The basement of Fairy Tail was filled with hushed conversations and the sound of bandages being wrapped around wounds as the guild members recovered from their battle with Phantom Lord. Though the immediate threat had passed, there was still tension in the air as they planned their next moves. Suddenly, the deep, resonant sound of a bell rang through the guild hall, halting everyone in their tracks.
The first bell echoed through the room, drawing everyone's attention.
"That's the bell," Natsu said, a hopeful grin spreading across his face. "Gildarts is back! He can help us wipe out Phantom Lord, no problem!"
Before anyone could respond, a second chime sounded, heavier and more foreboding. The atmosphere shifted instantly.
"Wait…" Gray's voice dropped, a sense of unease creeping into his words. "That was two bells."
"Two?" Erza's voice was filled with disbelief. She stood up abruptly, her eyes scanning the room. "It can't be. It just can't."
"Two bells?" Lucy asked, confused. She glanced around at the somber faces of her guildmates. "What does that mean?"
Gray's gaze turned to Lucy, his expression serious. "It means it's not Gildarts."
Lucy's confusion deepened. "Who else could it be?"
"Aelius," Erza said quietly, her voice heavy with meaning.
"Aelius?" Lucy repeated, unfamiliar with the name. "Who is Aelius?"
Erza's eyes softened as she spoke. "Aelius was one of our S-Class wizards. He was always a bit of a mystery. He's been gone for four years now."
"Four years?" Lucy's eyes widened. "Why?"
Gray sighed, his arms crossed. "He left without telling anyone. No one knew where he went, why he left, or when he would come back. Only Master knew. He didn't even tell us he was leaving."
Natsu's face darkened as he spoke. "Aelius was like the rest of us, he hung out with me, Gray, Erza, Mira, and her siblings. We spent time together, doing missions, laughing, and even reading books with Levy. He was part of the family. But then…"
Erza's voice grew quieter as she explained. "It was two days after Aelius became an S-Class wizard. He had an argument with Mira. The next day, without a word, he was gone."
Lucy blinked, her brow furrowing in confusion. "An argument with Mira? What was it about?"
"No one really knows," Natsu said, his voice low. "Aelius was always a bit distant, but that day... something snapped. He and Mira were close. They were like family. But whatever happened during that argument, it was enough to make him leave."
"Why would he leave after an argument with Mira?" Lucy asked, still struggling to understand.
Erza sighed deeply, her expression distant. "Aelius was a complicated person. He always kept things to himself, but he wasn't cold. He cared about all of us. But that day, something changed. We couldn't stop him. And the next day, he was gone."
Gray crossed his arms tighter, a bitter edge to his voice. "He never even said goodbye. He just... disappeared."
Lucy's thoughts raced. "So he just left without saying anything? And no one knew if he was even coming back?"
"That's right," Erza confirmed, her voice tinged with sadness. "He left us with no word, no explanation. Just... gone. He took on a century quest. I didn't think I'd see him again."
"A century quest?" Lucy asked, bewildered. "What's that?"
"A century quest is a job so dangerous and impossible that no one has ever come back from it," Erza explained. "It's been up for over a century, waiting for someone strong enough to attempt it. But no one has ever returned from one, until now."
Lucy's eyes widened in shock. "Then why would anyone take a quest like that? If no one's ever come back?"
"Because Aelius wasn't afraid," Gray said quietly. "He always pushed himself. He believed that if you weren't willing to go to the edge, you'd never grow. So he left for that quest, not even telling us where he was going or what it entailed. And no one knew if he was alive or dead after that."
Natsu's fists clenched. "It was like he was testing himself. To see if he could really do it. He didn't care about the odds. He just wanted to prove something... to himself."
Lucy stared at her guildmates, struggling to understand. "But why leave after an argument with Mira? Why did he disappear like that?"
Erza's gaze softened as she thought back to those days. "Mira and Aelius were close, and whatever happened between them that day, it was enough to drive him away. He didn't want to face us after that. So he left. But none of us ever really understood why he made that decision."
A low hum filled the air as the ground began to shake. The tremors grew stronger, and a faint green light began to seep through the windows. Outside magic horns spoke "The Aelius shift is commencing citizens please take your places and steer clear of the shift."
"The town's shifting," Erza said, her voice calm but tense.
"Shifting? For him?" Lucy asked, confused.
"Yes," Gray answered, his voice grim. "Because of his magic."
"His magic?" Lucy asked.
"Aelius is a Plague God Slayer," Natsu said, his voice quieter than usual. "His magic causes decay to anything it touches unless it's strong enough to resist. The town… shifts when he returns. It was the only way to keep everyone safe back when he couldn't control it. But he hadn't needed to use it for years before he left."
Erza nodded, her eyes narrowing as she glanced down the glowing path. "His control had improved significantly. He worked tirelessly to ensure his magic wouldn't harm anyone accidentally. For a long time, the town didn't need to shift. It was a sign of how far he'd come."
Gray leaned against the wall, his expression somber. "Yeah, but I guess the fact that the shift's happening now means something's changed. Either he can't control it anymore… or he's letting it out on purpose."
Lucy's brows furrowed as she tried to process everything. "But if he could control it before, why would it change now? What happened to him?"
