Of apologies, agreements, and what lurks between

-28th day of AC, 28.04.1052-

-Location: Tylened-

-Time: 10:00-

The air thickened by the minute as the sun beamed down. Travis stepped between the buildings, his feet guiding him toward the nearest travel necessities shop he could find. His hand wiped his hair roughly, almost like he was trying to scratch an itch that didn't exist on his scalp.

The first objective on the list was 'Logistics'. Although normally, Travis could cuss and groan at the ambiguity of the single word being used, he did remember what Aria had spoken about not that long ago. The missing things they would need, from some mana potions to herbal necessities for cooking and appliances in basic wound disinfection, were all on a list he had held and updated in his mind as they traveled.

Therefore, when he found the desired location, he didn't spend longer than twenty minutes inside. Walking out a few gold coins lighter but with a bag full of items made his steps feel just a smidge more vigorous.

The second thing to take care of was a place to stay the night. This much was also obvious to him. Aria had voiced previously a desire to sleep in a proper bed for once, and although he didn't say it aloud, Travis felt that way as well. Nothing could quite beat a nice, soft bed.

Stepping between some small buildings on the side, the Apostle quickly scanned every window and door, earnestly searching for a place that would pique his interest. Within a few short minutes, he stood in front of exactly what he was looking for.

-Around 11:40-

[You have completely cleared the daily quest ‘To become strong.’]

[7 stat points have been awarded. A consumable spell ‘Complete Stealth’ has been awarded.]

'Ho, I was wondering when I'd get something like that again.' he almost hummed, relaxing his muscles and sitting on a lone bench in the corner of the marketplace. It had been a while since he'd seen a special reward for the DQ, so this message made him smile a little. Quickly swiping a hand, he brought up his stat screen, his focus immediately finding purchase in 22 stat points that lay waiting.

'Not bad, not bad at all.' he almost hummed. 'I guess, 10 will go into Intelligence, and 5 into Wisdom for now.'

Immediately heeding his thoughts, the numbers on the panel shifted, a distinct sound clicking with every change.

[Strength: 100 (+5)

Agility: 135 (+5)

Endurance: 120 (+5)

Intelligence: 170 (+5)

Wisdom: 105 (+5)

Sense: 100 (+5)

AP: 7

SP: 1]

Travis almost smiled, seeing his MP increase to 800. With this, using Execution, while draining all the mana he had, was possible. Seeing the current amount sitting at around half, he sighed.

'I'll have to begin using mana potions. I don't have the mana regeneration of a Mage.' he almost grimaced. While they weren't supremely expensive, there was a part of him that felt a little skimpy at the prospect of spending money just for some mana potions. As if to confirm his thoughts, he rummaged in his pack a little, bringing out a small bottle of blue-tinted liquid.

[Small mana potion

Rating: Normal

Restores 80 MP.

Weight: 50 g]

Just this one thing cost barely three silver coins. However, as his hand wormed further into a pack, he found another, similar container, albeit larger.

[Mana potion

Rating: Normal

Restores 350 MP.

Weight: 130 g]

He almost huffed.

'This is honestly really good for just ten silver.' Travis thought. 'Considering that drinking several mana potions at once can poison you, recovering this much mana at once is a lifesaver. Mages would obviously use bigger and stronger concoctions, but this is sufficient for most others.'

Then, he closed his eyes, hiding the bottle. The costs of most sword dances made this potion seem like barely a sip in comparison to their demands.

'Which makes me wonder. We have potions for HP and MP... are there potions for WP?' he almost grimaced. 'If there are, I have not seen a single one so far. Then again, WP is a hidden stat. MIDs don't seem able to read it, so people likely don't even know how to make a potion to affect it.'

Travis's eyes slowly ascended, watching over the marketplace before the man decided to push himself to a standing position. As if on cue, a stronger blow of wind came, swirling around the place and lifting the scent of the town right into his nostrils.

