Prince of The Abyss

He had forgotten completely about the note and everything inside Ashen Wing at that. Maybe because it never came back to help him. Both Downspire and Rivergate helped him in a way, maybe with their notes, like J.'s advice with hope, or just the first sight of a Sun, that made this mission happen.

Maybe because it was a while ago, but he didn't remember that much, only those words. Did they perhaps have to do something with what Avire was doing? Was she just ignoring him, or was something actually happening?

He never learned what the heck he was trying to say, as none of the Suns have done anything until now.

He grabbed his chin, examining Avire. Her eyes looked normal, and there wasn't anything strange from just the fact that she wasn't responding.

...

"Ugh, can you leave me alone?"

Avrie scoffed, irritated by his perseverance, which made Aether sigh in relief, but that didn't mean he wasn't angry. What gave her the right to ignore him if she was in the wrong? But, in this state, he could never argue with her. So he just left to get some food for himself, and only himself. She could go get it herself if she wanted any.

He walked through the streets, not looking back once, and mumbling curses to himself.

It wasn't hard to find a merchant in the First Ring, after all, one of the main ways to get in was by a merchant permit. The streets were filled with them, and sadly, for most, they predominantly sold the exact stuff. The ones who were more well-known were the ones that actually sold, since they could afford to lower some of their prices.

He saw new faces every day, as most couldn't make enough money, and even more came to take their place, just to have the same faith.

"The rich get richer."

Some people bought from lower-ranked stands, thinking that their quality was better, or just more natural.

He wasn't part of that group, though.

Most of the important stuff he bought was from the most popular merchants. If he got hungry or saw something he liked, he would buy from others, but besides that, never.

He didn't pity them, as time passed, well, not actually, he had learned to stop thinking of people in this world as humans. Well, those he didn't know at least. Or that he hasn't talked to.

He didn't know how horrifying human speech could be until now. But whenever someone crawled to his feet asking him for help, or just to talk to him, he couldn't help but think they were human, just like him.

If he had to say a reason for it, it would probably be because he hasn't talked to many in the Withered.

One of the most important things in stories is not thinking of them as real life. Or at least not when it comes to others. Your death would be as real as it can get, if it happens. But when it came to others, their just characters in a story, nothing more, nothing less. Their lives were fixed from the beginning, written in stone... so if one died from you changing the story, at least you gave them freedom in a way, leading them out of the path chosen for them.

..."What am I even thinking?"

How could he, how could anyone look at the faces of those crawling on their knees to save them, and still think whether they are real or not? Does that even matter?

...

He had gotten off track.

He took a deep breath, approaching a merchant to buy an apple, which was the most popular item in the First Ring, but while he would normally buy them for cheap from where he usually did, this time, he stopped at a newly started stand. Which sold things for much more... but he could afford it.

Seeing the happy face of the merchant, he couldn't help but smile, even if he knew what path he was walking on.

...But maybe the money he gave him would change that path. He didn't know how to write a story, but all readers are writers after all; they just do it another way. By living through them themselves.

...

...

After satisfying his hunger, he started to make his way home.

He wondered if Avirie was still watching the Sun for some weird reason. Wasn't she hungry? She hadn't eaten in a day, and while he knew humans could go for a lot more than that. It was still not something she would do.

He groaned, trying to remember more of Ashen Wing, but it was like something kept him from the truth. After all, what was he even trying to find? J. was probably just talking nonsense; the Sun had done nothing else than to help them.

It was the hope of the world at the moment, if they could finish it, then time would be brought upon the world again. Why shouldn't they at it, after all, it's like their own god. Which was what they needed; they were going against the Abyss. There wasn't any other god to help them, only the glorious Sun.

The bright, majestic hope that was their God.

...

"Huh?"

Since when had he started to think of it in this way? The Sun wasn't a god, and more importantly, it was created from fragments of Abyssal creatures, so wasn't it actually close to the Abyss.

His head started to hurt as he thought of that. As if something was drilling into his mind, taking away memories from him. He didn't know what was happening, why was he even resisting the Sun?-

"Wait, what?"

The Sun was his last hope, the only thing that could help him; no one else, he was alone in this worl-

"Shut up!"

Aether rammed his head against a wall, feeling as blood fell from his head. But he didn't stop, not until the voices disappeared too.

He started to breathe heavily, as he was finally alone in his mind.

The voice that was speaking to him... was the same as the one from when The Abyss spoke to him; it was no mistake. So what the heck, how was it here? What did it mean? Why was it trying to make him think of it as his only God?

Wasn't he the vessel of Praise at the moment?

...

"Praise!"

He had completely forgotten about it! But how was that possible? Even if it had not helped him, he couldn't just forget about it all of a sudden...

There had to be someone stopping him from remembering it, and many other things... and there was only one thing that could have done it.

Had the Sun been messing with his memories until now? But how was that possible? Were all the Suns able to do that, messing with people's minds...

Was that why J. advised him not to look at it... But then, why did he tell him to continue their research? If he knew that the Sun was controlling his mind, then why?

"Was he also under its effect?"

...

At that moment, everything was clear to him. From the beginning, he was being tricked.

The cores were built from shards gotten from Abysal creatures; of course, they had powers from the Abyss. But the researchers didn't know this, which is why J. had told him to continue their research, while telling him not to look at it. Because he was fighting with its control.

He was probably... also the one who had destroyed it; it made sense now why he had destroyed the one from Rivergate. He knew the truth about them.

The second note told him about the log to Downspire, but early on, he did say he could only fight the Queen's control slightly... and that his hands didn't always listen to him. Which was why it was at the end, when his control loosened.

In the third note, he didn't even say anything about the Sun; his only wish was to kill him, which was also what he said in real life. He was just too blind to see that.

He had been playing right in The Abyss's hands... which one of the thoughts from before was even his, what words that he had said were really his...

More importantly, he had to tell Avrie, she was still oblivious to it. And something was happening, maybe its control was getting to her. After all, when it came to him, the Abyss had to deal with Praise, but Avire...

She was the most vulnerable and the one who had spent the most time with it.

He cursed, rushing back and barging in. Where he saw that she was still staring at the Sun. Words wouldn't work, that he knew; he had to get her away from it, even if it didn't help. He didn't want her close to it.

He grabbed her by her shoulder, turning her to face him.

But he couldn't see her eyes anymore; instead, the same matter that had bound his feet when Elpis died was flowing from them.

He covered his hand with his mouth, almost vomiting. But the next second, Avrie's body fell to the ground... as he heard the Codex's words speak to him.

[You have Slain a Reader Fragment Human, Avrie Apelpisia]

...

"Just... what happened?"