"Monsters e from every er 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 better never fet about that, or one day you might find yourself with a knife in your back."

  ~Loraveler

  "You did not, young one..." Nikra sighed, addressing Leo's unspoken thoughts. "For the loime, I believed myself to be the stro being iire Multiverse, even without accessing my sed aspect. After all, despite my deraate, I emerged victorious over all my siblings during the war, so there was no reason for me or any other to think otherwise..."

  Leo's throat tightened as a sense of foreboding washed over him. He could imagine 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 uand why some people think that ignorance is bliss.

  Uerred by Leo's musing, Nikra pressed on. "Yet, the moment Geron had me on my khe moment I released my lo the Void, the entire Universe learned h I was to think myself the stro."

  Nikra chuckled bitterly, still looking into the distance. "We never knew much about the Void before the first Outbreak, just enough to get by and fear its power. However, whees opened, we learned about it more in a month than ever before."

  "First came the hordes of lowly Voidlings, almost mindless beasts that spilled into our home through every possible cra reality... Despite the surprise, Universe Prima was advanced in each category, be it teology or Essence manipution, and so our people still mao fight off those monsters. Even without the System supp them."

  So the System wasn't released along with the Void... Then where did it e from?

  Quickly, before Nikra could tinue, Leo cut in. "Hold on a moment. Wasn't the System i that time? And what about the corruption that the Void spreads during an Outbreak? Did it happen differently back then?"

  "No, it wasn't, but you will soon e to uand why. As for the first Outbreak?" Nikra furrowed her brow, sparing Leo a shnce. "You could say it is more of an unofficial title, despite being the event that started it all and killed all Old Ones..."

  "At that time, there was no corruption, no immediate transformations — at least not in the beginning," Nikra expined. "Instead, we just had two sides: mindless beasts and our people, fighting for their right to live... Irospect, this is also most likely why the System didn't t it as an Outbreak. However, no matter what it says, my release of the Void will always mark the event as the first Outbreak in my soul..."

  Alright, I will take that. Sounds like something the System would do. Leo nodded. He could only imagihe level of adva Universe Prima must have possessed to fend off numerous Void-born Voidlings without the aid of the System. Well, at least they had numbers on their side, and the monsters were apparently weak, but still…

  "But enough about that, I have a history lesson to get back to," Nikra shook her head with a wry smile. "As I mentioned, initially, tless mindless creatures emerged, only to be mostly driven back by our people. Unfortunately, it was far from over, and within a few days, stronger and more intelligent Voidlings started appearing."

  And here goes any advahey had... Leo could wager that even with most modern onry, it would be challenging to kill a Juggernaut. So, what kind of armaments would be necessary to defeat creatures two or three times as powerful?

  What a mess. Leo shook his head and snapped back to attention.

  "By that point, my siblings and I had fully recovered aablished a fragile truce," Nikra said, hugging her kightly. "They may not have trusted me anymore, and any bonds we once shared were shattered, but at least we all agreed to throw ourselves into the battle and help our people. They had already suffered enough thanks to our as."

  "We helped wherever we could, once more pushing the swarms of the Void back to where they came from... Or so we thought," Nikra muttered, her voice filled with bitterness. "They came out of nowhere, meeting us head-on otlefield and dealing with our power like no one ever before."

  "At first, there were six of them. While they didn't possess the same raw power as my siblings and I, they pensated with a level of skill we had ed to cultivate," Nikra's scowl deepened. "Still, they couldn't beat us, but her could we. And so we found ourselves locked in a stalemate while tless lives perished across the Universe with each wasted hour."

  "Who were they?" Leo asked, only to be ignored entirely.

  "With a bit more time, we would have won. The e to our aspects made that clear," Nikra tinued, her voice distant. "However, just like before, life didn't want to give us a break, and three more of them appeared. Uhe initial six, this new group possessed power almost on par with our own while surpassing us in skill and battle experieo an eveer extent."

  Leo hesitantly pced a hand on Nikra's bare shoulder and called out once more. "Nikra, who were they?"

  Yet, the Old One dismissed him again, tears streaming down her cheek as she tightly ched her fists. "The twihe first to fall, killed in an ambush. My you sister left us , but she didn't lose to an enemy in battle... No, the excitable little dragon died because we never expected a knife in the back from the you of us..."

  Leo froze, his arm falling limply to his side. But why? The question burned on his lips, but he held himself back. He remembered well how Edward's abando felt, but he k paled in parison to the anguish Nikra must have endured when one of her own siblings caused the death of another.

  As such, Leo let the a entity weep and spoke up only when she showed signs of rexing. "Nikra... I o knoere those beings? Who was the ohat whispered in your mind? The one who caused all of this?"

