ALL NOVEL Chapter 52. My soul
"How do you repent for betraying your family, your world? How do you continue living when everything you have ever known is gone? How do you continue fighting for a cause that is almost as lost as your own soul?
I don't know the answer to those questions, yet I still try. After all, what is the point of giving up after all those cycles?"
~ Unknown
Good Luck. Let the Prime Night Hunter be born.
For the first time since the introduction, those words weren't thrown in Leo's face, and instead, a booming voice spoke them right into his mind. Chills went down his spine in an instant, freezing him in place. Yet, before the bone-chilling fire could settle, the System acted.
From every pore on Leo's body, an ominous dark mist began to seep, gradually filling the room with swirling shadows. The density of the darkness forced him to narrow his eyes to maintain focus. Then, just as the mist settled, a black and red miasma oozed from his being, pooling at his feet and gradually coalescing into a living and breathing cocoon.
Leo's breaths grew rapid and shallow as the dark matter crept higher, steadily engulfing more of his body. Panic welled up within him as he attempted to move, but his limbs remained unresponsive, rendering him a helpless spectator. And so he could only watch, wide-eyed, as the dark matter continued its conquest.
Calm down. Leo took a deep breath. The System won't harm me. It is only starting my evolution.
However, despite the thoughts swirling in his mind, Leo's heart continued to race. It was an instinctual response, the natural impulse of a human trapped in a confined space. Only in this instance, the enclosure was a cocoon of an alien substance, devouring his body, slowly burying him alive.
I swear, you never warn me about the important shit... Leo cursed, closing his eyes as the sticky miasma swallowed his neck. Inch by inch, the living matter finally reached his eyelids, gluing them to his face, trapping him completely.
Despite all of that, Leo had no trouble breathing, and when the alien matter enveloped his entire body, even the pressure on his skin disappeared. It was as if the cocoon had dissolved into thin air, yet its presence was still palpable, holding Leo firmly in place, restricting any movement.
Am I gonna just stay like that, unable to see until the evolution ends? Leo questioned internally as even the constant pain faded away, leaving him completely numb.
As if hearing Leo's query, the bindings around his body snapped away. His eyes flew wide open as he fell towards the vast darkness below. Hell, everything around him was dark, yet he could still see, still comprehend what was happening.
This is gonna hurt... again. Leo gritted his teeth as his body crashed straight into the ground. However, the pain never came, and the impact barely registered in his mind, almost like it never happened.
"What the fuck is going on? Where am I?" Leo breathed out, slowly rising to his feet and scanning his surroundings with a keen eye.
True to his previous observations, the land was engulfed in an eerie darkness. The hard, stony ground lay beneath a thin veil of shadowy mist, while the sky above was a canopy of velvety blackness adorned with specks of red and violet stars. It was a realm consumed by darkness, a place where shadows ruled supreme. And to Leo, this desolate realm whispered one word.
Home.
"You wouldn't be the first or last to call it that. After all, what else can capture the sensation of one's own soul enveloping their being from each side?" A soft and melodious voice filled Leo's ears, and he immediately turned on his heel, gaping at the person that appeared in his vision.
Throughout his life, Leo had encountered countless individuals, their physical appearances often a passing detail. Beauty or attractiveness held little significance to him; he had much more pressing matters to attend to.
However, at this moment, as his eyes fell upon the figure before him, Leo couldn't help but be captivated. Never before had he beheld someone who embodied a sense of eternal allure, an exotic essence, and a palpable aura of danger — all in a single being.
Yet here she is, perfectly fitting the description of those words and more. Leo watched as the woman took step after step, the thin mist barely obscuring her bare tanned feet.
She, indeed, was an ethereal beauty, her lithe figure exuding an air of grace and elegance. Her long, waist-length hair cascaded down like a waterfall, its rich violet hue almost blending into the darkness surrounding them. Then there was her dress, a flowing and thin thing crafted from alien matter; its colors a striking combination of black and violet, shifting and shimmering as if alive.
Wow... Leo summed up in his mind, still rooted in place, as his gaze fell on an almost familiar face.
It held a delicate softness, exuding youthfulness and innocence, yet there was a subtle coyness to the woman's expression, hinting at hidden mischief. Her eyes, a mesmerizing shade of crimson, locked with Leo's gaze, the slits in them glowing with mirth.
"You..." Leo muttered, and the woman's pink lips curled into a slight smirk.
"Indeed, Leo Hale," she returned with a nod, coming closer and closer.
"I've been called many things throughout my life, but I only ever took one name for myself, one you know well enough," Nikra continued, stopping just a breath away from Leo. "I'm the first Old One to be born, titled the Lady of Darkness and the Void. I'm the one who failed the entire Multiverse, and I've been waiting for this day longer than you can imagine. It's truly a pleasure to meet the bearer of my middle shard, the one person who can finally share my destiny, my burden."
Leo took a step back, his mind going a hundred miles per hour. Alright, that's one way to introduce yourself, although I wish I knew what in the fuck is going on... And 'share my destiny and burden'? How the hell am I supposed to reply to that.
Nikra suddenly smiled wider. "You don't have to. I don't even expect you to. At least not before I explain everything."
