Third-person POV:

A woman was watching over an unconscious boy that was lying on a simple yet clean and comfortable wooden bed. Waiting patiently for him to wake up, not leaving his side for even a moment, guarding him like a treasure for an unknown reason, like a gift that fate has given but could take back any time. She sat quietly, muttering a prayer for the boy's swift recovery, as though her own heart might ease with each repetition.

After countless repeated prayers, the boy started to move, and slowly but surely his eyes opened as a quiet groan escaped his lips while he regained his consciousness. Like guided by his innate instinct, he immediately looked directly into the eye of his potential benefactor or new capturer.

Leos POV.:

So I am alive. Those were my first thoughts after regaining consciousness and looking at an unfamiliar environment. Asters and Poppy's faces flashed in my mind, and it became clear that I had lost them. Both of them gave their lives for mine; my weakness killed them.

Everything resurfaced in a split second, and the pain in my heart made me groan quietly. For a moment, my body felt scorching warmth stemming from around the middle of my chest and coursing all over. Luckily it quickly subsided, only leaving a small, strange feeling in the area where it stemmed from.

Then I saw a person sitting on a big cushion placed on the floor next to my temporary bed. It was a woman in her early thirties with blond hair that had some strands of gray hair mixed in and covered half of her still pretty face; her skin was white and smooth. Locking my eyes with her one visible silver-colored eye. I could see a small smile forming in the corner of her lips, and with a relieved expression, she stood up slowly without breaking eye contact.

Now I could see her figure that was slender and feminine. She was certainly at least half a head taller than Aster, which put her in the tall category for me. Her movement was slow, deliberate, and graceful; I could only compare her to noble women from stories. My mouth opened, but after all the things that happened to me last night and the new environment, I was not sure what to say.

I was not restrained, and if she wanted to hurt me, she had all the time she needed while I was unconscious. Even so, my hands trembled. After a few moments tensely looking at each other, I heard her pleasant, almost melodic yet mature and feminine voice say:

"Hello child, how are you feeling?"

She took one small step towards me; I tensed up, which she must have noticed, and she did not take a second step while reassuring me.

"There is nothing to fear; you are safe here."

Those were words I heard the first time in my life and wanted to believe them so desperately, but a lifetime of abuse made it difficult to trust someone that I just met, regardless if they saved me or not.

I took a deep breath and spoke with a hoarse voice.

“Where am I and who are you?”

“You are in my humble abode in the great forest. I am Eline, and I live here. I found you at the river yesterday, unconscious and wounded. How are you feeling? Was my treatment effective?“

Only now did I realize that my wounds were mostly healed. Even the deep scratches were now closed.

“I see. Thank you, Miss Eline.”

“You can just call me Eline. What is your name?“

"I am Leonidas, or Leo for short.”

“So Leo, how did you end up in the river? Where are you from? Your parents must be worried sick.“

I had not prepared a story, and the best thing that I could come up with was:

"I fell into it while a beast was chasing me. I am from a faraway place, and... and I do not have parents nor a home.”

It looked like she was pondering about my words for a few seconds, and then, with a caring gaze and a soothing voice, she said.

“You poor thing, you must have been through so much. I think I know what you need right now.“

She looked at me with compassion and then turned around and left. I was puzzled about what she would bring me, and various sounds could be heard from a nearby room. After a short time she returned, carrying a wooden bowl filled with greenish thick soup with bits of some blue vegetable I did not recognize, with a wooden spoon standing straight in it. She approached me slowly with a relaxed posture, presenting me with the bowl in her hand; this time I did not tense up so much, and she got closer.

“It is my special made soup according to my family's recipe. It has many nutrients while it is easy on the stomach.”

I looked at it, unsure of what to do for a moment without.

"I am confident that its taste can please even the pickiest eaters; please give it a try.“

My empty stomach won over my cautiousness, and I picked up the nicely crafted wooden spoon and decided to taste the fragrant liquid. I almost spilled some on me; my movements were somewhat awkward since it was my first time using a proper spoon.

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“I took a spoonful of the thick, greenish soup, and its taste was simply delicious.”

It had a refreshing flavor that I am not able to compare to anything I tasted before. Great warmth spread all across my body, making me sweat a little. Suddenly I remembered Aster and Poppy wishing to share this with them. As I continued eating, I found the soup slowly getting more salty, but that did not bother me in the slightest.

“Leo, is everything alright? Does it not suit your taste? You do not need to force yourself if you dislike it.“

"No, it is great; I like it very much. Thank you.”

“Then... why are you crying?“

Only now did I notice the stream of tears running down my face and eventually finding its way into the soup.

“I am sorry, I just remembered someone dear to me and just wished to share this with her.”

She was visibly concerned and started to gently pat my head, causing me to be tense once more.

“Don't give in to sadness. Why do you think they will not enjoy it too?

My silence was enough for her to understand; something that I never experienced happened, and I found myself in a warm embrace.

“Things will get better if you continue on living, Leon; you are young, and numerous adventures with friends and loved ones are awaiting you.“

Her care almost melted something inside me, but I held it in and controlled my emotions.

Openly crying, being loud, or causing any disturbance—all is punished...

When I finished eating and Eline went to the kitchen, I fell asleep again; the emotional strain was too much for my still fragile body. The second time I woke up in this unusually comfortable bed, its pleasant, sweet smell and a warm, cozy room decorated with simple wooden furniture made me feel like it was a dream. Then I remembered the events that led to my second slumber in this bed, and suddenly I felt scared and embarrassed. How could I act like that in front of someone I just met? Eline saved me and comforted me, but I have learned to always stay cautious. I did not trust Aster at first either when I was moved to her cell block, and it took months of her pestering me for us to get closer. As for Poppy, she had to be even more patient and persistent with me.

