The Mystic Trials VI

Aria was different now.

Her grip on my hand felt the same—firm, resolute, her small fingers intertwining with mine in that oddly protective way. Her expression was as neutral as ever, her black eyes steady and unyielding, and the faint, icy chill emanating from her touch hadn't changed. Yet, something in her presence had shifted, a subtle undercurrent that made my instincts bristle with uncertainty.

"Elara, mine."

Her earlier words echoed in my mind, clear and deliberate, and I felt my face flush. Hers? She'd called me hers?

That was the kind of line that came straight out of a romance novel, the kind of thing a brooding noble would say to their secret lover just before a grand ball. The ridiculousness of it was enough to make me blush harder.

Aria suddenly stopped walking, tugging lightly on my arm. Her head tilted, her dark gaze locking onto me with unnerving precision. "Elara, sick?"

"No, I'm not—"

Before I could finish, a pulse of warmth coursed through me as Aria unleashed a stream of divine energy. It flooded into my body, chasing away every ache, tension, and ounce of discomfort. My eyes widened as the sensation spread, leaving me feeling strangely weightless.

"Wait," I began, though the words faltered as the glow of her energy settled into me.

It was… incredible. Divine energy couldn't erase exhaustion, but it could smooth over nearly everything else. My muscles felt lighter, my thoughts clearer. I turned to Aria with a stunned smile.

"Thank you, Aria," I said softly.

She blinked up at me, her face a mask of stoicism, yet her words struck like an arrow to the heart. "I like… Elara smile."

I froze, my cheeks flushing again. Behind me, Gail let out a choking sound that quickly turned into poorly-suppressed laughter.

'No, no, no.' My mind scrambled for a rational explanation. 'I've heard that summons can develop strong feelings for their masters, but… this? There's no way, right?'

Gail flicked my forehead, snapping me out of my spiraling thoughts. "Don't overthink it, dumbass."

"Ow!" I winced, rubbing the spot where his knuckle had connected.

"She's a kid, got it?" Gail said, crossing his arms and giving me an exasperated look. "Think of it like a little girl telling her dad she's going to marry him someday or fighting with her friend over a doll. She doesn't know what she's saying."

I narrowed my eyes at him, though his words did make a modicum of sense. Aria, for all her immense power and maturity as a Prime Eterna, still behaved like a child in many ways. But her intensity, her focus—it felt different.

Aria tugged on my sleeve, pulling my attention back to her. She blinked up at me, her gaze unreadable but steady. "Elara. Mine," she repeated with a quiet certainty.

I sighed, my heart caught somewhere between amusement and exasperation. "I think she really means it," I muttered under my breath.

"Of course she does," Gail said with a smirk. "But hey, if it keeps you on your toes, maybe it's not such a bad thing."

Aria's fingers tightened around mine, and despite everything, a flicker of warmth bloomed in my chest. Whatever her words meant, whatever they would come to mean in time, for now, they were just… Aria. A being unlike any other, walking beside me in this strange, chaotic world.

And if nothing else, she wasn't letting go of me anytime soon.

"Finally, we found you two," a sharp voice cut through my trance. I turned to see Prince Valkas striding into view, Kael close behind him with his Royal Dragon trailing protectively, and Mary following at a more cautious distance. Her Golden Lion padded silently at her side, its sleek form radiating restrained energy.

Valkas's crimson eyes flicked to Aria, still holding my hand. His brows rose in astonishment. "Wait… you managed to summon her back already?" His voice carried a mix of disbelief and admiration. "Incredible."

Kael stepped forward, his gaze briefly darting to my clasped hand before settling on Aria. "And here I thought you'd need hours to break through that beast's interference."

I bit my lip, feeling an odd mix of pride and embarrassment. "Well, it wasn't easy," I admitted. "But Aria… she always finds a way."

Aria tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable, though she shifted a fraction closer to me as if to underline my words. Valkas studied her for a moment longer, his expression somewhere between fascination and unease, before finally turning his attention to the task at hand.

"We don't have time to linger," Valkas said, his voice firm. "The beast might double back. We need to regroup and finish this trial. We need to summon our beasts first."

Gail, Prince Valkas, and Mary stood apart, their faces set with frustration as they struggled to summon their companions.

"Why isn't this working?" Mary hissed, gripping her Gold Grimoire so tightly her knuckles turned white. The faint shimmer of her Golden Lion's presence flickered like a candle struggling against a gale but refused to manifest fully.

"Because this thing is playing dirty," Gail replied, his usual smirk absent as he stared down at his own Grimoire, willing his Royal Wolf to emerge. "Its Trait doesn't just sever bonds—it actively suppresses the energy we use to connect to our summons."

Prince Valkas, sweat glistening on his brow, clutched his Grimoire tightly. His crimson eyes glowed faintly, a sign of his sheer determination. "Then we push through it. We can't rely on just Elara and Kael's summons for this fight."

"Easy to say," Gail muttered, his tone sharper than usual. "You're not the only one trying here, Your Highness."

"Then we don't have time to complain," Valkas said, his voice like steel. "We just keep pushing until it works."

With that, he closed his eyes, focusing all his energy on his Grimoire. Slowly, painfully, the golden light of his Infernal Boar began to flicker into existence. The beast's fiery tusks glowed dimly at first, but with a final surge of effort, Valkas's bond broke through the suppression. The Infernal Boar materialized fully, pawing the ground and snorting flames.

"Good," Valkas said, nodding sharply. He turned to Mary. "Your turn."

Mary's jaw clenched, her determination written all over her face as she focused on her Grimoire. Light spilled forth, wavering but persistent. Her Golden Lion roared faintly from the edges of the bond, inching closer to full manifestation. With a guttural yell, she forced the bond through the beast's suppression, and her Golden Lion finally emerged, its mane shimmering like molten gold.

"Finally," she breathed, relief evident in her voice.

"Great," Gail muttered, his frustration only deepening as his Royal Wolf still refused to come forth. He glanced at me, his dark eyes narrowing. "Guess I'm the deadweight now."

"You're not deadweight," I said quickly, though I could feel the tension rising. "Just focus. If they can do it, so can you."

Gail snorted but didn't argue. His eyes closed as he concentrated on his Grimoire. The shadows around him seemed to stir, and for a moment, I thought his Royal Wolf would appear. But the connection wavered, and the beast remained out of reach.

Before anyone could speak, the Alpha Astra beast let out a guttural roar, its presence amplifying the oppressive energy around us. The air crackled with mana, and I felt my knees tremble under the sheer force of its aura.

"Aria, Kael, hold the front," Valkas commanded, stepping forward with his Infernal Boar. "Mary, you and your Golden Lion flank it. Gail and I will provide ranged support."

Gail grimaced but nodded, stepping back to cover the group despite his missing summon.

Aria's grip on my hand tightened briefly before she stepped forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Kael's Royal Dragon. Her calm presence steadied me as I prepared to back her up.

"This is just the start," Valkas said, his voice firm. "We win this together, or not at all."

And with that, the battle began.