slowly walking closer to the White Temple.

Meanwhile, Young Aether flew toward the beacon.

“She’s… acting weird there…” He frowned as he glanced at the bunny avatar, which nodded in agreement.

^Yup, she’s definitely fawning over her daughter’s ex-boyfriend like he’s her lover. Who the fuck does that? Are you sure she’s just your ex’s mother? Or am I missing something here?^

RIN seemed more curious about that part than anything else. The way Nova had acted, the way she had cried, and the way she had clung to him…

That wasn’t how a normal ex’s mother would behave, right?

Young Aether shook his head as he approached the beacon.

^Incoming secure communication from Jonathan.^

“Accept.”

Jonathan’s holographic portrait immediately appeared inside the helmet display.

“Where the hell are you, man? I’ve been calling you nonstop, but you weren’t reachable!!”

Young Aether stared at Jonathan’s face for several seconds, his expression blank and his eyes strangely lifeless.

“Aether?”

Jonathan frowned when he saw those empty eyes. There was something unsettling about them, as if Aether had just lost something he could never get back.

Young Aether suddenly snapped out of it and smiled.

“Haha… I got dragged away by the monsters you fought. Besides, I was a little busy killing them.”

Jonathan let out an irritated sigh.

“Forget that. Get to the portal immediately. It’s already beginning to close.”

“…On it.”

Young Aether nodded.

As soon as the secure channel closed, his smile disappeared. The warmth vanished from his face, leaving behind an emotionless expression that revealed nothing.

And soon, he reached the shrinking portal… where two mech-suits were already standing beside it.

Seeing them would have usually brought him pure happiness…, but right now, all he felt was emptiness. For a second, he even thought about running away, but the child with ice-blue eyes stayed right beside him, as if… as if silently saying…

I am with you.

His eyes trembled as he clenched his fist. The feeling in his chest tightened, but he forced himself to move forward before landing before the portal without any kind of issue.

^Hmm… You seemed to be piloting this well.^

RIN let out a surprised tone, as if she had expected him to crash into his friends and break a few things.

“Come on, bro. Let’s go before it closes.”

Allen said that as he placed his hand over Young Aether’s shoulder.

Young Aether stared at the hand resting on his shoulder.

Then… Allen.

“RIP HIM OFF! TEAR AND SEE THE REAL HIM!!”

A dark voice echoed inside his mind.

No… He thought!

Young Aether himself thought that.

His eyes remained fixed on Allen for another second before he slowly looked toward Jonathan, who was standing beside the portal as if he were ready to leave at any moment.

Young Aether quietly stared at him.

Jonathan and Allen frowned in confusion.

“Aether?”

“Are you alright, buddy?”

Young Aether snapped out of his thoughts and nodded.

“Haha… sorry. I just thought about our past… about when we were together, fighting a few thugs. Ahah…”

Hearing that, both Jonathan and Allen chuckled and nodded.

“Yes, it reminds us of how we fought… and just like now, you always ended up separated and fought alone,” Jonathan said with a chuckle.

“Haha…” Allen chuckled as well.

Young Aether blankly stared at his once-so-called friends as they laughed about their past.

Was it… real back then?

Look at them.

They were enjoying themselves.

But then… thinking about it, why didn’t he find this weird before?

They fought together, so how did he always end up alone?

Both Allen and Jonathan blinked when they noticed Young Aether had gone silent.

As soon as they stopped laughing, Young Aether suddenly…

“Hahaha… Hahaha… Hahahaha.”

He let out a hollow laugh that carried no feelings at all.

Not even anger.

Just… emptiness.

The sound lingered between them for a moment before dying away.

Both Allen and Jonathan now looked genuinely freaked out and uneasy around him.

“Aether… is everything okay?”

“Of course… Come on, guys. Let’s go.”

Young Aether said that as he placed his hands over his friends’ shoulders and dragged them into the portal.

Though Jonathan and Allen still felt something was strange about him, they merely exchanged a glance before shrugging it off.

Only a few seconds later, the gateway contracted into a brilliant sphere of light before silently collapsing into nothingness.

…..

…

On the other side…

The trio stepped outside the portal without any kind of dramatic falling.

