Prince of The Abyss

Trust. It's a complex word. Some would say they don't understand it, while others would say it's simple. Context matters a lot when it comes to trusting someone, more than anything. If someone was raised with many others around them, then they will trust others, and maybe even trust new people more easily, since they are accustomed to such behavior. But for those who lived in solitude, trust is sacred.

It's something that is very easily lost, by the most minuscule gestures, and it's almost impossible to gain back, even harder than it was to get it in the first place.

Ever since he was betrayed that day, by the knights he trusted to protect him, he has trusted only one person, that being his teacher. And even then, he had never quite revealed everything to her. He hadn't told her about his past, who he was. His affinity, he spoke only of his ability or about his situation.

A part of him wanted to reveal everything, to speak his heart out. But every time he tried, it was as if a hand covered his mouth, not letting him speak, and dragging him back. He trusted them, so why couldn't he just say anything? What was he so scared of? Why didn't he want people learning who he was? Shame? Was that the reason? Or maybe he was scared they would abandon him when they learned that he was the Abyss's vessel in his world, which was their world, just the future.

So in the end, he wasn't able to speak all of his secrets, which they realized, but didn't question him about it.

"So... when you came to this world, you took the place of another human, and that person was one of the Children of Praise, but you didn't get his memories. Is that right?"

Aether nodded, looking at the ground. It was hard to believe, something like that was unheard of, so he was expecting her to shout at him, to curse him.

"Why didn't you just say so? It isn't a big deal, so you shouldn't have been worried about it."

Aether's eyes widened, raising his head in confusion. Which made Avrie laugh.

"It doesn't really change anything. It is a shock, but it doesn't make things any different from how they were before."

Said Elpis, catching Aether's attention.

He bit his lip. People usually weren't like this when they were lied to. No one was. So why were they so different? Why weren't they saying anything? It was weird,

...it was nice.

A small smile curled up on his face.

"Yeah, I guess it doesn't..."

Trust, it really does magic.

His smile widened, the worry in his eyes gone.

"So, what's next?"

...

...

"So you're telling me that this will be our Sun?"

Said Aether, while looking skeptically at a small black orb. He felt nothing from it; he could even grab it with one hand if he wanted to. So how could this be a Sun? The others he had seen were gigantic and all able to unfreeze time.

"What is it even?"

Avrie cleared her throat, happy to explain.

"This is a core. One artificially made. It isn't activated, though, but it's very much one, the same as ours, really."

Aether raised his brow, poking it with interest.

"After you left, we hunted some monsters and used the shard of their cores to make it. So it's as real as it can be, without using humans at least."

Aether stared at it. He couldn't help but think how amazing it was. He didn't know as much as she did about cores, but he knew that it was amazing. There was no way someone else could have done it. Creating a core.

They aren't visible, or at least they aren't until their host dies. Only then do they appear, and even then, it's destroyed in little shards, with no essence. The reason why humans know how they look is because of those with affinities that allow them to see them. A normal reader doesn't have that privilege.

But he has seen two already, and very powerful ones. But he wondered why they were visible, while those created by the codex were not. Did it have to be because they were made out of scraps?

He ruffled his hair, thinking about how little he knew about this whole subject. And how lucky he was to have someone who knew so much.

"So now... we have to power it right?"

Avrie nodded, her excitement dimming slightly.

"That's right. And while we can start with blood, as it gets bigger, and with how much of it we would have probably lost by then, we're going to have to step things up..."

Aether knew she wouldn't say it, and he knew that deep down she didn't want to do it. Neither she nor Elpis was that kind of person. It was probably hard for them to accept the idea that they would have to kill people, for their own sake. He knew it would hurt them if they were the ones doing so...

"I'll do it."

Avrie looked at him in confusion, tilting her head slightly.

"Do what?"

He paused for a second, knowing that by saying what he was about to say, it would seal his fate. He stared at her with conviction in his eyes.

...

"I'll be the one doing the killing."

The silence that came was unbroken. It screamed, it cut, and it made him crazy. He didn't know how they would react, if they would even allow him to do so; he was probably the weakest out of all of them. But even if they didn't, he would still do it. He wanted to actually do something, not just wait for Elpis to do the killing, and Avrie on the Sun's development.

He would feel useless, as he was more of an inconvenience than help.

As if they could have done it without him.

Elpis smiled, breaking the eternal stillness.

"We can do it together. If you died, I don't want to blame myself for not being there."

He had wanted to object at first, but as he was about to speak, he stopped and smiled.

"Yeah... sure."

If he had declined his help, it would make him even more of a hypocrite, as not long ago, he was crying that no one had helped him, and all he had achieved was because of him, and only him.

Plus, as much as he tried not to think of it, and even after killing so many until now. Having to kill others was still a weight on his shoulders. He had a code after all, and he was going to go against it completely. This way, he could share that weight; that way, he wasn't the only one neglecting his code.

He was on the last stretch, not far away from going home. And not only did he have many questions about the world, questions he knew he wouldn't probably find answers as not only did they probably not need to find the other bunkers, but they won't even have to go to the Second Ring. They weren't going to get the researchers to do it. They were going to do it themselves.

It will also mean that he won't ever see them again, his friends. The only people he trusted, the only ones he had opened up to.

When everything was over, he was going to be in the Withered, all alone, yet again.

He had said many times that he wanted to get back home, but a part of him didn't want to leave, to spend more time with his friends. But he knew that wasn't possible.

He also never thought about what he was going to do when he got back, and neither did he think that it would even happen. Before he entered, he said that this was the first step for his rebirth, and this was how he was going to get stronger.

But only one of the two happened. He hadn't really gotten stronger; he had gotten many shards, but not near enough to ascend in rank.

...but he did think that he had been reborn already. He had changed quite a lot. He knew that, and very well.

He wasn't the same boy who was scared to fight and chose for himself. He had learn to stand his ground and make decisions for himself, not to let others make them for him. So in a way, hadn't he already reached his goal?

What was next?

Only time will tell.

Now, he should cherish the small moments he still has in this world, so that he doesn't regret anything.

Maybe he'll even give fishing a chance again.