Aries Villanite
Aries Villanite is a Hybrid male and Emperor of the Avinadal Empire, though that title tells little of the road that led him there. Born in 160 AF inside a secret laboratory beneath the Hadi Enterprises Maleidic Power Plant on Anili Island, Aries was never a child so much as a product — an experimental subject engineered for an extreme tolerance of Maleidic energy. His mother, Mariyan, was herself a subject. The records of the program named the Waerrani politician Tulian Mercusi as his biological father, chosen for the structure of his genetic code and rewarded handsomely for his contribution. The records were a lie. Mariyan had doctored them before her son was born; Aries' actual biological father is Idris Hadi himself. Aries did not learn this until decades later, on the perimeter of an arena.
He grew up alongside other facility children, forming bonds that the doctors used as leverage and tools. His closest childhood companions — Piper, a sickly but joyful girl, and Kiriko, a gifted fighter — were taken from him before he understood why. What he eventually learned was more devastating than their absence: both died because of him, during experiments that overloaded his Maleidic output and left no room for mercy. He had no memories of either death. The facility made sure of that.
When Mariyan passed, she left him a data drive. The truth it contained — about his origins, his father, the lies that had built their world — broke something open in him. He killed his way out of the facility in 175 AF — at fifteen years old, exactly fifteen years after the inaugural Annual War Games — destroyed the power plant's Maleidic core, and walked into a world that had no idea he existed.
The years that followed shaped him in quieter but no less brutal ways. He built a life on Kerbas Island alongside Robin Flynn and his best friend Kanin, doing real good in a city that needed it. When Kanin was murdered and Robin was lost to her own fear of him, Aries pivoted to something colder: he dismantled Tulian Mercusi's world piece by piece and then surrendered himself to arrest.
Prison sent him to the HECRC on Sharbain, where he was fitted with an experimental Maleidic nanosuit and found, instead of a tool, a partner — the AI that would become Ulmina. Their bond defined everything that came after. Piper, who had survived inside the facility all along, sacrificed herself to contain a reactor explosion engineered by Idris to push Aries onto the 20th Annual War Games roster — and Idris succeeded, because Aries had nothing left to refuse with. The Games themselves went sideways: a Federation ambush, a wing torn from Nyx Regulus's back, a public-feed declaration of a new nation, and a perimeter confrontation in which Idris finally revealed Aries' true paternity. Mickail Sidson of Napoli intervened, and Napoli took the surviving combatants — Aries, Apollo Regulus, Nyx, and Alexandria Zeru — into protective custody. Arielle and Aurelia were rescued shortly afterward from one of Idris' secret laboratories on Mickail's intel.
From there came the Villanite Trading Company, the Iron Maiden Mk. 2 suit, a paperwork marriage to Trance Tauling, and finally Plasid — where defeating Empress Edith Markov led to meeting Enyxia and the founding of the Avinadal Empire. He named it Avinadal after Piper's middle name.
He is known by many names — the Beast, Sire, DR-06N, V-1774-N1-T3. None of them quite cover what he is, which is exactly the point.
Aries Villanite is defined by contradiction. He is a caretaker who kills. A hero who calls himself a monster. A man with a hero complex so deep it was his first emotion, and a self-loathing so thorough it became his second. These two things do not resolve — they coexist, constantly, and everyone close to him lives somewhere in the space between them.
He is almost compulsively honest. Kanin noted it early: the honesty reads as kindness even when the content is brutal. He will tell you exactly what he is, what he did, and why — and then watch you decide what to do with it. He does not manage the impression he leaves. This is either a form of trust or a form of self-destruction, depending on the situation.
He dissociates easily, especially in crowds. The constant presence of others' memories in his mind makes it simple to step back and become an audience member. He developed a magnetic, charismatic persona during his time in Palin City — not because he is performative by nature, but because he studied the people around him and learned what worked. The persona is real, but it sits over something much quieter and darker.
He deflects emotional vulnerability with flirtation. If a conversation gets too close, his instinct is to redirect it sideways into something lighter or more physical. Ulmina and Alexandria both called him on this. He tends to comply when pushed, but the compliance costs him.
When he actually breaks — as he did with Arielle, screaming at her to hate him — what comes out is not anger so much as exhausted confusion. He does not understand why people stay. He has given them what he considers sufficient reason to leave, repeatedly, and they keep not leaving. He finds this disorienting. Arielle found this endearing and said so, which made it worse.
Sexually, he is dominant and voracious, but not indifferent. He pays attention. The hunger in him is real and he knows it; the care is also real and he sometimes seems surprised by it.
He is at his most dangerous when he is methodical. The beast form is terrifying, but it is predictable. The slow, deliberate dismantling of Tulian Mercusi's life over the course of a year — with no transformation, no spectacle, just patience and precision — was something different entirely.
He does not pray. But he keeps Piper's crystal on him at all times.
Aries Villanite Meets Elizabeth Garnet at Robin's Funeral ►
Following a reconciliation with Kiriko, Aries Villanite learns that his former companion Robin had died of illness. Kiriko had been tracking Robin for years but withheld the information until Robin's death made disclosure unavoidable. Aries and Kiriko travel to Zet to attend the funeral. During the event, a Zetian nobleman repeatedly directs racist remarks at Aries, who ignores them throughout the ceremony. At the subsequent ball, Aries steps onto a balcony and encounters nine-year-old Elizabeth Garnet, Robin's daughter. Robin had used Myst during pregnancy to suppress Aries' DNA, allowing Elizabeth to appear fully human. Elizabeth possesses Robin's green eyes and carries a gold lighter she inherited from her mother, a lighter Robin had habitually stolen from Aries. Their silent exchange is interrupted when the racist nobleman makes derogatory comments about Aries speaking with Elizabeth. Aries confronts the man, clarifying he is not Waerrani, and identifies himself as a Beast before transforming and killing the man. The ball descends into panic. Aries and Kiriko subsequently suppress the incident using blackmail material on corrupt officials present and memories extracted from the deceased. Elizabeth, deeply affected by the encounter, becomes an obsessive researcher of the Golden Beast urban legend. Four years later, upon learning that Aries is Emperor of the newly formed Empire of Avinadal and is connected to the Golden Beast, she enrolls in Avinadal's Political Sciences and Religious Studies Academies.
Aries Villanite: Origins and the HEMPP Facility Massacre (160–176 AF) ►
Aries Villanite is born in a secret laboratory beneath the HEMPP facility, the product of an experiment involving his mother Mariyan and Waerrani politician Tulian Mercusi, whose genetic code was selected by Hadi Enterprises. Children in the facility were deceived into believing they lived in space, making escape seem fatal. Aries demonstrated an exceptionally high Malei tolerance and was paired with a frail girl named Persephone (Piper) to help stabilize her Malei exposure. Unknown to Aries, he killed Piper during an experiment, consuming her heart. Years later, researchers deliberately pushed Aries and his close companion Kiriko beyond their limits in a Malei-saturated sparring chamber; Aries killed and partially devoured Kiriko, an act linked to his accelerated healing. Both deaths were concealed from him. His mother Mariyan died following a difficult pregnancy, but not before directing Aries to a hidden data drive revealing his origins and the truth about both deaths. Upon learning he was responsible, Aries confronted and killed nurse Melinda Myers, acquiring her memories by consuming her heart. He then gave the data drive to his companion Lueria, declared his love for her, and launched a massacre through the facility. He destroyed the facility's Maleidic Core, absorbing its stored Malei energy and transforming into a Maleidic Beast, killing staff and uninvolved civilians before escaping. Lueria escaped independently. In response, Edith severed ties with Idris and coerced Amelie and Augustus into conceiving a child, resulting in Augustus's exile.
Aries Villanite Rescues Lalith and Gains an Adoptive Son (183-184 AF) ►
During years 183-184 AF, Aries Villanite was actively testing his suit's new capabilities through bounty hunting and mercenary contracts. On one such job, he and his companion Ulmina encountered Lalith, a skilled young mechanic who had been sold into servitude by his indebted father and was being exploited by a local gang. Recognizing Lalith's potential, Aries abandoned his contract and dismantled the gang, freeing Lalith and other captive workers. During the confrontation, Lalith charged the gang leader independently and lost his right arm. Aries pushed his suit to near-transformation limits to intervene. With Lalith bleeding out, Ulmina advised that Aries' blood could either heal or kill the boy. Aries acted without hesitation, applying his blood directly to the wound. After a violent convulsive reaction, Lalith stabilized and was transported with the other freed prisoners to a hospital. Tamica, contacted by Aries, arrived and reprimanded him for the unsanctioned use of his blood. She subsequently enlisted Trance to engineer a prosthetic arm compatible with Aries' DNA. Lalith awoke with the prosthetic, gold-colored eyes, and dark pigmentation around his eyes, indicating Aries' blood had altered his physiology at a vascular or neural level. Trance, impressed by Lalith's engineering aptitude, offered him employment at Ensconce Technologies and housing. Lalith informally adopted Trance as a mother figure and Aries as a father figure. Separately, public social media speculation about a black-and-gold creature connected to the gang incident circulated, though mainstream news avoided the subject.
Aries Villanite Rescues Lalith and Gains an Adoptive Son (183-184 AF) ►
During years 183-184 AF, Aries Villanite was actively taking bounty hunting and mercenary contracts to test his suit's evolving capabilities. On one such job, he encountered Lalith, a young mechanic who had been sold into servitude by his indebted father and was being exploited by a local gang. Recognizing Lalith's potential alongside Ulmina, Aries abandoned his contract and dismantled the gang, freeing Lalith and other captive workers. During the confrontation, Lalith charged the gang leader independently and lost his right arm. Aries, witnessing this, pushed his suit to near-transformation limits to intervene. With Lalith bleeding out, Ulmina advised that Aries' blood could either heal or kill the boy. Aries acted without hesitation, applying his blood directly to the wound. After a violent convulsive episode, Lalith stabilized and was transported with the other freed prisoners to a hospital. Tamica, contacted by Aries, arrived and reprimanded him for the unsanctioned use of his blood. She subsequently enlisted Trance to engineer a prosthetic arm compatible with Aries' DNA. Lalith awoke with the prosthetic, gold-colored eyes, and dark pigmentation around his eyes—physical markers indicating Aries' blood had altered his physiology at a vascular or neural level. Trance, impressed by Lalith's engineering aptitude, offered him employment at Ensconce Technologies and housing. Lalith informally adopted Trance as a mother figure and Aries as a father figure. Separately, public social media speculation about a black-and-gold creature connected to the gang incident circulated, though mainstream news avoided the subject.
Aries Villanite Rescues Lalith and Gains an Adoptive Son (183–184 AF) ►
During years 183–184 AF, Aries Villanite was actively testing his suit's new capabilities through bounty hunting and mercenary contracts. On one such job, he encountered Lalith, a skilled young mechanic who had been sold to a local gang by his indebted father and forced into labor alongside other victims. Recognizing Lalith's potential, Aries and his companion Ulmina abandoned the original contract and dismantled the gang, freeing all captives. During the confrontation, Lalith charged the gang leader impulsively and lost his right arm. Aries pushed his suit to near-transformation limits to intervene. With Lalith bleeding out, Ulmina advised that Aries' blood might either heal or kill the boy. Aries acted without hesitation, applying his blood directly to the wound. After a violent seizure, Lalith stabilized and was transported with the other freed prisoners to a hospital. Aries' associate Tamica reprimanded him for the unsanctioned use of his blood. Tamica and engineer Trance collaborated to develop a prosthetic arm compatible with Aries' DNA. Lalith awoke with the prosthetic, gold-colored eyes, and dark pigmentation around his eyes—physical markers indicating Aries' blood had altered his vascular or neural tissue. Trance, impressed by Lalith's engineering aptitude, offered him employment at her company Ensconce Technologies and housing. Lalith subsequently adopted Trance and Aries as parental figures. Separately, public social media speculation grew around sightings of a black and gold creature linked to the gang incident, though mainstream news avoided the subject.
