ONLINE: Blades of Eternity-Chapter 192: AETHER’S PAST

The air was thick with mist, the kind that clung to the skin and muffled even the faintest of sounds. The valley was eerily silent, save for the occasional rustle of the grass swaying under a gentle, mournful breeze. At the heart of the valley stood a lone grave, marked by a weathered stone slab, its carvings nearly eroded by the passage of time.

Aether’s ethereal form emerged from the fog, a faint, luminous silhouette of shifting mana, its shape wavering like the reflection on disturbed water. The faint glow it emitted pushed back the mist as it approached the grave, its movements slow and deliberate.

Stopping a few paces from the stone, Aether’s energy dimmed, as if weighed down by the emotions coursing through it. A long silence stretched, the kind born not of awkwardness, but of reverence.

"Father…" Aether’s voice resonated softly, an otherworldly timbre laced with melancholy. "It has been centuries, and yet your presence lingers... even in absence."

It gazed at the grave, memories flowing through its core. Fragments of a time when it was but an incomplete entity, shaped and imbued with purpose by the hands of the Father of Eternity. The creator whose name was forgotten by history, but whose legacy endured in every pulse of Aether’s mana.

"You gave me purpose," it whispered, the words almost carried away by the breeze. "To safeguard eternity, to preserve balance, and to witness the rise and fall of those who seek power without understanding. But…" Aether’s glow flickered faintly, as if expressing its doubt. "Have I failed you?"

The silence that followed was deafening.

Kneeling before the grave, Aether allowed a fragment of its mana to seep into the ground, a silent offering to its creator. The earth glowed faintly for a moment, as though the grave itself had acknowledged the gesture.

"I stand at the precipice of chaos once more," it murmured, its gaze shifting to the distant horizon where Valoria Kingdom lay hidden beyond the fog. "And now, a boy—your chosen successor—bears the burden you once carried. I do not know if he will succeed… or if he will destroy what little remains."

The air grew heavier, the mist thickening, as though the valley itself mourned alongside Aether. With one last lingering look at the grave, it stood and turned away.

"Guide me, Father," it said, its voice carrying a rare note of vulnerability. "For the path ahead is dark, and I fear I may falter… as I did before."

As Aether’s form faded back into the mist, the valley returned to its quiet stillness, the grave standing alone once more, a silent witness to the echoes of an eternal legacy.

...

The air was heavy with a deathly chill, and shadows danced unnaturally along the walls of the hollow chamber. The flickering torches cast an eerie light, but it barely reached the edges of the space, swallowed by an oppressive darkness. In the center of the chamber, a figure sat cross-legged, its form indistinct, constantly flickering between reality and void.

The Hollowed One.

Its ghastly appearance was a twisted amalgamation of a once-human silhouette and an unearthly presence. Its translucent, shifting frame gave the impression that it was both there and not, its piercing, hollow eyes glowing faintly like dying embers.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

From the corridor leading into the chamber, the aged man emerged. His steps were measured, his aura exuding authority. Despite the chill and the oppressive darkness, he carried himself with dignity, the faint glow of his mana pushing back the creeping shadows.

"Hollowed One," the aged man said, his tone curt. "I come bearing orders from our master."

The Hollowed One’s head tilted slightly, the motion unnatural and disjointed, as though it were testing the limits of its fragmented existence. Its voice, a chilling echo that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere, responded.

"Orders... from the puppet master’s puppet?" It chuckled, a sound that grated like nails on metal.

The aged man’s brows furrowed, irritation flashing briefly in his cold, calculating eyes. "Mind your tongue, wretch. You exist only because of the Dragonyx family’s will. Without us—"

"Without you," the Hollowed One interrupted, its voice dripping with mockery, "I’d be free. Free to devour… to end… to silence this miserable plane."

The aged man took a deep breath, suppressing the surge of anger threatening to boil over. "Enough of your insolence. You were summoned for a reason. The boy named Kaelen—alive or dead. That is your task. The master has foreseen his importance, and we will not risk failure."

