Even though Nyx’s frail body rattled along with the jerky movements of the wagon, the discomfort and pain she felt soon started to dim as her body began to feel increasingly heavy. A few minutes after closing her eyes, Nyx had fallen asleep as a faint, almost unnoticeable film of black mist covered her body under the light blue dress and makeshift shemagh covering her face.
However, instead of the nightmares or nothingness she usually experienced, Nyx’s consciousness was slowly aroused as she found herself in a place that felt incredibly familiar.
Sensing the pulses of energy from nearby souls, instead of regret or fear, Nyx felt a sense of peace wash over her.
-“I wonder if it was Dimi or the necromancer that killed me?”
Nyx’s chuckle abruptly came to an end as she opened her eyes, something that should have been impossible, and watched ripples of energy distorting space as they washed over grey-white souls that were aimlessly floating around her.
Occasionally, there were flashes of light as a soul was pulled into what looked like a wormhole or turned into a beam of light and flew past.
Instead of following the trajectory of the beams of light, Nyx shook her head and tried to rub her eyes, only to discover that her hands were in the form of slim, pitch black, demonic claws.
Looking down, Nyx was startled to discover her pitch black, well-endowed chest. If she looked close enough, she could almost see the silhouettes of her nipples, revealing that while she no longer appeared human, she had maintained some of their traits.
Leaning to the side so she could see her lower body, Nyx saw a slender waist, shapely hips and oddly shaped legs. Four elongated claws were sticking out where her toes should be and a small, upturned claw-like spike sticking out of the back of her heel. Her legs were weirdly shaped, similar to that of a dog or kangaroo but more extended below the seemingly reversed knee joint.
-”What the…”
While Nyx’s time in the abyss hadn’t been long, she had felt all manner of souls, from the weak newborns to the god-like entities and knew that they did not maintain any form. They always felt like the fluffy, cloud-like souls that Nyx could see floating around her now.
-”This must be a dream.”
The surreal feeling, as well as her tall, slender yet curvaceous body only helped solidify her belief that she was dreaming yet for some unknown reason, Nyx couldn’t help but feel that her current form was her soul’s representation of what her body should look like.
A flicker of black caught Nyx’s wandering attention out of the corner of her eye.
Quickly turning to see what it was, noting that the long, snake-like entity seemed to move behind her as she did, Nyx's stopped as she momentarily forgot how to breathe. A process that more out of reinforced reflex than necessity due to her current form.
What was in front of her was completely different from the endless expanse of nothingness that she had first seen when she opened her eyes.
Beyond what seemed to be a thin, translucent membrane was a scene that Nyx’s mind struggled to comprehend.
The closest she could get to understanding it was to think of it as a pagoda of universes separated by a thick, cloudy layer filled with flickers of frequent blue lightning. Countless stars and planets filled each band, rotating in a mysterious, soul-captivating manner.
Each layer was as different from each other as the multitudes of planets within them, but Nyx could instinctively tell that they all contained an immeasurable amount of sentient life.
The more she watched, the faster Nyx's core beat, and she felt a yearning that she didn’t know how to fulfil.
After scanning the layers, Nyx’s gaze was drawn to the one that appeared to be opposite her. It gave off a familiar, almost magnetic, feeling.
Unable to move forward, Nyx squinted her eyes to look closer only to discover that her sight seemed to magnify magically. The swirling galaxies increased in size revealing their stars and planets in great detail.
Before long, Nyx was rapidly scanning the planets and galaxies with alarming speed, ignoring those that were barren or unsuitable for the kind of life she expected to exist.
However, even though she found many instances of sentient life and civilisations, some she could describe as human while most were unknown to her, the universe she was gazing into would shimmer out of existence or change drastically as entire new planetary systems or galaxies replaced them.
[“Dimensions.”]
Just as Nyx was pondering what she was seeing, thinking she had never had such a vivid dream before, a voice slammed into her mind causing her soul to shake violently. As it did, her figure seemed to become blurry for a second before quickly recovering.
After the shock of the strange thought-like voice vanished, a vague sense of profoundness fluttered at the edge of Nyx's mind.
Struggling to grasp the strange feeling, repeatedly failing as if she were trying to clasp water with her bare hands, Nyx eventually gave up and refocused on the otherworldly scene once again.
Nyx continued to watch, often struck by awe by the ever-changing cosmos. She witnessed planets and stars rapidly forming as well as their, often spectacular, demises. Watching these heaven-defying events, a strange feeling started to take hold.
