Itsuki's consciousness through dream-void. His awareness was expressed through his body, suspended in nothingness, disconnected from everything.
His eyes gradually opened as he found himself in the same nightmare he'd been having since awakening his ability.
I lost... His fist tightened, though he couldn't feel the motion. He knew from the start that he couldn't win. Drayce was a Tier-two warrior whose training had molded him into a beast. The gap between them was not something willpower alone could overcome.
Even so, he'd charged anyway, swinging his sword like some hero from a story, believing that determination alone would be enough.
How stupid!
Should I have just surrendered? After all this training, I still failed! Now I have to wait another year…
Tears slowly fell down his cheeks. Thoughts flooded his mind, each question leading only to pain.
If I had just been lucky; if it had been anyone else, maybe I could have won…
He paused for a moment and laughed weakly.
No!
That's just an excuse!
My body is probably broken somewhere, and I'm stuck here again…
He looked around and saw the giant sphere of light floating ahead of him.
"How many times will I end up here?!" he muttered into the void, his voice bitter. "How many times will I—"
[Master...]
A divine voice rang in Itsuki's mind.
He shook! Huh—what… was that?!
For a moment there was silence again. Itsuki's eyes darted around, searching for the source of the voice; there was nothing.
Weird… I could have sworn I—
[…C-can you hear me? Master...]
He staggered back, or thought he did; his feet never touched anything solid.
"W-who's there?!"
[A-ah… I finally reached you, Master...]
[Th-this one thought she'd lost you forever…]
"Who… who are you?"
The whiteness around him pulsed faintly. Then, a soft giggle echoed through, like wind through water.
[ Heh… It's me Nui!!… ]
Nui? Itsuki pondered. He'd never heard such a name before.
"I... I don't think I've ever heard of you."
"..."
There was a slight pause, then the voice spoke again.
[Ehh?? Master doesn't know Nui?]
The voice grew clearer in Itsuki's head, it sounded suprised… almost childlike.
[But... but you called for me! At the big shiny crystal!]
Called for you?
Big shiny crystal?
'…'
Wait- the Monolith?
Itsuki suddenly remembered his assessment. The strange colors shifting through the crystal.
"That was you?!"
[Mhm! Mhm!] The voice chirped with excitement.
[Master touched the crystal and then—whoosh!—Nui felt you! Like a warm light after being in the dark for sooooo long!]
A warm light? The more the voice talked, the more confused Itsuki became.
"Also, why do you keep calling me Master?"
[Because that's what you are, my Master!] The certainty in her voice was unnerving.
That's not an explanation though... Itsuki opened his mouth to argue, then closed it. He crossed his arms, unsure what to say.
[Master's power is sleeping right now, but Nui can feel it! That huge amount of Honshitsu, you're meant to be—]
The void began to tremble violently.
✧ —the Final C—✧
Her voice shattered mid-word, distorting like broken glass.
"Final what?! What are you talking about?!"
[N-no! The link... it's breaking! Master is waking up!]
The whiteness began to crack, fractures spreading in every direction.
"Wait! I need to understand—"
[Nui... Nui helped you... when you were sleeping...]
The voice wavered, becoming hollow and distant, as if speaking through water. The words echoed strangely, fragmenting before they reached him.
"Help me? What do you mean?"
Itsuki strained to hear, though the connection was unraveling. Nui's voice stretched thinner with each syllable.
[Re...mem...ber... N...ui...]
The final words barely registered before dissolving completely into the void.
"N-nui?!!"
- - -
Itsuki's consciousness was pulled back to his body, leading him to wake up.
He slowly opened his eyes, finding himself staring up at a wooden ceiling with plain walls.
He attempted to sit up, though every muscle in his body screamed in protest. His arms refused to move, trembling at his sides while pain lanced through his shoulders and spine, sinking deep into his bones.
"Don't!" The voice came from across the room.
A woman stood near a wooden counter, grinding something in a mortar with calm and precise movements. Gray streaked her dark hair, neatly tied back in a knot, she wore pale green robes, marking her as a Healer.
She kept her eyes fixed on her task. "You won't be able to move for a while."
"Feels like I shattered every bone in my body," Itsuki's voice was barely audible.
"Almost..." she answered, walking towards him, placing two cool fingers on his wrist. Her touch felt strangely detached against his burning skin as she checked his pulse.
"Your Honshitsu is completely depleted, you've got seven torn muscles in your back and shoulders, and hairline fractures in both forearms," she enumerated, like she was reading from a list.
Her sharp gaze rose to meet his... "You are lucky your bones didn't snap completely."
Itsuki looked directly into her eyes.
They were pale green, almost luminous in the sunlight. Framed by dark lashes, they held an unexpected warmth despite her clinical tone.
She was... beautiful!