Meimei stared at her Master and slowly shook her head. "No, Master. If you go out now, the butler will notice. Even if he doesn't, you'll get sick in this storm. Let me go instead. I will bring back something before midnight."
Nox frowned, but Meimei's reasoning was sound. "Alright. Be careful... and come back safe."
Meimei licked the back of his hand before leaping off the bed. As she landed, her small feline frame began to morph. The room's stillness was shattered by the rhythmic, chilling sounds of shifting anatomy.
*Crack!* *Crack!* *Crack!*
In seconds, the house cat was gone. In her place stood a black feline beast the size of a tiger. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck illuminating the room. Nox observed her properly for the first time. Her fur was jet black but gave off a deep bluish sheen under light. Her ears stood alert, her tail was long and thick, and her black claws gleamed like obsidian. Her eyes were no longer just blue; they looked like polished sapphires.
Nox was stunned. He hadn't realized how magnificent she truly was. 'Hehehe, Master is staring! I must look so awesome!'
Meimei felt a surge of smugness. She pressed a heavy paw lightly against Nox's back, sending a wave of warm energy seeping into his skin. The nausea and clenching pain in his chest slowly eased. Nox's tense muscles relaxed. Once she was certain he was stable, she turned toward the floor-to-ceiling windows. They slid open automatically with a soft hiss, and she vanished into the rain. Nox felt a heavy exhaustion wash over him. The hunger had retreated into a dull ache, and his breathing leveled out. One moment he was watching the storm, and the next, he blacked out.
Meanwhile, Zayne sat at his desk, his fingers flying across a holographic keyboard as he compiled a report on Nox. He paused, a memory from the hospital flashing through his mind.
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He remembered walking toward Nox's room with a lunchbox in hand. He reached for the keypad at the side of the door but froze. His eyebrows furrowed and his instinct told him something was wrong with the room. He sensed something familiar inside—something ancient that had no business being in a city hospital.
'...There's no way she is here...'
He had smoothed his expression, took in a few deep breaths to steady himself and entered. He found Nox dressed in a white tracksuit and sneakers, black bucket hat, a mask, and sunglasses seated casually on the bed as he scrolled through his phone. At the sound of the door opening, Nox didn't even flinch.
"Young Master! I brought food~!"
"Tch. Took you long enough," Nox had grumbled.
Zayne's smiling eyes had swept the room, searching for whatever had unsettled him. Eventually, his wandering gaze settled on a black ball of fur on the bed. He froze. The creature lifted its head, locking eyes with him. Cold sweat had dripped down Zayne's back as recognition dawned on him. He felt a chill all over his body and he shivered involuntarily. He saw the familiar mocking amusement in those intelligent sapphire eyes. The creature had simply stretched and gone back to sleep. Nox followed Zayne's gaze and saw he was looking at the creature so he spoke up casually,
"I found her yesterday after you left," Nox had declared. "I'm keeping her. Her name is Meimei."
*Boom!*
Zayne's whole world view collapsed. He was in shock, nearly dropping the lunchbox he held. He staggered a bit and by the time he came to, Nox was eating the food in the lunch box with the cat. He couldn't stand properly, his knees nearly buckled beneath him. Shakily, he sat down. Seated across from Nox, Zayne watched Nox eat happily, his entire worldview collapsing. The cat gave a sidelong glance at Zayne who sat looking up at the ceiling with his hands on his face.
'... I'm so screwed...'
-----------------------
Back in the present, Zayne shivered. He was terrified of including this in the report, but he had no choice. He took a breath and finished the text:
[Also, Chairman, the Young Master has acquired a pet. It is a black cat with jewel-blue eyes. I strongly suggest we confirm the status of the guardian in the Ancestral Land of Zhilakai. I have reason to believe this cat is the Dream Beast.]
Zayne clicked [Send] and slumped in his chair, drained. '... I need to eat...'. With that, he dragged his tired self to the kitchen to fix some instant noodles. On his way back, he poked his head into Nox's room. Seeing the boy sprawled out and sleeping soundly, Zayne placed his finger at the boy's nose to check his breathing then he placed his palm on Nox's forehead to check his temperature.
"... Mmm, he's okay."
With that, he withdrew his hands and tucked the duvet snugly around Nox's shoulders.
"Goodnight Young Master."
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Nox felt as though he were underwater again. The cold surrounded him, and the light from above refracted in strange, jagged patterns. He opened his eyes to the familiar darkness.
"... Veil? Are you there?"
Silence. Nox felt a flicker of unease. He remembered Veil telling him to return only when he was ready.
"Veil... I have come to talk...I might not be a saint. I'm definitely not some dedicated hero. But I've been thinking. I chose to believe in you when I was dying, and I choose to believe in you again now. I don't know what kind of madness is coming, but I am willing to be your Vessel."
The void shook. A deep, menacing chuckle echoed through the water.
"'Hahahah... One is not unreasonable. It is difficult for a mortal to trust the One. But since you have made your choice, let this Lord ask you one thing: Will you follow One even if the path leaves you alone? One's power is all-consuming. Your loved ones will fear and even despise you; the world will loathe your existence, just as they do One. Are you willing to bear that burden?"'
Nox didn't hesitate. His eyes blazed with determination. "Yes."
"'Oh? Do tell why."'
"I've seen what's out there. If I have to be a monster to keep those things away from the people I care about, then fine. I'm used to being the bad guy anyway. If I can wield that kind of power and be able to defend what and who is dear to me, loneliness is a small price to pay if you were to ask me. Besides, my family has always been feared and hated anyway. It's just a change of titles."
There was silence then laughter erupted, so powerful it shook the water.
"'Good! One has found a worthy seed! After so long! Listen child: One will now grant you One's Mark. That other god will become keenly aware of your existence, and many will seek your head. Do you dare receive it?"'
Nox grinned, a wild, defiant look on his face. "If I don't, who dares?!"
"'Hehehe... It has been many millennia since One has seen a mortal with such guts... Very well. When you awaken, step into the pool before you. If you survive the baptism, you shall bear One's Mark..."'
Before Nox could ask what 'surviving' entailed, he was yanked upward. As he broke the surface of the water, he awoke.