He had a choice, but deep down, Kael knew that once he crossed this line, there would be no turning back.
Nyx said nothing. She just looked at him patiently, waiting for him to figure himself out. At the end of the day, it was his choice and she just happened to have the path that could grant him what he wished for.
"Do I have freedom in this path?" Kael asked finally.
Nyx's lips slowly curled into a smile. Not a wicked grin. Not the seductive smirk from before. This smile was something different—something powerful.
"Absolute freedom," she answered.
That was enough.
Kael's heart burned, as if her words were keys unlocking every locked door in his soul. He looked at her, truly looked at her—not as a goddess, or a being of mystery, but as something terrifyingly real.
"I'm in," he said, softly.
And for Nyx, that was enough too.
She leaned forward, the space between them vanishing in a breath. Her lips captured his in a kiss—one that shattered everything
The moment their lips touched, Kael's entire world trembled. His thoughts cleared. His limbs locked in place. And then something terrifying happened.
His blood seemed to freeze before rushing backward through his veins as if reversing time itself.
His vision went white, and his mind—once so filled with questions and fears—went utterly blank.
Heat. That was all he felt.
Unimaginable waves of raw, wild energy surged into him through Nyx's kiss, invading every inch of his body. It was not gentle. It tore through his flesh, collided with his organs, and shattered them like glass. His bones cracked from the inside. His muscles twisted and tore.
But he didn't die.
No, just as quickly as the pain came, the energy healed him—over and over. Something violent was rebuilding him from the inside out. Reconstructing him.
His screams were silent, trapped behind the goddess's lips, as his very soul was being rewritten.
He didn't know how long it lasted. Seconds? Hours? An eternity?
He only knew that when it ended, he wasn't the same.
Nyx finally pulled back, her lips still burning on his. Her breath was slow, controlled, while Kael gasped like a man reborn. His entire body trembled, steam rising from his skin. He collapsed to his knees, panting, heart slamming against his chest.
Everything inside him felt alien.
Nyx looked down at him with something that was not pity, nor love—but pride.
"You are mine now, Kael," she said.
He looked up at her, dazed. And somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew—he had just taken the first step.
And then… he passed out.
***
When Kael opened his eyes again, the room was bathed in the dim glow of the setting sun.
"Ahhh…" he groaned in pain, his whole body aching as if he had been beaten with iron rods.
"Where… am I?" he muttered, rubbing his eyes and glancing around.
A soft chuckle answered him, soft and teasing. "What? Did you already forget your own room?" Nyx's voice echoed playfully in the room.
Kael turned his head with effort and found her lounging on the bed. The sight of her made him exhale sharply in awe.
"My whole body…" he groaned again, trying to stand, but the moment his feet touched the floor, his legs gave out. He fell back down with a grunt.
"That's to be expected," Nyx said calmly, stretching like a cat. "You have just been reborn."
Kael glanced down at himself. His skin glowed faintly in the low light, his blood flowing with warmth that hadn't been there before.
He clenched his fists.
"I really… have been reborn," he whispered.
He closed his eyes and focused inward.
The moment he did, he practically almost passed out again. His mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. He snapped his eyes open and turned toward Nyx, his expression a mix of disbelief and awe.
She was already watching him, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
Kael swallowed and shut his eyes again. This time, he let himself sink deeper, and what he saw there left him breathless.
Gone was the peaceful stream of blue mana that once poured into his core. In its place was something else entirely. It was darker now, not just in color but in nature.
A swirling river of purplish-black energy coursed through him.