"Considering your isolation from 'our' society, it's understandable that you dismiss our myths as mere stories, concocted to deceive the weak-minded," Aris remarked, his tone measured but probing. He was fishing for a reaction, hoping to coax some kind of response from Sophia.
On the other hand, Sophia was doing everything she could to ignore him. Her mind buzzed with the overwhelming desire to escape—to shut her ears, close her eyes, and seal her lips.
She longed for her usual, uneventful tram ride to school, surrounded by the comfort of routine and anonymity. But today was different—everything about it felt wrong, out of place.
No matter what Aris said, Sophia had resolved not to answer, not to engage with him at all. She had already seen enough to know that this person was no different from the man who once called himself her father.
"Lady Sophia… or should I say, Lady Sagittarius," Aris continued, his voice steady and unyielding. "If you were to ask me where my loyalty lies, I would give you a simple answer: the Custodian Order of the Black Lily." His eyes widened as he spoke, the pupils shifting into an unnatural, snow flake shape.
"The Order of the Black Lily, which our forefathers—both yours and mine—helped to establish, is something I would do anything to preserve and protect. Its glory, its legacy… I would lay down my life for it." His tone was intense, far beyond mere persuasion.
'Glory? What glory? Our society? Whose society? Forefathers? Which Forefathers? The so-called glory that drove my family to madness, the society that exiled and imprisoned them, the forefathers and branch members who forgot they even existed?'
Sophia's eyes narrowed, a spark of anger igniting within her. "Why do you chase after a non-existent persona, stories you know as well as I do are nothing more than children's bedtime tales?" she finally spoke, her voice tinged with disdain. Her eyes, once glowed faintly with frustration, that soon shimmer with an almost imperceptible hue of blue.
Aris remained silent for a moment; his gaze unwavering. Then, with a slight nod, he responded, "Very well, Lady Sagittarius." His tone was even, as if he had expected her reaction, but there was a hint of something else—a challenge, perhaps, or a recognition that this conversation was far from over.
Aris withdrew his metal-plated card with a sense of pride that seemed to radiate from him. This pride wasn't just about the card itself, but rather the achievements and the status it represented. He held it close to Sophia's face, close enough that she could easily read the intricate details etched onto its surface. Not that she cared—at this moment, she couldn't care less about the man holding it or the information it bore.
"If you truly wish to glorify our society, you need to change the way you see the world," Aris declared, his voice filled with a sense of honor and duty.
He spun the Custodian Card between his fingers with a practiced ease, the double Ohm golden symbol gleaming on the card's surface. The metallic card seemed to catch the light just right, casting a golden reflection that momentarily crossed Sophia's eyes. She blinked, her expression remaining impassive, but there was a flicker of recognition—though not of the card itself. "What are you trying to show me?" Sophia asked, her voice cool with a hint of irritation.
"Something that Lord Arnold should have shown you long before his untimely demise," Aris replied, his tone steady as he flicked the card again. The golden symbol seemed to ignite, glowing with an unnatural light that began to spread across the entire card.
Sophia watched, her expression unchanged, though her eyes narrowed slightly as the card seemed to come alive, its surface ablaze with a strange energy. The double Ohm symbol at the center pulsed with a rhythm that felt almost alive; the card kept lighting until it busted open into red orange amber flames.
*
Suddenly, the tram began to shudder, its metal frame groaning as if under some immense pressure. Sophia's eyes widened in shock as the walls of the tram seemed to fold inward, the solid metal sheets crumpling like paper.
"What's happening?!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in panic. "Are you just going to sit there?!" she demanded, her tone still frantic.
Like Usual Aris remained calm, unfazed by the chaos unfolding around them. He seemed entirely unaffected; his focus locked on the card in his hand. For him, this was nothing out of the ordinary.
The tram continued to shift, the metal contracting and expanding in a surreal, fluid manner. Sophia's heart pounded in her chest, her mind struggling to comprehend the impossibility of what she was witnessing. The other passengers had vanished, leaving only her and Aris in this bizarre, twisting space.
"What are you doing?!" Sophia shouted, her voice breaking as the tram seemed to close in around them, the walls now almost brushing against her skin.
Aris finally looked up, his eyes meeting hers with a calm intensity that was both reassuring and terrifying. "This is just the beginning, Lady Sagittarius," he said, his voice steady despite the chaos.
As the blinding light from the card engulfed them, Sophia felt a strange sensation of being pulled, as if the very ground beneath her had disappeared. The light around her grew brighter and brighter until it was all she could see was a run-down tram and a smirking Aris.
Sophia's breath hitched as the cold wind whipped around her, biting through her clothes and sending chills down her spine. The once-familiar interior of the tram had vanished, replaced by a harsh, desolate landscape. They were standing on the western slope of the northern ridge, the imposing form of Custodian's Breach looming ahead—a thick, black building flanked by two jagged peaks. The structure was massive, with gothic windows and a grand entrance guarded by a stone gargoyle wielding swords, one in hand and one clenched in his insides.
The cold, the eerie silence, and the sudden change in scenery overwhelmed her senses. Everything felt surreal, as if she were trapped in a nightmare from which she couldn't wake.
She hugged herself tightly, trying to ward off the freezing air that seemed to penetrate her very bones.
Aris, seemingly unaffected by the cold, began walking toward the ominous building with a determined stride. Sophia stood frozen in place, her mind reeling as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. "Welcome to the Northern Custodian Brech in the Northern Ridge." Aris remarked.
"This doesn't make any sense!" she called out, her voice trembling with a mix of shock and frustration.
"Why"
"The Custodians and their disasters are just fairy tales!!" She scrammed.
"Then are you in a dream," he replied not wanting to answer her question.
"What if I am; But What if I am not!!" She remarked with a confused mind. She had no idea of how did the events turned so upside down. Just ten minutes ago she was in her regular tram going to her regular school; and now she was standing on this so-called Northern Ridge. Sophia was confused; on a matter of reaction. She had no clue about how she should react. It was confusing;
Aris paused, turning back to face her with a calm, almost indifferent expression. "Some places aren't meant to be found unless you're brought to them. For now, just follow me"