A Perfect Circle

**A Perfect Circle** is a Story Arc of the the Exteria Multiverse. It takes place in Ithallea - long after the events of Heartless Memories - and follows the perspective of academic elite Aurelius Sol.

## Main Arc

### A Legend Begins

In a world where mysterious spiritual energy is born from human Souls and used as fuel instead of electricity, two friends, Aurelius Sol and Arcenius Selene, as well as Arcenius's sister Kiara Selene, Aurelius's fiancée, study together in a prestigious academy that teaches individuals how to harness the power of souls. However, as the country's soul energy quickly dwindles, the trio investigates to find a solution. Kiara learns of the existence of two legendary blades, the Artifacts known as the Gate to Hell and the Gate to Heaven : two blades able to sever and create the essence of the soul, and once wielded together, grant complete mastery over the flow of all souls.

Visiting a forgotten and forbidden temple, the three protagonists find the two blades, albeit sealed. Arcenius takes for himself the Gate to Heavens, which proves to be useless ; however, when Aurelius unsheathes the sword, a pulse emanates from it and kills Kiara instantly, using her as a sacrifice to power the blade. Terrified, Arcenius and Aurelius run away.

Later that night, while Aurelius is still traumatized over his love interest's death by his hand, Arcenius attempts to use forbidden Alchemical processes to forcibly awaken the Gate to Heavens. However, the process backfires, seemingly killing Arcenius too ; and the Gate to Heaven is nowhere to be found in the ruins of his laboratory.

### Battling the Shinku

Aurelius has no time to waste, for a new menace immediately threatens the university. The Shinku - beings without a soul yet possessing a conscience, thought to be extinct for centuries - lead an attack, guided by the relentless Koseki. They seek to capture Aurelius and take his blade. Aurelius soon finds out his blade - which extinguishes all life with a touch - is the only weapon able to wound the Shinku. However, Koseki escapes. In order to atone, Aurelius swears to protect the world from the Shinku and runs away.

Soon he finds out there is a mastermind behind the Shinku - a man called **Ginto**. Hunting Ginto desperately, Aurelius uncovers another powerful Shinku, a replica seemingly based on Kiara, named **Hisakata**. Refusing to kill her, Aurelius instead coaxes her into giving him the directions to Ginto's hideway, the Fortress of Heaven. As he tries to reach it, Koseki opposes him again, without success once more.

### Ginto's Heaven

Aurelius finally reaches the fortress. There, he fights and is forced to destroy Hisakata once and for all, battles with a fake Shinku clone of himself called **Inmetsu** and finally clashes one last time with Koseki, striking him down despite Koseki's power-nullifying abilities. He then goes to the final room.

However, he is greeted by the sight of a wounded Arcenius, begging Aurelius to help him. Aurelius rushes to help him, but barely manages to understand the truth and avoid being killed : Arcenius is Ginto. Arcenius thus reveals the blade turned him into a Shinku as a result of his experiments, and as it is incomplete, cannot resurrect people in a more complete form, instead raising them as Shinku. Arcenius asks for Aurelius's blade as a way to complete his own blade, but Aurelius refuses, confronting the Shinku. He ends up being victorious, stabbing him and destroying all trace of Arcenius's Shinku once and for all.

### The Gates Awaken

Yet the battle is not won ; as the magic of both blades meet, the ritual is complete and Arcenius resurrects once again as a complete human being. Gloating about his success, he uses his blade's complete form, the **Empyrean Gate**, to resurrect Kiara. However, disgusted by Arcenius's actions, she can only cry in disbelief, unable to accept what he has done. Arcenius snaps, his last shred of sanity torn by the rejection of the last person he had.

Harnessing the power of the River of Souls, Arcenius begins bending the universe to his will, using the blade's bond to Akasha in order to resculpt a better world where he will never face rejection again. Aurelius's despair clashes with the blade and awakens Aurelius's blade as well into the form of the **Asphodelian Gate**, a blade powerful enough to defy the reality-warping effect of its twin sister. With that blade, Aurelius emerges victorious.

As Kiara dissolves into fog, Arcenius uses the last of his strength to seal the blades back where they belong, just as they were sealed in the pact, wondering with his dying breath whether he ever defied fate or was just part of "another perfect circle".

## Other Arcs

### Sigma's Tale

Sigma arrived to the plane with Xelias's help, allowing Arcenius, Aurelius and Kiara to escape the academy and find the two blades ; as they are unsealed and the two survivors are filled with despair, Specters attack and Sigma stays behind in order to drive them away.

Later, she comes back to the world and faces Koseki, which she understands due to her corruption by Chaon. She attempts to help him, but he refuses salvation and uses his power to nullify her abilities. Sigma then teams up with Aurelius to defeat him, and helps him reach Arcenius for the final battle.

## Characters

* Aurelius Sol
* Arcenius Selene (Ginto)
* Kiara Selene
* Koseki

## Trivia

* This storyline borrows heavily from traditional alchemy, from the character's names to the sublimation process referred to for the blades, as well as the thematics of the circle and of knowing oneself in order to understand the truth.