"That's the question, isn't it?" Erza said, her voice heavy. "The century quest he took… it must have tested him in ways we can't imagine. He left here as one of us, someone who had found balance. But after four years on a job, no one has ever returned from…" She let the thought trail off, her gaze distant.
"It's not just about control," Natsu added, his hands clenched into fists. "Aelius always felt like he was walking a tightrope. Maybe out there, with no one to back him up, he had to let loose. Maybe he's changed because he had to."
Lucy shook her head, still struggling to grasp the magnitude of the situation. "So, this shift… it's not just a precaution?"
"It's a warning," Gray said bluntly. "Aelius is back, but we don't know what version of him is walking down that path. The town splitting is just the first sign of whatever's coming next."
Lucy's eyes widened in shock as another thought hit her. "Wait, you said God Slayer? That means he either… killed a god… or learned from one, right? Like Natsu did with Igneel?"
Her question hung heavy in the air, drawing somber expressions from the others. Gray crossed his arms and looked away, while Erza nodded slightly, her gaze fixed on the glowing path that had opened for Aelius.
"That's right," Erza confirmed. "God Slayers draw their power from divine entities, just as Dragon Slayers do from dragons. Aelius never spoke much about how he became one."
Natsu's fists clenched tightly at his sides. "I asked him once, and he just laughed it off. But the way he fought… it was like he had something to prove. Like he wasn't just carrying that power, he was trying to conquer it."
Lucy's brow furrowed. "But if he's a God Slayer, and his magic is so dangerous it makes the town shift… how did he even manage to live here? How did anyone get close to him?"
"He wasn't always able to control his power," Natsu admitted, his tone more subdued than usual. "When he first got to Fairy Tail, it was a mess. His magic would leak out without him meaning to. Sometimes plants would wither just from him walking by, or buildings would crack if he got too emotional."
Erza nodded, her expression tinged with memory. "There were times when even getting close to him was dangerous. The guild had to reinforce parts of the hall just to contain the effect his magic had on the surroundings. But he worked at it, relentlessly. Every day, he pushed himself harder, training, meditating, doing anything he could to keep his magic in check."
Gray folded his arms, glancing toward the distant figure. "He'd wear these runes sometimes, ones Levy helped him create or ones master got for him. They acted like seals, containing the decay so he could just… exist without worrying about hurting someone. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough for him to be around us."
"And he hated it," Erza added quietly. "Not because he needed them, but because he felt like he was a danger to everyone. He didn't want to depend on seals or barriers. He wanted to control his power, not hide it."
Lucy's eyes softened. "That sounds… lonely."
"It wasn't all bad," Natsu said, a small grin breaking through the somber mood. "He still hung out with us, reading with Levy, sparring with me and Gray. He made it work. Aelius wasn't the kind of guy to let something like that stop him from being part of the guild."
"But it wasn't easy for him," Erza continued. "Even after he got his magic under control, there was always that fear, of losing control, of hurting someone he cared about. That's why he trained so hard. Why he pushed himself past his limits."
Lucy's heart ached at the weight of the story, imagining the constant pressure Aelius must have felt. "He sounds… strong. Not just physically, but mentally. To go through all of that and still try to stay connected to everyone…"
"He was," Erza agreed, her voice soft but resolute. "But strength doesn't mean invulnerability. There were cracks, even if he tried to hide them."
Gray's expression hardened as he leaned against a nearby pillar. "He put on a good front, but you could see it sometimes when he thought no one was looking. The way his hands trembled after a big fight or the way he'd avoid looking anyone in the eye when his magic flared up unexpectedly. He hated himself for it, for something he never asked for."
"And that's why he left," Erza said, her gaze distant. "After that argument with Mira, whatever was said must have made him feel like he couldn't stay anymore. That his presence was more of a risk than an asset."
Lucy hesitated before asking, "Do you think he regretted leaving?"
Natsu's fists clenched at his sides. "He had to. Aelius wasn't the kind of guy to walk away and just forget about everyone. He cared too much, even if he didn't show it all the time. But I think… I think he felt like he didn't have a choice."
Erza's voice was quiet but firm. "He thought he was protecting us by leaving. That whatever burden he carried was something he had to face alone."
Gray nodded. "And now he's back, carrying four years of whatever that quest threw at him. If the shift is happening again, it means he's still fighting that same battle, whether it's inside himself or against something else."
Lucy's brows furrowed as she stared out at the glowing path. "But why now? After four years, why come back? What does he want?"
"That's what we're going to find out," Erza said, her tone resolute. "We're his family, whether he believes it or not. And whatever he's facing, we'll face it together."
Natsu smirked, a flicker of fire igniting in his hand. "Yeah. If he's in trouble, we'll help him. If he's not, we'll beat some sense into him for disappearing on us."
Lucy smiled faintly at Natsu's words, though her worry remained. "You all really care about him, don't you?"
"Of course we do," Gray said, his tone firm. "Aelius isn't just some guildmate. He's one of us. Even after all this time, that hasn't changed."
The tremors in the ground began to subside, and the green light outside dimmed. The faint outline of a figure appeared at the far end of the glowing path, tall and shrouded in the fading light of the shift.
Erza straightened her posture, her gaze unwavering. "Whatever happened out there, he's still Aelius. And we'll remind him of that, no matter what it takes.