In the past few days, Aria had been forced to stay in a small room. Her shoulder injury had kept her lying on a piece of animal hide for over ten days. Whenever Neven or Alexander visited her, she would prop her head up with her other arm to chat, complaining that her body was becoming stiff.

Alexander visited rarely because Aria, with her bare upper body, always had to cover herself up. In contrast, she was much more at ease with Neven, accustomed to the subtle nature of their relationship.

Aria squashed a creeping damp insect with the sole of her shoe. She was curious how there could be so many of these creatures in the Aether people's houses, hiding in dark corners and even daring to crawl on her at night. Previously, with her injured shoulder immobilized, she had to endure their rampant intrusion.

But now, she felt significantly better and no longer grimaced in pain. However, Aria was nearly going mad with boredom. Even seeing Neven, she would complain endlessly, "I can't take it anymore. When can I leave this utterly boring room? You don't care about what I think at all. Every time I ask to see the Aether territory, you refuse."

Neven was applying green mud to her shoulder, his calm tone carrying a habitual indifference. "Of course, I care about your thoughts, but that's a different matter. The Aether people are dull and boring, nothing interesting to see. This room is far more entertaining."

"I feel my shoulder is much better. I can sense the new flesh," Aria said lazily, lying on the hide. She disliked the Aether woman who applied the medicine, always speaking ominously about death and frightening scales. The conversation never strayed from those topics. Eventually, Neven guessed her thoughts and took over the task himself.

"I still can't understand why I have scales. They look so cold and bothersome," Aria sighed, looking at the scales on her hand.

Neven set down the medicine jar, taking her hand with the scales and examining it closely. "They do look cold and bothersome..."

"You hate them?" Aria muttered, feeling both disappointed and surprised that he would say such a thing.

Neven gently turned her over by the arm, making this the first time since her injury that Aria could lie on her back.

"I lied," Neven said with a smile.

Aria glared at him fiercely.

Neven propped himself up with his hands on either side of her, smirking as he lowered himself close enough to kiss her. The atmosphere became instantly awkward, and Aria's face flushed. She guessed what Neven was about to do. Embarrassed, she tried to pull up the blanket beside her but couldn't, as one corner was pinned under his knee.

"Why are you shy with me?" he asked in a low voice.

"My shoulder isn't healed yet," Aria reminded him.

"The skin has healed. I've been applying medicine every day," he said with a smile.

Neven's mischievous smile made Aria's heart race. Her face grew redder, her shallow breaths heating the air, while Neven's breath was steady and calm.

His serene gaze rippled with sparkling waves as he breathed deeply, finally lowering his lips to hers.

Aria didn't have the courage to refuse him, nor the strength to push him away. She felt it was a passionate love, suppressed in tranquility, a love that enveloped her in its care while making her fall deeper into it. With every throb of her heart, boiling blood surged through her veins.

When their lips finally parted, Aria shyly pulled up the blanket to cover her upper body. Neven stroked her flushed cheek, smiling.

"My life is destined to be short, unlike yours, which can last forever. Aria, remember my love. My love for you will never fade from this world," he said deeply. "If I grow old, I don't want you to die. You can fall in love with someone else, as long as you keep a corner of your heart for me."

"I won't fall in love with anyone else," Aria turned her face away, irritated by his words. "You think immortality is a blessing? You're wrong. Do you know how terrifying it is to live alone in this world? No one to share your joy and sorrow, no one to share memories with, no one who remembers who you are."

"Aria..."

At that moment, a sudden creak broke the heavy atmosphere in the room. They both looked toward the door. Aria thought it was Alexander entering without knocking, then heard a loud caw, making her feel like exploding. "How dare Felix bring a message now? I was offered as a sacrifice by Damian because of him..."

"He probably didn't want to disturb us. When he was at the door...we were still..." Neven cleared his throat.

"You mean Felix arrived while we were kissing, and you pretended not to notice and kept kissing me?" Aria felt a wave of panic, thinking her secret had been blatantly exposed.

Neven raised an eyebrow, a victorious smile on his face.

