Nyx stood still, his breathing steady but heavy, his body locked in a quiet battle against the invisible weight pressing down on him from all sides.
The Aether Realm had not changed.
It was still as oppressive as ever.
Still as unforgiving.
But Nyx…
Nyx was no longer the same boy who had first collapsed under its pressure.
He could feel it clearly now.
Not just in his muscles or his bones.
But deep within him.
That pulse.
It had been there from the beginning, faint and distant, something he could barely notice unless he focused. But now, it was impossible to ignore.
It moved with him.
It responded to him.
Nyx closed his eyes slowly.
For the first time since he arrived here, he did not try to resist the pressure. He did not brace himself against it or attempt to endure it through sheer will.
Instead…
He listened.
The pulse answered.
Slow.
Heavy.
Like something ancient waking up.
Nyx exhaled quietly.
Then he reached for it.
At first, nothing happened.
The pressure remained.
His body still trembled under its weight.
But Nyx didn't stop.
He focused harder.
And then—
It responded.
A stronger pulse surged through his chest.
Nyx's eyes snapped open.
The air around him shifted.
Not violently.
Not dramatically.
But enough to notice.
The pressure reacted instantly.
It increased.
Nyx's legs trembled, his muscles tightening under the sudden weight.
But this time…
He didn't fall.
His body held.
Barely.
But it held.
"…So this is it…"
Nyx lowered his gaze slightly, watching his own hands.
The cracks appeared.
Dark lines spread beneath his skin, glowing faintly as they extended across his arms and shoulders. They didn't flicker like before.
They stayed.
Stable.
Alive.
Nyx clenched his fist slowly.
He could feel it now.
That power.
It wasn't like anything he had imagined before.
It wasn't overwhelming or explosive.
It didn't feel like something that would destroy everything around him.
It felt… controlled.
Like something waiting to be shaped.
Nyx took a step forward.
The pressure surged immediately.
But he didn't collapse.
Instead, he adjusted.
His body moved differently now, naturally aligning with the weight instead of resisting it blindly. His muscles tightened at the right moments, his balance shifting instinctively.
Another step.
The pressure increased again.
But Nyx endured it.
Then another.
Each step heavier than the last.
Each one pushing him closer to his limit.
But that limit was no longer fixed.
It was moving.
Growing.
Nyx stopped.
Not because he had to.
But because something felt… off.
The space around him shifted.
Subtle.
But unmistakable.
Nyx's eyes narrowed.
"…Something's coming."
The Aetherborn did not respond.
But their silence confirmed it.
The ground beneath him trembled.
Cracks spread outward, deeper than before.
The air grew unstable, twisting slightly as if something was forcing its way through.
Nyx stepped back instinctively.
The pressure spiked violently.
Then—
It appeared.
A distortion.
Unlike anything he had seen before.
It tore through the space in front of him, bending reality itself as something began to emerge.
Nyx's body tensed.
His instincts screamed at him.
Danger.
The creature stepped through.
And for a moment…
Nyx didn't move.
It wasn't human.
It wasn't a spirit.
It was something else entirely.
Its form shifted constantly, like it couldn't maintain a single shape. Its body looked fractured, pieces of it breaking apart and reforming endlessly, as if reality itself rejected its existence.
Its eyes locked onto Nyx.
And in that instant…
He understood.
This wasn't a test of endurance anymore.
This was a fight.
The creature moved.
Fast.
Faster than anything Nyx had faced so far.
It lunged forward, its distorted arm extending unnaturally as it struck.
Nyx reacted instinctively.
He stepped to the side.
Too slow.
The attack grazed him.
The force alone was enough to send him flying.
Nyx's body slammed into the ground, rolling violently before coming to a stop.
Pain surged through him.
But he didn't stay down.
He pushed himself up immediately.
His eyes locked onto the creature.
"…So this is what comes next."
The pressure hadn't disappeared.
It was still there.
Still crushing.
Still relentless.
And now…
He had to fight within it.
Nyx exhaled slowly.
"…Good."
The creature attacked again.
This time, Nyx moved first.
He stepped forward.
The pressure surged.
But he endured it.
His body adapted instantly.
He raised his arm.
The cracks spread.
The pulse surged.
And then—
He struck.
His fist collided with the creature.
The air distorted at the point of impact.
A sharp, heavy sound echoed.
The creature was knocked back.
Nyx froze for a split second.
"…That worked."
His heart—or whatever that pulse was—beat faster.
Not from fear.
From realization.
He could fight back.
The creature recovered instantly.
It lunged again.
Nyx didn't hesitate.
He stepped forward once more.
The pressure surged again.
But this time, he leaned into it.
He moved through it.
The creature's attack came from above.
Nyx raised his arm.
The cracks flared brighter.
He blocked.
The impact shook his entire body.
But he held.
His feet dug into the ground.
His muscles strained.
But he didn't break.
"…Again."
Nyx pushed forward.
He struck again.
And again.
Each hit stronger than the last.
Each movement more controlled.
But he could feel it.
The strain.
The cracks flickered slightly.
The pulse inside him grew unstable.
Nyx's breathing became heavier.
"…So there's a limit…"
The realization came quickly.
This power…
Wasn't endless.
The creature attacked again.
Faster.
Stronger.
Nyx reacted a moment too late.
The attack landed.
Directly.
He was sent crashing back.
Hard.
Pain exploded through his body.
For a moment, everything went still.
Nyx lay there, staring at the sky.
His chest rose slowly.
Then—
He laughed.
A quiet, breathless sound.
"…So that's how it is."
He pushed himself up again.
Slowly.
Painfully.
But he stood.
Again.
His eyes locked onto the creature.
"…Then I just need to get stronger."
The cracks appeared again.
Fainter this time.
But still there.
Still his.
Nyx stepped forward.
And the fight continued.