At the end of the meeting, the three-hour record was burned to ashes, and no one else but those present would ever know about it.

The next day, someone approached Atheran.

He locked himself in the college named after himself, spending all his time in Vili's dormitory. The prime minister knocked on the door for half an hour, and when he finally saw him, he even thought he had the wrong person.

Before coming, he had read countless documents about Atheran. He thought he was prepared to face a perfect "god", but he never expected to meet only a decadent man.

His eyes were wrapped in white bandages, obscuring his expression, yet his imposing presence was inexplicably chilling.

His long, black, curly hair was disheveled and his captivating handsomeness could still be seen in his tired face, but what was even more striking was the gloom surrounding him, as if he were shrouded in an inescapable fog.

He was like a starving, out-of-control lion, while I was an antelope that had accidentally wandered into his territory.

The prime minister's hands and feet were ice-cold, and he stammered, unable to speak.

Behind Aetheran, he could see countless sheets of paper covered with complex data scattered on the ground, leaving almost no room to step. But clearly, the person in front of him had no intention of letting him in.

Noticing his gaze, Atheran grew even colder. He tried to close the door, but the prime minister instinctively blocked it.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty!"

Atheran remained unmoved, and the prime minister struggled desperately to leave a crack in the door.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty begs you to succeed to the throne!"

"..."

The tension suddenly eased, and the door opened.

"Succession?"

The prime minister could not see his eyebrows and eyes, only the corners of his mouth that were turned up, and his expression was unreadable.

"Yes, yes... The throne is now vacant, and only you can shoulder such a great responsibility..."

"What does this have to do with me?"

Atheran interrupted him.

The prime minister's eyes widened, and his voice unconsciously rose, even attracting the attention of others.

But you are—

"The descendants of Seldos, the future of the nation, the hope of the people?"

"Such words..."

Aetheran's voice seemed to be stretched into a steel wire, wrapped around the prime minister's neck, and then suddenly tightened.

"I'm already tired of hearing that."

"I don't care about this so-called throne, and I have no interest in your power struggles."

His words were calm, but the prime minister felt a faint but palpable killing intent in the air, and his back gradually became soaked with cold sweat.

"Now, get out of here."

"Don't make me say it a second time."

As soon as he finished speaking, the prime minister collapsed to the ground, unable to bear it any longer. He then scrambled to his feet, stumbling and falling several times along the way, before finally escaping the scene.

Etherland didn't even spare him a second glance, immediately closing the door and continuing her research.

He sat on Willy's bed, hugged the soft pillow, buried his face in it, took a deep breath, and smelled the faint, almost imperceptible fragrance.

Only in this way could he calm his violent desires and prevent himself from destroying everything he saw.

His eye injury had long since healed, but he was reluctant to remove the bandages. Everything he saw ignited an inextinguishable flame in his heart.

Only by immersing himself in the research could he barely regain his senses.

My baby...it'll be here soon.

I'm almost there.

-

Later, when people finally came to their senses from the deadly power struggles, when others tried to find Etherland again, they discovered that the place was already deserted.

Everything related to Vili had vanished, and the entire dormitory was covered with papers filled with writing, like snowflakes. Someone tried to collect the drafts, but couldn't understand a single word, only confirming that they were related to time-space magic.

War ravaged this land, and the name Aetheran finally turned to dust and was forgotten.

The monarch who simply walked away didn't care about any of that.

He traversed endless time and space, leaving all the turbulent waves behind.

During every agonizing, sleepless night, he would gaze down at the ring on his hand, as if casting his soul into it, as if through it he could touch the other owner of the ring.

Vili...you liar.

This is the second time you've abandoned me, leaving me with a wedding that will never be completed.

In the illusion created by the magic at his fingertips, he closed his eyes and imagined himself embracing Vili, spinning and dancing a dance that would never end.

But every dream has only one ending.

A raging fire burned in the magnificent ballroom, the lights were swallowed by the flames, the swaying, dazzling chandelier crashed to the ground, the music stopped abruptly, and he opened his eyes.

All I could see were my empty hands.

Not even a speck of ashes remained.

Atheran forced himself to recall Vili's face over and over again; more than the pain, he feared being forgotten.

Like a traveler trekking through the desert, his steps faltering, his lips cracked, yet his heart holds only an oasis.

Finally, he reached the end of the world and faced the gaze of world consciousness.

This may have once been a powerful being, but at this moment, Aetheran could see right through His weakness.

"Child...you've come."

"..."

"...Is this the end?"

After a long silence, Atheran forced himself to stand straight, unwilling to show the slightest sign of embarrassment.

But the world's consciousness seemed to have seen through his true self, and glimpsed his heart, torn to pieces and bleeding profusely.

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