Aric awoke in a dream but Aric doesn't know that. All he sees is darkness.
Where even am I...How long was I out...Ivy?
I remembered I was being carried by my wife...
Then the scene came into light or rather, Ashwick was engulfed in flames.
Its once-bustling streets reduced to ash and ruin. Faces twisted in agony screamed silently, their voices drowned out by the roar of fire consuming everything in its path. Shadowy figures moved through the chaos, their identities obscured.
Wait what's going on!? What even is this!?
And then there was Evelyn her defiant stance crumbling as someone plunged their fiery hands into her chest, tearing out her heart with brutal efficiency.
EVELYN!!!!!!!!!!!
Her expression froze mid-fall—not fear, not pain, but regret. As if she knew this fate was inevitable.
Fire magic crackled ominously in the background, illuminating the carnage with an eerie orange glow. A voice, chillingly similar to Ivy's yet laced with something darker, echoed in his ears;
"This is the future caused by your actions, Aric Lawson. You did this."
Before Aric could process the weight of those words, he jolted awake, gasping for air.
His gaze landed immediately on Seraphina, who sat elegantly at the foot of his bed, clad in a striking red dress that seemed almost too vibrant.
Her piercing blue eyes studied him intently,
"You were panting." she said flatly,
"And you were mumbling in your sleep. What did you dream?"
Aric hesitated, debating whether to share the horrifying vision or dismiss it as nonsense.
What the fuck was that? It was a dream no? It's not real? But the voice...it sounded like her...Why the hell did I dream Evelyn dead? Is it even a dream?
Seraphina...would she even believe me? I mean she doesn't even trust me to hold a single paper let alone this vivid dream...
Ivy?
Ivy didn't respond to him, there was no popup screen like usual. No absurd cosplays, no sarcastic remarks. Surprisingly, this made Aric's heart ache a little.
Right I forgot, she's not a system. She's a guide and has personality...Probably sleeping or something.
Sighing deeply, he recounted the details haltingly, each word heavier than the last,
"I saw a city burning." he began softly, avoiding her gaze,
"Evelyn… she died. Someone killed her—with fire magic I think. And a voice…"
He swallowed hard, "It said this future was caused by my actions."
For a moment, silence stretched between them. Then Seraphina let out a derisive snort, shaking her head,
"Look, I don't like you but I'm trying to buy into your nonsense of not being Vayne so, it's just a bad dream okay. You were sweating like you were in a desert however, so I stayed here to check in on you. Even so, do you genuinely think you're some prophet now?"
Aric sighed in defeat, knowing she wouldn't believe him no matter how sincere he sounded.,
"I don't know what it means. Maybe it's just stress catching up with me. But it felt… real. Like a warning."
Seraphina raised an eyebrow skeptically,
"You're probably just tired Vayne. You did use that magic that manipulates everything which is impressive but I assume it took a toll on your mental and mana. You suffered something called mana poisoning. Usually in 99% case, it's from overloading but the rare case, hence you, suffered from having dangerously low mana."
"With that said, your body recovers mana naturally and your dream is just something that came from it. Don't let it affect you."
Without another word, she rose gracefully from her seat and her tendrils snaked toward a nearby cabinet, retrieving neatly folded clothing and placing it gently on the table beside his bed.
Aric noticed the deliberate care with which she handled the task—a stark contrast to her usual disdainful demeanour. She turned back to him,
"Well then." she said curtly, gesturing toward the pile of clothes.
"You at least need to look good today. You've still got Callista's renovation to finish—and apparently, gravity magic has proven surprisingly useful for wiring her ridiculous estate. Who knew?"
Her casual dismissal of the situation didn't fool him entirely but Seraphina left the room and now slamming the door like usual.
There is something different about her today—the way she close the door gently instead of slamming it, the fact that she'd bothered to organize my clothes at all. Aric thought to himself rather critically.
These small gestures hinted at a complexity beneath her hatred, one he couldn't quite decipher.
Why though? Was she being nice because we are in someone's else house? No that's not right. Seraphina hates Callista more than me...I don't get it.
What change?
As if on cue to interrupt his thoughts, a golden notification screen shimmered into existence beside him. Ivy appeared in her white hoodie
[Congratulations, Aric! You've officially earned a slight bump in reputation—from non-existent to a solid D- Not bad for someone everyone loves to hate.]
Reputation upgrade -> D-
Ivy, you're here! Aric thought happily but then he remembered the dream,
What about the dream? Was that real?
[Oh, absolutely real. That little glimpse of fiery doom? Totally happening thanks to your FUTURE perks. Welcome to the joys of being of Vayne Arkwright.]
But why show me this? Why now?
Ivy rolled her eyes and her tone was full of her sarcasm, [Because Ms Fate loves drama, obviously.]
[On a real note. Consider it a heads-up. Your choices matter now more than ever. One wrong move, and poof—Ashwick becomes toast. Literally.]
That was...Ashwick? Fuck. That's the city I was just in.
Aric groaned inwardly, the weight of responsibility settling heavily on his shoulders.
Great. Just great.
[Don't worry too much, though. On the bright side, Seraphina seems marginally less homicidal toward you. Baby steps, right?]
I wouldn't call ordering me to 'look good' while reminding me I'm working for Callista progress.
[True, but hey—a neatly folded shirt is practically a love letter coming from her. Cherish the small victories, Aric.]
As Ivy's faded away, Aric glanced at the pristine white outfit Seraphina had left for him. Despite her cutting remarks and lingering hostility, the gesture struck him as oddly thoughtful.
Seraphina hates me, well Vayne to be precise—that much was undeniable. Yet here she was, ensuring my clothes was prepared.
"Look, I don't like you."
And yet, her actions told a different story...
With a heavy sigh, he pulled on the fresh clothes, steeling himself for whatever challenges awaited him at Callista's estate.
I guess I can appreciate the small victories.