Gulping, Leo raised his hand, eyes widening at the shadowy composition of the limb. His gaze quickly snapped to the rest of his body, noting the same thing. What?! How the hell didn't I notice this before?
"You were overwhelmed, and your mind isn't working at its full capability currently, young one," Nikra explained out of nowhere once more. "Besides, you have nothing to worry about. Your form is as natural as it can get."
Faster than Leo thought possible, he turned to the woman. "Alright. One, stop reading my mind. It's not helping. And two, what are you even talking about?! Natural?"
Leo suddenly froze. Fuck. Maybe I shouldn't have screamed at someone who is pretty much an ancient goddess. Goddammit, get a grip.
A burst of tinkling laughter abruptly filled the area, the sound as captivating as the person behind it. "No need to worry, Leonardo. Cycles I've waited for someone to speak with, and trust me, it will take a lot to truly anger me. And even then, an Old One I might be, but the power you fear faded a long time ago... Now, as for reading your thoughts, I will try to avoid it, though it may prove challenging given our link."
Alright, that's good, I think... Although link? Ah, whatever; I can worry about it later... Leo grumbled, his eyes connecting once more with Nikra's.
"Well, if you say so... Oh, and please stick with Leo, or do you want me to call you by your title?" He quipped and held his breath. If the ancient woman was sincere, then this shouldn't be an issue.
Thankfully, Nikra just chuckled.
"I shall do that. I have heard enough pleasantries to last an eternity. I don't need more from my Legacy," the Old One smiled, although it didn't fully reach her eyes.
And that's a can of worms I don't want to open right now. Leo grimaced and quickly steered the conversation in a different direction. "So about my form being natural..."
Nikra's eyes lit up just a bit. "Ah, yes. Please follow me. You need to see it to fully understand."
Quirking an eyebrow that probably wasn't even there, Leo trailed behind the Old One as she effortlessly glided through the mist. Her dress billowed and swirled with each step, and he couldn't deny that his gaze often strayed to Nikra's back. He was only human, after all.
Well, probably not any longer, but who cares... Leo shook his head and sped up to match Nikra's pace.
"So where are we going exactly? From what I understand, we are inside my soul already, but as embarrassing as it sounds, that doesn't really tell me much," Leo stated, focusing his gaze sights around them.
"That's right, this is your soul, or rather your soulscape, and right now, we are headed to its core... You need to understand that each soul possesses an infinite potential, and those lands," Nikra motioned to the empty planes surrounding them, "represent this potential that can be used by the core to grow, expand."
Huh... Already learning something new. Leo smiled. "And what about the sky? The same rule applies?"
Nikra glanced at him, her eyes glinting. "Partially, but it also plays a different role... Please, take a look at it again and tell me what do you see, what do you feel?"
Leo frowned as he stared at the endless darkness. Every once in a while, another violet and red star would appear, piercing through the veil, yet apart from that, he didn't really know what to search for.
What do you see and feel?
Blinking, Leo let the view consume him, filling his entire mind. The vision of the black sea with countless colored ships captivated his thoughts. And so he watched as the boats fought for their place, bringing others into the fold and growing into forms Leo felt he should know…
Wait... It can't be that simple, right? Leo blinked again, turning to Nikra, who smiled widely and nodded. "The sky also presents my potential. Not just of my power but affinities that I might be able to use in the future."
"Exactly," Nikra laughed, and Leo couldn't help but smile a bit wider. In the back of his mind, he knew this was the woman who was at least partially responsible for the first Outbreak. And yet, her happiness was contagious for some reason.
Don't worry about it for now. Leo shook his head. I will have plenty of time to get mad later. No reason to ruin a pleasant conversation with someone who knows more than me.
"The Darkness is pretty self-explanatory, the next step after shadows. And I take that the red and violet is my connection to the Void, right?" Leo questioned instead, and Nikra nodded. "So if that's the case, then why are there more and more of those stars appearing? I don't think I'm doing anything to cause that."
Nikra quirked an eyebrow, eyes shining with mirth. "And tell me, Leo, what is happening outside your soulscape?"
Leo blinked, blinked hard. "Ah shit... Right, I almost forgot about the evolution..." Suddenly he frowned, "But wait, if my evolution alone is strengthening my connection, then does that mean that all Voidlings have some kind of Void aspect? After all, they come from there and probably always evolve with Void in mind."
For the first time since their meeting, Nikra grimaced. "It's a lot more complicated than that. I swear to explain it to you as soon as possible, but let's put this conversation on hold. At least for now... In the meantime, look ahead. We are here."
Just as she said that, they stopped right at the edge of a cliff, and Leo quickly followed Nikra's gaze to the sight awaiting below.
Shadows, living and always in motion, danced in a vast pond below. However, now that Leo was so close, the connection he had been missing since he appeared inside his soul suddenly snapped back. And at once, the entire pond of shadows froze, obeying his command.
Wow... Leo found himself muttering internally for the second time this day.
"Indeed," Nikra's musical laughter echoed all around. "Welcome to the core, Leo Hale, the truest part of your soul."
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PS: I have been messing around with SD to generate Nikra's appearance, and I think I managed to get it mostly right. I hope that one day I will be able to commission a normal art for this. For now, you can look a the spoiler below to see the SD generation. Let me know if you want more.