Bd red swirled iiny orb, surrounded by the never-ending blurs of grey. The image moved stantly, yet the ball of colors always remained in the ter, waiting, calling out.

  Leo had heard those whispers before, the soft feminine murmur begging him to e closer. However, this time, those words barely reached him, as if an unbreachable wall stood between them and him.

  How? Leo muttered. How am I seeing this? Is this another shard?

  'Nikra's final farewell gift to us both,' Nyx's voice suddenly reverberated all around him. Leo tried to search for her, but just like ever sihis dive began, he had no trol over his as.

  Nyx? Where are you? Where are we? He asked instead.

  'I would love to tell you, but I don't know,' she answered softly. 'And I'm here with you, guiding your mind so that it see what I see. I'm sorry for ag without a proper warning, but you o see it, to feel it.'

  It's fine... though I won't say no to a heads up ime... Leo sighed, or at least tried to. He really couldn't do much here. Now... please tell me I'm not seeing what I think I am.

  'I 't because you are right... This right here is another of Nikra's shards. The first among the trio, to be precise. Not as powerful as the one you possess, but I feel that it is just as, if not more, important.'

  Well shit. Leo chuckled in spite of everything. I uand there is a meaning to it all, yes? I really 't see how this is a gift, not now.

  Nyx huffed. 'Nikra's final memory I ied was of a wish. A wish for us to find her shard. And this, Leo, is a way for us to do just that.'

  Again, how? All I see are blurs. There is not a sihing that we use as a point of reference. Yet even as Leo said this, he really didn't like how eager the y ected to him sounded, especially not after what had just almost happened.

  'We don't need one, Leo,' Nyx expined quickly. 'You might not feel it entirely yet, but I do, the stant tug in my soul, guidiowards one dire. Even if it's faint, that's more than enough to find the shard. I'm sure the feeling will only get stronger as we get closer.'

  Even as Nyx finished speaking, Leo remained silent, slowly ting to ten in his head. Only then did he address his new partner.

  I take... you won't give up on this, right?

  'No,' Nyx muttered after a moment. 'I just 't, Leo. That's something I must do, we must do.'

  Anger spiked in his mind, but Leo grabbed its reigns, stopping it from spilling over the link.

  And what about creating your own path? He tried to reason. What if this new shard is just a way for Nikra to finish what she started a few minutes ago? Are you really willing to potentially risk your life for a dead goddess who almost killed me?

  As seds ticked by, no answer came from Nyx. Only the ever-ging blurs apahe heavy sileween them.

  I see, Leo whispered in the end. If this is something you're really certain about, then we will talk about it ter. For now, I have better things to worry about than Nikra's wishes.

  'Thank you, Leo...' Nyx muttered back, finally finding her voice. 'I will take us baow. Be ready.'

  With no way to really prepare, Leo just steeled his nerves and gave his link to Nyx a weak nudge. And then, just like that, they were back, with the vast Void and shadow forest surrounding them from all sides.

  "That was much be-"

  Before Leo could even finish, the entire isnd shook, almost bringing him back to the ground. Thankfully, just in time, Nyx's tails ed around him again, stopping his fall.

  "The hell just happened?" Leo hissed, his bdes extending without even a thought.

  'A mistake,' Nyx called back, her eyes sing the forest. 'I've been using the st remnants of my e to this o dey the colpse of this dimension. When I showed you Nikra's shard, my hold must have failed. We must go; there is not much time left.'

  Great... Leo grimaced, only now notig the tiny creatures jumping across the tree branches in the distance. "What about them? Cra doesn't stand a ce if they all e through at once. Shit... should have told her to hide."

  'o worry about those pesky is. Even if they gh the gate, they aren't returning to Earth. That path is closed for them. Only you and I cross back.'

  "That's ohing to worry about then... Let's go." Leo took a deep breath and ran into the forest with all the remaining strength. Nyx followed right after, matg his pace.

  Sometimes, a few Shadow Tails tried to e close, their fear momentarily fotten in the face of disaster. However, a single look from Nyx was all it took to remind them who the apex predator on the isnd was.

  "Holy shit..." Leo muttered, watg the tens of Shadow Tails sprint across the e betweewo floating isnds. "There must be hundreds of them here..."

  'Correct,' Nyx nodded as she took the lead, the gate now closer than ever. 'ing Dimensions possess almost unlimited potential frowth. Only a y match it, and that's only if it forms a gate ier stages of development.'

  "That's... good to know. Holy, I didn't expect you to have that kind of info."

