第28章: Troubled Titania

Erza found herself in the dark gloomy palace in a world without color, just plain gray- black and white. Moon forever staring down on it, the only source of light- it was lifeless.This place was completely dead.

"Welcome to Las Noches, a palace at the heart of Hueco Mundo, also known as the hollow world." Gin said from behind her, half of him hidden in the shadow half lit by the moon and his eyes gleaming blue in a slit.

Here they were in what looked like a throne room, Aizen standing next to her looking up at the throne itself, while the pale moonlight shone through a window, bathing the room in its dead light.

"How do you like it?" Aizen greeted.

"Well, it's dark and cold." Erza said unsure what to make of it.

"This is my palace," Aizen said, taking his glasses off.

"You didn't like it?," he said looking at Erza.

"It's fine," Erza said, trying to sound convincing. Aizen wrapped his arms around her waist smiling. Gin had a sort of pain in his half opened eyes.

"This is good place to hide, a perfect base of operation" Gin said, breaking the silence keeping an evil smile as always trying to hide his new feeling for the red head that makes him uneasy and confused. He walked close to her and held her hand as he tries to sort out his emotions.

"That is true," Aizen said, shooting Gin a nasty look mouthing "she's mine"

She felt Gin's hand and squeezed it as she takes a deep breath before saying "I still think this is madness but I choose to trust you" Erza shook her head and sighed "So, what's next?"

"Erza, come meet my Vasto Lorde." Aizen invited, leading the way. She stood there hesitantly not wanting to move when he felt Gin tugging her hand. "I'll walk with you, it will be alright" he whispered and smiled. Erza blushed seeing his eyes wide open, "cute" she mumbled and followed him.

They entered a room with a long table and chairs around it. 4 seats were empty. The one at the edge of the table and one on the left and two on the right, while the rest is occupied.

One of them stared at Erza and she felt uneasy with the way he examines her. He looked fairly muscular with an average height and a melancholic appearance. He has fairly short, messy black hair, pale white skin, a black upper lip, and green eyes with small slit-shaped pupils, similar to a cat's. Part of his bangs fall between his eyes, and he has distinctively thick eyebrows. He has teal lines which descend from the lower part of his eyes. His facial expression rarely changes, though he is almost always frowning.

Then there is this tall, muscular man with light blue spiky hair and light blue eyes, the latter including green lines below them, similar to the eye who's eyes are glaring at her looked shooting daggers at her. But she kept her composure and hid any emotions she feels showing her strong personality and telling him that she is not intimidating her a bit as she gives him her death stare which made him smirk slyly.

Then she noticed a woman who has olive skin, aqua green eyes, thick eyelashes, and short golden blonde hair; which she usually keeps messy with three braided locks

"Aizen-sama," she said, her voice deep and husky, and quite respectful. "Halibel," Aizen said looking at her and looked back at the rest "My dear espada," Aizen said contentedly, "meet my newest ally, your Queen Erza Belserion" she stood alongside Aizen and she bowed awkwardly and waved at them.

The light blue haired man stood up and circled around her. His eyes examining her from head to toe and stops leaning close to her face "Are you worthy of serving Aizen?" It said. It was a direct question, sounding demanding, even aggressive.

"I think that's his decision, not yours or mine," Erza shot back.

"Well said," Halibel said, nodding. "Know your place, Grimjow"

He stood up straight towering above her looking down with a malicious grin. "They're all cowards, every damn one of them. Are you also a coward? Whatever. I'll just consume you like how I consumed them. As you become my flesh and blood, you will see beyond. I am the king!"he said before sitting back down on his chair.

"So… these are your strongest warriors?" Erza asked firmly and sternly her face twitching in annoyance.

It was after nightfall when she made it back to her room in Gotei 13. She felt suspicious as she opened the door then the light suddenly turned on, she immediately reached for her sword, and had managed to draw it out by the time a crowd of people chanted out, as one, "SURPRISE!"