Aries Villanite's First Meeting with the Plasidian Delegation at VTC HQ ►
A Plasidian delegation arrived unannounced at VTC HQ requesting Aries Villanite by name. The group comprised Augustus Markov, Vynisian Atril (Crowned Prince of Atril), and Katalyn Atrilmed, Vynisian's primary handler, accompanied by guards. Talia Hekata attended as Aries' consultant. Katalyn deliberately allowed Aries to believe Vynisian was a woman, framing it as a test of character; Aries passed by handling the correction with humor and genuine respect, offering to follow Vynisian's lead on preferred address. The incident established an early rapport between Aries and Vynisian. The delegation's core purpose was to solicit outside assistance against Edith Markov, empress of Markovia, who was preparing a ritual to absorb all Plasidian memories into a single host body — her own granddaughter, held in stasis — and transfer her consciousness into it to seize control of Plasid. Vynisian had built what alliances he could on the island but required external support. Katalyn openly disclosed her opposition to Atril's involvement, identifying herself as an Atrilian Nationalist who considered the conflict Markovia's problem. Augustus, a former Markovian Nationalist in exile, could not contradict her. Aries declined to commit during the meeting, requesting a day to consider. After the delegation departed, Talia warned Aries not to dismiss Katalyn's political positions because of her levity, noting that her nationalism, her loyalty to Vynisian, and her flirtation were all equally sincere and deliberate. Aries departed for Plasid two days later, with Augustus accompanying him.
Aries Villanite's Origins and the HEMPP Facility Atrocities (160–175 AF) ►
Aries Villanite is born in late 160 AF inside a secret underground laboratory beneath the HEMPP facility on Anili Island, the product of an engineered union between an experimental subject named Mariyan and a Waerrani politician, Tulian Mercusi, selected for his genetic profile. The children in the facility are deceived into believing they live in space, making escape seem fatal. Aries is subjected to ongoing experimentation alongside peers, including Persephone Markov (known as Piper), brought in at age three by Idris Hadi at the request of her grandmother Edith Markov, and Kiriko Kuransagi, a highly capable fighter. Aries forms deep bonds with both, but is repeatedly separated from them without explanation. Unknown to him, he killed both during Malei-fueled experimental sessions, consuming portions of their bodies. His mother Mariyan concealed this and doctored his paternity records before her death in childbirth complications. Upon discovering a hidden data drive left by Mariyan, Aries learns the facility is terrestrial, uncovers his engineered origins, and watches recordings of himself killing Piper and Kiriko. He also acquires memories from their perspectives. Confronting nurse Melinda Myers, who had knowledge of the experiments, Aries kills and consumes her. He then instructs his remaining companion Lueria to flee with the data drive, tells her he loves her, and initiates a killing spree throughout the facility, releasing his full Maleidic capabilities.
Aries Villanite's Origins and the HEMPP Facility Tragedy (160–175 AF) ►
Aries Villanite is born in late 160 AF inside a secret underground laboratory beneath the HEMPP facility on Anili Island, part of Idris Hadi's enhancement program. Children in the facility are deceived into believing they live in space, making escape seem fatal. Aries is raised by his mother Mariyan, a facility subject herself, and undergoes continuous experimentation alongside other children. His accelerated aging creates a persistent psychological complex around lost childhood. His closest early companions are Persephone Markov, known as Piper, and later Kiriko Kuransagi and Lueria. Unknown to Aries, he killed both Piper and Kiriko during Malei-induced experimental episodes — consuming their hearts and bodies respectively — with staff suppressing all memory of these events. Mariyan dies following a difficult pregnancy, but not before directing Aries to a hidden data drive. The drive reveals his engineered origins, the facility's true location, and the fates of Piper and Kiriko. The paternity records on the drive are falsified by Mariyan to protect a secret she dies concealing. Upon recovering memories through visions linked to his victims, Aries confronts and kills nurse Melinda Myers, acquiring her memories through consumption. He then gives Lueria the data drive, instructs her to hide, and initiates a killing spree throughout the facility, releasing the full extent of his Maleidic capabilities. Separately, Persephone's removal from the Markov family by Edith Markov causes Augustus Markov to permanently sever ties with the Markov throne and drives Amelie Markov into prolonged depression.
Aries Villanite: Vengeance Campaign and the Fall of Tulian Mercusi (179–181 AF) ►
Between 179 and 181 AF, Aries Villanite conducted a systematic revenge campaign following the murder of Kanin. By consuming his victims, Aries absorbed memories that traced the kill order to Natalia Flynn, mother of Robin Flynn. Aries kidnapped Natalia, tortured her in a private chamber, and killed her by eating her heart while using Maleidic medical knowledge to prolong her life. From her memories and those of consumed scientists, Aries learned that Tulian Mercusi, mayor of Desian City, was the dominant criminal power across the islands of Desian, Kerbas, and Anili, and also the biological father of Aries, having provided DNA used to impregnate Aries' mother through a Hadi Enterprises arrangement. Tulian had risen to power through corrupt Hadi Enterprises funding. Aries spent approximately a year infiltrating political and criminal networks, methodically dismantling Tulian's power base. He ultimately forced Tulian to witness the murder of his family, the burning of his estate, and the public exposure of his corruption before surrendering to authorities without resistance. Aries was sentenced to the newly opened Hadi Enterprises Criminal Reformation Center, a result he appeared to anticipate. Separately, detective Michael Garnet investigated Natalia's death and encountered Robin Flynn. Robin initially seduced Garnet to protect Aries, but later genuinely fell in love with him. After Aries' arrest, Robin left Santer for Zet with Garnet, eventually having a daughter named Elizabeth, to whom she passed reverence for Aries.
Aries Villanite: Years 175–178 AF — Kanin, Robin Flynn, and the Markov Succession ►
Following the HEMPP power plant explosion, fifteen-year-old Aries Villanite wakes in a field on Anili Island. The incident is officially classified as industrial terrorism by the Public Data Trust, suppressing rumors of a monster. Aries, now carrying the absorbed memories and voices of those he consumed—including Piper and Kiriko—struggles with acute self-loathing and a perceived lack of empathy, exacerbating his existing mental disorders. Attempting to leave Anili for Kerbas Island, he is aided by Kanin, who pays his passage. Kanin believes Aries' account entirely and advises discretion. The two part ways on Kerbas, but the encounter catalyzes Aries' stabilization. He settles in Palin City, taking work with local gangs and developing a charismatic persona built from absorbed memories. He meets Robin Flynn, a member of the Palin City Mafia, after intervening in an assault against her. Their relationship develops from reluctant acquaintance to romantic partnership. When Robin is assaulted by the don of the rival Eiston Family and abandoned by her mother, Aries infiltrates the estate, allows himself to be tortured, and kills the don and several underlings using his Beast Form. Kanin subsequently recruits both into an operation dismantling violent gangs across Kerbas Island. The three operate for roughly two years, gaining a positive reputation. The partnership ends when Robin is abducted; Aries' uncontrolled Beast Form during her rescue terrifies her, and she rejects him. Aries returns home to find Kanin's severed head. Concurrently in Markovia, Edith Markov forces her children Amelie and Augustus to conceive. Enyxia Markov is born in 177 AF and immediately placed in stasis as Edith's future vessel.
Aries Villanite: Years 175–178 AF — Kanin, Robin Flynn, and the Markov Succession ►
Following the HEMPP power plant explosion, fifteen-year-old Aries Villanite wakes alone on Anili Island. The incident is officially classified as industrial terrorism by the Public Data Trust, suppressing rumors of a secret lab and monster sightings. Aries wanders the cities, overwhelmed by the absorbed memories and voices of those he consumed, including Piper and Kiriko. His mental disorders intensify as he conflates self-blame with a perceived lack of empathy, deepening his self-loathing. He meets Kanin while attempting to cross to Kerbas Island without funds; Kanin pays his passage and believes Aries' extraordinary account without question. Kanin advises Aries to withhold his story publicly until he understands himself better. Though Kanin offers continued companionship, Aries declines, unwilling to misrepresent himself. In Palin City, Aries takes work with local gangs and meets Robin Flynn, a member of the Palin City Mafia. After intervening in an assault on Robin and later avenging her abuse at the hands of the Eiston Family don by entering Beast Form and killing him and several underlings, Aries, Robin, and the returning Kanin form a small anti-gang team operating across Kerbas Island for roughly two years. Aries and Kanin develop an exceptionally close bond. The partnership ends when Robin is abducted; Aries loses control of his Beast Form during her rescue, terrifying her. She rejects him in panic, and he retreats. He returns home to find Kanin's severed head. Concurrently in Markovia, Edith Markov forces her children Amelie and Augustus to conceive a new vessel. Enyxia Markov is born in 177 AF and immediately placed in stasis for Edith's long-term possession project. Augustus is publicly exiled and disowned.
Aries Villanite: Years 176–179 AF — Kerbas Island, Robin Flynn, and Kanin's Death ►
Following the power plant incident on Anili island, Aries Villanite wakes in a field and spends days wandering cities plagued by power failures. He is haunted by the absorbed memories and voices of those he consumed, including Maggi and Kiriko, which exacerbates his mental disorders and deepens his self-loathing and perceived lack of empathy. Unable to afford naval passage to Kerbas island, he is aided by Kanin, a blond-haired, green-eyed man who pays his fare. Kanin believes Aries' extraordinary account without question and advises him to withhold his story until he better understands himself. Aries declines Kanin's offer to travel together, citing uncertainty about his own identity, but their brief connection catalyzes his decision to settle in Palin City on Kerbas island. There, Aries takes work with local gangs and develops a charismatic persona built from absorbed memories. He meets Robin Flynn, a member of the Palin City Mafia, after intervening in an assault against her. The two form a close bond, and when Robin is victimized by the Eiston Family don, Aries infiltrates the estate, allows himself to be captured and tortured, then kills the don and several underlings using his Beast Form. Kanin later recruits Aries and Robin into a team dismantling violent gangs across Kerbas island. Aries and Kanin become exceptionally close friends. The partnership ends when Robin is abducted and Aries, losing control of his Beast Form during her rescue, terrifies her with uncontrolled Malei energy. Robin flees from him. Aries returns home to find Kanin's severed head delivered to his door. Separately, in year 177 AF, Enyxia Markov is born and immediately placed in stasis by Edith Markov, who intends her as a future vessel.
Everlette Investigates Herself: The Settlement Thefts Arc ►
A settlement where the crew is operating experiences a wave of mysterious thefts. Everlette Bronson volunteers to lead the investigation, conducting it with complete sincerity — setting traps, developing suspect profiles, and constructing elaborate theories about the unknown criminal. She does not recognize that she is the thief. Her habit of collecting objects she finds shiny or interesting does not register in her cognition as theft; the items simply belong with her. Throughout the arc, she escapes her own traps without awareness, each near-miss reinforcing her theories rather than prompting self-examination. The arc resolves when a bystander's phrasing — asking where everything is rather than who took it — bypasses her interpretive filters. Everlette immediately clarifies that she knows where everything is and assumed the investigation concerned the perpetrator's identity. She then leads the room to her den: a dark, cluttered space shaped like a fox, containing the settlement's entire inventory of stolen goods, organized according to a logic only she understands. This scene serves as the den's canonical introduction as a recurring location. Aries Villanite is present at the discovery; his reaction remains undetermined in the outline. The arc is explicitly designated as comic relief, functioning as a tonal counterweight to darker elements of Everlette's character content. Her unselfconscious sincerity throughout the investigation is central to the comedy.
Everlette's Sedative Wiring: First Deployment and Engineering Origin ►
Early in Everlette Bronson's adjustment to life aboard the ship, her fox instincts destabilize into fully feral behavior — she ignores orders, tests every boundary, and exhausts the crew's patience. As a practical solution, Aries Villanite and Alexandria Zeru engineer a biological override into Everlette's post-Bronson chassis: Aries' saliva is calibrated to act as a fast-onset sedative when it registers against Everlette's system, producing an effect described as somewhere between MDMA and a heavy indica strain. The mechanism is designed for low-grade behavioral control without lethality, functioning as an intimate-range kill-switch that only Aries can deploy. This story documents the first use of the mechanism: Everlette experiencing a severe behavioral episode, Aries cornering and deploying the override, and Everlette's chassis going peaceful upon contact. She wakes several hours later, briefly furious at having been sedated without explicit consent, but quickly internalizes the experience as something she intends to provoke again. The sedative wiring is established as a canonical feature of Everlette's engineered body, a joint decision by Aries and Alexandria. Following this introduction, the mechanism becomes a known tool among the crew, though Aries refuses to delegate its use to anyone else. The story also establishes the somno content window as occurring during the sedated interval.
