A Change

"Calm down, child," she said, her voice dismissive. "He'll be fine. This is for his own good. He needs to be cleansed and purified. Just for the days would do, and he would be as powerful as Darryl, trust me."

"I would never trust you, but you've got to believe me, if Everett doesn't return in the given range time, you would not live to see the next sunrise." Aria threatened her, her face was bloody red. It was flustered with trouble.

Athena smirked as Aria walked past her, hitting her with her tiny shoulders. Even though Aria's powers can never match with hers, still, his heart kept pounding in fear.

"That little bitch can't pose as a threat to me," She tried to calm herself down. But she knew what Aria can do, she's never to be trusted. "Everett would surely resurrect, so there's nothing to be afraid for."

"I can't just standby and watch that selfish lady get what she wants. She wants to use Everett for her own gain, she wants the system all to herself. I'll stop her, by all means!" She smiled as a sweet plan popped into her head. The plan was dangerous, but she had to take the risk so as to safe the system from Athena.

•••

Darryl, Hugo and Shera stood at the front of a black and white computer, waiting impatiently for the loading sign on it. Three loud thump on the door distracted them and brought them back to reality.

Darryl crept towards the door, his hand wrapped around the hilt of his sword. He moved slowly and silently, trying not to alert the figure on the other side of the door.

Hugo gave Darryl a silent signal, warning him not to act rashly. They had no idea who was on the other side of the door, and they didn't want to risk making a mistake. Darryl nodded in understanding, holding his breath as he waited for the figure to reveal itself.

Darryl reached out slowly, his hand trembling as he turned the doorknob and opened the door. But there was no one there. The hallway was empty, and the silence was deafening.

Darryl and Hugo exchanged a look of confusion and surprise. Where had the figure gone? Had it all been a trick of the light, or their imagination? The tension in the room was palpable, as they both waited for something else to happen.

As Darryl and Hugo turned around, they came face to face with a young woman. She sat quietly on a stool in the corner of the room, her eyes fixed on them with an unreadable expression.

Her name was Aria, and she had been in the room the whole time. The two men stood frozen, unsure what to do or say. Aria was an enigma, and they had no idea what to expect from her. They had never seen her before, and she seemed to know more than they did.

With another thought, Darryl knew he had seen her before when he went to threaten the system leaders. She was surely one of them.

"Is that the proper way to greet your visitor?" Aria asked with a sly smile.

"Is that the proper way for a visitor to come in?" Hugo shot back, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

The tension in the room was thick as the two of them stared each other down. Aria was unruffled, her calm demeanor in stark contrast to the palpable anxiety of Hugo and Darryl.

"I suppose that depends on your definition of proper," Aria replied, her lips curling into a smirk.

"What is it that you seek from us?" Hugo asked, his voice trembling slightly with fear.

Aria's smile widened as she took in the nervous energy emanating from the two men. "I seek information," she said, her voice low and even. "Information that only you two can provide."

Darryl felt a chill run down his spine as he listened to Aria speak. What information could she possibly want from them? And why did she seem so calm and collected, while they were both clearly on edge?

"I want to join your group," Aria said, her gaze never leaving their faces. "I want to be part of what you're doing."

Darryl and Hugo exchanged a look, their confusion and fear growing by the second.

"Why?" Darryl asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "What makes you think you can be a part of this?"

Aria smiled again, a hint of mischief in her eyes. "I have skills and informations that would be useful to you," she said.

"Athena killed Everett," Aria said, watching as Darryl and Hugo's eyes widened in shock. "And now he is going to wake up and become the most powerful being in the system. You need my help to stop him."

Darryl and Hugo were stunned into silence, trying to process what Aria had just told them. Everett was dead, and he was going to become a threat unlike any they had ever faced before. They had no idea what to do next.

"Why should we trust you?" Darryl finally managed to ask.

Shera, who had been quiet up until now, spoke up. "I can feel that Aria is telling the truth," she said, her voice calm and steady. "I can sense that she is not lying to us."

Darryl and Hugo looked at each other again, unsure what to make of this new information. Shera's ability to detect truth and lies was unerring, and if she said that Aria was telling the truth, then it must be so. But that still left the question of what to do next.

"Why did you choose to betray Athena?" Darryl asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. "What made you turn against her?"

Aria's eyes flashed with anger, and for a moment, Darryl feared that he had pushed too far. But then she took a deep breath and spoke.

"Athena is not who she seems," she said, her voice filled with emotion.

"I think I've told you that before," Aria said, a hint of bitterness in her voice. "Athena has been manipulating us all. She is not the benevolent being that she pretends to be."

Darryl and Hugo were both silent, trying to process what Aria was saying. This was the first time they had heard anything like this about Athena.Could Aria be right? Could Aria be a villain in disguise?

"I know it's hard to believe me," Aria said, her voice growing more urgent, "but you have to trust me. We don't have much time to waste!"

She looked at Shera, who was already convinced of her story. But Darryl and Hugo were still hesitant, not sure what to believe.

"We don't have time for this," Aria said, her eyes flashing with impatience. "The longer we wait, the more powerful Athena becomes when Everett is back. We need to act now."

Darryl and Hugo looked at each other, still unsure what to do.

"We'll take you in on one condition," Hugo said, his voice steady and determined. "You have to prove to us that you're telling the truth. You have to show us that Athena is a threat."

Aria nodded, looking grateful for the chance to prove herself. "I can do that," she said.

"I have evidence that will show you everything."

Darryl and Hugo exchanged a look, not sure what to believe. But they had no other option. They had to take a chance on Aria.

A smirk broke out on Aria's face which showed her braveness. "On top of that, you have to help us murder Athena and help us bring her staff." Aria was shocked, how could she possibly murder Athena. Athena is the most powerful sorceress that had ever lived.