"It's been over a year since Stiles Vorn, SteelArm, and I returned to the guild from that godforsaken island." Dante's pen scratched against the paper as the wind howled outside, rain hammering against the guild's worn-out walls.
As Dante continued writing onto the paper, a sharp knock echoed against his window. His brows furrowed in confusion. "Who the hell would be outside of my window, on the third story in this storm?"
Setting the pen down, he pushed himself up from his bed and strode toward the window. The moment he cracked it open, a rush of cold mana surged into the room, before dissipating into the air. His breath hitched as his gaze locked onto the figure standing just beyond the glass.
His blood ran cold.
"Aria?" His voice was barely above a whisper, shock evident in his wide-eyed stare. "You're alive? Where the hell have you been?"
Aria tilted her head slightly, a bemused smile playing on her lips. "...I mean, if I wasn't alive, would I really be standing here?" Without waiting for an invitation, she climbed through the window, landing gracefully in his room before shutting it behind her. She turned to face him, her expression unreadable. "I need your help."
Dante remained frozen for a moment, eyes scanning her as if trying to confirm what he was seeing. Finally, he spoke, voice cautious.
"You're not really Aria, are you?"
She blinked, then smirked. "That depends... Who do you consider to be Aria Noctis?"
His gaze darkened, his body instinctively tensing as he took a slow step back. "The Aria I knew hated training, had emerald eyes, and long blue-and-black hair." His eyes flickered over her, his unease growing. "Not... grey eyes and long, dark blue hair with streaks of light blue."
Silence stretched between them.
Aria smiled, an eerie sense of calm radiating from her as she closed her eyes for a few moments. When they reopened, the grey in her irises seemed to shimmer faintly.
"The body belongs to the one you speak of," she said, her voice carrying a strange, almost soothing certainty. "But don't worry—she's just... comfortably asleep within this body."
Dante's fists clenched. "What the hell does that mean?"
She chuckled softly, tilting her head. "Exactly as it sounds. Besides," she continued, stepping closer, "Aria Noctis is my name, not hers. But it's fine—I don't mind sharing considering my soul is using this body. It makes things much more simple.
Dante's jaw tightened. "What did you do to her?"
Aria's smile faded, replaced by a look of genuine confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "I just told you—she's only sleeping."
Her tone was calm, almost reassuring, but something about it sent a chill down Dante's spine.
"I made a promise to her," she continued, stepping closer, her grey eyes locked onto his. "When she wakes up, this world will be more comfortable for her. Until then... you'll just have to deal with me."
Dante felt his breath hitch. "And what exactly does that mean?"
Aria sighed, rolling her shoulders as if shaking off an invisible weight. "It means that whatever happens next, whatever I have to do… it's all for her sake. I won't let this world remain as broken as it is when she finally opens her eyes again."
Her words held an unsettling finality, like a decision had already been made long before this conversation.
Dante exhaled sharply, his grip tightening on the chair's armrest. "If you're not Aria… then who the hell are you?"
She gave him a small, knowing smile. "I told you already—I'm Aria Noctis." Then, with a glint in her eyes, she added, "Just... not the one you know." She said with a smile on her face before standing up.
"Just go with it," she said calmly, her tone unwavering. "Nothing has happened to her. Think of it like two souls sharing one body—one asleep while the other remains awake, and when the time comes, they switch places."
She met his gaze, her expression unreadable. "So… can you help me or not?"
Dante studied her carefully, his mind racing with possibilities. After a long moment of silence, he exhaled and sat down in his chair. "Alright," he said finally. "I'll hear you out. What is it that you need from me?"
Aria leaned forward, her expression turning serious. "I need your help finding something. A book—though calling it a 'book' is a bit of a stretch. It's called Voids of Ages. It's inscribed on a stone tablet, but over the past year, I've searched everywhere, and I haven't been able to find a single trace of it."
Dante raised an eyebrow. "A book made from stone? Sounds ancient. What's in it?"
She shrugged, her tone indifferent. "Nothing important. At least, not to anyone else. The contents aren't worth mentioning, but I need it."
Dante studied her for a moment before sighing. "And you think I can help?"
"Not just you," she admitted. "I was hoping Stiles and SteelArm could help, too. This isn't something I can do alone."
Dante leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the armrest. "Fine. I'll see what I can do. But if we're getting involved, I want answers. No more vague explanations."
