After parting ways with Remi, Aether continued walking, leaving the city behind her. Aether felt that the air was getting warmer, and the sky was getting brighter. However, behind all that beauty, with the power of darkness that She now controls, Aether uses it against the greater evil out there.
The road he was on began to turn into a lush forest, with towering trees and leaves swaying gently in the wind. The peaceful and calm sounds of nature gave Aether time to reflect on everything She had been through. Every step She takes brings memories of the friends She met, the challenges She faced, and the difficult decisions She had to make.
However, Aether is not alone. Even though Remi was no longer with him, Aether felt the presence of a new power within him, as if something was continuing to guide him. Right now every step She took now would bring him closer to a greater goal, even if that path was filled with mysteries She didn't yet fully understand.
As She stepped deeper into the forest, Aether felt changes around him. The air began to feel colder, and a thin mist began to cover the road ahead. She stopped for a moment, listening to the sounds of nature around her which suddenly seemed different.
"There's something strange here," thought Aether. She tightened his grip on her sword, preparing to face whatever might come.
Suddenly, from within the fog, a huge shadow appeared that was approaching quickly. Aether felt her heart race, but She remained calm, fixing his gaze on the shadow. When the shadow got closer, Aether saw that it was a large creature with bright red eyes, its body covered in thick black fur.
The creature let out a low growl, staring at Aether with a threatening gaze.
"Alright," Aether muttered to himself, raising his sword high. "This is a new test, and I am ready to face it."
The creature leaped towards Aether with incredible speed, its sharp claws ready to attack. However, Aether moved with equal speed, dodging the attack and hitting back with his sword. The light from The sword emitted a strong aura of darkness, blocking the creature's attack.
The fight was fast and brutal. The creature was powerful, but Aether used her new powers intelligently, combining strategic attacks with the ability to control dark energy. Each time the creature attacks, Aether is able to retaliate with a stronger attack, making the creature weaker.
Finally, with one powerful slash, Aether struck the creature in its weak point. The creature let out a loud roar before finally collapsing to the ground, its body dissipating into dark smoke that vanished into the mist.
Aether breathed a sigh of relief, lowering his sword. "One more test that I successfully passed," She muttered. "But, I still have a lot to face."
The mist began to fade, and Aether continued his journey. The forest around her seemed brighter, as if this small victory brought some light to his path.
With steady steps, Aether continued to walk through the forest which was becoming increasingly lush and calm. After defeating the huge creature in the mist, she felt a calming silence, but he also knew that something bigger was waiting for him ahead. Her steps were steady, and his eyes kept scanning the surroundings, looking for any signs of danger or clues as to what she would encounter next.
Suddenly, in the distance, Aether saw something strange among the dense trees. Large, irregular shapes appeared amidst the green foliage, like structures hidden by nature for centuries. As she approached, she realized that it was an ancient ruin, most of it already covered in moss and large roots gripping the old broken stones.
"What's this?" Aether muttered, curious. She raised his sword warily and stepped closer to the ruins.
The ruins looked like the remains of a large building that may have been a shrine or fortress in the past. The crumbling stone pillars, broken walls, and half-cut statues give the impression that this place was once an important center of life. However, now, only silence and traces of time remained.
Aether walked through the ruins, trying to understand what had happened here. Every step she took stepped on the ground that shook as if something was hidden beneath her. She discovered dark, winding passageways that led deeper into the ground, and on one of the walls, there were ancient symbols similar to the ones She had seen in the temple before.
"Hmm, this isn't an ordinary place," thought Aether. "Maybe this is part of something bigger. Maybe this can give me more clues about the dark powers I possess."
As she explored further into the ruins, she discovered a large stone door that was almost hidden behind the roots of a giant tree. The door looked heavy and difficult to open, but in the middle of it there was a small gap that seemed to fit something.
Aether approached the door and looked carefully. "Could this be some kind of lock mechanism?" She felt around for the gap and felt that this was not just an ordinary door. "I have to find a way to open this," She said to herself.
