The stunned silence that had descended upon the small garden was finally broken, not by the bewildered onlookers, but by Null himself. His black eyes, devoid of their usual golden cross, scanned the remnants of the fight, then the astonished faces of Kai, Ashley, and Sooji, and finally, Fang, standing tall and undeniably handsome in his new human form, still doting on Lumina.
A flicker, a fleeting grimace that was almost imperceptible, crossed Null's otherwise stoic features. "I do not like using that ability," he stated, his voice flat, but with a subtle undertone of something akin to distaste. The black tail behind him twitched once, a final, involuntary movement.
As he spoke, the strange, deeper hue of his skin softened, lightening back to its usual pale tone. The black pools of his eyes began to shift, a faint golden glow re-emerging from their depths. The cross-shaped pupils reformed, shining brightly in his now familiar golden-yellow gaze. The subtle, whip-like black tail dissolved, retracting as if it had never been there. Null was back to his original human form, his white-streaked golden hair framing his cross eyes, his appearance as unsettlingly blank as ever, a stark contrast to the raw power he had just wielded.
"You... you changed again," Ashley whispered, her voice barely a breath. Her eyes darted from the now-normal Null to the dashing, bow-tied Fang, then to the tiny white dragon, Lumina, still perched delicately on Sooji's hand. Kai just stood there, swaying slightly, his face pale.
Sooji, however, recovered a touch faster. She had only seen Null in his 'normal' state before. "So... that form with the black eyes and the tail," she began tentatively, "that's not your... usual look?"
Null simply shook his head once, a minute gesture. "No. It's... efficient. But I prefer not to."
Fang, in his human form, straightened his bow tie with a practiced flourish, his amber eyes still primarily fixed on Lumina, who seemed to be observing him with mild fascination. "Indeed, fair Sooji," he confirmed, his rich baritone now carrying a touch of his old, pompous grandeur mixed with his current romanticism. "My Liege finds certain aspects of his power... distasteful. He prefers to maintain a semblance of his former self, even with his memories absent. It's a personal choice, you understand." He winked conspiratorially at Lumina. "Though one, I must say, that denies us all the full spectacle of his terrifying might."
"Fang!" Ashley burst out, her exasperation momentarily overcoming her shock. "You're a man! A human man! What happened to being a tiny lizard? And why do you still have that ridiculous bow tie?"
Fang turned his full, handsome attention to Ashley, a charmingly smug grin spreading across his face. "Ah, young Ashley, ever so perceptive. Yes, I am indeed Fang. In a more... accessible form. A temporary measure, you understand, to better interact with the celestial beauty who has graced us with her presence." He bowed slightly towards Lumina, who merely tilted her head. "And as for the bow tie, it is a statement, my dear. A mark of refinement. Some things, even divine command, cannot diminish."
Kai pinched the bridge of his nose. "So, just to recap," he began, trying to force order onto the chaos. "Null here just became a shadow monster and erased a bunch of armed guys. He doesn't like doing that. He's back to... well, this Null. Ashley just learned she can freeze stuff. I have some kind of unusable rock. And Fang, our talking lizard friend, just turned into a ridiculously handsome man who is openly flirting with a tiny white dragon that came out of Sooji's necklace, which is also a 'Prime Stone' and apparently a spirit named Lumina. And there's a war. And a sealed God in Null's head." He looked at Null, then at Sooji, then back at his own hands as if expecting them to suddenly glow. "Did I miss anything?"
"The implications are vast," Null stated, his voice even, as if reciting facts from a forgotten lesson. "And they require immediate discussion. Away from here." His cross eyes swept over the garden, a clear command in their depths. The subtle twitch of his absent tail was gone, but the unspoken urgency remained.
Sooji, holding Lumina close, looked at Null, then at the still-stunned Kai and Ashley, and finally at Fang, who winked at her. A profound sigh escaped her. "Right," she said, her voice filled with an exhausted resolve. "My apartment. It's quiet. And it has a kettle. We're going to need a lot of tea for this." She started walking, Lumina hovering gently beside her, and Fang, with a final adoring glance at Lumina, fell into step, eager to continue his declarations of devotion.
The walk to Sooji's apartment was a silent procession of disbelief. Kai kept glancing at Null, then at Fang – still a strikingly handsome man in a perfect suit and that ridiculous bow tie – then at Lumina, the tiny white dragon nestled securely in Sooji's hands. Ashley, meanwhile, seemed lost in thought, occasionally flexing her fingers as if testing for latent ice powers. Sooji, with Lumina's comforting warmth in her grasp, led the way with a newfound, if bewildered, resolve.
