Nox

We had arrived at the castle without incident, where the staff was busy preparing for the party. It was late afternoon, with about two hours before the party was supposed to begin. So Nez went into full fabulous mode. Within ten minutes, we were up in my room (The room I stayed in whenever I was at the castle. Technically a guest room). Nez had two suits laid out, sleek and matching. They were color coordinated, ironed to be absolutely pristine, and made him look stunning. He had everything planned to a tee.

“I am not sure I want to wear matching suits at this ball.” I teased. Nez calmly straightened up from laying out the outfits, turned with the fury of the Lord of Nature, and shot me the nastiest look his face could muster.

“Well, until another event like this rolls around where you will wear the matching suit, you will renew your mastery of hand to gland combat.” Nez snarled, his eyes dangerously bright with anger.

“I was only teasing.” I replied weakly.

“Fashion is never a joke. It’s our first public event together, how could we not look absolutely stunning?” Nez asked with an irritated expression.

“You would look stunning no matter what.” I quickly complimented, trying to soothe my boyfriend. Joking about fashion to such an event was not my greatest idea.

“Of course I would. We got to make sure we both do however. Now put on your suit.” Nez retorted with a huff.

I quickly did as I was instructed, as I was not wanting to return to the long, desolate drought of my single days. Two things to remember, and fashion. Come on Nox, you’re better than this; I got a little too cocky there. After a total of twenty minutes, we were dressed in our sharp, highly fashionable suits. We easily had an hour and a half to kill.

“Why are we dressed this early now that I think about it?” I checked. Nez pulled out a third, also color coordinated suit, that would fit a baby.

“So we can try and sneak this onto your nephew. I am not going to have him look like some run of the mill baby on his birthday. He will be dressed to perfection.” Nez answered excitedly.

“That’s your birthday gift for my nephew isn’t it?” I probed despite knowing the answer.

“Yes, we can give it to him early. It is also to fit when he grows, and the pieces can altar to the style of other suits and change color for the occasion. It also has a few self cleaning and some to make it difficult to tear or scratch. Nil is going to look sharp.” Nex explained with fervor.

“And you think my brother will agree to this?” I inquired.

“Absolutely not. Which is why we are going to ask Empress Senna; of course she’d want her little angel to look amazing for his special day.” Nez replied with a satisfied smirk.

Nez and I traveled to where Senna and Nil would be, as my brother was definitely coordinating the event so his wife could spend extra time with their son today, especially after the attack. I am sorry brother. After a few minutes, we reached Senna’s chambers. Nez knocked politely on the door, excitedly bouncing on his feet.

“Who is it?” Senna asked, her tone a bit tense.

“It is Nez and Prince Nox, Empress Senna!” Nez yelled back. I could hear her sigh of relief.

“You can come in!” Senna permitted as I heard shuffling. Inside the room, Nil and Lux were hiding behind Senna, who was in the motion of putting away her sword. She is definitely a bit on edge. Who can blame her though? She quickly glanced over us and smirked.

“You look so fashionable, Nox. Nez really did a great job coordinating the outfits.” Senna said calmly.

“I know, his fashion sense is quite impeccable.” I snapped back.

“Speaking of suits, I wanted to give Nil his present from me a little early.” Nez interjected, at which point Senna noticed the small little suit he was holding.

“THAT IS ADORABLE!” Senna exclaimed, hopping up excitedly.

“I know right! I was thinking how could we let Nil go to his birthday party without a suit, so I rushed over here to get him his gift early!” Nez informed her.

“Great thinking Nez! Nil will look so cute in his little suit!” Senna added on.

At this point, Nil tried to run. I am not sure whether he understood what the suit was or not, but he in an instant towards the door to avoid being grabbed. Unfortunately for him, I wanted some brownie points with Nez, so his capture was swift and immediate. His eyes looked at me, stunned by my betrayal.

“Nox is worst!” he exclaimed, trying to wiggle free. He was not getting away from my grip, no matter how much he struggled.

Nez and Senna had bright gleams in their eyes as they descended upon Nil. He fought to the best of his ability, which was unfortunately for him woefully inadequate for his opponents. Within five minutes, he was wearing an impeccably sharp suit.

“You look amazing! Who is the most handsome little boy?!” Senna cooed. Nil just sat and pouted in response.

“Look at him! He is so adorable!” Nez gushed. Nil shot him the dirtiest stare I have ever seen him make.

“Nez is worst.” Nil pouted. Nez looked like he had been stabbed through the heart. Nil’s voice sounded a bit tense.

“Don’t say that Nil! Look at this cute little suit he got you!” Senna lectured.

“Mama. Is. Worst.” he snarled, putting extreme emphasis on his words. She looked like he had stood up and slapped her.

