Chapter 542: Soul Energy

Walking with Alexis, he followed her into a small cave, her torch burning through the darkness of the night as they entered. He had decided to remain for some time; after all, if there was someone who could know something about the Abyss and had the information to enlighten him... it would be Voidpiercer, but outside that mute blade, it was probably... the Abyss itself, but again.

Outside those two... probably also the figure he saw in Demon of Dread, the Angel Fallen from Hell or whatever it had called itself.

’But if there was a human, or a group of people at the moment near me that knew about the Abyss and could show me valuable information, it would be the ones that worship him.’

He was a bit anxious about this whole situation; there was a lot he hadn’t expected to hear, a lot of family history, to which he had no idea how to react. Was he supposed to be mad at his mother? But for what?

And plus, what if Alexis was right, and he was looking at this whole Vessel of the Abyss stuff wrong?

That, of course, didn’t mean he was going to give his body away or accept being a successor; he still wanted to be his own person, not bound by the idea and goals of the Abyss, but a part of him wondered if he should maybe reconsider that title slightly.

Looking around the cave, Aether didn’t notice anything; it was weird that Alexis said she had been very proud of the discovery of this cave, and yet he saw nothing that would even make him think of the Abyss; it was just a normal empty cave.

"This cave." She said, walking forward slightly. "We believe the Abyss might have lived inside it, or maybe one of its Vessels in the war; you can feel it, the soul energy..."

Aether tilted his head, confused by what the woman was saying. He felt nothing; even with Eden, he didn’t see anything. Was there something wrong with his eyes and perception that made it so he couldn’t see it?

’What does Soul energy even mean? Souls don’t leave behind traces. So then what is she talking about?’

Looking at his grandma’s eyes, they looked bloodshot as she stared with a wicked smile at the walls of the cave.

’Huh?’ He took a step forward, but then he noticed saliva starting to come out of her mouth almost like she had frozen in place.

Something was horribly wrong.

Aether grabbed her and pulled her out of the cave, where her eyes seemed to turn back to normal as she woke up to reality. Yet she could only chuckle. "Great heavens... how wonderful?"

’Wonderful? What the heck is she talking about.’

Wiping her mouth, she turned towards Aether. "That is it for tonight. You can look in the cave if you want to feel it better. I’m quite tired, so I will he heading back. I have another thing prepared for tomorrow.

Is she leaving? Just like that.’

He waved her off, confused, before turning back to the cave.

... There was something about it; he didn’t know what. What had it done to Alexis? What could make her go crazy like that, to freeze in place?

’Is it the soul energy she was talking about... but what does it even mean?’

Entering the cave, Aether tried to concentrate to find whatever had caused Alexis to act like that, but the more he tried, the bigger his failure.

And to add to his confusion, the Shadows were... silent; not one said a word, and it wasn’t like they just didn’t want to speak to him. Whenever he tried speaking to one, it looked like it tried answering, but it couldn’t, as if something was holding it back from speaking, messing with its soul.

’Is there something wrong with its soul that is disturbing it so it can’t talk?’ But what..

It was obvious, but also not so obvious; if he had to guess, it was that Soul energy that Alexis was talking about, but if that was it, where the heck was it, why couldn’t he see it, and just what was it?

Aether bit his lip... as a familiar voice came to his mind.

"Can you get out of this place... now. It’s messing with my soul." It was weird hearing the Abyss speak so openly to him after his trial; it had been relatively quiet until now, only speaking to him when his fortitude was down to weaken him, not like this.

’What the heck do you mean? If there is something in this place, shouldn’t it be yours? I mean, Alexis did say that she thought you or one of your Vessels has lived in this place.’

"Well, she’s damn wrong. I’ve never been in this place... but someone has, someone with a very powerful soul, and who has left a small piece of it here, very small, and yet somehow strong enough to mess with all the other souls around it.

...

Outside yours, that is, somehow."

Aether looked around once more, but he still couldn’t see anything... but why? He sighed, leaving the cave, just like the Abyss had asked, and went quite after that.

If this cave wasn’t related to the Abyss... then to what?

’There’s only one person I know with Abyssal powers this strong... the Daemon Lord."

This made things... a lot weirder... he wondered: was it intentional, had it been a plan, or was he just overthinking it? Did he plan for his family to find this place, and if he was thinking on this page... who could say he was the one who made them live inside the Wonderland? Alexis never told him their true reason.

...

’But if this is the case, they aren’t worshiping the Abyss... but rather the Daemon Lord of the Abyss... but why, why would he want this? What does it help him with?

And doesn’t this mean he is alive to this day?’