Aria had a whole day to explore Shadowvale. Just coming out from the blacksmith, she eagerly made her way to the Echo Tower, her most cherished spot. Despite the ravages of war that had befallen Shadowvale, the Echo Tower still stood proudly in the center of the town.

As she approached the tower, her heart sank at the sight of the nailed-shut door. It seemed like a gateway to her deepest memories, yet it remained closed to her now. She pulled and tugged at it, but the heavy wooden boards remained unmoved, guarding a secret she couldn't access.

After circling the Echo Tower several times, she reluctantly gave up. The howling wind filled the desolate town with an endless silence. What was once a bustling hub now lay in ruins, with only a few residents from the Moon Tower remaining. The Echo Tower stood amidst it all, like a lonely sentinel silently witnessing the passage of time.

With no other option, Aria wandered the town until sunset, when she returned to the blacksmith's shop to retrieve her lightweight sword.

Upon receiving her customized weapon, she couldn't help but be amazed. The slender blade was agile and sharp, as if it were a keen edge capable of cutting through the dust of ages and the shackles of the soul. Swinging it effortlessly, the blade gleamed, seemingly ready to sever all the smoke and dust around her, granting her freedom anew. After bidding farewell to the blacksmith, she hurried towards Sovereign Bastion, needing to reach safety before nightfall.

The last rays of sunlight stretched the shadows in the alleyways, casting a pallid hue. In the distance, eerie cries and howls filled the air, stirring a sense of foreboding within Aria as she quickened her pace along the path.

However, as she passed a bustling tavern next to the stables, a figure huddled in a corner against the wall caught her eye. Aria approached cautiously, and to her surprise, she discovered it was Neven.

"Why are you sleeping out here again? Wake up..." Aria crouched down and shook him gently.

Shadowvale appeared even colder and emptier, with scarce pedestrians. If she hadn't happened to pass by, Neven might have slept here until deep into the night, becoming a target for Night Ghouls.

Glancing around, Aria realized she needed assistance. "Wait here, I'll find someone to help." Her gaze shifted towards the nearby tavern. As she rose to leave, Neven grabbed her hand, muttering softly, "I'm fine, don't go..."

Seeing Neven, Aria felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness and sorrow. The once brilliant Executive Commander had now dwindled to a mere semblance of his former self, consumed by addiction, akin to an empty shell.

"But you can't sleep out here, you'll freeze." Aria expressed her concern. "I saw your friends today, and even Grand Master Seraphina. Everyone misses you, we're all worried about you."

Neven kept his head down, offering no response. Aria patted his cheek, but he responded with an impatient grunt. With a sigh, she realized that no amount of persuasion could change Neven's choices.

Rolling up her sleeves, Aria struggled to pull Neven up; his body felt heavy and cold. "You need to... get up by yourself... you're too heavy... I can't lift you..."

Neven seemed to hear her words and struggled to stand from the snowy ground.

It was undoubtedly the most challenging journey Aria had ever experienced. Step by step, they made their way towards the Moon Tower on the mountainside, as if walking an endless path. Yet, despite the hardships, Aria remained determined to bring Neven back.

As night fell, they finally arrived at their destination. Aria inquired about where Neven lived, but he simply smiled at her, as if all his worries had vanished.

"I've had enough of you; you don't even know what I'm asking, do you?" Aria pushed him into her small room, dumping him onto the stone floor in front of the fireplace. She sat down beside him, panting, her heart filled with resignation.

The warm fire crackled, casting light upon Neven's unblemished face as he closed his eyes, seemingly in a deep slumber. Aria reached out, running her fingers through his black hair, tracing the long scar on his face. Suddenly, her heart trembled with fear, and she recoiled, her heartbeat racing.

As she caught a whiff of his alcoholic breath, she felt powerless. She couldn't help but wonder if one day Neven would succumb completely to her negligence. She covered him with a blanket, added more firewood to the fireplace, and finally sat on the edge of the bed, massaging her sore arms as she recalled the terrifying ordeal with Thanatos over two hundred years ago – a true demon compared to Neven.

The next morning, when Aria woke up, she found no trace of Neven on the ground, only neatly arranged blankets in front of the fireplace.

Over the next period of time, Aria busied herself helping Sable and Oak organize the armory. While the daytime work was relatively easy, as night fell, Aria's mood always seemed unsettled. She often heard rumors of people freezing to death in the wilderness or complaining about not seeing Neven for a long time. Regardless of whether these rumors were true, Aria always dropped what she was doing, rushed out of the hall, passed through the stables, and brought out a horse, galloping towards Shadowvale. Almost every time, she found Neven, intoxicated.

"You can't keep torturing me like this," Aria said, almost going crazy as she helped Neven onto the horse. "I'm not your servant; I have my own things to do. Do you know how messy the armory is? I have to move those heavy weapons every day, and still have to come out at night to find you."

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Sitting on the horse, Neven straightened up, seeming relatively sober today. "Stay away from me, or you'll get into trouble," he muttered.

"I don't care what others think. I can't just stand by and watch someone die, can I? You risked your life to bring me into the barrier; I'm grateful for that."

"Are you expressing gratitude to me?" Neven waved his hand dismissively, with a contemptuous expression. "You don't have to bother..."

Aria glared at him fiercely, urging, "Hurry up, I haven't had a decent dinner in a long time."

"Are you not asking for trouble yourself?" he mocked, his eyes and eyebrows curved in a smile. "Come find me after dinner next time."

"Next time? There's going to be a next time?" Aria said incredulously. She led the horse away, fuming, not wanting to deal with the annoying ghost on horseback.

