Chapter 22: The Fool and The Witch

“Don’t stare at the sun for too long… just what was that supposed to mean?”

Aether gritted his teeth.

After reading the note. He didn’t spend any longer inside the bunker. He stacked some of the desks and climbed out, continuing his wander.

But he just couldn’t stop thinking about it.

He now knew the sun had to be related to something. Was it the one that caused the downfall of the Ashen Wing and its researchers?

Or maybe it was part of their experiment that went wrong? It was all so troublesome.

And how could it have done any of these things? He knew not to think of this world like his own. But what power could the sun have? I didn’t make sense.

“And just who is this ’her’?”

If she was able to control the researchers, and still is, then she either has to be strong. Or have an affinity related to that.

But who was she?

There was only one person that he knew who could do that, probably because so far he only knew three, and really, only one did he really know.

’The Queen.’

Aether felt something run down his spine at that thought.

She was a very mysterious being.

Not only did the fisherman talk about her. But she also trained a giant serpent to guard her kingdom, not letting anyone enter or leave. There is also proof that she may have been the one who froze time or had a part in it.

He had first heard of the queen before he even entered.

In the description of the Frozen Crown.

Inside it, she was talking with another about how she desired eternity.

“Is this the eternity that she wished for?” A world without time, is that what eternity really is?

It also raised the question of who the being is. At first, he thought that maybe it was the sun, but it said that the figure’s eyes were filled with darkness, and it didn’t make sense for a star to be black.

It was also not human, so how could it have eyes?

And most importantly.

It, too, was frozen.

There was also the last part of the description.

“May the evil of the world be eternal…”

But what was this evil? And why would it’s eternity fulfill the queen’s request?

Also, if only the evil of the world were frozen, why was the whole world stuck then?

Aether ruffled his hair, trying to make meaning of the description, and the whole world at that.

’And if the evil was frozen, how is that damn serpent not?’

And how could the queen have trained it? Just where did she find a serpent that can move without time?

There were many questions. But they weren’t the only thing he gained from visiting that bunker.

He knew what he had to do. The second step was finally over.

’…continue our research, huh? I’ll only do it because I want to.’

Meanwhile, he didn’t know the original ending. He didn’t think that in the original story, the character he took over would have learned about the scientist and the bunkers.

He only stumbled upon it by accident. In the original, he probably would have been guided by the fisherman. As he didn’t think that the old man was supposed to die.

If he was, then why did he specifically enter the story at the time his character was inside the cabin?

It was clear he was supposed to be a guide.

So it was safe to think that in the original ending, the research of the mysterious researchers was never finalized… meaning that if he was to finish it. He could escape.

’There’s still the problem of finding them.’

The note never spoke of where the rest were. Neither did he give a hint.

He also didn’t believe that all were on the outskirts. If they were, then the note would have never said to kill him if they met.

Being under the queen’s commands, if he was right on that, he would be in one of the inner rings, so how could they meet if all the bunkers were inside the outskirts?

’Get to the rings, find the bunkers… that is what I have to accomplish.’

Ironically, the biggest question out all… was one he would have to answer himself when the day came.

Was he going to be able to do it?

He wasn’t strong enough, but did he need strength?

He probably couldn’t beat any of the researchers if he stumbled across one, but who says he needs to fight them? And more over, do it fairly.

Meanwhile, his affinity was restricted. He still knew how to hide more than anyone.

He has been doing it for almost half of his life…

[…]

The wastelands of the outskirts, one if not the biggest places inside the whole kingdom.

Due to the poor conditions, not many live inside, and so, it’s hard to find something inside them.

That was why Aether was so surprised to find a small wooden hut. And while normally, by its conditions, you could determine if someone is living inside it. In a world of eternity, you can’t really trust that anymore.

That was why, after seeing the hut, Aether decided to enter it, even if he didn’t know if someone was living inside it or not.

He was tired, after all, even if there was someone, it was better than blacking out due to exhaustion and then dying from the cold.

So after biting his lip, he slammed the door open, ready to face anything.

But nothing was inside.

He was surprised, but quickly entered, closing the door behind him.

The hut, while small, was quite spacious. There wasn’t much inside.

A bed, a table with a chair… and a massive cauldron?

Aether stared in disbelief.

’Did this hut belong to a witch?’

Witches weren’t something unheard of. And while they aren’t something extraordinary in his world. Just some people whose affinities allow them to make potions and other things.

Maybe in this world they were more interesting…

’Wait, no! I don’t want to meet the witch that lived here!’

He sighed.

Not minding the cauldron, the place was actually quite nice. Good enough to take a nice rest before continuing the next day.

’Well, not really, since it would still be the same day… either way.’

Aether walked over to the petite bed.

And after a long… day? He laid on top of it.

The bed itself was made from straw.

And while it wasn’t better than the one he had a while back before everything happened, it was better than the one in the Withered.

If you could even call that a bed.

So it was his first time in a while sleeping on a proper bed.

“Who knew life in a godspawn book was better than the one in the real world?”

And as he said that, he let himself fall into a world of wonders and adventure.

[…]

Inside his dream, he found himself in an abandoned ruin.

The walls were practically falling down. And the ceiling had many cracks inside.

The floor itself had many deep holes, holes that, if you fell inside, you would be falling for days on end.

He looked down at himself.

On his hands resided some chains, chains that seemed to leave marks on his hands. They were also leading him somewhere.

“What is it with all these chains?”

He was wearing a scruffy cloth, one that only slaves would wear.

His body looked bruised. As if he had endured many torments.

With nothing else to do, he followed the chains. Evading the giant holes in the floor.

While he got closer, he started to hear laughter inside his ears. But it quickly faded.

He didn’t recognize whose it belonged to. But what he knew was that it wasn’t someone he knew.

Soon, the chains started to drop lower and lower, meaning he was close to what they were attached to.

But because of the darkness, he only saw what it was when he reached it.

The chains were attached to the hilt of a weird sword. But as he tried to touch it. It broke into pieces, just like his dream.

[…]

Aether was awakened by something scratching at his mind. Quite literally

A cat was running its claws on his face.

’But it doesn’t… hurt?’

As he looked closer, he saw that the black cat’s claws were cut short.

But as he was about to take it off his face, someone else did it for him.

That was when he saw a small woman with a pointy hat.

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