Jack''s body convulsed violently under Aether''s tightening grip, his neck bending at an unnatural angle as he struggled to free himself. Every muscle in Jack''s body screamed in protest as he gasped for air.


    "W-Why you... arrh... why do you always get in my way!!" Jack roared in frustration, his voice cracking from the pressure.


    Every encounter with Aether ended in his ns unravelling, and this time was no different... even though he became more different and yet...


    Aether''s voice was cold, dangerously calm as he asked, "Why are you trying to kill the Chosen Ones?" His words might have seemedposed, but beneath the surface, Aether''s rage simmered—he was barely keeping himself from snapping Jack''s neck then and there.


    Jack''s smirk returned despite the agonizing pain, his eyes gleaming with defiance, "Y-You really wanna know? Then let me go, and... I might tell you." The smirk twisted into something more sinister as he goaded Aether.


    Grrripp


    "Arrhh!" Jack screamed, feeling Aether''s fingers mp down even harder. His airways constricted as if death itself was wrapping its icy fingers around his throat.


    Aether''s expression was unreadable, but his mind was racing. He still couldn''t fully grasp how this boy..... the one no one had ever suspected—had orchestrated everything. The horrors that had befallen Aria and Aqualina... all led back to Jack.


    ''A puppet master…'' Aether''s thoughts flickered, and his grip tightened further, "Why?" he asked again, this time his voice as hollow as it was dangerous.


    Jack remained silent, his response a spit that sttered across Aether''s face, yet,


    BOOM!


    "COUGH!"


    Aether mmed Jack''s body into the ground with such force that the earth cracked beneath him. The impact shook the air, and Jack let out a violent cough as blood spurted from his mouth.


    With calcted precision, Aether nted his foot on Jack''s chest, pinning him to the shattered ground, "You won''t die that easily," Aether growled, his voice low as his foot ignited with indigo mes.


    SSSSSHHHHH!


    A scorching wave of pain erupted across Jack''s chest as the mes burned into his skin, sending searing agony through his body.


    "ARRHHHHHH!" Jack screamed, his voice tearing through the air. The fire was excruciating, but just as it reached its peak, something changed.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But it''s not over,


    SSssssss


    Suddenly, Jack felt a chilling sensation wash over the burning wound. His eyes darted down in confusion, only to see that Aether''s foot had turned to ice, the frost spreading across his seared skin.


    "You know," Aether spoke softly, his lips curling into a faint, sinister grin, "some might think that ice soothes burns. But..." He lifted his foot slightly, watching Jack''s puzzled expression morph into terror.


    Suddenly, Jack''s body began to burn from within, the heat deep inside his muscles and bones.


    Aether''s grin widened as Jack''s eyes shot open in horror.


    "You… what have you... AARRRRHHHHHH!!" Jack''s scream was primal, and raw, as the burning sensation intensified, spreading like wildfire through his insides. The mes were no longer on the surface—they were tearing through him from the inside out.


    Aether watched dispassionately as Jack writhed beneath him, "Yes," Aether said, his voice chilling, "The real answer is once the ice touches the burn... the burn will spread deep, scorching every inch of your cells from within. Every breath you take will sear your lungs. Every beat of your heart will..... cook you alive."


    Jack''s throat dried up, and his mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for water, "W-Water... I need... waterrrrrhhh!!" His voice broke into a tortured scream as another burst of me ignited on his abdomen, followed by Aether''s chilling ice.


    ARRRRHHHHHHH!!


    His agonized screams pierced the air, almost loud enough for the people of the earlier sts to hear as they gathered in the distance.


    "Aether..." Aria mumbled from a short distance away, struggling to move toward him, her eyes filled with concern.


    She tried to get up, but Celestia ced a firm hand on her shoulder, "Let him be, Aria. He needs this."


    She frowned looked around... there was no snake monster... she frowned even more wondering where those snake monsters went.


    However, Kai, his emotions a whirlwind, had already rushed toward Aether, his face a mask of fury. Vesperine tried to stop him, but it was toote—Kai was already standing in front of Aether, his voice a sharp bark.


    "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, AETHER?!" Kai shouted, his face red with rage. "Stop this! We need him alive! He has to face justice, to answer for what he''s done! We—"


    "Hey," Aether interrupted, his emotionless voice cutting through Kai''s rant.


    He looked at Kai, his eyes empty, yet somehow full of something more dangerous. With a gentle motion, Aether lifted the severed head of Lia in one hand, holding it almost tenderly. "Did you love her?" he asked softly.


    Kai''s face crumpled. His lips quivered as he fought back tears, "Y-Yes... I loved her... I loved her until the—" But before Kai could finish his emotional confession, Aether''s cold voice stopped him again.


    "I will fucking kill you if you say that again," Aether said, his voice devoid of any humanity. Without another word, he turned his attention back to Jack, continuing the torment.


    Kai''s face flushed with a deep, burning anger, "You think just because I want him alive that I didn''t love her? You think I don''t care?" His voice rose, filled with rage and frustration.


    "Are you out of your mind? This guy was one of us ''Chosen ones!''! He was supposed to be one of us ''Arcane King'', and now he''s the reason Aria, Aqualina—everyone—suffered! We need to capture him alive so he can pay for everything he''s done!... He needs to face the Principal for his mistakes!!"