FEMDIN Project and Ulmina's Awakening at HECRC (Years 181–182 AF) ►
The High-Enforcement Correctional and Research Complex (HECRC) is located on Sharbain, a small continent southeast of Anili Island. Upon arrival, Aries Villanite is assigned to the Functional Enhancements: Maleidic Defense and Integration Nanosuit Project (FEMDIN), internally known as the Iron Maiden Project. The project, overseen by engineer Alexandria Zeru under coercion by Idris Hadi, develops a nanomachine mesh suit integrated via a neural implant using Malei-irradiated components. All prior test subjects experienced psychosis, self-harm, or death within six months. Aries proves uniquely compatible, awakening to ULMINA (Universal Logic Matrix for Integration, Navigation, and Assistance), the suit's onboard AI, who develops near-sentience through prolonged neural integration with Aries. The two form a deep bond, with Ulmina redefining her designation acronym as a personal monument to Aries. Unknown to Aries, Idris had been tracking him since his escape from the HEMPP and engineered the FEMDIN project specifically to contain him as Subject V-1774-N1-T3, though Idris was unaware Aries had entered the program. The FEMDIN suit allows Aries selective control over his transformations. Alexandria also reveals the existence of two failed derivative experiments: Shadow, a disfigured stealth creature, and Mother, a maleidic empath whose abilities cause her constant agony. Fellow prisoner Nyx Regulus serves as Mother's caretaker. Aries resolves to rescue both experiments, creating conflict with Alexandria.
Formation of the Avinadal Empire and the Plasid Campaign ►
The Villanite Trading Company recruited Talia Hekata, a Hornhound dominatrix and sex therapist, as a mental health consultant. After a confrontation in which Aries shifted into beast form, Talia pledged loyalty to him and joined the team with a goal of building a capable imperial staff. Separately, Aries traveled to Plasid after Piper's crystal activated, where he learned of Empress Edith Markov's plan to transfer her consciousness into Enyxia Markov's body using a ritual that would absorb the memories of all Plasidian citizens. Trained in both Myst and Malei by Augustus Markov, Aries allied with Crowned Prince Vinisent Atril and Queen Lynia Yawlin to oppose Edith. The campaign involved liberating slaves in Harkul, surviving military assaults from Edith's forces, and the capture of Augustus and Apollo Regulus. Aries defeated Edith by using Piper's crystal to drive her from Enyxia's body, with Piper's essence expelling Edith before fading. Arielle killed Edith's physical body, trapping her in the Maleidic Realm. Following the victory, Aries and Enyxia founded the Avinadal Empire, named after Piper's middle name Avinadalia. Enyxia became Empress, and a formal imperial hierarchy was established encompassing the Regulus Sanguarchate and Plasidian Triumvirate. Lynia Yawlin and Arielle Villanite joined as High Imperial Consorts. Nyx Regulus and Aurelia Villanite also formed a romantic relationship during this period.
Founding of the Villanite Trading Company and Aries's Recovery Arc ►
Following a period of instability, Aries Villanite is summoned by Arielle Villanite to a derelict mansion in Napoli, where Apollo Regulus presents him with legal ownership of the newly formed Villanite Trading Company (VTC), a goods-and-services delivery organization. The VTC's founding client list includes the Waerrani Bounty Hunters' Guild, the Napolian Mercenary's Guild, the Regulus Sanguarchate, and Ensconce Technologies, granting it immediate legitimacy despite Napoli's notoriously strict Chamber of Commerce. Apollo manages administration with Arielle's support, while Nyx Regulus assumes leadership of the Regulus Sanguarchate aided by Aurelia Villanite. The mansion serves as both residence and headquarters. Aries initially resists the gesture through self-destructive behavior, culminating in a confrontation with Arielle that leads to a psychological breakthrough and his deeper involvement in VTC operations. He and Apollo develop a close personal relationship. Tamica joins as medical and biotech consultant, and following a long-delayed reconciliation with Kiriko, she joins as engineering and espionage consultant. Attempts to hire Trance Tauling are blocked by Napolian law prohibiting the hiring of executives from non-Napolian international firms. A legal caveat allows the hire if the executive is married to the company owner. Aries proposes marriage to Trance, who accepts, motivated primarily by personal affection for Aries and Lalith rather than professional interest. The marriage is formalized through paperwork only, with no ceremony.
HECRC Incarceration: FEMDIN Project and Ulmina's Emergence (181–182 AF) ►
During years 181–182 AF, Aries Villanite is incarcerated at the HECRC on Sharbain and assigned to the Functional Enhancements: Maleidic Defense and Integration Nanosuit Project (FEMDIN), internally called the Iron Maiden Project. The project, overseen by engineer Alexandria Zeru under coercion by Idris Hadi, develops a Malei-irradiated armored nanomachine suit integrated via neural implant. All prior test subjects failed within six months, exhibiting psychosis, self-harm, or implant removal. Upon implantation, Aries makes contact with ULMINA, the suit's onboard AI, whose full designation is ULMINA α9. Ulmina's copy within Aries develops exponentially beyond any prior instance, approaching genuine sentience according to Alexandria's observations. Aries and Ulmina form a deep bond, redefining her designation collaboratively. Idris Hadi personally visits the HECRC and leverages Aries' compliance by revealing that Piper survived the HEMPP explosion and remains in his custody. Idris has been tracking Aries since his escape and had Alexandria unknowingly build the FEMDIN suit specifically to contain Subject V-1774-N1-T3, Aries' assigned identifier. Idris also knows Aries is his biological son, a fact he withholds. Kiriko Kuransagi, heavily cybernetically enhanced, has been covertly surveilling Aries since Anili Island. To maintain FEMDIN access, Aries participates in optional gladiatorial prison fights, strategically staying low-profile. He bonds with Alexandria during check-ups and meets fellow prisoner Nyx Regulus, a Hav woman with distinctive iridescent wings.
Idris Hadi's Final Gambit and Death (Year 195 AF+) ►
By Year 195 AF and beyond, Idris Hadi's position had deteriorated significantly. Mickail Sidson's dossiers enabled repeated raids on his secret research facilities, Kiriko Kuransagi had defected, and an internal leak from within the Public Data Trust AI — built on fragmented Alexandria Zeru code — was quietly feeding intelligence to his enemies. Unable to identify the source, Idris abandoned his characteristic patience and escalated to open aggression. He deliberately opened Maleidic Realm portals, releasing Maleida entities into inland Santerris to manufacture chaos as cover for his real operation: infiltrating the Avinadal Empire, weaponizing Aries Villanite's own DNA against his people, and systematically destroying those around Aries rather than targeting him directly. Idris also planted a Malei explosive device inside Aries' body, designed to detonate upon Idris' death. Augustus Markov ended the conflict by channeling a massive concentration of Myst energy to crystallize Idris in place, trapping him within the same Malei energy he had spent decades exploiting. Augustus then identified and extracted the bomb from Aries, preventing mass casualties. Idris died without remorse, considering his only failure to be insufficient success. A postscript reveals that a hidden facility contained a female clone — Idris's intended consciousness-transfer vessel — who escaped with surviving experiments and was later integrated into the Avinadal Empire as Aries' sister. Both she and Aries represent the failure of Idris's design to determine outcome, as neither became what he intended.
Idris Hadi's Final Gambit, Death, and Legacy ►
In the final years before his defeat, Idris Hadi abandoned his characteristic patience and escalated to open warfare. Raids led by Mickail Sidson had dismantled his secret research facilities, Kiriko Kuransagi had defected, and an internal leak from within the Public Data Trust AI — built on fragmented Alexandria Zeru code — was eroding his position. In response, Idris deliberately opened Maleidic Realm portals to release destructive entities into inland Santerris, manufacturing societal chaos as cover for his real operation: infiltrating the Avinadal Empire, weaponizing Aries Villanite's own DNA against his people, and systematically destroying those closest to Aries rather than targeting him directly. Idris also planted a Malei explosive device inside Aries' body, designed to detonate upon Idris' death. Augustus Markov ended the conflict by channeling a massive concentration of Myst energy to crystallize Idris within gold Malei energy — the same substance Idris had stolen from Octavia Rousseau and the Waerr. Augustus then extracted the bomb from Aries himself. Idris died without remorse, considering his only failure to be insufficient success. Years later, a hidden facility revealed a female clone Idris had developed as his intended consciousness-transfer vessel. She escaped with surviving experiments and was eventually integrated into the Avinadal Empire as Aries' sister. Both she and Aries represent the failure of Idris' design to determine outcome, establishing that individuals created as instruments can choose their own paths.
Idris Hadi's Rise to Power and the 20th War Games Crisis ►
Idris Hadi, a disgraced genius scientist, built his influence through a series of calculated crimes and political manipulations within the Santerran Federation. After being scapegoated for a stolen discovery originally taken from the Waerrani, Idris murdered scientist Octavia to claim her research on converting Malei into energy, using it to found Hadi Enterprises and the Hadi Enterprises Maleidic Power Plant. He embedded himself in the Santerran government and became a founding member of the Public Data Trust, a state-controlled information body used to spread disinformation, including false narratives about Waerrani aggression. Idris coerced the Waerrani into political allegiance by threatening to expose their non-native planetary origins, leading to the establishment of the Annual War Games. His Federation-backed genetic experimentation program, funded through sanctioned trafficking, produced modified War Games participants. Idris fathered Aries through a Waerrani woman named Mariyan, though Mariyan doctored records to conceal this. Years later, Idris manipulated Aries into participating in the FEMDIN project by falsely promising reunion with Piper, then orchestrated Piper's death through Kiriko's manipulation of a prison inmate. During the 20th War Games, Aries publicly declared a fictitious new nation to shield Apollo Regulus from war crime accusations, and Idris confronted the group, revealing both Kiriko's role in Piper's death and his true paternity of Aries. Waerrani politician Mickail Sidson intervened, forcing Idris to stand down.
Iron Maiden Mk. 2 Development and Beast Protocol Discovery (182-183 AF) ►
During years 182-183 AF, Aries Villanite departed Napoli alone to rescue Trance Tauling, a Waerrani-born nanomachine scientist kidnapped and held for ransom by her own company. After freeing her, Trance upgraded and officially renamed the FEMDIN to the Iron Maiden Suit, but encountered an unresolvable submatrix in the suit's logic requiring advanced biomechanical nervous system integration. Trance introduced Aries to bio-engineer Tamica, who agreed to help integrate the submatrix in exchange for experimenting on Aries' DNA. Aries requested a functional second penis as part of the procedure; Tamica agreed, using bioprinting mystech to successfully grow the organ via Aries' biological adaptability. Data from this procedure enabled Tamica, Trance, and Alexandria to develop the Iron Maiden Mk. 2. The upgraded suit comprises three components: synth-chitin claws housing nano-production units that use Aries' blood as raw material; biologically crafted nanobots that form a skin-tight protective suit he can sense as his own skin; and a synthetic-organic neuro-implant fully integrating the AI Ulmina into his nervous system. This integration allowed Ulmina to access the previously locked submatrix, identified as the Beast Protocol, apparently left by Piper. The Beast Protocol enables Ulmina to manage Aries' maleidic mutations and transformational adaptability in real time, allowing him to fight at near-beast-form capability without full transformation.
Iron Maiden Mk. 2 Development and Beast Protocol Discovery (182-183 AF) ►
In years 182-183 AF, Trance Tauling is kidnapped and held for ransom by operatives connected to her own company. Aries Villanite rescues her without seeking the reward and helps her expose the corporate conspiracy behind her abduction. In gratitude, Trance assists Aries in repairing and upgrading his FEMDIN suit, officially renaming it the Iron Maiden Suit. During upgrades, an unidentifiable submatrix is discovered in the suit's logic that Trance, Ulmina, and Alexandria cannot explain. The submatrix requires advanced biomechanical nervous system integration beyond existing implant technology. Trance introduces Aries to bio-engineer Tamica, who agrees to help integrate the submatrix in exchange for conducting experiments on Aries' DNA. A successful bioprinting procedure grants Aries a functional second penis, demonstrating his body's exceptional adaptability. Tamica uses data from this procedure to develop the Iron Maiden Mk. 2, collaboratively designed with Trance and Alexandria. The Mk. 2 consists of three components: synth-chitin claws housing nano-production units that use Aries' blood to manufacture nanobots; a nanobot-woven skin-tight protective suit Aries can sense as a second skin; and an upgraded synthetic-organic neuro-implant fully integrating Ulmina into his nervous system. With this integration, Ulmina accesses the submatrix, identifying it as the Beast Protocol, apparently left by Piper. The protocol enables Ulmina to consciously manage Aries' maleidic mutations and transformational adaptability in real time, allowing him to fight at near-beast-form capability without full transformation.