Soon she realised that the seemingly stable universes would split into multiple outlines, displaying subtle differences until one would gain dominance and mask the others, which continued to split and diverge almost invisibly behind.
Time seemed to lose all meaning to Nyx as she watched on with rapt attention, subconsciously feeling as if she had transcended into a godly being.
As the feeling grew, so did the pressure of Nyx’s core, the distortions in space they caused increasing in intensity.
She was so lost in the movement and happenings of the stars that Nyx was startled to find that her view had been forcefully moved to a small planet at the centre of one of the layers.
After struggling against the sensation for a moment, Nyx relaxed.
-”Well, I’ve never been able to control my dreams. As long as this doesn’t turn into a nightmare, what’s the harm.”
Nyx's felt as if she was half asleep. She was aware of what was going on and could think, but it seemed that unless she focused on something, the other thoughts would scatter and be hidden in the depths of her mind.
Soon, a planet rapidly expanded into her view. As it did, Nyx felt her stomach or at least the mental image she had of one, rise up into her throat. However, just as she saw the earth rushing to greet her and end her life, her body came to such an abrupt stop that she momentarily believed she had been squashed into a paste due to the conflicting forces.
Blinking her eyes and swallowing hard, Nyx looked around and found herself in a luxuriously furnished bedroom. There was a group of people that were already mourning the rapidly approaching death of an old man that was laying in a golden, ornate bed.
Quickly getting bored, finding the sobbing people irritating, Nyx started looking around and was startled to discover she could see through the many walls and buildings surrounding the man’s residence. There she found hundreds, if not thousands, of kneeling people seemingly deep in prayer.
Hearing, or more accurately sensing, wails of anguish, Nyx turned her head and watched as the old man breathed his last. A warm smile was still etched upon his face.
Just as she was about to try and move, not bothered by the death of the man in the slightest, Nyx’s eyes locked onto a cloud-like soul seeping from the man’s body. However, instead of the white-grey souls of the abyss, this one was a light red.
As she watched the soul float up, the fluctuations in her core once again increased and she felt a pang where her stomach should have been. Subconsciously, a black liquid dripped from the corner of her mouth, her long, fang-like teeth making her unable to close her mouth completely without conscious effort.
Though it seemed as if her body was in the room, it was actually still where she had regained consciousness.
However, unlike when she first arrived, the space around her had become void of souls as they scattered in all directions. They fled as if an ancient beast had awoken and set its sights on them.
Those that had been too close or slow warped with the distortions of space and, after releasing their own agonised pulses, broke apart and dissolved into nothingness.
The small wisps of energy that they released were then sucked into Nyx's body, through her chest, greedily.
Nyx didn’t notice any of this, her consciousness being trapped in the room while she focused on the man’s soul after seeing that it was gradually floating upwards.
After a long time, or no time at all due to the strange distortions of time that surrounded Nyx, she watched as the man’s soul reached the cloudy barrier. As it passed through, the dark-blue lightning relentlessly smashed into it, causing its shine to dim and weaken. Yet, just when Nyx through the soul would perish, it passed through the barrier and swiftly flew to a nearby planet before settling into an egg under an insect-like monstrosity.
Nyx frowned, though it was impossible to distinguish any of her features in her current state. After a while, she returned her gaze to the previous layer and the multitude of dim souls that were falling instead of rising.
While the violent attacks of the barrier below seemed less intense, many were still disintegrated before making it through. Those that survived often flew into the eggs or bodies of the smaller, weaker creatures of the lower layer while the ones that had risen from below that found their way into the strongest, most powerful creatures and eggs.
There was also a group of souls that did not rise or fall. Just like when a soul had lost its sense of self in the abyss, they seemed to flicker and dissolve as they released their energy into the world around them.
Nyx continued to watch for an indeterminate amount of time before realising that those that rose or fell were similar in that they had radiant energies and had led, at least to her limited insight, lives that had impacted countless others.
As Nyx thought, she discovered that she felt quite heavy and that, if she were to pass the barrier of the void and enter the strange, tiered area, that she would undoubtedly be pulled down towards the lower levels.
[“Do not fret. You are not like them.”]
An ancient, inhuman chuckle caused Nyx’s senses to return to her body. The voice once again caused her soul to shiver and slightly lose its definition, but this time Nyx managed to recover much quicker.
