With a heavy backpack and a pouch of silver coins on his belt, Nova stared up at the void above him. Its edges billowed freely in the space around it, only restricted by an invisible thread that held it half shut, stretching it inward.

'... It kind of looks like a buttho—'

"It kinda looks like a bu—"

"You don't have to say it out loud," Nova interrupted, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You can come out now."

Annelie appeared from thin air, stopping her Void Mantis camouflage. She shot him an amused smile before looking up at the rift. "How do we get up there?"

"You don't have any wing abilities?"

"Of course I do." She spoke with a certain derision, like she was insulted he would ask. "But how did you plan to do it before I came along?"

"I have some abilities that send me into the void temporarily." Nova adjusted the heavy pack. "If I twist it slightly, severing the connection to the real world, I can stay there permanently."

"That sounds dangerous." Her eyes widened in realization. "Oh, that's how you moved in the corridor before we saved Helen?"

"Yeah." Nova nodded. "It's very useful, allowing teleportation without requiring much energy. But it has limitations."

"Okay, but since we're both here, should I carry you up?" Annelie glanced at the rift overhead. "I think we need to enter it together."

"Yeah, that's probably for the best… How many abilities do you have, anyway?"

"Oh, countless." A hint of pride entered her voice. "It's my unique trait, allowing me to use the monster parts I gathered in previous lives. Kind of like yours."

"Ahh, I wondered about that." Nova studied her with new interest. When checking her pulse, he found it strange that she had all those unfamiliar energies in her body at such a young age. "Doesn't that make you incredibly strong?"

"It's limited by my Soul Power…" She shrugged. "I can only use abilities of a certain level. Like this one."

She held her arms out to the sides, and suddenly, they started growing dramatically in size, ending up as two large leather-bound wings. Quite similar to the ones Tuck had shown him when they flew over Collport.

'So this is a known ability in this world? I've never seen them in other worlds, but Larena used the same type of ability to fly.'

"You'll have to grab my legs or something." Annelie tested her wings with a few beats. "Or I can wrap them around you."

"I'll grab on. Let's get going."

"Right." She flapped her transformed arms, lifting quickly from the ground. Then she lowered herself enough for Nova to grasp her legs firmly.

The two lifted from the ground, slowly ascending toward the giant rift above them. Annelie's wings flapped loudly to lift Nova and his heavy bomb, but she had plenty of power in those tiny arms.

"I always enjoy flying." Annelie's voice carried pure joy, even faced with the void above. Nova assumed it was just a well-fitted mask, though.

"Yeah, it's quite fun." He watched the city shrink below them, seeing its full size once they got to a certain height. The mountain holding the giant cathedral was only one of many populated areas, while others were spread out on islands nearby.

'It did seem too small to be the center of the greatest religion in the world… So it's a multi-island city. But the rift's influence still reaches them all.'

White stone spires and golden domes turned toy-like with distance, reminding him of many flights in the past. "I've never flown with wings before, but there are plenty of levitation spells to choose from once you get enough power."

Annelie yelled from above him, trying to cut through the increasing noise from the rift. "We should find you some wings, then I'll teach you."

"I'd love that," Nova yelled back, tightening his grip on her legs as they approached the rift. "I'll teach you a few secrets of my own. Once we get the time."

The rift approached rapidly. Soon, they were on the very edge, watching the shifting clouds of blackness twist in the air around them. The spatial rifts and subsequent formation had twisted space, bending everything around them into unnatural shapes. Even the moon twisted into an ellipse, looking more like an eye than ever.

Deep rumbling filled the air, like the groans of tortured metal. The spatial formation's attempt to heal reality fought against whatever force held the rift open.

"Ahh, it feels like returning to my dysfunctional old home." Annelie's wings steadied them before the rift. "You ready?"

"Just one second." Nova equipped the fragment of Nova Noctis and let go of one of Annelie's legs, using his hand to create a formation mid-air. The runes locked into place in moments, pulsing with white light.

