Since Aria lost her memory, her dreams have become bewildering. The first time she woke up in the Celestial Sanctum, she dreamt of an eternal tree with a pale-skinned girl wrapped in its vines. However, she had no recollection of ever seeing such a sight. Aria tried to recall more but to no avail. Perhaps these dreams were fragments of memories from before her amnesia, with reality and fantasy intertwining to create non-existent scenes.

She also dreamt of being in an endless darkness, filled with suffocating fear. Suddenly, Thanatos appeared before her, his deathly figure looming like a nightmare. His eyes were as cold as winter stars, piercing her soul and sending shivers down her spine. He held several coins that gleamed with a chilling light, and he slowly bent down to place one on her left eye. The cold metal made her shiver. Then he placed another coin on her right eye, and in that instant, the darkness seemed to swallow all hope.

Flames abruptly erupted from beneath her feet, engulfing her entirely. The searing fire licked her skin, causing blisters and cracks. The scorching pain felt like a thousand needles piercing her heart, driving her to the brink of collapse. She screamed with all her might, but in this nightmarish realm, her voice was swallowed by the void, turning into an endless silence.

Her consciousness faded in the agony, as if she were falling into a boundless abyss. Amid the flames, she vaguely saw Thanatos’s twisted face flickering in the firelight, his cold smile etched deep into her mind. Just when she could bear no more, she awoke with a jolt, sitting up abruptly, drenched in sweat. Her heart pounded wildly, as if it would burst from her chest.

"What’s wrong?" Neven, sitting by the fireplace in an armchair with a thick book, asked. His leg was bandaged, and he looked pale.

"I had a… dream," Aria said, still shaken, the dream feeling all too real. "When did you get back?"

"You should ask what time it is now," he replied, closing his book.

A beam of dim light fell on the table, showing the sun on the sun-moon scale slightly lower than the moon.

"Oh my, is it evening? I slept for a whole day and night," Aria exclaimed, wiping the cold sweat from her forehead, likely from Alexander’s calming potion making her oversleep.

In the quiet room, a strange sound suddenly broke the silence, like someone knocking. Aria jumped out of bed, straining to listen. Neven, using the chair for support, stood up slowly, silently pointing towards the glass door of the balcony. Only then did Aria notice a raven pecking at the door. She squinted, then flared up with anger, pointing at the door and demanding, "Didn’t I tell you to get rid of Felix’s raven? Why is it here?"

"Yes, I let it go, as you asked," Neven replied innocently. "It must have found its way back."

Aria walked over and opened the door. The raven cawed and flew in, landing on the table, hopping around joyfully, deliberately showing the note tied to its claw. Aria angrily grabbed it and took off the note, which read, "You are in danger. Meet me by the stream in three days. —Felix."

Fuming, Aria threw the note into the fireplace. "Felix must be insane," she cursed.

"What did he write?" Neven asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just nonsense, trying to lure me to Aether," Aria fumed.

"So, what are you going to do?"

"I'm not replying, and I’m not meeting him," Aria said angrily. "I’m going to find a cage and lock this raven up. Felix will never get a response because his raven will never fly out again."

Neven slowly walked over and gently embraced Aria from behind. His arms were warm and strong, as if trying to envelop her entire world. She could feel his heartbeat, slow and steady, syncing with her own. He lowered his head, inhaling deeply in her soft hair, and with a tender yet slightly hoarse voice, whispered, "Felix’s ardent pursuit of you is making me jealous."

Aria's face instantly turned red, the heat rushing to her head. Her heart raced, almost leaping out of her chest. Neven always managed to say these sweet words when no one was around, making her heart flutter. However, she was too shy to handle such direct confessions. She gently broke free from his embrace, turning around, unable to meet his gaze, and looked down at her toes instead.

"D-don’t say that," her voice trembled slightly, "Our feelings are different from what Felix feels."

