The pain had stopped, leaving a massive migraine in its wake.
Noah groaned as he leaned back against the foyer wall—a jolt of cold shot through his back as he made contact with the cool surface. He glanced down at his shirt and pulled against the fabric. Cold sweat had soaked it completely through, clinging to his skin like a second layer. He released the fabric, letting it slap against his stomach.
"What was that place?" he muttered. "More specifically, what was with that tree? It's like I was drawn to it..."
The words spilled from his lips in a ramble. His mind was still in shambles, barely capable of processing what had happened. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. A deep violet light illuminated his face, catching the amber in his irises, making them appear a rich brown under the glow.
Noah's attention shifted toward the two notifications that appeared after that excruciating pain. Just the thought alone of what he had to endure to reach them sent a deep shiver down his spine.
"I'd rather die than go through that again," he stated to himself.
His gaze settled on the first notification.
〔Awakening Complete!〕
Then the second.
〔Apocalust System Live〕
The notifications hung in the air before him. The first carried the familiar gray glow of the System, while the other was different.
It was violet. A faint purple radiance pulsed around the words, almost seeming to bleed into the air surrounding them. Noah squinted through the curtain of his locs in an attempt to make out the words. His eyes could barely focus, only making out the purple luster along the word 'Live'.
"Wait... why are there two?"
Noah ran a hand through his hair with a groan, gathering his locs until they formed a high ponytail. He secured them with the black hair tie around his wrist. All the while, Levy stared at him with his mouth hanging open.
"What. The. Fuck..."
Noah barely finished reading the notifications before Levy's voice pulled his attention away.
"What?" he asked, one brow raised. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
He paused.
"Holy shit..." His eyes widened. "AM I DEAD?!"
Before Levy could answer, Noah raised his hand and slapped himself across the face. Hard.
Smack!
The sound echoed from the foyer into the quiet of the room. He winced as the burning sensation spread through his cheek. Levy finally seemed to snap out of his trance. His hand immediately reached out and cupped Noah's face.
"You're alive, alright," he muttered, "but what happened to your face?"
"What do you mean?" Noah questioned, though the words came out muffled with his cheeks being held.
Levy ignored him, turning his face every witch way.
"Alright, Levy. You're kinda scaring me. Keep in mind my heart is still weak after going through that—tread carefully," Noah said, still incoherently. He held both Levy's hands in place and stared at him. "What?"
"Dude. You look majestic as fuck right now. Like I'd get on my hands and knees majestic.
"Pause, of course," Levy added.
"What is this guy talking about?"
Noah pushed himself off the floor, staggering just a little before finding his balance. He took a proper look around the room.
The walls were painted black, contrasting sharply with the pale gray hardwood beneath his feet. Dark furniture occupied most of the room, giving the apartment a strangely muted appearance. A small lamp sat in the corner, its warm light casting a soft glow across the room and making the darkness feel a little less oppressive.
Noah's eyes moved across the space for only a few moments before the lingering ache in his head reminded him that standing was already enough of a task. He didn't need to go adding more to the list of commands.
"Where's the bathroom?"
Levy pointed down the hall, which was just past the kitchen.
"First door on the right."
Noah nodded and headed in that direction. Levy followed close behind.
"You sure you can walk?"
Noah took another step, wobbling slightly before correcting himself.
"...Probably."
Levy raised an eyebrow.
"Not exactly reassuring, but you're heavy so I'll accept it."
He quickly found the bathroom. It wasn't difficult to locate—the graphic sign on the door made sure of that.
VOMIT IN THE TOILET, NOT ON THE FLOOR.
Beneath the words was a cartoon of a man enthusiastically throwing up into a toilet.
Noah stared at it for a moment. "...Good to know."
He pushed down on the handle and stepped inside, flicking the light switch as he entered. Warm lights flooded the small space immediately. Noah looked up, locking eyes with himself.
Then he froze.
His reflection stared back at him from the mirror. His jaw slowly dropped. For a moment, he looked exactly like Levy had a few minutes earlier. He barely recognized himself.
His jawline, already defined, had become noticeably sharper. The angles of his face seemed cleaner, more pronounced, as though every feature had been carefully sculpted rather than naturally formed.
His cheekbones sat higher beneath his eyes, giving his face a stronger structure without making it look gaunt. His nose appeared straighter, his lips fuller, and even the subtle curve of his eyebrows seemed more pronounced. The faint imperfections he'd never paid much attention to before had either disappeared or become almost impossible to notice.
His amber eyes were perhaps the most striking change. They remained the same warm amber he'd always known, but something about them had changed. They seemed brighter, clearer—more intense. The exhaustion he'd expected to see after everything he'd endured was there, but somehow it did little to dull them.
Noah's gaze slowly traveled downward. His neck appeared thicker, the muscles along either side more defined than they had been that morning. His shoulders seemed broader, while his chest and upper back carried considerably more definition beneath his shirt.
His arms were even more noticeable. The muscles he'd spent years building through training had somehow become fuller and more pronounced without losing the lean athleticism he'd worked so hard to develop. His biceps and triceps stood out clearly, while veins traced subtly along his forearms.
His waist remained snatched, creating a sharp opposition against his expanded shoulders and chest. His abdomen was tightly defined beneath his sweat-soaked shirt, every movement revealing the musculature beneath the fabric.
He stood straighter without consciously trying to, his body seeming lighter despite the additional muscle. There was a sense of balance to him now—a physical symmetry that hadn't been there before.
Noah stared at himself for several seconds.
"...What the hell?"
He turned slightly to the side, examining his reflection from another angle. He was still Noah. The same amber eyes. The same locs. The same face. Yet somehow... better. Not merely stronger, but refined. It was as though the person staring back at him was the version of himself his body had always been capable of becoming.