Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Chapter 43

Chapter 43

The atmosphere was as clear as crisp snow upon a glacier. The peace in the air could be smelled and felt through every fiber of my bones.

It was a perfect utopia.

Even the sky appeared brighter than normal, blending into the endless land stretching into a distance of nothingness, yet somehow, everything felt perfect.

Just like the One Tree itself.

Tall, overflowing with roots and knowledge, it looked as though it had existed since the dawn of time.

"What have you come for, Alex?" the One Tree asked, and I stepped forward, exhaling sharply.

"Who am I?"

"You are who you call yourself," it replied.

I shook my head and stepped closer, even though its voice already echoed inside my mind.

"No, my question goes beyond parabolic responses." My voice came out firmer. "What kind of Omega am I?"

"You are an Omega born from the blood of Aetherblood. An ancient bloodline meant to rule beside Alphas."

"What?"

I could have sworn I heard it chuckle.

"There was a time when Omegas were neither belittled nor forced into the mindset of serving Alphas or merely bearing their heirs. Aetherbloods, like yourself, remind others of this truth," it explained, and I paid unwavering attention. "Your existence lies in far more than stabilizing a Pack. You are its truth. You are its peacemaker. You open sacred pathways. While the Alpha rules with power and strength capable of severing bonds, you instead unite Packs, calm an Alpha’s rage, and carry ancestral memory capable of sensing truth itself, thus preserving the world from nocturnal destruction."

Its explanation struck harder than I had expected. I had never imagined myself carrying such influence, and truthfully, it sounded more like a burden than something to be enthralled by.

Yet I continued my questioning. "If I truly embody peace and stabilization, then why does this power threaten me every time?"

"The universe is coded in a simple language, Alex. You must merely resonate with what fits you, and that shall be what you receive."

"What does that mean?" I frowned, tilting my head in an attempt to understand.

"In order for you to embody peace and stabilization, you must first be at peace with yourself. Yet the deaths of your parents are something you have never forgiven yourself for."

"Yes, because it’s my fault they died."

"No..." The One Tree’s voice slurred, dragging through my hearing like a swirling wind.

My body eased, as though my nerves had been numbed or soothed by some unseen force.

"You know the truth. Why then do you punish yourself with the opposite of it?"

I lowered my head to the ground. The One Tree was right. It truly sensed the truth buried deep inside me.

The truth was that I had become more aware of my surroundings lately, and the last time I was in the tower, I came across several books containing faded revelations about the hatred toward Wolf Mages. Though I wasn’t certain then, the knowledge resonated deeply within me.

And I believed that was what the One Tree referred to now.

"If I understand you correctly, then it means they were targeted and killed?"

"You carry ancestral resonance, an ability capable of feeding your vision with their memories and afterlife. Every Aetherblood that has ever existed is stored within me, Alex. When the time comes, you shall hear them for yourself."

That piqued my interest immediately. My brows lifted as I stepped closer. "How? How do I connect with my parents’ spirits?"

"Simply through training. Your powers are like muscles that must be strengthened. Right now, you are merely a child crawling. You must learn to stand and walk with indomitable steps."

"Then teach me."

"I am nothing but a fragment embodying the essence of every Aetherblood. A substrate to who you truly are."

"No, I don’t think that. You carry the essence of every one of them. Of my entire ancestral heritage."

"Alex..."

"How were you created? Tell me."

"Through magic alone. There is more to your powers than peace and stabilization. You can bend the universe to your will as well. Omegas existed long before Alphas, and the first of your lineage uncovered secrets tied to the roots of life itself. I was created from a fraction of that power," the One Tree explained further.

This was everything I needed. Everything that changed how I viewed myself and the world around me. This was how I could help Kai stop the war.

After all, I wasn’t useless, nor merely a witch with no value to the world.

Instead, I could become the one who united everyone, ruling beside Kai while dismantling the twisted belief that the strong existed only to destroy the weak. I had always believed the strong were meant to protect the weak until the weak themselves became strong.

A cycle of comfort and faith that never ended.

We didn’t need to destroy each other, and I didn’t have to remain someone whose only worth was bearing Kai’s heir.

I could be more.

I could become the one who changed the belief that SilverFang was a Pack others had to fear.

We could finally live in peace and accept one another as equals.

"I need knowledge on how to train these powers. I must become the Aetherblood and restore peace and stabilization to the world. Everything out there is in turmoil," I said to the One Tree, and it hummed in agreement.

"All that you require is within here. Your spirit strengthens in this place, free from distractions of the mortal..."

The air shifted again, this time carrying an unease that sought to oppose the utopia I had been feeling.

The One Tree darkened, its roots pulsating as though life itself was being drained from them.

Then it shrieked out of nowhere.

"What have you done, Aetherblood?"

"What?" I questioned back, its voice booming so loudly inside my head that it destabilized my stance.

"You’ve brought a stranger into this world. You are meant to protect the truth and knowledge I carry, not endanger them!" it wailed louder, the entire space trembling violently.

I fell to my knees, eyes widening before realization finally struck me.

Nathan.

My vision blackened instantly, gravity shifting as the One Tree hurled me back into my mortal body within the tower. Nathan was there. He held my blood inside a syringe. He placed it atop the numerous books sprawled before him while chanting in the same language that opened the doorway in the first place.

He knew the language.

All this time, he had deceived me.

But to what end? What exactly was he trying to achieve?