PROLOGUE.
In the suffocating silence, a boy drifted into darkness. Time, a concept once familiar, now held no sway. A tear, solitary and heavy, traced a path down his cheek as a sliver of memory flickered to life. He was Aether, a wisp of a boy with hair the colour of twilight and eyes like fading gold. He existed in a world devoid of warmth, a foster child unseen, unheard. Never a place he belonged, ever since the echoes of his birth parents faded into nothingness. in the pitch dark, Aether recalled that he lived with foster parents who barely noticed him.
It wasn't new. Ever since he was little, everyone seemed to forget him. But Aether, full of a love others ignored, found solace in caring for stray animals. One afternoon, while thinking to Meryl, his favourite white cat, he stumbled upon a scene that would change everything. A group of teenagers were bullying the helpless creature. Aether lunged for Meryl, but a cruel shove sent him sprawling onto the concrete. Ignoring the pain, he scrambled towards the cat, shielding her with his own body.
Laughter tore through the air as the teenagers mocked him, their faces hidden in shadows. One of them, a hooded figure, kicked at Aether's side. "Get lost, freak!" he sneered. Through the haze of pain, Aether saw a flicker of white – Meryl, bolting down the alley. A desperate cry escaped his lips, but the cat was gone."Seriously, boring," muttered the hooded figure. Disappointed, the group wandered off, seeking a more 'exciting' form of cruelty.
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Traffic roared down the street, cars zipping past with reckless abandon. A taxi driver, humming along to music, glanced back at her passenger. "Almost there, darlin'?" he asked cheerfully. Suddenly, a scream pierced the air. The driver slammed on the brakes, but the impact was unavoidable. He leapt out, heart pounding, to find the source of the crash.
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Aether crumpled to the ground, a crimson stain blooming on his lips. The taxi driver, frantic, knelt beside him. "Someone call an ambulance!" he cried to the gathering crowd. Aether's mind swam, thoughts blurring. Was this it? Was he really going to die?
A wet sensation on his hand pulled him back. Meryl. The cat, his only friend, was licking his hand, a gesture of concern or perhaps something more, something Aether couldn't decipher. It didn't matter. As long as she was safe...
A strange peace settled over him. Maybe even a hint of regret. With a faint smile playing on his lips, Aether drew his last breath.