As the blinding light slowly dimmed down, the silhouettes of the two figures gradually emerged from the sea of swirling radiance. Pink particles drifted through the air like glowing flower petals, while multilayered magic circles rotated around Aether’s body with a low humming sound before slowly cracking apart and dissolving into countless fragments of light.

The final layer shattered.

Aether’s body fully came into view.

At first glance, there was barely any difference from before. The same broad shoulders. The same muscular chest. The same sturdy legs carved with months of battle and bloodshed.

Yet the moment anyone’s gaze rose above his nose, revulsion crawled into everyone’s face.

The upper half of his face looked horrifying.

Blackened flesh spread across his skin like rot, swollen veins pulsing beneath cracked layers of dead skin mixed with pus. Every slight movement of his eyelids caused tiny flakes of ruined flesh to crumble away like dust.

The illusion looked disturbingly alive, as if the flesh itself was decaying in real time.

"Hmm..."

Dora hummed softly as she admired her own work. A faint smile rested on her lips while her glowing eyes carefully scanned Aether from head to toe, searching for even the smallest flaw within the illusion.

"Perfect," she muttered calmly. "Even Mary won’t be able to see through this."

Hearing that, Aether released a slow breath he did not realise he had been holding.

’Good.’

He pulled out a mirror from his storage and raised it toward his face. The moment his reflection appeared, even he paused for a second.

The illusion felt far too real.

Unlike Nightfire’s illusion magic, this was not something that merely altered appearance. The skin peeling away, the tightness around his eyes, even the subtle sensation of cracked flesh shifting whenever he moved his face... everything felt terrifyingly authentic.

For a brief moment, even Aether almost believed the face staring back at him belonged to a dying corpse.

"Guess Mother’s creation isn’t something people should trifle with~" Aether said with a grin, giving Dora a playful wink despite how painful the motion looked.

Yet he felt nothing.

No pain.

No discomfort.

Just an illusion.

Dora’s eyebrow twitched instantly.

"So you can praise everyone except me?" she asked with narrowed eyes before reaching forward and pinching his cheek.

Aether let out a quiet laugh. "Now that sounds unfair," he replied warmly.

"My Dora is obviously the most talented."

His hand slowly rose and brushed against her cheek with surprising gentleness.

The teasing expression on Dora’s face faltered for a fraction of a second.

Both of them stood there quietly, staring into each other’s eyes while the remaining pink particles floated around them like drifting embers. A strange silence settled between them, neither awkward nor peaceful, just... heavy.

The kind of silence that appeared when two people wanted to say something but could not find the right words.

"I should go now," Aether said quietly, though his eyes never left hers.

"Hmm..." Dora responded softly, her fingers still lightly pinching his cheek.

"Just don’t... die somewhere stupid."

Aether smiled faintly. "You sound worried."

"I’m not."

"You hesitated."

"I didn’t."

Aether chuckled under his breath while Dora clicked her tongue and looked away for a moment, clearly annoyed that he noticed.

Again, silence returned between them.

Not because there was nothing to say.

Because both of them understood something neither wanted to admit aloud.

Unlike his wives, Aether barely spent time with Dora.

Nobody knew when they would meet again.

Perhaps that was why neither of them stepped away first.

"Will you miss me?" Aether asked softly as he took a slow step closer toward her.

Dora’s lips curved into an amused smile, though her gaze softened slightly.

"Miss you?" she scoffed lightly. "Brat, I lived alone longer than your entire family. I never felt lonely for even a second."

Aether tilted his head with a smug grin. "That was before this handsome man appeared in your life."

"Your confidence really is unbearable."

"And yet you still keep me around."

Dora snorted quietly as she pulled her hand from his cheek, "I’ll fin—"

Before she could finish speaking and turn around, Aether suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her toward him.

Dora’s body collided against his chest without warning.

Her enormous holy grail pressed tightly against him, soft warmth sinking against his muscular body as her already deep cleavage pushed even further upward from the force. The sudden closeness caused her pink heart eyes to widen slightly while the loose strands of her hair brushed against his neck.

[+9000 AP]

"What are you doing?" Dora asked with an annoyed expression, as if she disliked Aether touching her even a little.

Yet inwardly, her heart had already skipped a beat the moment he pulled her closer.

Aether lowered his gaze slightly, his arms still around her waist. "I’ll be leaving..." he muttered quietly.

