Noctem

Nox's long lashes fluttered slightly as his eyes slowly opened. His gaze was met with unfamiliar scenery, in contrast to the cursed forest, he gazed upon a vast expanse of crystal clear blue sky with fluffy clouds.

The scenery was nothing short of amazing and it was a first for Nox who had spent most of his life living close to the territory of the accursed forest, the sky was mostly gloomy around those parts but that didn't mean that sometimes it was never beautiful, however that couldn't compare to the tranquility of the sky his eyes were currently glued to.

His tired body protested against getting up, even though it had been completely healed, he couldn't move an inch from where he lay, not to mention, his body felt foreign to him, it was a feeling he couldn't describe. There was no doubt, it was definitely his body yet at the same time it didn't seem like his body. Come to think of it his senses seemed heightened, much more than it normally was.

Given that he was part wolf and part vampire his senses were definitely enhanced than that of a human but it was less enhanced than the average wolf and vampire albeit now they were all enhanced at least ten times what they were before and that was precisely why he could detect his eccentric teacher close by.

He tried to move his hand but it didn't bulge, it was as though his muscles had forgotten how they worked, his own skin felt strange like he was wearing the flesh of another

Cold winds bit into his skin, sending a slight chill through his body. He lingered for a little moment then with a cautious tone he asked.

"Teacher?.."

"Oh.. little one, you're awake, how're you feeling?"

"Why am I naked?" Nox asked, his tone curious but threatening.

He couldn't hear his teacher's voice for a few minutes and he was immediately filled with a foreboding sense of unease.

He was about to speak up when his teacher replied.

" Why?... Hmmm let me see.. so, yeah we were swallowed by a divine beast which was residing in a peaceful lagoon and its stomach was literally made up of several whirlpools which I'm definitely uninterested in finding out where it leads to."

"So how does that relate to me being naked?"

"The whirlpool tore your clothes and almost ripped out your body."

"So how am I still alive?"

"I saved you."

"Then how are you still alive?."

"Just be grateful I saved you, damned brat!!"Eren jokingly retorted, but a pained grimace soon marred his face.

Nox couldn't move and because of that he couldn't see the state his teacher was currently in. The eccentric wizard was leaning his back against a large tree, his clothes were badly damaged and there was a stump where his right arm used to be. One of his eyes was missing from its sockets, his right leg had been dislocated from its original position as well.

All these were unknown to Nox, and the wizard wanted to keep it that way, the last thing he wanted was for Nox to see him in that state. He could have repaired his damaged body with a restoration spell but he had used up all his mana while fighting the divine beast that resided within the peaceful lagoon of the cursed forest and it would take a little while before he could replenish his mana.

Nox's voice sounded again as he asked, his tone a little bit relaxed than earlier.

"Teacher.. where are we? I can say for certain that we are not in the cursed forest."

"You're awfully respectful today little one!" Eren commented with a chuckle. " The place we're currently in is a plane that was created by some of the supreme races of the ancient, this lesser realm is known as atlas, a place born of the concept of time and imagination."

"Hmmm, I see.."

"Yeah forget that, how're you feeling? Is there anything strange about your body, a foreign feeling perhaps?"

"Old man, what did you do to my body!" Nox furiously inquired.

"So there is.. something wrong with it."

"Of course something is wrong with my body, do you think if I could move I'd still be laying here naked?."

Eden suddenly thought

' So it completely altered his body, wouldn't that destroy the seal that was placed on his mana and bloodline?.. Wait, something's wrong, I can't detect a trace of mana in him. Instead I'm detecting nether, was the shadow god's blood containing death's energy?.'

Although he had somewhat expected some changes, he wasn't expecting Nox's body to be changed completely, he understood what was happening to Nox and he clearly knew why the boy couldn't move from his spot.

The effeminate boy was unfamiliar with his altered body, similar to someone waking up and finding himself as a different creature unfamiliar with its new body physique, besides losing his heart completely and gaining another one also played a part in his paralysis.

He gazed up at the mesmerizing sky and let out a soft sigh.

" The sky's quite beautiful isn't it?"

" You still haven't answered me, old man."

" ~Ha, damned brat, I'm not old."

Eren lingered for a while before adding.

" For now why don't we enjoy this moment of peace, who knows when we might have one again."

****

A few days went by in a blur, Eren had restored his missing body parts and was back to full health, Nox on the other hand was adapting swiftly to his evolved body.

The wizard had told his student about all the events that occurred when he was unconscious, including the method which he used to revive the dying boy, but he left some details out.

"Are you ready?" Eren asked, his hands were placed on a strange black scroll with golden runes inscribed within it.

This was the scroll which Eren had found alongside the shadow god blood and within it held the secret of the shadow god battle art. Eren was finally ready to teach them to Nox since the body of the kid had transcended its mortal limits.

Nox replied with a nod and Eren proceeded, pouring a lot of mana into the scroll while his eyes were tightly shut in concentration as the scroll greedily absorbed his mana.

After a short while, he pulled his hand off the scroll , sweating profusely while gazing at the scroll which showed no reaction– at least for a short while it didn't then suddenly it began to tremble and much to Eren's and Nox's surprise it tore into a million pieces.

The air around them suddenly became cold and the black particles of the torn scroll didn't get carried away by the wind, instead they came together transforming into the silhouette of a human.