"You did it on purpose. You knew he was outside. You kissed me to provoke Felix."

The raven landed before Aria, flapping its wings excitedly, hopping around while showing off the small scroll tied to its claw. Neven grabbed it and unfurled the scroll rather unkindly. After he released it, the raven cawed in displeasure and flew away, flapping its wings.

"What's written?" Aria leaned closer to ask.

Neven glanced at it, smirking as he handed it over. Aria's face froze as she read the note. The ink was still wet, freshly written by Felix.

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It read:

Sorry to interrupt your date, the chieftain wants to see Aria Magnus.

Aria's face turned crimson as she covered it in embarrassment. Felix must have seen everything, which is why he sent a raven with the message. She felt utterly mortified and began cursing Felix in her mind, wondering why he always seemed to be buzzing around her like an annoying fly.

When Aria first stepped out of the small room, she expected the Aether territory to be in a desolate forest or an unknown village. Instead, her room was located in a dimly lit stone corridor, with oil lamps on the walls indicating that this place was underground. She hadn't heard any wind, horse hooves, or the howls of Night Ghouls here.

"Where are we?" Aria asked.

"We're in Wind Valley," Neven replied as he led the way. "While you were recovering in the room, Alexander and I often wandered around Wind Valley. I never expected Aether to be hidden in the mountains of the northern forest."

"This is incredible," Aria exclaimed, looking around. It was a beautifully adorned corridor, with vibrant and realistic patterns that looked like works of art.

In the paintings, Aria found many memories from before Sovereign Bastion was destroyed—the animals that once lived in the forest, the northern wildflowers, and the flying birds. She stopped to gaze upwards at a small, bright Skydornis, standing out against the dark ceiling filled with ravens.

"What do you see?" Neven asked, looking up.

"That Skydornis..."

"Those fragile creatures went extinct long ago. There's nothing here but death and beasts," Neven said. "Let's go. We need to see the chieftain."

As moonlight appeared at the end of the corridor, Aria quickened her pace towards the silver-gray exterior. She was shocked to discover that the cave she had been staying in was just a small part of Aether's territory. Stepping into the moonlight, she leaned against the railing, looking up at Wind Valley, adorned with countless oil lamps, overwhelmed with awe.

Wind Valley was surrounded by steep mountains, and Aether had kept their presence hidden for years due to the encircling peaks. The valley was warm, lush with greenery even in the coldest winters, reminiscent of Sovereign Bastion's spring from a century ago.

She looked up at the intersecting iron chain bridges, with tiny oil lamps confirming their existence. As the wind blew, the swinging chains clinked together, producing a clear, melodic sound.

The valley floor was covered with a shimmering wheat field, resembling a river of stars. The wheat glowed in the darkness, and as the wind swept through, the grain heads rustled, creating a silvery dust.

"The wheat is glowing," Aria said in surprise.

"That explains why Aether can trade thousands of cartloads of grain," Neven said. "This place is in a dormant volcano, allowing them to grow rare wheat. Alexander and I studied these plants; they are incredibly resilient."

"I had no idea there was a hidden paradise here," Aria marveled. Even her father wouldn't have guessed that such a peaceful valley existed.

Aether warriors guarded every entrance meticulously. From the moment they saw Aria and Neven, their eyes were fixed on them, similar to how they watched Felix at the Voidmarsh camp.

The chains swayed. Alexander approached from the chain bridge.

"I thought I had lost my way; there are so many bridges here. I have to find my direction every time I cross," Alexander said elegantly. His hair was particularly neat today. Among the robust warriors, Alexander maintained his fair and delicate handsomeness.

"How's your shoulder?" Alexander asked cheerfully, giving Aria a thorough look-over.

"It's a bit numb, and it hurts if touched too hard," Aria sighed.

"Damian's sister, Daphne, is truly crazy," he said. "Trying to revive a corpse."

"I forgot to tell you... she has a problem," Aria said, suddenly remembering something important. She described the smoky face that would appear on Daphne's face.