Returning to the Moon Tower, Aria and Neven did not find the peace they had hoped for. In the corridors of the Sovereign Bastion, they encountered several soldiers from the Stinggtail Legion, who showed disdainful and provocative expressions as soon as they saw Neven.

"Look who's here, the once radiant Neven," the leader of the soldiers sneered.

Aria gripped her sword tightly; she could feel the tension around Neven increasing. But Neven took a deep breath and calmly faced them, "We don't intend to cause trouble; let's go."

However, the soldiers persisted, with one even reaching out to grab Neven's shoulder. "Who do you think you are? You have no place in the Moon Tower anymore."

A glint flickered in Neven's eyes, but instead of getting angry, he chuckled. "How amusing. And what about you? Do you think you're somebody important? The guardians of the Moon Tower won't be swayed by the idle talk of underlings like you."

Aria watched Neven, sensing the deep, unfathomable power within him. In that moment, she realized that Neven was not just a simple drunkard but a warrior hiding formidable strength.

The soldiers' faces twisted in anger; they had no intention of letting Neven off easily.

"Aria, stay back,"

"Don't engage with them here; Alpha will come looking for trouble if he finds out," Aria pulled Neven away.

"What, afraid to fight us?" They mocked, drawing their swords. Meanwhile, the various colored gems on the sword hilts shimmered with light.

"Stop!" a voice echoed from the shadows at the end of the corridor.

Grand Mentor Seraphina emerged from afar, her presence instantly imposing solemnity upon the atmosphere. Several soldiers immediately stepped aside, sheathing their swords.

"Unauthorized dueling is a serious breach of discipline," Seraphina's voice resonated through the corridor, her snake-like eyes narrowing in anger. "You are part of the Moon Tower, and your actions reflect upon the entire legion. Remember, discipline must not be compromised; we need unity, not infighting."

Several soldiers, upon hearing the voice of the Grand Mentor, appeared flustered and hastily began to explain, "We were just joking; there was no malice."

Aria's voice carried a hint of impatience, "You're just looking for trouble; this isn't a joke."

Tension filled the corridors of the Moon Tower. Neven stood tall, his posture rigid, his gaze sharp as a blade. The soldiers, on the other hand, seemed somewhat uneasy, their smiles frozen on their faces.

"We were just joking; there was no malice," one soldier attempted to explain, his voice trembling slightly.

Aria coldly surveyed them, feeling a mix of sympathy and anger. She knew this wasn't just a simple jest but a provocation aimed at Neven.

However, Seraphina's brow remained furrowed, her tone stern as she addressed Neven, "Follow me."

Neven didn't say much; he simply followed Seraphina out of the corridor.

As Aria watched their retreating figures, she felt both sympathy for Neven's predicament and anger towards the soldiers' ignorance. She knew that this disturbance was likely just the beginning, and in the days to come, she would face even more challenges.

On the next morning, Aria stepped into the armory as usual, finding it nearly empty except for the towering pile of weaponry at the center. The last to arrive was Sable, who wandered in curiously, asking, "I heard you and Neven came back together last night, but I didn't see him. He seemed to have vanished"

"We just happened to come back together,"Aria replied casually. She knew Neven's whereabouts well; whenever the tavern in Shadowvale opened, he would disappear inside. This had been going on for some time, leaving Aria feeling troubled.

"What's this?" Oak asked, picking up an iron rod, looking puzzled.

"It's a broken meteor hammer, throw it away," Sable lazily remarked. He crawled into the pile of weapons, making clattering sounds.

"Sable, where should I put the shield?"Oak asked again, holding up a shield.

A hand emerged from the pile, pointing towards Oak. "Over there, shields on the left, swords on the right. You've asked a hundred times," Sable shouted, climbing out and waving a small box. "Look, I found a charm."

Approaching, Aria and Oak watched as Sable opened the lock on the box, saying mysteriously, "This is an ancient and rare... Hearteater Worm."

"A transparent worm?"Oak's large head blocked the light.

The box contained a circular cavity.

"It's gone, someone took it," Sable threw the box into the trash heap.

"How powerful is it?" Aria asked.

"It can kill a raging water beast. It's best not to let that worm burrow into your body; it'll eat your heart," Sable grimaced, crawling back into the weapons pile.

After dark, the armory was tidied up. Aria counted rows of iron swords on the wall, curiously touching the red crystals on the swords. 'Why do these crystals glow?'

"That's the Soul stone, extraordinary," Sable explained.

"Soul stone?"Aria queried.

"The Soul stone is the source of our Lunar Essence clan's Essence Power. Only when finding the right master can it unleash Essence Power. The stronger the master, the more powerful the Soul stone they can control."

"You're...Lunar Essence clan?" Aria asked.

"You didn't know?" Sable looked surprised. Then he explained with a proud look, "We are Lunar Essence, a powerful race with Essence Power. Of course, for you, using Essence Power is just a luxury; you're just a mortal, you can't control the Soul stone."

"Maybe she's Aether?" Oak speculated.

"She's not, she's a mortal from beyond the barrier," Sable corrected.

"What's Aether...?" Aria inquired.

Sable scoffed, "You'd better stay away from those Aether; they're a bunch of freaks who like to hang around in graves."

"Maybe Aria is an Aether from beyond the barrier?" Oak suggested.

"Are you still thinking?" Sable taunted. "How could there be Aether beyond the barrier? Stop having issues with Aether, okay? Aria is different. Does she look strong to you? Does she look like a burly warrior?"

Oak shook his head.

"Absolutely not," Sable concluded.

Oak and Sable started arguing again, unable to stop once they began. Aria picked up a pile of scrap metal, pretending to take out the trash. She had tried listening to their arguments before, but that night, her ears buzzed incessantly, keeping her awake all night.