[You have learned the skill: String of Ariadne (Master - 47%) {Grade 6}]

[You create a silvery string that falls in your tracks and will let you find your way back to the starting point, regardless of confusion or misdirection. The maximum length is ten kilometers.]

The white string fell down below him, stretching toward the ground. It would stay there until they returned. "Let's go."

Annelie flapped her wings and flew forward through the rift, deep into the darkness beyond. The dark was almost water-like, swallowing them whole and quickly removing the rift from sight. Only the white string let them know where they came from.

"Is this how it was your last time here?" Nova asked, searching his surroundings. It felt familiar, like his Shadow Step, but stretched into infinity.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"At that time, I could simply walk into the rift. But it was much like this." Annelie's voice sounded strained. "Any moment now…"

The low rumbling suddenly stopped, replaced by complete silence. Only Annelie's wings made any sound, and even that had turned muffled. It was like the air had turned to snow, absorbing nearly all vibrations.

There was no smell or notable change in temperature, like the space around them was just emptiness—a perfect space to go mad in.

"... Welcome to the void, Nova." Annelie sounded both nervous and strangely excited. "You can let go now. The ground will be right below you."

Nova did as he was told, landing as soon as he let go. The ground was surprisingly solid and firm, like a giant slate of bedrock. He unequipped his fragment, saving it for the right moment. "It's so quiet all of a sudden. I can almost hear my thoughts."

"Yeah, this is basically the standard shape of the void. Air thick with darkness, and… Whew." Annelie landed heavily beside him, losing the wings in a second. She bent forward, hands braced on her knees, breathing hard. "Gods, this… It's a bit worse than I expected."

Nova furrowed his brows, studying her face in the darkness. "The sensation of being back here? I'm sure it's traumatizing."

"No, not that…" She shifted her weight uneasily. "Although, it plays a part."

"The madness?" His voice had a strict tone. He had every intention to send her back if the dark proved too much for her.

"...Yeah." Annelie nodded jerkily. "But don't worry. The effects are manageable. Even if they get worse, it won't… Won't cause any danger."

"Can you tell me what the effects are?"

"...I'd really rather not." She turned away sharply, hiding the pink spreading across her cheeks. "Very really."

'Okay, so something embarrassing. And positive emotions… Nostalgia? Respect? Or something more basic, like love? Maybe lust? No, that should be non-existent at our physical age. At least as far as I know.'

"Well, if you're sure." Nova let her keep the secret for now, unhooking the pouch from his belt. "You should probably hold on to the silver coins, then."

"Good point." She straightened and grabbed the bag from his belt, embracing it close to her chest. Her knuckles whitened around the fabric. "How are you planning to find the rift being?"

"With the silver coins." Nova tapped the pouch in her hands. "It will shift slightly away from the being as long as it holds the rift open. Just feel the bag, try to sense if it's pushing you anywhere."

The silver coins jingled in their pouch, but the sound was partially distorted. The darkness seemed to dampen light sounds much more efficiently than low ones. "...I think it's moving toward you." Annelie turned slowly, testing the pull. "So we're going the other way."

"Exactly. You can lead the way. I'll stay right behind."

Annelie nodded and turned to start walking. Her form was still perfectly clear in the darkness in front of him, suggesting the void wasn't as impenetrable as it appeared.

"When you say this is the basic shape, what other kinds are there?"

"Oh, it can be anything." Her voice echoed strangely in the silence once she was turned away. "Other shapes usually mean something is targeting you, trying to attack your mind through conjuring illusions. Then you'll either have to kill whatever is causing them, or ignore the things you see."

"...What if I see silhouettes of women standing between black flames?"

To his right, a hooded, black figure stood between pillars of black fire, only visible due to the light grey smoke rising up from behind her. The face was completely black, hidden by the hood. It was somehow a deeper darkness than the void itself.

"Uhh, then I guess we're being targeted already? Where do you see that?"

"No, it's already gone… It seemed familiar for some reason." He searched his memories, not finding anything that could fit. "But I guess that's what they do—reading memories to hit where it hurts."

"That's exactly it!" She did a quick pirouette to point at Nova before turning back to the front. "Just remember that nothing here is real, and you'll be fine."

