Black and red swirled inside a tiny orb, surrounded by the never-ending blurs of grey. The image moved constantly, yet the ball of colors always remained in the center, waiting, calling out.

Leo had heard those whispers before, the soft feminine murmur begging him to come closer. However, this time, those words barely reached him, as if an unbreachable wall stood between them and him.

How? Leo muttered. How am I seeing this? Is this another shard?

'Nikra's final farewell gift to us both,' Nyx's voice suddenly reverberated all around him. Leo tried to search for her, but just like ever since this dive began, he had no control over his actions.

Nyx? Where are you? Where are we? He asked instead.

'I would love to tell you, but I don't know,' she answered softly. 'And I'm here with you, guiding your mind so that it can see what I see. I'm sorry for acting without a proper warning, but you needed to see it, to feel it.'

It's fine... though I won't say no to a heads up next time... Leo sighed, or at least tried to. He really couldn't do much here. Now... please tell me I'm not seeing what I think I am.

'I can't because you are right... This right here is another of Nikra's shards. The first among the trio, to be precise. Not as powerful as the one you possess, but I can feel that it is just as, if not more, important.'

Well shit. Leo chuckled in spite of everything. I understand there is a meaning to it all, yes? I really can't see how this is a gift, not now.

Nyx huffed. 'Nikra's final memory I inherited was of a wish. A wish for us to find her next shard. And this, Leo, is a way for us to do just that.'

Again, how? All I see are blurs. There is not a single thing that we can use as a point of reference. Yet even as Leo said this, he really didn't like how eager the new entity connected to him sounded, especially not after what had just almost happened.

'We don't need one, Leo,' Nyx explained quickly. 'You might not feel it entirely yet, but I do, the constant tug in my soul, guiding me towards one direction. Even if it's faint, that's more than enough to find the shard. I'm sure the feeling will only get stronger as we get closer.'

Even as Nyx finished speaking, Leo remained silent, slowly counting to ten in his head. Only then did he address his new partner.

I take... you won't give up on this, right?

'No,' Nyx muttered after a moment. 'I just can't, Leo. That's something I must do, we must do.'

Anger spiked in his mind, but Leo grabbed its reigns, stopping it from spilling over the link.

And what about creating your own path? He tried to reason. What if this new shard is just a way for Nikra to finish what she started a few minutes ago? Are you really willing to potentially risk your life for a dead goddess who almost killed me?

As seconds ticked by, no answer came from Nyx. Only the ever-changing blurs accompanied the heavy silence between them.

I see, Leo whispered in the end. If this is something you're really certain about, then we will talk about it later. For now, I have better things to worry about than Nikra's wishes.

'Thank you, Leo...' Nyx muttered back, finally finding her voice. 'I will take us back now. Be ready.'

With no way to really prepare, Leo just steeled his nerves and gave his link to Nyx a weak nudge. And then, just like that, they were back, with the vast Void and shadow forest surrounding them from all sides.

"That was much be-"

Before Leo could even finish, the entire island shook, almost bringing him back to the ground. Thankfully, just in time, Nyx's tails wrapped around him again, stopping his fall.

"The hell just happened?" Leo hissed, his blades extending without even a thought.

'A mistake,' Nyx called back, her eyes scanning the forest. 'I've been using the last remnants of my connection to this Nest to delay the collapse of this dimension. When I showed you Nikra's shard, my hold must have failed. We must go; there is not much time left.'

Great... Leo grimaced, only now noticing the tiny creatures jumping across the tree branches in the distance. "What about them? Clara doesn't stand a chance if they all come through at once. Shit... should have told her to hide."

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'No need to worry about those pesky insects. Even if they go through the gate, they aren't returning to Earth. That path is closed for them. Only you and I can cross back.'

"That's one less thing to worry about then... Let's go." Leo took a deep breath and ran into the forest with all the remaining strength. Nyx followed right after, matching his pace.

Sometimes, a few Shadow Tails tried to come close, their fear momentarily forgotten in the face of disaster. However, a single look from Nyx was all it took to remind them who the apex predator on the island was.

"Holy shit..." Leo muttered, watching the tens of Shadow Tails sprint across the connection between the two floating islands. "There must be hundreds of them here..."

'Correct,' Nyx nodded as she took the lead, the gate now closer than ever. 'Nesting Dimensions possess almost unlimited potential for growth. Only a Nest Colony can match it, and that's only if it forms a gate in the later stages of development.'

"That's... good to know. Honestly, I didn't expect you to have that kind of info."

