A few minutes after the strange phenomenon that engulfed Xeno, the dust it created started to fade away.

About a hundred meters away from the road, it had formed a little crater with the diameter of ten meters.

At the center of it there was a tall humanoid figure, he was standing on his knees, his body was almost entirely charred but resisted nonetheless.

'Gosh what happened here? I remember only Vix and Zaha being in a perilous situation...'

Trying to recall the last events, Xeno stood up on his trembling legs and started to empower his senses.

However he felt himself changed, not only physically speaking but mostly something has changed in his mind.

He started analyzing his body, what could alter his being to that level. Surprisingly Xeno discovered an irregularity present on the right side of his torso.

'What the hell is this thing? It doesn't seem harmful at all'

It was a minuscule purple lump of energy, it was vigorously pulsating and it had a simile shape to his real heart. Furthermore, even more shockingly the thing was generating energy on its own.

'Is this the motive of my hunger? Apparently thing new gained organ of mine, is consuming my energies at a high rate'

Xeno forgot one particular thing, probably his mind wasn't completely clear yet. In fact he has been heavily injured, he had got hurt already in the fight against the lizard. Finally the concentrated beam of energy that dropped on him had almost killed him, almost melting his body.

As such this very irregularity was the only motive of him being still alive, it was consuming at a fast pace his material energies to transform them into nano-energy. Permitting his body a fast paced regeneration, the burned tissues started to be reconstructed and the burned skin to fall off.

Oddly enough this new energy was different from what Xeno has ever seen before.

'Why is it purple? Also it seems much heavier, it has such high concentration...'

However he had to stop his current train of thought, as he realized his physical condition.

It was anything but reassuring, he was indeed regenerating but at the same time his physique had become thinner and thinner. As skinny as before his advancement to the adult stage, he had to do something.

The only way he could find some answers was none other than to consult with Aiduth.

Then he understood one of the changes that had happened in his mind, he didn't feel any particular bond with her anymore. He could still perceive a feeble connection with her mind, but nothing else.

Two motives were the only possibilities behind this change.

One, more plausible, could be the strange phenomenon that hit him a few minutes ago. The other was that something had happened to her.

[Aiduth can you hear me? Something had happened to our bond. In reality not only that, I am very confused and in search for explanations.]

Xeno's speech transported feelings of confusion and disorientation, nonetheless they arrived at their destination in a few seconds.

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[You are right, we don't share a bond anymore. It is just a simple connection between our minds, a bridge that I am personally keeping active.

However my current conditions don't permit me to maintain it for long periods.

As such periodically I won't be able to communicate with you.]

This information could seem a bit saddening, but Aiduth had always behaved like this. Since she stayed silent most of the time and fell on a deep slumber every so often.

However Xeno understood the meaning behind her words, before he could ask her for guidance in every moment. She would have refused in most cases, but in case of emergency her advice would have been useful. But now, there would be a lot of moments in which she could be out of reach.

Thinking about this Xeno finally sensed the biggest oddity that occurred inside of his mind.

'I-I can't feel… anything Wha-'

Suddenly something interrupted him, suppressing his emotional flood.

[Aiduth, what did happen to me? You must know something about this.]

Then, with a calm and concise tone, Xeno demanded Aiduth for an explanation.

His previous sensations of fear and insecurity had already disappeared.

[You went through the process of awakening. It is a particular phenomenon the signify the start of the growth for an individual of our species.

Until now you had indeed grown, but only on the physical level, your body had become mature and reached its limit.

After the ceremony of awakening, you have broken through this very limits and started a process called evolution. I have to say that we have a high mortality rate on the newborn of our species due to this very occasion.

Many would often die, since they don't resist against what we usually refer as tribulation. Although you must not associate it as some religious phenomenon, as your own body is the only responsible for it. You will start to overcharge yourself to the brim with nano-energy, consequently your body will emit a particular frequency onto your surroundings.

Soon after a high quantity of energy will converge high in the atmosphere before being recalled to your body. If you do resist the powerful flow of energy that descends upon you, you'll consequentially gain another organ, the nano-heart.

Beware that, from now, this is a very fundamental organ to your body. Without it you'll definitely die, furthermore you'll have to consider all your other vitals less important. This not because you can live without them, but you will be able to regenerate them relatively quick.

However nothing can be created from nothing, the energetic expenditure of it is quite high.

Although, the point that might interest you the most is another.

Making it short, to actually contrast the high flux of the compressed energy that hits you, even if overcharged your normal body is not enough.

This is only related to the awakening, as it is the very first step through your real growth, your body is relatively unprepared. As such the price you have to pay is far more heavy than a physical one, well if you survive though.

Your body automatically strengthened itself by permeating the energy it had accumulated with your own will.

This is the reason why the ceremony will be only activated during a surge of your emotions, when your will is at its peak. As our bond was still active, I have perceived too the strong sense of companionship you were emanating. Your body must have considered it the right moment to start the process, and it augmented your emotions even more. Probably it made you remember an important occasion of the past.

You going berserk had never been on your own accord, be assured.

The emotions have a particular meaning for the members of our species, as they can influence our state of mind. Under their influence you might be able to surpass your limits, but at the same time you would endanger yourself. The awakening functioned exactly like this, your body bet everything on your prominent emotion to fuel your will further.

However, it wasn't enough, it's like this for every one of our species. As such your body had to use more, everything to ensure your survival. It added all the other weaker emotions into your main will, to further augment it.

This is the price you had pay, since you won't be able to get them back anymore. Only your predominant emotion had remained intact.]

Silence fell after the end of the long speech that arrived into Xeno's mind. However he didn't feel saddened about his lost of emotions.

He didn't feel any joy when he heard about his body growth either. however he started to think, there must be something else he could do to get them back.

Although he couldn't feel the true desire of hope, reason and logic were still on his side.

[I understand Aiduth, but tell me, I know new possibilities have now opened before me. What has really changed?]

Aiduth wasn't perplexed one bit before the indifference that Xeno had shown. She already knew, but most of all she was exactly like him.