Nyx’s sight felt like it was once again be directed by another as it moved to another man on a vastly different world.
This time, the man was kneeling on a stage in the middle of a large plaza. He was wrapped in chains, his body oozing blood and pus from vicious wounds as he laughed maniacally, almost roaring into the sky in a final act of defiance. Crowds of people were watching with anger and fear etched on their faces, their gazes often flickering between the man and the executioner's blade hanging high in the air.
Without warning, countless voices erupted in Nyx’s mind, yet no sound reached her ears. They were all condemning the man, declaring that he was the root of all evil and wishing not only for his death but eternal damnation.
The voices finally dimmed as Nyx watched without any hint of emotion as the executioner’s blade fell. Yet, unlike what she had subconsciously expected, the man’s soul quickly rose upwards and soon flowed into the body of a human woman, still nestled in the arms of her lover.
Moments later, Nyx found herself in front of an old woman, the images of her life flashing in Nyx’s mind. She had lived a life that could only be described as a saint, yet as time seemed to speed up and she died of old age, her bright soul, a light blue that eclipsed both the old man’s light red and the hated man’s blood red, was almost instantly crushed by the lightening in the barrier between realms.
Nyx wasn’t given any time to ponder as she was dragged towards countless other scenes. However, after a while, Nyx started to notice a pattern and, as if whatever was forcing her to witness the various scenes knew its job was done, Nyx’s senses returned to the edge of the void.
Nyx frowned. Forgetting that she believed this was a dream as she tried to unravel the mystery before her.
-”Those that are famous, or infamous, nearly always survive and ascend or descend but those who are unknown or lead meaningless lives are destroyed… Those that fall are often full of resentment and attachments while those that rise are unshackled and without care.”
She also understood that good or evil, or at least her interpretations of it, didn’t decide the fate of a soul. The willpower and self-identity seemed to be reflected in the brightness of the soul while their colour seemed to reflect their characteristics and behaviour.
As Nyx thought, her sight shifted between the layers wondering about the significance of those that fell or rose.
The only difference she could see is that the souls of those that rose would be refined, becoming more delicate while containing more spiritual energy while those that fell would be tempered, becoming more solid and robust as they released vibrant life energy.
-"The path of the body or that of the soul?" The thought flashed across Nyx's mind before she pushed it away. -"No, there are a few oddities that contain both, or some that seem to go in the opposite direction."
Now she was looking at the souls from a greater distance, Nyx was shocked to discover the vast variance of colours. While most were similar to the four elements, there were also many sub-types and mixtures.
The rarest of the colours, only numbering dozens in a few million, were those that were white or black.
Nyx’s sight, more akin to a god than any mortal being, soon noticed that those with similar colour souls or those that augmented each other would often stick together during their lifetimes. The only exception to this was that opposites seemed to attract each other.
Blue and red were often found together, in violent, ever-changing relationships. The same was for the souls that were a white-blue colour and those that were brown. This trend extended to the subtypes but became much less noticeable as the colour of the soul became diluted and muddied.
After she had come to this realisation, Nyx’s sight was drawn to an immense valley on an alien world with red skies and green seas. A black souled monster, appearing to be a cross between an ape and an insect, was battling a group of human-like creatures with elongated bodies. The colour of their souls reflected in the magic they were using. Fire, water and what Nyx assumed to be air for the white-blue soul.
[“The smallest of lights shine brightest in the deepest dark.”]
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Just as the beast was on its last legs, about to be slain by the three humanoids, an angel-like female appeared in a flash of light.
Against everything Nyx thought would happen, the female not only saved the creature but fought alongside it. The tide of battle quickly turned as the pair forced the others to retreat while dealing serious, life-threatening injuries.
[“The darkest shadow can only be cast by the brightest light.”]
Nyx watched with a confused expression while the female treated the beast’s wounds. The souls of the creature and female, white and black, seemed to float above the pair’s body and rotate around each other in a harmonious, almost dance-like manner.
Before she could come to a conclusion, Nyx’s gaze as forcefully moved on, and she encountered many similar situations among the many coloured souls. Nyx had already assumed that the colours were linked to the elements and the more she saw, the more convinced she became.
Most were beneficial to each other while others were more akin to moths drawn to the flame, causing the soul who's element was at a disadvantage to weaken and, by being overshadowed by the other, often falling into the background and descending a layer or being destroyed when they passed on.