'Remember, along with pieces of Nikra's and Hunter's knowledge, I was also created from the soul of a Voidling. Maybe it didn't possess the same intelligence as us, but it knew a thing or two.'

"Fair, I guess," Leo nodded, only to furrow his brow as they stopped right next to the Void Gate. "Shit... Didn't think about this before, but we can't go back like this, or well, you can't. My ability to take over Voidlings must stay a secret for now."

Nyx tilted her head, looking right into Leo's eyes. 'Hmmm... I think I have an idea.' Nudging him with her snout, she continued, 'Take out your cloak. I will do the rest.'

Even as his frown deepened, Leo shrugged and summoned his cloak. The soft fabric immediately fell over his shoulders, offering the slightest bit of comfort.

'Now don't move,' Nyx growled, and in a blink of an eye, her form collapsed into a swirling cloud of shadows. The mass launched itself right at Leo, disappearing underneath the cloak almost without a sign.

"This feels... weird," Leo mumbled, taking a few experimental steps. There was no sudden weight gain from the mass of shadows, yet each move he made definitely required a bit more force. It was almost as if he was moving through water.

'I apologize,' Nyx's voice echoed in his head. 'That's the best I can do for now. I'm still getting used to this body...'

It's fine. Leo waved her off. Might get awkward at some point, but it's definitely better than letting Clara learn about your existence. Now... are you sure this will bring us back to Earth?

'Yes. I'm sure if you bothered to check them, one of the System's notifications would tell you the same.'

Says the one who made me hurry. Leo scoffed. I will check them once we land. Let's get the hell out of here.

With a final look at the gathering of Shadow Tails behind him, Leo took a deep breath and stepped into the gate. The swirling lights blinded him momentarily, yet just like the last time, the journey went without a hitch.

It worked... Leo grinned, drinking in the sights of a completely changed warehouse.

While Vetilim still made most of the building's walls, the maze was gone, leaving a vast empty space behind, devoid of the Void's touch. Now only the gate remained, its edges slowly crumbling into pieces. Overall, a perfect place for a semi-large group to hide in.

Now, where the hell is Clara? Don't tell me something got her after all of this... Eyes narrowed, Leo scanned the entire warehouse once more, only now noticing a glint of a small blade behind one of the fallen shelves. "Clara?"

Instantly, the glint disappeared, replaced by a mop of red hair as Clara peeked over the edge of her cover. Once her gaze fell on Leo, she sighed, her head almost banging against the metal shelf.

"Fucking hell, Leo! You don't know how happy I am to see you!" Clara practically shouted. "I almost shat myself when this entire bloody warehouse shook. Really, for a moment there, I thought I was a goner, but then it all stopped, and most of the Vetilim turned into dust... What a trip."

'She is... '

Yeah, I know... Leo sighed, somehow already used to the woman's antics. Apparently, hiding behind the whole bitch act was a very interesting personality.

'I think I need to study a few more of your memories. Humans are certainly a curious species...'

Whatever, Leo grumbled, ignoring the spike of excitement coming through the link. Thinking about Nyx's sudden interest was a sure way to get a headache.

"I'm glad you are in one piece," he finally addressed Clara. "Any other problems apart from... well, this?"

The woman shook her head, moving to join him next to the collapsing gate. "Surprisingly, no... No Voidlings and zero movement from Vetilim after the dusting. Whatever you did, I think you succeeded."

Leo quirked a nonexistent eyebrow. "Dusting? Really?" He shook his head. "Anyway... Give me a minute. I need to check what the System has to say."

Giving him a mock salute, Clara spun on her feet and began to walk away. "You do that. I gotta take a piss. Be right back."

Blunt as ever. Leo snorted, summoning the onslaught of notifications.

Full Synchronization successful. Let the two become one. May the Prime Akirian be born anew in the fires of rage and blood. Let nothing stop you in your hunt. Adapt or die!

Didn't last long... I'm sorry, Hunter. I wish we had more time...

Minor Takeover suc... Warning: Outside influence detected! Minor Takeover still in progress. Warning: Potential soul damage detected!

.

.

.

Minor Takeover successful. Warning: Akirian Synchronization broken. Scanning... Multiple changes detected.

Akirian Apex aspect lost. Bloodlust limiters shattered. Focused Bloodlust and Prime's Rage are stirring. Skill evolution and combination successful. Ruthless Efficiency obtained.

Synchronization reestablished. Strength: Low. True Bond trait obtained.

Nikra... What have you done...