NOX slowly composed himself and walked back toward his recliner, ignoring the bodies near him—both dead and alive.
Those who were alive would eventually drag themselves out, and those who were dead? Well, that was the Academy's problem. He could chew them out in the morning for their negligence.
Sinking back into the recliner, NOX exhaled, finally letting himself relax—only for his damn eyes to start twitching again.
"I should really do something about this," he muttered, covering his eyes once more with a napkin. "I can't just walk around twitching at people like some lunatic, can I?"
As if struck by a sudden realization, he lazily spoke, "You're one shitty-assed lazy guardian, don't you think, Shadow Uncle?"
His so-called guardian was still comfortably tucked away in his shadow, as if none of this had anything to do with him.
"You left a mere Unranked weakling like me in the hands of Rank 2 Awakeners," NOX complained, drawing out a long sigh.
From within the depths of his shadow, an equally lazy voice responded with a yawn, "You seemed to have things covered pretty well."
NOX snorted. "At this rate, I might actually die because of your negligence."
Without hesitation, Shadow Uncle replied, "You will not die. As long as even one member of our clan draws breath, you will not breathe your last before them."
NOX scoffed at the declaration, but deep down, his heart warmed.
He knew his lazy Shadow Uncle spoke the truth. Even in his past life, when they had sacrificed themselves for him, not one of them hesitated. They didn't regret dying for him—what they regretted was not watching him grow, not being strong enough to protect him, and leaving him alone in a world too cruel for someone like him. But dying for him? That, they accepted without question.
For a fleeting moment, NOX felt an overwhelming urge to return home.
He shook off the thought immediately.
'I'm not some sentimental teenager. I mean, technically I am… but I'm also a Divine Protagonist who has regressed. I can't afford to falter like this.'
There were still minor things that required his presence at the Academy.
Besides, technically speaking, He was with his family two months ago, given the time regression
As he mulled over these thoughts, NOX sensed something else lingering in his shadow—an annoying curiosity.
"You can just ask, you know… I can practically smell your nosy questions," NOX said, already growing impatient.
Though his Shadow Uncle was unreliable and enjoyed watching NOX struggle before intervening, he knew that if a true threat ever emerged, the man would not hesitate.
And just as expected, the ritual of truth began.
"Are you NOX Ashborn, son of Tyren Ashborn?" Shadow Uncle asked.
"Yes," NOX replied precisely.
"The power you used earlier… Did it belong to you?"
"I don't know." NOX answered honestly.
That was the truth. He could no longer tell what was truly his—because everything he had gained had been a scheme disguised as fate's generous opportunity.
Shadow Uncle fell silent for a moment before asking, his tone softer now, "Did you awaken this power, or was it granted to you?"
"I awakened it." NOX answered without hesitation.
Because he had. No one could forget the sensation of awakening an ancient power so vast, so transcendent that it defied Reality itself.
And the fact that it traveled back in time with him? That only further proved how utterly heaven-defying his Divinity was.
Shadow Uncle hummed, his concern vanishing back into laziness. "Then it belongs to you."
And just like that, the conversation ended.
"…Wait. That's it?" NOX blinked. "You're not going to ask how my power works? Or why I didn't use mana to perform [Shadow Walk]?"
'What the hell, how am I supposed to brag if you don't ask?!'
"Would you have bragged if I asked?" Shadow Uncle deadpanned.
NOX fell silent.
"…Damn it."
A low chuckle rumbled from the shadow. "You're still too green, kid. When it comes to the art of bragging, even your grandfather should call me 'Big Brother.'"
NOX scoffed. "I don't like that stupid tradition anyway."
But the truth was, he was just frustrated.
Losing his bragging rights and giving Shadow Uncle an opening to brag instead? It was unbearable.
'And who in their right mind sees bragging as a family tradition?!'
"Hahaha! You should see your face right now." Shadow Uncle laughed heartily.
NOX grumbled, crossing his arms and sulking in silence. For some reason, everything suddenly tasted bitter in his mouth.
