Chapter 55: The truth |
“Monsters come from every corner of the Multiverse. Some just know how to hide their nature, while others revel in the chaos they cause. It is a story as old as creation, so you’d better never forget about that, or one day you might find yourself with a knife in your back.”
~Lone Traveler
“You did not, young one…” Nikra sighed, responding to his unspoken thoughts. “For the longest time, I believed myself to be the strongest being in the entire Multiverse, even without accessing my second aspect. After all, despite my deranged state, I emerged victorious over all my siblings during the war. There was no reason for me, or any other, to think otherwise…”
Leo’s throat tightened as a creeping sense of dread settled inside him. He could see where this was going. The mere thought that the Void hid even more dangers, beyond what he was already aware of, was disturbing, to say the least.
I’m starting to understand why some people say ignorance is bliss.
But Nikra continued, undeterred by his thoughts. “Yet, the moment Geron had me on my knees, the moment I released my lock on the Void, the entire Universe learned how wrong I was to think myself the strongest.”
She gave a bitter chuckle, still staring into the distance. “We never knew much about the Void before the first Outbreak. Just enough to get by and fear its power. But when the gates opened, we learned more in a month than we had in eons.”
“First came the hordes of low-ranked Voidlings. Mindless beasts, pouring into our home through every crack in reality. Despite the chaos, Universe Prima was advanced, whether through technology or Essence manipulation. Our people held the line, even without the System’s support.”
Wait, so the System wasn’t released along with the Void? Then where did it come from?
“No, it wasn’t active at that time. But you will understand why soon,” Nikra said, furrowing her brow. “As for the first Outbreak… that name is more unofficial than anything else. There was no corruption, no transformations—at least not at first. Just two sides: mindless beasts and our people, fighting for survival.”
“In retrospect, this is also most likely why the System doesn’t register it as an Outbreak. But make no mistake, no matter what it says, the moment I released the Void will always mark the true beginning of this hell.”
All right, I will take that. Sounds like something the System would do, Leo thought, nodding. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder what kind of world could fight off Voidlings without System support. Well, at least they had numbers on their side, and the monsters were apparently weak, but still…
“But enough of that,” Nikra said with a wry smile. “Back to the history lesson.”
“As I mentioned, the first wave of Voidlings was nothing our people couldn’t handle. But it didn’t end there. Within days, stronger, smarter monsters descended from the Void.”
And there goes any advantage they had, he commented internally. What a mess.
Nikra pulled her knees closer. “By then, my siblings and I had recovered. We struck a fragile truce—not because they trusted me again, but because our people needed us. They had suffered enough because of our actions.”
“We fought. We pushed back the tide. And then… they arrived.”
Her voice darkened. “They appeared out of nowhere. Six of them. Not as powerful as us, but skilled beyond anything we had ever seen. Their mastery of combat… it was humbling.
“Still, they couldn’t beat us, but neither could we. We reached a deadlock. Our power versus their skill. Meanwhile, countless lives were lost across the Universe with each wasted hour.”
“Who were they?” Leo asked, only to be ignored.
“Given time, we would have won. It was us who were becoming stronger the longer the fight went on,” Nikra continued, her voice distant. “But fate had other plans. Before we could kill even one, three more appeared. These monsters were different. They had power nearly equal to ours and even greater skill.”
Leo hesitated, then gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “Nikra, who were they?”
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Yet, she didn’t seem to hear him, tears slipping down her cheeks as her fists clenched.
“The twins were the first to fall, killed in an ambush. My youngest sister…” Her voice cracked. “She didn’t die in battle. No. She was betrayed. Stabbed in the back by one of our own.”
Leo froze, his arm falling limp at his side.
But why?
The question burned on his lips, but he held himself back. He remembered well how Edward’s abandonment stung. And this? This was much worse. For one sibling to betray and kill another… There was a special kind of hell for people like that.
And so, he waited. Let her mourn.
Only once her shoulders stopped shaking did he speak again. “Nikra… I need to know. Who were those beings? Who was the one that whispered in your mind? The one who caused all of this?”
Leo hadn’t heard the whole story yet, probably not even half of it, but it was enough to understand that the slow collapse of the entire Multiverse wasn’t just Nikra’s fault. She had become a pawn in someone else’s game, all because she had made the mistake of locking away her own power.
Yes, there was still blame to be put on her, but for now, he really didn’t want to think about it.
Later, when I have time to take a breather. For now, I need to know who those bastards were.