  Leo didn't hear the whole story yet, probably far from it, but it was enough to uand that the slow colpse of the entire Multiverse wasn't just Nikra's fault. She became a tool in another's hand because she made the mistake of log her power away. Yes, there was still bme to be put on her, but for now, Leo really didn't want to think about it.

  Later, when I will have time to take a breather. For now, I o know who those fuckers were.

  "Five me," Nikra murmured, wiping her eyes. "This was never an easy subjee to speak about... I fear that despite being trapped in my shards for tless cycles, I ook the time to grieve and deal with my problems properly... Seems like an theme with me, really..."

  Leo gave her a tentative smile. "Don't sweat it. We all have our demons, and I would be a damned hypocrite if I had an issue with yours..."

  "Thank you," Nikra answered as her lips curled up just a bit. "However, I already wasted enough time, and you asked me a question, so let's get to that. Then I finish my story..."

  "They called themselves the Barons and Lords of Ediovr, a vast Void dimension that could easily enpass multiple surfaces of your Earth," Nikra expined. "The first six were the Barons, the middle elite of Ediovr who answered to the three Lords, and those Lords, in turn, bowed to one being alohe entity known as the Monarch, the same being who maniputed me and my siblings..."

  "Ediovr..." Leo tested the alien word. "Does it mean anything? And what those Barons and Lords even are? Voidlings or something else entirely?"

  Leo had an inkling of what the answer would be, but it didn't mean he found the thought f. Things could get really plicated depending on what the Old One would say.

  "Ediovr... A presumptuous title, but it carries the same meaning as your only mutation," Nikra o Leo's chest. "I wish I could tell you more about it, but I never had the opportunity to learn much about that realm except for the fact that it served as the stronghold for the Monarch's armies and was the birthpce of Akirians... Which should answer your sed question."

  Just like I feared, Leo grimaced. "Does it mean..."

  "That once you evolve, you will have natural instincts to follow the Monarch? To obey his ands no matter where you are?" Nikra finished, and Leo nodded, even if he would have worded it a bit differently. "No... Akirians might have been born in the Monarch's domain, but they also possess free will, and if they choose, they leave Ediovr behind."

  "I bet that ain't an easy thing to do," Leo muttered, his nerves finally settling thanks to the Old One's words. The freedom of choice wasn't taken away from him. Although being a part of a species responsible for the fall of the first Universe was disturbing, to say the least.

  "Indeed, but as the Traveler told you, Akirians are not your typical Voidlings," Nikra firmed, once mrimag at the mention of the man. "To this day, I remain uain of the truth of their in, but the Monarch must have pyed a role in their creation. It defies the natural order of the Multiverse for a race to possess most of the strengths of Voidlings and barely any of their weaknesses, be it within the System or the ws of life itself."

  Iing…

  "Barely any weaknesses?" Leo hummed, looking pointedly at Nikra. "Care to eborate?"

  "You will find out about them soon enough," Nikra shrugged lightly. "But for now, I say that despite Void Essenow running through your veins, your trol won't get much worse than it already is. And some practid points in Mind should fix even that."

  Huh, that's good to know. Would be a damned pity if my entire trol went to shit thanks to one evolution...

  Leo frowned suddenly, a thought registering in his mind, ohat had been building up for quite a bit now. "You know what? For someone who has apparently been trapped in a shard sihe first Outbreak, you know a lot about shit you probably shouldn't have access to."

  Nikra tilted her head. "You are right. However, it is also a part of my story that I should return to if I want to finish. We are nearing its en..."

  Whatever Nikra wao say , the words died ihroat as Leo's soulscape shook. The shadows i exploded outwards, and they both sprung to their feet.

  "As, it seems our time has run out, Leo Hale. You are entering the st stage of your evolution, and for that, you o leave your soulscape," Nikra called out.

  Leo's gaze so the Old One. "Wait, already?! You haven't finished yet."

  Nikra nodded. "I didn't, but with your evolution, I will be able to speak with you much easier than before. Moreover, the ability to e back here isn't out of yrasp."

  "Yeah? Because I still have no idea how to reach this pce," Leo huffed.

  "Focus on your soul, young one. Remember how it felt to e here, and the answer will bee clear. Trust me, you will get it right."

  "If you say so..." Looking around, Leo furrowed his brow. "Right, and how do I leave?"

  Nikra chuckled, the vibrant ughter a stark trast to her somber mood during most of their versation. "I will take care of that. However, before you leave, I have to warn you."

  Leo stiffened as Nikra quickly eborated. "I've been monit what has been happening near you iside world, and you may have pany soon. I don't know if they are hostile, but you must take care. Remember, evolution won't heal your wounds."

  Swallowing, Leo nodded. "Right... almost fot about that. I will be careful."

  "Good," Nikra smiled as she stopped before Leo and pced a hand on 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, Nikra pushed with her hand, and darkness cimed him once more.

  See you soon.

  Chaos65