He let his body sink deeper into the recliner, sorting through his thoughts and future plans.
His immediate goals were clear:
First—Check up on that 'Golden-Haired Monk' and see if he was still alive.
Second—Rub his system's superiority in Lucas's face.
Third—Try not to kill anyone tomorrow.
The second goal was, without a doubt, the most important. NOX had lost the chance to brag today, but he refused to let that happen again.
He needed Lucas to acknowledge him as the Divine Protagonist.
Since Lucas didn't know the future like he did, NOX could definitely make him call him 'Savior' or something equally dramatic. Like in those cliché novels.
A foolish grin spread across his face at the thought.
A few minutes later, exhaustion finally crept in, and before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep.
The celestial planet still hung high in the night sky, casting its ethereal glow over the moon NOX resided on.
And the long night continued…..
******
A few miles away from NOX,
Inside an opulent chamber, a young man clad in white - with shimmering golden hair and piercing blue eyes sat on his bed, his expression steeped in desolation. The curtains danced in the gentle wind that drifted in through the open window.
This young man was Lucas Heavenhart.
Much like NOX, Lucas bore a few minor bruises, and it appeared that a sleeping spell had been cast on him, rendering him unconscious in an Academy classroom.
"I truly have been thrown back in time..." Lucas murmured in a calm, measured tone—whether he was questioning or affirming his situation remained a mystery.
"Do regressions usually work like this?" he wondered aloud.
Just as NOX had been pulled back through time, Lucas found himself reliving every moment in reverse—a bizarre, unparalleled form of regression.
A soft breeze caressed his golden hair, imbuing him with an aura of serene radiance.
"Was NOX behind this?" Lucas silently questioned.
"Young master…"
"Young master…"
Two young maids raced toward him, their calls echoing down the corridor. They finally reached him, pausing only to catch their breath.
"Young master… you are awake at last," said one maid, her voice laced with concern.
"We were terribly worried about you, young master," added the other, equally anxious.
Lucas merely frowned, offering no response to their care.
These two maids, who appeared to be his contemporaries, were in fact twins.
According to his current memories, he had died by NOX's hand a billion years ago — even though he was now reliving events in literal reverse order.
He recalled these maids vividly, knowing they would be among the first to be lost in the impending chaos that would target both his family and NOX's.
"Are you truly so concerned for me?" Lucas asked them flatly, his tone neither cold nor warm, but utterly neutral.
Taken aback by his detached manner, the twins nonetheless replied in unison, "Of course, young master!"
Lucas then fell silent, his thoughts drifting as he gazed out the open window. His eyes fixed on the massive planet that dominated the sky as he slowly muttered, "Will you withstand his fury this time, or will you once again crumble to dust, taking your grandeur along with you?"
Whether he was addressing the colossal world or merely speaking to himself remained a mystery.
His gaze then shifted toward NOX's courtyard, a flicker of guilt surfacing in his eyes.
A billion years ago, he had made NOX kill him. He knew the weight of that truth must have crushed NOX, forcing him to live with the knowledge that he had slain his best friend.
People called NOX a devil, despised him without ever trying to understand him. But Lucas knew better. Those who truly knew NOX—who truly understood him—could never bring themselves to hate him.
Because NOX was the kind of person who could never bear to harm what was his. He was an emotional wreck, a creature who made decisions driven entirely by feeling.
Lucas didn't care whether NOX was responsible for his regression or if this was yet another scheme of the Heavens. Whatever the reason, he was grateful.
"Whoever orchestrated this… whatever the reason may be… it no longer matters. I have been given one more chance—to correct my mistakes, to rewrite my past.
I will not waste it. And I will never falter again."
His fists clenched, determination burning in his eyes.
The two young maids stood at the corner of his bed, their faces puzzled. This was not the Lucas they knew. He had never been so detached before. Never had he ignored them like this.
Something is wrong.
To them, Lucas seemed indifferent to everything—as if none of it truly mattered anymore.