Chapter 49: A Fool

The Jack stood out among the people of the First Ring, which showed his importance in the kingdom. A young man by appearance, but carrying an age that wasn’t measured in numbers. He had endured the end of the world and still tried to go against it, failing. While he wasn’t much older than he was, he had seen more than he did; he had borne the weight of the people around him and failed them all.

He was tall, a whole foot taller than him, which was impressive to say the least, since he was already taller than the average boy his age. That height alone gave him that unsettling feeling, that quiet presence.

He wasn’t bulky, not at all; he was lean, being able to see his muscles through his shirt. They looked worked, crafted by trial and error, due to necessity rather than vanity.

His hair was raven-dark, falling in uneven locks that brushed against his temples and cast a slight shadow across his face. Against that darkness, his eyes burned like molten gold and unnatural brightness, sharp and piercing.

He wore a fitted set of light armor that hugged his frame precisely, crafted from a blackened steel trimmed with pale silver, its edges carrying faint scratches that whispered of past battle. He could even see some of the scars and cuts that it had endured.

Over it, a long formal coat of a deep grey color fell from his shoulders, the fabric frayed at the hem, but dignified still.

And yet, when it came to his personality, he was quite the extroverted, hence his notes. But he had a theory that it only served as a disguise. But not for others, but himself.

He looked him up and down, feeling a little uncomfortable at the difference between them.

While J. was wearing armor and a coat. He was wearing only a cloak. Well, he was wearing things under, of course. A ragged top, with dirt smudged against its fabric. Its original white color seemed to have rusted, turning browner, which was why he was hiding it. His pants were made out of linen, which made them very breathable and comfortable, just that his were rough, cut at some places, and ripped at others. The fabric itself looked too cheap, loose, easy to stretch, and the fibers were weaker and shorter. Their lines had not undergone the same level of finishing as others.

They were all Clarisse could afford to spend, and while in the Withered it was acceptable, it shouldn’t be in the Rings. So that was why he had decided to wear the cloak, because it never got dirty. And it was a relic, meaning it wasn’t made from a bad material. But it was going to be hard to fight in it, since it covered his whole body.

Either way, clothes weren’t important at the moment.

Aether looked into his sharp eyes, trying to seem as calm as he could, so he didn’t notice how defenseless he was at the moment.

“So, why did you help me?”

The Jack saw right past his facade, noticing the disturbance inside the calm, great sea that was his eyes. He chuckled, being used to people acting as such around him.

“Didn’t I already tell you, I want you to kill me?”

Aether’s eye twitched at his response, but he covered it so he didn’t see it. His lips slimmed, not knowing what to say in response.

“I do, but how can I? You said you were a harbinger.”

J. tilted his head, smirking with pity that it was so hard to end his own life.

“Find a way. I don’t have much time.”

And with those words, he left, leaving Aether alone on the streets, dumbfounded. Why did he even come here anyway? Did he want to confirm that he got through? He didn’t even show him around, so he could say that he helped him with something.

Time in the First Ring was frozen, and since he wasn’t walking on snow anymore, it wasn’t cold, but neither was it warm, of course. He also could stay as much as he wanted inside, and without paying, since his sponsor wasn’t an ordinary person. But that didn’t mean he got food or shelter for free. No, he would have to work for those… or steal again, but he wasn’t so sure of that idea.

If he were still with Avrie and Elpis, it would have been a lot easier. They still had some food left when he decided to go alone. And maybe Elpis would know where the other bunkers were. Though he doubted, since he didn’t think the army would go into the territory.

…

But why did the researchers do it? Why were some of their bunkers inside the Rings? Weren’t they trying to hide from the Queen?

And while that thought buried itself deep into his mind, his priority at the moment was to ensure his survival. Just like it had been in the Withered.

He sighed.

“I’ve really gone in a circle, haven’t I?”

…

…

“Shit…”

Aether said, resting inside a dark alleyway, his back supported by the wall of a house.

He took off his hood, staring at his hands, which were bloodied. That blood belonged to none other than himself.

He had tried going back to his old ways of scamming people. But while he could still get the information, he couldn’t hide; he was always found.

“But how?”

He had been hiding for almost half of his life, so could he have been seen by a random person? He didn’t understand. How could anyone see him inside the shadows…

Was it because his affinity had gotten restricted… but if that was the case, it would mean that he was nothing without it. Had he been relying on the Abyss every time he and Clarisse scammed someone inside the Withered?

“Damn it.”

He wiped the blood running from his nose, remembering the beating he had received when he was found. A bruised eye, a broken nose, and many wounds along his body. All because he was found.

If he was beaten that badly by a merchant, how was he supposed to beat a harbinger? And the third strongest of the Queen’s knights at that?

He ran his hands through his hair, for the first time in a long time, realizing the true difficulty of Frozen Crown.

“How the heck is this a reader class?”

While he had gotten help from Praise many times before, it had done nothing to help him ever since. And it only helped when he was about to die due to monsters, not with finding the bunkers, or just surviving?

Oh, but he was a Child of Praise; he had connections to the others, wasn’t that how he got inside the Rings?

“Yeah, what great help I got.”

J. had only helped him for his own selfish reasons, to kill him, but he never helped him with anything else than getting inside this cursed place. He got some information from him, but vague, and he had to work his ass off to find meaning in his meaningless words.

No one had helped him; he had achieved everything by himself!

He clenched his fists in anger. He was mad, very mad, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but smile at how much of a hypocrite he was at the moment.

Until now, he wanted to get rid of The Abyss, and now that it was gone, he missed it. The irony.

The shadows watched as he rotted in the dark alleyways of the First Ring.

He said he wasn’t meant to work with others,

and yet he blames them for not helping him.

He chuckled slightly, looking at the sky above him, but in the darkness around him. He saw a silver light, a very pure light, one that… gave you hope.

His eyes widened as a bright knight appeared from the shadows, as if he was coming to rescue him.

He bit his lip.

“Well, you really don’t listen to me, do you?”

Elpis smiled, walking closer to him.

“And why should a Knight ever follow a Fool’s words?

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