A deafening roar suddenly echoed, and the ground shook violently. The dense fog shrouding the forest grew even thicker. Aria glimpsed a squad of fierce warriors emerging from the distant woods. Their appearance was like the dawn, bringing a glimmer of hope yet also stirring suspicion and wariness. These warriors were clad in black leather armor, moving swiftly and gracefully, their weapons glinting coldly in the faint light.

The warriors moved with agile and light steps, each one feeling as if it were pounding on her heart. Aria's breath quickened, she couldn't tell if these people were friends or foes and could only helplessly look to Neven.

“Who are they?” Neven asked in a low voice, gripping his sword hilt, ready to face any potential threat.

The warriors closed in quickly, making their identities hard to discern. Aria's heart raced, a mix of fear and confusion engulfing her as her awareness began to blur, her body overwhelmed by pain and exhaustion.

“Reinforcements or enemies?” Alexander frowned, his eyes warily fixed on the approaching figures.

The warriors charged into the howling Night Ghouls like an unstoppable torrent, engaging in fierce combat. The roars of the Night Ghouls and the warriors' shouts intertwined, creating a heart-pounding symphony. Although these figures brought a turning point, their identities remained a mystery, filling hearts with suspense.

The battle grew more intense, the Night Ghouls seemingly endless, surging forward like waves. Aria felt her consciousness fading, her body’s pain and fatigue crashing over her like a tidal wave.

In her final moments before passing out, she saw Felix swing his sword in front of them, his long braid flying in the wind. The massive blade cleaved through the attacking Night Ghouls. Aria's vision blurred, and she vaguely saw more warriors in black leather armor gathering, moving swiftly and gracefully. Their figures gradually faded from her sight, leaving only the sound of Neven's voice and the echo of her heartbeat. Then, she closed her eyes, sinking into a deep unconsciousness.

The tranquil morning saw the lake shimmering with light. The northern land, ablaze with autumn's red foliage, welcomed its first winter snow. King Magnus stood on the snow-covered shore, the cold wind ruffling the soft fur of his cloak. He gazed out over his kingdom, the rolling mountains, the serene lakes, and the distant dark northern forest.

A shadow of worry crossed King Magnus's face as the northern skyline was tinged with blood red.

"Father, Father, I found a hunting dog!" A boy ran up, excitedly holding a black puppy.

King Magnus, with a look of stern authority, calmly lowered his eyes, waiting for the boy to speak his mind.

The boy glanced nervously at his father's serious face and quietly asked, "Father, may I keep it?"

"Xander, tell me why you want to keep it first," King Magnus asked.

"It seemed lost. I found it under a tree over there. If we leave it out overnight, it will be eaten by wild beasts. Father, look at its eyes, they are such a beautiful green," the boy said enthusiastically. Under King Magnus's unflinching gaze, he quickly lowered his head and his voice softened. "Father, I want to learn how to hunt. I heard every hunter has their own hunting dog. Can I keep it?"

After a moment of silence, King Magnus slowly said, "You must promise to feed and water it every day, train and take care of it until it dies. Can you do that?"

"Does that mean you agree?" The boy raised his sparkling eyes. "I can do it, I swear." He raised his hand and swore, "I, Xander Magnus, son of the Guardian of the North, swear to the gods today. I will keep my promise to train Green Eyes to be a true hunting dog and care for it until death."

"Is its name Green Eyes?" Magnus asked.

"Yes, I like that name. I will train it to be the best hunting dog," Xander said excitedly, lifting Green Eyes, the black puppy wagging its tail in delight.

Aria stood among the trees, watching her father and Xander. She had once secretly observed such simple moments of life. Seeing her father and brother's smiles brought a warm feeling to her heart. Though her father had never smiled at her or even shown a few words of concern.

Aria hoped that one day she too could receive the same love as Xander. She reached out her hand covered in scales, suddenly feeling a wave of sadness because, with these scales, she could never gain her father's love.

At that moment, someone approached her. Aria looked at him in astonishment and asked, "Neven, what are you doing here?" A sense of unease welled up inside her as if the air itself was filled with a disorienting haze, but she couldn't pinpoint what exactly was wrong. She suddenly recalled how they first met, the scenes and time here seemed twisted.

"You shouldn't be here," she said, her voice trembling slightly.

The person smiled faintly, but there was a chilling eeriness to it. "I'm not him..." he slowly turned around, the light on his face fading to reveal a long, hideous scar, like a venomous snake slithering across his face.

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Aria gasped, retreating in horror, disbelief filling her eyes. Thanatos's gaze was sharp as a hawk's, fixed on King Magnus and Xander, his eyes gleaming with malice. Aria saw him slowly raise his bow, the arrow aimed at her father and brother.

Aria was terrified. "Danger... Father... Xander..." She ran towards the father and son laughing by the lake.

Xander and Magnus turned to her at the same time, an arrow whizzed past her, and Aria stopped abruptly, horrified as a blood-red bloom appeared on Xander's chest. In that instant, her father was engulfed in flames. Amidst the piercing screams, Aria clutched her ears, tears rolling down her face. She backed away, crying out their names.

Suddenly, a sharp pain erupted in her shoulder, the intense pain causing her to collapse on the ground, groaning. Then, she felt a cool touch repeatedly probing her shoulder.

Time swirled like a vortex, drawing her consciousness into darkness, finally bringing her back to reality.