Behind them, the gateway emitted one final pulse before disappearing entirely, leaving only fading particles of red and gold drifting through the air.

Jonathan frowned as he stared at the place where the portal had been for a few more seconds.

The moment they stepped into the open street…

Clap~

Clap~

Clap~

The applause began softly before rapidly swelling into thunderous cheers… Just like before.

Soldiers lined the barricades, clapping with relieved smiles… Just like before.

Police officers raised their helmets in celebration… Just like before.

Medics and rescue workers joined in… Just like before.

People watching from nearby rooftops and high-rise buildings applauded just as loudly, many recording everything with holographic phones and floating camera drones as live broadcasts instantly spread across social media… Just like before.

“Our heroes!!!”

“Thank you!!!”

“You saved everyone!!”

“We’re alive because of you!”

Children waved enthusiastically while exhausted civilians bowed their heads in gratitude… Just like before.

Everything was exactly like before except… for a single person.

Young Aether.

Even though he had felt nothing before, right now… even nothing felt pale compared to the emptiness inside him.

Meanwhile, his two so-called friends grinned from ear to ear, waving at the crowd like victorious heroes returning from war.

Jonathan casually wrapped an arm around Young Aether’s shoulder.

“So? How does it feel?”

Young Aether glanced at him and said,

“Words… wouldn’t be enough to explain what I’m feeling right now.”

“Haha… Me too!”

Jonathan nodded with a big smile, completely misunderstanding the weight behind Aether’s words. To him, Aether was simply overwhelmed by the cheers, the relief of returning alive, and the happiness of seeing everyone celebrating them.

Young Aether quietly stared at Jonathan.

That smile.

That familiar voice.

That arm resting casually over his shoulder.

Everything looked exactly as he remembered it.

Everything went exactly like before… They were escorted to the transport truck, and on the way, he told them the same story as before.

The same words.

The same reactions.

The same laughter.

It was almost perfect.

After disengaging their suits, the trio walked back to Allen’s house.

“Sigh…” Allen let out a long breath as he cracked his neck. “Come on, let’s grab some lunch. I’m starving after all that fighting.”

Jonathan shot him a flat look.

“Fighting? What exactly did you fight?”

He folded his arms.

“You ran away and left me to deal with those fucking worms. Seriously… those disgusting things.”

He visibly shuddered.

“I almost got swallowed by them.”

Allen burst into laughter.

“Haha! So what? You’re a freaking Commander! Your suit is leagues above mine. If I got caught, I’d have been torn into pieces!”

Jonathan stared at him with a completely expressionless face.

“Asshole.”

“I got swallowed twice while saving your ass.”

“Hahahaha…”

Allen simply laughed harder, shamelessly shaking his head.

Everything went exactly like before.

Allen then frowned as he looked at Young Aether, who was staying quiet.

Time like these, he would usually make a few comments, tease them, and get involved in their conversation… but right now, he was strangely silent.

“Bro, are you sure everything’s okay? Did you get hurt? You’ve been unusually quiet… It feels like we’re forcing you to talk to us,” Allen asked, his voice carrying genuine concern.

Young Aether shook his head.

“I’m just hungry, and if I talk, I might get even hungrier. That’s why…”

“Oh, that’s why…” Jonathan nodded in understanding. “Then let’s go and have a feast to our fullest!”

Jonathan said that as he pulled both of his friends toward the elevator.

The doors slid open.

The three stepped inside.

“But seriously…” Allen said. “You’re telling us that whoever that figure was caused this entire Hell’s Gate incident?”

He slowly shook his head.

“That’s unbelievable.”

Young Aether stayed quiet… and simply nodded his head casually.

Jonathan pressed the floor selection before leaning against the wall.

“And you expect me to believe that?”

Young Aether looked at him.

“Jonathan… I am hungry.”

Jonathan frowned.

Hearing his friend call him by his full name instead of the nickname he had given him made something shift subtly in his expression.

There was something strangely distant about the way Aether had said it.

Allen noticed it too. They looked at each other with a subtle glance, as if silently making sure Young Aether hadn’t noticed.

Young Aether noticed.

He simply pretended not to.

Ding~

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime.

Jonathan stepped out first and walked toward the apartment door while Allen and Young Aether followed behind.

