(Third-person perspective}
Venture was walking through a mysterious forest, the kind of place that seemed to be full of hidden secrets and wonders.
He felt as if he was in another world, a world where anything could happen. The trees were tall and old in appearance, and their branches stretched towards the sky like arms reaching out to something invisible.
The air was thick with dampness and the scent of the damp earth made him feel peaceful yet somehow excited at the same time.
As Venture entered the depths of this mysterious forest he noticed strange noises coming from all around him--birds singing in harmony, animals doing their business that are unknown to mortals, and even a faint whisper seemed to drift occasionally in a gentle breeze that lightly pierced his hair.
Venture only stopped for a moment whenever he saw something interesting before continuing onward until he finally came to what appeared to be an ancient, abandoned cavern nestled between two giant oak trees whose trunks had been entwined together over the centuries, creating a path that led to the threshold of the door as if to welcome visitors. Inside.
the walls were full of untold stories patiently waiting to be told again someday, perhaps soon.
Ventur walked cautiously, pushing against the thin wood that covered the entrance to the cave, causing a noise that reverberated throughout the forest, but it wasn't enough to spoil its magic.
Only a little bit was revealed inside the dark and old cave. Some wooden furniture, which was still standing after all these years, was covered with a thick layer of dust and spread throughout the cave as well.
Logs of firewood are scattered randomly throughout the cave indicating that the past lives that were lived here long ago are now forgotten.
This sight gave Venture a sense of nostalgia for something else so difficult, but whatever feeling was stirred within his heart was most likely the desire to explore more.
Discover any secrets hidden in the depths of the four walls surrounding him.
"This..."
Ventur tapped the wooden wall in such a strange sequence that it sounded like a sacred musical note whose sound spread everywhere, and some of the animals gathered nearby and looked at him through the oak.
Ventor backed away when he saw that and headed for the exit of the forest, whatever brought him into this mysterious forest today, he must restrain it.
The gentle breeze and the bright sunshine made him want to live here and build a log cabin to escape the noisy society outside.
"other nature, nothing is worth it."
Venture is the kind of person who loves to explore, always looking for something new.
One day, while exploring this mysterious forest, he stumbled upon this mysterious cave.
ventured went inside to find that it was filled with strange sculptures of unknown origin and when he examined them more closely, he realized that they were unlike anything he had ever seen before. Their intricate designs and symbols seemed to tell some sort of story but what exactly they meant remained unclear.
Intrigued by this mystery, he decided to start investigating the cave's content further in hopes of uncovering its secrets. After much searching around the walls and floors, his efforts paid off when his eyes finally fell on a small carving tucked away in one corner - something far more elaborate than anything else inside the cave!
With passion burning inside him like wildfire, he studied this new discovery as if trying to decipher its hidden meaning through sheer force of will alone--and yet, no matter how long or difficult he tried, nothing made sense...or did it?
The engravings themselves were a mixture of geometric shapes, abstract designs, and cryptic symbols, all arranged in a subtle, deliberate pattern that seemed to convey a secret message. It was as if the inscriptions were waiting for someone to reveal their meaning, to reveal the secrets they held.
The strange silver inscriptions that Venture had discovered in the cave were strange. The signs were ancient, yet somehow modern at the same time as if they were the creation of a civilization that existed outside of time.
Despite his inability to comprehend what lay beneath the surface-level meanings of these sculpted images, Ventur couldn't help but feel curious as if there must be some greater truth behind it waiting in the distance.
This exploration happened a long time ago when he was fourteen years old, his father had just disappeared and he was out on catharsis and let the negative emotions come out of him.
As he stumbled here and there in addition to the fierce animals that chased him at the time, this cave was his only savior, not only physically, but also spiritually.
The inscriptions and statues inside caused him to be very preoccupied with the disappearance of his father and helped him to forget the incident, but due to his lack of experience and skill, he could not discover anything from it.
He has visited the cave once or twice a month since then and he never left it for longer than two weeks, but everything has an end, this may be the last time he visits this cave.
In this world, there was a kind of energy called: "Ether". Simply put, ether is an energy that can be used to make humans reach levels of power that made them imbued with superhumans.
There are several ranks given by the government to this type of person, despite the obvious suspicion that the government was the one who launched this name, but people continued to believe blindly.
The ranks are:
envoy: These are individuals who are just beginning to discover their etheric abilities and are still learning how to control them. They have just begun their journey towards becoming powerful ether warriors.
Major: This rank is for people who have achieved a deep understanding of the mystical energies they wield, allowing them to perform incredible feats that are beyond the capabilities of lower-tier warriors.
There are two or three more ranks but they aren't important right now, the reason Venture might not visit the cave again is a bit ether related. Before explaining the matter, a very important thing must be clarified.
Of course, not everyone can become an ether user as it is extremely rare. Perhaps only 10% of people can successfully take their first breath. The symptoms of a person being an ether user are very obvious.
