"Can you hear it? His heart, it's beating faster... Haha,"
The purple flame flowed gently through the reddish-hued space, its soft light flickering like a living thing as it moved ahead, guiding Aether deeper into the endless void.
Even though he had no idea where the flame was taking him, he followed without hesitation.
He kept walking, one step after another, while the strange reddish space around him slowly began to twist. The air seemed to ripple like the surface of disturbed water, and faint images started forming within the shifting hue.
They were memories.
His mother's memories.
At first, the images were blurry and indistinct, while the voices were little more than distant whispers. But the deeper Aether went, the clearer they became. Faces slowly took shape. Expressions became visible.
"What should we name our child?"
"What about... Aether?"
"Aether?"
"Yes... It's like ever since he was born, he's always had this bright, unwavering smile,"
