It was noon when a sleek black luxury car came to a stop in front of a futuristic dome-like structure with the name Historia displayed across its entrance.

Gavriel stepped out smoothly before making his way around to receive Aliana from the other side. She emerged in a beautiful bronze silk dress paired with an oversized fur coat, looking every bit the heiress she was. Her golden locks were styled into a neat low bun, showing off the delicate diamond hoops adorning her ears.

Gavriel was impeccably dressed in a black bespoke suit, paired with a long overcoat and black gloves, looking as dashing as ever.

They drew immediate attention, turning heads as they cut through the crowd with Aliana’s arm looped securely through his as they made their way inside the building, which was none other than Aria’s prestigious museum.

Last night, when he had asked Aliana what she wanted to do, he had noticed the mischievous gleam shining in those jewel-like eyes of hers. She never outright told him what she had planned. Instead, she simply asked him to promise that, since it was her first time here, he would take her anywhere she wanted without complaining.

To put it simply, she had asked him to surrender the entire day to her.

Seeing how genuinely excited she was, Gavriel couldn’t bring himself to say no. It wasn’t as if he had anything better in mind, so he chose to follow through with whatever she desired. Hence, after a two-hour drive, they had arrived at their first destination.

He was definitely not a museum person. Having lived for so long, he was practically a part of history himself, which perhaps explained why he had little interest in revisiting it. Besides, he had never been much of an outgoing person to begin with.

Yet when he saw how much more relaxed she seemed compared to yesterday, practically glowing with excitement at the prospect of spending the day exploring the city, he found himself going along with it without complaint.

The moment they stepped into the grand premises of the museum, Aliana’s eyes lit up with admiration as she took in the intricate architecture of the building. They paced forward slowly, making their way into the inner wings where the paintings were displayed, each detailing the rich history of Aria.

It was said that Aria was only a small village five hundred years ago, where the people survived mainly by fishing and hunting. Soon, however, a few nobles moved from a far-off land and discovered the immense potential of the area.

They unearthed rare minerals to trade with other nations, along with a variety of scarce medicinal herbs that grew exclusively in this region. This marked the beginning of a civilisation built from the ground up.

Yet, the most mysterious part of the text noted that these founding nobles completely vanished behind third parties after only a few years, choosing a highly secluded lifestyle while the city itself continued to thrive.

Aliana moved with effortless grace from one information display to another, reading through the history of the land. "That’s interesting," she murmured softly. She turned to look at the silent man by her side, asking curiously, "Did you know about this, Gav?"

"Hm. Like I said, I’ve been here before," Gavriel replied quietly, his blue eyes meeting hers.

"Right." Aliana nodded before her gaze shifted toward a more exclusive section of the museum, which was separated from the main hall by a heavy red velvet curtain.

"Let’s check out that side next," Aliana suggested, gesturing lightly with her chin while keeping her eyes fixed on the entrance.

Following her line of sight, Gavriel’s gaze settled on the secluded section, and a slight frown briefly appeared on his forehead before disappearing altogether.

He didn’t say anything because Aliana was already dragging him along with her.

After entering the exclusive section, they were greeted by an elderly gentleman dressed to perfection in a vintage tweed vest and coat.

He bowed slightly, greeting them with a polite smile. "Good afternoon, honoured guests. Welcome to the ancient mythological section of Historia."

"Mythological?" Aliana’s brows rose in genuine surprise.

The man smiled warmly, gesturing toward the dimly lit room behind him. "Yes, Madame. This section preserves the oldest legends of our world. Tales from an era lost to time, when humanity was not alone. History speaks of a dawn when different types of beings walked openly among us. There were powerful beings who commanded the elements, and an intricate, regal hierarchy of vampires and other beings who ruled from the great palaces."

As Aliana listened carefully, Gavriel stood beside her with his expression utterly unreadable.

"But as the legends go," the old man continued, "peace never lasts. These texts detail an ancient war that eventually broke out between the forces of good and evil. A battle of light against darkness that reshaped the map of our world until one day, those magical lineages disappeared completely. Many believe them to be mere fairy tales now, but the artifacts here say otherwise. Please, feel free to explore the remnants of the forgotten past."

"Uh... that’s interesting," Aliana replied with a polite smile.

As a skeptic, she found it difficult to believe any of the folklore, but not wanting to be rude, she lightly added, "We’ll look around."

The man bowed again. "Enjoy your tour. Should you have any questions, I will be here to assist you."

With a nod, the couple moved deeper into the exhibit, stopping to observe various paintings depicting ancient wars. One side portrayed a dark figure shrouded in shadow, while the other showed a man and a woman standing together against him.

The next displays featured faded, partially restored portraits of the kings and queens who must have ruled during that era. As they continued past them, they came across fragments of ancient weapons and pieces of armour preserved inside glass cases.

Then Aliana abruptly stopped; her attention had been captured by a particular painting.

The canvas showed a woman with dark brown hair looking straight ahead with deep, striking blue eyes. Though her facial features were blurred by centuries of ageing, Aliana could tell from her gaze alone how beautiful she must have been.

Her eyes then moved to the man beside her, whose eyes were a molten red. Just like the woman, his features were obscured by time, but both were dressed in magnificent regal attire, clearly indicating their royal lineage. The possessive, loving way his hand rested on the woman’s shoulder spoke volumes about their bond.

Aliana didn’t know why she was staring at this particular piece longer than the others, but she couldn’t help but wonder if they really existed at one point in time.

When her gaze lowered to the plaque below, it read only a single title: The Divine Ones.

"The Divine Ones, huh?" Aliana repeated softly. "What do you think it means, Gav?"

She turned her head to look at him, only to find him staring intensely at the painting.

When he didn’t respond immediately, she observed his sharp profile, noting his unusual focus. "I see this one caught your interest as well."

That was when he tore his icy blue eyes away from the canvas, catching her observing him so carefully.

Wordlessly, he lifted a gloved hand, gently brushing his knuckles against her cheek. "Are you planning to spend your entire afternoon here?"

A faint blush coloured her cheeks.

"Of course not," she replied, shaking her head. "We still have plenty of places to visit."

He looked at her for a second longer before lifting his wrist to check his watch. "It’s already two in the afternoon."

"Oh my, I didn’t realise so much time had passed. Let’s head to the next place. We’re done here anyway," Aliana replied, knowing they had only one day to explore.

She stole one final look at the mysterious couple in the painting before feeling the warmth of his hand resting against the small of her back.

Shaking off the strange, lingering spell of the museum, she let him guide her out into the crisp winter air.