Senna and Nez looked defeated by the two sentences. Nil rotated around to face the wall and pout. He was trying to wiggle and take off the suit, but Nez had made it baby proof. Lux, as if on command, shot over and tried tearing the suit off. Again, Nez had outdone himself with how durable and scratch resistant that suit was. Lux’s claws and teeth weren’t even leaving indents behind. I walked over and turned Nil around to face the room, where Nez and Senna looked quite upset at his dislike of the suit. Now that I think about it, why does a baby hate wearing a suit? Still, Nil continued to shift uncomfortably, showing clear distaste for the suit. I picked him up, and looked a little closer. Ah.

“Nez, the tie is probably a little tight to a baby. I am going to loosen it a little.” I explained, as I gently loosened Nil’s tie. He immediately looked happier.

“Nox is best!” Nil exclaimed happily. I think that’s the first time I ever heard him say those words.

“I am so sorry Crown Prince Nil! I made the tie too tight!” Nez cried while hugging my nephew.

Nil was still glaring wearing his suit, but he at least looked like he would tolerate it now. It was maybe half an hour before the ball was supposed to start, and Azzeck walked into the room, seeing Nez and I in our matching suits, as well as Nil in his tiny and close version.

“Why is Nil in a suit?” he asked, trying to figure out why and how his son got put in a suit. I could see Nez dying to answer, but knew Azzeck would not respond as kindly as Senna.

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“It is called fashion brother.” I replied, getting a tiny thumbs up from Nez.

“What’s the purpose of putting a baby in a suit?” he inquired, still looking awfully confused.

“You can’t have him go to his party and not be well dressed.” I explained.

“Yea, look how adorable Nil is in his suit!” Senna agreed.

“He is a baby, what’s the point of putting him in a suit? No one is going to judge how he looks. Better yet, where did he get the suit?” my brother elaborated, clearly missing the point.

“I got it for him as a birthday gift Emperor Azzeck. It’s a suit made to be extremely durable, long lasting, and can adjust to fit him as he grows.” Nez informed him,

“So that’s how he got it, but I still don’t see the point in him wearing it.” Azzeck mumbled.

“Azzeck dear, he is going to keep wearing his suit.” Senna growled. He looked between her, Nez, and I, and a little ah came over his face.

“Yes dear.” Azzeck replied, clearly realizing this was not the ground to die on as he walked over to me.

So how did you get roped in? Azzeck asked telepathically.

I may have made a comment I shouldn’t have and did not feel like incurring the wrath of Nez especially when he and Senna are on the same page when it comes to that suit. I replied to which he shook his head understandingly. We both didn’t want to spoil the mood tonight.

*

Nil

The ball had been overwhelmingly boring; this stupid suit wasn’t helping my mood either. WHY? I HATE SUITS. THEY FEEL SO SUFFOCATING. There were a lot of nobles coming and going, greeting my parents and I. My parents were on edge during that entire time; I mean, one of them likely hired assassins to kill me. All of them dropped off gifts for me. What gifts do the Emperor and Empress need for a baby in this world I wonder? The ball had all but finished at this point. It was mostly dancing, music, and saying hello to my parents. There was food and drinks served for the guests while I was basically confined to being next to my parents. I didn’t mind too much, as I wanted to keep living. Solomon finally stopped by to drop off his gift just as the ball was declared over. Nox and Nez were nearby having finally tired of dancing, casually glancing over out of curiosity. It was a pretty small box, wrapped in a simple black silk.

“You have already done so much Grand Archmagus Solomon, you didn’t have to get a gift.” Mom said.

“I insist. It is only customary.” Solomon replied.

“Really Grand Archmagus Solomon, you do not have to.” Dad insisted with a bit sterner voice.

“I absolutely insist. It would be worth my life if I did not!” Solomon replied. My parents looked at each other uneasily.

“If you insist to such a degree.” my dad replied awkwardly.

They took the small box, pulled off the silk, revealing a plain wooden box. Something about that box just feels awful. Nez seemed to sense it too, as he and uncle Nox casually strolled over, curious about the gift. My mom opened the box to reveal a simple orb. It was clear, with a swirling dark energy inside. Just looking at it sent chills down my spine; the air seemed to drop twenty degrees when the lid was opened. Nez’s eyes went wide, staring between the orb and Solomon.

“Is that what I think it is Solomon?” Nez checked, his voice taking an unusually icy tone.

“That is exactly what it appears to be.” Solomon confimied, glaring at his own gift.

“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!” Nez yelled incredulously.

“What is this Grand Archmagus Solomon?” Dad probed, his voice devoid of emotion.

“I’ll explain by drawing a parallel. A is the for , this is the for .” Solomon clarified.

“Nez, what is bad about ? What is the problem with the gift? Why is it not something we have really heard about?” Mom asked him.

“Usually, you wait until a person is in their early teens to start the process, if at all. Continuing with the previous parallel, is strengthening one's to withstand and of spell. is strengthening one’s mind and soul. It can increase focus, proficiency with , and help one chain more complex together without the normal migraine from expanding that much brain power. It also helps against mental attacks and trying to you. There are significant benefits to .” Nez explained.

