A beautiful lake stretched out in front of Aetherion, and halfway up the shore, he sat on a rock.
He picked up a small stone and tossed it onto the lake, watching it skip across the surface before finally sinking to the bottom.
He sat in silence, thinking about everything that had happened.
When he returned, he hadn't explained much to his family.
He acted like everything was fine, putting on a front.
But the truth was, he didn't feel okay at all.
He needed space to process everything.
So, after a little time, he managed to slip away—deeper into the forest on the island—to the lake where he could relax and be alone with his thoughts.
His mind kept drifting back to the conversation with Ananke—everything she had said.
He had accepted the responsibility she placed on him.
He would grow stronger.
If anything were to happen in the future, he would be ready for it.
But that didn't make it any easier.
'Life just keeps getting harder,'
he thought, shaking his head.
There was no smile on his face, no emotion—just a distant, thoughtful look in his eyes.
A man staring into the future.
That's what he had to be.
After all, Aetherion had been both busy and not.
He escaped his father and was raised by a primordial.
He found a safe place to grow—a garden where he could learn and prepare.
And now, just like then, he had to plan for the future.
And it weighed on him.
He was worried.
Worried that he might not be enough.
That he had taken on too much responsibility for one person to bear.
"But I can't allow myself to back down,"
he told himself, looking up at the moon that gleamed over the still waters.
His eyes closed.
'Yes, I can't let myself be overtaken by doubt,'
he thought.
Still, his heart and mind were chaotic, full of the things he had learned—about the new primordial, about the daemons, and everything else.
He now knew, without a doubt, that this world wasn't just some version of the Greek myth.
And that meant his past knowledge might not be enough.
What worried him more was whether the people around him could keep up—whether they could grow stronger too.
So many things weighed on him, and the pressure made him feel overwhelmed.
And the worst part of it all was that Aetherion knew he wasn't perfect.
He knew, without a doubt, that he would make mistakes in the future.
Even if he didn't want them to happen, things might not go as planned.
Right now, his plan to rescue his siblings had gone perfectly, but he understood that things could easily have turned out differently.
He knew he had been lucky—lucky that everything unfolded the way it did.
And he also knew that such luck might not come again.
That thought worried him even more.
What if someone he cared about—one of his family members, or a friend he had yet to make—got hurt because of his mistakes?
Because of something he failed to foresee?
The worry gnawed at him.
He kept his gaze fixed on the lake, quietly picking up stones and tossing them one by one, watching the ripples spread across the surface as it sank deeper and deeper into his own thoughts.
***
Walking through the forest, Themis stepped lightly on the soft, gentle grass.
Her expression was one of worry—and understandably so.
She was worried about Aetherion.
When she had seen him return with Gaia, she could immediately tell he was acting.
Something was clearly bothering him—something heavy was weighing on his mind—and she didn't like it.
She didn't like that he felt the need to fake it, to pretend everything was fine, especially not with her.
What bothered her most was that he hadn't been truthful with her.
She hadn't known Aetherion for that long—only a year—which was a short time for beings like them, both immortals.
And yet, she had come to care for him. They had trained together, share thoughts about each other's fighting style, and through that, she had made great improvements in her skills.
In their conversations, Aetherion had always been gentle and kind.
He listened when others or herself needed to talk, when they had worries or burdens to share.
But he never shared his own.
That, to her, was frustrating.
She wanted him to rely on her.
Even if their bond was still new, she wanted him to see her as someone he could trust—someone he could confide in.
Eventually, she reached a small lake bathed in moonlight.
There, sitting quietly on a simple stone, was Aetherion.
He was skipping small stones across the surface of the water, watching them bounce before sinking to the bottom.
He looked as though he belonged there, completely in his element.
Themis paused, momentarily stunned by the peaceful image in front of her.
But then she shook her head and looked closer.
His expression caught her off guard.
It was indifferent—empty, even.
A look she had never seen on his face before.
Aetherion, who was always smiling, who always carried a spark in his eyes… now looked distant, troubled.
And she hated it.
It stirred something inside her. Worry? Anger? She wasn't sure.
But one thing was certain—she didn't want to see him like this.
Not him.
She didn't hesitate as she walked toward him, making sure her presence was known.
Aetherion turned his head and began to stretch his legs, offering her a smile.
But Themis could tell—it wasn't a real one.
Not the kind he gave when he was genuinely happy or in a good mood.
And she didn't like pretending.
So, she was blunt about it.
"Don't smile if you don't feel like it, Aetherion,"
she said directly, unwilling to sugarcoat anything.
