Einar Stonbrol
As my eyes closed, I was met with an inky blackness that seemed to swallow everything in its path. The silence was oppressive, a heavy blanket that suffocated me. I felt a familiar sensation coursing through my body, one that I had first experienced when I had first reincarnated.
Am i going to reincarnate again? I wondered, my mind racing with the possibilities.
A bright light appeared before me, its radiance similar to the one I had seen during my first reincarnation. I approached it cautiously, expecting to be reborn once more. But as I reached the light, I was met with... darkness.
"Seriously?!" I exclaimed, my anger rising to the surface. "Can't a guy even get a decent reincarnation around here?"
I looked around, but there was nothing to see. No, scratch that. There was nothing to see, period. I was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, you couldn't get reincarnated twice.
As I wandered through the void, I heard a familiar voice calling out to me. It was a voice that I couldn't quite place, but it seemed to be drawing me in.
I chased after the sound, my feet carrying me towards the voice. And then, I saw her. Luna.
She was... different. Her body was illuminated by a dazzling light that seemed to radiate from within. Her eyes, once a light blue, were now a deep, cherry red. Her hair, once a dull white, now shone like freshly fallen snow.
She was... beautiful. I couldn't help but stare, my eyes drinking in the sight of her. "You're... gorgeous," I stammered, my face heating up with embarrassment.
Luna blushed, her cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink. "Aww, thank you," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
I scanned her body, taking in the sight of her slender figure. And then, my eyes landed on her chest. "You've got some nice... uh, assets," I said, my face growing even hotter.
Luna's expression changed in an instant. She punched me squarely in the face, her fist flying faster than I could react. "Note to self," I whispered, rubbing my sore cheek. "Don't say everything that comes to mind, dumbass."
Luna's expression softened, and she smiled at me. "You're still as foolish as always, Inar," she said, her voice dripping with amusement.
I got to my feet, my mind racing with questions. "Where are we, exactly?" I asked, looking around at the desolate landscape.
Luna's expression turned serious, and she placed a finger on her chin. "Oh, you're dead," she replied, her voice devoid of emotion.
I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. "What?!" I exclaimed, my mind reeling with the implications.
Luna's expression didn't change. "But you're not dead at the same time," she added, her voice confusing me even further.
I shook my head, trying to clear the cobwebs.
"Huh?"
Luna explained that this place was called Null, or Voidless. It was a realm where you were neither living nor dead, but simply existing as a being without form or body.
I listened intently, trying to wrap my head around the concept. And then, it hit me. The curse. I remembered the curse that had been placed upon me two years ago.
"Does this mean I'm immortal?" I asked, my voice filled with excitement.
Luna's expression turned serious, and she shook her head. "No, you're not immortal. But the curse is. And it's the only reason you're existing right now."
I felt a pang of disappointment, but Luna continued to explain. Apparently, when the Great Lord of Shadows became a god, he created Null as his own personal dimension or get away home. It was a place where he could exist without being bound by the laws of the physical or spiritual worlds.
And then, Luna dropped another bombshell. When I was killed by Maxwell, a limitation was taken off me, making me a shadow vessel.
Instantly she pointed at my rist which now no longer contained the odd markings on. It was as though the curse and I were now the name.
I wasn't merely a vessel of darkness, I became the darkness itself.
I was reeling with the implications. "So, if this place was created by the Great Lord of Shadows, why is it so empty?" I asked, looking around at the desolate landscape.
Luna burst out laughing, her eyes shining with amusement. "You're such an idiot, Inar. This place can only be used by the true lord of darkness. And the only reason you can't see anything is because you're too weak. I, on the other hand, can see this world in all its entirety and beauty. And maybe one day when your strong enough you'll be able to shape this world however you see fit."
I felt a pang of frustration, but I knew I had to keep asking questions. "Is there any way to get out of here?" I asked, my voice filled with hope.
Luna's expression turned serious, and she fell silent.
Her eyes fixed mine, and with a sinister smirk, she pulled me closer into her arms. "Of course, there is darling... all you have to do is..."
***
MAXWELL LÈ BONDEREE
He seemed different from before, an odd yet terrifying aura emitting from him. Was he the same person from before? I moved back, creating two twin blood blades. "No matter, I've killed you before, I'll kill you again," I said to him, yet he appeared unfazed by my words.
He stretched out his hand and manifested a blade out of his own shadow. With a smirk and intensity in his eyes, he vanished into the nothingness. I scanned the terrain, reinforcing my body with mana. And then, he emerged from my very own shadow.
Just what kind of magic was this? And with one swing, he pushed me back. Though his blade didn't touch me, I still felt great pain. And for some reason, I felt like he was holding back on me, trying to enjoy every moment of this.
"You're not even using your full strength, are you?" I asked, trying to gauge his power.
Einar's smirk grew wider. "I'm just getting started, Maxxie. You should feel honored that I'm taking my time with you."
I gritted my teeth, determination burning within me. "I'll never go down without a fight."
With a fierce cry, I charged forward, my blades flashing in the dim light. Einar met me head-on, his shadowy blade slicing through the air with deadly precision. The battle had begun, and only one of us would emerge victorious.
The question was who would it be....?