    Yet, Aether remained indifferent, his attention unwavering as he continued to torment Jack, watching his body burn with indigo mes.


    Kai''s lips trembled as he nced down at Lia''s severed head in Aether''s hand. His throat tightened as he forced out the words, "A-At least... give her to me."


    Aether didn''t respond, his icy gaze fixed ahead. Frustration mounted as veins bulged on Kai''s forehead. In a moment of desperation, he lunged toward Aether, reaching for Lia''s head.


    But Aether easily dodged him, sidestepping with a fluid motion. He nced at Kai, his voice cold. "What do you think you''re doing?


    Kai''s eyes red with fury, "I''m taking her away from a bastard like you!" he shouted,unching himself at Aether again, fists clenched.


    Meanwhile, Jack, writhing in unbearable pain, tried to crawl away, hoping to escape while the two shed. But before he could get far—


    Crack!


    "AAARRHHH!" Jack screamed as Aether stomped on his ankle, breaking it without mercy, "I''m not done with you yet," Aether growled, snapping his fingers.


    Jack''s entire body ignited once more, the indigo mes consuming him.


    "ARRRRHHHH!!!" Jack''s tortured wails filled the air once again.


    "Aether, I order you to stop!" Kai bellowed, his voice filled with authority and desperation.


    Suddenly, invisible chains wrapped around Aether''s body, binding him in ce. But with a simple shrug, the chains shattered.


    Crack!


    Kai gasped as he coughed up blood, his face pale with disbelief. He red at Aether in shock and rage, clutching his abdomen, "H-How...?"


    Why was he able to ignore his orders again!! He thought


    Aether''s attention turned back to Jack, whose bodyy scorched and broken. With a flick of his hand, Aether extinguished the mes. Jack''s skin was burnt to a crisp, his body trembling with relief. But that relief quickly turned to horror as he noticed ice slowly creeping over his skin, encasing him.


    "N-No... no... no..." Jack''s voice grew faint, desperation choking him as the ice-covered his entire body. But unlike normal cold, the ice brought a searing pain—one that burned from the inside out, stinging every nerve.


    "AA....rrrrh...hhhh!!"Jack''s voice faltered into nothingness. He couldn''t scream anymore.


    Kai watched the brutal disy with disgust and pain, ring at Aether with a mixture of horror and rage, "Are you even human?" he spat, his voice dripping with disdain, "You... you''re a monster!"


    Spitting at Aether''s feet, Kai raised his hand, "In the name of Arcane, I, Kai Frostde, order my Eternal ve, Aether—" But before he could finish themand, Aether moved faster than he could react.


    BAM!


    Aether''s fist mmed into Kai''s gut, sending him flying. Before Kai could hit the ground, Aether appeared above him, delivering a devastating kick to his stomach, mming him into the ground with enough force to shake the earth.


    BOOOOOM!


    "ARHHH!!" Kai''s scream tore through the air as his body smashed into the earth.


    "KAI!" Vesperine screamed, rushing toward the scene in panic.


    Finnian moved to her side, ready to assist Kai.


    Kai, his body bruised and bloodied, coughed weakly, "H-How... how are you attacking me?" he stammered, disbelief in his eyes. Eternal ves were bound to their masters, unable to defy or harm them. And yet, here was Aether, breaking every rule, everyw that bound him.


    Aether stared down at Kai, his expression nk.


    To be honest,


    Inside, Aether felt a deep unease.


    The same suffocating pressure he had felt the first time he tried to attack Kai was back (In the beginning chapters where he tried to sneak attack Kai).... like a crushing weight pressing down on his mind and body. Aether nced down at Lia''s severed head, her cold flesh resting in his arm.... She was the reason he pushed those mind-crushing pressure and pain on his body...


    the more he looked at her head... the more he felt anger that felt nothing to this pressure.


    And yet... something else was overriding it.....The uneasy sensation gnawed at him as if something was watching.... judging Him!!


    He felt it.... a presence.


    Slowly, Aether turned his head back, sensing eyes upon him, but when he looked... there was nothing.


    Yes, Nothing but a void, an empty ckness that stretched endlessly before him... he frowned as if he was teleported somewhere.


    From the void, a deep, growling voice echoed:


    [Nature has an Order... No one is above thew]


    Aether''s brow furrowed. His eyes strained to see into the darkness, to make out what was hidden in the void. Then, movement.... a shadow shifting in the ckness.


    As he squinted, trying to see more clearly—


    "Do not"


    The whisper came from directly beside his right ear, sending a jolt through him.... Aether flinched, turning his head toward his right shoulder..... but there was nothing there.


    ''That familiar voice...'' he thought he frowned as he felt that voice was familiar for some reason.


    When he looked back toward the void, everything snapped back into reality.


    The dark presence was gone, the battlefield reappearing around him....


    "What... what did I just see?" Aether mumbled, his mind reeling.


    Then—


    !~Ding~!


    [Warning: Log advises Aether to be cautious. Do not breach the contract ever again!! Do not provoke ''Them''!!!!!!!!!].


    !~Ding~!


    [Warning: Failure toply may result in consequences beyond Arcane''s and ###### control.... Not even Arcane can protect you from what lies ahead].


    Aether blinked, taken aback by the sudden messages, his unease growing.


    "YOU BASTARD!" Kai roared, using Aether''s distraction to charge at him once again.