She didn't want pretense between them—only honesty.
Aetherion's expression stiffened slightly as she held his gaze.
Then he replied with a soft smile,
"What are you talking about, Themis? I'm smiling because I'm glad to see you."
Themis simply rolled her eyes.
"Even if you're glad to see me, you're clearly troubled right now,"
she said.
Aetherion flinched, ever so slightly, but quickly returned to a neutral expression.
She didn't want to pressure him into saying anything he wasn't ready to share, so she just spoke her mind.
Walking over, she sat down beside him, nudging him a bit to the side on the stone so there was enough space for her.
"Aetherion," she began gently, "you don't have to tell me what's bothering you right now."
And she meant it.
She didn't want to force him to open up before he was ready.
She wanted things between them to develop naturally—a relationship where they could speak their minds and share their true feelings without lies or pretenses.
"But let me give you one piece of advice,"
she added, turning her head toward him.
His gaze met hers, silver eyes reflecting the moonlight.
Even though Aetherion couldn't see her eyes behind the cloth she wore, she could see his—and she saw everything.
"Stop stressing so much,"
she said.
He looked caught off guard at her words, but she continued before he could interrupt.
"Worrying about what may or may not happen in the future—or even what's happened in the past—will only slow you down and cloud your mind. You need to believe in yourself, Aetherion. You need to be confident."
Then, her tone grew more serious.
"Be in the present and let your mind be free. Only then can you focus on what's ahead—one step at a time."
Aetherion sat in silence, truly listening.
Themis knew—after all, they were immortals.
Beings who would live forever, never aging, never dying.
Worrying about the future made little sense for creatures like them.
Time moved differently now.
They would live for centuries, perhaps even millions of years.
And yet… Aetherion still carried the weight of time as if it were chasing him.
He pushed himself too hard.
Trained relentlessly.
He treated every moment like he was running out of time, as if something was catching up to him.
Themis didn't fully understand it, but she could feel it.
It was like time passed too quickly for him—like he was always sprinting toward something.
Still, she cared.
And she wanted to be there for him.
She was far older than him—he was only eight years old, after all, even if he looked and acted much older.
She glanced at him.
His expression was still uncertain, hesitant.
She could see the doubt in his eyes.
So she continued, her voice soft but steady.
"And even if you do run into trouble, or if you see obstacles ahead… you can rely on me, Aetherion."
He looked genuinely shocked at her words.
"And I mean it," she added, firmly. "If things ever get too tough… just ask. I'll be there."
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then, finally, a small, genuine smile formed on Aetherion's lips.
His eyes softened—more than a little—and it was as if a weight had lifted from his shoulders.
"Thank you, Themis,"
he said.
Themis simply smiled and looked at him.
"Always,"
she replied.
Aetherion leaned back against the rock, resting his hands on it.
"Should we go back?"
he asked.
Themis was silent for a few seconds, thinking.
"No," she answered softly. "Let's stay here a bit longer. It's quite beautiful and peaceful here."
"Hmph, indeed!" Aetherion huffed proudly, puffing out his chest.
"It was I who made this place, after all!"
"I can see you're back to normal again,"
Themis simply shook her head, and offered a soft smile in return.
Silence fell between them once more—but this time, it was a comforting silence.
Themis really liked it here.
It was peaceful.
She didn't know why exactly, but it felt even more comforting when Aetherion was with her.
She wondered why that was, and why she wanted to stay by his side.
Themis shook her head gently, turning her gaze back to the beautiful lake and the moonlight that shimmered across its surface.
She let herself enjoy this moment of peace, a quiet time for them both—waiting, calmly, for whatever the future might bring.
[End of Volume 1: The Escape]
——
Authors note: Volume 1 is finally finished.
Honestly, when I first started this novel, I was just doing it for fun. I didn't expect to stay this motivated or to keep going the way I have. But here I am, and I've had a lot of fun writing it.
Now that Volume 1 is done—with only one review so far—I'd really appreciate it if you left a review if you enjoyed the story. It helps a lot!
Anyways I'll be working on Volume 2 next and will release it soon. I plan to take about a week or maybe two before uploading volume 2, because I want to organize the second volume properly and make it even better than the first. I feel like this volume was decent, but it definitely has room for improvement.
I also want to make sure all the characters, their personalities, and the worldbuilding are solid before continuing.
Oh—and one more thing—I'm planning to make a Patreon, which I'll be setting up soon.
So yeah, see you all in a week or two. Thanks for reading!