Sea of NothingnessA yer of accumuted snow covered the ground. in the city of Grilin, the snowfkes on the rooftops reflected the sun rays. inside a house, warmth was spreading as the sound of wood burning rang out. around a thick wooden table, the four held steaming cups of clove-scented tea. After feeling the warmth of the cup, Aldric eyes crinkled into a silent smile as he took a sip of the tea. he then turned to Bruce who was lost in his own thoughts.

  Aldric took another sip before asking "Hey, Bruce, what was on that letter?" Bruce was stared off into the distance, lost in thoughts and didn't answer.

  Cara on the side sighed while looking at the steam raising, "He became like this after my mother's death,"

  Bruce woke from the sea of memories and handed the letter to Aldric, "I am sorry you two saw me like that." Aldric took the letter. "It okey, man. sometimes, we can't prevent bad things from happening, that's why I want to become stronger." he said with calm deeply voice while he looked at the letter.

  "Hahaha boy there are things that you can't protect." Bruce replied with sad voice while staring at the space. Aldric didn't reply but opened the letter.

  Hi, Aldric,

  I didn't tell you about what happened to your parents but to be honest, you are too weak to change the reality. if you reading this message, that mean you are alive and you arrived to Grilin, Bruce will tell you how to absorb the Aether and enter the sea of nothingness, after you will successfully revenge and find your parents, come back to the fog vilge I have a gift for you, until that time arrive you will forget my appearance and the way to the home.

  Aldric hands shook as he read the letter, when he finished reading, his eyes widened and clutched the letter tightly, overwhelmed, he fell out of the chair and the hot tears felt from those cold eyes, he tried desperately remembering his appearance but there was just white space. he stood up and ran toward the door. As he grabbed it, he froze in pce; he forgotten the way to the home but there was nothing just bck void, he fell in despair and leaned against the wall in frustration.

  Bruce and the others were surprised as they watched chain of incomprehensible actions, Alice tried to do something but froze she didn't know what to do, she came to Aldric side and simply leaned to his hand. on the side Bruce and his daughter watched in silent, they didn't know what to do and what to say either.

  he felt that he is lonely, he hated being weak. if he was stronger, he would find his parent faster, his grandfather wouldn't leave him. he squeezes the letter in his hand, and his eyes start getting red. suddenly he felt warmth from his left hand and saw she was Alice, like the rain that return to the sea, all the hate, anger and sadness disappear. his eyes returned to those normal cold eyes.

  after some time, he stood up, looked at Alice and tapped her forehead "it's okey, Alice, you did very good job" he sat on the table "Bruce, please tell me how to absorb the Aether." Bruce froze "Who tell you that word?" he asked confused and seriously face.

  "My grandfather told me, that you will teach me how to absorb it."

  "Do you know about the sea of nothingness?" he asked.

  "Yeah, but I don't know what it means." when Bruce heard him, he stroked his hair in annoyance.

  "Are you sure, there is no back when you enter that pce." he asked Aldric with serios face, "yeah, it's the key to return everything that I lost." Aldric nodded his head, and He clenched his fist tightly and the veins in his fist appeared, he felt that the world hate him, he lost his parent and that wasn't enough, so he lost his st and only house.

  Bruce saw Aldric situation can't resist anymore said " I will teach you because of that Favor"

  and start expining.

  "Ok, first what is Aether, the energy that we called Aether is energy that is every pce when a person absorbs Aether and reach certain level, he will enter a pce that are simply empty no space, time or anything else. so, they called him the sea of nothingness. when you enter that pce you have 7 days to get out."

  "What will happen if the person didn't get out the sea of nothingness." Cara leaned toward Bruce asked curiously, this is the first time she hear about something like this from her father, "he will die." with a ft tone he answered.

  "When you enter the sea of nothingness, and you woke up successfully you will be in a path of three paths. they are [warrior, contractor, sorcerer]. when I woke up, I become warrior and I can convert the Aether into life energy, anyway you will learn more of it ter..." he raises his hand and fire come out of nowhere and surrounded his hand. Aldric jumped back and start swatting, Alice and Cara fell from their chairs.

  "So, after understanding the danger do you want to learn." when Aldric heard that he nodded quickly, "okey fallow me." he sighed and said while going outside "Cara, take care out of that girl...".

  "it's okey she can go with us." Aldric said but Bruce rejected. and headed toward the forest.

  Aldric nodded his head and followed Bruce quickly.

  "So," Cara began, while taking a sip, "what is your retionship with Aldric, Alice?" She said with a friendly smile, but there was curiosity in her eyes. Alice hesitated, her gaze dropping to her own cup of tea. She traced the rim of the cup with her fingers. "I. I am his maid," Cara eyes widened then She wiped her hair in embarrassment. "I am sorry I didn't mean it,".

  "it's okey..." she said with a weak smile.

  Deep in the forest Bruce voice break the cold silence, "sit on that rock." Bruce said to Aldric, he nodded and sat on a nearby rock that covered with snow. then Bruce told him to close his eyes, "hold your breath and sense that you are inside a lot of water, feel the pressure of the water, the exitances of that water, that is the Aether,"

  after he saw Aldric felt the Aether, he continued "now slowly absorb a little of that water, Aldric absorb the water a little bit," Aldric felt that a little water going inside his body and moves around his body like a fish in the water. "Continue absorbing and increase the amount gradually," Bruce watched Aldric absorbed his first amount of Aether in 10 minutes, he can't believe what happening, the fastest person to absorb Aether take 5 whole days. what a monster.