Sooji's apartment was cozy and cluttered with vibrant textiles, potted plants thriving even in the city, and shelves overflowing with eclectic books and artisanal trinkets. It had a comforting, lived-in feel, a stark contrast to the cosmic chaos they'd just experienced. She ushered them into her small living room, gesturing to an assortment of mismatched armchairs and a plump sofa.
"Tea?" Sooji offered, already heading for a small, well-loved kettle. Her voice, though still a little strained, held a surprising resilience. "Or something stronger? I think we might all need something stronger."
"Tea will suffice," Null stated, seating himself on the sofa, his cross eyes scanning the room as if cataloging every item. His posture remained perfectly straight, even after the intense exertion.
Fang, meanwhile, had gravitated immediately towards Lumina. As Sooji sat on an armchair, carefully holding the white dragon, Fang knelt gracefully before her, his amber eyes fixed solely on the creature. "My beloved Lumina," he murmured, his deep voice rich with adoration, "I trust your journey was not too taxing? To awaken after so long... a true feat of endurance, my radiant star."
Lumina merely blinked, a soft, tired mental sigh rippling through their minds. It was... long. Her voice was like the softest chime of bells, serene but weary. But the need was great. And now, I am here. She gently nudged Sooji's hand, conveying a sense of profound trust and comfort.
Kai, watching Fang's over-the-top devotion, rubbed his temples. "Okay, can we just... get this over with?" he pleaded, collapsing onto the sofa next to Null. "My brain feels like it's trying to run a marathon in a blender. Null, start talking. From the actual beginning this time. No more surprises... please."
Null turned his golden-yellow cross eyes to Kai, then swept them across Ashley and Sooji. "There are Prime Stones," he began, his voice flat, devoid of the dramatic flair one might expect from such a world-altering explanation. "They are ancient sources of cosmic power. Mine is Umbra. Sooji's is Lumina. Ashley, yours is the Ice Stone."
Ashley gasped, her eyes wide. "So it wasn't just... a fluke? The frost? I actually have powers?"
"Indeed," Fang interjected, tearing his gaze from Lumina for a moment, a faint smirk playing on his handsome features. "Unlike the mundane, lesser stones that every sentient being in the cosmos possesses – those are merely conduits for minor personal energies, nothing of true cosmic import – Prime Stones are distinct. They are singular, unique entities, granted by the Almighty Himself to those destined for... significant roles." He puffed out his chest slightly. "Such as my Liege, the Unwritten King. And now, you all." He then glanced at Kai. "Kai, you also possess a stone, though it is dormant. Not a Prime Stone in the same sense as theirs," he clarified, gesturing to Null, Sooji, and Ashley, "but a powerful one nonetheless. A different lineage, perhaps. One yet to be truly understood."
Sooji, pouring tea for everyone, finally found her voice. "And what is this 'coming conflict'? This 'war' Null mentioned?"
Null continued, cutting to the core. "My Prime Stone, Umbros, is the power of shadows and reality manipulation. It is intertwined with my soul. My brother, Horuto, possessed Asura, the Light Prime Stone. He died. His essence, Asura, now resides within me. Asleep." He looked towards Kai and Ashley. "That is why my power is sometimes... unpredictable. Umbra and Asura are in constant, silent conflict within me. They are two sides of the same coin, two brothers bound."
Kai's jaw dropped. "So you're saying... you have two gods inside you? And one of them is your dead brother?"
"Essentially," Null confirmed, as if it were a minor detail.
Ashley, however, focused on a different point. "So, you said my Ice Stone is active? What does that mean? And Kai's is... dormant?"
"It means, little iceberg," Fang chimed in, stepping closer to Ashley with a theatrical flourish, "that your Prime Stone is partially integrated, awakening with your emotional state. A powerful asset in the coming conflict. Kai's, however, is a rather stubborn one. It requires a different catalyst. A catalyst not yet present," he repeated with a mysterious wink.
Sooji, clutching Lumina gently now, finally asked, "And what is this 'coming conflict'? This 'war' Null mentioned?"
Null's cross eyes met Sooji's, a rare gravity settling over his features. "The Devil has been summoned. He brings the Tens. The King of Stones is gathering forces. There is a war for all existence. And you, all of you with Prime Stones... they mark you for it." He then glanced at Kai. "You also, Kai, despite your stone's unique nature, will find yourself drawn into this. Your path is intertwined."
The quiet hum of the kettle seemed deafening in the face of Null's stark words. Kai slumped further into the cushions. Ashley stared at her hands. Sooji, holding Lumina, felt the quiet strength radiating from the little white dragon, a comforting anchor in the face of such overwhelming, terrifying truth. The tea was ready. But the bitter taste of reality was far more potent than any brew.
End of chapter 32
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