"Well, good to see you didn't get soft just for getting a cushy promotion." Renji said

Erza looked around, and lowered her sword. There was Isane, Rangiku, Momo, Renji, Kira, Hisagi, and even Byakuya. She smiled and said "You guys…" embarrassedly sheathing her sword, "um, what is this?"

"You made vice-captain, Erza!" Momo said cheerily.

"We just couldn't leave it without proper celebration!" Rangiku exclaimed, procuring a multitude of sake bottles seemingly out of nowhere. "First, you were transferred from the 13th division to the 5th and now you are the 5th's vice captain!!!"

"We all got together," Rangiku said insistently, and agreed we should plan a proper celebration. You earned this, and you deserve at least a party."

"She means an excuse to get drunk'," Renji said, "which I am all for, by the way."

"You didn't have to do this. I mean, do you usually?"

"We do if I have a say in it!" Rangiku said cheerily. She continued, her voice a bit light-hearted, "Young lady, you are now a vice-captain, and it is our responsibility as your seniors to celebrate and advise you."

"And drink lots of sake." Renji said.

"I'm so proud of you, Erza," Momo said, giving her a hug. Erza ruffled her hair, and looked down on her affectionately, not really sure what to say.

"Everyone just does their best." She felt a little guilty- she was plotting treason behind their backs, and each one of them could become an enemy with time.

"Erza? Erza? Hello, Erza?!" Erza realized she had drifted off in thought, Momo raising her voice at her to catch her attention.

"Oh- sorry." Erza said awkwardly, giving her a smile. For a second, she thought she saw Natsu and Gray at each other's throats as usual, Lucy trying to placate them, Elfman boisterously declaring his manliness, Mirajane sitting in the background with a smile trying to play Cupid. Then she was back in the present again. She had lost a whole family once, and now she had found new friends, new family… and the path she is on right now might turn them all against her.

"Erza?" It was Isane's voice, sounding concerned. "You look- um, you look a bit weird. Are you ok?"

"No, no, it's nothing," Erza said, keeping her voice stable.

"I told you we shouldn't have," Isane mumbled to Rangiku.

"No, no, I'm glad," Erza taking a few deep breaths. "I'm glad you're all here."

"Congratulations, Erza," Momo said, smiling the brightest of them all, "I knew you'd move up." Erza smiled at her and gave her a tight hug "Thank you Momo"

The next day she went to the Captain's office looking for a file, paperworks assigned to her. She was busy looking for her task when she hit the pile of folders making them drop and scatter on the floor. She sat down to pick them up. Then she found a mysterious folder that swung open when it fell, she saw a photo of a girl with red hair so she took it and checked out it's pages.

Subject: the Scarlet Reaper

Remarks: progressing according to plan. Mental and emotional manipulation successful.

"What was this?" She whispered.

Erza took a closer look, pulling the paper out. Her breath a-trembling, she looked closer. They were blueprints. Diagrams, designs, full of little notes scribbled here and there. Erza was no scientist, but it looked familiar.

It was all the evidence of Aizen's plan and doings. Sketches and photographs of all the past attacks from the start to test her skill and brainwash her to agree to his plan. Looking carefully, she tried to make sense of it. It certainly is Aizen's handwriting. The more she read, the more notes she saw- it became clear. He had lied to her.

She felt like she is howling alone, on the verge of something to happen! Things are creeping into her body. Her mind is on fire, thoughts are burniny. She can hear the rustling and smell the ashes. Her shoulders are tremendously heavy, weighing her down, leaving her paralyzed. That feeling of solitude has dominated her heart, clinging every thread, catching them. The betrayals of the person she loved and trusted. Sadness is hovering over the heart and the mind!

That was the breaking point of her patience. At that moment, she was blinded by a serving of rage that tasted bitter. She knew she should put an end to it, correct it before making it worse, and preventing anymore deaths. "Aizen I won't forgive you" she said in between her gritted teeth.