“Forgive me,” Nikra murmured, wiping her eyes. “This has never been an easy subject. Even after all this time being trapped in my shards, I never truly grieved. Never processed it. Seems to be a pattern with me, really…”
Leo gave her a tentative smile. “Don’t sweat it. We all have our demons, and I would be a damn hypocrite if I had a problem with yours.”
“Thank you,” Nikra answered, her lips curling into the faintest smile. “But I have wasted enough time already. You asked an important question, and I owe you an answer.”
“They called themselves the Barons and Lords of Ediovr,” she explained, her voice steadying. “A vast Void dimension—large enough to swallow multiple versions of your Earth whole. The first six were the Barons, the elites who answered to the three Lords. And those Lords, in turn, bowed to one being alone. The Monarch. The same entity that manipulated me and my siblings.”
“Ediovr…” Leo tested the foreign word on his tongue. “Does it mean anything? And what are those Barons and Lords exactly? Voidlings, or something else entirely?”
He had a suspicion, and he didn’t like it. Things could get really complicated depending on what the Old One would say.
“Ediovr. A presumptuous title, but its meaning aligns with your only mutation.” Nikra nodded to his chest. “I wish I could tell you more about it, but I never had the chance to study Ediovr in depth. What I do know is that it’s the Monarch’s stronghold and the birthplace of the Akirians. That should answer your second question.”
Just like I feared. Leo grimaced. “Does it mean…”
“That once you evolve, you’ll be instinctively loyal to the Monarch? Drawn to him no matter where you are?” Nikra finished for him, and he nodded, even if he would have worded it a bit differently.
“No,” she said. “Akirians may have been born in the Monarch’s domain, but they also possess free will. If they choose, they can reject Ediovr and everything it stands for.”
“I bet that ain’t an easy thing to do,” Leo muttered, his nerves settling somewhat thanks to the Old One’s words. The freedom of choice wasn’t taken away from him. Still, being part of the species that helped doom the first Universe left a bitter taste in his mouth.
“Indeed. But as the Traveler told you, Akirians aren’t your typical Voidlings,” Nikra said, once more grimacing at the mention of the man. “To this day, I remain uncertain of the truth of their origin, but the Monarch must have played a role in their creation. It defies the natural order of the Multiverse to birth a race with nearly all of a Voidling’s strengths and barely any of their weaknesses, be it within the System or the laws of life.”
Interesting…
“Barely any weaknesses?” Leo asked, raising an eyebrow. “Care to elaborate?”
“You will discover them soon enough.” Nikra shrugged lightly. “But for now, know this—despite Void Essence now flowing through your veins, your control won’t degrade too much. Some practice and points in Mind should fix even that.”
Huh, that’s good to know. Would be a damned pity if my entire control went to shit thanks to one evolution…
Then a thought struck him. One that had been building for a while now.
“You know what?” He frowned. “For someone who has supposedly been trapped in a shard since the first Outbreak, you sure know a lot.”
Nikra tilted her head, not denying it. “You are right. But that’s a part of the story I still need to finish. We’re nearing its end, so no worr—”
She was cut off as suddenly Leo’s Soulscape began to tremble. The shadows in the pit exploded outward, and they both shot to their feet.
Nikra was the first one to speak. “Alas, it seems our time has run out, young one. You are entering the final stage of your evolution. And for that, you need to leave your Soulscape.”
Leo’s gaze snapped to her, a weird feeling of déjà vu settling in his mind. “Wait, already?! You haven’t finished yet.”
“I haven’t,” she agreed. “But once your evolution is complete, it will be much easier for me to reach you than before. Moreover, returning here isn’t beyond your reach.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” he muttered. “I still have no idea how I got here in the first place.”
Nikra chuckled, a warm and joyful sound despite their earlier conversations. “Focus on your soul, young one. Remember what it felt like to be here. The answer will come to you. Trust me—you’ll figure it out.”
“If you say so…” Looking around, he furrowed his brow. “Right, and how do I leave?”
“I will handle that part. But before you leave, I must warn you.”
Leo tensed.
“I’ve been monitoring what’s happening around your body in the outside world,” she said. “You may have company soon. I can’t say whether they are hostile, but you must be careful. Remember, evolution won’t heal your wounds.”
He nodded. “Right… almost forgot about that. I will remember this.”
“Good.” Nikra smiled and stopped before. Then she placed a hand upon his chest. “I bid you good luck, Leo Hale. Find your family. Grow and never hesitate… Farewell, we will speak again soon.”
Before Leo could say a word, she pushed with her hand, and darkness claimed him once more.
See you soon…