Aren's vision disappeared for a moment after he felt the metallic pressure pressing against his temple, until it eventually shot a bullet that took him out instantly. Whoever was responsible for it was unknown. For now.
However, thinking he'd died, he still felt a cold sensation gnaw at his skin and a silent mumble that he heard directly in front of him.
He blinked multiple times, confirming that he wasn't truly dead.
'What is this…'
But little did he know, he wasn't alive either. He found himself in a large, deep black pit. Suddenly, something—or someone—exhaled, and the rush of air hit Aren like a train, forcing him to close his eyes against the wind.
The sudden rush of air jolted him back to reality, causing him to stumble and fall. He crossed one arm over the other to shield himself from the powerful gust, trying to prevent it from pushing him backward any further.
Then, it stopped. Aren slowly let his arms down, the chains nowhere on them. His robe wasn't tattered or filled with dust — and his boots that he'd stolen weren't there anymore, leaving him barefoot.
He lifted his gaze after inspecting himself and made direct eye contact with something he shouldn't have looked at.
Eyes that he'd seen before, in one of his 'dreams'. Eyes that looked not into him, but into him.
It towered over Aren, making him seem like a speck under its colossal body clad in dark, shimmering scales.
Its light green eyes locked onto Aren until it eventually opened its mouth to speak, letting out a harrowing wind as it did.
Aren was shocked to say the least. His mouth wide open, his face spoke frustration and guilt. He was not able to take in everything that was happening at once.
The dragon's jaws snapped shut with a thunderous clang, and the air shimmered with tension. Slowly, its massive neck curled downward, bringing its piercing gaze level with Aren's. Their eyes locked, the weight of the moment pressing down like a storm on the horizon.
It let out a gust of wind before finally talking, breaking the tension that had conquered the air.
"I am not your enemy."
Its ancient voice resounded throughout the pitch black area as Aren's body shivered.
His voice stuttering, eyes still locked onto the colossal dragon, "Who… who are you?"
It stayed quiet for a second, letting its gaze pierce far into Aren's eyes.
"You may call me Horacis. I am the one who oversees the Eclipse Spiral."
Having said that, the intimidating dragon shrank in size, taking a few moments until reaching what would be the average size for a dragon.
Aren's heart beat even quicker; he was in a very vulnerable position.
Horacis stared deeply at him, patiently waiting for him to say something.
"I thought I was dead. I… I'm sure of it."
The cold wind bit at Aren as he began to express his feelings, revealing his true self. For once, he felt vulnerable in this specific place, time, and moment.
Horacis responded with a voice that conveyed both calmness and wisdom, stating, "Indeed, that is the case. This is precisely why I have brought you here. Your experience of death was not solely yours. I, too, experienced the sense of loss alongside you."
Aren looked at it, confused. "Alongside me?"
Horacis slowly nodded, "I have always been with you. When you lost Hela, I was there. When banished by the Order, I was also present. When witnessing the death of Faye, I, too, experienced it. And I have shared in the emotions and burdens you have carried all this time."
Aren's confusion turned into concern, thinking of this as no mere dream, but reality. Was Horacis speaking the truth? Why hasn't he ever noticed then? Why wouldn't it tell him earlier?
Until Aren finally remembered. The time he'd faced the Wretched Glutton of the Ravagers, Horacis had tried making contact with him, but there was no time.
'Was it the cause of my loss of sanity, as well?'
In that case… Horacis was a part of his Aberration. A part of his soul.
His eyes instantly widened as he came to that conclusion, connecting everything that had happened before to this moment.
"You are correct. There is no reason to speak in your head, we are already in your there." Horacis spoke, his tone firm.
Aren got up back on his feet, as he felt pleased to know this wasn't another dream. Still, more questions were raised in his head, and he couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer.
"Were you the same person who took away my sanity and consciousness against the Glutton?"
Gradually, he no longer felt intimidated, despite Horacis being a genuine dragon thought to exist only in myths.
"You awakened only because I willed it. You move because I allow it. Do not confuse survival with strength. I have paved the road for you. Unfortunately, our souls are intertwined."
Aren froze. The words pressed into him like chains, but pride fought against the weight. Silence lingered before he finally raised a brow,
"I don't even know who you are. You might be scary, but, quite frankly, I have never heard of you or the Eclipse Spiral until now."
Horacis let silence linger for a few moments, seeing the attitude of Aren coming back.
"Mortals once called me the Guardian of Reality. But, your kind has forgotten my name. Whether through ignorance or fear, it matters little. I will remind you."
Aren's jaws clenched.
'It's not my fault I was raised in poverty!'
Horacis slowly started fading into the endless sea of darkness, eventually blending into it.
Aren watched helplessly as his vision began to fade, the world around him dimming into obscurity more than it already was as the shadows closed in.
"... threads are thin. Be cautious."
A feminine, ethereal voice he could recognize echoed inside his head. Her voice wrapped around him like it always did, quiet yet strange, fragile and sharp.
With a heartbeat, his eyes opened instantly.
"Faye?"