Neven and Alexander exchanged a meaningful glance.

Neven spoke gravely, "Aria, such phenomena are not ordinary. The smoky visage is a sign of transformation into a Mara. Daphne's condition indicates she is in the process of separating her spirit from her body. She wants to become a Mara, but she hasn't fully succeeded yet."

"Why does she want to become a Mara?" Aria asked, puzzled.

"It's the pursuit of greater power," Neven explained. "And once she sheds her physical form, her spirit can live much longer than her body."

"So, both she and Stormblade want to become Mara?" Aria asked.

"Stormblade hasn't split off an evil spirit. If he dared to use dark magic, Quinn would certainly notice," Neven said.

Alexander cleared his throat and looked ahead. His gaze swept over to two Aether warriors standing not far away, clad in leather armor, their expressions serious.

One of the warriors stepped forward, bowing respectfully, "Honored guests, our chieftain awaits you in the great hall. Please follow us."

Aria, Neven, and Alexander exchanged a slightly tense look and then followed the warriors toward the great hall.

The Aether great hall was located at the highest level of the ring-shaped mountain, filled with numerous warriors and lit by countless oil lamps. In the center of the hall stood a tall black stone statue of an Aether warrior, eyes closed, with large wings embracing a human figure. A raven perched on the statue's shoulder, its beady black eyes fixed on the newcomers.

Warriors were engaged in combat practice, and the hall echoed with enthusiastic applause. As they leaped high, the clashing of their heavy swords resounded with a loud bang. To Aria's surprise, the warrior knocked to the ground was a woman. Aether warriors preferred to braid their hair at the back and had strong physiques, which had led Aria to overlook the presence of female warriors among them.

In the shadow of the statue stood the Aether chieftain, his hair gray and his frame gaunt. Despite the warmth of the hall, he wore a voluminous black feather cloak, his wrinkled eyes kindly watching the sparring warriors.

Beside the chieftain was a young warrior, and Aria's eyes met his. She glared angrily—it was Felix again. Despite having saved her a few days ago, seeing his face always infuriated her.

Aria took a step back, hiding behind Neven to avoid Felix's irritating gaze. The hall erupted in applause again as the female warrior lifted her opponent, ending the match.

"Pardon my intrusion, but I would like our guests to comment on the warriors' performance," the chieftain said, his eyes shining brightly.

“Swordsmanship is both fierce and unstoppable,” Neven said with modesty.

Alexander pulled Aria from behind Neven, positioning her between himself and Neven. Aria felt a twinge of anxiety and glanced at Neven, unsure whether his praise was genuine or simply a form of flattery for the chieftain.

“It is said that the Lunar Essence Clan possesses formidable spiritual power, especially in the role of a executive commander,” the chieftain said slowly. “I’ve heard that you are the most skilled warrior in the Moon Tower… Neven Everhart.”

“As a executive commander, it’s my duty,” Neven responded earnestly, a sincere glint in his eyes. “If you hadn’t sent Felix to our aid, my friends and I might not have escaped so smoothly.”

The chieftain nodded slightly, seemingly satisfied with Neven’s response. He turned his gaze to Aria, his tone carrying a hint of concern. “So, Aria Magnus, how are your injuries? I heard from Felix that your condition was quite serious.”

Aria responded with a touch of nervousness, “Thanks to your medical care, I’m nearly recovered. Felix’s timely arrival provided us with crucial assistance. Without him, we might have been trapped in dire straits.”

The chieftain’s brow furrowed slightly as he pondered for a moment before speaking in a deep, authoritative voice. “Felix is indeed a rare talent. Although his actions are often independent, he consistently provides unexpected help at critical moments. However, the secrets of Wind Valley are crucial to the safety of our entire clan. Any external interference could pose a threat. Once someone enters here, they are not permitted to leave, especially if they are from the Lunar Essence Clan. The survival secrets of Aether cannot be broken by anyone.”

The chieftain’s words echoed in the air, bringing a heavy sense of foreboding. Aria realized that she and her companions were facing a profound and severe challenge.