Aria opened her tear-streaked eyes, lying naked on a fur hide. Something cold moved across her shoulder, the wound burning like fire, making her want to scream. She trembled, trying to move away, but she was too weak.

She suddenly remembered why her shoulder hurt; a small spoon was continuously applying green mud to the bones gnawed by Stormblade, mingling with the faint smell of grass. Aria moved her bandaged hand, realizing she had injuries in many places besides her shoulder.

The person closed the jar lid and stood up, leaving.

As the person left, the room grew quiet. In the confined space, another set of footsteps could be heard, and someone covered her bare body.

"You're awake," Neven said softly.

Aria tried to move to look at him, but her whole body felt weak and in pain.

"Don't move. The wound on your back is severe. You need to lie down for days until new flesh grows."

Aria hummed in response.

"Did you have a nightmare?" he asked. "I heard you calling out for your father and Xander."

"I... don't remember..." Aria lied in a low voice.

Neven gently sat beside Aria, his fingers slowly stroking her long hair. The silence in the room seemed to be filled with their breathing, and Aria could clearly feel each rise and fall. The cold hardness of the stone floor and the roughness of the fur formed a stark contrast. Despite her pain, Neven's warm touch brought unexpected comfort. Her body was still enduring the intense pain from her injuries, but Neven's gentle touch created ripples of relief, gradually alleviating her suffering.

Aria lay there, listening to Neven's steady breathing and occasional soothing words. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on the warmth. She could feel Neven's fingers carefully caressing her wounded shoulder, their touch cautious, as if afraid that too much pressure would tear her wound. His touch, though light, carried an undeniable strength, like an invisible balm, slowly healing the physical and emotional wounds.

"Where is Alexander?" Aria asked.

"He's fine."

"Where are we?" She tried to touch Neven's hand, but he grabbed her wrist and placed it back on the fur.

"In the territory of the Aether people. They saved us," Neven said.

"Aether? Why would they save us?" Aria turned her face to look at Neven, who was sitting on the floor.

Looking at his face, she was reminded of the nightmare she had just had. She hurriedly closed her eyes, telling herself it was just a dream, and that Neven could never be Thanatos.

"It was Felix... your crazy admirer led the warriors to rescue us."

Aria pouted. "If it weren't for his room full of crows and messages, I wouldn't have left the Moon Tower and then got captured by that madwoman Daphne."

"You should still thank his crows. Without those birds, Felix wouldn't have known you were in trouble. He waited for you by the creek for a long time and then sent a message to me via the crows, informing me of your disappearance."

"How did you find me?" Aria asked curiously.

Neven stood up, moved out of sight to the table, and picked up an object. "This is it. No matter where you go, it can release Essence Power for me to find you."

He sat back down on the floor, opened the gold pendant, and lightly tapped the small stone with his finger. A beam of golden light shot out, just like the night he had saved her.

Aria took the pendant, examining the gold wings spread out in the center, with a circular sun-like pattern inside the Soul Stone. "There's a sun in here. How did I not notice this before? And why don't other people's Soul Stones have patterns?"

Aria had never seen patterns in other people's Soul Stones. She had even asked Sable and Oak to show their Essence Power, but there was nothing special besides light.

"Maybe my Soul Stone is special," Neven said.

"Can you sense Essence Power from thousands of miles away?" Aria asked, looking up. She noticed that the Soul Stone sword leaning against the wall was also emitting a golden light, with the same sun pattern on it. Though not as intense as when fighting the Night Ghoul, the frequency of the sword and pendant's Soul Stone flashes was the same.

"After you went missing, no one in the Moon Tower knew where you had gone. So, my only option was to use Essence Power. Additionally, I needed another crucial spirit beast... Spark, to find you."

"You're saying Spark can sense your Essence Power?"

"More than you can imagine."

"So, you can find another Soul Stone through fire spirit power while using Essence Power?" Aria felt puzzled. She suddenly frowned and said, "You gave me a Soul Stone that can track me? And you said giving a Soul Stone on Warrior's Day was a symbol of love. Your Lunar Essence Clan is so hypocritical."

"This is a tradition of the Lunar Essence Clan. I had no intention of following you," Neven said, half amused, half triumphant.

Aria pursed her lips, not wanting to engage. To her, it was all just an excuse. Some testimony of love, something about not taking someone else's soul stone—thinking about it made her close her eyes in anger. She didn't want to see this deceitful liar anymore.

"You couldn't control your Essence Power before. How did you suddenly regain it?" Aria opened her eyes and demanded.

"Aria, this matter involves an ancient secret. I must keep it to myself."

"An ancient secret?" Aria's voice rose in agitation, and pain stabbed through her chest like a sharp needle. She took a trembling breath, unable to stop a fit of violent coughing. When she looked down, she saw silver liquid splattered on the animal hide.

Neven's hand moved into her view, picking up a bit of the silver substance. He said with deep remorse, "I failed to protect you. I was too late. When I pulled you out of the water, you weren't breathing. I thought you were dead..." He paused, his eyes filled with profound regret.

Aria squeezed his hand, not knowing how to comfort him. She had also believed she would die in that stone coffin, thinking no one would find her. Yet, miraculously, someone had once again saved her from the grasp of death.

The room was silent, and they communicated without words. Neven gently stroked her hair and face, and she felt an immense sense of comfort. In this dim little room, they had never felt so relaxed.

At this moment, Aria didn't want to discuss anything. She held Neven's hand and closed her eyes for a short nap. Even if it was just a minute, a moment, or a few seconds, she cherished this peaceful time together.