Aria Jadester

As I made my way to the temporary dorms after completing my exam, a notification chime echoed in my mind, catching my attention.

"What is it now?" I muttered to myself and quickly pulled up the notification screen to see the message displayed in bold letters.

Ding!—

<SYSTEM NOTIFICATION!>

[Congratulations! You've increased your affection levels with certain characters.]

♡Affection Levels:

•Aria Jadester: Interested (Level 1)

•Adeline Arden: Curious (Level 3)

•Ember Kaelthas: Curious (Level 2)

•Damien Monfort: Curious (Level 2)

•Cassandra Aldridge: Curious (Level 1)

Note: Affection levels may change depending on player choices and actions. Unlockable events, dialogue options, and items are also subject to change and may require specific choices or actions to unlock.

___

"...."

I couldn't help but stare at the screen, my heart pounding in my chest as I read the levels of each character's affection towards me.

While the game did feature a system that allowed players to track their progress with each character, such a feature had never been available in Caius's gameplay before.

From what I remember, the affection levels ranged from Neutral to In Love, and each character had their own unique level of attachment towards the player character.

Every choice we made could sway their hearts one way or the other, and it was like being a love detective, carefully analyzing every move and every word to see how it affected our relationship with each character.

The affection level screen made it easy for players to see where they stood with each character at a glance, allowing them to strategize with ease.

But this screen was completely useless when it came to Caius. He was already head over heels for Adeline, and his love for her was unwavering. It was like he had found the one and had no need to check out any other options.

'Poor Caius,' I chuckled to myself, 'the one he found was a villainess who only thought of him as her toy.'

"Anyways, let's forget about this whole affection screen thing," I sighed. "I mean, sure, I get why the other female characters might be curious about me, but it's Aria Jadester that's got me worried."

'Out of all the playable female leads, it had to be Aria Jadester who was showing interest in me.' I shook my head in disbelief.

Aria Jadester, one of the playable female leads, was a commoner girl with a dark past. And by dark, I mean like midnight in a cave with no light kind of dark.

In her gameplay, Aria started as a victim who was killed by her fiancé in a prologue. However, instead of moving on to the afterlife, she regressed ten years back and was now hell-bent on revenge with the help of the male leads.

But here's the twist: Aria was no damsel in distress waiting for a hero to save her. She was a cunning woman who knew how to use people to her advantage. And I mean, she was good at it.

While playing as Aria, players had the option to romance every male lead, except for Caius, regardless of the affection levels she had with them. It was like being the queen of a harem, with all these handsome men vying for her attention.

It was a competition between the male leads, each one trying to outdo the other in order to win Aria's heart.

And trust me, those affection levels went up faster than a hot air balloon on a windy day.

And the players could also put them all on hold and keep them guessing, just like a master of love manipulation. It was like being the puppet master of their affections, pulling all the strings and watching them dance to their tune with all these men at their disposal.

But the worst part was yet to come. Once Aria's revenge was complete, players had to choose one male lead to be with her. And that was it for her gameplay. All the love and efforts from the other male leads would go to waste, and they would be left with their hearts broken.

"It's like a cruel game of love, and I want no part of it," I muttered as I shook my head.

While many players enjoyed Aria's gameplay, there were also many who disliked it. Some appreciated how she utilized each male lead to exact her revenge, but others felt that it was wrong to use and discard people in such a way.

Moreover, the game Twilight Chronicles was not a harem or reverse harem game, but rather a romance genre game. This meant that in the end, the player could only end up with one character, and as a result, there were bound to be some heartbreaks in Aria's playthrough.

While it was exciting to have multiple options and love interests, the player ultimately had to make a choice and pursue a relationship with just one character.

"Also, I think I know why she's interested in me," I muttered with a heavy sigh.

Aria is a regressor, so she must have known the story of the previous Caius, who was engaged to Adeline and was completely smitten by her.

But ever since I took over Caius's body and ended the engagement with Adeline, Aria's interest in me seems to have developed.

Perhaps she thought that, just like her, I am also a regressor who had been discarded by Adeline before my regression, hence now harbored resentment towards her or something.

"This is troublesome," I grumbled to myself, shaking my head in frustration.

I then took a deep breath and demanded, "Show me how these affection levels work." I needed to understand the game mechanics better to navigate through the relationships with the various characters and make the right choices.

Ding!—

[Affection Phases: ♡]

F: Neutral

The character has no strong feelings toward the player yet.

☆

E: Curious

The character is intrigued by the player and wants to explore a potential friendly relationship further.

☆

D: Interested

The character is developing romantic feelings for the player and wants to spend more time with them.

☆

C: Flirting

The character is starting to express their romantic interest in the player and may initiate physical contact or flirtatious behavior.

☆

B: Affectionate

The character is considering the player as a potential romantic partner and wants to see if the feelings are mutual.

☆

A: In Love

The character is deeply in love with the player and wants to spend the rest of their life with them.

☆

S: Soulmate

The character is willing to make sacrifices and compromises for the player and sees them as their soulmate.

Note: Each phase has three levels, with level 1 being the beginning and level 3 being the highest level before the phase changes.]

***

!?

I furrowed my brow as I gazed at the affection phase information displayed before me. "Wait a minute, I don't recall there being a 'soulmate' phase in the game," I said, my voice tinged with confusion.