Silence followed Nox'Zerath's words, heavy and absolute.
It was not the absence of sound that terrified everyone, but the crushing weight that followed. The air thickened, pressing down on bodies and breath alike, as if the chamber itself had bowed in submission. Stone groaned. Hairline cracks spread across the floor and walls beneath an invisible pressure. Even Prime, who had stood unmoved moments earlier, was forced down, one knee slamming into the ground as he clenched his teeth in defiance.
Only Null remained standing.
The black gem burned cold in his grip as he held it tightly, his fingers numb yet aching at the same time. The gem pulsed once, heavy and alive, reacting to the being before him as if it recognized its owner.
Nox'Zerath's face twisted.
For the first time since his manifestation, terror crept into the hollow darkness of his eyes.
They locked onto Null.
More specifically, onto what Null was holding.
Null, oblivious to the true reason behind the demon of chaos' reaction, stared back into those black, endless eyes. They looked like an abyss with no bottom, strangely comforting to fall into, yet promising nothing but annihilation. He wondered distantly what the spirit would do next.
Then the spirit spoke.
"…You," Nox'Zerath said, his voice low and grinding, vibrating through the chamber itself. "How are you doing that? Holding my core?"
Magical cores were gem-like objects that dwelled within living beings capable of using magic. Humans typically possessed a single core, which acted as the source of their magic. It was often referred to as the heart of magic, continuously producing mana for spells and abilities. If a human's core were damaged, it would affect their ability to use magic, sometimes permanently.
But they would live.
Spirits were different.
A spirit's core was not only its source of magic, but its very anchor to the physical world. Without it, a spirit could not exist. Its body would dissolve, breaking apart into scattered mana until nothing remained.
Primordial spirits, however, were a special case.
They could exist briefly without their cores, but those cores were considered indestructible. Untouchable. No human had ever been able to interact with one, let alone hold it. To do so was believed to be impossible.
Which meant Null was performing a feat no human should have been capable of,aside from being magicless.
Null, being the smart bastard that he was, realized something crucial.
The spirit was afraid.Terrified, even.
And the reason was clenched in Null's palm.
Seeing an opportunity, Null raised the hand holding the core slightly, ignoring the strange sensation of both burning and freezing spreading through his skin.
"Kill everyone in this room," he said, forcing confidence into his voice, "except for those in the magic cage… and I might consider giving this back."
The chamber froze.
Nox'Zerath stared at him,his face replaced with a dark cold expression with a hint of anger behind it.
Instead of responding, Nox stretched one hand forward. Dark energy surged outward, forming a long, jagged blade aimed straight at Null. Out of fear Null squeezed his palm shut.
The core cracked.
The sound was soft.
But it echoed like thunder.
Nox'Zerath's expression shattered into disbelief,along with the dark eergy surrounding his arm. He had never imagined such a thing was possible. A human. Cracking his core. Destroying it.
"No...." the spirit hissed.
With his core destroyed, there was only one way for him to survive.He had to take over an human body as a host and he had a bastard in mind.
He reached for Null.
Not with magic.
With intent.
A black lightning mark erupted across Null's hand, searing itself into his skin. Null stared at it in disbelief, not yet realizing the horror of what he had just triggered.
A wave of sensations slammed into him.
Disgust, so intense it made him feel like vomiting.
Warmth, overwhelming and comforting, like sinking into paradise.
It made no sense.
Magic could not affect him. He knew that. Yet something was happening to him now. Something deeper. Something he could not stop.
He braced himself for the worst.
But the impossible happened.
Instead of Nox'Zerath taking over Null's body, the spirit himself began to change.
His form warped violently. His hair lengthened, turning into pure, flawless black, flowing smoothly down his back. It was no longer wild or chaotic, but sleek and well-kept, framing his face in a calm, composed manner that felt deliberate. Aristocratic.
His clothing shifted. The chaotic darkness condensed into a clean, minimalist black coat with a high collar and sharp tailoring. It fit close to his body, extending slightly past the waist, designed for movement rather than armor. A single vertical line of muted red ran down the front, breaking the darkness just enough to give him a regal edge.
Beneath it, his clothing became simple and functional, layered for flexibility. A dark sash rested at his waist, subtle yet structured, reinforcing a sense of authority without excess.
The spirit of chaos had changed.
Nox'Zerath staggered, staring at his own hands in disbelief.
"This… was not supposed to happen," he muttered.
Black and silver light exploded outward.
The ritual circles shattered, ancient runes burning away like ash. Star Genesis members were flung across the chamber, screaming as the pressure crushed the air from their lungs. This was not magic. It felt far worse. Far more terrifying.
Null stood motionless.
The only visible change on him was the black lightning mark now etched into his forehead. Yet inside, everything had shifted. His fear was gone. His panic vanished. A strange calm settled over his soul, unnatural and absolute.
Then his mind went blank.
No thoughts.
No reason.
Only one emotion surged through him.
An emotion he had felt once before.
An emotion he had hoped never to feel again.
Bloodlust.