With a silent shrug to nobody in particular, the brown-haired man took his steps away. Looking around as he slowly approached the office where Aria surely was, some people skittering about entered his view. A young mother with two children, one holding onto her hand while the other trekked ahead of them, a seasoned guard with a sharp stare, an elder couple that seemed to enjoy the sun, a man with two companions, hunting gear ready as they were likely setting off; the people were as diverse as they were sparse. With languid moves, Travis went west, to the place he had recognized as the office of the local authorities.

Much like the rest of the town, the building looked like it had seen better days. Moss covered parts of the wood that connected to the stones in the ground, its green tint a strikingly nice contrast to the brown and gray of its surroundings. Yet, despite that, the building stood strong, two stories tall.

Travis took a deep breath, steadily approaching the door leading within the place.

The atmosphere of the inside washed away any thoughts the outside breeze had carried into his mind. The stillness hanging low was palpable, almost tangible enough to be cut with a knife.

Travis cast a glance down the somewhat large entry room. A guard by one of its exits raised a brow in a silent question, the kind that asked, 'What are you doing here?'.

"Travis Salliv," the golden-eyed man introduced himself with a polite nod. "I am Inspector Brinn's assistant. I was to meet her here at noon. Is she here?"

The guard seemed to almost shrug before telling him to wait. Then, stepping into a nearby room, he said something to whoever was inside. Travis could not make out the muffled contents of the talk, but he was almost certain he had heard Aria's name be thrown once or twice. As a long minute or two passed, he suddenly noticed a familiar ball of white hair enter the room.

Aria looked him over for a little more than half a second. Then, shifting in her boots and fixing her outfit a little, she turned to the guard with a slight nod.

"I'll handle it from here. Thank you for your time. I will return later to deal with the other issue. Until then, nobody is to enter that room."

Travis's head tilted at the final sentence. 'Room...?' he pondered briefly, noticing his girlfriend looking in a direction, somewhere deeper in the building.

The guard nodded, a few words leaving his mouth before he turned and walked away.

Travis felt a slight shiver travel down his spine as his eyes locked with Aria's. Within the emeralds, he saw her **** to speak a word to him. However, something more lurked beneath that, but the emotion was unrecognizable. The bottom-heavy woman gave a faint sigh, stroking her hair with one hand while her other hand checked the state of the bag hanging by her hip.

Without a word spoken, the two left the premises of the institution.

-30 minutes later-

Travis let out a silent sigh, walking down the corridor of the inn. The aged construct creaked faintly under every step he took, signifying his presence more than the man would've liked it to. Thankfully, other than him and Aria, nobody was staying in the rooms, as far as he had gathered from his talk downstairs - deciding to give Aria some privacy to change from her Inspector outfit, he opted to inquire about a warm meal downstairs. One thing led to another, and before he knew it, Travis had spent a good while speaking with the bulky owner downstairs, mostly about the surrounding terrain and small talk about the passersby. The Apostle could practically feel the man hold a soft edge of politeness in his words, speaking of his moderately positive relationship with the authorities.

'Everyone holds some degree of reverence or fear toward the authorities. This place seems to run more on the former.' he concluded somewhere during the talk.

But now, as he neared the room he'd rented for himself and Aria, he felt his veins pulse. Tension found its way to his heart again as he gently knocked and pushed on the handle.

The room wasn't large. Two small beds stood two meters apart, a worn carpet between them. A somewhat short table with two chairs was opposite the door, right next to a window that let in sunlight. A candle stood atop, its wicker unlit.

Travis's gaze went to his right, immediately locating Aria. She wore a large, baggy shirt of blue color - her favorite, as he recalled - and some gray pants that attempted to hide the wide curvature of her hips, and failed at it spectacularly, the material straining against her bottom as she shifted on the mattress.

