The window glitched again. The words corrupted and were replaced by new ones.
[But… the fact that I'm talking to you is paradoxical. It's not that I'm forbidden from speaking with other rational beings, but simply being with you has already changed many things. And that's fun!]
Nova read the words. He found no answer to what he had asked in the first place.
"You still haven't answered what I want to know. Who are you, really?"
The window took a few seconds before showing something new.
[… I am… I am something no one can see, but everyone can feel passing by. No one is capable of stopping me, not even the end itself. I speak to you, Asmodai, because I have seen very amusing things within you. However, I don't speak to you only because I find it entertaining, but because there are very important things you will do in the future.]
Nova felt intimidated.
"Something important? In the future? Then are you something like a god, giving me a mission right now?"
Eight strange lights ignited on the screen; they opened like arachnid eyes, staring straight at Nova. The words on the window changed again, forming another dialogue.
[I am not giving you any mission. No, no, no, no. I'm merely encouraging you to keep moving forward. Though, if you die, the elder brother won't have any problem offering you a special deal. I'm sure you've already met him before. He spoke to you.]
Nova felt a strange pain in his chest. He pressed a hand against his heart as memories of the desert returned like a storm. There stood the ominous figure of the mysterious being with a skull for a head.
Nova tried to say something, but when he blinked, the window had changed. New words formed another message.
[I think that's all I wanted to tell you—for now. Someday I'll speak to you again, so don't die, okay? The universe is full of danger and death, so you never know what might happen. Besides, it's good to talk to a lonely soul from time to time. You should try it someday. It's relaxing. Oh… things are getting hectic out there. I wish you luck, Asmodai.]
With that, the window flickered with another glitch and vanished. In its place appeared the small butterfly, flapping its beautiful crystal wings. It fluttered vividly above Nova's head, rising higher and higher into the sky until it disappeared.
Nova followed the butterfly with his eyes. He widened them when he noticed something different in the sky. Eight dark bluish spheres of light, resembling stars, stared back at him like eyes.
"What the hell…?"
He was left breathless. His Serenity shut off. With his emotions thrown back into chaos, Nova—
"WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!"
He shot to his feet, shouting, never taking his eyes off the sky. But as he did, dizziness struck him. He grabbed his head as his body staggered. His muscles felt weaker, and a deep drowsiness overtook him. His eyes closed as he collapsed. As he fell onto the flowers, Nova struggled to open his single eye.
Now he was in a dark place, standing before an iron-barred gate. His arms were bound to a concrete wall by machine-like gauntlets that made him feel weak. Blood streamed down his cheek, where pain struck like a heavy, lingering blow.
Nova groaned in pain. He lifted his head after noticing the filthy floor beneath his feet. Soon, he found the guy who had attacked him.
"Good morning, hairless monkey," said the sword-wielding man with a disgusting smile. "This time you couldn't even run away. And here I thought you were stronger. I'm disappointed!"
The air was missing from his lungs, as if he had been punched repeatedly in the abdomen. Nova clenched his teeth, frowning with his single eye.
"Where… where am I?" he asked, choking on his own blood as it dripped from his lips. He coughed a couple of times until he spat it out.
His entire body felt battered with blunt-force wounds. If anyone had treated him like this, it was undoubtedly this bastard.
"Huh? I still don't understand a damn thing you're saying. Don't you know the most basic skill in the galaxy? Guess I overestimated the Crimson Blood."
Ignoring the madman, Nova tried to move. He shook his hands, attempting to remove the gauntlets—or rather, spherical box-like devices that somehow made him feel exhausted. He struggled in place a few times, but it was useless.
In response to this pathetic escape attempt, the sword-wielder laughed.
"What's wrong? You want to leave?" He approached, grabbing Nova by the hair. He forced him to look into his eyes as his grin widened. "No, no, no, no, my privileged friend. You can't leave. These things are designed for people like you—weak people."
Nova stopped struggling. He jerked his head once to make the monster release him and lowered his gaze to the floor.
'Oh, man… This time I'm really screwed.'
There was no possible way to escape, and according to what this Aberration said, these shackles made him weak. That explained why he felt so drained.
'What's going to happen to me now? Are they going to kill me?'
Searching for answers, he looked at the reptilian man.
"Oh! Where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself," with exaggerated movements meant to mock elegance, he looked at Nova with an arrogant smile. "I am Xiurah, a mercenary at your service—or maybe not."
"Xiurah…" Nova whispered.
Xiurah nodded, pleased.
"Hey! You understood that!" he clapped, celebrating. "Congratulations! You're already close to learning my planet's language."
'Idiot.'
If there was no way to escape, then provoking this bastard wasn't an option. Either way, he was kidnapped. Were they going to demand a ransom? Besides, Xiurah had spoken of planets and galaxies. Was this world really that vast? That made Nova question what the Dimensional Portals could truly be hiding.
What Nova couldn't grasp was the scale of the trouble he had gotten himself into—or just how far away from home he truly was.