It had been a painful reminder seeing his son again, almost he had wished to be back to the times before the existence of the bloody mages tower.
Times where his biggest worry was letting his son experience the life he had always wanted but after that there had been no son.
A part of him would do the worst of things to just experience that again but that was all a wishful thought.
It would stay that way, he isn't stupid. He knew the happenings of time, the way it moved and the consequences of playing with it.
So a thought it would stay.
and the pain would stay, never to disappear.
It wasn't the time, now he needed to get the child he was closely intertwined with out of his created nightmare.
A five year old child even.
Aethelstan hadn't noticed it until later but the boy had called for him, he helped him and now he would help Adrian back.
A bond where the both of them where equal and the wimps of the future in the both of their hands.
Gathering mana, it swiftly flowed in the surroundings but instead of what Aethelstan expected golden waves covered his body and moved just like it.
This....Adrian's mana?
Small golden flames were pulsing around his body, it wasn't on my skin like the waves but it was just hovering around his immediate presence, growing and multiplying every second.
#Adrian
He didn't know what or how it happened.
One moment he was drowning in hurtful words but now he was drowning in something. The feeling of sinking, feeling himself slipping away...he just didn't know how or what was happening.
It was, however, very relaxing, letting go.
And he would have if it weren't for Aethelstan's voice to echo in the waters.
It was comforting hearing Aethel's voice, knowing that he was with him even if he wasn't.
Maybe there were tears upon his face but he wouldn't know as he was still sinking in this sea of voidness.
He got here because of the marquis of hell but why would he stay here. If he couldn't even handle that, then what could he do?
It started small, his mana covered his body. Small golden flames lingered on his skin, Aethel's silver flickering in and out.
It worried him as he knew the other's state wasn't good but his flames got bigger and with it Aethelstan's. Until the silver shimmered around him, the silvery mana swirling around him like waves.
The darkness of the sea that had almost sunken was bright as the silver lit up the entirety of it.
He's here..just like Adrian would be for him.
* * *
They both believed in the other, causing an explosion to happen not a second later. Blinded by the stars so silver and the sun so gold that appeared. Eyes closed and the flash of light vanished, leaving darkness in it's stead.
* * *
#Aethelstan
Stiff, he was stiff.
Corrupting power still surges through his veins, core and organs. It was deep rooted, he could feel it. It would be a painful healing period and even the period consisted of years, maybe even decades.
However...he didn't know how but his core had changed.
For his eternity of living it had just been silver but now it was exactly half silver and the other half gold. They fitted together perfectly yet when he used a little bit of mana as a test the two joined together, forming a tornado. Somehow it still managed to be equal and in balance.
Aethelstan made up his mind to speak with the boy ,alone, afterwards. A core change has been unheard of.
If people knew...disastrous.
He tried to move but as he more than knew it was impossible to know.
It was a relief that he could feel Adrian's presence on his chest, through the bond he figured the boy wasn't hurt.
The feeling of knowing his body was there but barely feeling it was everything but pleasant.
"Urghh."
Snapping out of his strance, he concentrated. Voices becoming clear.
"-ord, that was risky.'
"Yes, I got it my lord.
I will remove whatever is left."
It was just one voice.
"I see, thank you my lord.''
A voice that had completely stilled, Aethelstan didn't know what to think. His sixth sense was going haywire but he couldn't move or use his mana properly.
Footsteps closened in on them, was it an assassin? Was all this just to weaken him?
Seconds passed in torment before the voice once more spoke up after an audible pause.
"You're still as beautiful as ever, Aethelstan. How glad I am that you survived."
He had hoped that when the person came over, the voice would become clearer. But no.
He still couldn't figure out if it was a woman or a man.
"Before long you'll be mine."
Not again.
"Yes, my lord. I will hurry up, the other's will wake up soon after all. Seeing that those two broke the enchantment.''
''Quite powerful indeed, my lord''
Pain, there was pain searing through his body as the remaining poison got removed. He couldn't feel all the pain because of the numbness yet he almost sighed in relief as the poison got pulled out and the hand pulled away.
Only to trace his face in a gentle manner, it was unsettling....and then it was gone.
He, once again, didn't know how long it was before the other's started waking up, their voices overlapping as they screamed around in fear of what had just happened.
Though they quickly shut up, Aethelstan quickly felt his conscience fading until the darkness took him.
Sweaty, pale and without any energy Aethelstan fainted. Adrian ,drained of magic, was laying on the elf's chest without a care in the world. For all purposes looking like he was asleep.
Golden sparks that had simmered around the two dimmed into nothingness, waves of silver that had surrounded their forms blinked before disappearing all together.