Her emerald eyes sparkled, but she didn't look at him, not fully at least. Her gaze stopped somewhere around his shoes, as if she recognized him by his footwear alone. Immediately after, she turned away slightly, resuming the lecture she held, a small ball of light next to her head as she read. However, as a few seconds passed, Travis noticed her twitch faintly, her eyes escaping sideways for but a blink, almost as if she awaited him to do something.

The Apostle brushed his hair, a heavy sigh leaving his mouth as he walked over to the other bed, sitting on it. Undoing the belt holding Thunder Blade, he put the sword away, swiping away the last remnants of dust and wrinkles on his attire.

"Aria."

Travis stated his girlfriend's name flatly, no particular emotion underscoring his tone.

"Travis."

The white-haired woman answered, turning to face him slowly. Her hands slowly closed the book before they crossed on her chest. She scanned him, the brilliant emeralds giving off an air of **** expectancy.

"You know... Kanya used to tell me something," the Apostle said, his gaze escaping to his own hands. "She used to say that sometimes, when we do what we think is best, we end up hurting others. And that sometimes, we act before we think."

"So, you're using your dead sister as leverage?" Aria frowned, although her tone didn't appear as aggressive as her words. If anything, she seemed... almost compassionate despite the tension.

"No, I... *Sigh* listen," he answered hesitantly, his eyes closing for a moment. "Thinking has never been my strongest suit, and I'm sure you've noticed. I've always been the type to do things first and think a little later. When I get a chance, I think about what to do, but when I have a feeling, I tend to listen to it. And... I am sorry about it. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just... didn't think ahead."

The Brinn woman looked away as moments of silence stretched. Sniffling quietly, she rubbed her nose gently before a sharp, short exhale left her small mouth.

"Travis... I... am worried," she admitted, her green eyes lowering as she looked at her faintly trembling fingers. "This... the whole last month has been the most difficult time in my life. Penalty Zone, the time after it, the situation with Chris..." she trailed off briefly. "A-And... for the first time in my life, I'm in a relationship," her gaze slowly lifted, meeting his. However, there was no real anger within, only sorrow that bled through her expression. "Yet I... don't know where I'm standing in here. I-I know this isn't a completely normal relationship, a-and the whole Competition, and all that... B-But I really can't tell anymore who I am. Am I Aria, the Inspector, the Mage, your girlfriend, or..." she quieted down, her voice a whisper. "...or am I just a glorified MID who's here to patch you up when you do something stupid?" she almost sobbed, her emerald eyes sparkling with tears.

"Aria, that's not how things are," he retorted.

"Aren't they?" she asked, tone shifting to something bordering on defeated exasperation. "That's how it feels, you know? Like I'm just an extra to grant you entry into places. And this isn't the first time, either," the first tear escaped her eyes at the words. "You do something stupid, you barely scrape by, and then you're apologizing. A week passes, and the same thing happens," her expression shifted as she closed her eyes, the salty drops trickling out. "A-And I'm just here, wondering if next week, you'll just do something like this again, and I'll have to patch you up and worry endlessly about you. Or... i-if you will even come back..." she stuttered, her breath hitching as she barely withheld tears.

Travis's heart sank. As the moment of silence drew, he felt the guilt crashing down on his shoulders.

But within his mind, only the words that he'd heard in his dream reverberated.

He sighed. Relenting any notion of deeper thought, he approached the quivering woman. He brushed her shoulder, which prompted Aria to look up at him. Before she spoke, however, he sat next to her, pulling her into a hug.

"I know," he said, his lips against her hair as her head rested on his chest. "I know, Aria. And I am sorry for being such an idiot. You're right, I'm reckless. I'm sorry. I promise, I'll do my best to improve. But I need you to help me."

He felt her stabilize her breathing as she shuffled closer, reciprocating the gesture. Aria's nose rubbed against his shirt, the petite woman taking in his scent as though she'd missed it.

"I think what we both need is some ground rules, Travis," she said, her voice slightly muffled. "So we don't end up like this again."

