Aaron turned to face the sound, his pulse racing. Then he staggered back as the faint tapping of footsteps grew louder, rhythmic and deliberate, echoing through the tunnel.
A slender figure stepped into the dim light of the flickering subway lamp. She couldn't have been older than her mid-twenties, her sharp features framed by wavy, silver-streaked black hair tied loosely behind her head. She wore a dark, fitted coat, its silver embroidery catching the faint light.
As soon as she was within sight, Aaron raised his trembling hand instinctively. "Stay back!" he warned, his voice wavering.
She halted a few feet away, raising her hands in a gesture of peace. "Relax, I'm not here to hurt you," she said, her voice calm and lilting. Her gaze flickered to the bodies sprawled across the floor, and she let out a soft sigh.
"Shame I only arrived at the end of the fun," she added, hands still raised. "Poor guys. Looks like they had a rough time." Her lips quirked into an amused smile before her eyes settled on him with quiet approval. "You did pretty well for a new one."
She lowered her hands and tilted her head slightly. "By the way, I'm Era." There was a confidence to the way she said it, as if her name alone should mean something. "I've been sent by an organization called The Sky Weaver." She took a step closer, her expression unreadable. "I'm here to help you, Aaron."
Aaron blinked in confusion. "How do you know my name?"
She smiled faintly, though her eyes remained sharp. "We've been looking for the rings and their bearers for a long time. You're not the first, nor will you be the last. Our mission is to secure the Eighth rings and protect their wielders."
Aaron took a step back, his eyes narrowing. "Protect me? You mean like those two who just tried to kill me? I don't believe you."
Era tilted her head. "I understand your skepticism. You're scared, confused, and probably angry. But those people weren't with us. They're part of a faction that wants to control the rings the and use them to resurrect Zagan, an evil being whose advent is synonymous with suffering and desolation. If they had succeeded, you'd be dead, and they'd have your ring."
Aaron clenched his fist, his voice rising. "And what's stopping you from being just like them? Maybe you're here to kill me too!"
Before Era could respond, the red glow of Aaron's ring intensified as he raised his hand toward her. A burst of heat surged forward, aimed directly at her.
But Era didn't flinch. She raised her own hand, revealing a glowing band of deep azure on her finger. A soft hum resonated through the air as the glow from Aaron's ring fizzled out.
"Enough," Era said, her voice firm. The ring on Aaron's finger turned cold, and he staggered as his knees buckled.
"What… what did you do?" he gasped, clutching his hand.
"I neutralized your ring," Era replied. "Thanks to my ring, I have that power over any ring-bearer whose level is lower than mine. You're lucky you didn't hurt yourself with that outburst. The power of the Phoenix Ring is immense, but it's unstable in untrained hands like yours."
Aaron glared at her, defiant despite his trembling legs. "Why should I trust you?"
Era sighed, her gaze softening. "Because I'm like you." She raised her hand, displaying her azure ring. "I'm a bearer too, Aaron. One of the eight. The difference is, I am more advanced in using my rings. I guess you're level 1. Well I'm level 15."
Aaron stared at her, his mind racing. "If you're really on my side, prove it."
Era's expression hardened. "Fine." She whispered an incantation under her breath, and a sudden burst of blinding light filled the tunnel. Aaron shielded his eyes, but when the light faded, Era was no longer in front of him.
"Behind you," she said coolly.
Aaron froze as he felt the cold press of a blade against his throat.
"If I wanted you dead," Era whispered, her voice steady, "you wouldn't have had the chance to ask me to prove anything."
Swallowing hard, Aaron nodded. "Alright. I— I'll go with you. But I'm not leaving until I spend one last night at my apartment. I need to think. I need to… say goodbye."
Era frowned. "Your apartment?!" she echoed, disbelief in her voice. "It's not safe anymore. Now that the ring has been activated, they'll send reinforcements. And if you're still there when they do... well, I wouldn't bet on your survival."
"Then stop me," Aaron said defiantly. "Either let me stay, or you'll have to drag me out by force."
Era studied him for a moment before exhaling sharply. "Fine. But I'm placing a cloaking spell on you and the ring. It will hide us for a few hours, no more. After that, the Phoenix Ring will start broadcasting its presence again, and the enemy will come in numbers."
"Deal," Aaron said, his tone resolute.
Without another word, Era muttered another incantation. A faint blue aura enveloped Aaron and his ring, fading after a few moments.
"This will buy us time," Era said. "Let's move quickly."
Together, they made their way back to Aaron's apartment. As they walked, Era's sharp eyes darted to every corner, scanning for threats. Aaron, meanwhile, tried to lighten the mood by bringing up various topics of conversation, Era ignored him, completely absorbed in her task of surveillance.
"I hope you know what you're doing," Era muttered.
"So do I," Aaron replied quietly, his gaze lingering on the silver band on his finger.
---
Somewhere in Rosewood.
In a dimly lit basement room, faint candlelight flickered across cold, cracked stone walls. Hooded figures knelt in a circle around a weathered statue, their faces hidden in shadow. At the center of the room, before the statue, stood a tall figure draped in dark robes, his presence heavy and unnerving.
One of the hooded figures rose and stepped forward. Her voice was steady, but tension hung beneath it. "Lord Corvus, the emissaries we sent to trace the signal from the Phoenix Ring… they haven't returned."
The tall figure, Lord Corvus, turned slowly toward her, the dim light catching the faint curve of a cruel smirk beneath his hood. His voice was low and cold. "They've failed to return?"
"Yes, my Lord," she said, bowing her head. "They've vanished. No sign of them at all."
The room fell silent, the weight of her words settling over the group. Lord Corvus's gaze rested on her for a moment before sweeping over the assembly.
"And the Phoenix Ring?" he asked, his tone sharp.
"The signal was brief," she admitted, her head lowering further. "We cannot confirm if it truly came from the ring."
Lord Corvus's smirk faded, replaced by something colder. "If it wasn't the Phoenix Ring, then what caused the signal? And why are my emissaries missing?"
Uneasy murmurs spread through the room, but a single raised hand from Corvus silenced them instantly. He turned back toward the statue, running a gloved hand across its ancient surface as if in thought.
"Perhaps the ring has a new bearer," he said, his tone quiet yet cutting, "one more capable than we expected. Or…" He paused, his hand still against the statue. "Or we're dealing with something far more dangerous. We might not even have to deal with the Phoenix Ring."
He stepped forward, his voice commanding as it echoed off the walls. "Double the search parties. Find out what happened to our emissaries. And if someone has interfered, bring them to me—alive."
The hooded figures bowed as one, their voices low and obedient. "Yes, Lord Corvus."
They moved swiftly, slipping out of the room in silence, leaving Corvus alone before the looming statue. He placed his hand on its worn features, his hood casting deeper shadows over his face.
"Soon," he murmured, his voice filled with dark resolve. "Soon, Master, your reign will begin anew, and the world will bow before us."
The room seemed to hum with an ominous energy, the flickering light casting long, shifting shadows as silence returned to the space.