After checking the surroundings, Aether found what looked like a small statue among the rubble, a statue depicting a warrior with a raised sword. The statue appeared to be made of a different material to the other ruins, and at the base of the statue there were carvings similar to the symbols on the stone door.
Aether lifted the statue and approached it to the stone door. When she brought it closer, the statue began to glow softly, and the gap in the door began to glow as well. Carefully, Aether inserted the statue into the gap, and instantly, the stone door began to shake and opened slowly, revealing a dark passage leading downwards.
"This must be the path to something important," Aether muttered as she tightened his grip on the sword. She stepped inside, down the narrow, winding stairs, into the depths beneath the ruins.
The hallway she entered grew darker and colder as She went further. The natural light from the world above grew dimmer, replaced by a faint glow that seemed to come from the glowing moss clinging to the walls. The sound of her footsteps echoed in the narrow hallway, adding to the tense atmosphere.
After a while of walking, Aether arrived at a large room deep underground. The room was filled with stone pillars that soared up to the invisible ceiling, and in the center of the room, there was a huge altar surrounded by ancient symbols that glowed with a mysterious blue light.
"What The Hell- Again?" Aether asked himself, fascinated by the sight. She approached the altar carefully, feeling the powerful energy radiating from the symbols around it.
On the altar, lay a large crystal ball similar to the one he found in the temple before, but this ball looked older and more mysterious. The blue light radiating from it gave off a calm yet powerful atmosphere.
Aether felt a strong pull from the crystal ball, as if it was calling him to come closer. "Could this be related to the power I possess?" She thought, trying to understand the meaning of all this.
However, just as he was about to touch the crystal ball, the ground beneath him suddenly shook violently, and from the shadows around the room, dark creatures appeared that looked like the guardians of this place. They were shaped like human figures but with bodies filled with sparkling black energy.
Aether stepped back, preparing himself to fight. "Alright, looks like I'll have to face them first before I can get anything out of this place," She muttered with determination. She raised her sword and prepared to fight the dark guards who were starting to surround her.
The battle in this underground room was fierce. The dark guards seemed stronger and more organized than any enemies Aether had faced before. Their every movement seemed coordinated, as if they were part of one connected whole.
Aether used all her skills, combining the powers of darkness She had mastered with the fighting techniques he had learned during his journey. Every slash of his sword released a flash of dark light that struck the guards, but they continued to attack without stopping.
She realized that She had to think quickly and strategically. With each attack that came, Aether began to see patterns in the movements of these guards. They always attacked in groups, trying to surround him and overwhelm him. However, Aether found a gap in their formation and began exploiting that weakness.
With a swift movement, Aether jumped Onto one of the pillars and from there, She launched a powerful attack at the largest guard. The attack destroyed the guard, causing the others to lose formation and become even more chaotic.
One by one, Aether destroyed the dark guards, until finally the room returned to silence. Aether stood amidst the slowly dissipating ruins of dark energy, her breath ragged but with a sense of satisfaction at successfully defeating them.
After confirming that there were no more threats, Aether approached the altar again. The crystal ball above her looked brighter, as if inviting her to come closer and touch it.
Aether reached out and touched the crystal ball. Instantly, she felt a powerful flow of energy enter his body, coursing through every vein. Aether's eyes opened wide as she felt a new awareness of the power that had been hidden.
In his visions, she saw glimpses of the past, of a world that had been destroyed by the forces of darkness, but also of the hope that still existed. She saw visions of places she had never been, challenges she had never faced, and enemies far more powerful than she had imagined.
However, Aether also saw something more important—the path he had to take. A path that is not only about defeating darkness, but also about finding balance between the forces that exist within her. A path that would take her deeper into this world, to places darker but also fuller of hope.
When his vision ended, Aether removed his hand from the crystal ball and let out a long breath. She felt stronger, better prepared to face whatever lay ahead.
"I know now what I have to do," Aether said to herself, her eyes filled with determination. "I will continue this journey, find the source of the power of darkness, and use it to create balance."