"Agreed."

"But..."

"...but?" Travis raised a brow, looking down at the woman who made a little distance from him. His golden eyes met her verdant orbs, and he noticed the slightly serious yet still not certain expression painted on her face.

"Before we talk this through... I-I need you to do something reckless for me."

"???"

Aria exhaled deeply, her hands grasping his, their fingers immediately interlacing. But then, he noticed that her cheeks flushed. A brief understanding dawned on him, the shy and unsure nature of Aria's demeanor surfacing. She was embarrassed about something.

"Let's, uh... we should go. I-I'll explain on the way."

-About 2 hours ago-

Aria's mind was filled with sourness. The brief exchanges she'd had with the guards servicing the outpost in Tylened had proven barely capable of whittling her dark thoughts away. Every step, every turn, every blink, everything was a constant reminder of the last night.

'That idiot...' she thought, bringing a hand to her chest level. Her heart beat woefully, almost like it was being torn apart from within. Aria had heard of the phrase 'broken-hearted' before. In the numerous books and tomes she'd read, it was described. However, she'd always considered them to be the author's exaggeration to sell their point. That was, until last night. Since her argument with Travis (one-sided as it was), she'd felt her heart hurt, like with every beat, nails were punctuated through her chest. 'That stupid, idiotic, moronic, stupid idiot!' she huffed, a lowly groan escaping her mouth as she'd found herself in a mostly empty room in a somewhat abandoned corner of the office building.

In sincerity, she didn't find it strange; Tylened's small population - hardly even exceeding three hundred - didn't warrant a large building for the twenty-something authority officers. Especially considering that most of them were regular Militia-line guards dealing with monsters, with only three Officer Sergeants managing the logistics, it was no wonder the building, consisting of almost ten full-size rooms, went almost completely unused. Silvana's office, filled with nearly forty heads, used about fifteen to twenty rooms regularly, and the Militia had their own barracks elsewhere in the city. Tylened's served both forces and still had most of its space to spare.

But all thoughts escaped her mind as the white-haired Inspector looked around the room. It was used as a storage unit, and in her duties, she was to investigate the state of those items, both to ensure the offices were running properly and to take note of any important items that were missing.

'The last inspection here was nearly three years ago. It'll take me an hour or more to go through everything. This whole agreement with Captain Nimmel is more bothersome than I thought.' she thought with faint dismay, reaching for her bag to fish out the note she'd kept, listing the gear she was to check upon. '...come to think of it, I wonder how she's doing.'

Her mind wandered to the tall half-elf. Rebecca Nimmel, aged at a little over one hundred and twenty, was a strict person for as long as Aria had known her. The tired and almost dismissive attitude she'd shown was the point most noticed about her first. Perhaps because of that, or maybe because she was a mix of a human and a dark elf, most who worked in Silvana's authorities had a pretty critical opinion of her.

However, that was only the surface layer that most got to experience. Not many people knew the struggle of handling thousands of people and their disputes, but Aria had seen past the shallow view. Although few knew it, Rebecca stayed in the office more than ten hours each day, and not a single day had she left her duties, even when ill.

'And even in that state, she'd stayed up all night when the situation with Chris and Truthseekers surfaced... but I wonder what will happen with her going forward. On one hand, she'll likely be blamed for it, but on the other, the situation was handled without further deaths. Although... it was a close call...'

"That idiot..." Aria cussed under her breath, her teeth gritting as the anger within resurged at the memory. The stress, and the worry, and everything else... "Travis, you goddamn scoundrel!"

'And now he does this again! Do I not matter to him or what?!'

The white-haired Mage got a hand to her bag. Bringing it up, she eyed the dark metal of the key resting in her palm.

Bitterness swelled in her throat.

"Oh, look at me, I'm the chosen Apostle of a god," she said mockingly, waving the item around before her fingers instinctively clutched it properly. "I got a magic key, and I can summon a door with it..."

