Lissandra sat at her desk in the Nightbloom Clan's headquarters, staring at a neatly stacked pile of paperwork. Mission reports. Intelligence briefings. Debriefings from operatives in the field—some containing information that could destabilize entire regions if mishandled.
She sighed and leaned back in her chair, swiveling slightly to look out the large arched window overlooking the compound below. It was quiet. Peaceful.
As expected. The Nightbloom Clan specialized in Aspects such as Null, Silence, Absence, and other closely related disciplines—Darkness, Shadow, Stillness. A quiet headquarters was a successful one.
Still… she missed the old days.
Back when she was alone. When making a name for herself meant exploration and risk instead of meetings and administration. Not that she'd ever been warm or sentimental—even then she'd been calculating—but adventure had been fun.
Now, standing on the cusp of demigodhood, she had become indispensable. Power came with responsibility, and her family had made it clear she was needed here.
Just as Lissandra considered calling it a night, a notification window appeared in her vision.
Light blue background. Bright green border.
She stiffened. Every notification setting she had was meticulously curated. This kind of alert never bypassed her filters.
She read the message once. Then again.
Her breath caught.
A summons notification. One issued only when a god or goddess called someone to the heavenly realm. Her eyes narrowed as she continued reading—and widened a moment later.
Integration Guide. "…Corev is receiving a new Outworlder," she murmured. "And I'm being summoned to guide them?"
She leaned back and exhaled slowly, eyes drifting toward her office door. In an hour, her secretary would arrive with more reports. The poor girl would panic when Lissandra didn't answer. Fuss. Stress. Eventually discover the note left behind.
The system always left one.
It would take hours before anyone noticed.
Mana gathered in the room, subtle but unmistakable.
Lissandra closed her eyes.
And vanished.
----
Void inclined his head toward Laesha—not in acceptance of permission, but in acknowledgment that she had spoken her concerns. Now that she had, he would continue.
Because he was correct. With a snap of his fingers, light flashed and a soft pop echoed through the heavenly realm.
A woman appeared between Void and David. Midnight-black hair brushed her shoulders. Pale skin. Sharp amber eyes. Her lithe frame held coiled muscle beneath unmistakably feminine curves—built not for ornament, but lethality. She scanned the room instantly.
"Greetings, Lords and Ladies," she began, voice calm and clinical. "I am Lissandra Nightbloom of the Nightbloom Clan. Which of you ha—"
She faltered.
The pressure hit her like a wall. Lissandra slowly turned. And met the Primordial Void.
Her pupils dilated. She leapt backward instinctively, chest heaving as her body struggled to process the presence before her. Not fear alone—scale. Existence itself pressing down.
"Yeah," David said helpfully. "He does that. At least your eyes aren't bleeding. That really sucked."
Lissandra snapped her gaze to him, startled.
Then turned back to Void.
"If… if Lord Void is present," she said slowly, "then that means…" Her eyes locked onto David. She examined him with uncomfortable intensity. "You possess an Aspect Core of Void."
Her voice dropped. "That is unheard of."
Void spoke, unperturbed. "Yes. She will be your guide."
He waved a hand. Space folded, relocating Lissandra beside him. Another snap.
The air around David buckled.
A pitch-black membrane enveloped his body—void made manifest. Cracks spidered through reality in a ten-foot radius, flickering like broken lightning before slowly sealing. Light bled away. Color faded. Reality strained.
"This," Void said calmly, "is David's aura."
The gods stared. "It is violent. Constant. Even now, it attempts to erase everything around him. I am suppressing it." He snapped his fingers. The void vanished.
"You will learn control," Void continued, eyes on David. "Restraint. Discipline. You will suppress this aura almost constantly."
His gaze shifted to Lissandra. "You are capable of teaching this. You possess the Null Aspect—purposeful absence. Close enough to Void to endure it."
He addressed the room.
"Because of this, David's Integration cannot occur in a stable pocket realm. His Aspect would destabilize it, deform his Core, or kill him outright. His Integration will take place in a Void-aligned pocket realm."
A stir ran through the deities.
"The creatures within will not be balanced," Void continued. "They are fragments of nonexistence given form. If either of you falter, the realm will kill you."
No one objected.
It was obvious. Releasing David untrained into Corev would be catastrophic. Outworlders arrived at known points—cities built around them. Ceremonies. Receptions.
An uncontrolled Void aura appearing in a capital would be disaster.
Capture. Enslavement. Brainwashing.
David needed training to avoid this. After a moment, Lissandra nodded. "I will serve as his guide. He cannot be left unattended."
Void inclined his head. Reality paused.
Then folded inward. The white expanse collapsed into a single point—
—and David found himself surrounded by absolute nothingness.
The Void.