Chapter 546: Apeiros

Aether stared, still clutching his chest, as the small town burned to a flame, bodies dead all around. He frowned deeply as he looked at the man standing in the middle of all of this. He had black hair, dark as his soul, but green eyes, almost noble. He didn’t remember his face at all.

At least... not that well. He had a hunch he had seen him before, inside the expedition, which, if he was right, then he must be a Reader, just like him and just like all the others in town, so why had he killed them?

Seeing him, the boy looked slightly irritated. "Another one? I thought I got rid of everyone; how annoying." He sighed, summoning his blade, which had this weird red aura around it, as his eyes changed to a dark red.

"What’s the meaning of all this? Why murder our kind? Are Readers not already hunted by the people of the Wonderland?" Aether said, stepping forward. He was in no way in any condition to fight at the moment; his body had never been weaker, and he felt like his threads were almost empty. Without any essence inside them.

If he were to engage in this fight, he would die.

Yet, his words seemed to have caught the boy off guard. "Our kind? You mean these guys were Readers... huh, interesting?"

So he had no idea? Had he just rushed in to kill them without even trying to figure it out... though could he blame him all that much? If it wasn’t for his flame changing his ever so slightly, he would have probably also killed them all to get his supplies, without knowing that they were Readers.

But still... even after learning, did he not feel any regret?

"Interesting? That’s all you have to say? After murdering these innocent lives." Even the kids were dead... every single person.

The boy scoffed. "Listen, man, I really don’t care all that much. I was ordered to find these guys and kill them; it doesn’t matter to me if they are Readers or not. I don’t know the reason behind their murder; I also don’t have an idea of who they are; all I know is that this was an order from my father, and I want to get on his good side." The boy let go of his blade, his eyes turning back to normal.

"I first thought you were one of them, so I apologize for drawing my blade at you, but by your behaviour, you were probably close to them, but not one of them. Your reaction would have been much more personal, including yourself with them, something you didn’t do."

Saying that, he started walking towards him. "My job here is done, so if you don’t mind me, I will be taking my leave." The boy said, laughing, as he passed him, but as he did, Aether grabbed his hand.

"What’s your name?" Aether asked, staring the boy in his eyes as he turned around.

"My name?" He smirked. "It’s Xavier Moirai."

...

...

Aether stood frozen for a good time, as his body almost went limp in shock... this person standing in front of him... was his step-brother? This... human was related, even if not by blood, but shared his last name?

If he thought he had lost the meaning behind death... then he was nowhere close to the person standing in front of him, someone who didn’t even care to learn anything about who he was killing, or why. Someone who didn’t need a reason to kill.

It also meant that the person who had tasked him... was their father... and he had a vague idea of why, knowing that his mother’s side of the family had gone into Wonderland, but not where; he must have been happy to hear that a special place in this place had been found, and sent him alongside Sofia, but giving him a mission: to find and kill them all.

To kill everyone that still bore the Aperios name.

...

He was disgusted.

With both his brother and his father.

Was this really what the Moirai family resorted to? The Aperios family haven’t done anything wrong, nor harmed the world in any way. Even if he has a bad taste in his mouth from whatever happened with his mother, and the whole thing with the pin being inherited.

They weren’t the ones who made him become the Vessel...

Innocent; they were completely innocent, and even more, completely silent in recent years, far away from everyone, just doing their own things.

...

And yet, that was enough for them to kill them. Simply because of their belief.

Seeing his surprised reaction, Xavier chuckled, "I know, I know; standing in front of a prince, it must be a shock. I can give you an autograph if you want; I’m sure you would be ecstatic to have one, right..." He stopped, not knowing his name, to complete his sentence. He waited for Aether to complete it.

...

"Aether, Aether Apeiros."

"Aha, thanks." He recited his name inside his head. "You know, I had a brother named Aether, but he died long ago, before I was a prince. My father loved him a lot... probably more than he loves us all combined... I hate it; I hate him. Even though he’s dead, I will kill him if I ever get the chance."

Aether smirked. "Oh... really? Then I wish you the best of luck on your journey... I do hope I will meet you again."

Xavier raised one of his eyebrows, confused by his reaction. "Um, yeah, sure." He responded, walking away, while staring at him. Aether didn’t move; he just stood still, waiting as he disappeared further and further into the distance.

’I didn’t know I was that hated. I wonder if that’s the same opinion all my other siblings have, well, outside Sofia... if so... then once everything with the Wonderland is fine, and the world is safe...

I definitely wouldn’t mind paying them all a visit.’

Aether turned around, but as he did, he suddenly heard a scream. Turning around, he saw Abyssal matter grab Xavier by his limbs before ripping them off completely, killing him.

’What the fuck?’

He suddenly felt his soul hurt once again, almost as if... something had used his powers without his wish.