Iron Maiden Mk. 2 Development and Beast Protocol Discovery (182-183 AF) ►
During years 182-183 AF, Aries Villanite departed Napoli alone to rescue Trance Tauling, a Waerrani-born nanomachine scientist kidnapped and held for ransom by her own company. After freeing her, Trance upgraded and officially renamed the FEMDIN to the Iron Maiden Suit, but encountered an unresolvable submatrix in the suit's logic requiring advanced biomechanical nervous system integration. Trance introduced Aries to bio-engineer Tamica, who agreed to help integrate the submatrix in exchange for experimenting on Aries' genetic adaptability. A successful bioprinting procedure — which included Aries' requested addition of a second penis — confirmed Tamica's hypotheses about his body's adaptive capabilities and provided the data needed to develop a new implant. Trance, Tamica, and Alexandria collaboratively produced the Iron Maiden Mk. 2, comprising three components: synth-chitin claws housing nano-production units fed by Aries' blood, biologically crafted nanobots that form a skin-tight protective suit he can sense as his own body, and an upgraded synthetic-organic neuro-implant fully integrating the AI Ulmina into his nervous system. This integration allowed Ulmina to access the previously unidentified submatrix, which she identified as the Beast Protocol, apparently left by Piper. The protocol enables Ulmina to manage Aries' maleidic mutations in real time, granting him combat capability approaching his full beast form without requiring complete transformation.
Katalyn Atrilmed's Assassination Attempt and Death in the Atril Palace Library ►
Katalyn Atrilmed, senior protocol officer of House Atrilmed with approximately forty years of service to the Atril crown, received a letter from the Senior Mother of House Atrilmed detailing a political crisis threatening the Atril throne: King Atril was failing faster than projected, the royal council was fracturing between older houses demanding Prince Vynisian Atril's return and younger houses pushing for a regency, grain reserves were critically depleted due to supply diversions supporting the Plasidian coalition's Harkul campaign, two of three deepwater shipyards had shed labor, and a southern peasant uprising had been suppressed with difficulty. Katalyn interpreted the letter as a directive to remove Aries Villanite, whose coalition was draining Atril's resources, in order to compel Vynisian's return and preserve the throne. Acting under House Atrilmed's ceremonial oath-keeping tradition, she prepared a poisoned cup of tea and carried a needle-set poison ring to a private meeting with Aries in the palace's western library. Aries detected the attempt before consuming the poison, restrained Katalyn, and summoned Vynisian. Vynisian, unable to order Katalyn's execution himself, deferred to Aries, who killed her swiftly. Katalyn's final words affirmed her loyalty to Atril and expressed remorse to Vynisian. The incident represents a direct collision between Atril's domestic political crisis and the Plasidian coalition's broader campaign, with lasting consequences for Vynisian's relationship with both Aries and his own house.
The Final Confrontation: Aries Extracts Everlette's Core Module ►
The climactic encounter between Aries Villanite and Wyatt Bronson, referenced in Everlette Bronson's biography as 'the final confrontation.' Aries breaks into Bronson's laboratory, where Everlette Bronson restrains Bronson and forces him to witness the systematic destruction of his entire stockpile of inactive Everlette clones. Each clone is pushed past the design limits Bronson engineered into them, demonstrating that the behavioral corruption Bronson feared is total and irreversible across his entire codebase. The event is structured around two converging thematic arcs: the physical dismemberment of the clone bodies, and Bronson's psychological defeat as every Everlette instance confirms his loss of control over his own creation. By the conclusion, Bronson is left with no functional source code, no intact bodies, and no viable path to reconstruction. Aries departs with Everlette's core module — the singular intact instance of her base code, informally called the 'sourdough starter' — while the standing Everlette walks out alongside him of her own volition. This encounter represents the definitive end of Bronson's ownership over Everlette as a system and a person. It serves as the anchor entry in the Everlette short-story set, pairing with the apocrypha pieces 'Firmware Update' and 'Lovely Company.' The 'sourdough starter' framing is intended to appear as in-dialogue tonal texture between Aries and Everlette rather than in narration.
The Prisoner ►
Date: 190-03-30 Weather: Clear Mood: Cautiously Excited Location: VTC HQ, Napoli
I've decided to start a new journal. There are several reasons I've started doing this, but I suppose the most straightforward reason is because my previous journals all went up in smoke when the prison exploded. While there are probably other reasons I could list off, I'd say that the other primary reason is that Talia told me to. She said it'd be good for my mental health, so here we go.
Problem is, I have no idea where to start, but I suppose starting with Him is probably as good as any place to start.
The first time I saw Him was also the first time I felt Him. Even through the screen, even as He was surrounded by guards, I could tell that I wasn't the only one who could feel His presence.
It was also the first time I began to question my decision in taking this mission. I felt something crawl up my spine as I watched the guards choose fight instead of flight.
I rarely found myself agreeing with the way the guards treated us, but for the first time since I got here, I felt a bit of relief as I watched one slam the butt of his rifle into this prisoner's gut.
"Prisoner DR-06N, registering for intake." One of the guards spoke over the intercom.
"Huh? Isn't that the guy who killed that one mayor and his family?"
"I heard that was a hoax and that they're fine."
"You're both right, guys, I saw the video, so I looked into it. The PDT has a whole article about it. Basically, some foreign spies tricked this idiot into killing the mayor..."
While they kept discussing, I couldn't tear my eye away from Him. Even though this was just a recording, something about the way those golden eyes glared at the camera made my stomach knot.
When I first got... let's say... "recruited" for this project, I was told that it would shave time off my sentence. I knew it was a lie, but it seemed interesting that they would offer me some sort of mercy in return for interviewing and experimenting on death row inmates.
The original objective was straightforward: Develop a neural implant and put it in various subjects selected by a mysterious selection committee. I was responsible for architecting and overseeing the construction of the implant and the AI assistant that would be on-board the implant.
We tried various subjects. None lived for very long. At first, they would die within a few days. Eventually we saw subjects lasting upwards of six months at a time. I still remember thinking we were making progress even as we watched these people be reduced to mindless husks instead of dead bodies.
The subjects became lifeless even if they survived physically. I was supposed to be interviewing them, but none stayed very coherent after a while. By this point, the experiment was hanging on by a thread. I had lost the staff they had originally provided and I was tasked with continuing it on my own until we found a suitable candidate for Phase 2.
I think what scared me about Him was that while I held no kindness in my heart for any of the prior subjects (don't get me wrong, I had none for Him, either), I found myself expecting to see Him survive this experiment. Not out of hope, though; I had already given up on the success of this project at this point. In fact, I don't know if I'd be able to really pin down the reason I expected anything different from him. Maybe instinct?
The buzz at the door in my office snapped me out of my thoughts. As I realized I had lost myself in my mind, I noticed the recording had already ended, the new subject was at my door all, and I was able to review was his intake video.
I did my best to shake off the nerves, but even as I spoke, my mind screamed at me to run, instead. "Come in."
The door slid open to reveal two guards with assault rifles on either side of the towering monster. If it wasn't for the intensity of that golden glare, I may have considered Him handsome.
"Strap him in. Let's get started." To my surprise, He seemed quite amenable to the process ahead of him. He didn't argue, He didn't even seem to hesitate as He climbed onto the operating table and the guards strapped Him in.
"Prisoner DR-06N, can you tell me your name?" I asked.
"Aries Villanite." Most people sounded defeated, angry, or, like me, empty. He sounded amused.
I hated it.
"Aries. I'm going to inject a numbing agent into the back of your neck. I would appreciate it if you stayed still. Understood?" Numbing agent was putting it mildly.
"Hm." He grunted in affirmation.
I grabbed the syringe filled with the sedative as the guards grabbed His shoulders and arms. They usually did this to hold the subjects down, but as they did, I couldn't fight the feeling that if He wanted to get up, they'd have no chance of stopping Him. His apparent lack of concern only served to unsettle me even further.
"Keep a firm hold." I instructed coldly as I leaned in and slid the needle into His neck. I'm not a sadist by any stretch of the imagination, but when I heard Him hiss in pained surprise, a wave of relief flooded over me.
That feeling, however, quickly got replaced by a morbid fascination of my newest subject as I looked over the black blood that coated the needle after I pulled it out.
"Doc?" One of the guards interrupted my thoughts. I must have been staring at the needle too long.
"Thank you, boys. I can take it from here." I responded, trying to double down on the firmness in my tone.
The guards nodded and walked out of the room as I began the operation.
"We've found that the unit has a higher success rate when implanted directly into the nervous system while the subject is awake and aware. You shouldn't feel anything, however, and your entire body should feel numb. Unfortunately, if you do feel anything, you won't be able to do much besides make noise, and even if you did, I'm not going to stop the operation until the implant has taken hold. After the operation, I will stich the incision and you will probably pass out. When you wake up, we'll begin the tutorials for your new features."
"Mm." He grunted in response.
As my scalpel sliced through the flesh of His neck, the oddly enticing scent of His thick, black blood filled the air. I remember being surprised at the growl my stomach made, then being annoyed at His teasing chuckle.
Looking back, I have to admit, if it wasn't for my pride, I may have tasted that blood. Maybe things would have been easier if I did. However, the idea of being His entertainment drove me to push past my curiosity, a feeling I'm quite accustomed to these days.
I continued the operation I had performed so many times before, I... guess it's just now occurring to me that this is the first time I look back at it all... considering everything that happened later on, it's almost eerie how uneventful the entire ordeal was: He bled, I placed the implant, He passed out, I patched Him up, the guards took Him, and I was left in my office.
I distinctly remember a knot in my stomach throughout the whole thing. I don't know what it's like to be a keeper of apex predators at zoos, but I suspect it's a similar feeling.
To be clear, I'm not a biologist. My scientific focus has always been on artificial intelligence and most recently quantum theory, so I don't know what drove me to do this, but I decided to analyze the blood He left behind. At least, I should say: I asked ULMINA to analyze the blood for me.
For context, the Universal Language Matrix for Integrations, Navigation, and Automation is my magnum opus: An AI I developed during my time in school before I ended up in that prison.
So, what did ULMINA say? Well, she said a lot, actually; mostly things I didn't understand. What caught my attention was that she somehow found reference data for his DNA, which made me realize that Aries wasn't just some new prisoner, but it was possible that he was a returning inmate.
I asked ULMINA to give me more details on this. At first, I thought it was fascinating: What a small world, you know? Looking back it may have been silly to be surprised about a career criminal being in prison more than once, but when I realized he wasn't a prior prisoner, the rabbit hole began to feel like it was lined with barbs.
ULMINA had found references to the Hadi Enterprises Maleidic Power Plant: The very same power plant that exploded some years ago and eventually led me down the path that placed me in prison.
The knot in my stomach shifted. Suddenly, I began to worry about Idris more than Aries.
Idris Hadi, the CEO and Founder of Hadi Enterprises, the man who owned the very prison both Aries and I were in. The man that, as far as I know, still has my other eye in a jar in his office to this day. And a man whose radar I would have preferred avoiding at the time. I panicked. I told ULMINA to stop all her research and delete all references to it.
Bullet dodged... or so I thought.
---
Date: 190-04-05 Weather: Clear Mood: Tired Location: VTC HQ, Napoli
I can't seem to sleep. Truth be told, I'd rather work on ULMINA, but dealing with clients today has me too mentally exhausted.
I just feel like I don't work on ULMINA much these days. Granted, working on her code isn't really something I can do anymore and my quantum theories just aren't panning out... I've never had much of a passion for robotics, so sometimes I miss the days before she joined Him.
When the experiment first started, I was using a BetaMINA build for the implants. The smaller builds were able to perform the tasks needed, so I never had any inclination to load ULMINA's full code into an implant. I honestly assumed doing that would kill a person. Looking back, maybe I should have warned Kiriko of that before she made me do it.
About three weeks after trials began with Aries, I was visited by Kiriko.
Kiriko Kuransagi was one of Idris Hadi's top employees. She was one of many bullets I was hoping I had dodged, but there she was, standing in my doorway, those mechanical eyes staring at me with an expression I had never seen on her face. It was subtle, and hard to place at the time, but Kiriko was worried about something.
"Can... I help you?" I asked.
Her eyes narrowed. "Why did you search for him?"
I knew what she was talking about immediately. "What? Who?"
Kiriko stepped closer. "I'll take the other eye if you lie to me again."
I suppose I should clarify: This was my second time meeting her; the first time was when she abducted me, tortured me, and took my eye. Luckily, she seemed over it...
"It was an accident. I deleted everything I had and stopped looking." I confessed.
Her brows furrowed; I didn't think they could anymore. "What does that mean? How do you do something like that by accident?"
I threw my hands up to, showing my palms and inching away. "I... didn't know he was a returning subject. I just checked his DNA after the implant to see if I should worry about his compatibility. When I realized I was in too deep, I highlighted all the files, hit Shift, Delete, and then clicked Yes. I promise I never meant to stick my nose anywhere. He'll be coming by soon for his check-in, you can keep him."
"He's... here... ?" For the first time since I'd first encountered her, Kiriko sounded human.
