NOVPUB
Chapter 59: 59:We Are Waiting For You
Chris woke up from the trial and opened his eyes. He took a deep breath, feeling the rush of excitement flooded his body. "I did it!" he shouted, his voice filled with joy.
He had finally awakened and now, he was no longer a weakling, no longer just a nobody.
But something felt off as no one reacted to his excitement. He looked around and saw Baret and Gare, their faces frozen in shock. Their eyes were wide, filled with terror, as if they had just seen something unimaginable.
Confused, Chris followed their gaze, and his body instantly froze. His heart pounded as his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
In the distance, Ramos was struggling to hold up a shield, his face pale and drenched in sweat. The air around Kael was twisting and warping, filled with terrifying dark energy that seemed to devour everything.
Ramos was screaming, his voice cracking in panic. "Just what the fuck is this bastard doing?!" he yelled, his hands trembling as he tried to contain the chaos.
The darkness around Kael was growing stronger, pushing against the shield like a wild beast trying to break free.
For the first time, Ramos looked truly afraid. "What the hell did that bastard give birth to?!" he shouted. "This isn’t just a monster—it’s an abomination!" His breath hitched as he gritted his teeth, struggling against the overwhelming force.
Ramos clenched his fists, his voice filled with frustration and fear. "Fuck! If you wanna die, then just die!" he screamed. "Why the hell are you dragging this old man to hell with you?!"
......
The raging black flames of darkness vanished in an instant, wiped away by a blinding gust of light. From the hovering black hole, a radiant glow spread outward, piercing through the darkness, and shaking the entire void.
Kael just stood there, frozen. His body stiffened, his lips trembled, and his heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest. His mind spun, unable to process what was happening. His eyes locked onto the impossible sight before him.
From the center of the brilliant light, a pair of hands emerged. Soft, warm hands. They reached out, gently grabbing his chin, and caressing his face.
A voice, familiar yet distant, spoke softly.
"Long nose... a pair of enigmatic eyes... sharp chin... strong jaw."
The hands moved towards his eyes, wiping away the moisture that had gathered there.
"And as handsome as ever."
Kael’s breath hitched. His mind became blank for a moment before, his lips barely moved as he whispered—
"Ni...Nina..."
A light giggle echoed.
"Yes, Leonard... or should I say Kael?"
His hands clenched into tight fists. A storm raged inside him. His voice cracked as he asked"Y-You... No... what’s going on? How are you here?"
The voice sighed. It sounded quite near yet so far away.
"I am in spirit form," Nina said. "I sacrificed my body and became a spirit to live longer. I’m not the only one... Others found their ways to survive. We all waited. For you."
Kael’s eyes widened. His mind screamed, rejecting the words yet his heart clung to them, desperate. The truth hit him like a lightning bolt, and the sound of it boomed inside his head like deafening thunder.
He swallowed hard, forcing himself to stay calm.
But he couldn’t.
His voice came out hollow, almost detached.
"So... how do I get out of here and take the pathway?"
A sigh. This time, it was filled with disappointment.
"Is that what you want to know right now?"
"Is that the most important thing?"
Kael flinched. His gaze dropped, shame creeping into his face as he averted his gaze.
"Hey... hey, don’t look away," Nina’s voice turned sharply annoyed, but there was warmth underneath.
The hands grabbed Kael’s head and snapped forward.
"You always do this, Kael. Why can’t you face your feelings? Why do you keep running?"
Kael’s entire body tensed. Her words hit him like a hammer smashing his soul. His breathing shook. His fingers dug into his skin.
His lips parted then curled into a bitter, twisted grin.
And then, he snapped.
"It’s because I’m afraid!" He screamed. His voice cracked, raw with pain.
"I am also scared!"
His eyes burned. His throat ached. His mind, usually filled with madness and chaos, felt like it was crumbling into dust.
"I don’t fear the Gods! I don’t fear heaven or hell! But..." He sucked in a sharp breath.
"I fear that this is all just an illusion. A cruel, twisted lie that will leave a scar—one I’ll never recover from."
"This is the first time I am seeing this shit of a power able to interfere in this trial realm so tell me how can I believe that this isn’t an illusion."
His voice broke as he looked down with a pained look," And more than that..."
"I’m afraid... that this might be the last time I speak to you so I am trying to control myself to no longer be hopeful."
A pause lingered for a moment followed by a small giggle.
And then warm arms wrapped around him.
Kael’s body stiffened, then melted. His crazed, twisted self—the mask he wore to hide the endless fear and suffering inside him crumbled.
From the light, a face emerged. A face so beautiful, so painfully familiar, that his heart clenched so hard it hurt.
Forehead to forehead, she smiled.
"It’s not a lie."
Her voice was gentle. Yet it carried a weight beyond time itself.
"We’re not dead. We’ve been waiting for you, We always will. We fought fate itself for you."
Then, her tone hardened.
"So promise me, Leo... Kael..."
"Promise me that you’ll fight to be with us. For us. With us."
"Promise me, Kael... that you will tear down the Gods, break fate, and destroy the world itself if you must."
Her eyes burned with conviction.
"No matter what... you will fight for us."
Kael’s breathing was ragged. His hands trembled. His heart felt like it would explode from the storm raging inside him.
He wanted to say something, anything but his throat felt dry. The warmth of Nina’s touch burned into his skin, the weight of her words pressing down on his soul like a mountain.
And yet... something inside him broke.
A low, shaky chuckle escaped his lips. Then another. Then another.
Until his laughter twisted and overtook him.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
His head snapped back as his laughter filled the void. His shoulders shook, his entire body buzzing with madness.
Then, just as suddenly as it started, he stopped.
His laughter died. His face darkened. His eyes, usually wild with insanity, sharpened—focused.
He leaned in, his forehead pressing even harder against Nina’s. His breath was hot. Heavy.
"You want me to promise?" His voice was low yet firm.
"You want me to tear down the Gods? To break fate? To burn the whole damn world to the ground?"
His lips curled into a slow, twisted grin.
"I was already planning on it."
Nina’s eyes flickered, a small smile forming on her lips. But before she could speak—
CRACK.
The entire void shattered.
The light around them twisted and broke apart like glass being crushed under some unseen force.
Kael staggered back. His body felt weightless like he was being ripped away.
"Sorry, Kael. It seems the world consciousness has found the error. I need to leave."
"WAITTT!"
"NINA!" He reached out, but her form was already being pulled into the breaking light.
Nina smiled calmly and waved at Kael.
"Don’t worry. We will surely meet. We all have been waiting for you so..."
"Keep your promise, Kael."
"Fight."
"Find us."
"And then be with us."
Following those words, the light around was shattered.
And then she was gone.
"FUCKKKKKK YOOUUU AKASHIC SYSTEMMM!"
Kael screamed in anger...
A guttural, rage-filled scream that tore through the darkness.
And then everything collapsed. 𝑛𝘰𝘷𝑝𝘶𝑏.𝑐𝘰𝘮
His vision blurred. The void turned into a swirling mass of chaos. His body felt like it was falling on, being dragged, and then he found himself lying on the cold, hard ground. His heart was pounding, his breathing heavy.
But in his hand, he still felt it.
The lingering warmth of Nina’s touch.
And then, before him, floating in the air...
Was the black orb.
No longer just flickering with crimson light.
Now, it burned with more power and intense anger, and with Nina gone, it started to expand.
"I will devour you!"
A rough shout emerged hearing Kael show it his middle finger.
"At least give me some time to enjoy the memories of you son of bitch."
