OBS Chapter 732 [Bonus(づ ◕‿◕ )づ] Because... that was our final trial!
Chapter 732 [Bonus(づ ◕‿◕ )づ] Because... that was our final trial!
"That day... that smile... I still vividly remember it..." Dora mumbled softly, her gaze lost in the endless expanse of the sky.
Aether remained silent after hearing everything about Luna and Dora. There was nothing he could say—no words that would make a difference.
But one thing was clear...
'Damn, why does everyone have such a tragic backstory?!' Aether couldn't help but sigh inwardly. It didn't matter who they were or where they came from—every single one of his women had endured some kind of pain, just like his own fucked-up past life.
Though Liora and Delphine might not have had deeply tragic histories like the others, they still hadn't lived easy lives... they had suffered in their own ways.
'Is this fate at work? Am I only drawn to people with broken pasts, or is it that I'm fated to meet them? Fuck it!' Aether mused, his lips curving into a faint, amused smile before his expression darkened slightly.
"If only I hadn't fallen for their tricks... if I hadn't gone looking for answers... Luna might have still been alive," Dora muttered, her voice laced with self-reproach, as if blaming herself for the girl's death.
Anyone else might think she was just wallowing in self-loathing, caught up in pointless regret.... But they didn't know.
No one knew.
That smile.
That warm, gentle smile before the portal had closed.
It was seared into Dora's memory like a ghost that refused to fade, haunting her every time she closed her eyes.
Aether's grip on Dora's hip tightened slightly as he pulled her closer.
Dora let out an awkward chuckle, shaking her head, "To think that one day, I'd be telling all this to my own disciple... Hah... Fate really does have a twisted sense of humour and worse, he was way younger than me yet comforting me? Hah... Fate indeed!"
Aether thought, 'Fate is more like a bitchy one, if you ask me,' before shifting his focus back to what he had learned. He had gathered most of the information he needed about Luna… but there was one crucial detail that stood out.
'She died... which means the Master is trying to bring her back to life. But how?' He pondered for a moment, then a particular memory resurfaced—one of his past iterations had been captured by the Master, who had extracted his blood and used his abilities to rewind time.
'So, he wants to rewind time?' Aether muttered inwardly, but something felt off.
Even if the body was restored... the soul had already passed on. Rewinding time wouldn't be enough.
'Am I missing something' he thought.
"Now it's your turn," Dora suddenly declared, leaning in close, her eyes sharp and demanding.
She had given him the answers he sought—now it was time for him to return the favour.
Aether exhaled heavily. He knew there was no escaping this. Dora wasn't going to let him off the hook unless he gave her what she wanted. That's why he had already decided—he would tell her the truth.
Just like in the previous timeline, he had revealed his ties to the Arcane Hunter Organization while
He couldn't believe what he had just heard. But then, as he thought about it, everything started to make sense.
That Master had always known more than anyone else—more about the world, more about the Ebon Stone, more than even Isadora, the current Sovereign.
"What's his real name?" Aether asked, his voice steady despite the storm raging in his thoughts.
"..." Dora ran a hand over her forehead, clearly exhausted by the conversation.
"Come on, Dora," Aether pressed his tone firm. "Tell me."
With yet another deep sigh, Dora finally muttered, "...His name is Snape."
Aether blinked, his mind working to piece everything together. His voice reflected his shock as he said, "Then the person who's leading the Arcane Hunters is—"
Before he could even finish, Dora shook her head firmly. "Nope! That's not possible."
Aether's brows furrowed. "What do you mean it's not possible? They have the same name! And based on his knowledge, it's obvious that he—"
Dora cut him off again, this time with more force. "It's. Not. Possible, Aether!"
"Why?" Aether demanded.
Dora bit her lip, her entire posture stiffening as if she was determined not to answer. But when she met Aether's unyielding gaze, the way he silently told her that he wasn't leaving without the truth... she wavered.
Her heart clenched as she realized just how persistent he was.
'Fuck, I hate this!' she cursed herself again before reluctantly confessing:
"I wasn't supposed to tell anyone, Aether... But..." She sucked in a slow breath, her voice dropping to a whisper as if uttering the words aloud made them real. "I was the one who killed him.... With my own two hands!"
"...Why?"
Dora's expression darkened slightly. "Because... that was our final trial."