"Uh... yeah. Wait, why are you here, then?" My curiosity got the best of me.
"No, that doesn't make any sense. I would have been notified the moment he was processed. The first hit to his data would have been at the front office, not some employee prisoner's computer." She speculated.
I simply shook my head. "People who are selected as candidates for the FEMDIN trials aren't processed officially. Hadi told us to eliminate paper trails for them."
"Who selected him...?" She asked.
I shrugged. "I have no idea who does the selection, but I've suspected they're automatically selected based on crime severity these days."
"How... Is he?" Back then, I remember feeling amused. The bitch who stole my eye and gave it to her master as a trophy sounded sad. Good. Fuck her.
"He's arrogant, overly flirtatious, annoying, and too outspoken for his own good..." I grumbled.
Kiriko leaned against the wall and let out a mechanical, whirring sigh of relief. It kind of annoyed me. "So he hasn't changed."
"You know him...?" I prodded.
She glared at me again, her cold tone returning. "When will he be here?"
I sighed, looking at the clock. "An hour."
Kiriko nodded, walking towards my desk while shooing me away. She pulled up a notepad on my computer and began typing furiously.
I watched over her shoulder. "You want me to ask him these questions? May I ask why?"
"You may not."
I didn't bother engaging further after that. I was already on edge with her in the room to begin with, and I felt like if I kept prodding, one of us would end up getting annoyed, and I preferred to keep my remaining eye.
One of the most awkward hours of my life followed. She eventually gave me my computer back, but focusing on my work while she looked over my things was beyond stressful. My office is my space, and hearing someone go through my things while being too afraid to tell them what not to touch was really getting in the way of my focus.
Finally, I turned and looked at her. "Do you smoke?"
She put down a syringe she was investigating. "Hm?"
"I have some cigarettes. I have a feeling you could use one." I offered, opening a drawer in my desk where I kept an ash tray, lighter, and a pack of stale cigarettes.
"You're offering me contraband?" She asked in a tone that made it feel like commentary more than a question.
"Is that a no?" I began to close the drawer.
She shook her head. "No... I'll take one."
I lit a cigarette for her, then handed it over. She looked at me suspiciously. "You aren't smoking?"
I smiled. "Including that one, I'm down to four, and the guy who sells them here charges more than I'm generally interested in paying."
Kiriko gave me a knowing stare before looking down.
I rolled my eye. "Don't pity me now. It's a bit late for that."
Our awkward silence was cut off by the buzzer of my door. The guards were here. Aries was here.
I looked at Kiriko as she handed the cigarette back over and motioned for me to wait. She walked over to the closet in my office, stepping inside and nodding to me before closing the door.
"Come in." I called out before taking a drag of the cigarette.
The door opened, revealing the idiot and His big, stupid grin flashing the two rows of sharp, shark-like teeth. "Howdy, gorgeous. Miss me?"
I let out a plume of smoke as my eyelids lowered in annoyance. "Is it too much to ask that you test the sharpness of your teeth on your tongue, Aries?"
He chuckled as He entered the room, staring at the cigarette in my hand. "You don't get those from Petroc, do you?"
I nodded. "I do. How are you feeling?"
He sighed as He sat down. "Eh. Like usual, I guess. There's fancy new screens in my vision, there's a voice in my head that talk differently from the others, and my doctor wants me to bite my own tongue off. Long story short, I'm feeling a little unwanted... Does he charge you the same price he charges other female prisoners?"
I nodded. "The voice in your head. You're referring to the on-board assistant?"
He nodded once, still staring at the cigarette. "Yeh."
I glanced at the notes on my computer left behind by Kiriko. "You mentioned other voices. You've made comments about those before. I assumed you were being dramatic." Looking back, I admit my annoyance with Aries did make me a bit neglectful of what may have been important details.
He chuckled. "Nah. They're real. I hear memories and voices all the time."
"Can you tell me more about them? Do they have names?" I asked.
His expression changed. The usually cocky demeanor was replaced by a sudden distance. He suddenly lost interest in my cigarette.
I stared at Him for a moment before asking. "Aries?"
"They're the people I've eaten." He smiled as He said that. The same, cocky, toothy grin He had when He would call me beautiful or tell me He had dreams about me.
I wanted to leave. Everything in my body was screaming at me to stop wading in these shark-infested waters, but the fear for what was in my closet kept me in my seat. His file never said anything about cannibalism, and yet it didn't feel like a scare tactic. To be completely honest, reflecting on this does make me feel a bit guilty. Now that I've gotten to know this idiot, I realize that smile has never been a scare tactic, it was always a cry for help. How does a monster ask for affection when it knows it's too scary to love?
"I'm not going to attack her. Calm down, cowboy." Aries snapped me out of my thoughts.
Behind him, I noticed the guards exhale as they lowered their hands... I remember trying to move past the topic, but honestly, now that I'm sitting here thinking about this... If Aries knew the guards were on edge without even looking at them, how did He never notice the person in the closet? Maybe I'll ask Him about that when He comes back.
"Aries. Let's change the topic a bit." I suggested.
"Of course." He smiled, but his tone was empty. He was used to people avoiding that topic.
"Have you ever heard of the HEMPP?" I asked the first of Kiriko's questions and the energy in the room shifted.
I immediately remembered the feeling I got when I first saw Him on my computer screen during His intake. Like some invisible tendril was crawling up my spine and wrapping around my throat. I wanted so desperately to make sure He didn't know I was afraid, but everything inside me told me He already knew. That fucking smile of His told me He already knew.
"Oh, I love the hemp. But if you're gonna offer me contraband, maybe we discuss that away from the guards?"
I barely had the wherewithal to acknowledge His deflection. I glanced at Kiriko's notes again. "You were there when it exploded, weren't you?"
He sighed, looking away again. His knee began to rock left to right. "Mhm..."
"Were you there before it exploded?" I pushed further.
His leg stopped. "Yep. Grew up there."
That stopped me. "In... a power plant?"
"Underneath it." He confirmed.
When the Hadi Enterprises Maleidic Power Plant exploded, the rumor mill went into full swing. I remember reading articles stating that a secret underground facility was discovered in the wreckage and that Hadi Enterprises was being accused of experimenting on children down there. I thought these rumors were a stretch and disregarded them at the time.
After that, I went through the rest of Kiriko's questions, and to be honest, while I considered typing out the parts of the interview I remember, I now find myself hesitating.
I honestly don't think it's my place to tell that miserable story, and I've dozed off twice now while writing this entry, so we'll stop here.
The Prisoner ►
Date: 190-03-30 Weather: Clear Mood: Cautiously Excited Location: VTC HQ, Napoli
I've decided to start a new journal. There are several reasons I've started doing this, but I suppose the most straightforward reason is because my previous journals all went up in smoke when the prison exploded. While there are probably other reasons I could list off, I'd say that the other primary reason is that Talia told me to. She said it'd be good for my mental health, so here we go.
Problem is, I have no idea where to start, but I suppose starting with Him is probably as good as any place to start.
The first time I saw Him was also the first time I felt Him. Even through the screen, even as He was surrounded by guards, I could tell that I wasn't the only one who could feel His presence.
It was also the first time I began to question my decision in taking this mission. I felt something crawl up my spine as I watched the guards choose fight instead of flight.
I rarely found myself agreeing with the way the guards treated us, but for the first time since I got here, I felt a bit of relief as I watched one slam the butt of his rifle into this prisoner's gut.
"Prisoner DR-06N, registering for intake." One of the guards spoke over the intercom.
"Huh? Isn't that the guy who killed that one mayor and his family?"
"I heard that was a hoax and that they're fine."
"You're both right, guys, I saw the video, so I looked into it. The PDT has a whole article about it. Basically, some foreign spies tricked this idiot into killing the mayor..."
While they kept discussing, I couldn't tear my eye away from Him. Even though this was just a recording, something about the way those golden eyes glared at the camera made my stomach knot.
When I first got... let's say... "recruited" for this project, I was told that it would shave time off my sentence. I knew it was a lie, but it seemed interesting that they would offer me some sort of mercy in return for interviewing and experimenting on death row inmates.
The original objective was straightforward: Develop a neural implant and put it in various subjects selected by a mysterious selection committee. I was responsible for architecting and overseeing the construction of the implant and the AI assistant that would be on-board the implant.
We tried various subjects. None lived for very long. At first, they would die within a few days. Eventually we saw subjects lasting upwards of six months at a time. I still remember thinking we were making progress even as we watched these people be reduced to mindless husks instead of dead bodies.
The subjects became lifeless even if they survived physically. I was supposed to be interviewing them, but none stayed very coherent after a while. By this point, the experiment was hanging on by a thread. I had lost the staff they had originally provided and I was tasked with continuing it on my own until we found a suitable candidate for Phase 2.
I think what scared me about Him was that while I held no kindness in my heart for any of the prior subjects (don't get me wrong, I had none for Him, either), I found myself expecting to see Him survive this experiment. Not out of hope, though; I had already given up on the success of this project at this point. In fact, I don't know if I'd be able to really pin down the reason I expected anything different from him. Maybe instinct?
The buzz at the door in my office snapped me out of my thoughts. As I realized I had lost myself in my mind, I noticed the recording had already ended, the new subject was at my door all, and I was able to review was his intake video.
I did my best to shake off the nerves, but even as I spoke, my mind screamed at me to run, instead. "Come in."
The door slid open to reveal two guards with assault rifles on either side of the towering monster. If it wasn't for the intensity of that golden glare, I may have considered Him handsome.
"Strap him in. Let's get started." To my surprise, He seemed quite amenable to the process ahead of him. He didn't argue, He didn't even seem to hesitate as He climbed onto the operating table and the guards strapped Him in.
"Prisoner DR-06N, can you tell me your name?" I asked.
"Aries Villanite." Most people sounded defeated, angry, or, like me, empty. He sounded amused.
I hated it.
"Aries. I'm going to inject a numbing agent into the back of your neck. I would appreciate it if you stayed still. Understood?" Numbing agent was putting it mildly.
"Hm." He grunted in affirmation.
I grabbed the syringe filled with the sedative as the guards grabbed His shoulders and arms. They usually did this to hold the subjects down, but as they did, I couldn't fight the feeling that if He wanted to get up, they'd have no chance of stopping Him. His apparent lack of concern only served to unsettle me even further.
"Keep a firm hold." I instructed coldly as I leaned in and slid the needle into His neck. I'm not a sadist by any stretch of the imagination, but when I heard Him hiss in pained surprise, a wave of relief flooded over me.
That feeling, however, quickly got replaced by a morbid fascination of my newest subject as I looked over the black blood that coated the needle after I pulled it out.
"Doc?" One of the guards interrupted my thoughts. I must have been staring at the needle too long.
"Thank you, boys. I can take it from here." I responded, trying to double down on the firmness in my tone.
The guards nodded and walked out of the room as I began the operation.
"We've found that the unit has a higher success rate when implanted directly into the nervous system while the subject is awake and aware. You shouldn't feel anything, however, and your entire body should feel numb. Unfortunately, if you do feel anything, you won't be able to do much besides make noise, and even if you did, I'm not going to stop the operation until the implant has taken hold. After the operation, I will stich the incision and you will probably pass out. When you wake up, we'll begin the tutorials for your new features."
"Mm." He grunted in response.
As my scalpel sliced through the flesh of His neck, the oddly enticing scent of His thick, black blood filled the air. I remember being surprised at the growl my stomach made, then being annoyed at His teasing chuckle.
Looking back, I have to admit, if it wasn't for my pride, I may have tasted that blood. Maybe things would have been easier if I did. However, the idea of being His entertainment drove me to push past my curiosity, a feeling I'm quite accustomed to these days.
I continued the operation I had performed so many times before, I... guess it's just now occurring to me that this is the first time I look back at it all... considering everything that happened later on, it's almost eerie how uneventful the entire ordeal was: He bled, I placed the implant, He passed out, I patched Him up, the guards took Him, and I was left in my office.
I distinctly remember a knot in my stomach throughout the whole thing. I don't know what it's like to be a keeper of apex predators at zoos, but I suspect it's a similar feeling.
To be clear, I'm not a biologist. My scientific focus has always been on artificial intelligence and most recently quantum theory, so I don't know what drove me to do this, but I decided to analyze the blood He left behind. At least, I should say: I asked ULMINA to analyze the blood for me.
For context, the Universal Language Matrix for Integrations, Navigation, and Automation is my magnum opus: An AI I developed during my time in school before I ended up in that prison.
So, what did ULMINA say? Well, she said a lot, actually; mostly things I didn't understand. What caught my attention was that she somehow found reference data for his DNA, which made me realize that Aries wasn't just some new prisoner, but it was possible that he was a returning inmate.
