With the appearance of his two most valued companions, the crew now had an odd spectacle before them.
A clear watery Null and a murky black Null stood amongst them.
"How come they both look like you," Z'oelo asked while observing.
Null looked to them and looked back, "I guess they just imprinted on me since their birth. Do you guys feel like changing your appearances?"
He asked the two in question, not expecting much of an answer.
Ego spoke first, "I like Null. He never said anything about my appearance, so I stayed the way I am."
Then they looked to Void, "I thought we were getting food."
Void had not remained sentient for as long as Ego; his thoughts were simpler reflecting the nature of his functions.
Recalling what happened when Void grew hungry, Barter's Ruler and Theef were slightly panicking.
"Um. I'm not sure about you guys, but I'd like to eat too."
"Yeah, let's hurry up and get this guy some grub," Theef agreed with the ruler.
Noticing their worry, Null chuckled, "Don't worry guys. As long as nothing triggers him, Void is practically harmless."
After thinking about it, the two recalled the circumstances they met Void in and concluded that indeed he only rampaged when something triggered him.
The consequences for doing so were dire though.
One second you are happily going about your day and the next a figure plunges their hand inside of you and reaps your very soul.
"What about his food? I thought he fed on energy like my Royal Greed," Barter's Ruler was confused by that point.
"Yeah, well I can't exactly produce such energies anymore. Care to tell them why, Ego?"
Being ushered a question all of a sudden, the watery figure felt a bit embarrassed to answer, "Since I took over, I have only been able to analyze the system behind the Cosmic Structure— that is the core of Null's power."
They continued, "Ever since then, I've found it difficult to express each energy like Null could despite knowing of each and every one. I could only use outlets like the Livelli item to bridge a way towards the energies."
Even Null was learning more about the control Ego had over the Cosmic Structure while they explained the matter.
"It's not like I took the entire thing from Null, but more like I was tapped into the power while Null housed my soul. The burden it bears on one can result in an imbalance between the body, mind, and soul. By sharing the burden betwixt us— both me and Void— Null is free to use the prowess of all the abilities provided by the structure."
Understanding settled in as Ego spoke, "So you guys are like an enlightened trio?"
Theef actually followed stemming from him knowing Null the longest.
Barter's Ruler mumbled to himself, "Body, mind, and soul... enlightened trio."
Klein, Z'oelo, and Muni were still considered fledglings in terms of the power scale being Transient level beings still a step away from the immortal level.
Null on the other hand had was befuddled by the explanation, "I know I felt it in the moment, but hearing it explained like that makes it all clearer."
"Well, it's just the way things played out considering the different stressors and elements in play," Ego said while wearing what seemed to be a rueful look on their face, "You lost a lot of people while under Void's control. Even before that, you lost everyone on your home planet."
For some reason, Null responded a bit harshly, "Yeah, well what would you even know. It's not like you even existed back then."
Klein grimaced and even Z'oelo knew the harshness contained in those words, but ultimately it was Muni that spoke, "Livelli abilities, Null. Remember the other aspect they have."
Null immediately regretted his words as he now knew that only Ego could understand the experiences he had.
"It's not like I know it all," Ego said meekly, "I only remember what happened starting that night by the campfire. When all the pieces were slowly finding their place."
Null caught the underlying message in their words and grew unsettled, "What do you mean by that?"
"Haven't you realized it by now? The self-proclaimed "Creator" was working in cahoots with the very being that started this whole mess!"
The harsh truth being revealed to Null while he was in a frail state left him speechless.
Seeing him remaining silent, Ego thought it was best to rip the bandage straight off while they were at it, "Why do you think your Cosmic Aura sent the girl into the hands of It in the first place? To begin with, the Cosmic Authority you gained was just another aspect of It that the Creator happened to find."
"Who knows how many false Creators there were before him that were led to play a silly game with a being so ancient."
"WHAT ARE YOU EVEN SAYING!?"
Null could not handle the words being spoken.
It was as if the worst of his experience back on his home planet was being replayed in his head as he imagined what might just be the truth.
The only thing that really troubled him was that he had no thoughts pertaining to his own trauma that would have enlightened him as was being done now.
"It's something you should have understood eventually, Null. I don't know how to say it any other way, but It is not as scary as It tries to be."
"The only way It can escape Its prison is to lure innocent beings like yourself in hopes of finding the key to releasing It once and for all."
"But I need to save Sofina! I have to. You know that."
Null was not having it; Ego might be right in all of their statements, but there was still the underlying matter at hand.
"That is the main flaw in your plan. How do you expect her to survive all that time while you're busy finding a way to save her?"
As soul crushing as it was to deliver the harsh truth, Ego knew it was best to sober Null.
"If It can take her in the first place, there must be some way that I can bring her back! Time must work differently wherever It is or maybe It has a way to preserve her for when I eventually reach It."
While it did make sense that the journey he had set on could be plagued with falsehoods and twisted truths, Null wanted to believe and hope for the best.
"That is why we shouldn't play by It's rules," Ego switched up their tone, "I've seen It and the blank space It resides. I believe we already have the means to take what was lost that day and It only wants us to think that we can't."
"You mean to say the Cosmic Authority and Cosmic Structure are the tools needed to travel to It's plane?"
"Exactly! You already used them to elevate yourself and the crew to new heights, birth me and Void, and interact with souls themselves. Now that you want to travel to new planes, it makes sense that you would eventually find your way into Its own."
The rest of the crew though silent during their entire back and forth now had a better picture in their minds as to the experience Null had since he began his journey.
"Even if we can't get back your girl, we can still make that son of a bitch regret messing with you," Theef showed his support.
"Aye. It seems time is a resource we're rather scarce of at the moment," Barter's Ruler sighed.
"If you ever need help deciphering this Cosmic Structure, count me in! I don't mean to brag, but I'm really good at that stuff," Klein said confidently.
"Not to brag either, but unlike this nerd, I'm always down to give a good beat down on a worthy motherfucker," Z'oelo licked his lips.
"And I'm here to back him up," Muni chimed.
"If I help take you there, does that mean I can get some food," Void spoke as well.
"Haha! You guys are seriously the best," Null could not help but laugh, "If you find a way to Its plane, you can have all the energy I got, big guy."
"I can take you now!"
Thinking that he was joking, Null did not expect those words to come out of Voids mouth at all.
But before he could question the hungry soul devourer, Void suddenly grabbed Null by the arm.
Slowly suffusing into his skin, Null was shocked to feel his own soul shaken by Void's quick action.
Ego noticed this and had an obscure expression as they quickly joined in on the expeditious fiasco also seeping back into Null's body.
And like that, Void somehow managed to find his way to connect both Null and Ego to his special form and send them reeling into a forced transfer to a place that he would have never expected to reach so soon.