However, her confusion would soon temporarily end. Within minutes, the door knob to the room she was in twisted. With curious eyes, Aria looked at the entrance and soon saw the sight of a beautiful blonde girl who had her hair braided to one side loosely. She carried a basket full of fruits, and upon seeing Aria's awakened figure, the woman imdiately ca forward and put her basket down.
She stepped closer to Aria without warning, making her jerk away in reflex. The woman seed surprised at Aria's reaction, but within seconds, she cald herself down. She was being too hasty. She did not even know who this random stranger she brought into her ho was, but she just felt compelled to help her when she first saw the woman sprawled over the hard ground. A lot of people passed her collapsed figure, but no one actually tried to help her.
"No, you are not supposed to get up yet! Lie down, lie down more. Everything will be fine, you don't need to worry," The woman's voice was panicked as she looked at Aria's state, which was actually not that bad.
Aria was distraught by the situation. "Who... might you be?" She was in a trance, trying to process all of this foreign exposure.
The woman laid Aria back down on the bad and told her to relax as she moved on to the fruits basket she brought, taking one of the fresh object and peeling it for the 'sick' patient. "Are you shy? You don't need to be! I think that you must have collapsed out of exhaustion since I don't see any injuries on you.. How do you feel?"
"I think that.. my mind isn't sorted out yet. I'm still dizzy," Aria decided to play along and answered the woman.
"Hmm.. I might not be as qualified as the big cities' doctors, but I am this town's physician. I checked your state using magic.. I don't think that you have any disease or anything, which is why I was wondering why you collapsed. Do you have any underlying conditions? You are not this town's person, are you? I have never seen you before," The woman said, acting very professionally.
"Uhh.. I should be fine after I clear up my mind. I don't have any disease, and I think I really might have just been tired. Thank you for saving ... Miss?" Aria did not know what to call her since she never learned her na, so she resorted to 'Miss'.
"Ahh, right. You don't know yet. You don't need to call Miss, I think we are about the sa age. My na is Eliza." The woman introduced herself with a bright smile.
She was very kind and gentle, while also being excited and bubbly with her every moves.
Aria gave up as the woman fed her the fruits she prepared. She didn't feel any ill intent from her, so she just let her be. She repeated her na inside her mind. Eliza.
"What is your last na?" Aria asked out of boredom as Eliza continued taking care of her.
"..Last na?" Eliza widened her eyes in shock. "Wait.. are you seriously asking for a last na? , soone inside this small town in the middle of nowhere? No way! I don't have a last na!" Eliza laughed boisterously, as if she couldn't believe what Aria had just said.
Aria concluded that this place seed to have quite the different sche. Apparently, only nobles, royalties, or people of high status could have a last na. People like Eliza couldn't even dream of getting a last na of their own.
"..Wait.. If you are asking that, then.. could it be, you actually have a last na?" Eliza imdiately shirked backwards. "Hey, what is your na?" she asked.
"Aria. My na is Aria,"
"Aria.. that's a very pretty na, but.. You don't happen to have have a last na though, right? You do have quite the intense aura.. I think that you are very graceful," It was a complint, but Aria was quite hesitant in case she slipped during the conversation. "Are you a noble? Or soone with a last na?
Aria fell silent for a split second. She avoided looking at Eliza's stare because she felt uncomfortable, but the woman couldn't understand her dilemmas at this point.
Just then, a gift ca down from the heavens to help Aria out.
"Big sister! I got the dicine you.. wanted.." A young man barged into the room, opening the door wide. With him, he carried a bag that had leaves protruding out of the small creases.
Eliza's expression softened like jelly upon seeing the young man. "Hey, you are back, little child!" she called out with enthusiasm, opening her hands wide as if gesturing for the young child to dive into her embrace. The child did as told and snuggled up to the elder woman.
After 'greeting' each other for several monts, they finally turned to pay attention to Aria and was reminded of her existence.
"You... Hello! My na is Raon," the boy introduced himself too. "Nice to et you!"
Aria was too distracted at this point. Because everything was finally starting to make sense for her.
The boy in front of her shared a striking resemblance to the Noel she would later co to know. She felt her eyes start to beco watery as the child made her recall an influx of mories that brought a complex ride of emotions to her.
After that, they talked for a long ti, with them continuously asking if Aria was alright or not. After the day started to get dark, it was finally ti to stop chatting. The room Aria was currently in turned out to be the city's property, and that the two siblings lived sowhere else- aning that they would have to leave Aria in this place alone.
This peace was gratefully accepted by Aria, who finally had a mont of peace to herself. Her mind was still awfully confused, but the interaction she had with the siblings felt so real that she would have a hard ti believing if this was all part of an illusion. However, illusory realms' biggest weakness was when the target was well aware of the fact that the realm was fake, and thus making it hard for them.
Seconds turned into minutes, then hours, days... By the ti she realized it, she was already getting along with so of the children and was even playing with them .
Aria almost went crazy after searching for a way to return or at least get any sort of connection with the System. She was trapped in this strange realm with people she did not even know. However, exactly because she felt pressured like that, Aria decided to take this special chance of a vacation of so sorts.
No, that was wrong. She knew one person. Her disciple, Noel. Although he was now known as Raon, she couldn't be mistaken about his identity. He was Noel, the child she treated as her own offspring.
Noel was a na that she gave to the child upon taking him in. He always refused to disclose his real na and ntion things about his past. In the tragic incident, he was affected the most since all of his loved ones practically died and withered away, leaving him with nobody else in the town. That was one of the main reasons why Noel decided to follow her into her journeys.
The only thing holding her conscience up was the child's existence. The fact that he was here ward her heart up quite high, but uncertainty was still brewing inside her.
Noel's real na was Raon, and Eliza was his sister. From this alone, Aria was already able to conclude that Eliza must have been one of the victims back then. Raon was very caring towards her sister and there was no way that he wouldn't stick to the town if not for her death.
The two siblings turned out to be a pretty solitary pair. They had so close acquaintances within the city too, but the pair lived on their own without much help from the rest of the town anyway.
Aria couldn't even begin to imagine the devastation the poor child must have faced after his loved ones received the heavy blunt of the incident. Another thing to be lanted is that if Aria ca a bit early, then this situation could have been avoided.
Today was her third day staying inside the Sanctuary with still little to no hope of coming back. With the gradual ti increase, Aria almost wanted to give and not play this strange Tower gimmick anymore. However, it proved to not be possible since all of her stuff seed to be related to Aria in one way or another.
Aria walked out of the community house and stretched her body out, the powerful sunlight gracing her figure. Her acts were caught by Raon, who just happened to be passing by. "Big sister Aria! Hello,"
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