The noise of the outside dulled the moment they stepped through, the buzz of the crowd finally replaced with the quiet whispers of restrained conversation.
The Inside was cooler, controlled, the hum of regulated mana fields faint in the walls. The air conditioners humming alongside it, barely differentiable from the hum of mana.
There were fewer people inside, a few awakened in polished business suits, some still in full battle gear, most likely back from a dungeon dive, and some wearing the insignias of major guilds that Aris had recognized instantly.
A single one of these men could be considered stronger than the entire crowd of awakened outside.
Aris felt the weight of their gaze settle on them as they stepped in.
Silas instinctively stepped in front of him to shield him from their gaze, not that it did much.
The consideration was still appreciated.
"Stay close," He said as he led him to the staircase upwards, his hands lingering closely to that of Aris's, the closeness of it making his skin tingle.
The upper floor was somewhat deserted, apart from the few officials and lingering awakened continuing with their own business.
"Who are they trying to impress with all that?" Aris asked as he headed through a hallway, hands neatly tied behind his back as he focused on keeping up with Silas.
Silas thought for a long moment before replying.
"I'm not entirely sure, but I'm pretty sure i heard something about Virginia Halcyon."
Something flipped in the atmosphere as Aris stopped right on his track, not even bothering to finish his step.
"Wha—" Silas' question died midway through when he saw the expression Aris had in his face.
"No way." Aris said, quietly.
He bit back the urge to turn and run away, his eyes showing the lightest hint of panic, the most emotion he had shown since last week, when he missed out on buying a collectible for his favourite character.
"No way right?" He repeated himself.
"Huh?"
"There is no way that Virginia Halcyon is here..." He trailed off, unsure. "...right?"
Silas stared at him.
"Is there a problem with that?"
"That is not the point-"
"That is absolutely the point." Silas cut him off.
Aris's fingers tightened behind his back, holding back the urge to fiddle them was getting a little difficult.
He hesitated for a long moment, not really knowing what to say about the situation.
"I can't exactly..." He paused for a moment, trying to find the right words.
He hesitated.
"I can't exactly be seen by her."
"Huh?"
Aris unfortunately didn't get the chance to respond, because the next moment, a deep presence echoed from inside the building, from the direction they were heading towards. The presence wasn't wild, like most awakened, no. This one was controlled, refined, like the presence of someone that had tamed mana in their own way.
He took a deep breath.
"Can we do this some other time?"
Silas blinked, still confused.
"They'll revoke your license."
"...right."
Cold sweat was starting to condense on his forehead by the time they made it to the evaluation chamber, it was getting increasingly hard to not turn and bolt away at the first sign of a person.
He cursed the existence of Aberrant dungeons, he felt like those things should be abolished from existence. What even had been the point in appearing in front of him yesterday!? He could have entirely avoided this situation!
...
'Deep breaths.' He reminded himself.
Now he stood in front of the door for the waiting room, wondering what kind of horrible crimes he had committed in his past life to be dealt such a horrible fate.
The door swung open, the creak of it drowning in the noise of lighthearted conversation.
Aris felt like he heard a soft gasp, he couldn't be too sure, he was too busy panicking.
"Aris?"
She stood by an open window, sunlight catching along the pale gold strands of her hair like it had chosen her deliberately. It fell past her shoulders in loose waves, framing a face that was softer than her reputation suggested.
Virginia Halcyon didn't look intimidating.
Not at first glance.
She wore a simple cream blouse tucked neatly into tailored slacks, the insignia of the Halcyon family pinned subtly at her collar. No excessive ornamentation like the usual stuck up heirs, just a quiet statement of her heritage. She even looked mundane at a first glance.
But the air around her shimmered faintly.
Like heat rising off pavement in summer.
Her eyes—a clear, luminous amber—were wide with surprise.
He tried his best to put up a polite smile.
"Hey...?"
"You're alive?"
Silas turned to him, now his turn to panic.
"You're what?"