“Lords you are so sexy when you nerd out like that.” Nox whispered, which made Nez blush, and the other three glare at him, to which he held his hands up in a sorry motion.

“Why is it held off until the teens? Why is it not a widespread practice?” Dad inquired, clearly not following.

“Two reasons: it requires extreme mental fortitude to even begin the process and it is also inherently incredibly dangerous. If you make a mistake , you are going to break bones, cause internal bleeding, and possibly sever your . If you make a mistake , you shatter your mind. You become a husk incapable of thought. It is not as well researched and many people do not believe the effort and risk are worth it.” Solomon clarified for him.

“So why would you give us the for if he is only a year old? What even is this? If it’s not worth the risk, why give us this?” Mom pressed, with serious edge in her voice.

“I do believe is worth the effort, especially for someone with so much talent. I also believe due to his and talent he will be fine. This is a , which perfectly matches with his .” Solomon told her.

There is no way that is the core of a blackhole; the gravity alone would crush us all. For some reason though, I could not take my eyes off it. It just seemed to call me. I the orb into my hand, just staring at it. All the adults promptly freaked out and quickly extracted it from my hand. Why is it so entrancing?

“Where did you even acquire it?” Nez asked, keeping a close eye on me and the .

“I found it awhile ago in a . It is useless to me so I have held onto it, in case it ever became useful. I believe now is the time and I think Nil can start building his . I do not think it is something he will forcefully or actively work on until he is older, but even that first step will help him.” Solomon replied in an odd tone.

“What makes you think Nil will not accidentally shatter his own mind?” Dad pressed, not liking the news.

“He actively does his , practices his nonstop, and just seems to continually train to become stronger without any prodding. Crown Prince Nil is showing signs of advanced thought and he always seems to grasp what is going on around him. I strongly believe he will be able to.” Solomon argued.

I could tell by my parents general body language there was no way they were agreeing. Nox and Nez were definitely not on the, this is a great idea! side as well. I think being reincarnated here definitely gives me an advantage in doing this. Mentally I am much older than the typical starting age. I do not wish to idly sit by in this world, I want to grow as far as I can! The discussion was definitely drawing to a close. Solomon wasn’t going to push his point anymore. If I it again, I will not be seeing that thing for years. If I want to do this, I need to do it in one smooth motion. An anchor subtly formed on the orb, and the other on my forehead. Please be correct, or this is going to really hurt. A rope of formed between the points, and I pulled hard. The adults all lunged in vain as the orb collided with my forehead. The pressure in my head was beyond words.

I thought was bad the first time, this was on a whole other level. It felt like my mind was about to be crushed flat; it was taking everything I had to even breathe. My body felt like something was being ripped from it. Oh this was not a good idea. Each second felt like an eternity had passed. All around me was this lightless realm: there was no sound, no light, nothing, just unending pressure. What do I even need to do? That would have been thinking ahead. Note to self if I make it out of this, do not be so impulsive in the future. Then something crushed. A horrific crunching sensation as the pressure got stronger. It was increasing. It just kept going. My mind felt like it was trying to lift the planet, and it only seemed to keep increasing. All I could do was focus on my breathing. Another crunching sensation; another burst of pressure. Now it was growing faster. Just breathing seemed to be impossible. As briefly as it began, it ended. All the color came rushing back, then the sound. I could hear my blood flow in my ears. It was near deafening after being in that silent pressure; I could feel my eyes twitching with exhaustion. My body went limp as my vision began to fade to black.

*

When I woke up, my head felt like I had slammed it into a grinder. I opened my eyes, and it was just agony as it felt like everything was spinning. Lord of Fate, why does this hurt so bad? Of my poor ideas, forcefully taking the was a terrible one. The sensation after was uncomfortable and just awkward. I looked around the room and saw my incredibly relieved mother watching over me; she seemed to have the world lifted off her shoulders when she saw me start to move. Practice this one when I plan on taking the next day off for now. It felt like my brain had been severed from my body; I moved my tiny body around and tried to get a grasp on my . The sensation had a peculiar crispness to it. My felt different than before, or at least the way I moved it seemed sharper. A noticeable effect after that little? Either really pays off or the is a top notch . I mean the gift was from Solomon, so it was probably a top notch . While this sensation sucks, that is definitely worth the investment. I activated my which was about the same as before with no real noticeable changes. My mom at this point had deemed it was time to smother me. She hugged me so tight I could barely breathe. That was probably a bit more reckless than I realized, or at least terrifying for my parents. It was getting difficult to breathe she was hugging me so tightly.

Dumb. Lux insulted. Okay, I will try to be less reckless in the future. I also think I have enough things to keep me busy and should avoid seeking trouble in time.