However, her rant suddenly came to an end as she found herself looking right at the dark surface, the color matching the color of the key that was now in the lock. Near the wall of the storage room, the door to the Trial Tower materialized, unsupported yet standing strong.

A chill went down Aria's spine. She wasn't aware she could've used the key herself.

As a few seconds passed, she recovered. With a sharper breath, the small Mage yanked the key away from the lock, only to find her hand empty.

'What?'

She reached out, grasping the metallic key again. However, try as she might, the item wouldn't budge from the keylock as if held by a magical ****.

After a dozen seconds, she relented, instead swallowing whatever saliva was in her mouth. Instinctively, Aria's hand slowly reached for the handle, a shiver traveling up her arm as the cold metal met her skin. Something about the door called out to her, almost like a mermaid's tune, telling her it was a way to prove her point. Before she realized what she was doing, the door was already coming ajar, endless vantablack staring at her from within.

She felt her stomach twist, a queasy but familiar feeling washing over her. Aria immediately slammed the door shut, bringing a hand to her mouth lest her last meal decide to see the outside world again.

Immediately after, she exhaled sharply.

'No, I can't do anything with that. I'll die if I enter that place.'

She tried to pull the key out again. However, as expected, the attempt ended in vain.

Aria groaned, the vocalization rising in volume until she expelled all air in her lungs.

'Damn it... Why won't it come out?!'

But then, the hairs on the nape of her neck stood up, as a sound of knocking resounded in the air. A voice came from behind it, belonging to one of the officers she'd spoken with before. Snippets of words that reached her ears formed into a question about whether everything was alright. They did hear something just now.

A rivulet of cold sweat ran down Aria's spine.

'Oh boy. I messed up big time.'

-Currently-

Travis snickered.

"That's not funny," Aria pouted. "I thought I was going to be accused of something. I barely managed to convince them not to beckon anyone from the Church. They spouted something about 'demonic attacks' and whatnot."

"Demonic?" he mused briefly, eyeing the black door. "Well, I suppose it does look a little otherworldly. Though not all demonic things do."

The bottom-heavy Mage sighed. Fixing the bag by her side, she looked behind them. Thankfully, the aged door to the storage room was closed exactly as she'd left it minutes ago.

"Whichever the case, this is how we're here," she continued, watching her boyfriend fix his sword by his side.

"So, you want me to challenge it."

"You owe me as much."

The Apostle nodded, his golden eyes briefly flickering to meet hers. "That's fair. Though, there might be a little problem," he added, stepping closer to the door.

Aria frowned, confused. "What problem?"

"Remember when I first used it?"

Then, she saw it. Travis reached toward the door, but his hand phased right through the dark handle and wood before he retracted his limb.

Aria immediately felt her heart sink. Color drained from her face as she reached out as well, the obstacle physical to her.

"...w-what?" she asked, faint disbelief in her voice. "No... I thought you could... I-I can't..." she stammered, fingers quivering as she stepped back.

The Apostle calmly reached for her shoulder. "Aria."

She looked at him. "Dammit, I fucked up... w-what will we do now?"

A prolonged moment of silence passed before Travis shrugged. "You know, I think the answer is pretty obvious."

"...no... No!" her voice raised. "I-I'm not diving into ****! A-Are you crazy, Travis?!"

The man sighed. His golden eyes shimmered as they skittered sideways, watching something invisible. Aria had seen that look on him many times - he was using RALS. Whatever exactly he was asking was beyond her, but she could make sound assumptions.

'Probably asking about how to pull the key out--'

"Redion's saying we can't pull the key out."

"Huh?"

Travis turned to face her better. Brushing his shirt with a languid motion, he nodded.

"Well, more precisely, he's saying that he doesn't know how to. The only person who could know is Rulebreaker, but they're currently unavailable."

"...unavailable?"

