Standing in a small communications chamber, a woman stared blankly at the transponder that had just rung.
Her short black hair covered her panicked face, with both of her hands shaking rapidly out of shock.
"L-Level Zero alert…?"
She muttered quietly to herself, unsure of what even to do with this knowledge that she had received from The Dreamer himself.
To her left, six buttons lay attached to a massive system that connected to every major population center in the world.
Each of the switches corresponded to a different level of alert, with zero signaling a threat at the Apex Level or higher.
In the history of the Oceanic Association, it had only been triggered once during the war; however, at four-thirty-five in the morning, it was ordered again.
Slowly, she reached her thin, pale hand out toward the glass case that covered the emergency alert system, gently removing the covering.
Her finger hovered over the large red button that, with one single press, would not only interrupt the Council of Kings during their meeting but also lock down the entire world.
The woman breathed in, then exhaled loudly, ready to complete the task she had been ordered to accomplish.
Click.
A deafening explosion of static filled the homes across the entire planet as she pressed the button and spoke into the microphone, which would be broadcast throughout every town, village, and city.
"Under order from Lepaie Thalor Quinn, I, Holy Saint of the Cathedral of Depths, Ysolara, activate a Level Zero alert for every government-affiliated sea throughout the world."
Her words echoed through every radio, speaker, and electronic device, notifying those who would never know of the news.
Down the hallway from where the Saint resided, a locked conference room erupted into chaotic shouts as unimaginable levels of pressure exploded from the chamber.
Four of the Sea Kings stormed out of the meeting with looks of fury and annoyance written across their faces.
Behind them, another figure calmly walked past with what could only be characterized as joy written across her face.
…
Weightlessness filled Aaron's soul as he drifted through a never-ending abyss of nothing.
His life had come to an end without so much as a sound, leaving him stranded in a world beyond his own.
Black mist whirled around his floating, illusory body, guiding its movements down a predetermined path filled with charcoal colored darkness.
Every fragment of light was ripped from his soul, leaving it an empty husk, a void of what he was when living; however, a thin wire remained.
It gripped his form with unrestrained force, pulling him from beyond death back to the world of the living, begging for another chance.
For this magical string was none other than the Soul Pact formed with the Old Man in the Abyss that kept him tethered to the mortal plane.
A permanent and binding oath that forever connected the two men by an imaginary coil that grasped their souls.
This seemingly insignificant wire tugged his lifeless form through an indescribable maze that existed between the realms of life and death.
In the distance, a black door gilded with gold and ruby creaked open, revealing a magnificent field of lush green grass, sunlight that warmed you to the bone, and water that sparkled with purity.
As if drawn there by an invisible force, Aaron's soul resisted the tug of the Pact, drawing closer to the Gates of Death, the entrance to the Great Beyond.
No matter how much it tried, the coil could do nothing against the indomitable pull of Death, bringing the boy into its domain at any cost.
That was until bright bursts of red light appeared in the void, floating through the darkness alongside his astral body.
Reflections covered their surfaces, showing scenes of times he experienced malice or had bloodlust directed at him.
One was a fragmented memory of a time when he stole from a bakery and was swiftly reprimanded by the owner.
Another time, he was attacked by the Manticore on the Isles of Gharr, hellbent on eating him to cure its starvation.
Each of the orbs glowed a dull hue that imitated the pure malice or bloodlust experienced at the time, with a weak light emanating from inside them.
They attached themselves to the string that tethered him to reality; however, their influence barely slowed the inevitable pull of death that came to all living things.
He was only inches away from the entrance to the other side, seconds from true death, as a blinding crimson glow flared through the space.
Instead of the weak light that shone from the other memories, the cubes that phased into existence pulsated with a blinding glow that converged onto the coil that tugged on Aaron's life.
On each side of the square shape, scenes of moments where absolute bloodlust or hatred threatened his very existence appeared, digging up the lingering resentment that remained engraved into his very being.
Unlike before, the very balance between the deathly game of tug and war shifted with a force beyond that of the icy grips of Death himself, able to rip him along.
His illusory form recoiled backwards, floating through the void with the fabric of the darkness rippling as the black doors slammed closed with a deafening crack.
The space shattered into trillions of individual shards that dug into Aaron's astral flesh, leaving nothing but particles of light embedded on his skin as he fell through the cosmos.
Turquoise stars covered the night sky, shining brilliant rays of sunshine onto his form as he tumbled through space and time.
Fffyyysshhhrreehhhhh…
Mysterious whispers echoed around the boy, awakening his slumbering consciousness that had sunk beneath the guise of death.
Then, sluggishly, as if waking up from a long dream, his crystal blue eyes opened, taking in the scene before him.
His body felt airy and weak, but not one ounce of pain resonated from his body, taking him by surprise.
The pinky finger that had been ripped off by the mob of zombified animals had regrown with only a tiny scar on each side of the appendage, showcasing the thing that nearly sealed his fate.
Around him, a familiar sight dimly shone in the darkness, revealing the same chamber that the vault had been located in.
There wasn't an exit, however, with Eleanor and the woman being absent from the picture, along with any sign of the long-deceased skull that lived in the corner of the room, he knew that he wasn't in the same place as before.
I…died…
His silent thoughts left him oddly calm and content; however, the sheer absurdity of the mechanism struck him at once.
