Oh no :'(

This is just really heartbreaking and heart-wrenching, which you did mentioned it was going to be. It hits me in the gut at how tragic the little boy's life was.

So, I read this first wondering which way the story was going, if the boy was living in a very strict household, and why he was being restricted. I think you did a great job in bringing that child-like wonder of Aether, whose character is a little kid himself well after being confined in the house for so long and then seeing bursts of colours and wonders around him. 

I think the part where when Aether was about to touch the Angel's hand, and she shifted away it seemed as though she was the one who was dead, instead of him but oh how the story twists at the end! I did have a hunch at some point soon after in the middle that it was Aether who was dead, and the dreadful feeling of how that happened grew as I was swept away in this bittersweet, heartbreaking story. You described them well in this and I could visualise the settings of the house, of the fields and even the part where the Angel brought him to Heaven with all the other children playing there. As sad and dark this story was, you painted a beautiful view for the character, Aether and his Angel. 

It does seemed like Aether who was a bright child filled with imagination was neglected and extremely abandoned with the way he was treated. And the bland food was actually the cardboard. Oh, how you twist my heart at this story @Byargus! T_T :'(

Nevertheless, this is an excellent work, and I thought it had a cinematic feel to it how you managed to bring out the emotions from readers to certain angles and views, revealing bits of information that added to that shocking and doleful effect of the character's story. Keep up the great work :)