  Aldric increase his absorbing enough to cover his upper body, when Bruce saw that he was speechless "WTF... that takes usually months. take from him 30 minutes," Bruce finally know what kind of storm is coming to the kingdom. Aldric Increased the Aether to certain level that was a thin yer of white aura surrounding his body. Bruce face changed "Aldric do you hear me, stop... I say stop," he tried to stop him, but the time is out.

  Aldric body floated for a few seconds then fell onto the snow, Bruce rushed towards him "Aldric, wake up.." He checked his breath and found that he wasn't breathing, Aldric pulse stopped, Bruce shook his head helplessly and took him to the city.

  Bruce walked back home in silence, both Cara and Alice looked at Bruce's face and knew something was up, Alice approached Aldric body and checked his pulse and fell to the ground with a pale face and gradually her face returned to normal. Cara came to Bruce with a pale face "Is he dead?" She asked while she looked at Aldric body.

  “No, he’s fine,” Alice replied, “Because if he dies, I’ll die because of the contract.” She looked at Cara and Bruce. Bruce was surprised that the girl was a sve and the girl was so bold and experienced in checking the pulse expertly, “Were you a doctor or something?”

  Alice’s eyes twitched slightly, “I know a little medicine, uncle,” she smiled faintly. When Bruce saw her face, he knew that it must have reminded the girl of some bad memories, “Sorry, I was a little curious, as for Aldric, he entered the Sea of ??Nothingness and will be out soon,” Bruce apologized and took Aldric to the guest room.

  "Alice, we only have one guest room, so we'll be sleeping together tonight," Cara came to Alice's side and patted her shoulder with a smile. Alice shook her head, "Sorry Cara, I have to stay with him," Alice shook her head and politely declined Cara's request....

  Cara shrugged and nodded helplessly, "Hey, do you need some clothes?" Alice waved her hand and told Cara that Aldric had just bought her these clothes.

  "All we have to do is wait a while." Bruce walked in to the girls, "Alice, you'll be sleeping with Cara, right?" Bruce asked Alice. "She said she'd stay with Aldric." Cara told Bruce, Bruce was surprised but didn't say anything.

  Sea of ??nothingness, that was the first thing Aldric thought of, no time, no space and even existence itself was not there, sea of ??nothingness. Aldric had been floating naked in this nothingness for an unknown amount of time. As he floated without direction he saw a speck of light, and tried with all his power to float towards that light.

  Finally, he reached the spot of light and touched it, the spot exploded with endless light, Aldric couldn't resist the light and closed his eyes. After an unknown period of time, the light disappeared gradually, when the light finally disappeared, in front of Aldric there was a piece of paper.

  Aldric touched the paper in curiosity, when his body and the paper come to contact, the paper turned into light and entered directly into Aldric chest, Aldric was startled but the paper disappeared. While he was in a state of confusion, he heard a voice that seemed to come from the depths of his soul.

  Contract between *@^@&%@?!!#! and Aldric Ashthorn.

  *@^@&%@?!!#! will grant the contractor three skills in exchange for reaching the pce called the beginning and the end within 10 years, if the contractor does not reach that pce he will die and Serves *@^@&%@?!!#! for ever.

  The countdown has begun 9:11:29:23:59:59.

  The moonlight illuminated the darkness of the night and reflected on the accumuted snow. The city of Grilin was silent like a pet that hugged itself in fear of the dark. People hid in their homes, some burning wood to protect themselves from the darkness and others taking shelter under the wide moonlight.

  Inside Bruce's house, in the guest room.

  Aldric were ying in the bed, He was in this state for six days, tomorrow is the seven day if he didn't come out before noon he would die. To the bed side, Alice sat on the table sleeping.

  Aldric's eyes opened and he lightly jumped off the bed and examined his body, he didn't understand what happened but he understood that he had entered the sea of ??nothingness and the contract's path had chosen him. He closed his eyes and examined his memory and found that there were additional two things in his memory, one of which seemed to be the contract, he looked at the contract and found that the countdown was continuing to decrease second by second.

  Examining the other memory, he found that the so-called three skills were, branching out into one skill called.The Emperor.The three skills are:Eyes of the Emperor: You see through reality and imagination, with your gaze you know the enemy's strength and skill.Emperor's judgment: When you defeat an enemy, you have two choices: cruelty or mercy. If you choose cruelty and kill him, you will steal all his skills and power. If you choose to have mercy on your enemy, you can turn him into your eternal sve.

  Emperor's Wisdom: You will gain unparalleled wisdom and be immune to all types of mental powers.

  When Aldric finished reading his eyes widened, this is simply invincible, after some excitement his eyes returned to their usual coldness, is this the effect of the Emperor's wisdom keeping him sane at all times, he looked at the sleeping Alice and walked towards her, he lifted the strands of hair from her face then hugged her and id her on the bed.

  "Are you done pretending to sleep.." He said in a cold voice as he looked at her face, silence filled the room after a while she couldn't take it anymore and opened her eyes. "Sorry sir I just." She spoke with a red face and her eyes wandered.

  He didn't answer but he grabbed her chin and took a bite, her eyes widened as she looked into those blue eyes, she tried to move away but she couldn't, those eyes didn't blink and were as cold as usual, her body finally rexed she couldn't do anything.

  Aldric broke the kiss, his eyes still on Alice, Alice turned her head, Aldric didn't say anything but y on the bed and hugged her body. Alice shivered and her face turned pale, she heard a whisper in her ear, "I won't eat you tonight, go to sleep." Alice's face turned red as she felt the heat from her ear and her body rexed, she looked at Aldric's sleeping face, she turned her face, those silver eyes shone with a little coldness, and she closed her eyes.