I asked ULMINA to give me more details on this. At first, I thought it was fascinating: What a small world, you know? Looking back it may have been silly to be surprised about a career criminal being in prison more than once, but when I realized he wasn't a prior prisoner, the rabbit hole began to feel like it was lined with barbs.
ULMINA had found references to the Hadi Enterprises Maleidic Power Plant: The very same power plant that exploded some years ago and eventually led me down the path that placed me in prison.
The knot in my stomach shifted. Suddenly, I began to worry about Idris more than Aries.
Idris Hadi, the CEO and Founder of Hadi Enterprises, the man who owned the very prison both Aries and I were in. The man that, as far as I know, still has my other eye in a jar in his office to this day. And a man whose radar I would have preferred avoiding at the time. I panicked. I told ULMINA to stop all her research and delete all references to it.
Bullet dodged... or so I thought.
---
Date: 190-04-05 Weather: Clear Mood: Tired Location: VTC HQ, Napoli
I can't seem to sleep. Truth be told, I'd rather work on ULMINA, but dealing with clients today has me too mentally exhausted.
I just feel like I don't work on ULMINA much these days. Granted, working on her code isn't really something I can do anymore and my quantum theories just aren't panning out... I've never had much of a passion for robotics, so sometimes I miss the days before she joined Him.
When the experiment first started, I was using a BetaMINA build for the implants. The smaller builds were able to perform the tasks needed, so I never had any inclination to load ULMINA's full code into an implant. I honestly assumed doing that would kill a person. Looking back, maybe I should have warned Kiriko of that before she made me do it.
About three weeks after trials began with Aries, I was visited by Kiriko.
Kiriko Kuransagi was one of Idris Hadi's top employees. She was one of many bullets I was hoping I had dodged, but there she was, standing in my doorway, those mechanical eyes staring at me with an expression I had never seen on her face. It was subtle, and hard to place at the time, but Kiriko was worried about something.
"Can... I help you?" I asked.
Her eyes narrowed. "Why did you search for him?"
I knew what she was talking about immediately. "What? Who?"
Kiriko stepped closer. "I'll take the other eye if you lie to me again."
I suppose I should clarify: This was my second time meeting her; the first time was when she abducted me, tortured me, and took my eye. Luckily, she seemed over it...
"It was an accident. I deleted everything I had and stopped looking." I confessed.
Her brows furrowed; I didn't think they could anymore. "What does that mean? How do you do something like that by accident?"
I threw my hands up to, showing my palms and inching away. "I... didn't know he was a returning subject. I just checked his DNA after the implant to see if I should worry about his compatibility. When I realized I was in too deep, I highlighted all the files, hit Shift, Delete, and then clicked Yes. I promise I never meant to stick my nose anywhere. He'll be coming by soon for his check-in, you can keep him."
"He's... here... ?" For the first time since I'd first encountered her, Kiriko sounded human.
"Uh... yeah. Wait, why are you here, then?" My curiosity got the best of me.
"No, that doesn't make any sense. I would have been notified the moment he was processed. The first hit to his data would have been at the front office, not some employee prisoner's computer." She speculated.
I simply shook my head. "People who are selected as candidates for the FEMDIN trials aren't processed officially. Hadi told us to eliminate paper trails for them."
"Who selected him...?" She asked.
I shrugged. "I have no idea who does the selection, but I've suspected they're automatically selected based on crime severity these days."
"How... Is he?" Back then, I remember feeling amused. The bitch who stole my eye and gave it to her master as a trophy sounded sad. Good. Fuck her.
"He's arrogant, overly flirtatious, annoying, and too outspoken for his own good..." I grumbled.
Kiriko leaned against the wall and let out a mechanical, whirring sigh of relief. It kind of annoyed me. "So he hasn't changed."
"You know him...?" I prodded.
She glared at me again, her cold tone returning. "When will he be here?"
I sighed, looking at the clock. "An hour."
Kiriko nodded, walking towards my desk while shooing me away. She pulled up a notepad on my computer and began typing furiously.
I watched over her shoulder. "You want me to ask him these questions? May I ask why?"
"You may not."
I didn't bother engaging further after that. I was already on edge with her in the room to begin with, and I felt like if I kept prodding, one of us would end up getting annoyed, and I preferred to keep my remaining eye.
One of the most awkward hours of my life followed. She eventually gave me my computer back, but focusing on my work while she looked over my things was beyond stressful. My office is my space, and hearing someone go through my things while being too afraid to tell them what not to touch was really getting in the way of my focus.
Finally, I turned and looked at her. "Do you smoke?"
She put down a syringe she was investigating. "Hm?"
"I have some cigarettes. I have a feeling you could use one." I offered, opening a drawer in my desk where I kept an ash tray, lighter, and a pack of stale cigarettes.
"You're offering me contraband?" She asked in a tone that made it feel like commentary more than a question.
"Is that a no?" I began to close the drawer.
She shook her head. "No... I'll take one."
I lit a cigarette for her, then handed it over. She looked at me suspiciously. "You aren't smoking?"
I smiled. "Including that one, I'm down to four, and the guy who sells them here charges more than I'm generally interested in paying."
Kiriko gave me a knowing stare before looking down.
I rolled my eye. "Don't pity me now. It's a bit late for that."
Our awkward silence was cut off by the buzzer of my door. The guards were here. Aries was here.
I looked at Kiriko as she handed the cigarette back over and motioned for me to wait. She walked over to the closet in my office, stepping inside and nodding to me before closing the door.
"Come in." I called out before taking a drag of the cigarette.
The door opened, revealing the idiot and His big, stupid grin flashing the two rows of sharp, shark-like teeth. "Howdy, gorgeous. Miss me?"
I let out a plume of smoke as my eyelids lowered in annoyance. "Is it too much to ask that you test the sharpness of your teeth on your tongue, Aries?"
He chuckled as He entered the room, staring at the cigarette in my hand. "You don't get those from Petroc, do you?"
I nodded. "I do. How are you feeling?"
He sighed as He sat down. "Eh. Like usual, I guess. There's fancy new screens in my vision, there's a voice in my head that talk differently from the others, and my doctor wants me to bite my own tongue off. Long story short, I'm feeling a little unwanted... Does he charge you the same price he charges other female prisoners?"
I nodded. "The voice in your head. You're referring to the on-board assistant?"
He nodded once, still staring at the cigarette. "Yeh."
I glanced at the notes on my computer left behind by Kiriko. "You mentioned other voices. You've made comments about those before. I assumed you were being dramatic." Looking back, I admit my annoyance with Aries did make me a bit neglectful of what may have been important details.
He chuckled. "Nah. They're real. I hear memories and voices all the time."
"Can you tell me more about them? Do they have names?" I asked.
His expression changed. The usually cocky demeanor was replaced by a sudden distance. He suddenly lost interest in my cigarette.
I stared at Him for a moment before asking. "Aries?"
"They're the people I've eaten." He smiled as He said that. The same, cocky, toothy grin He had when He would call me beautiful or tell me He had dreams about me.
I wanted to leave. Everything in my body was screaming at me to stop wading in these shark-infested waters, but the fear for what was in my closet kept me in my seat. His file never said anything about cannibalism, and yet it didn't feel like a scare tactic. To be completely honest, reflecting on this does make me feel a bit guilty. Now that I've gotten to know this idiot, I realize that smile has never been a scare tactic, it was always a cry for help. How does a monster ask for affection when it knows it's too scary to love?
"I'm not going to attack her. Calm down, cowboy." Aries snapped me out of my thoughts.
Behind him, I noticed the guards exhale as they lowered their hands... I remember trying to move past the topic, but honestly, now that I'm sitting here thinking about this... If Aries knew the guards were on edge without even looking at them, how did He never notice the person in the closet? Maybe I'll ask Him about that when He comes back.
"Aries. Let's change the topic a bit." I suggested.
"Of course." He smiled, but his tone was empty. He was used to people avoiding that topic.
"Have you ever heard of the HEMPP?" I asked the first of Kiriko's questions and the energy in the room shifted.
I immediately remembered the feeling I got when I first saw Him on my computer screen during His intake. Like some invisible tendril was crawling up my spine and wrapping around my throat. I wanted so desperately to make sure He didn't know I was afraid, but everything inside me told me He already knew. That fucking smile of His told me He already knew.
"Oh, I love the hemp. But if you're gonna offer me contraband, maybe we discuss that away from the guards?"
I barely had the wherewithal to acknowledge His deflection. I glanced at Kiriko's notes again. "You were there when it exploded, weren't you?"
He sighed, looking away again. His knee began to rock left to right. "Mhm..."
"Were you there before it exploded?" I pushed further.
His leg stopped. "Yep. Grew up there."
That stopped me. "In... a power plant?"
"Underneath it." He confirmed.
When the Hadi Enterprises Maleidic Power Plant exploded, the rumor mill went into full swing. I remember reading articles stating that a secret underground facility was discovered in the wreckage and that Hadi Enterprises was being accused of experimenting on children down there. I thought these rumors were a stretch and disregarded them at the time.
After that, I went through the rest of Kiriko's questions, and to be honest, while I considered typing out the parts of the interview I remember, I now find myself hesitating.
I honestly don't think it's my place to tell that miserable story, and I've dozed off twice now while writing this entry, so we'll stop here.
---
Date: 190-04-09 Weather: Cloudy Mood: Frustrated Location: VTC HQ, Napoli
It feels weird to write these journal entries knowing my therapist will be reading them and also trying not to address them to anyone specific.
It's hard to really pin down what details I should and shouldn't focus on, so I brought the concern up to Talia and she suggested that I speak to Aries about my concerns around sharing His story.
Problem is, Aries isn't here. Since He went to Plasid, we really haven't heard from Him at all. I appreciate His commitment to the client, but I wish the idiot would check in a bit. I know for a fact Plasidians use Mystech, so it's not like He can't contact us, timezones be damned. He knows we miss Him.
Doesn't He?
I'm supposed to be using this journal to process my thoughts and feelings, and right now...
I think I'm frustrated at myself more than anything. I'm frustrated that I'm sad. I'm frustrated that I'm angry. I'm frustrated that I'm frustrated.
When I was in school, I learned about a scientist named Octavia Rousseau. Doctor Rousseau was a brilliant woman. I stumbled upon a series of her papers in the school library and she sparked my interest in quantum theory and Malei. She had a way of describing and explaining things that made it clear as day that she loved her research. I think other scientists didn't care for her approach because she often came across almost motherly in her notes.
Unfortunately, Doctor Rousseau died in the year 140. Just a couple of years before the Hadien Enterprise Maleidic Power Plant officially went live. At the time, I remember thinking nothing of it; just a coincidence, if even that.
I stumbled unto her research because I had gotten ULMINA's architecture to a point where I began to consider the theoretical capabilities of quantum computing to power her. The way Doctor Rousseau treated her research resonated with the way I saw ULMINA, so I became infatuated with her work.
Near the end of her journals, she began to include various mentions of Anili Island and the energy readings there. Around the time I was studying this, the second HEMPP was going live and failed miserably. The event was all over the news and Hadi Enterprises lost much of their credibility. I remember thinking this was so strange.
The original HEMPP and the second iteration were both located on Anili, so I assumed that maybe Doctor Rousseau was involved in at least the original HEMPP's creation, so when I learned about the mistakes made on the second iteration, I began to ask questions.
I sent them my theories on what went wrong and why, all primarily based on Doctor Rousseau's very publicly available journals on the topic. I remember thinking I was going to make my big break and be accepted with open arms into Hadi Enterprises' prestigious R&D Department.
Instead, I met Kiriko.
She took my eye and I, desperate for mercy of any kind, reached for anything that would prevent the loss of my other eye. I mentioned Doctor Rousseau's name and Kiriko stopped.
At the time, I still held a lot of respect for Idris Hadi. He was known for being one of the leading researchers on the team that discovered the Myst Particle, and eventually became famous for the success of the discovery of Maleidic power, so I never really bothered questioning his expertise. Imagine my surprise when Kiriko introduced him as her boss.
