Aria was about to shout to warn Stormblade, but the light suddenly grew blindingly bright... brighter and brighter... until it exploded, enveloping everything around them. A piercing cold wind followed, forcefully pushing her backward. She landed hard on the icy ground, intense pain radiating from every part of her body as if every nerve was screaming. At the same time, she heard Stormblade collapse next to her, groaning in agony.

“Demi-god…” Stormblade's voice was weak but filled with pain and concern. He tried to move, but it was clear that every effort brought excruciating pain.

As the light gradually faded, Aria struggled to blink, trying to focus her gaze on the dark building in the distance. Her ears were ringing, her vision blurry; she felt she was on the verge of losing consciousness. Cold sweat dripped down her forehead onto the icy ground, her heart pounding violently, each beat underscoring her fragility and helplessness.

She felt a chill run up her spine, her entire body frozen in place. She wanted to shout, but her throat was dry, unable to produce any sound. She watched helplessly as the demi-god approached, his figure growing more menacing in the moonlight.

The demi-god stepped closer, muddy feet stopping within her view. Aria painfully moved her eyes upwards. The demi-god looked down at her, his silver hair glistening in the moonlight. She blinked hard, her vision gradually clearing. It was a twisted face, one eye bloodshot black, like a vision from the depths of hell. The other eye gleamed coldly, like a beast eyeing its prey. His mouth curved into a cold, cruel smile, his voice low and hoarse: “Aria, you didn’t disappoint me. You really came back to Sovereign Bastion.”

“You’re…” Aria managed to squeeze out a few words, her voice weak and hoarse.

The demi-god’s bloodshot black eye seemed to wait for Aria to name him.

“Lucius… Argent…” Aria used the last of her strength, her voice barely audible.

Lucius’s smile deepened, his face appearing even more monstrous in the interplay of moonlight and shadows. “Correct, I am Lucius Argent. Since we parted at Celestial Sanctum, we finally meet again.”

“You can’t do this…” Aria wanted to fight back, but her voice was as weak as a whisper in the wind.

Lucius bent down, his icy fingers tracing her cheek, stealing away her last warmth. “Can’t do what? Hurt you? Kill you?” He laughed coldly, his tone filled with cruel mockery, “Did you think I haven’t been waiting for this moment all these years?”

“Why…” Aria’s voice was almost swallowed by the night wind.

“Why?” A flicker of madness crossed Lucius’s eyes. “Because you owe me, Aria. You owe me a promise, a promise you never kept.”

Aria felt a wave of dizziness, her vision blurring as the last bit of strength rapidly drained from her body. Her heavy head fell back, striking the icy ground. In that final moment before losing consciousness, she thought she heard Lucius’s low chanting, the dark void swallowing her completely.

Finally, everything went black, and she passed out.

As Aria’s consciousness returned to her body, she found herself lying on something soft. Her entire body felt shattered, reminiscent of the pain she experienced at Celestial Sanctum, a pain she would never forget. She slowly opened her eyes, her vision blurry, and saw that she was on a large bed. Voices were speaking nearby. She moved slightly, but the sharp pain immediately made her freeze.

The voices stopped, and someone approached. Neven sat down by the bed, with Alexander standing behind him.

“What happened to me?” Aria asked, her eyes barely open, the pain overwhelming. She never wanted to feel such agony again. She recalled the incident at Celestial Sanctum; she must have been struck by a demigod’s power during the capture.

“Are you alright?” Neven asked, his voice filled with worry. His pale face was marked with anxiety.

“I’m fine…” Aria replied weakly.

Neven gently touched her face, her words deepening his concern. “Do you remember what happened?” he asked.

Aria then remembered why she had fainted. “I was attacked…” she said weakly. “And Stormblade… someone attacked us.”

Neven sighed in relief. “I thought you had lost your memory. I was so afraid you wouldn’t remember me when you woke up. This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have let you go alone. If I had stayed with you, you wouldn’t have been in danger last night.” He spoke with self-reproach.

“Last night?” Aria’s eyes widened.

“You’ve been unconscious for a whole day.”

Through the glass windows, the outside was pitch black.

Aria carefully examined the room, noticing she was covered with a snow wolf fur blanket and saw a purple wood armchair by the fireplace.

“Am I in your room?” she asked.

“Yes,” Neven replied.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

She turned her gaze to Alexander. “I hurt all over. Do I have any broken bones?”

“You were just struck,” Alexander said. “We checked; you have no broken bones or any external injuries.”

“You said checked?” Aria tried to pull off the blanket but stopped due to the pain. She felt the soft fabric of a long dress under the blanket.

“Broken bones would be visibly distorted. I carried you back,” Neven said. “Why were you with Stormblade?”

“He lied to me, saying he could help you regain your Essence Power. I believed him. When we got to the place, he threatened me. He just wanted to use me to get back at you.” Aria’s voice was weak.

Neven frowned, speaking in a low, scolding tone. “Don’t believe others so easily. Only I know the truth about my Essence Power. Luckily, I went out to find you. Otherwise, you and Stormblade would have been in grave danger.”

“Aria, who attacked you?” Alexander asked. “It didn’t look like someone from the Lunar Essence Clan; you were hit by magic.”

Aria’s mind flashed back to the memories of the previous night. She turned to Neven, her mouth dry, and whispered two words.

“Lucius Argent…”

She struggled to recall what happened after she fainted; she remembered nothing.

“Those medicines can relieve pain,” Alexander said, pointing to the table. “Warm them in some wine; she’ll feel better.”