However, while she had seen many of the other elements, Nyx never again came across a dark or light based soul, noting that their kind appeared to be extremely rare. She also noticed that while some beasts and sentient lifeforms could only be described as darkness or light going by their physical appearance, that their souls were often tainted by other colours, never being pure.
As she watched on, Nyx realised that those that seemed to challenge the heavens, whether positively or negatively, would grow at an astonishing rate if they survived. As their renown and sense of self grew, even if they died early, they would almost always manage to survive the transition between layers.
Nyx had become used to the sudden jolts and changes in perspective as she returned to her body amongst the void, starting at the layer that was level with her.
[“Ascendants, Fallen, Chosen and…”]
A planet, similar to earth in colour and hue, quickly grew in size and dwarfed Nyx. After passing through the atmosphere, all she could see was water and four large, very familiar continents.
After she blinked, she was above an enormous stone city. Golden banners fluttered in the breeze as a light rain blanketed the sky, and golden armoured soldiers marched in sync along the most significant road.
While it was impossible to eliminate all shadows, glowing runes light up nearly every wall and roof of the city, giving it a golden hue as the light reflected off the tiny raindrops.
Nyx’s senses shifted, appearing before a large stage at the centre of a large plaza. Standing atop of the stage, watching the golden knights marching by with an icy expression, stood a tall, blonde haired woman. Small motes of light could be seen in her light green eyes as her bright white soul, with a hint of green, caused a divine-like ring of light to surround her body.
She was dressed in impressive plate armour which sparkled with mysterious, white runes. Her hair, braided, was plastered to her head by the rain yet she stood as imposing and immovable as a mountain.
The faces of those standing behind her were filled with respect and, though masked, fear.
Nyx couldn’t help but force her senses forward, finding something captivating and extremely familiar about the woman’s sharp, somewhat enchanting face. For some reason, even though the woman seemed utterly opposite to her, Nyx felt a strong attraction.
It wasn’t just the woman's beautiful, imposing figure that attracted Nyx, but the urge to dominate and control her that was rising from the depths of Nyx's soul. Nyx felt the instinctual urge to make the woman hers by any means necessary.
With shoulders hunched, her claws held out to the side, Nyx’s form seemed to crouch in mid-air as she prepared to pounce. However, she soon found she couldn’t move any closer and released a small, guttural growl of frustration.
[“Descendants.”]
As voice petered out, Nyx instinctively knew it was not only referring to the woman before her but herself as well. She was a descendant yet what that meant she didn't know or, at the moment, care.
Surprisingly, as if she had heard the bone-chilling growl, the woman's head snapped towards Nyx.
The icy expression morphed into a look of fear while terror danced in her captivating green eyes as the woman looked around cautiously causing Nyx’s chest to tighten as the beat of her core increased rapidly.
Reason and logic seemed to drift from Nyx’s mind as she started to push against the strange force that stopped her from getting closer.
The woman’s terrified expression caused Nyx to burn with desire and longing. The urge to dominate and suppress her becoming almost unbearable. However, before she could force herself further forward, Nyx’s vision spun again, and she soon found herself overlooking a large town in the middle of a grassy plain.
Panting, a frustrated rage erupted as Nyx started to slash at the air around her as she tried to move in any direction.
The ancient chuckle returned as Nyx felt a cooling, calming coldness descend upon her.
Finally ending her struggles, the air around her humming with the released energy, Nyx snorted as she looked at the town below. Tall stone walls lined its perimeter as a few imposing compounds, surrounded by their own impressive walls, stood at each corner.
Nyx's view floated towards a stone building at the centre, surrounded by leather-clad guards before falling through the earth and into a dark, stone room.
A growl, unnoticed by the occupants, rippled from her throat as the dungeon caused the memories dredged up by her recent tribulation to temporarily resurface.
However, her attention was quickly diverted by the piercing screams of a man being whipped. His screams echoed off the stone walls, yet no matter how much be begged or pleaded, the thin man punishing him did not stop.
Just as she was about to look away and find something more interesting to watch, Nyx’s eyes went wide as she noticed the markings on the man’s back. While they had been disrupted by the many bleeding gashes that crisscrossed his back, there was still enough of the tattoo for Nyx to work out what it was.
It was her sigil.
[“You have done well, my daughter. But the new chosen are still too weak and their enemies strong and numerous.”]
