Chapter 547: Silence the God’s

Walking over to his brother’s dead body, his body was pale. He didn’t understand what had just happened. His power hadn’t been used, or at least he hadn’t, and yet Abyssal Matter had just killed him.

But then who?

Was it... the Abyss? Had it gotten angry at the fact that Xavier had killed its loyal followers... it made sense, but at the same time, was that really something the Abyss would do?

...

’Actually, a better question was: was that something he could do?’

He stared at the dead body a little longer, before cursing as he turned away. What a death... though it made him wonder, once he grew stronger, was that something he was going to be able to do with his manifestation? It was horrifying.

Walking back to the village, Aether couldn’t help but feel sorrow, as the more he walked, the more dead bodies he saw around him. People who had families... loved ones. People who had done nothing to the world.

...

It was funny; before, he wouldn’t be fazed, and now he felt his soul burn.

It wasn’t like him to feel like this just because of the death of others around him, people he barely knew. Even if related to him, he didn’t know them as well as, let’s say, he had known Elise.

You don’t realize it... only staring at the dead body of the person, that behind those closed eyes is a long story, full of emotions and memories. It was cruel... that people die just because they aren’t strong enough to save themselves.

Walking past a body, he stopped recognizing it; it belonged to Alexis. He had mixed feelings about her... but that in no way meant she needed to die.

’But on that page... what makes someone deserve death?’

Was it really as simple as saying people who kill deserve death? Or evil in general, but what was that evil? And what caused it? Or do we just expect every single person to be like that since birth, like fate had put them on that path?

So in that case... aren’t they just broken, with the possibility of getting on the right path? Does that redeem their sins? "It doesn’t... but do the sins make you forget the story that led up to them?"

...

"And is killing a murderer justifiable? And what makes us an exception? We kill in stories; even if not human, we kill. Are we not murderers?"

...

"They are humans too."

...

Having faced death himself... he knew how it felt, and yet, for some reason, he never bothered to apply those very same feelings to those he had killed. Back when he had fought Lilith, before he had Gravewalker, and before desperately challenging his trial for survival.

The feeling of death... it was terrifying.

"Has every person I’ve killed felt something similar?

... But it’s not like you can throw it all away... murder."

He frowned, ruffling his hair. He had gotten way too deep inside this whole topic, one he still didn’t understand, and had changed his opinion too many times...

There were far more important things for him to do now... he had to go back to his plan; after all, if he took too long, even more innocent lives were going to die. He couldn’t just waste time like this.

He had already been selfish enough to stay here and try to learn more about the Abyss, and he had... but he only had more questions now.

Looking at Alexis with a smile, he sighed. "Rest in peace." He turned towards the other bodies. "All of you..."

But before his departure, he still had one last thing to do: the thing he came for in the first place, to get some supplies...

Going from house to house... it felt weird; it really did. After all, he was basically stealing from the dead... the only good thing was that he wasn’t stealing much at all, almost nothing, since the whole place was almost burnt down.

He only got enough to last him a day.

’I’ll have to see what I’ll do next.’

Passing by Xavier’s body, Aether couldn’t help but stop for a second. "You know, you really didn’t have to kill him; I could have done it on my own once we met again."

He said, before finally taking his leave from the town... But the Abyss didn’t respond to his comment. Aether scoffed. "Fine, stay quiet. It’s not like I wanted to hear your voice-"

"I-M Tr-Ything T-O Tal-k!" Aether stopped in his tracks. He heard the Abyss this time, but barely; it was quiet and very cut off... But he could figure out what he was trying to say. "What do you mean? Is there something that isn’t letting you talk or anything like that?"

Aether stood still, awaiting an answer, but the more he waited, the more he lost hope, as the Abyss didn’t seem to be able to speak.

...

But just as he was about to give up hope, he heard him, this time much clearer.

"Head towards the castle; north of here, you will reach it in some months, now! Before this thing-"

...

Aether bit his lip as his hand shook slightly... he didn’t think something like this would scare him... but at the same time, this was terrifying.

Something was wrong, really wrong, and if he had to guess, it was all tied to the Angel; it was the one that wasn’t allowing the Abyss to talk, and probably who had killed Xavier...

It was bad that the Abyss had been caught off just before he could finish; he didn’t get to hear his full warning, what the Angel was planning... but he could make a guess and connect him to the Wonderland.

After all, if the Abyss was telling him to follow his plan and giving him directions, which he had no idea where he had them from...

then it must want him out of the Wonderland as soon as possible.