Nox's eyes snapped open. He sat up straight, only to regret it immediately. Severe nausea hit him, accompanied by a sharp ache in his stomach. Curling into a ball, he glanced around aimlessly. He craved warm soup, anything to make the burning pain leave his gut.
"'You look too miserable to be One's Vessel, as always. Good to see you're still as you are.'"
Nox's gaze locked onto the familiar ball of darkness floating lazily near the ceiling. He let out a sigh of relief, slowly straightening his posture. "Hold on... You said to receive your Mark. How do I get it?"
Veil floated down to eye level. "'One doesn't have enough Divine Power to complete the process. So for now, you won't be receiving anything.'"
If Nox had the energy, he would have thrown Veil straight out the window.
*Hiss~*
The floor-to-ceiling windows slid open. Meimei bounded inside, completely drenched in rainwater. The wet silence of the room was broken by the sickening sound of cracking bones as she shrunk down to the size of a regular house cat. Once fully transformed, she vigorously shook her fur coat.
Nox stood up, staggered toward her, and scooped her into his arms. Meimei instantly started squirming. "Master, I'm not dry yet!"
Nox ignored the protest and patted her head. Realizing he had no intention of letting her go, Meimei finally settled down and made herself comfortable. "Oh right, Master! The food is outside."
Nox looked out toward the balcony. Piled on top of each other were the grotesque bodies of several slain creatures. Normally, the sight would have triggered his nausea, but this wasn't his first rodeo. He stepped out onto the balcony. A crisp, cool wind ruffled his hair and pajamas. The ground was still damp beneath his bare feet, and heavy traces of water clung to the window panes and railings.
Nox walked directly toward the dead Ruach Ra'ah. Shadows began to warp and gather behind him, responding to his presence. The moon emerged from the clouds, casting a sharp silver light over the balcony.
Moving slowly but with absolute intent, Nox called out under his breath, "... Baloev."
*VOOM~!*
The shadows burst outward like a tidal wave, completely enveloping the carcasses. Within seconds, the Ruach Ra'ah vanished entirely. The shadows receded back to their original forms, and Nox's hunger pangs immediately subsided. His furrowed expression smoothed out.
'Meimei really came in clutch with this one,' Nox thought. "Meimei."
The feline's ears twitched. "Yes, Master?"
'What do you want as a reward?' He turned and walked back toward his room.
Meimei's tail twitched, her eyes sparkling with absolute delight. "Sausage!"
"Alright," Nox replied, patting her back as the floor-to-ceiling windows slid closed behind them. If Meimei wasn't currently being held, she would have bounced around the room in pure joy. Nox took a dry towel and wrapped her up tightly like a spring roll.
'Now that I think about it, Veil...'
"What is it, brat?"
'How exactly does a Vessel receive your Mark?'
Veil floated lazily toward the bathroom. "'It is not just my Vessel. Even that despicable bastard's Vessel must be chosen in the same way. The individuals with the highest potential are bathed in the Divine Power of the God for a maximum of seven days and a minimum of one day. During this time, the last one standing becomes the Vessel. Divine Power is not something ordinary mortal bodies can withstand. Usually, fifty potential Vessels are selected, but many die from physical and mental exhaustion. You, however, have an advantage due to your special physique... Are you in any way familiar with the Arur family?'"
Nox looked incredulous. 'Of course I am, I'm a member!'
"'Wonderful! That saves a lot of time and effort. Go to the head of the Main Branch of the family and request to bathe in the Chaos Pool. That should solve the problem of our shortage of divine power.'"
Nox felt a massive headache coming on. '...Do I need to do it within the week? Can't it be done in a month?'
"'Absolutely not. If you delay, I will have to reconsider finding a new Vessel.'"
Panic flared in Nox's chest, but he quickly forced himself to think. 'Wait, I have a super competent worker at my beck and call. I don't need to stress over this!'
With renewed purpose, he marched out of his room, carrying the mostly dry Meimei-spring-roll in his arms. He stopped in front of the butler's door.
"Zayne!" he called out, his voice dripping with his usual arrogance.
There was no movement from inside. Nox frowned. "Meimei!"
"Master?" Meimei looked up at him with her sapphire eyes.
"Break down the door. The butler is in danger!"
Meimei squirmed out of the towel folds and landed heavily on the marble floor. She crouched low. Like a fired bullet, she slammed directly into the wood, ripping the door entirely off its hinges.
Nox was stunned by the raw force but gave Meimei a quick thumbs-up. The feline lifted her chin proudly.
Nox walked into the ruined doorway, looking around for Zayne. The butler stepped out of the adjoining bathroom. His hair was a tangled mess, his eyes were faintly red, and his usual permanent smile was entirely gone, replaced by heavy traces of sleep, annoyance, and confusion.
"... Young Master, what are you doing up so late? It is 1:00 AM." Zayne rubbed his temples, trying to maintain his composure.
"I want to see my father. I miss him," Nox declared without blinking.
Zayne froze, looking incredibly skeptical at the young man standing before him. "... You're not my Young Master, are you?"
Zayne narrowed his gaze at the dark-skinned boy. Nox was taken aback, his expression twisting into displeasure. "If I'm not your Young Master, then who am I?"
Zayne watched Nox intently, like a predator tracking its prey. Nox felt the tiny hairs on the back of his neck stand up, but he held Zayne's gaze coldly. Sparks of tension flew between them. Meimei sat to the side, lazily licking her fur.
"... My Young Master is lazy, gluttonous, treats exercise like a sin, antagonizes the entire world, and above all else, he absolutely hates seeing his father," Zayne noted coldly. "So who the hell are you?!"
Bright sparks of energy began dancing across Zayne's fingertips. His eyes slowly started to glow.
A bead of sweat dripped down Nox's back as a critical piece of information surfaced in his mind. 'In this world, aside from the Divine Power wielded by the servants of the God of Light, there is a form of energy called Xenon. Less than ten percent of the global population can sense and wield it. It is used to create energy weapons and power everything from home devices to heavy-duty machinery. The few who can use it are split into two categories: Xenon Researchers and Xenon Warriors. Zayne is a Xenon Warrior at the Grandmaster stage! If he wants to kill me, I won't make it out alive... Damn it! Do I tell him about Veil? Will he even believe me?'
Nox hesitated, trapped in place. Just as Zayne looked ready to strike, Meimei spoke up.
"Zayne Lancaster, Head Retainer of the Arur Family. What do you think you are doing?"
Nox froze. Zayne froze. The room fell into a dead, suffocating silence as both men snapped their gazes toward the cat.
Meimei continued, completely unbothered. "Do you not know that this child is the one we have been waiting for? Have you become so old that you fail to recognize Ben HaChoshech?"
A sharp ringing noise filled Nox's ears. He stared blankly, completely lost.
Meanwhile, Zayne's face cycled through a rapid succession of emotions: shock, total disbelief, sheer terror, and finally, a forced calm.
"... So it really is you, Wilhelmina," Zayne murmured, his voice weary. "Understood. I will get everything ready. By 7:00 AM, we will be flying back to the Manor. I will notify the Chairman."
Nox stood rooted to the floor. '...It was that easy?!'
Looking visibly drained, Zayne returned to his usual polite demeanor and gently ushered Nox out of the room. Nox walked back in a total daze, barely realizing it when he finally lay back down in his own bed.
"'So? What happened?'" Veil asked, floating into view.
Nox stared blankly at the ceiling, murmuring in a hushed tone, "We're going to see the Family Head."
"'That's wonderful... But why do you look like you just got beaten up?'"
Nox didn't answer. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.