Neven kissed her forehead gently. “Don’t think about it now. You need to rest. Once Stormblade wakes up, we’ll have answers.”

Neven stood up and went to the table to fetch the medicine.

“It seems she was indirectly hit,” Alexander said. “Most of the magic hit Stormblade. I don’t know if he’ll make it.”

“Find a way to wake him,” Neven said angrily.

“It’s not looking good; he’s in a deep coma.”

“Who is Lucius Argent?” Aria heard Alexander ask.

The two men’s voices dropped to a whisper as they conferred quietly.

The fireplace crackled, and Neven placed a small pot over the fire. Soon, the room was filled with the rich aroma of mulled wine.

"I'll go check on Stormblade," Alexander said. "If Aria's condition changes, come find me at the Herbary."

After saying goodbye to Aria, Alexander left.

Neven stood by the fireplace, watching the potion in the pot gradually come to a boil. Before long, the pot began to bubble and gurgle. He put on gloves, carefully poured the hot potion into a cup, and walked back to the bedside.

"I've already told Alexander about Lucius Argent. Don't worry, he's the most trustworthy person in the Moon Tower," Neven reassured.

Aria, despite the pain, slowly sat up and leaned against the headboard. She took the cup Neven handed her and took a sip of the potion, wincing at the spiciness. Neven frowned as he saw her take only a small sip.

"Did you see Lucius Argent when you found me?" Aria asked.

"There was no one else there, just you and Stormblade. Stormblade had been dragged far away, leaving a long trail of blood in the snow. I was too anxious to get you back to notice the surroundings," Neven explained.

"Lucius Argent was acting strange; he didn't seem to recognize me," Aria recalled. "He had a bulging black eye, but I remember his eyes were normal before." She gestured to describe it.

Neven pursed his lips, his brow furrowing. He stood up, walked to the table, pulled out a book, and returned to the bedside, handing the book to Aria.

"Is this it?" he asked gravely.

Aria looked at the twisted, large eye in the book and nodded fearfully. The drawing was abstract, but the bloodshot features were unmistakable.

"This is Devil's Eye," Neven said, closing the book. "Devil's Eye parasites in an eye and controls the host's soul."

"Devil's Eye?" Aria was terrified. She reached out, despite the pain, wanting to touch Neven's face as if to confirm there was no scar extending to his neck.

Neven grabbed her hand, his expression stern. "If he has a Devil's Eye, Lucius Argent is no longer himself. Don't try to approach him; he'll be under the Devil's Eye's influence and won't be able to control his actions."

"What if we remove the Devil's Eye?" Aria asked.

"Impossible," Neven said firmly.

"But I remember someone did it before."

"That's just a legend. No one can actually do it," Neven said, using the cup to stop her. The hot, spicy smell filled the air. "Drink it all. We'll discuss this later. You need rest."

Aria finished the potion, her throat burning from the spiciness. Neven tucked her back in and extinguished the bedside candle.

In the dim room, only the firelight from the fireplace illuminated half the wall. Aria felt her blood boiling inside her, exhaling a breath of heat as she gradually fell asleep. Neven's room was warm and cozy, the snow wolf blanket exuding a faint scent of plum wine, a smell she often noticed on Neven.

Aria half-closed her eyes, looking at the fireplace.

Neven sat in an armchair, holding the book. In the firelight, only his profile was visible. He leaned back in the chair, flipping through the pages intently. Sleepiness gradually overtook Aria, and she soon fell asleep.

Perhaps due to a long coma or the potion's effect wearing off, Aria woke up with increasing pain and couldn't sleep. She licked her dry lips and struggled to sit up. In the dim room, she slowly made her way to the table despite the pain.

Neven was sound asleep in the armchair. Even in sleep, his brow remained furrowed, the book resting on his legs, his breaths slow and even.

Aria poured herself a glass of water, moving carefully but still waking him.

"I fell asleep. Why didn't you wake me?" Neven stirred in the chair, which creaked. Aria finished the water and said, "I was too thirsty, and I'm feeling much better."

Neven got up to refill her water, and Aria continued drinking, watching him.

"I can go back to my own room," she said, putting down the glass.

"Stormblade also has a key that can open all the doors," Neven said. "I'm afraid he'll come after you if he wakes up and wants to retaliate against me."

Aria opened her mouth but didn't know what to say. "He can open all the doors too?"

"That's the Executive Commander's right," Neven explained. "Sometimes there are special circumstances, so other Executive Commanders can act as substitutes, like the last time we searched the royal city."

Neven carried her back to the bed, laying her on the soft blankets. "I can sleep on the floor, but I don't want you out of my sight. Last night was a mistake I don't want to repeat," he said.

Aria bit her lip and nodded. She was also scared of Stormblade coming after her.

Neven found a blanket in the cabinet and laid it near the fireplace. He must have been very tired because it wasn't long before she heard his steady, deep breathing.

Aria lay in bed, unable to sleep, her mind constantly recalling Lucius' terrifying face and the Devil's Eye. What had he gone through? After letting her go, had Lucius been punished by Adomoye? But one thing Aria remembered clearly: Lucius had mentioned that he indeed had a Devil's Eye inside him. It just hadn't manifested at the time, and Aria hadn't noticed it at all.

She thought back to her days at Celestial Sanctum. To Aria, Lucius Argent was both familiar and strange. She never understood why Lucius saved her or how he knew Neven Everhart lived in Longhorn Town. Neven had never left there and hadn't told anyone else he was from within the barrier. How did Lucius Argent know?

The more Aria thought about it, the more confused she became, her mind eventually turning into a tangled mess.