I was unimaginably lucky… Without either the Soul Pact or that woman who killed me, I would've simply just bled out and died quietly…
Aaron had uncovered a basic understanding of the vault's lock, with its intricate design being to prevent anything without any worldly connections from entering inside.
The lingering resentment I had for my killer and the Soul Pact itself kept me tethered to reality as I was almost swallowed by…
He swallowed as the memory of the icy cold grasp of death encapsulated his illusory form, causing him to shudder.
Swallowed by Death itself…
His eyes were turned toward the ground as he came to terms with how close he was to truly passing on to the other side.
Hhhrrrrrnnnnnnn.
The sound of rising stone interrupted his thoughts as he raised his head to observe the previously empty frame of the vault door reveal a pathway that led inside.
Ethereal white light burst forth from within the room, beckoning the boy to enter to claim the item he required.
Not wanting to risk getting sealed out of the door once again, he hurried past the massive slab of stone that groaned and creaked as gravity pulled it downward even in this backwards pocket dimension.
White light blinded Aaron as he stepped inside, causing him to cover his eyes; however, as he peeked through his fingers, his jaw dropped in awe.
What awaited him was the most opulent hall he had ever witnessed or even read about in books or myths.
Shelves on shelves were stacked with heavy metal boxes that stretched an endless distance down the brilliant chamber.
Fountains of liquid gold spewed the substance in droves, covering large areas with shiny metallic glistens that caught Aaron's eye.
Piles of diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds were stacked in droves throughout the storehouse, simply left out like the same garbage he might throw out in the morning.
By every account, this place was magnificent.
The blond-haired boy had never expected that simple stone door to be hiding such a vast and endless treasure that stretched beyond what his eyes could see.
I could become the richest person in the world if I could take everything in this place back with me…
A devious grin appeared on his face; however, it quickly vanished when another problem occurred to the boy.
W-Wait… How am I supposed to find the Old Man's weapon here…?
His expression immediately faded into worry as he scanned everywhere he could see; however, no signs of an armory or anything resembling one popped out in the massive room.
T-This is bad…
Aaron knew that if he couldn't find that item soon, then he could be trapped here for as long as it took, which could be for all eternity.
E-Eleanor might not be there in one piece when I return if I take too long, especially with that crazy woman with—
In a bright flash, a crack of lightning shot past him, interrupting his thought and nearly knocking him over.
He slowly turned his head behind him to where it struck, with a feeling of warmth encompassing his figure.
It can't be…
Embedded deep into the magical floor of the vault was the blade of a massive, blue and white longsword whose hilt could've only been made for a giant.
Crystals beyond anything Aaron had ever seen before lined the large iron blade that rippled with the fluidity of the ocean itself.
Without another word, he breathlessly walked closer and closer toward the object, mindlessly reaching out his hand to grip the colossal hilt.
As if reacting to his will, the weapon's form flickered, becoming liquid and reforming itself into a size suited for its wielder.
The once gigantic blade shaped itself into a manageable size for the fifteen-year-old boy as he grabbed its handle, pulling it from the ground it was wedged in.
He lifted it in front of himself, inspecting every detail without a single thought passing through his mind as if he were moving on instinct.
It flashed a turquoise glow once, then again, and again and again until it was nothing but a beacon of light that threatened to blind the boy if he didn't shut his eyes.
However, Aaron just stared, unwavering.
Reality shook as it continued to speed up its microscopic explosions, tearing the pocket dimension to shreds in an instant.
The only goal the weapon had was to discourage the boy from taking it from this space, yet his sheer willpower overwhelmed the sword, forcing it into submission.
Horrifying screeches and whispers bombarded Aaron's ears as the weapon shook and buzzed, burning the flesh on his skin until it was pitch-black in color.
Visions of its time in this endless space flashed through the boy's head with feelings of loneliness, slashing his heart to pieces.
"AGHH!"
His strained shout resounded through the opulent chamber, knocking artifacts off their shelves onto the floor with crash after crash.
Sapphire sparkles erupted from the blade, consuming his form in an instant, resisting his pressure.
I can sense… Your anguish… P-Please…
The weapon paused as Aaron's thoughts interacted with it, seemingly communicating with the inanimate object.
Y-You were abandoned… By your owner and wish to rot away here forever, right?
Another silence gripped the chamber, with sweat dripping from the boy's illusory form.
Let's go back to reality, where the real sun shines and the oceans crash against the beaches.
Aaron's eyes twitched as blood vessels popped and danced underneath his skin, blistering in horrifying clumps.
Y-You can serve a new master…
Even he didn't know what he was saying to the blade anymore, with his very thoughts violating the pact he had made with the powerful Old Man whom he had promised the weapon to.
I'll use you to become the strongest, and I'll never abandon you again…
A screech echoed from the blade, shredding his eardrum, leaving his brain ringing.
I swear it upon my life that if I break my end of this deal, then you can take my life where I stand.
Aaron knew he was delusional and downright insane for making such a promise; however, the sword's reaction startled him.
『Deal.』
The shaking stopped, his flesh healed, his eardrum's pulses, and his heart began to beat once again.
He was alive, and this weapon had seemingly done it with a single word.
『I'll help you become the strongest if you wield me until the end.』
The words resounded through Aaron's mind in a feminine voice that soothed his fear, anxiety, and worry in an instant.
『Let us return now. To the real world.』