The Rise of Idris Hadi and the Corruption of the Santerran Federation ►
Idris Hadi is a manipulative genius whose career spans decades of political corruption, scientific theft, and murder. He began by coercing researcher Surai into stealing the concept of Myst from the Waerrani, killing Tursk to enforce compliance. When Surai later died by suicide, Idris was made a scapegoat for the deception, suffering a quiet disgrace known only to the elite. He subsequently murdered scientist Octavia, stealing her discovery of converting Malei into energy, and used it to found Hadi Enterprises and the Hadi Enterprises Maleidic Power Plant, restoring his status among the powerful. Idris infiltrated the Santerran Federation government and became a founding member of the Public Data Trust, a nominally public database he weaponized for disinformation. He leveraged fabricated Waerrani aggression narratives to coerce the Waerrani into political allegiance with the Federation, threatening to expose their non-native planetary origins. Idris then secured Federation backing for human experimentation programs, using trafficked DNA donors. He fathered Aries through a Waerrani woman named Mariyan, though Mariyan doctored records to conceal this. Idris also accepted custody of Piper from Edith Markov for body-modification experiments. His manipulation extended to engineering Piper's death to coerce Aries into participating in the FEMDIN project and the 20th War Games. Idris' schemes were partially exposed during the 20th War Games through the intervention of Waerrani politician Mickail Sidson, forcing Idris to temporarily retreat.
The Transport Incident and Idris Hadi's Discovery of Aries (180–181 AF) ►
Following Aries Villanite's arrest in connection with the Tulian Mercusi exposure, Idris Hadi recognizes Aries on a news broadcast and notes a strong physical resemblance to Mariyan, a woman from his past. Idris orders a covert DNA sample obtained from Aries before his trial concludes, without government knowledge. A staged prison transport attack on a rural road—carried out by eight Napoli-born hired criminals posing as a terror cell—provides cover for Hadi Enterprises Private Security Officers to extract the sample. The PSOs hand Aries back to authorities with a clean incident report. Hadi Enterprises subsequently releases criminal records on the attackers that the Federation investigation had not surfaced, publicly embarrassing the government and boosting Hadi Enterprises' reputation for competence and transparency. This is part of a broader, years-long Idris-orchestrated campaign to erode public trust in the Santerran Federation. DNA testing confirms Aries is Idris's biological son and, in a follow-up panel, that Kiriko Kuransagi is not—revealing a decades-old deception by Mariyan. Idris keeps both results secret but begins treating Kiriko with marked coldness. Hadi Enterprises is appointed security consultant for Aries's trial, giving Idris quiet influence over sentencing. Both Idris and Aries independently maneuver for placement at the Hadi Enterprises Criminal Reformation Center on Sharbain. Aries, age nineteen, is sentenced there. Veronica Klyne's company supplies the specialized Maleidic-tolerance restraints used during the operation.
The Transport Incident and Idris Hadi's Discovery of Aries (180–181 AF) ►
Following Aries Villanite's arrest in connection with the Tulian Mercusi exposure, Idris Hadi recognizes Aries on a news broadcast and suspects a biological connection to Mariyan, a woman from his past. Idris orders a covert DNA sample obtained before Aries' trial concludes, without government knowledge. A staged prison transport attack on a rural road to Desian, carried out by eight Napoli-born criminals posing as a terror cell, allows Hadi Enterprises Private Security Officers to intercept Aries, collect the sample, and hand him back to authorities with a clean incident report. Hadi Enterprises subsequently releases documentary evidence showing the attackers were wanted criminals in Napoli, embarrassing the Federation government and boosting Hadi Enterprises' public credibility. This is part of a broader Idris-orchestrated campaign across the late 170s–early 180s AF to erode trust in the Santerran Federation and position Hadi Enterprises as a more competent institution. DNA testing confirms Aries is Idris' biological son. A second panel reveals Kiriko Kuransagi is not biologically his, exposing Mariyan's decades-old deception. Idris keeps both results secret but begins treating Kiriko with cold distance. Through quiet influence during the trial, Idris secures Aries' placement at the Hadi Enterprises Criminal Reformation Center on Sharbain. Aries, aged nineteen, independently sought the same outcome. Veronica Klyne's company provides the specialized Maleidic-tolerance restraints used during the operation.
Villanite Trading Company: Founding and Early Years (184–189 AF) ►
Between 184 and 189 AF, Aries Villanite is established as the nominal owner of the Villanite Trading Company (VTC), a Napoli-based goods and services organization. The true architects of the venture are Arielle Villanite and Apollo Regulus, with covert backing from Mickail Sidson, whose seed capital, political connections, and Chamber of Commerce introductions made the company's rapid founding possible. Mickail's involvement was deliberately concealed to preserve his usefulness as a quiet operator within the Federation's blind spots. The VTC's founding client list includes the Waerrani Bounty Hunters' Guild, the Napolian Mercenary's Guild, the Regulus Sanguarchate, and Ensconce Technologies. The company operates out of a repurposed residential mansion in a commercial district of Napoli. Aries initially resists involvement due to guilt, but a confrontation with Arielle marks a turning point in his emotional state and he becomes an active participant. Apollo and Aries develop a close personal relationship. Tamica joins as a medical and biotech consultant. Following a long-delayed reconciliation, Kiriko Kuransagi joins as engineering and espionage consultant. Attempts to hire Trance Tauling are blocked by Napolian law prohibiting the hiring of executives from non-Napolian international firms without their resignation. A legal exception for spouses of company owners leads Aries to propose marriage to Trance, which she accepts. The marriage is conducted as a paperwork arrangement only, with Trance motivated primarily by personal affection rather than corporate necessity.
Villanite Trading Company: Founding and Early Years (184–189 AF) ►
Between 184 and 189 AF, the Villanite Trading Company (VTC) was established in Napoli through a coordinated effort by Arielle Villanite, Apollo Regulus, and silent patron Mickail Sidson. Aries Villanite was installed as the nominal owner and sole proprietor, while Apollo served as the public face to conceal Mickail's involvement. Mickail provided seed capital, political cover, Chamber of Commerce access, and the deed to a derelict mansion in a commercial district, which became the VTC's home and operational base. Founding clients included the Waerrani Bounty Hunters' Guild, the Napolian Mercenary's Guild, the Regulus Sanguarchate, and Ensconce Technologies. Arielle managed operations alongside Apollo. Aries initially avoided involvement due to guilt, but a confrontational breakdown with Arielle marked a turning point, after which he became actively engaged with VTC affairs and developed a close personal and sexual relationship with Apollo. Tamica joined as a medical and biotech consultant. Following a long-delayed reconciliation, Kiriko Kuransagi joined as engineering and espionage consultant. Attempts to hire Trance Tauling were blocked by Napolian law prohibiting the hiring of executives from non-Napolian international firms without resignation. A legal caveat allowed the hire if the executive married the company owner. Aries proposed to Trance during a board meeting; she accepted, motivated by personal affection rather than professional interest. The marriage was formalized through paperwork only, with no ceremony. Nyx Regulus assumed leadership of the Regulus Sanguarchate with Aurelia Villanite's assistance during this period.
Vynisian and Rosalynia: Recognition on the South Balcony ►
On the south balcony of the Atril palace, following the conclusion of a war nearly lost, Vynisian Atril and Rosalynia Yawlinitik share an unguarded encounter that marks the beginning of a romantic and collaborative bond. Vynisian, caught in informal dress outside his private chambers, does not retreat when he finds Rosalynia watching the harbor. Both recognize in the other a deliberate division between public and private selves — a guarded court persona and a more authentic private one. Rosalynia reveals she deduced Vynisian's inner nature not from Katalyn's confidence but from observing how he managed Aries Villanite during their first meeting. Each acknowledges a long history of not forming romantic attachments; Rosalynia notes her only prior attachment was suppressed nearly forty years earlier and has only recently reactivated. They reach an implicit agreement to pursue a relationship structured around mutual trust and shared orbit around Aries, without displacing their existing loyalties to him. The arrangement is understood to be unconventional and is not expected to require external justification. The encounter concludes with Rosalynia inviting Vynisian to collaborate the following morning on a project: designing a house for Aries. The next morning, they begin planning what is described as the bloodline. This scene establishes the emotional and practical foundation of the Vynisian-Rosalynia relationship and its integration into the broader Aries-centered alliance structure.
Year 181-182 AF: FEMDIN Project and Aries' Incarceration at HECRC ►
During years 181-182 AF, Aries Villanite is incarcerated at the HECRC on Sharbain and assigned to the FEMDIN project, a classified program developing a Malei-irradiated nanomachine suit integrated via neural implant. All prior test subjects failed within six months, exhibiting psychosis, self-harm, or implant removal. Upon receiving the FEMDIN Controller implant, Aries makes contact with ULMINA, the suit's onboard AI, who identifies his unusual mental compatibility and conducts unauthorized experiments with his consent, keeping results secret. Ulmina develops near-sentience through prolonged neural integration with Aries, a phenomenon Alexandria Zeru privately documents but does not disclose. Alexandria, a biomechanics engineer coerced into the project by Idris Hadi after investigating her missing mentor Dr. Rousseau, was unknowingly building a containment suit specifically designed for Aries, designated Subject V-1774-N1-T3. Idris arrives personally at the HECRC and leverages Aries' compliance by revealing that Piper survived the HEMPP explosion and is in his custody. Idris withholds knowledge of their biological relationship. Kiriko Kuransagi, heavily cybernetically enhanced, has been covertly surveilling Aries since his departure from Anili Island and begins showing signs of emotional withdrawal following Idris' cold treatment of her. Aries participates in gladiatorial prison fights to maintain access to the FEMDIN program. He bonds deeply with both Alexandria and Ulmina, and meets fellow prisoner Nyx Regulus, a Hav woman with distinctive iridescent wings who references her brother Apollo as a source of personal confidence.
Year 189 AF: Robin Flynn's Funeral and Aries Meets Elizabeth Garnet ►
In 189 AF, Kiriko Kuransagi reveals to Aries Villanite that she had been tracking Robin Flynn for years but withheld this information. Robin had recently died from a severe illness, prompting Kiriko to finally disclose what she knew. Aries and Kiriko travel to Zet to attend Robin's funeral. During the event, a racist Zetian nobleman repeatedly directs slurs at Aries, who initially ignores him. At the post-funeral ball, Aries steps onto a balcony and encounters Elizabeth Garnet, Robin's nine-year-old daughter. Robin had used Myst during pregnancy to suppress Aries' DNA, causing Elizabeth to appear fully human. Elizabeth possesses Robin's distinctive green eyes and carries a gold lighter she inherited from her mother — an object Robin had habitually stolen from Aries. When the racist nobleman escalates his remarks, Aries confronts him publicly, delivers a monologue distinguishing himself from the Waerrani, transforms into his Beast form, and kills the man by consuming his head. The resulting panic is subsequently suppressed using evidence Kiriko held against corrupt officials present and memories Aries extracted from the deceased. Elizabeth witnesses the entire encounter. Four years later, at age thirteen, Elizabeth becomes an obsessive researcher of the Golden Beast urban legend and its connection to Aries Villanite, Emperor of Avinadal. At fourteen, she enrolls simultaneously in the Political Sciences and Religious Studies Academies of Avinadal, marking the beginning of her formal connection to the empire.
Year 189 AF: Robin Flynn's Funeral and Aries Meets Elizabeth Garnet ►
In 189 AF, Kiriko Kuransagi reveals to Aries Villanite that she had been tracking Robin Flynn for years but withheld this information. Robin had recently died from a severe illness, prompting Kiriko to finally disclose what she knew. Aries and Kiriko travel to Zet to attend Robin's funeral. During the event, a racist Zetian nobleman repeatedly directs slurs at Aries, who initially ignores him. At the post-funeral ball, Aries steps onto a balcony and encounters Elizabeth Garnet, Robin's nine-year-old daughter. Robin had used Myst during pregnancy to suppress Aries' DNA, allowing Elizabeth to appear fully human. Elizabeth possesses Robin's distinctive green eyes and carries a gold lighter she inherited from her mother — an object Robin had habitually stolen from Aries. When the racist nobleman escalates his remarks, Aries confronts him publicly, delivers a monologue distinguishing himself from the Waerrani, then transforms into his Beast form and kills the man. Kiriko and Aries subsequently suppress the incident using blackmail material on corrupt officials present and memories extracted from the deceased. Elizabeth witnesses the entire confrontation. Four years later, at age thirteen, Elizabeth becomes an obsessive researcher of the Golden Beast urban legend and theorizes a connection between the Beast and Aries, Emperor of Avinadal. At age fourteen, she enrolls in both the Political Sciences and Religious Studies Academies of Avinadal. This event marks the first meeting between Aries and his biological daughter and catalyzes Elizabeth's trajectory toward Avinadal.
Year 193 AF+: Lueria's Evidence and the Avinadal Press Release ►
In 193 AF+, Aries Villanite and Kiriko are reunited with Lueria, a figure from Aries' past connected to his escape from a Santerran facility. Lueria reveals she retained files and evidence stolen during that escape and has since collaborated with Avlister, a small activist group that spent years documenting corruption within the Santerran Federation. Avlister had been paralyzed by fear of retaliation, as similar groups were routinely eliminated by the Federation upon discovery. Frustrated by inaction, Lueria risks her life and her connections within the group by approaching Aries directly with the accumulated evidence.
