Prince of The Abyss

The cold came.

...

Aether sighed, arriving in Wonderland at the location given to him by Lilith. Above the many people already there, the thing that caught his attention was the giant black wall stretching endlessly, filled with people sitting in towers.

’Is this place really this dangerous?’

Walking in the camp, he looked around for Lilith, but he also... noticed a lot of the people here.

Knights from the Blue Rose, Celestials from the Academy, mostly upperclassmen, Bearers, but he even saw some from his class, Seekers.

Keres was also here... with his sister, Sofia. Which made him summon his mantle instantly; he knew that she would recognize him if she saw him. ’I’m a dumbass.’ He thought as he passed her, watching her gaze follow him.

There were also many people from his home Kingdom, people he had met as a child... even some of his childhood friends were here. This surprised him, but at the same time, he wasn’t around when they got their affinities; maybe they had gotten some really strong ones.

Noticing Lilith near a campfire, Aether sighed, annoyed that he was going to have to work with him. Seeing him, Freedom smiled, walking over to him and wrapping an arm around him before walking him to the others. There were four people waiting near the campfire... and surprisingly, he knew two of them.

The first was Orion, the winner of the tournament and one of the most skilled and powerful Knights of his class, someone with a very strong sense of duty; it reminded him of Elpis slightly... but the difference between their worlds was immense.

He should have expected him to be here; after all, Orion would have never said no if such an opportunity arrived, and while Lilith was the Vessel of Freedom, many preferred joining teams led by people of their class, so he was never going to get a Bearer, so he had to choose the best Seekers, Orion being one of them in his eyes.

Plus, he also had experience, being part of the Withered expedition to find him. So of course Lilith was going to pick him.

The other person he knew... well, knew was a bit of an overstatement; he had seen her before and knew her name.

Elise Hale.

The first time he saw her was when she saved him after the Tournament, after Lilith just stabbed him in the neck like it was nothing. He didn’t know a lot about her, just what her brother said about their family when they fought: that she was both rich and pretty.

And it was hard to say she was neither of those two.

He didn’t know her relationship with Lilith, so he had no idea why he had picked her; he didn’t even know the roles he was going for.

The other two, he had no idea who they were; he had seen them around the Academy, but they had never really talked. They also... didn’t look that happy to see him here. He chuckled, opening his mouth to try and lighten up the mood, but before he could, Lilith stepped in front of him and looked the two guys dead in the eyes.

"I’ll be nice this time and let go." He said with a smile that was obviously fake. "But if, after we enter the zone, you guys continue to act like this, I will take your head, no matter how important you are." His smile faded as he stared into their faces.

"Do you think just because of the fact that your families are important, they will do something to me? Do you think they would be able to do anything to me?

The two guys stepped back slightly. But Lilith stepped forward. "Doesn’t matter where they are from; strength is all that matters, and if I personally chose him, even before you two, there is a reason for it, right? If I see that stare again, I will grab your eyes and take them out myself."

Then he backed away, leaving Aether completely shocked.

’What the heck happened to him?’ His eyes followed him as he left them alone, walking over to Keres for whatever reason.

Lilith really has changed a lot. Well, he was still himself, but every time it was related to the Expedition, he acted like a whole different person, this time included.

Clearing his throat, Aether looked back at his two last teammates, offering them his hand. "My name is Aether." He said, still a bit shocked by Lilith’s reaction.

The two guys looked at each other before shaking his hand.

"My name is Bair." The first said, trying to keep the mood light. His long red hair caught his attention, soon followed by his two different colored eyes, the first green and the other blue... Aether was surprised... Lilith really had this power? To make two entitled Blue Rose high nobles accept a Withered?

Yet at the same time, they probably knew that they didn’t compare to him; after all, Lilith was very high in the Ranking, not only a High Noble himself, but also a Vessel and someone very close to the King.

"My name is Reno." The other said, more shyly. His black bangs masked his brown eyes.

...

...

...

Resting on a log near the fireplace, Aether laughed with his allies, but also with some others from the other teams; there was even a Harbinger with them. His name was Parter, a strong Knight who was one of the strongest of his class in the Blue Rose. He was surprised that he wanted to talk to them, more specifically to him, but at the same time, after the incident with Lilith, he understood that for most.

This expedition matters more than any social hierarchy. After all, in a team, everyone should trust each other and rely on the others, not hate one another.

It was nice to know. He was the only person in this whole camp who was from the Withered.

A bell suddenly rang, marking the start of the expedition.

Aether took a deep breath as everyone started rising to their feet.

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