Shadow of the Self

A deafening silence followed the collapse of Noct's fabricated reality. Floating in the black void of his own mind, he stared at the twisted copy before him. This other version of him smiled with a crooked, knowing grin.

"So you finally remembered," the other Noct said, pacing slowly in the abyss. "All the tears, the screams, the battles. You were never alone... because I was always with you."

Noct clenched his head as tears flowed down his face. "You're lying. You're not me."

"Aren't I?" The other Noct tilted his head, amused. "Who created Mia and Ellen? Who named their abilities? Who fought monsters for a year and tricked his own mind into companionship just to keep from breaking? It wasn't them. It was me. It was you."

Noct fell silent. For the first time since his escape, he felt the weight of the truth. Every emotion, every memory with his supposed companions—shattered illusions constructed to survive the unimaginable.

The other Noct stepped closer. "They broke you, Noct. That fall, that betrayal... It wasn't just a crack in your body. It was a rupture in your soul. And now that you've finally let go of the lie... you're free."

He reached out, a shadow stretching from the abyss. "But for now, let me take over and deal with the problem at hand."

Outside the Mind: Argent Dawn Guild – Training Hall

Noct's body lay still amidst the carnage, unconscious, blood still trickling down his forehead. Around him, the guild members panted, confused and shaken.

Eira stood rigid, unsure. Something was wrong. They had landed the blow. Noct should have been down for good.

Then he stirred.

Noct opened his eyes slowly. An evil smile formed across his face. A large amount of dark aether burst from his body.

The warm exhaustion, the wounded confusion—all gone. In its place burned a clear, sharp intelligence. Cold. Calculating. And smiling.

He rose slowly to his feet, brushing away blood like dust. "So," he said, his voice smooth and casual, "we're doing this the hard way."

Eira hesitated. "You should be unconscious. That attack was fatal."

Noct looked at her, amused. "Fatal to who?"

The temperature in the room seemed to drop. The aether in the air stirred like it recognized its master.

He cracked his neck. The Numbers flowed freely now, no longer restricted by emotional barriers or compartmentalized logic. Equations twisted into reality, space bending slightly around his form.

Some of the guild members stepped back.

Noct held up a hand.

His blade, Twice, emerged from the black void of his personal subspace.

"Now then, let's try a little experiment," he said as Twice glowed and multiple copies emerged, each one infused with the grief the original Noct had buried.

Mia and Ellen were gone. But a new Noct had arrived.

Meanwhile: Back at the Apartment – Selene's Room

Selene stared at the screen. Ellen and Mia's profiles had no data—because they had never existed.

Her hands trembled. "Noct... what happened to you in there?"

Her communicator beeped. Coalition alert: [Unknown Power Surge Detected – Argent Dawn Guild]

Her breath caught. "No..."

Somewhere in the Wilds – Coalition Recon Team

Rael gasped awake, coughing blood as the transport picked her up. Her body burned from the fight with Lucien, her thoughts scrambled.

But she had the data. The Creed of Evolution's plans. Their next targets.

As she was laid onto the stretcher, she muttered: "Get this to Selene... and warn her... Something big's coming."

Then she blacked out.

Back in the Guild

Noct walked forward, each step pressing more weight into the air. His hair, once tied neatly, now loose and swaying like a shadowed halo.

Eira tried to retreat. "Wait, we can talk!"

Noct stopped.

"Talk? You had your chance. But now... you get to listen."

He raised a hand. The Numbers lit the hall like constellations.