"They sometimes do that, he says. They disappear somewhere, and it's hard to speak with them. And he doesn't know when they'll return."

"They disappeared to somewhere even a god can't reach them...?" Aria frowned, briefly forgetting about the discussion they had just had. Something about this felt a little strange to her. However, she quickly recovered her wits. "W-Wait, so you mean..."

"Yeah. Since you used the key, the Tower is open to you. And without Rulebreaker, we can't pull the key out. On the bright side, since you could use it, its rules will apply to you."

Aria's heart sank in her chest. Her fingers trembled as she felt her mind slip dangerously close to a familiar sensation. This was wrong. Going into the Trial Tower was a **** sentence. Who cared if she wouldn't actually die if she'd feel it all the same? Travis had spoken clearly about the shrill sensations of receiving wounds. It wasn't like the hunting they'd done.

Her veins pulsed, her breathing quickening. Aria felt the world dim, her eyes losing focus as an icy sensation surged from the bottom of her stomach. She felt something ethereal yet tangible sneak across her skin, like some vines creeping up her limbs. A strange, almost familiar scent prickled her nose, somewhere between sweet nectar and rusty iron.

Again, she was alone. Lone as a finger against **** itself. Why was she alone? Why...?

"Aria?"

She flinched as she heard the voice. It resonated in her ears, echoing somewhere in her mind. She knew it. It brought her comfort.

A thought pierced the darkness.

'Safe.'

The dimness waned. The room reappeared before her, and in the center of her vision...

"Travis?"

Aria breathed sharper, like she'd just resurfaced from under the water.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his hand reaching her shoulder. "You're shivering all over."

A sheen of wetness appeared as she felt his touch. With a sharper inhale - a sob, almost - she suddenly lunged at him, pushing her head right against his chest. The ruggedness of his clothes brought her comfort she didn't know she could even feel.

'You're safe, Aria.'

She whispered in her mind.

Several seconds passed. Travis gently caressed her back, feeling her tensed-up muscles relax.

"Are you alright? What happened?"

Aria flinched, her consciousness returning in full. Pushing a little against her boyfriend, she looked at him, seeing the concern and question in his eyes.

"It's... f-for a moment, I felt a little..." she trailed off, unable to voice her thoughts clearly. "N-Never mind. I'm alright."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," she confirmed. Her head turned, looking straight at the door she'd summoned. "So... I have to do this," Aria stated, her voice a little blunt.

"You don't have to, not now. We can wait for Rule--"

"No," she cut him off. "We... don't know how long that will take. And tomorrow morning, we need to set off."

She exhaled. The imposing door still felt unpleasant to look at.

However.

'I'm a brave person.'

She repeated that mantra in her mind. For some reason, it uplifted her. It wasn't a surge of bravery or even foolish bravado. It simply comforted her.

Aria stepped forward. Though her hand still quivered, she reached out to the handle and pressed it. As the endless void inside welcomed her, she turned to her boyfriend.

"Travis..."

"Aria," he reciprocated, stepping a little closer.

"You'll... do something for me later, alright?"

He nodded. "What exactly?"

Her ears reddened slightly before she cleared her throat. "I'll tell you back in the inn."

Travis hummed. "Alright, then. But one thing from me before you go."

"?"

She barely registered when he leaned forward, his lips crashing against hers. Surprised, Aria failed to respond for the entire two seconds before allowing the contact in full. Feeling Travis's tongue dance with hers, her whole body trembled, not with fear, but with newfound excitement.

As they finally dislodged after several heartbeats, Travis said, "Good luck in there. Tell me what you saw."

Aria nodded. "Wait for me."

He smiled reassuringly. Right after that, she stepped inside. Before she knew it, the world she knew disappeared from her view.

-Meanwhile-

Travis sat on the ground, leaning against the wall as he released a heavy sigh.

