Nier looked out; he could see that it was still nighttime as the stars were out and bright. As he pushed the crumpled car door open, the hinges creaked under the strain.

His clothes were in tatters, shredded and stained with his own blood from the crash, but his body felt... perfect. No pain, no aches, no bruises, it was as if he had never been injured at all. In fact, he felt better than he ever had before.

Every movement felt fluid, his muscles responding effortlessly. It was almost unnerving how alive he felt, given he was basically dead not long ago and beyond a state of what can be considered savable.

His feet sank into the cold, damp grass, the night dew clinging to him like a gentle embrace. The sensation was oddly comforting, a reminder of the simple joys often overlooked. It's easy to take life for granted, but when it's stripped away and you find yourself returned from the brink, the preciousness of existence becomes impossible to ignore.

Stretching, he glanced around at the wreckage. The SUV was totaled; its frame crumpled like a crushed soda can. Broken glass littered the ground, catching the faint moonlight like jagged stars.

But none of that matters now.

He was alive.

More than alive even, he felt, how could he put this, well, far better than he had ever felt before now, that was for sure.

*Innnhalllle!!.... exhalllllle!!.....

Neir breathes in deeply and exhales out aggressively. And the moment he did that, a calming feeling came over him... but soon after, the unexpected happened.

A searing pain ignited in his right hand, sharp and burning as though molten iron had been poured onto his palm. He cursed, clutching his wrist, but the pain only intensified.

"Aaghaaa!!... w-W!-w-What the hell?!...

Instinctively, he opened his hand.

The pain was a burning pain; it was hard to put into words.

But his pain, naturally, of course, was not without cause.

Because in that very moment that was when he saw it.

Words.

No, not words in any language he knew. They twisted and coiled like living things, shifting patterns that defied logic. Every curve and line seemed to bleed into the next, forming and unforming in an endless shift.

Incomprehensible symbols that, by all reason, should have been beyond understanding.

Yet, somehow, he understood.

Not with his mind, but with something deeper. His soul recognized them, whispering meaning where none should exist.

The shapes bulged and slithered beneath his skin, moving as though they had a will of their own. And as they settled, the message became clear, as something sent him a message.

[Greetings Master, My Name is Silence]

The words pulsed once, then stayed still, showing themselves in his palms.

Nier stared, breath caught in his throat.

"...Silence?"

He said out loud, clearly baffled 

And yet again, the words change, forming another message. The source of thɪs content is novel•fire.net

[Yes, Master... I am Silence, the will of Unlimited itself. When the Mistress rebuild your body, she made me as a guide]

The words said as they moved again, bringing more pain to Neir each time they moved. And yet another message was being forwarded.

[I apologize for the pain. I imagine it must hurt when the words shift beneath your skin. Each time I speak, I must move and swell the veins within your hand to form these messages. It's… not the most comfortable method of communication]

The symbols on his palm pulsed faintly as if breathing.

"No shit, it hurts, but why use a method like this?"

Asked Nier, to whom Silence replied.

[You see, your mortal body has become a conduit, an anchor for your Eldritch soul, which now holds the will of your own power. I exist within you now, woven into the very essence of your soul. Because of this bond, I can only speak to you through your body, using it to transfer what the humans might call data. That data is my thoughts, my intentions, and my intention's is what you current see when I swell your veins]

The words in his hand shifted; stranger than anything he'd imagined, but he understood it nonetheless.

He had been expecting some sort of game interface but it would seem that was not the case here...instead, he was met with this bizarre and painful method.

And it hurt!

Badly!!

Naturally, he was shocked, but what unsettled him more was how the pain felt... Which was good, in a strange way. He couldn't understand why.

He wasn't a masochist, so why did it feel satisfying? And as if reading his thoughts, the words began to change again, offering him an answer.

