Shattered Note

Two: A N

g he remembered was the Puppet Master, the vial shattering, and the cold darkness pulling him under. But this-this wasn't the battlefield. Ther

ferent from the clouded, artificial one he had known. He pushed himself up on his elbows, the gro

cal gear, his rifle-everything was missing. Instead, he wore plain, loose-fitting clothes. His body felt lighter, as if some invisible

re were no tall buildings, no ruined streets, no signs of battle. Just endless fields of grass and trees that stretched far into the distance. It

grove nearby. The figure was still, watching him. Aether's instincts kicked in, and he immediately m

wind. Her clothes were simple, much like his, but there was something different about her-something in her calm presence that ma

he said, her voic

u?" His voice came out hoar

y. "I am someone who ha

could trust her. "Waiting for

e, Aether Blackstone," she said calmly

his name. That wasn't possible-he had never se

of the sun. "This is not the world you left behind. You have bee

n his chest. "Brought he

e you fought, the rebellion-it ended. But your journey is not over. There is something

hey had all fallen, and he was ready to join them. But here he was, in a world that made no sense, with a stranger t

You lived in a world where people's feelings were taken from them, sold, and used like weapons. But her

drained him of anger, joy, fear-everything that made him human. And now, she was telling him he could fee

el again?" he asked, his vo

u will understand. But first,

g. His emotions-his humanity-could be restored? But what

ful landscape around him started to shift. The earth cracked, and a low rumbling sound echoed th

er voice steady even as the ground shook

ger, and the air was filled with a strange, humming sound. The sky darkened, and a

g?" Aether shout

a hint of urgency in her expression. "This world is not as peaceful as it se

was different. This world didn't follow the rules he knew. It

nd before he could react, the earth split open

e rumbling had stopped, and the air was eerily quiet. He blinked, trying to make sense of his surrounding

s aching from the fall. The woman w

ive, the ceiling so high it disappeared into darkness. Strange symbols were etched into th

chill down Aether's spine. He turned, his eyes scanning the

way to defend himself. But then he remembered the woman's wor

lt earlier. He had nothing left to lose. If his emotions were tru

ned his eyes just as a massive, shado