As I was immersed in my thoughts, Eline entered the room. She now wore a long green dress with small decorative designs on the edges. Our eyes met as she spoke.

“Good morning, Leo, Are you feeling better after your rest?“

“I am feeling fine, and... I am sorry about my earlier behavior.”

“Do not be; we all cry sometimes, no matter who, young or old, it is actually good for.”

…..

Are you hungry, or do you need anything?

“I am not hungry; the soup was quite filling. Thank you, Miss Eline.”

“I told you just Eline is fine; oh, I know, if you are feeling better, I could show you around.

Tension revisited my body, but deep breaths helped me remain calm.

“Yeah, yes, I want to look around too, if possible.

She showed me a slight smile and replied in a soothing tone.

“Then let me be your guide.”

Eline came to the bed and outstretched her slender hand towards me. It took me a moment to realize what she wanted me to do, and with a bit of unease I grabbed her hand, feeling her warmth for the second time. She pulled me up very gently and led me out of the bedroom, tight into a second room with a large round table in the middle.

My steps were small and shaky, but a burning fireplace in the corner made this room feel especially cozy. Enhancing this feeling were various books and unknown things neatly placed on small shelves attached to walls. Turning my head, I saw three doors leading to other rooms: a guest room, a bathroom, and a room that was off limits for me, but the one that made me flinch was a big door probably leading outside.

“We should go outside; fresh air will do you good. Here, wear those; I hope they are not too small.“

She handed me two pinkish shoes that were a bit too small to fit me properly, but I made do, and only now did I realize I was barefoot. Even the wooden floor was comfortable enough for me not to notice immediately after walking on it.

“Thank you.”

I wore the shoes and saw her looking at me with a somewhat sad gaze. We stood in front of the wooden entrance door with a small glass window in the middle. My heartbeat sped up a little, and I subconsciously clenched my hands into fists.

Behind this door is the outside, the place where the greatest tragedies of my short life have taken place. More unknown dangers are certainly lurking, but there is also freedom, something that was given to me after paying the highest price. As Eline grabbed the door handle, I put my hand on my chest and tried to calm down; it was noticed by her, and she paused. After a few seconds during which we maintained eye contact, she let go of it and gestured to me to go ahead and open it, an action that was always done for me in the past.

The firm handle was smooth and strangely comfortable under my hand. Taking a deep breath. I opened the door and stepped into the world that waited beyond. What greeted me was a sight that I will remember for the rest of my life—a vibrant world full of color and beautiful nature as far as my eyes could see.

Starting from the grass looking like a green carpet and ending with massive trees with leaves of various colors. One step later, a soothing fresh breeze and sunlight touched my face when I breathed in air fresher than ever before, and I had trouble holding back my tears once again.

I looked around for potential threats out of habit, but none were there. Finally, my tense shoulders loosened up.

Ignoring the shoes that slipped off my feet after a few steps, I begin to walk barefoot on fluffy grass for the first time. In a few moments, I arrived in front of the largest tree around and felt the texture of its brown bark on the tips of my fingers. It was so fascinating, but suddenly I felt strange energy flowing inside the tree. I tried to focus on it when my head started to hurt as I staggered backwards.

“Leo! What is wrong?“

After a few moments, I felt better, to the delight of a very worried Eline that was supporting me. I told her what happened and asked.

"I am fine, just a bit dizzy. What is that thing inside this tree?”

With a smile, she replied and handed me my shoes again.

“First put on your shoes, and second, congratulations. Leo looks like you have a formed Ether core in you; your Ether seed only recently sprouted. Judging from your reaction, it seems you are unaware of the fact, right?“

"Yes, I was not aware of this; up until now I failed to awaken no matter what they said; I mean, I did.”

Eline had a strange expression of pity for a brief moment but did not dwell on it.

“Honestly, it seemed strange; I was not sure if it was there while examining you after you came. Since your Ether veins are barely detectable, as if shielded by something. I saw someone having them opened without a core, but it fortunately is not the case for you, quite the opposite.

Almost like they are still mostly closed despite you having a core.”

“That does not sound so good.”

“No need to worry; your eyes showed a characteristic light orange color for a moment, indicating that there is some flow of Ether; you just need to open them fully. The other way around would be far worse, trust me.“

"I see. Will I be able to do that?”

I was baffled. I have a core... The thing that I failed to awaken during captivity has finally shown itself, but it was too late. I put on the shoes and tried to remember what Aster taught me. I heard about Ether bound from her; people that can use Ether actively were called that. “Those with the predisposition for using Ether have so-called Ether seed in them since birth, but most won't be able to sprout it into branches and form an Ether core subsequently regardless.”

She put her hand on my shoulder reassuringly.

“You showed me that you have the ability to perceive Ether at first in high concentrations and have the potential to become a strong Ether user; all you need is guidance and practice.“

Her touch made me feel secure, but I kept my guard up as some things were suspicious...

She told me that she lived here alone and was only sometimes in contact with the nearby villagers when she needed to buy supplies. Or when they were in dire need of a healer, yes, she is an Ether user that specializes in healing arts. Aster and life itself had taught me better than to ignore things that seemed ‘off.’ Even if I knew little of the outside world, it wasn’t normal for her to be here alone.

Yet I was in no place to question her, as she only showed me kindness and hospitality.

The sun was already setting by the time we finished the tour and had a friendly chat as we sat in the kitchen after having dinner. She then suddenly looked me in the eyes with a serious expression, which made me a bit anxious in anticipation of what she would say.

“We need to talk about your future, Leo.“

The time to make a life-changing decision came again.