A few hours later, in Rey's room…
The silence was almost eerie. Rey lay unconscious on the bed, his body unmoving. Two spirit-like figures hovered nearby, engaged in a hushed conversation.
Then, with a sharp breath, Rey stirred. Pain rushed through his nerves like a floodgate bursting open—the aftermath of Aiden's repair to his damaged nervous system. It was searing, brief, and intense… but soon faded into a dull throb.
Rey blinked slowly, disoriented. Familiar walls surrounded him—it was his room.
As memories of the past few hours returned in a crashing wave, his eyes widened and he shot up in bed, breath ragged. Urgency surged through him.
His gaze darted around. Aiden sat calmly on the couch, while another unfamiliar figure hovered nearby—young, around 19 or 20, with blood-red hair and eyes that burned like embers.
"Oh? Looks like our prince charming's finally up," the red-eyed figure commented, nudging Aiden's shoulder with a smirk.
"You're awake, Rey. I thought it might take longer," Aiden said, floating toward the bed, the red-haired man following.
"Zero, come out. We've got important work ahead of us," Aiden called out.
From beneath the bed, liquid silver particles flowed like water, gathering and shaping into the silhouette of a woman. Her appearance was striking—a stunning girl, seemingly in her early twenties, with shimmering silver skin made entirely of that same fluid substance. Even without a fully human form, her beauty was evident.
Rey stared in silence before speaking, voice hoarse. "Who... who are you two? Aiden, I thought we went there to find a relic. Just one. So why are there two now?"
He shifted his gaze from Aiden's mirror-like twin to the robotic girl formed of silver.
Aiden sighed and pointed toward the door with his thumb. "I'll explain everything. But first, you should probably tell your mom you're okay. She's checked on you fifteen times in the past three hours."
Rey instinctively looked at his hands, expecting bruises, burns—something. But what he saw left him speechless. His body looked… perfect. His muscles were lean and well-defined, like someone who'd been training for months. It was as if his physique had been sculpted overnight.
"What the hell…? I don't remember being this fit," Rey muttered, staring at himself in the mirror, dumbfounded.
"Now that you've had your little shock, go let her know you're okay," Aiden said.
Still dazed, Rey nodded and walked out of his room wearing a simple blue t-shirt. It was 4:30 PM. He was late for his part-time job—but at the moment, it didn't matter.
In the living room, he found his mother and little sister watching TV.
"Mom, I'm here," he called out gently.
Jasmine startled slightly. "Oh, son… Thank the stars. You said you'd be occupied for five hours, but I was worried… You didn't respond once."
"Brother!" Emmy squealed, running up to him and hugging him tightly.
"How could I leave my princess alone for so long? I just got caught up with work, that's all," Rey said, patting her head.
"I didn't want to disturb you like you asked," Jasmine added. "But I still checked in, just in case."
Emmy tugged on his hand. "Are you done with work now? Will you play with me like you promised?"
Rey smiled helplessly. "Sorry, Emmy. I still have some work to finish… important work."
"It's okay, son. Emmy, don't you have homework from your break?" Jasmine said, raising an eyebrow.
"I'll do it later… I just want to sit with my brother a bit longer," Emmy whispered, clutching Rey's hand.
Jasmine sighed but relented. "Alright. Just for a little while. I'll make something delicious for you both."
Minutes later, the warm scent of food filled the house. They ate together, laughter and chatter echoing briefly through the home. But as soon as the meal ended, Rey returned to his room and shut the door behind him.
Silence returned.
"The happy moments are over," Victor said dryly, his voice cutting through the quiet. "It's time we talked about the real issue."
Rey sat on the bed, facing the trio. "Alright… What is it?"
Aiden nodded to Zero and Victor, then turned to Rey. "This conversation won't be easy. You need to stay calm no matter what."
Rey laughed nervously. "Is it really that serious?"
"It is," Aiden said. "Listen carefully. The bonds between us—me, Zero, and even Victor—they're temporary. Easily breakable."
Rey's smile faded. "So… you're saying you could leave at any time. That the connection we have doesn't mean anything. It's understandable, I guess. I'm just a rank 0. No talent. No potential. Compared to your former wielders—Rank 8s or 9s—I'm… no one."
Victor's lips curled into a sneer. "Correction. Our former master was Rank 10. And he's dead. Killed by his own brother."
Rey's eyes widened.
"Victor!" Aiden snapped. "One more outburst and you'll regret it."
"Fine, fine," Victor grumbled. "You be the storyteller."
Aiden took a deep breath. "The term 'temporary' doesn't mean weak. It means unstable. Zero's bond, for instance, is fused with your very cells. If it were permanent, it would be at the molecular level—which your body can't handle. My bond is even worse. My body exists inside your brain, connected to your nervous system. A full bond would mean complete integration. Reversing it would be… impossible. Except through death."
Rey was silent for a moment. Then his voice cracked. "I knew it. I knew getting involved with you would kill me one way or another…"
Before he could spiral further, Zero moved in a flash, covering his mouth with her silvery body.
"Lower your voice," she said in her calm, robotic tone. "Do you want your family to hear?"
Rey took a step back. "Okay… okay. I'm calm."
Zero returned to her corner, and Aiden continued.
"Zero and I… we want to form a permanent bond with you. One that only death can break. Do you want this? Or should we remain temporary… and part ways when you ascend?"
Rey looked between them, defeated. "Do you think I have a choice? I'll say yes. Or… absolutely yes."
"Alright. We'll begin the process. It'll hurt—but I can temporarily halt your nervous system. It won't be as bad as it sounds," Aiden assured.
"So I'll be enduring two bondings and two skill integrations?"
"Three integrations," Zero corrected calmly.
"What?! Then how am I still alive?" Rey shouted, panic rising again.
Victor smirked. "You've underestimated us. We're not some bottom-tier scraps. We are relics of gods—capable of raising even a talentless brat like you to immortality."
"Victor, silence," Aiden growled. "You've forgotten your place."
"And you've forgotten we could reach Rank 8 or higher with someone else!" Victor shot back.
In a flash, Zero wrapped him up, pinning him with her silvery limbs.
"You have something crushable, right, Victor?" she asked coolly. "Like your ego?"
Victor's smugness vanished. "Fine! I'm done talking."
"Let's begin," Aiden said. "First, I'll disable your vocal cords so you don't scream and alert your family."
Sharp pain struck Rey's throat. He opened his mouth—no sound came. A moment later, his limbs grew numb as Aiden shut down his nervous system.
Zero enveloped Rey like liquid metal, and his skin erupted in microscopic needles. Despite the numbing, agony still clawed at him—his nervous system was functioning just enough to keep him alive, and just enough to let the pain through.
"Endure it, boy," Aiden muttered, though Rey couldn't hear. "This is just the beginning."
After what felt like an eternity, Zero's process ended. Then Aiden began his.
Pain exploded in Rey's mind as Aiden's form intertwined with his brain. Aiden tried to soothe him through their mental link, but it was barely enough.
At last, it was over.
Rey lay still, unconscious. Red-faced. Tear-streaked. Yet breathing.
Victor pointed. "You don't need to look. He's out cold."
Aiden nodded. "Time for the skill integration. Twelve in total. We'll do them all at once—it'll hurt less over time."
They started.
Rey's body trembled violently, yet he didn't awaken. His subconscious endured the torment, the pain settling into his bones like fire waiting to awaken.
And thus began the true merging of boy and spirits—an unbreakable bond forged not by fate, but by pain, will, and survival.
The future remains unseen. But one thing is certain:
Rey's story has only just begun.
Author's Note:Thanks for your patience! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Stay safe and see you soon!