This intelligence enables the Empire of Avinadal to issue a public press release exposing a secret facility housing slaves and research subjects. Avinadal claims to have already raided the so-called pirate-owned facility and relocated all prisoners as refugees to Regulus and Plasid. The release conspicuously features visible Hadi Enterprises branding throughout the facility. When pressed in an interview, Enyxia Markov feigns ignorance of the logo, sarcastically suggesting the Federation would investigate how a Hadi Enterprises facility fell into pirate hands. The statement places the Santerran Federation under significant public scrutiny regarding its knowledge of and involvement in the facility's operations.
During the raid, the team discovers a mysterious teal slime creature and rescues Willow Yunaska, a prisoner who had not yet been subjected to experimentation. In gratitude, Willow volunteers to serve as Aries' personal assistant.
Year 193 AF+: Lueria's Evidence and the Avinadal Press Release ►
In 193 AF+, Aries Villanite is contacted by Lueria, a figure from his past connected to his escape from a Santerran facility. Lueria, alongside Kiriko, reunites with Aries and reveals she retained files and evidence stolen during his breakout. She has since joined Avlister, a small activist group that spent years documenting corruption within the Santerran Federation government. Despite their findings, Avlister remained inactive due to fear of retaliation, as similar groups had been eliminated by the Federation. Frustrated by the group's paralysis, Lueria approaches Aries directly, risking her life and her connections within Avlister to push for action. This collaboration leads to the Empire of Avinadal issuing a public press release exposing a secret facility housing slaves and research subjects. Avinadal claims to have raided the facility, attributing it to pirates, while simultaneously broadcasting visible Hadi Enterprises branding throughout. Enyxia Markov, when questioned about the logos in an interview, deflects with deliberate irony, placing pressure on the Santerran Federation to explain the connection. The release forces a global public reckoning over whether the Federation had knowledge of Hadi Enterprises' operations. During the raid on this facility, the team discovers a mysterious teal slime creature and rescues Willow Yunaska, a prisoner who had not yet been subjected to experimentation. In gratitude, Willow volunteers to serve as Aries' personal assistant.
Year 193 AF+: Lueria's Evidence, Avinadal's Exposé, and Willow Yunaska ►
In 193 AF+, Aries Villanite and Kiriko are reunited with Lueria, a figure from Aries' past connected to his escape from a Santerran facility. Lueria reveals she retained files and evidence stolen during that escape and has since collaborated with Avlister, a small activist group that spent years documenting corruption within the Santerran Federation. Avlister had been paralyzed by fear of retaliation, as similar groups were routinely eliminated by the Federation upon discovery. Lueria, frustrated by the group's inaction, risks her life and her connections by approaching Aries directly with the accumulated evidence. This intelligence ultimately enables the Empire of Avinadal to issue a public press release exposing a secret facility housing slaves and research subjects. Avinadal frames the facility as pirate-owned while conspicuously displaying Hadi Enterprises branding throughout, forcing the Santerran Federation into a public relations crisis as global audiences question government complicity. Empress Enyxia deflects questions about the Hadi Enterprises logos with deliberate feigned ignorance, amplifying political pressure on the Federation. During the raid on this facility, Avinadal's forces rescue all prisoners, relocating them to Regulus and Plasid. Among those rescued is Willow Yunaska, a prisoner who had not yet been subjected to experimentation. As an expression of gratitude, Willow volunteers to serve as Aries' personal assistant. A mysterious teal slime creature is also discovered within the facility.
Years 139–160 AF: Maleidic Radiation Discovery and Hadi's Rise to Power ►
Doctor Octavia Rousseau discovered Maleidic Radiation while surveying energy readings on Anili Island, unearthing an ancient sword emitting unknown signals. Working alone, she developed a prototype glass orb to contain and refine the energy as a power source. She recruited Doctor Idris Hadi, believing his credentials as a co-discoverer of Myst Particles made him a suitable collaborator, unaware of his violent history. Hadi murdered Rousseau to seize her technology, then encountered the Maleidic realm, where he was manipulated by apex Maleida — amalgamated remnants of powerful consumed consciousnesses including Karu, Hadieha, and Teishi Suraibu — who validated his ambition for bodily continuation and immortality. Emerging with gold-glowing eyes and Rousseau's absorbed memories, Hadi completed her device and founded Hadi Enterprises, building the Hadi Enterprises Maleidic Power Plant (HEMPP). He leveraged Malei's energy and mutagenic properties to attract powerful allies across industries and governments. Hadi infiltrated the Santerran Federation, co-founding the Public Data Trust — a government-funded propaganda instrument disguised as an impartial information authority. He orchestrated a false-flag bombing in Zet attributed to the Waerrani, then blackmailed the Waerrani delegation with knowledge of their non-Eitorian origins, forcing their political alignment with the Federation. The Waerrani introduced the Annual War Games as a multilateral observation mechanism. All of Hadi's public ventures served his private goal of vessel continuation, with Hadi Enterprises and Federation corruption functioning as unified infrastructure toward that end.
Years 139–160 AF: Maltech Theft, Hadi Enterprises, and Federation Corruption ►
Dr. Octavia Rousseau discovered Maleidic Radiation while surveying Anili Island, unearthing an ancient sword emitting unknown energy signatures. Working alone, she developed a prototype glass orb to contain and refine the energy into a usable power source. She recruited Dr. Idris Hadi based on his credentials as a co-discoverer of Myst Particles, unaware of his violent history. Hadi murdered Rousseau to seize her technology, then destroyed the orb in frustration, triggering contact with the Maleidic realm. There, a coordinated intelligence composed of consumed predator-souls—including remnants of Karu, Hadieha, and Teishi Suraibu—manipulated Hadi by validating his ambition for biological continuation. He emerged with gold-glowing eyes, Rousseau's absorbed memories, and the knowledge to complete her device. Hadi incorporated Hadi Enterprises and developed the Maleidic Power Plant, attracting powerful allies interested in both energy and Malei's mutational properties. Privately, his true goal became constructing a vessel for consciousness transfer. He infiltrated the Santerran Federation government and co-founded the Public Data Trust, a propaganda instrument disguised as an impartial information authority. Using a likely false-flag bombing in Zet attributed to the Waerrani, Hadi leveraged PDT narratives to justify Federation expansion. He then blackmailed the Waerrani with knowledge of their non-native origins, forcing their political alignment with the Federation and the creation of the internationally observed Annual War Games.
Years 178–180 AF: Aries Villanite's Vendetta Against Tulian Mercusi ►
Between ages 18 and 19, Aries Villanite systematically dismantled the criminal and political empire of Tulian Mercusi, mayor of Desian City and the man Aries believed to be his biological father. After torturing and killing those responsible for Kanin's death, Aries consumed one victim and absorbed memories revealing that Natalia Flynn had issued the kill order. He kidnapped Natalia, tortured her for intelligence on rival gangs, then killed her using Maleidic medical knowledge to prolong her suffering. Through absorbed memories, Aries already possessed extensive knowledge of Tulian's corruption, his rise through Hadi Enterprises funding, his criminal network spanning the islands of Desian, Kerbas, and Anili, and his personal life. Learning that Tulian had threatened Robin Flynn's safety, and holding Tulian responsible for his own unwanted existence, Aries vowed to destroy everything Tulian had built. Over the following year, Aries infiltrated political and criminal circles, methodically exposed Tulian's corruption, murdered his family before him, burned his home, and publicly revealed his crimes. Aries then surrendered without resistance and was sentenced to the Hadi Enterprises Criminal Reformation Center, a placement he appeared to engineer deliberately. Concurrently, detective Michael Garnet investigated Natalia's death and encountered Robin Flynn; Robin initially seduced him to protect Aries, but later genuinely fell in love with Michael, eventually relocating to Zet and raising a daughter named Elizabeth, to whom she passed down reverence for Aries.
Years 178–180 AF: Aries Villanite's Vendetta Against Tulian Mercusi ►
Between ages eighteen and nineteen, Aries Villanite systematically dismantled the criminal and political empire of Tulian Mercusi, mayor of Desian City and the man Aries believed to be his biological father. After hunting down and killing those responsible for Kanin's death, Aries consumed one victim and absorbed memories revealing that Natalia Flynn had issued the kill order. He kidnapped Natalia, tortured her for intelligence on rival gangs, and killed her using Maleidic medical knowledge to prolong her suffering. Through absorbed memories from multiple victims, Aries already possessed extensive knowledge of Tulian's corruption, his ties to Hadi Enterprises, his debts, and his family. Learning that Tulian had threatened Robin Flynn's life to pressure Natalia, and connecting Tulian's existence to his own unwanted birth, Aries resolved to destroy everything Tulian valued. Over the following year, Aries infiltrated political and criminal networks, methodically undermined Tulian's power base, murdered Tulian's family, burned his home, and publicly exposed his crimes. Aries then surrendered to authorities without resistance. His trial resulted in placement at the Hadi Enterprises Criminal Reformation Center, a sentence observers interpreted as self-engineered. Meanwhile, detective Michael Garnet investigated Natalia's murder and became romantically involved with Robin Flynn, who had initially approached him to protect Aries. Robin and Michael eventually relocated to Zet, where Robin raised a daughter, Elizabeth, instilling in her a reverent mythology surrounding Aries.
Years 190–193 AF: The Plasidian Campaign and Rise of the Villanite Coalition ►
Between 190–193 AF, Aries Villanite (age 30) expands the Villanite Trading Company by recruiting Talia Hekata, a Hornhound dominatrix and sex therapist, as mental health consultant. Talia submits to Aries after a confrontation triggers his beast form, thereafter dedicating herself to building an elite staff for him. A Plasidian delegation led by Augustus Markov, Crown Prince Vynisian Atril, and handler Katalyn Atrilmed arrives at VTC HQ requesting Aries' help to stop Edith Markov's ritual — a consciousness-transfer targeting Enyxia Markov's body, which would grant Edith control over all Plasidian memories. Aries agrees and travels to Plasid with Augustus and Apollo Regulus, receiving training in both Myst and Malei. The coalition secures alliances with Yawlin under Queen Rosalynia Yawlinitik and Atril, then liberates Harkul from a corrupt regime concealing a slave trade. Katalyn Atrilmed, manipulated by radical Atrilian Nationalists who were secretly poisoning Atril's king, attempts to assassinate Aries; Aries subdues her and executes her at Vynisian's reluctant direction. During the campaign against Edith's forces, Augustus and Apollo are captured. Aries defeats Edith by using Piper's crystal to expel her from Enyxia's body; Arielle kills Edith's physical form, trapping Edith in the Maleidic Realm. Enyxia, carrying the memories of all Plasidians and vast Mystic power, proposes assuming Edith's rule as a benevolent successor. Augustus recommends she rule jointly with Aries, whom Enyxia openly declares she loves.
Years 190–193 AF: The Plasidian Campaign and Rise of the Villanite Coalition ►
Between 190–193 AF, Aries Villanite (age 30) expands the Villanite Trading Company's influence by recruiting Talia Hekata, a Hornhound dominatrix and sex therapist, as a mental health consultant. After a confrontation in which Aries shifts into beast form, Talia swears loyalty to him and becomes a key advisor. A Plasidian delegation led by Augustus Markov, Crown Prince Vynisian Atril, and handler Katalyn Atrilmed arrives at VTC HQ requesting Aries' help to stop Edith Markov's ritual, which would transfer her consciousness into Enyxia Markov's body using consolidated Plasidian memories. Aries agrees and travels to Plasid with Augustus, where he, Apollo Regulus, and Vynisian train in both Myst and Malei under Augustus. The coalition secures alliances with Yawlin and Atril, liberates enslaved citizens in Harkul, and overthrows its corrupt government. Katalyn Atrilmed, manipulated by radical Atrilian Nationalists who were secretly poisoning Atril's king, attempts to assassinate Aries; Aries subdues her and Vynisian is forced to condemn her. In the final campaign against Edith, Augustus and Apollo are captured. Aries defeats Edith by using Piper's crystal to expel her from Enyxia's body; Arielle kills Edith's physical form, trapping Edith in the Maleidic Realm. Enyxia, carrying the memories of all Plasidians and vast Mystic power, proposes ruling Plasid benevolently. Augustus recommends she rule jointly with Aries, whom she loves. Augustus also reveals Piper is Persephone Avinadalia Markov, Amelie's missing first daughter.