The Domain disappeared behind him completely, finally revealing where they were the whole time. Aren looked around once more, scanning the place.

It seemed like another abandoned building, presumably in one of the abandoned areas that he found Shen and his crew in before.

However, his attention snapped immediately back to the girl now laying on the floor. Her shoulders jerked violently, like something inside her had suddenly seized control.

CRACK!

Thin fractures spread across her skin, crawling up from her arms, toward her neck like dried earth breaking apart. The red in her eyes deepened, whites in her iris were swallowed whole and turning into a violent bloodshot red.

"...Ghh—"

Her breathing grew uneven and ragged, before—

She disappeared.

BANG!

Her clawed strike slammed into his gauntlet, the force of it sending a shockwave through his entire body. The ground beneath his feet cracked as he was pushed back half a step.

What the hell? What’s with this sudden power?!

But he realized this wasn’t the same girl from before. If anything, she’d become almost barbaric, like given into her instincts completely.

She lunged again, body twisting unnaturally as she struck from behind, ignoring the injuries that should’ve slowed her down.

Blood seeped from the cracks along her skin, yet she didn’t react to it at all.

Aren ducked under the strike, pivoting to the side before driving his gauntlet forward—

BOOM!

The blow connected cleanly with her abdomen, sending her skidding back across the ground. But even as she slid, her body twisted again, claws digging into the concrete to stop herself before launching forward once more.

"Tch—she’s ignoring everything..."

She lunged again, but this time, Aren met her head-on. He slipped past her strike, grabbing her wrist mid-motion before driving his knee into her side.

CRACK!

He slammed her into the ground, pinning her down with one arm as the gauntlet pressed against her throat, electricity gathering faintly at the surface. But even while on the ground, she clawed and struggled, trying to bite at his arm.

"...She’s too far gone," he muttered.

Aren raised his arm slightly, preparing to finish it before— 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"—NO!"

Something slammed into his back. But even as it did, there wasn’t much force behind it. Aren turned, only to see Miu, in a state of panic.

Aren frowned. "Miu, she’s not—"

"I know."

Her eyes flickered briefly between him and Eveline before she took a slow breath and tugged on his sweater.

"...Just trust me."

Aren’s grip tightened around his gauntlet.

"This isn’t something you can just—"

"I said I know!"

"..."

For a moment, neither of them moved, before Miu added softly:

"Please."

Aren stared at her. At the way her hands trembled slightly despite how firmly she stood her ground. He exhaled slowly, the lightning that had gathered around his gauntlet had completely disappeared.

"...You’ve got ten seconds," he muttered, stepping back just enough to give her space, but still holding Eveline down with his gauntlet.

"If she moves—"

"I know," Miu said softly.

She stepped forward slowly, hands hovering in the air before lowering them gently toward Eve’s shoulder—but she stopped just short of touching her.

"...It’s okay."

No response. Eve’s fingers twitched violently, her body tensing again as if she was preparing to lash out. Behind her, Aren’s stance shifted slightly, ready to move at a moment’s notice.

Yet, Miu only took a deep breath...and slowly—

She started to sing.

♩ "When the night feels colder than it should..." ♫

♫ "And the world forgets the things it once understood..." ♩

Her voice was quiet at first, barely above a whisper. But the moment the sound left her lips, the atmosphere changed.

The air itself seemed to soften, bending subtly around her voice as faint ripples of her ether spread outward.

It was...gentle.

Aren’s eyes narrowed slightly as he felt it.

This isn’t an attack...it’s—a Domain? No, Miu’s not advanced enough to pull one off yet.

It’s probably...an Art.

Miu’s voice grew louder as she continued, the melody weaving through the space like a thread, wrapping itself around Eveline like metaphysical threads.

♫ "You don’t have to fight what you can’t see..." ♩

♩ "You don’t have to run, you can stay with me..." ♫

Eveline’s body jerked once, the erratic breathing she had begun faltering as the song reached her. The bloodshot glow in her eyes slowly pulled back.

♫ "Even if your voice has long since gone..." ♩

♩ "I’ll sing the words you’ve been holding on..." ♫

The tension in her body began to unravel, bit by bit. Eveline relaxed her body, enough for Aren to pull back.

He watched as the cracks on her skin began to soften, eventually disappearing back into her body like it was never there to begin with.

What the...how the hell can she do something like that? Was the Sound Element really that strong? Or was it because of her injected Bloodline...?

Regardless, looks like its working...

♫ "So rest...just breathe...you’re not alone tonight..." ♩

♩ "Even broken wings remember how to fly..." ♫

"Calming Melody."

As soon as the Art was announced and the song ended, Eveline’s body went slack. Both Aren and Miu rushed toward her, crouching beside Eveline’s body to check.

Aren quickly put two fingers on her neck, checking for a pulse before he heard it.

Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump.

"She’s alive," he muttered.

Whatever Miu did...

It worked.

Eveline’s body jerked once before a sharp cough tore from her throat, air forcing its way back into her lungs. Her fingers curled weakly against the ground, nails scraping softly against the concrete as she struggled to steady her breathing.

Then her eyelids fluttered open. For a moment, her gaze was unfocused as it drifted aimlessly, trying to recognize her surroundings.

Then her eyes shifted.

First, to Aren. They lingered there for a second, wary and guarded, as if trying to recall whether he was a threat or not.

Then they finally landed on Miu.

Eveline’s breathing hitched again, pupils shrinking as the faint remnants of confusion she had cleared in an instant. Her fingers trembled as they slowly lifted, as if she didn’t quite believe what she was seeing.

"...You..."

"You’re...It’s really you..."

"..."

"002."