The Hollowed One’s laughter grew louder, more deranged. It stood—or rather, its form hovered just above the ground, flickering like a candle about to go out. It leaned closer to the aged man, its hollow eyes locking onto his.

"And what of you, ’right hand’?" it hissed. "Do you fear him? This… Kaelen? Or perhaps you fear me?"

The aged man’s composure faltered for the briefest moment, his irritation boiling into a cold, sharp glare. With a wave of his hand, his mana surged, creating a shield around himself, repelling the oppressive aura emanating from the Hollowed One.

"I do not fear you," he said icily. "But if you value what remains of your wretched existence, you will heed the master’s command."

The Hollowed One’s flickering intensified, and its distorted face twisted into a malevolent grin. "Fine," it drawled, its voice dripping with disdain. "I will hunt your precious boy. Dead or alive, you say? I think… dead would be more entertaining."

"Do not fail," the aged man warned, turning sharply on his heel. "The consequences of disobedience are far worse than anything you could imagine."

The Hollowed One’s laughter followed him as he exited the chamber, a haunting, deranged echo that clung to the air like a curse.

"Dead or alive…" it murmured to itself, the glow in its hollow eyes intensifying. "Let’s see how this Kaelen fares against the void."

Meanwhile, as the Hollowed one was figuring out how he will torture Kaelen, The moonlight cast a silvery glow across the pavilion right beside the grand coliseum in Valoria kingdom, painting the balcony in ethereal light. Kaelen stood there, leaning on the railing, his sword resting beside him as he stared at the serene night sky. The tranquility of the moment felt like a fleeting escape from the growing tensions of the upcoming convention.

The cool breeze carried the scent of blooming flowers, and the faint sounds of the city below drifted into the air. Kaelen closed his eyes briefly, letting the calmness wash over him.

Then came the knock.

It was soft yet firm, breaking through the peaceful silence. Kaelen opened his eyes and turned toward the door to his room. Who could it be at this hour? he thought.

Approaching the door cautiously, he opened it slightly, only to freeze in place.

"Lila?"

There she was, standing in the doorway, her silky hazel-nut hair falling loosely over her shoulders, her golden eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. She was dressed casually, but her presence exuded confidence and mischief.

Kaelen blinked, struggling to process the situation. "How did you even get in here? Reeves—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Lila brushed past him, stepping into the room with an air of nonchalance.

"Reeves this, Reeves that," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "You really think I’d let a Vice Chancellor keep me from seeing you?"

Kaelen closed the door, turning to face her with an incredulous look. "You’re not answering the question, Lila. It’s late. What are you doing here?"

But Lila wasn’t interested in answering. With a sly grin, she closed the distance between them in a heartbeat, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him toward the bed. Kaelen stumbled, barely managing to maintain his balance.

"Lila! What are you—"

She pushed him onto the bed, leaning over him with an intense, playful look in her eyes. "Do you ever stop thinking, Kaelen? For once, just… stop."

Kaelen’s heart pounded, not from fear but from sheer bewilderment. He raised his hands slightly as if to defend himself, though he knew better than to try pushing her away.

"Lila, this… this is highly inappropriate," he stammered, his cheeks flushed. "And you’re not even supposed to be in this pavilion—"

"Shh," she whispered, placing a finger on his lips, silencing him. "You think too much."

Kaelen swallowed hard, his mind racing. He didn’t know whether to push her away, run, or surrender to the whirlwind of emotions that Lila seemed determined to drag him into.

"You’re hopeless," she finally said with a chuckle, sitting back slightly but still keeping him pinned with her gaze. "I came because I wanted to see you, Kaelen. No convention, no Reeves, no rules—just us. Is that so wrong?"

Kaelen sighed, his initial tension fading slightly. He looked up at her, his expression softening. "You’re going to get us both in trouble."

Lila smirked, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Worth it."

The moonlight streaming through the balcony illuminated the moment, casting a surreal glow over the room. For a moment, Kaelen forgot about the pressures of the world outside, lost in the fiery determination of the girl before him.