When a person possesses the latent ability to use the Ether, he may suffer from restlessness or unexplained excitement. This is often accompanied by a feeling of unfulfillment or incompleteness as if something crucial was missing from their life.
This anxiety can signify that the etheric energy latent within is struggling to break free and emerge as a usable force. This feeling is often persistent and intense and can lead the individual to search for answers or solutions to their discomfort.
To determine whether this restlessness is truly a sign of etheric potential, the individual may need to undergo specific tests or training to awaken their latent abilities. Ethereal mentors or coaches may be able to guide them in recognizing and harnessing these energies and help them fully understand the range of their powers.
Ventor didn't take any exams, but insomnia that hadn't left him for a month, no matter what he did, seemed like enough evidence. The most important thing is his father's will... If Venture feels the insomnia of the ether, he must go to a certain institute that has already been paid for.
If he does not go, he will not only lose all his money but even his house, in which he lived and made all his beautiful memories, will be forcibly taken away.
Venture doubted his father's sudden and cruel decision but was sure there was an underlying reason.
There are also many places similar to the cave in the world, and Venture began to give up after three years without any progress. Ether may be his assistant in exploring these places. or all of this might just be an excuse for him to give up the cave...
the unknown energy called Ether might be the last resort for Ventor, and he wanted to check it out at least.
Venture learned some ether-related stuff when he was in middle school, but he didn't focus much on the lessons like a typical middle school student, all his young mind was occupied with his hobbies.
What he loved most at that time was sitting with his father and reading recent history books together and discussing them for hours and hours without feeling the time.
His father forced him to learn the definition and meaning of Ether at times and that is the only reason he knows a thing or two.
Ether is a strange energy, the way the body absorbs it is a bit like absorbing oxygen.
Oxygen is absorbed by the lungs, then goes to the blood and is sent to the cells of the body to supply them with energy. The cells recognize oxygen in some way and adapt to it.
The same thing happens to the Ether, after achieving some conditions, the cells of the body become able to recognize the Ether spread in the air and absorb it to provide it with energy.
The unconscious mind then becomes the sole controller of the direction of the ether. The ether may become an interactive substance that burns quickly, and this is what people call the {fire user}.
The same goes for {Ice User} and {Lightning User} who are usually glass cannons with weak physical abilities.
Sometimes the unconscious mind decides to treat the Ether differently, in which case the body becomes extremely strong like some superhero of the previous generation, extremely fast, or in-between.
Of course, the process of absorbing Ether is not as automatic as breathing oxygen, breathing Ether once every few weeks is an achievement that only the greatest talent can achieve and the rate of progress is very low.
Some people get a little stronger after each breath, and some people get a lot stronger, and this can be determined by how much the cells of the body expand the ether.
{first person POV}
As I walked out of the forest, I felt a strange feeling of strength and sadness in my body, the urge to release all these feelings in my body covered my mind.
My feet suddenly moved at an unusual speed as I subconsciously ran towards my house.
I must now leave and abandon the cave in which I spent three years of my life and which made me better after the disappearance of my father, the only light in my life for several years began to fade little by little.
Scouting since childhood made me get in good shape, carrying heavy rocks and jumping everywhere non-stoping is very beneficial for my body and made me look better than most people my age, even though I'm a little short...
Anyway, running like this was not normal at all, I had never run at such a tremendous speed that exceeded 35 kilometers per hour.
That's not all, I didn't stop even for a second along the way and kept running nonstop, usually, I would ask a taxi driver to go to the forest and back home but today I didn't.
This may be a symptom of Ether...
The air hit my face and flowed through my hair pushing it back, feeling the cool air while jogging on the side of the street was such a relief.
I looked at the people who passed me across the road in their fast cars with pity, these people will probably never experience this feeling.
I put my hands on my trembling knees and gasped non-stop for the air around me and thought about repeating the experience, but I quickly returned to reality.
'I have to do it again in the future...'
I thought as I pushed the door of the familiar house.
The house is a typical suburban home, with four bedrooms and a small library. Despite its size, it has the air of a void.
The four rooms have unfortunately not been used and the furniture is still there but it looks the same as it has been for many years.
In the living room, there are two sofas facing each other, a small table between them with a letter above it, and an old staircase at the top that leads to nowhere in particular. There are no decorations on any of the walls or shelves to give life or warmth to this empty place.
Even though all of these elements are inside this space it just makes me feel like props rather than pieces that make up someone's home, as if no one ever lives here anymore.
The kitchen is standard but has not been used for some time, everything looks clean but unused and the same goes for the appliances down to every door handle and cupboard.
Nothing seems to have changed here for such a long time and the family feelings are still everywhere, even our dishes are neatly stacked inside a single dresser drawer where they were put away long ago by hands that will never touch them again...
Finally, we begin with what was once a sanctuary: the library whose shelves are mostly dust-covered and forgotten over time. However, despite its neglect over the past several years, it is possible to see some books without layers of dust.
A single chair standing alone near the window overlooking the outside world, layers of dust covering it like a corpse.
It was the chair my father used to sit on when he told me his interesting storys.