Nyx shivered, finally linking the voice to the one she had heard before. The voice had changed since that time. While it always sounded ancient and cold, it was laced with tiredness that felt so profound that it seemed to suck the energy out of those that listened to it.
Time seemed to speed up as the man was continually tortured, his screams becoming a constant noise before the torturer seemingly became bored and left.
Time returned to normal as Nyx continued to stare at the man’s back. After a while, strange shadows seemed to form from the unbroken portions, colouring the revealed flesh and blood so that the pattern was restored.
"The darkness does not forgive." The man, looking to be no older than twenty, panted heavily as sweat ran down his face and into his many wounds. "Nor does it forget."
Slowly the man lifted his head and stared at the doors, bitterness and hatred emanating from his eyes as his darkening soul trembled.
Nyx shivered, her gaze becoming hard as she floated in front of the man and looked into his cold, grey eyes.
Unnoticed to the man, the shadows of the dim lightroom, flickered and converged towards him, nourishing his soul while turning it darker as it numbed his wounds.
"May the darkness protect me." As if finding some relief, the man revealed a small smile before falling unconscious, his body dangling in the wooden stocks.
[“Remember this, my daughter. The darkness takes care of its own. Though the belief of the chosen, we gain strength. Through those that ascend or fall, our name spreads.”]
There was no emotion in the voice as if it were just stating a fact and, just like Nyx, wasn't moved by the scene.
However, Nyx felt as if she was being asked to save this man. Not for anything sentimental but because he would serve a purpose. Nyx believed that the purpose was so that he could spread his belief and, if fate deemed fit, rise or fall so he could repeat the process.
Nyx tried to speak yet only hisses, and small shrieks escaped her mouth. After a few attempts, she shook her head as she growled in annoyance. In the end, she could only think her response, her current form unable to replicate human speech.
-”The darkness takes care of its own.”
Though she still believed it to be a dream, Nyx couldn’t help but feel a connection to the ancient voice and, a strange desire to please it.
As if the voice had heard her answer, the world before Nyx suddenly warped and she found herself at the shore of a still lake reflecting the beautiful, starry sky above.
The scene was as enchanting as the previous view of the multiple universes, maybe even more so because it was something she could relate to, as shooting stars silently streaked across the night sky.
A slight movement drew Nyx’s attention, and she noticed that there was a void-like silhouette of a woman standing nearby. The pitch black figure of the woman masked the entirety of her body and features excluding her eyes.
Nyx felt her soul drawn to those eyes which were like the sky she had been gazing into moments before.
For an indeterminate amount of time, Nyx continued to stare into those eyes without any signs of life, her core slowing its beating to a heavy thud every couple of minutes.
Each beat was as loud as if a mountain had fallen from the sky, the pulse as vast and ferocious as any storm. Yet, not even a leaf stirred, let alone the water of the lake as it passed. It was as if Nyx was trapped in a separate dimension, only able to see but not interact with what was before her.
Eventually, Nyx recovered from her stupor and discovered that she felt as if something had changed inside of her.
[“This is the first time we truly meet, my daughter. You have not disappointed me.”]
The female silhouette didn’t move in the slightest, nor did she show any signs that it had been the one to speak.
The starry eyes continued to stare at Nyx, but instead of making her uncomfortable now she was aware, Nyx felt at peace.
A sense of longing, as if she could just nestle into the embrace of the mysterious figure then everything would be alright, engulfed Nyx yet her instincts stopped her from moving. Something told her that if she approached the woman with the current strength of her soul, she would be torn to pieces.
[“Will you become the night sky, guiding my chosen through the realms by the light of your stars, or will you become the darkness that devours all that stands in their way?”]
After an eternity, yet at the same time, a millisecond, a starry smile filled with the mysteries of the universe appeared on the silhouette.
[“No matter what path you walk, I expect great things from you, inheritor of my will. Daughter of Night. Sole inheritor of my name”]
Slowly, the figure lifted its finger and, as if space had warped to bring them closer together, poked Nyx's chest.
[“Gather the last remaining piece of your soul, marshal your strength and challenge the heavens, my daughter. Rise through the realms for security. Rise for power. Rise to remind those why even the gods of old fear the darkness and what hides within it. But most importantly...”]
Nyx’s soul was shivering, feeling as if cold electric currents were coursing through her veins.
[“Rise for me.”]
A pulse, magnitudes more powerful than anything she had experienced before, exploded from Nyx’s core under the finger of the mysterious woman.