Neven smiled slightly, lifting her chin to meet his gaze. His eyes were deep like the night sky, seemingly able to see through her soul. "I know," he said, "but seeing him try so hard sometimes makes me worry I’m not doing enough."

Aria’s heart trembled. She reached out and gently caressed his cheek, trying to comfort him. "You’re doing great, Neven. No one can replace you for me."

Neven lowered his head and kissed her forehead, his lips warm and smiling.

They stayed at the Moon Tower for a few days. Before long, a bloody message arrived from Shadowvale. The messenger, covered in blood, collapsed at the iron gate, clutching a blood-stained letter. His few words turned the guards’ faces pale: "Sage Solon… attacked…"

When the Lunar King summoned the Grand Mentors for a council, Neven had already received orders to depart. The sudden news caught everyone off guard. Neven donned his armor, picked up the Soul Stone sword, and prepared to join the team to support Sage Solon. Aria pleaded all the way, but she was ordered to stay at the Moon Tower.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Why can’t I go? I’m part of the Starguard," Aria jogged after him. If Neven’s leg weren’t injured, she believed he would have run out of the north tower by now.

"Aria, don’t cause more trouble. I’ve already removed you from the roster."

"Removed? How could you do that without my consent? That’s an abuse of power."

"Yes, it is." Neven stopped, speaking solemnly. "The camp was attacked. Sage Solon and the troops are fighting those ghastly creatures. I don’t have time to look after you. I didn’t tell you earlier to avoid upsetting you."

Aria glared at him. "You’re lying. When I arrived, why didn’t Lyra kick me out of the roster?"

"At that time, Alpha was the Grand Mentor. Lyra didn’t even have Damian’s authority." His eyes serious, he paused, hesitated, and said, "It was Sage Solon’s idea. Aether’s interest in you made him suspect your identity and motives. He feared Aether had other plans for you or would use you against us. So, he wanted to keep you away from high-level secrets."

"Sage Solon thinks I’d betray us?" Aria was shocked.

"I trust you," he interrupted her impending outburst, his fierce expression softening. "The Moon Tower is very safe. I don’t want you in danger. The Lunar King also dispatched Alpha’s elite troops. I believe the problem will be solved soon. Aria, I must go now. Wait for me to return." He kissed her forehead and walked towards the gate.

Aria watched Neven’s figure fade away, her heart filled with complex emotions. She knew he was protecting her, but the unease and pain of being doubted left her unsettled. As a mortal, she always felt like an unnecessary presence, constantly causing trouble for others. She especially hated herself for not being able to truly become a member of the Lunar Essence Clan. She stood there, her eyes filled with helplessness.

She thought of the Soul Stone, unable to control even one. The mysterious power seemed always out of reach. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t break through the invisible barrier. She felt like a useless burden, unable to blend into this world full of miracles and power.

What hurt the most was that even Sage Solon began to doubt her. The wise and powerful elder believed she might betray the Moon Tower. Her existence seemed meaningless, pushing her step by step into the abyss.

Three days later, early in the morning, Aria returned to her room and heard the sound of pounding again. She looked toward the glass door, her heart skipping a beat as she saw the balcony filled with hundreds of black ravens, densely packed and chaotic.

Even the golden birdcage in Echo Tower didn't have such a terrifying number, perched messily on the balcony. Aria hesitated in her room for a long time before deciding to open the door, wanting to understand why Felix would send so many messages.

As soon as Aria pushed open the glass door, the ravens, startled like frightened birds, burst into the room. They filled Neven’s spacious room, even perching on the empty armor racks.

Angrily, Aria shooed away a few ravens perched on the snow wolf rug, their muddy feet leaving prints everywhere. She caught one and pulled out a note. As expected, it read "Meet at the creek."

She caught a few more ravens, and the notes all said the same thing. A sudden, inexplicable panic washed over Aria. Felix had sent her the same message with hundreds of ravens—not an ordinary warning.