'That expression... she looked terrified.' he thought back to what Aria looked like just a minute ago. Her emerald eyes, looking around as though not seeing him anymore. Her lithe fingers, trembling like she was faced against her greatest fear. Her mouth, moving silently like trying to call out to someone. Everything about her screamed terror. '...feels like the first Penalty Zone still haunts her, even if she won't speak of it.'

[There are limits to how much you can do with only one Hypnosis.]

A small panel appeared before him. Travis groaned in response.

'So what, I should do it again? Like I'd want to.'

[I know that. You've been rather stingy with who you use it on.]

The Apostle groaned. Redion's messages always had a certain... tick, per se, to them. Just reading them made him feel faint dissatisfaction. In that regard, Rulebreaker's style of wording felt much more attuned to him. With them, at least, he didn't feel like he was being looked down upon.

[Don't fret like this. I'm not interfering with your choices. I'm just letting you know what I think.]

'Not much better, Redion.' Travis rolled his eyes. 'On the side note, what's up with Rulebreaker? I didn't think a referee would disappear like that. When did they go away?'

[Just yesterday, actually. Not sure what came up this time.]

'So, a referee can just go whenever they please?'

[It's a little special with them. They requested that caveat in return for their services. Even I don't know where they are or when they'll return. It could take a day or a week, with them it's never for certain.]

Travis sighed. His eyes escaped sideways, eyeing the nearby wall of the room. 'Explains why I didn't see any reaction from them when getting Hyllen Sword Dance.' he thought to himself, but kept the thought from being relayed further.

[So, what plans do you have for now?]

A silent whiff left his mouth as he pondered the plans he and Aria had made.

'For now? Aria had said we'll be going south for a few more days. After reaching Gressis, a border city with Akni, we'll move along the border east. With some luck, we'll reach the next major landmark, Ulm, within the next two weeks. She said there's something there she wanted to get. Then, we'll see where we stand. Aria mentioned that venturing into Nihl might be a possibility.'

[All the while clearing dungeons.]

'Yeah.'

[Hmm. Not a bad plan. Well, excluding some minor parts. But that's none of my concern. Is that all you wanted?]

Travis's golden eyes landed on his sword. A multitude of questions still remained, but he knew that Redion wouldn't have answers. Or, even if he did, he wouldn't divulge them. Therefore, he only shook his head.

'That's all.'

[Very well, then. Good luck.]

The Apostle sighed. A hand went through his brown hair, ruffling the strands as the panels disappeared. He eyed the mighty door, its color like that of darkest night. However, even after confirming that two whole minutes had passed, it didn't budge.

'I wonder what the second floor is about.' he pondered. The first one was 'Combat - PVP' - which was an acronym he still didn't understand, but could infer that it meant fighting against one opponent. 'And... how will Aria know?'

He knew because he had RALS, which could read Tower's input. But Aria had nothing like that. Would the information be implanted in her, allowing instinctive understanding? Or was she thrown into deep water without a word of explanation? A queasy feeling stirred in his abdomen at the thought.

Seconds passed. Travis did his best to listen to anything happening in the corridor behind the wall he sat against. However, for minutes that transpired, not so much as a mouse's squeak reached his ears, only the incessant soft whirr of the door pulsing within his mind.

But then.

Five minutes and twelve seconds after Aria entered the Trial Tower, the black door suddenly swung open. Recognizing his cue, Travis stood up, just in time to catch Aria speeding in his direction.

"Ow..." she huffed, her voice pained. She shuffled against his hold, bringing a hand to her chest. Then, almost as if waking from a dream, her mouth opened further. "FUCK, THAT HURT!" she almost shouted before her breathing transitioned to sharp gasps as she clutched her chest.

Travis looked at her with concern, his hands caressing her shoulders. Still, he didn't say a word - he knew the pain Trial Tower could bring.

The white-haired Mage suddenly coughed. "Fuck... t-this is what you've been going through...?" a half-question, half-statement left her thin lips as she looked up at her boyfriend. A painful tear escaped her emerald eyes.