"Do you not wish to say anything before I go?"

There was a faint hurt hidden within his voice, subtle enough that most people would never notice it.

Dora stared at him silently for several seconds.

Even though she knew he was deliberately trying to soften her up, his words still reached somewhere deeper than she wanted to admit.

That irritating man always knew exactly how to strike at the weakest parts of her heart.

Slowly, her hands slid around his neck like a soft serpent coiling around its prey.

Then her expression softened.

A small, lovely smile appeared on her lips, one far gentler than her usual teasing smirks.

"I know something is bothering you."

Aether raised his eyebrows slightly, genuine surprise flashing across his face as if he truly did not expect those words from her.

Dora’s smile deepened faintly after noticing his visible reaction.

"What?" she asked softly. "Did you seriously think you could hide it from me? Your Master?"

She lightly flicked his forehead before continuing.

"Oh, come on... We lived together for months under the same roof. I taught you countless things, watched your habits, your moods, your expressions..." Her pink eyes narrowed slightly with amusement.

"What exactly did you expect from me? A cold heartless woman?"

Aether looked at her in silence.

The look in his eyes practically screamed, ’Of course.’

Dora’s lips twitched instantly.

"Heartless man," she growled under her breath like an adorable angry puppy before sighing and shaking her head in defeat.

"Seriously..."

Still, despite her complaints, her fingers gently brushed against the back of his neck.

"What I’m trying to say is..." Dora’s voice became quieter as she looked directly into his eyes, all traces of teasing fading away.

"Don’t let your emotions control you."

The playful warmth disappeared, replaced by something far more sincere.

"I know that’s easier said than done," she continued softly. "Especially after everything you’ve been through. I was once standing exactly where you are now."

Her arms tightened around his neck slightly before she pulled him closer against her chest, allowing him to hear the slow rhythm of her heartbeat.

There was no lust between them.

No teasing.

No embarrassment.

Only warmth.

"As your Master..." Dora whispered, "and as someone close to you... I want nothing more than for you to survive this darkness without losing yourself inside it."

Aether remained silent.

His face rested near her chest while a faint floral fragrance drifted into his nose, soft and calming like spring flowers after rain.

Yet his mind was far too distant to enjoy any of it.

’Even Dora...’

A strange emotion surged within him.

Why was everyone acting as if he was about to become something terrible?

He was only going there to stop this madness.

That was all.

Why did every single one of them fear he would lose himself?

It wasn’t as if he would become some mindless madman.

...Right?

Dora’s fingers slowly moved through his black hair, gently ruffling it while her expression turned distant for a brief moment, as though old memories had resurfaced within her mind.

"I’ve seen far worse things than you can imagine," she said quietly. "And sometimes... There are wounds that never fully disappear."

Her voice remained calm, but something hidden lingered beneath it.

Pain.

Regret.

"It’s not easy letting go of the things you’ve done," she continued. "Sometimes it’s not even possible to forgive yourself for them."

Dora was once Arcane Queen and suffered a lot, and even went through killing her only Master, who killed millions of people... she must have had her own worst nightmare, right?

"I learned that running from regret only makes it rot deeper inside you," Dora whispered.

"Accept what you did. Regret it properly. Then become better because of it."

Her pink heart eyes met his once more.

"And I hope you’ll do the same."

Aether slowly closed his eyes before releasing a long, quiet sigh.

Then he nodded softly.

"I understand."

Dora smiled softly before murmuring, "Whatever choice you make... I believe in you. And no matter what happens, I’ll stand beside you."

Her voice sounded gentle, almost tender, yet Aether immediately noticed the firmness hidden beneath those words.

This was not empty comfort. Dora truly meant every single word she said.

Aether let out a quiet chuckle as he slowly lifted his head away from her chest and looked directly into her eyes.

"You really know how to stir up someone’s emotions, don’t you?" he muttered with a helpless smile.

Truthfully, a part of him had wanted to simply enjoy the softness pressing against him a little longer. Yet after hearing her words, his mind could no longer focus on those distracting thoughts.

Dora noticed his expression instantly.

"Hehe~"

A soft laugh escaped her lips before she gave him a playful wink filled with warmth and mischief.

"Oh? Someone’s behaving properly for once?" she teased.

"Where did the naughty Aether disappear to?"

Her expression turned openly amused.

Aether clicked his tongue and slowly stepped away from her embrace.