"This will be easy, then."

"Hah, yeah… Oh, look, someone really is targeting us." She pointed ahead at a small figure lying on the ground. It had white hair and held a silvery thread in his hand, disappearing into the dark. His body was seeped in blood.

"Oh wow. They didn't even try," Nova commented, studying his fake corpse.

"Yeah, it's almost insulting." Annelie gave a short laugh of derision. "It didn't even dig further back than this life to hurt me…"

Nova noticed a strain in her voice despite her apparent confidence. But for now, it might be better to leave it alone. "I'm flattered they would use me to attack you."

"Oh, ehm…" She went quiet for a while before responding again. "No, it's not like they know the most efficient way to attack us, even with knowing our memories."

'... I'm starting to think her affected emotions have everything to do with me. But it's not surprising. No one could understand us better than each other.'

"So you're not even considering the notion that I could be a fake version and that you've been in here for hours already? And that the corpse over there is the true me?"

"Don't make fun of me." Her voice was colder than he expected. "It's just some emotions acting up. I am fully aware of the situation."

"You've stopped walking."

"...We can take small detours, right?" Her voice wavered. "It's right in front of me."

"You're the expert on traversing the void, Annelie. Do what you think is best."

"Right. Just follow my steps."

They continued past the red and white body. Annelie kept her eyes forward, but Nova didn't mind looking. The lifeless eyes reflecting back at him bothered him a bit, but only because they were the dead eyes of a child. He didn't quite see himself in that form. Not yet.

'I guess I'm still an old wizard in my mind. But that will change over time, like usual. Especially once I get a mirror.'

"Nova!" A young voice screamed from behind him, cracked and hoarse.

He felt a chill run up his spine at Millie's desperate scream, but that was all. "Just keep walking."

"I didn't mean to!" the voice continued, filled with guilt and pain. "Kovu told me he wanted to play with the others! He just wanted to see them again!"

The words conjured horrible images in his mind, of a Millie standing in the courtyard of the Garden, surrounded by red liquid. A bloodbath for the sake of the voice in her head. The voice of her dead friends, who she had killed. Did she want to add more of them?

"I… I'm sorry, Nova." Millie's voice cracked with despair. "I won't bother you anymore… I'll just listen to the melody one more time… Maybe Paula and Kovu will recognize it…"

The voice turned to heavy breathing, as if preparing for something. Then, a visceral sound of wind slicing into flesh, and finally, something heavy hit the ground with a meaty thud. The sound shook Nova to his bones.

'Good fucking lord! That's a scenario I didn't even know I feared. I need to figure out what to do about the souls she has…'

Cold sweat beaded on Nova's forehead. His heart hammered against his ribs. In nine lifetimes, few things had disturbed him like this fabricated scene.

"That's so grim… What was that about Kovu?" Annelie asked, turning back to look at him. Her expression turned to worry once she saw his face. "The accident she caused?"

Nova took a breath to steady himself. Showing images of the past would be one thing, but showing terrible futures was another. "Yeah… She still has the souls of the ones she killed. And they talk to her somehow."

"Oh gods!" She stopped walking, covering a small gasp. "That's terrible!"

"It is." Nova's voice softened. The void pressed in around them as he considered Millie's situation. "They seem to be just like they were when they were alive, and I don't think they wish her any harm. But still, it's a difficult situation."

Annelie pressed the silver pouch closer to her chest. Her shoulders tensed. "Would she even accept it if you wanted to take them away?"

"She usually listens to me. But it's hard to say. I guess there aren't any ways to force her either."

"Not that I know of, no."

"Hmm…"

They continued walking for a while, treading through the suffocating blackness. It was impossible to say how far they had left to go, but they were getting closer.

Suddenly, Nova stopped in his tracks. A sharp tug yanked at his soul, spinning him around to face the glowing thread behind them.

"What's wrong?" Annelie asked, turning around after noticing his halted steps.

Nova's face went slack. "...Cardinal Darius just broke the contract. I killed him."

[Gained soul of Cardinal Darius Zuraski.]

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