Chapter 2 – About us: Jealousy
Aether's thoughts about Navia
Lately, this feeling's been gnawing at me, something dark and unfamiliar. I've fought so many battles, stood before gods and monsters, but this… I don't know how to fight it. It creeps in every time I see her smile at someone else, the way they look at her as if she's the only star in the night sky. And maybe she is. Navia has that light, that spark. It draws people in, and I… I should be happy for her, shouldn't I?
But instead, I feel this ache. What if someone else sees her in a way I can't? What if she finds comfort in someone else's words, in their company? There are times I worry I'm just passing through her life, that I'll never truly belong to the world she's rooted in. She's so full of life, and I… I'm just a traveler. A transient being, always moving, never staying in one place long enough to build something lasting.
She deserves more. She deserves someone who can give her the stability, the peace, that I might never find. And yet… every time I think about stepping aside, something inside me screams. Because I can't imagine a world without her in it. I can't imagine waking up and not seeing her smile, not hearing her laugh. I can't imagine her choosing someone else over me.
But then, I remember her eyes. The way she looks at me, not with pity or concern, but with a deep, quiet understanding. She knows my struggles, my fears, my endless search for my sister—and still, she chooses me. She sees me for who I am, not just the traveler, not just the hero others expect me to be.
And in those moments, the jealousy fades. It's still there, lingering at the edges, but it no longer consumes me. Because she's here, with me. She's chosen me, and that's enough. It has to be. I might not know where my journey will end, but with Navia, I know I don't have to walk it alone. She's my anchor, my reminder that even in a world full of uncertainties, there's something—someone—I can hold onto.
And that… that makes everything else seem so small.
Navia's thoughts about Aether
There's a weight I've been carrying lately, one I never expected to feel. Jealousy. It feels foolish, really—being envious of the way others look at him, the admiration in their eyes. He's Aether, after all. The traveler, the hero, the man with a golden heart. Of course, they see him that way. But sometimes… sometimes I wonder if he sees them, too. If maybe, one day, he'll realize that someone else could give him more than I ever could.
There are times when I catch him lost in thought, his gaze drifting to the horizon, and I know his mind is with his sister. I understand. His love for her, his search—it's been his purpose for so long. Who am I compared to that? I'm just Navia, a woman trying to keep her life together. I'm not a part of some grand destiny or ancient mystery. What if he realizes he needs someone who can stand beside him in that world—a world I'll never fully be a part of?
But then, just as those doubts begin to consume me, he does something simple. He turns to me, his eyes soft, his hand reaching out to touch mine. In that moment, it's as if the rest of the world disappears. It's just him and me, and I see something in his eyes that washes away all the fears. There's love there—deep, unwavering, and so real that it grounds me. Not the hero's love, not the traveler's love, but Aether's love.
He could have anyone, I know that. But he's here, with me. He's chosen me. And no matter how many people admire him or try to win his favor, I know that when he looks at me, he sees something that no one else can offer. He sees someone who knows him, not as the legendary traveler, but as the man behind all that. And I see him, too—his fears, his struggles, his pain. And still, I love him. I'll always love him.
Jealousy may rear its head every now and then, but it's fleeting. Because in the end, I know that what we have is real. What we've built together, no one else can touch. And I know that, as long as we hold on to each other, nothing—not distance, not doubt—can come between us.