Lyria put away her weapon onto her back before she turned towards Aether and Mila. "Are you two okay?"
Aether, still holding Mila securely, gave a slow nod after he checked over Mila. He released her while his gaze swept over the chamber littered with dissolving nightmare matter. "You really are amazing, Lyria."
Mila chuckled. "Shouldn't we be saying that, Chief? Not only did you save and protect me…" She turned her golden eyes on him in curiosity. "But since when could you use a Witch's Domain power?"
Lyria flinched and the tremor in her hands spread to her shoulders. "So, he really used it? I thought maybe you had…"
Mila shook her head before crossing her arms. "He used Kinetic Diffusion from the Tranquil Abyss pathway. That's a Deep Domain technique." She looked at Aether as if seeing him for the first time.
"The force of those tentacles should have shattered your spine. Instead, you diffused the kinetic energy across your entire body surface and converted a killing blow into a shove."
Aether fell silent.
Inside, his mind raced.
Did those golden bastards know about this? The answer came instantly. No. If they did, they would have told me. A power to absorb and use a Witch's own strength would have been the cornerstone of their 'Miracle' plan. They would have had me collect every power from each Witch before disposing of them.
He couldn't help but inwardly chuckle at the cold, ruthless logic. It's not like they see Witches as anything other than monsters to be milked and slaughtered.
When the information came to his mind, he thought it was similar to the voice that wanted him to shackle Lyria. But to think it was actually the abilities of Witches, something that should be impossible.
Aether focus shifted outward, to Lyria who began to slightly frown.
"Chief." She asked, her voice tight. "Could you always do that?"
Aether hummed before saying. "Not when you found me. But after running through the Memory Hall… a set of information just flowed into my mind which was about Kinetic Diffusion and Entropy Delay. I didn't say anything because I didn't believe it would have powers like you Witches."
Lyria frowned grew more as the puzzle pieces clicked together. "The only difference between then and now is the…"
Aether nodded, completing her thought. "The Shackle. I am guessing our connection isn't just me sharing your burden, Lyria. It's also a conduit for your power and Witch Domain"
Lyria closed her eyes for a second, a wave of something like resignation passing over her face, and she gave a nod. "Those skills are a part of the First Stillness. They are the ones I gained first… Which adds further evidence."
The implication echoed out, the bond went both ways, deeper and more intimate than anyone had foreseen.
Mila's eyes widened, her earlier shock transforming into sparkling delight. "Now the value has surpassed all expectations!"
Aether laughed at Mila before then looking at Lyria. "But you don't seem too happy about it? Is there a danger to it or do you fear me not staying behind you anymore?"
He gently held Lyria's cheek.
Lyria trembled as her blue eyes stared at you before saying softly. "I worry if you will also be affected by the Deep Domain madness… I don't want you to experience something like that… Never you."
Mila sighed and said. "That's true. But maybe Aether is different? Tell me, do you hear any whispering, sound of waves, or popping sound? That's what we usually feel when we use our powers and why we don't spam it."
Aether shakes his head and says. "Everything has been quiet in mind ever since the powers appeared in my head. The only time I got pain was from seeing the Nightmare creatures and environment around."
Mila chuckled before saying. "Well, he seemed to have gotten the benefits and none of the annoying drawbacks." Mila tilted her head as she tapped her chin. "Not sure how to feel about that."
"Happy that your wonderful Aether isn't a burden, saves your life, and can help you even more."
"Hahaha, that's true."
"This changes a lot." Lyria said, forcing her calm tone back into place, though it was frayed at the edges. "The original idea was wrong. We were only expecting suppression of a Witch's madness and controlling them… But to be able to gain their powers well, it would make the Chief an even more valuable existence."
Mila nodded, then paused before a grin appeared as her eyes flashed with curiosity and interest. "Lyria, if I form a Shackle with the Chief… Will he also gain my powers? From the Shining Domain?"
Aether felt a jolt of pure interest.
The idea was intoxicating to be able to gain two more abilities but then he sighed. "I would love to try that. But perhaps we should leave this particular hellhole first." An amusing expression appeared on his face. "I'm not sure I'll be alright after forging another Shackle so soon, and I have no desire to be dead weight."
His mind, however, was already elsewhere. I really do want to kiss her.
That seemed to be his method with Lyria or perhaps it just required intimate touch, but where was the fun in a handshake?
The sheer, beautiful irony of it would drive those bastard researchers livid. Their precious, prophesied savior, forging his power through intimacy with the very "monsters" they reviled. The thought made him shiver with joy which only made him lament they weren't here watching this.
But he did recall the golden orbs' warning of not overusing the Shackle in a single day, unless he wished to collapse from the burden. After the draining and painful experience with Lyria, he understood.
It wasn't something light.
Lyria slightly smiles on his practical concern with visible relief. "That's true, I'm glad to see you looking out for yourself Chief."
"But of course, I can't be dying on you guys now."
"That would be disappointing if you did." Mila said with a nod and a light grin.
"Let's go, now." Lyria says.
The trio moved quickly, rushing through the remainder of the Isotope Baths, past the watchful pools. The path ahead led not to another staircase, but back into the familiar, oppressive nightmare loop.
The environment blurred, the concrete walls melting into a similar room with no visible signs of change.
They didn't pause.
But a distortion happened down from them, the air began to slowly bend.
Lyria's eyes flickered a deep blue, her Stillness Aura rushing out over the silent Pressure Claws appearing around. Aether quickly fired off his Etheric Firearm towards two of the distortion while Mila swept her sword over three of them.
The blast smashed into the center of the distortions before exploding them. While a thunderous sound echoed out as three Pressure Calls burst after being split in half.
But then more appeared, leading the ground to maneuver past them. Mila slid through the gap of two distorting appearances in front just before it clenched. The compressed air popping loudly where her figure had been.
Then the pool on the side trembled before multiple Tentacle-Shadow rushed out towards them. Aether grinned as fired off blasts towards the Tentacles, blasting to bits two of them.
While three of them smashed into him but only pushed him a step back. But he expected this as he grabbed onto one of them with one arm while using the other to blast the next two.
Two of the tentacles burst into the bits while the one held began to pull but the Etheric Firearm was already on it. Aether blasted multiple shots into the tentacles, leading it to explode. Then he rushed forward, seeing Mila and Lyria hacking down the others before they continued moving.
But it's then they saw the environment begin to change as researchers began crawling out of the pool. Aether eyes widened as he saw a man choking with tentacles going inside of his mouth and nose. Then he saw another woman pinned to the ground, held by tentacles that were slowly dragging her in.
He saw more and more people climbing out of the pool or being dragged into it. But the three of them ignored it all and continued pushing until they were at the end.
Before finding themself once more at the beginning of the room.