Chapter 540: God of Caelurea

Aether stared in disbelief at the woman. What was she saying? Grandchild? He hadn’t seen her before, so how could she state something like that? Was she mistaken? Did she think he was someone else? Or maybe something else?

...

’But at the same time, I was the one who first said that her eyes looked similar to mine... so could she be telling the truth... No, that can’t be; it’s impossible.’

She knew both his grandparents; true, it has been a long time since he last saw them, and he was a child... and actually, thinking of it, he didn’t remember their faces all that well, on his mother’s side, that is; his father’s parents he’s seen a lot more.

His father and his mother’s family weren’t on the best terms; they didn’t like him all that much, which is why he wasn’t able to visit them that much. It was a complicated history between them, one that he had never been allowed to know of.

And even when they did visit, his father always seemed on edge, almost as if he was scared of something... scared Ather might see something, which was why he was always with him, holding him by the shoulders.

So... could this woman really be related to him, from his mother’s side?

Seeing his face, the woman chuckled. "Look at how much you have grown; you really take after your mother when it comes to beauty." She said, putting a hand on his cheek.

Aether hesitated to let her touch him; after all, he still wasn’t sure of her identity, whether she was really telling the truth, and the woman saw it in his eyes.

"Oh, come on? What’s wrong? What did that damn bastard Alar say to you about us?"

His jaw fell as he heard her say that name... she knew his father, good enough to know his name, which wasn’t something anyone from the Wonderland should know; after all, his father had not entered this part before.

Which meant that she was from the real world... and more importantly... it made it seem even more like she was telling the truth. Not a lot of people would talk badly about his father, only someone who wasn’t on good terms... which, as he said, his mother’s family was on pretty dire terms with him.

’So she’s really...telling the truth.’

Aether quickly shook his head, coming back to reality. "No, it’s nothing like that; really, it’s nothing, just forget it." He said, smiling.

The woman shrugged her shoulders as she made way for him to enter her house. Accepting her offer, Aether entered the small hut. It was quite cozy, small, but for a lone old woman, what more could you want?

Sitting on a couch near the fireplace, Aether waited until the woman entered the house and closed the door behind her. If he remembered correctly from his childhood, his grandma’s name was Alexis, but he never learned her last name, his mother’s last name.

Funny, but at the same time, strange, he wondered why... after all, he felt like it was something that he should have known, something normal for any child to know, even if they didn’t bear that name.

"So, uh... long time no see?... But more importantly, what are you guys doing in this place?" Walking over to where her small kitchen was, the woman prepared some tea as she laughed at his comment.

"We’ve been here for a lot of time; it was our decision to live in this place. When you get used to it, you will see just how much better it is than the real world."

’Yeah, I don’t think so.’ But it was interesting to know that they’ve been here for a while; was that the reason he had stopped visiting them as a child... he didn’t understand why they would want to live in this place, or how they even found it, but if that was their wish...

"But why are you here, huh, Aether? What is a future King doing here?"

Aether chuckled, slightly nervous. "Well, about that... I’m technically not the heir anymore."

The woman stopped, dead in her tracks, as she turned to him, utterly bewildered. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it’s a long story, but if I had to summarize, I had someone try to kill me, and was trapped in Serathia for like nine years now, well it has become my choice to continue living there after some time, as I’ve taken a liking to its poorer side, and its people, but either way, Caelurea thinks I’m dead, and by what I heard from Sofia, father has... gotten quite out of place, taking many women under him... and um, now there’s a race between their children to who takes the throne."

She scoffed as she finished the tea, walking up to him as she prepared the cups on the table. "What a joke. I knew that man was not in his right mind, but my daughter was never able to see that." She said, pouring him a cup and offering it to him. He happily accepted.

If there was any doubt in his mind that his mother’s side was against his father, well, now he was sure that at least his grandma hated him with all her heart.

"It’s a disgrace; a man like him should never be King. He doesn’t even accept the blessing of the God that has blessed our land."

Aether tilted his head. As he took off his mantle, there was no reason for him to wear his armor; there was no one who could, or even would, want to harm him in this place. "Our land is blessed? By what God?" He’d never heard about a God; he knew the Blue Rose was blessed by Praise, but never knew they also had a God.

"Of course we have; our God is very mighty, feared by all, the Abyss itself..." Her words came out quieter, as she noticed the marks on his arm.

As she noticed the Abyss’s marks.