But then again, Felix was the epitome of chaos. Perhaps this was just another one of his tricks. If there were danger, why couldn’t he use the ravens to tell her directly, instead of arranging a meeting by the creek and sending so many ravens to get her attention?

Aria picked up a pen, thinking about how to respond. As she was about to write, she changed her mind and decided to go to the meeting herself to find out. She scribbled a brief message on a piece of deerskin:

"See you by the creek. — Aria"

Aria rolled up the tiny piece of deerskin, tied it to a raven's leg, and released it from the balcony. In her memory, no one had ever used ravens to deliver messages. She worried these ravens, as undisciplined as Felix, might get distracted by some rotting beast carcass and forget their mission.

When she returned to the room, the ravens stared at her with their beady black eyes, waiting for her to attach more notes. Furious, Aria drove them away until her arms ached, but not a single raven flew out. Frustrated, she grabbed her cloak and stormed out. She needed to see Felix immediately and, most importantly, get him to remove these noisy birds from her room.

Aria quickly walked to the meeting place. Felix’s choice of the creek spared her much trouble. If the Lunar Essence Clan discovered her meeting with an Aether, she’d be suspected of being a traitor to Moon Tower again.

Aria quickened her pace through the town, smelling the damp scent of the creek; the forest lay just beyond. The forest around her appeared eerie in the dim light, as if something sinister might leap out from the shadows at any moment. She knew she had to leave this area quickly.

Suddenly, she heard faint footsteps behind her. Aria turned around cautiously, glimpsing the top window of Echo Tower through the dense treetops. The quiet forest showed no signs of anyone. Her heartbeat quickened, as if an invisible hand were slowly tightening its grip.

Aria touched her belt and realized she had forgotten her weapon, even her ever-present dragon bone dagger, now lying on a table under those ravens’ claws. Her breathing grew rapid as she cursed her carelessness.

The faint sounds grew louder, and a black-robed woman emerged from behind a thick tree. A chill ran down Aria’s spine. She recognized this woman: the one who had stolen the Sacred Spring Water from Ancient Serpent Abyss.

Today, she wasn’t wearing a mask, and it was clear that she was missing an ear.Her gaunt face, with deep-set weary eyes and prominent wrinkles, featured cracked, thin lips. Two men in black robes, with cold iron swords at their waists, emerged from the bushes behind her. Aria backed away in panic, tripping over a tree root and nearly falling.

“I didn’t expect to find you here,” the black-robed woman said, her voice low and cold, each word like a poisonous barb.

Aria forced herself to stay calm, her eyes scanning her surroundings warily, though her heart pounded uncontrollably. She knew she was in a dire situation but still needed to find a way out.

“What do you want?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

“You,” the woman replied, stepping closer.

Countless thoughts flashed through Aria’s mind. She knew this woman wouldn’t let her go easily. She had to come up with a plan quickly or face unknown dangers.

The woman’s sinister laughter broke the brief silence, her face twisting into a terrifying grin. A translucent blue smoke seemed to emanate from her face, more like a thick fog enveloping it. The smoke pulled away, forming a twisted, translucent, agonized face. Two faces merged, their mouths open, revealing a toothless, fleshless black cavity.

Aria took a step back, feeling the cold, hard tree trunk behind her. Her heart raced as if it would burst from her chest, her mind fixating on one thought: escape. But her legs felt pinned, unable to move.

Suddenly, the face let out a piercing, shrill scream. Aria clutched her ears, the sound making her head throb. She tried to focus, but the screech felt like a tangible blade slicing through her consciousness. She felt herself losing control, groaning in pain as she fell to her knees.

The black-robed woman approached slowly, the face’s scream growing louder. Aria heard mocking laughter, feeling her soul being wrenched from her body. Her mind was overwhelmed by the noise, the world becoming a blurred, dark void.

Finally, her vision darkened completely, and she fell to the ground, unconscious. The only sound remaining was the eerie laughter echoing around her.