Delphine blankly stared at the bright, swirling white smoke before her… it brightened up the dark void around her, pushing back the cold nothingness with a soft glow that felt almost alive.

The endless abyss around her shuddered, as if afraid of the light.

"Child?"

An ethereal voice drifted out from the white mist, gentle yet ancient, carrying a weight that made her chest tighten. Delphine flinched and blinked around again… the things that hunted her were nowhere near her now.

"W-What the…" She gulped, her throat tight with fear and relief.

Her body trembled as she slowly stood and walked toward the bright white smoke. Every step she took felt like escaping a nightmare. As she got closer, her body warmed, and the pain cutting through her limbs and insides was slowly fading away.

It felt as if this light had strength, enough to push away whatever darkness had nearly consumed her moments ago.

Her eyes shook a bit as she mumbled, "T-Thank you." She had no idea why those words escaped her or who she was even thanking… but gratitude spilled out of her like breath she didn't know she held.

The ethereal voice chuckled softly, "Haha… It is you who found me, child. I cannot move from this place, unfortunately."

Delphine blinked as she finally focused her thoughts on the swirling, bright white smoke. She maintained an arm's length distance, her fingers curled slightly, ready to run if this was another monster wearing a soft voice.

"What are you?" she asked.

As much as she wanted to trust this warmth and let it swallow her pain… she refused to fall for a trick.

Not after what she had seen in this abyss.

Who knew what lurked behind gentle words in a place like this.

Those unknown monsters twisted everything.

"Is that important?" the voice asked.

Delphine shook her head slowly. Right… that was not important.

"Do you know what this place is? How can I get out? And... w-what are those things in the dark?" Her voice cracked at the end, but she forced herself to meet the light.

"Oh? Too many questions… Hmm... Oh well, it's been a long time since I talked.

First of all, this place is the Eternal Prison.

And no… There is no way out.

As for those things… they are a kind of guardian who watches this prison. That is all." The voice remained calm and serene.

Delphine's face drained of colour. Her mouth widened in horror. "N-No way out? No… NO?"

"Indeed… child. That is why I am curious how you got here?" The voice shifted, gentle curiosity.

But none of those words reached Delphine's mind. Her thoughts scattered like broken glass. She trembled, shaking uncontrollably as the truth dug into her skin.

She had to live here?

For eternity?

Alone?

Surrounded by darkness, waiting to devour her?

Her legs weakened until she slumped down before the white smoke, "W-Why? Why? WHY?!" she screamed, her voice cracking under the weight of despair.

What did she do to deserve this?

All she wanted was to live a happy life… something simple!

"W-What did I do? Oh god… why?" She muttered through a trembling voice as tears rolled down her cheeks and hit the unseen floor, disappearing instantly into the blackness.

"Child… you have not answered my question. How did you get in here?"

The voice sounded closer now, not physically, but in spirit… as if leaning gently toward her grief, waiting.

Delphine muttered with a broken tone, "I-I don't know… We were just having a talk in my office and… suddenly those chains appeared and took Aeth—

Aether?"

Delphine flinched as her eyes widened in shock, as if she had almost forgotten something crucial in her panic.

"Yes, Aether! Do you know where Aether is? He was the one who was dragged by those chains into this place, and h-he must be here somewhere. Could you please find him for me? He is a child… he might not be good with darkness… he might be alone in there… please, I beg you!" She was already bowing her head, her shoulders trembling as she pressed her forehead against the unseen ground.

"…"

For a second, the white mist turned silent. The glow dimmed as if inhaling. Then the mist vibrated violently, rippling like a disturbed ocean, and—

Clang~

A chain suddenly yanked from the ground, the metallic echo slicing through the void like a blade.

"I see… Aether ah…"

Delphine lifted her head just enough to see the chain slithering out of the ground as if they had been there a long time and moving deeper into the endless dark.

Those chains… they looked exactly like the ones that caught Aether.

Her brows drew together as a strange familiarity crept into the voice's tone,

"Do you know Aether?"

"Not… personally."

The voice came calm, almost too calm. "But I know… he is a pain in the ass to deal with."

Delphine blinked. The voice, though serene moments ago, now held a clear thread of annoyance, maybe even exhaustion. Aether had that effect on people… but hearing it from some unknown ancient being made her heart race with confusion.