With a start, her core beating rapidly just like a normal heart, Nyx’s eyes shot open as she threw herself onto her feet and released a terrifying, inhuman screech that paralyzed the few insects that had been in the same room.
Blinking a few times to clear the fogginess of her mind, Nyx realised she was standing on a soft double bed in the middle of a wooden room. The remains of the bedsheets that had been covering her were fluttering down in strips.
Looking down, Nyx realised she was not only naked but back in her thin skeletal body.
The faint trickle of sunlight flowed through the thick curtains that were wafting in the breeze, illuminating the tiny amount of dust in the air as Nyx sucked in deep breaths.
Taking a deep breath, the massive, thunderous beat of her core, which she was sure could be heard by others, became fainter before returning to its resting state.
Glancing around the simple room, Nyx let her legs collapse as she fell into a sitting position on the bed, her forehead wrinkled. -”Was that really a dream? It felt so real. I still feel slightly different? Did my body affect the dream or was it…”
Circulating her essence, Nyx’s eyes abruptly widened. -”Twelfth layer… I have already reached the twelfth layer… How is this possible? Forget the triple breakthrough before, I know for a fact my body would have fallen apart if I pushed it any harder. It was already on death's door.”
Quickly checking her nails, Nyx sighed in relief as she realised that they hadn’t grown very much from when she had last seen them. Afterwards, she checked the length of her hair, as well as her toenails before finally settling down.
Suddenly, even though Nyx had recovered some of her essences and had spread it out across the room, the door opened catching Nyx unaware.
Just as she was about to make a move, she saw that it was Dimi and slightly relaxed.
Dimi’s eyes went from the remains of the bedsheet to the deep tears in the mattress before landing on what was left of the white nighty Nyx had been dressed in. “For the love of the gods, why are you so much trouble? Timur’s going to have my hide after finding out you have trashed another seclusion room.”
-"It seems she didn't hear me when I first woke up." Nyx frowned slightly, finding it odd that such a loud sound had gone unnoticed.
Taking a few steps into the room and closing the door, Dimi placed a black robe which had a white mask on top of it on the simple dresser opposite Nyx’s bed. “And I thought I slept heavy. It’s been two days. We are already in the sect’s branch at Corban. Only Timur and the other elders know we are back, but I haven’t let anyone near you.”
Dimi stepped towards Nyx cautiously. “How are you feeling?”
Nyx let herself fall back on the bed as she stared at the ceiling. The dream, or at least what she wanted to believe was a dream, still vivid in her mind. Taking a deep breath, Nyx smiled. “Much better.”
After having such strange experiences, she felt strangely detached but at the same time connected to the world. Such a contradictory feeling made her feel confused but at the same time, Nyx no longer worried as much about her master and his plan.
She thought that it was only a matter of time before she destroyed both. It was as if it was no longer the end goal, but a mere step in the direction of her future. Something that time would eventually solve.
Seeing Nyx’s expression, as well as the semi-warm tone that she responded with caused Dimi to pause, her eyes quickly searching for any hidden weapons or traps.
After finding nothing suspicious, Dimi frowned. “You’re not upset with me anymore?”
“For what?” Nyx didn’t pay much attention to Dimi, still staring at the ceiling and wallowing in the strange feelings and sensations.
“I don’t know, I just joked about me carrying you, and you went all funny and cold.” Sighing, Dimi walked over and flopped down on the wooden chair that had been placed beside the bed. By the blanket and pillow by its side, it was clear that she had been sleeping there.
Nyx frowned, trying to remember the situation. While it had only happened two days ago, just before she fell asleep, it felt as if an eternity had passed since then. “Well, you didn’t kill me while I slept so I'll call it even.”
Dimi froze for a moment before looking at Nyx with a strange expression. “When are you going to start trusting me?”
“I already do,” said Nyx as she turned her head to look at Dimi. “Well, kind of.”
Dimi continued to frown as she carefully watched Nyx. While her words were slightly warmer, it was the tone change that caused Dimi to become extremely vigilant.
“We hunting tonight?” Nyx was the one that broke the awkward silence as her stomach released a growl of its own.
“You want to hunt?” Dimi looked at Nyx’s weak form, which seemed to have become even worse since her long sleep without nourishment.
Sitting up without much effort, feeling much stronger than when she had fallen asleep, Nyx stretched before turning to Dimi and revealing a dazzling smile. “Hell yes. I would prefer humans but beasts of the mid-grade or higher should be fine.”
