Artemis Unveiled:The Descent

Untitled Part 54: Ravens of Dread

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."