He didn't answer, instead hugging her close. "It's alright, Aria. I'm here," he whispered reassurances into her ear.

After what felt like another minute or two, he felt her push away from him. She still trembled, but he saw her recollecting her wits bit by bit. Although she was still far from calm, Aria's demeanor slowly shifted into a neutral facade she'd be ready to show to anyone outside the storage room.

"...you weren't kidding," she broke the silence. "He plays you like a child. I didn't even manage to fend him off for a full minute."

"???" Travis frowned in confusion.

"I met Rimel," Aria explained. "He's just like you described him."

"...Rimel? But I defeated him yesterday."

"I know."

"Then why--"

"Travis..." Aria silenced him with a sigh. "I... I don't know. And r-right now, I... don't want to think about that," she continued, getting a hand to her chest. In her shirt, at around her heart level, was a clean, small cut - no doubt the work of Execution. "This still hurts..."

"I understand," he nodded, helping her stabilize. After that, he picked up the black key on the floor. "Well, at least it's finished."

"...yeah. Let's return quickly. I need you to do something to me."

"You mean what you said before?"

Aria nodded, and Travis immediately saw her skin flush faintly. "But first, let's tell the Officers the problem is taken care of."

-In the evening-

The room's air trembled with sounds of slapping. Their rhythmical nature intermingled with Aria's moans and Travis's gasps as the man pistoned into the bottom-heavy woman from behind. His cock slid into Aria's slit time and time again, eliciting sharp squeals of pleasure released into the pillow.

"Ah-- gods!" she rasped. Barely any strength remained in the small woman, her small boobs rubbing against the material as she had given up trying to stay on all fours. "Oh! Fuck!"

Travis almost smirked, seeing her claw at the sheets, small tear marks all over the cheap material where she'd already dug in. His hands were on her wide hips, driving the woman's massive ass onto his tool as he pounded her relentlessly, ripples traveling across the pink-colored expanse hypnotically. He watched her naked back, muscles shifting and trembling as he continued. Sweat beaded down her skin, mixing with his own and growing the stain on the mattress.

"Fuck! Me! YES!" Aria shouted into the pillow as her velvety folds squeezed Travis's cock, pulsing along his length.

Then, he felt his own release come. His dick, pressed against Aria's cervix, exploded with hot, thick cum. He felt his tool pulse, spurting additional shots by the second. The woman's half-conscious moans told him she also felt him filling her up. After several seconds, Travis slowly relented, his now-softening cock leaving Aria's folds.

He watched her quiver as her orgasm still rippled through her body. Her hips trembled, delightful ripples traveling across her ass. Her pussy pulsed, a trickle of white escaping. The rosebud of her anus, hidden between the mighty cheeks, also twitched, unused but present. Her back arched, Aria's hands grabbing the pillow and hugging it close.

After a minute, the white-haired Mage twitched in her position. Consciousness slowly returned to her green eyes, her gaze changing focus and finally finding the man.

"...gods," she panted. "I... I can't feel my legs," Aria's thought continued between huffs. However, a small smile graced her sweaty face.

Travis chuckled, wiping some sweat dribbling down his frame. Then, in a casual motion, he brought a hand to Aria's ass, grabbing one cheek and letting his hand sink in its abundance. His action immediately prompted a short moan. She rolled on her side, giving him space to join her in the bed.

Travis blew some air on her neck.

Aria giggled softly, rubbing the spot with a hand. Noticing the sheen of sweat all over her palm, she sighed.

"You're carrying me to the bathhouse."

He nudged her cheek with his nose. "Mhmm."

The Mage slowly turned. As her breathing slowed and stabilized, she closed her eyes, putting her forehead against Travis's chest. For now, any questions and problems that lurked in her head could be laid to rest.

Basking in the afterglow, Aria let her eyelids come down.