Nyx didn't know why but the urge to hunt, terrorise and kill had become much stronger since she had woken up. The thought of finally being able to let loose after being good for so long, at least in her impression of the term, almost caused her body to tremble in excitement.
Even though she was cautious, Dimi couldn’t help but reveal her own smile. “Awesome, these last few days have been so boring. Get dressed and let's grab some food and head off. There should be some small bandit camps to the north, or we can see if we can provoke any wandering cultivators into attacking. The beasts around here are too weak to be any sport.”
Nyx’s stomach grumbled again as her gaze moved to the black robe and white mask. “Is that…”
Dimi shook her head. “Only the robe. The mask is one I picked up from the market. Timur said you would need to wait until we reach the sect until you get what you requested.”
Seeing Nyx's disappointed face, something she had never seen before, Dimi chuckled as she started to lower her guard. "Don't worry, it still has the enchantment so you can see through it without much effort, only the cost to do so is more than the illusionary mask, and you can't form patterns on it."
“What about armour?” Nyx stood up, wobbling slightly but quickly steadied herself. “And underwear.”
Dimi snorted, but her tone held a pleading tone that Nyx could quickly identify. “Why would you need that? We should hunt in our beast forms. Less to clean up and more fun that way.”
“You can teach me how?” Unaware that Dimi had seen Nyx’s true form during the tribulation, or that she should now be able to transform her body, Nyx was shocked and quickly looked back and into Dimi's eyes.
Dimi’s smile now revealed her slightly longer canines. “Of course. I need to get you trained up as soon as possible. It can be one of your trump cards in the new disciple's intercompetition.”
After she had finished, Dimi revealed a mischievous grin as she chuckled sinisterly. “But only when the time's right. We should be able to make a fortune with a surprise win against those 'geniuses' that come from the main families. Enough to buy all the cultivation materials and high-quality meat we need for a year or two."
Hearing that Dimi had agreed to teach her how to use her beast form, Nyx didn’t hesitate as she pulled the black robe over her head and put on the featureless, white mask.
As soon as she was ready, she started walking to the door. Dimi stood up, eyeing Nyx carefully to gauge how strong she actually was and if she would need support before nodding once and following.
Moving down the dark wooden corridor in the direction that smelt fresher, Nyx felt energy seeping from her core with each beat and infusing into her flesh. This discovery caused her smile to bloom once again and her steps to become lighter and more carefree.
“Oh, I heard that you have a little follower?” Dimi chuckled as she walked behind Nyx, her excitement building as she saw Nyx’s good mood and knowing that they were finally going to hunt together.
“Those two boys you mentioned before?” Nyx stopped at a junction in the corridor, allowing Dimi to pass and take the lead as she didn’t actually know where they were going. “I have no interest in them.”
“Nope. Not them.” Dimi was once again surprised by Nyx’s easy going response. Unlike before when it always seemed to be a game or have hidden meanings, she felt as if Nyx was for the first time engaging in a conversation without hidden motives.
While weird as the change seemed out of the blue, Dimi felt as if a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders. “Some guy who got caught slaughtering a family in revenge or something. They captured him a few months back, and after failing to get a confession, he has been fighting in the arena as his death sentence.”
“So what makes him a follower?” Asked Nyx absentmindedly trying to use her senses to scan the rooms on each side as they passed. However, each time she did she felt as if she had hit an invisible barrier. -”Probably the reason I didn’t sense Dimi coming and why she didn't hear me. This sect might be more advanced than what I initially thought.”
“He has the same mark that you painted on my back, the one on your right hand, tattooed on his back and keeps spouting phrases like the darkness not forgiving and protecting its own.” Dimi shrugged as she tried to watch Nyx out of the corner of her eye. However, due to the mask, she couldn't make out any expressions and so was watching her body language.
Nyx’s steps halted as she tensed, causing Dimi to turn around.
“What does he look like?” While Nyx's voice hadn't returned to its cold, emotionless tone, it had definitely dropped a few degrees.
“Dunno. Apparently, he destroyed his previous cultivation so he could cultivate only dark essence. Oh, I heard that he has pretty, if little cold, grey eyes from one of the human female juniors that went to see one of his fights.”
Nyx blinked as her heart sank and the implications of the dream that no longer seemed to be a dream starting to bombard her mind. Unlike when she had been in her soul form, her mind was wide awake. -"Fuck."