The Summoner's Rebirth: Awaken, Milady

"Suspicious, huh? Do you have a bad feeling or something?"

"I'm not sure, but it's best to be careful either way," Rallaka replied.

"I got it. You can start anytime now," Aria stepped closer to the end of the path's stable part.

Her eyes were firmly locked at the exit, where her comrades were standing upright and waiting for her to cross so they could move on.

'There is no way.. I will fall.' Aria said to herself.

She glanced at the ceiling, looking at the bricks that Rallaka mentioned.

"It will be a clean zigzag. Scale upwards so that you can jump down for your final step. I will make three blocks, matching it with your jumps. Fast, and accurate. I have to preserve my mana to account for anything after this," Rallaka said.

"Okay. Give me the cue," Aria nodded.

Rallaka positioned himself in the middle of the path.

"Now," Rallaka spoke up.

Immediately, a sheer block of stone appeared mid air, at a reachable distance for her jump.

With that cue, Aria confidently jumped onto the block and went propelled herself upwards.

Another block appeared, shielding her from falling.

Aria once again took the block as a platform for her and jumped farther upwards.

The last step, the one that would enable her to reach the exit with a downward jump.

Aria launched herself forward. The stone appeared.

It was supposed to be a smooth ride. One more safe jump and she would have been fine.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

When she stepped on the third stone and was prepared to jump down, a brick suddenly fell off from the ceiling and hit her back.

The loss of said brick triggered another brick's fall.

Then another. The perpetual rainfall of bricks started.

After Aria got hit with the first one, she narrowly evaded a second hit. But it took her a turning motion in order to do so, and the brick that she stood on was not at all large.

"..This is bad," Aria winced.

She lost her momentum. The entire trip happened in less than five seconds. The brick just 'happened' to fall at the wrong time.

With the sudden elusive movement she made, her jump, which had originally been aimed downwards became imbalanced.

Thus, without proper preparation, she began a freefall.

At this rate, she would not safely make it.

Quick thinking saved her.

"[Scarlet Vine]!" She shouted out.

A Main she had obtained from her very first dungeon.

An ability that allowed her to materialize a vine and control it as she willed. She hadn't used it very much, but she probed around said ability before. She had more than sufficient knowledge on how to operate it.

Her vine lurched towards the exit, particularly at the team.

They had been watching Aria's courageous stunt with hopeful eyes, so they responded very quickly and got Aria's intention behind her move.

It was to let the vine act as a handle. A rope.

Since Yan had the most power, he hurriedly grabbed the vine.

The [Scarlet Vine] did not have a smooth surface. Unlike its name, which had the term 'Scarlet', the vine was actually green in color.

If so, why did it have the name 'Scarlet'?

Because of its thorns. When it comes in contact with blood, the scarlet color would emerge and spread throughout the vine, making it stronger.

Holding it was painful. The vine had long been stained scarlet due to both Yan and Aria's blood rushing through it.

Elgin and Reina did not just stand still and went behind Yan to support his grip.

Together, they pulled on the vine to drag Aria up.

"God.. damn it!" Aria bit her lips as she swung, holding on to the vine was her only hope.

Blood trickled down her palms.

If only the process could run smoothly, everything would be great.

"AHH!" Aria's heart temporarily stopped for a split second.

She thought that she was falling down. But that was not the case.

The brick that was exposed to Aria's vine, the one that was meant to support her tugging collapsed, thus causing Aria to experience a harsh pull.

That same pull made her unconsciously turn her head to look down.

"..Fuck," Aria bit her tongue, cursing at herself for having the liberty to look downwards.

Below her was the endless abyss. A dark void that she didn't know what it contained.

And if one characteristic about humans had to be noted, it would be fear of the unknown.

It was either fear or interest.

Interest was when you had the privilege to slowly prod around the unknown thing.

Fear was when you are forced to face the unknown thing, making you at risk of potentially being harmed.

Aria had fear at this moment.

Fear because her grip could be lost right before she reached the ending.

Fear because her small life was finally going to disperse, and not by a reason she expected to happen.

Wouldn't it be funny if she died here?

She suffered inside the coffin for so many years, but her life would not die out.

But now, would she lose her life because of this incident?

Just as her brain encountered a sharp turn in emotions, a hand reached out to her and grabbed tightly onto her wrist.

Because she wasn't alone.

Because she had a team, because the others wished to save her and not abandon her.

If she did not have her team with her, who would grab the vine?

Who would clasp her wrist like this? Who would kneel on the ground and pull her up with their utmost strength and power?

When she zoned out because of the sudden fear, who would bring her senses back to her?

Aria's lips trembled as she gradually felt like her soul was leaving her body from that short, but devastating experience.

Her heartbeat was still racing and pumping harder than ever. Her head stung with a migraine. She felt light-headed.

She was caught in a daze, but the man who had saved her knew better. Elgin knew better.

They were currently standing on a supposedly 'safe' place, but there was something different.

The collapse had not stopped.

Because the previous stage was destroyed, even the gate to the next stage got affected. The corridor they were currently standing on.

The bricks that made up the path was slowly falling down and breaking the solid pieces apart right after Aria was pulled up.

Now, this would not be a problem if Aria was still sane.

Her mind was blank. She could not think for her safety right now, all she could think about was the fear that ate her up from the inside.

The void was strange.

Even though nothing was inside the space when she looked down at the void, she felt like a dangerous beast lurked inside it.

An experience that consumed her heart and made her still, unable to move even if she had to.

Realizing that Aria was being strange, Elgin instructed the rest of the team to run further and to leave Aria to her.

"Shit!" Elgin cursed.

"Wake up! Wake up, for God's sake! Do you want to die? If you want to die so badly, don't drag me with you! Aria Schreiner, I'm talking to you!!" Elgin shouted. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

"ARIA!!!"

Despite Elgin's continuous call, Aria still would not snap back to action.

However, Aria was still in a daze.

The void reminded her of something. Something that she might have forgotten.

Something important. No, was it truly important? Or was it just a hazy dream? Something her mind made up?

What was it?

This thing.

A vague memory.

When she was a child, something happened.

Before she went on a venture with the shitty man who ended up betraying her at the very end.

No, wasn't she on the verge on betraying [Golden Insignia] by prodding around [Lichte]?

Would that make her a betrayer just like the man she loathed?

Aria was distracted. Her thoughts were in a mess.

She thought that she must have been possessed. The cluster's influence must have done something to her.

If not, why would she feel this sort of nostalgic, yet horrifying feeling?

Someone forced 'void' to her.

The void. Pitch black darkness.

It was before her master died. Zehell.

Who was Zehell? Her teacher.

What was Unity? The legacy her teacher left for her.

Why did he die? From what?

That was a question she did not know.

An unclear memory.

...

Did he even die?

Was she confused?

Was her memory muddled up?

He disappeared.

Due to what?

A coincidence..

Or perhaps, a forced measure?

//

"KILL ME! HURRY UP!"

Another line rang inside her mind.

Like the previous memory flashes she had, her head started to hurt.

...

Zehell?

Was that Zehell's voice?

Her teacher?

Kill... him?

Why?

Why would he be killed?

Who was he speaking to?

Why, teacher?

No.

No, no, no.

Don't.

Everything is pitch black.

Just like the void she peered off to.

Whose fault is this?

Why?