Aria smirked. "We'll see how it goes."
Dante stood up from his chair, his fingers tapping against the backrest as he reached for his phone. He quickly opened the group chat and typed out a message. "Stiles, SteelArm, get to my room. Something important."
He set the phone down and waited, a few minutes later, a knock echoed from the door. Dante walked over and opened it to reveal Stiles and SteelArm standing on the other side.
"What's up?" Stiles asked, his brow furrowed in curiosity as he stepped into the room. SteelArm followed closely behind, glancing around the room.
Dante closed the door behind them, then motioned to the corner of the room where Aria sat, calmly watching the three men.
"That's... Aria?" SteelArm asked, his voice uncertain.
Dante took a deep breath and rubbed his temples, looking between Stiles and SteelArm. "Yeah, it's her, but... it's not exactly the same. It's a long story, so let's just leave it at that for now."
Stiles and SteelArm exchanged a confused glance, both of them clearly unsettled by the situation. Stiles raised an eyebrow, but kept his thoughts to himself. "I thought... she was dead?" He shook the thought away, focusing instead on the present.
They stood in silence for a moment, letting the confusion linger before SteelArm spoke up, still eyeing Aria with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. "So... what exactly do you need from us?" His tone was cautious.
Dante gave a half-shrug and continued, "She's looking for a book—a stone tablet called Voids of Ages. The contents aren't important, she says, but she needs it. And... she wants our help finding it."
Stiles tilted his head, his brow furrowed in thought. "A stone tablet, huh? That's... definitely unusual." He sounded more intrigued now, but there was still a hint of skepticism in his voice.
SteelArm crossed his arms, a skeptical frown on his face. "You said it's not important, so what's the rush? What's so urgent about this tablet?"
Aria's expression remained calm, but there was an intensity in her gaze as she answered. "It's not important to anyone else. But it's important to me. That's all you need to know."
The room fell silent, the weight of her words settling over the group. Dante let out a slow breath, then looked at Stiles and SteelArm, a silent question in his eyes. "So, you in?"
Stiles took a moment, his eyes narrowing in thought. Finally, he let out a soft chuckle. "Hell yeah, I'm in. I've been cooped up in this damn guild for over a month. I'm bored as hell." He grinned, the restlessness evident in his voice.
SteelArm cracked his knuckles, his usual stern demeanor shifting into something more like readiness. "Yeah, it's been a while since I've left the guild as well. I'm in too." He nodded, as if to reaffirm his decision.
Dante gave a small, relieved smile. "Good. Let's get to work then... wait, where do we even begin?"
Aria rose slowly from the chair, her movements deliberate and graceful. A cold breeze swirled around the room, carrying with it an unsettling chill. Her voice was calm but laced with an undercurrent of urgency. "There are only a few places left where it could be, places I haven't checked yet. Though, my memory isn't exactly reliable given how much has changed over time."
Before anyone could respond, an icy mist enveloped the room, its cold tendrils curling around them, leaving an eerie silence in its wake. The temperature dropped rapidly, but it wasn't enough to freeze—only enough to send a chill down their spines. The mist thickened, surrounding them completely, and when it cleared, they were no longer in Dante's room.
They stood in the middle of an old, abandoned village, perched high atop a mountain that seemed to rise out of the clouds. The village was decayed and worn, buildings weathered by time, with cracked cobblestones leading through narrow streets that twisted like forgotten memories. The air was thin, the scent of damp stone and the sharp bite of mountain air stinging their senses.
Dante took in the view, his eyes scanning the desolate landscape. "What is this place?"
Aria's gaze swept over the abandoned village, her expression distant as though she were seeing something far beyond its crumbling walls. "This village... it was once one of the fourteen sacred temples, hidden away from the world. It's the one most likely to hold the stone tablet, though the place is far from welcoming." Her voice dropped to a whisper as a shiver ran through the air. "Be cautious. There are... mechanisms set in place to prevent anyone from entering. This village doesn't take kindly to intruders. Keep your eyes peeled at all times."
Stiles squinted, scanning the eerie surroundings. "So, let me get this straight," he said, a hint of sarcasm creeping into his tone. "We're trekking through a ghost town, on top of a mountain, with death traps lurking around every corner, just to find a tablet? Sounds like the perfect family summer vacation spot."