The moment things became serious, this woman immediately ruined the mood on purpose.

’Damn woman... always playing with my innocent heart,’ Aether grumbled inwardly. ’I swear one day I’m going to spank that arrogant ass of yours.’

Dora’s smile widened even more.

It was almost as if she could read every shameless thought running through his head like words written inside an open book.

Slowly, she placed a finger against his lips before leaning slightly closer.

"If you come back safely..." she whispered in a low seductive tone, "and if you return as my Aether... I’ll give you something you’ve always wanted~"

As she spoke, her fingers lightly tugged down the top of her outfit.

Smooth pale skin appeared.

The soft curves beneath nearly slipped free, revealing enough to make Aether’s breathing instantly halt. Just a little more, and he would have seen the full shape hidden underneath.

"...!"

Gulp~

Aether swallowed hard, his face heating slightly while his eyes became completely glued to the tempting sight before him.

Then suddenly...

Dora pulled her clothes back into place with a sly grin.

"Haha~"

Aether’s lips twitched violently.

"Tsk."

Without another word, he immediately turned around and began walking toward the Empire with irritated steps.

Behind him, Dora burst into even louder laughter.

"Oh come on," she called out with an amused grin. "Why are you pouting already? I barely showed anything."

Aether ignored her completely.

Or at least he tried to.

Dora could not help teasing him. After all, neither of them knew when they would meet again, so she wanted to leave behind memories that felt lighthearted instead of heavy.

Suddenly, Aether halted his steps.

A thought crossed his mind.

He slowly turned around and asked, "Is it possible to place an illusion over this one?"

Dora blinked before tilting her head curiously.

"Hmm... I’ve never actually tried it before."

Her teasing expression slowly faded as she tapped her forefinger thoughtfully against her chin.

"An illusion layered over another illusion usually destroys the previous structure while constructing the new one," she explained calmly. "But my illusion is different. It’s closer to creating another temporary reality itself rather than simply altering perception."

Her pink eyes narrowed slightly as interest appeared within them.

"So... theoretically, it should be possible to stack another illusion over it without destabilising the first one."

Then she looked directly at him.

"But why would you even need another illusion?"

Instead of answering immediately, Aether pulled out Nightfire’s spell scroll and tore it apart.

Instantly, another illusion wrapped around his body in flickering waves of distorted light.

For a brief second, the magic fluctuated violently.

Aether frowned slightly.

Even Dora’s eyes sharpened for a moment.

Then slowly...

The distortion stabilised completely.

Dora nodded slowly with visible satisfaction.

"My illusion wasn’t disturbed at all..." she muttered softly.

A thoughtful expression crossed her beautiful face as countless possibilities instantly began forming within her mind.

’So it really is possible to layer illusions over one another...’

Despite her countless years of life and mastery over magic, she had never experimented with something like this before.

For perhaps the first time in a long while, genuine curiosity sparkled inside her eyes.

Dora stepped closer and examined Aether carefully one more time before nodding in approval.

"Perfect," she said. "Now answer me properly. Why do you need another illusion?"

Aether’s face suddenly became expressionless.

"Nothing," he replied calmly. "Just in case I recognise someone there."

The moment those words left his mouth, silence fell between them.

Dora understood immediately.

After all, she knew about Aether’s past life. She knew the things he carried deep within himself.

She was supposed to become his future wife one day... according to him, of course!

How could she not know?

Dora’s expression slowly turned serious.

"Are you planning to..."

Before she could finish speaking, Aether quietly shook his head.

"No," he interrupted gently. "Don’t overthink it. It’s just a precaution. That’s all."

Even so, the reluctance hidden within his voice was impossible to miss.

Dora stared at him for a few seconds but ultimately chose not to push him further.

Instead, during the journey back toward the academy, she deliberately kept teasing him nonstop with playful remarks and provocative smiles, almost as if she was trying to fill the little time they still had together with laughter instead of silence.

"Damn you! One day, I’m seriously going to smack your busty ass!" Aether shouted in frustration after another one of her shameless provocations.

"Fu~Fu~"

Dora merely swayed her hips teasingly while looking back at him over her shoulder with a provocative smile, openly challenging him to try.

The message in her eyes was clear.

You can try... if you’re prepared for the consequences.

Aether immediately shut his mouth.

Retreat felt like the wiser option.

Damn sly fox!!!