When Jonathan was about to put in his ID, Young Aether suddenly asked, “How come you’re using your ID to enter his home?”

Jonathan flinched.

His hand trembled slightly, as if he had been caught red-handed. He quickly forced a smile.

“I-It’s Allen who allowed me to register.”

“Oh?”

Young Aether showed a surprised expression before looking at Allen.

“Why would you give him access to your house?”

Allen froze for a second before forcing a smile.

“Of course… we’re friends. I trust him and… What if he needed something when I wasn’t home?”

Young Aether tilted his head.

“What would a Commander need from a mere Soldier’s house?”

“…”

“…”

Both Allen and Jonathan fell silent.

He got a point, right?

For a brief moment, the hallway seemed unusually quiet.

Young Aether looked at the two of them.

“Haha… I’m just kidding.”

Young Aether said it with the most humorless joke he had ever made in his life.

“Of course… it’s for our friendship, right?”

Allen nodded hurriedly.

“Y-Yeah… If you want, you can register as well… ahaha.”

Jonathan laughed too, but the sound was noticeably forced.

Young Aether watched them carefully.

Friendship.

The word sounded strangely fragile now.

How easily people used it.

How easily they smiled while saying it.

How easily they could turn something sacred into something wicked.

Jonathan laughed, and just as he was about to put his ID against the scanner, Young Aether asked,

“Is… Lily okay with you coming here when her father isn’t around?”

!!!

Jonathan’s eyes immediately widened as his jaw tightened, his entire body freezing for a second. He shot a quick, bloody glance at Allen.

Allen gulped as he forced a smile.

“W-What are you talking about? Lily? Why wouldn’t she be okay? He is her uncle, bro.”

Young Aether casually shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, I thought she might feel annoyed if a middle-aged dude came to her house every time when her father wasn’t there.”

Jonathan let out a forced smile.

“There is nothing to worry about. I wouldn’t disturb her. I only come when something important happens. And if you want, you can ask her yourself…”

Young Aether simply shrugged and nodded his head.

“Sure.”

Jonathan hesitated before finally using his ID.

The door smoothly slid open.

“H-Hello, everyone!”

Allen forced the words out as he threw both arms into the air with the biggest smile on his face.

“Daddy is home~”

Everything went exactly like before…

Tiny footsteps echoed hurriedly from deeper inside the house, approaching them with the same familiar rhythm.

When Young Aether saw Noah, his heart skipped a beat.

His steps halted right before entering the house.

His heartbeat accelerated, pounding against his chest as though his body itself was warning him.

Don’t go in.

Something inside him screamed that if he entered that house, he might lose everything.

His breathing grew heavier.

His body trembled.

Young Aether slowly shook his head, his eyes trembling as he looked at the familiar doorway.

“No…”

His voice barely escaped his lips.

Just as he was about to turn around and leave this place immediately…

Catch!

A small hand caught him.

Young Aether froze.

No… Not Noah.

It was the child with ice-blue eyes.

The child had quietly reached out and caught his finger with his tiny hand.

Young Aether’s eyes trembled as he looked down at him. He could feel the coldness of his skin beneath his touch… alone, crying, abandoned…

Why was he so cold?

So much coldness…

‘No… No… We leave this.’

His thoughts became frantic.

‘I understand… I understand that they betrayed me. I accept it. B-But… let’s not ruin those memories… please…’

His trembling gaze shifted toward the house.

‘We’ll get away… far away… somewhere we can forget all of this… and… and…’

His face pleaded with the child without saying a word.

Please.

Don’t make me go inside.

Don’t make me watch those memories break.

Don’t make me see the place where I was happy become something I can never look at again.

Yet, the child only clenched his tiny fingers around his finger.

His smile was broken, and tears shimmered in his ice-blue eyes, but he still nodded.

That small nod seemed to tell him everything.

As if he were telling him…

We can do it.

He tugged gently at his finger and pulled him into the house.

Young Aether’s lips trembled.

His vision slowly blurred as tears gathered in his eyes.

For the first time, he realised that perhaps he did not need to run from those memories.

Perhaps he only needed someone to hold his hand while he faced them.

“…”

“…”

“…”

…””