"Do you want to hear a ... touching story?" Tarisel asked.

“Huh?”

Aaron glanced at them. He was not sure if it was because he was in a soul form at that moment, but from the beginning until now, he had always been able to catch the monster’s feelings, although just as light as a whisper, here one moment and gone the next.

The emotions that Tarisel carried when asking that question were complicated.

A hint of nostalgia, a trace of sarcasm, oh, and also a bit of sadness. Why is it like that? Aaron wondered.

"Why not?" he shrugged.

"More than six thousand two hundred years ago, Orpheus, the third son of Apollo, disguised himself as a mortal and traveled to the sandrealm of Thrace," Tarisel began to tell the story. "There, he met a woman whose beauty was unmatched. Her name was Eurydice, and they fell in love at first sight. Not long after, they got married and had beautiful children together. However, he never once revealed his true identity to his wife. One day, Eurydice died because she wanted to 'protect' her husband."

Oh. It was that famous story from Greek Myth. But what was a sandrealm? Was it a land full of sand? Was Thrace in a desert? Aaron wondered.

Tarisel continued:

"His regret drove Orpheus into madness and clouded his judgment. In the depths of his grief, he made a reckless decision: he drifted along the Flow of Destiny and stepped into the Abyss. The young divine being wanted to reclaim his wife's soul from the hands of fate.  And after that …"

The monster paused for a moment.

Aaron cut in:

"I know that story. It’s also passed down in the mortal world. It’s the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice. After that, he played a beautiful song that moved Ha…”

"Shut your mouth! Do you have a death wish???" Tarisel shouted out loud.

"Huh?" Aaron frowned.

Why did this monster freak out for no reason?

" Do not mention the name of a Major Being without due respect. Doing so carries a small chance of drawing their attention," Tarisel replied. "And if it just so happens to be the day they are in a bad mood, then you are out of luck."

"I see. But didn’t you just mention Apollo yourself?"

"This is the Abyss, a place where the divine beings of the living world can’t reach," Tarisel said.

“Ok, sure.” Aaron shrugged. “Orpheus played a song so beautiful that it moved … the Lord of the Underworld. He agreed to let Orpheus bring his wife back to the world of the living, but there was one condition: he could not look back at her before leaving Hell. When they were almost out, because of hesitation and doubt, he turned his head back, which caused Eurydice to be trapped in the Underworld forever."

"That is just a variation known among mortals," the third goat head said, their voice indifferent and detached.

"So, in the version you know, what happens next?" Aaron asked.

"After that, Orpheus died," Tarisel replied.

Huh? What?

"His divine body was torn to pieces. His radiant blood was drained to the very last drop. His godhood was tainted and stolen. He became the trophy of two princes, one duke, and one president of the Abyss.” Tarisel pointed straight ahead. "The place where he died erupted into a golden flame that has burned that land forever."

Aaron looked at the boundless sea of fire in front of him, unsure of what to say.

"However, in his last moments, Orpheus managed to hide his heart within the flame of his memories and dreams. A heart that was fully awakened, matured, and soaked with divine power," Tarisel said, their mouths drooling.

"So, what does that have to do with me? Why didn’t you just go in there yourself and take it?" Aaron asked.

"It’s not that simple. After all, Orpheus was a god. If the intruder does not possess a similar nature or physical essence, they will never be able to find his heart. Even if someone could endure the solar fire, they would not be able to step into Orpheus’s dream without the heart of a Sunkindler," Tarisel explained.

They fixed their gaze on Aaron and bared their sharp teeth.

"I have been waiting for you for six thousand two hundred years. Now you must understand what I need you to do. Step into that flame and find it. If you can locate the heart and bring it to me, I promise I will let you return home. I may even reward you with unimaginable power," they said.

"You make it sound like I even have another choice. Is there anything I should be aware of? Like some kind of rules?" Aaron asked.

"In those dreams, the heart could take any form: a person, an animal, a piece of fruit, a stone, a handful of sand … but you will know once you touch it," Tarisel said.

"Besides that, once you step into this sea of fire, if you cannot find the heart within half an hour, the flame will disappear, and you will be trapped inside forever. I will try to extend the time for you, but at most, it will be just under one hour," they added.

"Understood," Aaron nodded.

"You should make use of your time and find it as fast as you can. I wish you luck."

They swung their arm and hurled Aaron into the golden sea of fire, causing it to flare up in a sudden burst of fury.

After that, Tarisel’s flawless face parted its lips and began to sing with its eyes still closed. Their singing was as perfect as their face, and their gender was impossible to distinguish just from their voice.

The song carried an ancient melody. The lyrics were full of longing and self-blame. The sea of fire began to settle into stillness under the singing and then returned to its original state.

…

In Orpheus’s dream.

Aaron found himself standing in an ancient marketplace. Along the street were houses built from brick, stone, and mortar, most of them with wooden frames and tiled roofs.

On both sides of the road, stalls sold a wide variety of goods. There were ones offering wine and olive oil stored in large ceramic jars. Next to them were other stalls selling fruits, food, fabrics, jewelry …

The market was crowded with every kind of person: merchants, commoners, nobles, servants, slaves … all doing their own job.

The cries of vendors, along with bargaining, joking, and scolding, created a bustling atmosphere full of life. Aaron walked among the crowd. Everything around him was so vivid and realistic.

"This is supposed to be a dream? It feels just like reality," he muttered.

He tried waving his hand in front of a passerby’s face, but the person did not react and continued walking, even passing straight through his hand.

Only then was Aaron certain that he was inside Orpheus’s dream, rather than having been cast back to ancient Greece.

"Twang, twang," the sound of a lyre came from the side.

Aaron turned his head and saw, to his right, in the distance, a young man of about seventeen or eighteen years old. He had a tall build, must be over six feet, a well-toned face with golden hair and bright eyes of the same color.

Even though he was wearing a simple white chiton, it was still enough to make passing girls blush and throw glances his way.

He was playing a lyre. His fingers danced on the strings, producing a melody that made passersby stop and listen, gathering a crowd around him.

"This must be Orpheus," Aaron muttered.

He stepped toward the young god. Even though he was walking at a normal pace, he reached Orpheus’s side within only two or three steps.

"Wow, that was fast. Perfect! This way I can check more things," Aaron cheered.

From far away, voices began to echo in excitement:

"Princess Eurydice!"

"She truly is a beauty blessed by the gods. No, I think this face could even make the Beauty Herself jealous."

The people around began to chatter.

Foolish mortals. How dare they compare a mortal woman to Aunt Aphrodite? Do they even know what they are saying? Orpheus thought to himself, his hands still playing the lyre, not even bothering to look up.

Clink.

A golden coin dropped onto the ground between his feet, making him stop playing and raise his head.

Standing in front of him was a young maiden riding a mistmane horse, wearing a white cloak trimmed with gold that reached the ground. Surrounding her were more than ten guards, keeping tight to her side. She looked down at Orpheus and said:

"Your music is good. Follow me, today is my father’s birthday. If you can make him happy, you will receive a reward thousands of times greater than that coin."

Orpheus’s mind went blank the moment he saw the girl’s face.

I must not let grandfather see her! was the very first thought that came to his mind. Or else I will have another step-grandmother.

As for Aaron, he blurted out:

"Tar … Tarisel!"