  'Remember, along with pieces of Nikra's and Hunter's knowledge, I was also created from the soul of a Voidling. Maybe it didn't possess the same intelligence as us, but it knew a thing or two.'

  "Fair, I guess," Leo nodded, only to furrow his brow as they stopped right o the Void Gate. "Shit... Didn't think about this before, but we 't go back like this, or well, you 't. My ability to take over Voidlings must stay a secret for now."

  Nyx tilted her head, looking right into Leo's eyes. 'Hmmm... I think I have an idea.' Nudging him with her snout, she tinued, 'Take out your cloak. I will do the rest.'

  Even as his frown deepened, Leed and summoned his cloak. The soft fabric immediately fell over his shoulders, the slightest bit of fort.

  'Now don't move,' Nyx growled, and in a blink of an eye, her form colpsed into a swirling cloud of shadows. The mass uself right at Leo, disappearing underh the cloak almost without a sign.

  "This feels... weird," Leo mumbled, taking a few experimental steps. There was no sudde gain from the mass of shadows, yet each move he made definitely required a bit more force. It was almost as if he was moving through water.

  'I apologize,' Nyx's voice echoed in his head. 'That's the best I do for now. I'm still getting used to this body...'

  It's fine. Leo waved her off. Might get awkward at some point, but it's definitely better thaing Cra learn about your existenow... are you sure this will bring us back to Earth?

  'Yes. I'm sure if you bothered to check them, one of the System's notifications would tell you the same.'

  Says the one who made me hurry. Leo scoffed. I will check them once we nd. Let's get the hell out of here.

  With a final look at the gathering of Shadow Tails behind him, Leo took a deep breath and stepped into the gate. The swirling lights blinded him momentarily, yet just like the st time, the journey went without a hitch.

  It worked... Leo grinned, drinking in the sights of a pletely ged warehouse.

  While Vetilim still made most of the building's walls, the maze was gone, leaving a vast empty space behind, devoid of the Void's touow only the gate remained, its edges slowly crumbling into pieces. Overall, a perfect pce for a semi-rge group to hide in.

  Now, where the hell is Cra? Don't tell me something got her after all of this... Eyes narrowed, Leo sed the entire warehouse once more, only now notig a glint of a small bde behind one of the fallen shelves. "Cra?"

  Instantly, the glint disappeared, repced by a mop of red hair as Cra peeked over the edge of her cover. Once her gaze fell on Leo, she sighed, her head almost banging against the metal shelf.

  "Fug hell, Leo! You don't know hoy I am to see you!" Cra practically shouted. "I almost shat myself when this entire bloody warehouse shook. Really, for a moment there, I thought I was a goner, but then it all stopped, and most of the Vetilim turned into dust... What a trip."

  'She is... '

  Yeah, I know... Leo sighed, somehow already used to the woman's antics. Apparently, hiding behind the whole bitch act was a very iing personality.

  'I think I o study a few more of your memories. Humans are certainly a curious species...'

  Whatever, Leo grumbled, ign the spike of excitement ing through the link. Thinking about Nyx's sudden i was a sure way to get a headache.

  "I'm gd you are in one piece," he finally addressed Cra. "Any other problems apart from... well, this?"

  The woman shook her head, moving to join him o the colpsing gate. "Surprisingly, no... No Voidlings and zero movement from Vetilim after the dusting. Whatever you did, I think you succeeded."

  Leo quirked a ent eyebrow. "Dusting? Really?" He shook his head. "Anyway... Give me a minute. I o check what the System has to say."

  Giving him a mock salute, Cra spun on her feet and began to walk away. "You do that. I gotta take a piss. Be right back."

  Blunt as ever. Leo snorted, summoning the onsught of notifications.

  Full Synization successful. Let the two bee one. May the Prime Akirian be born anew in the fires e and blood. Let nothing stop you in your hunt. Adapt or die!

  Didn't st long... I'm sorry, Hunter. I wish we had more time...

  Minor Takeover suc... Warning: Outside influeected! Minor Takeover still in progress. Warning: Potential soul damage detected!

  .

  .

  .

  Minor Takeover successful. Warning: Akirian Synization broken. Sing... Multiple ges detected.

  Akirian Apex aspect lost. Bloodlust limiters shattered. Focused Bloodlust and Prime's Rage are stirring. Skill evolution and bination successful. Ruthless Efficy obtained.

  Synizatioablished. Strength: Low. True Bond trait obtained.

  Nikra... What have you done...

  Chaos65