"Who are you?" Delphine turned curious, her fear briefly forgotten. "How did you know he is the pain in the ass? I mean… I know because I had been with him… but… you? Who are you?" Then her eyes widened in realisation.

"Don't tell me you are one of his—"

"Please don't! I'd rather tell myself than be connected with that thing!"

The voice snapped, frustrated and visibly annoyed now.

'Did it just call Aether… that thing?'

Delphine frowned, curiosity mixing with disbelief. Whoever this being was, they clearly had history with Aether... And from the voice's tone, that history was anything but peaceful.

It seemed Aether annoyed them so much that they would rather reveal the truth than be misunderstood or connected to him in any other way.

"… You all call me… The Mother Goddess."

The voice said it calmly.

Delphine's eyes widened in utter shock. "M-Mother Goddess?"

"Indeed, child, and I know you have many questions. But I cannot answer any of them," Mother said with a strict tone, shutting every door before Delphine could even knock.

Delphine parted her lips, then blinked, something cold awakening inside her. She muttered with a chilled voice,

"Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why did you not help us?" Delphine's voice cracked. Images flashed across her mind in violent fragments. She saw people dying before her eyes… saw how they turned into monsters, how those monsters were slaughtered, how families cried and begged for a miracle that never came.

"These people believed in you… the Goddess who save them all, yet… It's a boy who saved them. Not you!! You abandoned them!!" She shouted furiously, her voice shaking with grief, rage, and betrayal.

"…"

Mother turned silent.

Delphine gritted her teeth, "These people, those were innocent… they did nothing but pray, yet… that's all they deserved? Huh?" Her chest tightened with every word.

"Child… you may not understand now, but remember this… the powers you will wield someday are not what you desire. That's Responsibility solely on you, whether you want it or not!" Mother said with a cryptic tone.

Delphine frowned with a confused expression. "What do you mean?" She leaned forward.

But Mother turned silent. The mist shifted as if hiding within itself, refusing to speak.

Delphine stared at the white smoke for a few more seconds before she shook her head with a frustrated groan. "Whatever… just tell me a way to get out of here."

"As I said before… There is no way to leave this place."

Delphine raised her eyebrows, fear stiffening her expression. "R-Really? I am sorry if I angered you. Please… let us go… please." Her voice softened, trembling, almost cracking mid-plea.

"Sigh, child… I am not the one who controls this place… I am just like you, stuck here."The way she said stuck carried a weary, ancient pain, as if she had been here far longer than eternity itself.

Delphine's face turned pale. "S-Stuck here? How?"

But Mother didn't answer. She just stayed silent. The mist dimmed, the once-bright glow fading into something cold and distant.

"FUCKKKK!!!"

Delphine screamed, her throat burning from the force. Rage erupted in her chest, a wildfire with no place to go. "What did we do to deserve this? Huh? The fuck is wrong with laws and fucking assholes… what they wanted from him? Can't they just leave him alone for fucking day!!"

She clenched her fists so hard her nails dug deep into her skin, blood dripping and disappearing into the endless black below her feet.

Delphine's eyes turned teary. "You know… Aether once told me… all Aether wanted was to live happily in a corner of some place with… m-me!" Her words stumbled, her lips trembling as the memory cut through her chest.

"Y-yet… all of you… fucking all of you keep bothering him! Why?"

Her frustrated voice echoed furiously as tears rolled down her cheeks.

She really wanted to have a word with these bitches who pushed her Aether!!

Aether, from the very beginning, was being pushed by others.

Never a moment for himself.

Never a breath he owned.

Never in his life until now did he make a choice for himself… all he ever did was others forced him to choose, and he chose what's best for him… not what he wanted or needed.

Delphine muttered with a broken tone, her voice trembling between pain and fury.

"He was forced to give his fate to others!"

"He was forced into slavery!"

"He was forced to lose his self!"

"He was… forced to seduce… other w-women!"

Her voice cracked on that line, a tear sliding down faster as her throat tightened.

"What else do you all want…? What do you need him for more?" She shouted… no more like begged for an answer from the Mother.

"Why don't you just let us go and… we're never going to bother you? Please… let us go!" Her voice shook so violently that even the mist seemed to pause.

The Mother turned silent for a few seconds. The mist swirled faster, the white glow pulsing like a heartbeat… Finally, she spoke, her voice colder, heavier, more burdened than before.

"He is a cursed child."

Delphine lifted her head slowly, looking at the white mist with wide, trembling eyes.

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