Third Person's POV
Aether's body flinched as he stammered back slightly, his breath uneven, his fingers trembling while holding the rope as though it burned against his skin.
"Aether?" Nightfire's eyes fixed on him, watching his legs tremble as if the strength beneath him was about to collapse.
Aether blinked rapidly, shaking his head as if to clear the haze clouding his mind, the ghost of something unspeakable flashing through his thoughts.
Forcing a chuckle that sounded weaker than he intended, he muttered, "She… really isn't showing much, is she? Hiding herself all this time?" His tone carried both amusement and unease, a strange mixture that didn't fit the smile tugging at his lips.
Nightfire and Starla tilted their heads, confusion etched on their faces, unable to make sense of his words. Aether's gaze dropped again to the body and soul before him, still trembling violently as though caught between breaking apart and holding together…
"You said she's rejecting it, right?"
