It was like a torch being lit within encroaching darkness.
The suffocating unease that had wrapped around Aaron's chest moments ago—
Melted.
Not completely.
But enough for him to breathe again.
His head lifted slightly.
"…?"
He turned, searching.
Looking for the source of the voice.
But—
There was no one.
Only the crowd.
Moving.
Whispering.
Avoiding him.
A frown formed faintly on his face.
Did I imagine it…?
Then—
His eyes caught something.
At the far end of the hall, near the entrance—
She stood.
Still.
Unmoving amidst the shifting crowd.
A young woman.
At least… she seemed young.
But something about her presence felt—
Off.
Not wrong.
But deeper.
Silent.
Dangerous.
Yet at the same time…
Warm.
Calm.
Her auburn hair fell in soft, loose curls down to her waist, the tips faintly glowing with a darker shade of red—as if embers rested at their ends.
Her hazel eyes met his.
And in that instant—
Everything else faded.
There was something in her gaze.
Something he couldn't understand.
Couldn't name.
But it pulled at him.
Gently.
Inevitably.
Like a tide he couldn't resist.
Aaron hesitated.
Only for a moment.
Then—
Almost without realizing it—
He began to move.
Step by step.
Through the crowd that parted around him as it always had.
When Aaron finally reached her, she turned fully toward him.
She was slightly taller.
Just enough that she had to look down at him.
Not in arrogance—
But in quiet observation.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Aaron scratched the back of his head awkwardly, still caught in that strange pull her presence gave off.
She chuckled softly.
A warm sound.
"…No need to worry," she said gently. "I was the one who called you. So relax, Aaron."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"My name is Cassandra Orelix—Archduke of the Kavarel Empire."
Aaron blinked.
That alone should have been overwhelming.
But before he could even react—
She added:
"And more importantly… I can help you."
A faint smile touched her lips.
"Because I see more… much more than others do."
Aaron's brow furrowed.
Suspicion surfaced immediately.
"How would you know that?" he shot back.
His voice tightened.
"Do you even understand how scorned I am right now?"
A step back.
A sharp breath.
"I have a Soul Brand. Doesn't that scare you? Or intimidate you at all?!"
The words came out harsher than he intended—anger, frustration, and grief bleeding through.
The moment they left his mouth, he stiffened slightly.
…I might've overstepped.
But Cassandra didn't react the way he expected.
No anger.
No offense.
She simply looked at him.
Calm.
Unshaken.
"As I said," she replied softly, "I see what others can't."
There was certainty in her voice.
Unwavering.
Then, more directly:
"So I want you to trust me."
She tilted her head slightly.
"You have two options."
A brief pause.
"One—leave."
"Two—come with me."
Aaron stared at her.
Confusion flickered across his face.
What does she mean…?
Nothing about this made sense.
An Archduke.
Offering help.
To him?
But then again—
What did he actually have to lose?
Nothing.
He let out a quiet sigh.
"…Fine," he said at last. "I'll trust you."
A brief pause.
"But what's the catch?"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"There's always one, isn't there?"
Cassandra blinked once.
Then—
"…No."
Simple.
Direct.
Almost too simple.
Then, glancing past him toward the crowd, she added lightly:
"But we should probably change locations…"
A faint, amused smile appeared.
"Before those people kill you with their stares."
Cassandra's gaze flickered past Aaron for a brief moment.
Toward the crowd.
A sea of glaring eyes—jealous, angry, watchful.
Students trying to present themselves to guilds… yet unable to fully look away from him.
A faint smirk curved her lips.
Then—
She reached out.
Two fingers gently lifting Aaron's chin.
Guiding his gaze back to hers.
The sudden closeness made his breath hitch.
"Don't mind them," she murmured softly.
Her eyes ignited.
A soft, burning gold.
Around them, the tension in the room spiked—
Several students stiffened.
Some even took a step forward—
Too late.
Flames.
Golden.
Silent.
They erupted around Cassandra and Aaron—calm and yet destructive—
but then again controlled.
Refined
Something beyond ordinary magic.
The fire swallowed them whole.
And in the next instant—
They were gone.
Their bodies dissolved into drifting motes of golden light, scattering into the air as if they had never been there at all.
Leaving behind only stunned silence…
And a room full of shaken witnesses.
When Aaron regained his senses—
He was seated.
A soft surface beneath him.
A chair.
Comfortable.
Too comfortable compared to where he had just been.
He blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Trying to Adjust his eyes to his surroundings.
Cassandra sat opposite him.
Perfectly composed.
As if nothing unusual had happened.
"Welcome," she said calmly, "to one of my hideouts."
A faint pause.
"On the continent of Kavonel, under the banner of Kavarel."
Aaron glanced around.
The room was enclosed entirely in stone—
Not rough, but carefully shaped.
Intentional.
Above them, a single chandelier hung from the ceiling.
Set with gemstones that emitted a steady, gentle glow, illuminating the space in warm light.
The atmosphere was quiet.
Isolated.
Safe.
Or at least…
It felt that way.
Between them, the seating was plush—far too refined for something called a "hideout."
Aaron's eyes returned to her.
Questions piled in his mind.
But before he could ask even one—
Cassandra spoke again.
Simple.
Direct.
"Pull up your system interface."
At her words, Aaron hesitated for a brief moment.
Then, mentally—
System Interface.
A soft hum echoed.
A translucent screen flickered into existence before him.
His eyes widened slightly.
"…System…"
There was a faint trace of excitement in his voice.
In his previous life, he had always dreamed of something like this.
A system.
Power.
A way to rise.
For a brief moment—
That childish excitement resurfaced.
But just as quickly—
It faded.
Because now…?
Everyone had one.
There was nothing special about it.
Nothing unique.
His gaze hardened slightly as he focused on the screen.
———————————————————————————
Name: Aaron Veyrath
Tier: 2.0
Dual Classwielder:
Class I. : Genesis Mechanic
Class II. : (Summoner) Class Name: Sovereign(Current Rank: Prince)
Abilities: Devour, Fuse, Beastialification, Alteration, Totality's combat aspect I. (other aspects locked).
————————————————————————————
"…Prince…?"
His eyes lingered on the word.
Not Sovereign
Not even close.
Not that he knew what that meant.
Just—
Prince.
His jaw tightened slightly.
So even this…
Was incomplete.
But then—
His gaze shifted downward.
Abilities.
Devour.
Fuse.
Bestialification.
Alteration.
And then—
Totality's aspect
A faint unease crept into his chest.
"…What kind of abilities are these…?"
They didn't feel normal.
Didn't feel like something a Tier 3.4 should have.
And that last one—
Totality's Combat Aspect I.
"…Other aspects locked…"
That line lingered in his mind.
Something about it felt—
Wrong.
No.
Not wrong.
Hidden.
Like he wasn't seeing the full picture.
Like something was being—
Suppressed.
Sealed.
Or simply… not shown.
Slowly, Aaron lifted his gaze toward Cassandra.
"…You said you see more than others."
A pause.
Then, quieter—
"…What am I missing?"