[Negative energy detected within the user. Self-inflicted suffering is being absorbed. Total Negative Energy Absorbed: +4/∞ Units]

Seeing this, his eyes opened wide at the sight as he began to comment on this information.

"Hmm... Wait, what? Tch, I see now. So this sensation...this oddly refreshing sense of power, is negative energy, huh? How unexpected. Something this chaotic... and yet, it feels surprisingly good. Well, aside from the unbearable pain, of course."

Nier said to himself, and yet again he felt pain once more as the words shifted.

[Yes, Master. As a mortal being with an eldritch soul, chaotic and beyond mortal comprehension, you possess the ability to absorb negative aspects, such as harmful emotions or any source of negativity. This energy strengthens and enriches your body, but you must be cautious. Absorbing stronger aspects of negativity carries the burden of painful memories and deep suffering. The more intense the negativity you absorb, the more it will manifest as physical pain. Yet, it is the mental strain that causes the most lasting harm]

[As the Will of "Unlimited," I can say with certainty that we can achieve the impossible. "Unlimited" is an illogical power by nature; defying the normal rules is possible here with an illogical power. Spells that would typically require infinite energy to create or sustain do not apply here]

[For powers that are infinite by design, only a finite amount of energy is needed to cast them. However, depending on the magic you create, the cost may be great if it’s extremely powerful. Some spells can become permanent after a single offering of energy, other may not, but no matter what, you must always expend energy to perform Occult magic in the first place, permanent or not]

Of course, with the constant shifting, he was also informed that he had gained +6 units of negative energy from his own suffering, adding to his previous +4 units. It seemed that every time Silence tried to communicate with him, he generated an additional +2 units of negative energy for each painful pulse he felt.

Every shift in those incomprehensible words, or whatever this language was that he could somehow understand, triggered another wave of pain, fueling the buildup of negativity within him.

Naturally, this made him curious. He turned to Silence, raising his hand to his face in thought, and asked.

"Okay, so from what I understand, I can basically create any occult-based magic using Unlimited. But how does that actually work? I see you're keeping track of my energy reserves, but if I wanted to create magic, how would I go about it?"

The question was simple... Sure, he knew he could probably just imagine it into existence, but he wanted to understand the mechanics directly from the Will of Unlimited. Knowing how it truly worked would help him better gauge his options.

Silence did not fail in the delivery, as it began to explain in a very simple and straightforward way.

[Well, once you create magic, you basically keep that magic forever. However, you'll need to pay with your negative energy units each time you use it, and the cost depends on the nature of the magic you've created. Creating magic is more expensive than using it, but once it's made, the cost to use it is always much lower than what you paid to create it]

Said Silence as it continued to speak.

Nier, on the other hand, was paying keen attention to his hand; in a way, he was making a small amount of negative energy as the two of them spoke.

[For example, if it costs you 30 units to create a spell, you'll never have to pay that much to use it again. The usage cost will always be less than the creation cost at any given moment, but that only applies when you're using the spell in its default state. If you want to increase its power, extend its duration, alter its complexity, or expand its range, those enhancements come with extra costs. That's how you can end up burning through your negative energy]

"I see, basically equivalent exchange."

Said Nier.

To which Silence responded back, stating as such.

[Yeah, pretty much!!... But aside from that, all you need to do is imagine the magic you want, and I'll tell you how much it will cost. If you're looking for a smart investment, I'd suggest starting with a simple magic system and upgrading it gradually over time. That way, we can manage your energy more efficiently, conserve your reserves, and improve your skill in the occult arts over time. In the long run, think of it as a future investment in yourself]

Nier's eyes widened as he took in Silence's words, carefully considering the advice on how to navigate his newfound powers. It was solid guidance, practical, and almost like a roadmap, but the truth was, Nier was still a stranger to the world of the supernatural. Sure, his family curse was one thing, but this? This was something far deeper in the trenches of a mere curse, and he was in way over his head.

But that aside.

After a moment of thought, he spoke up.

"Hmm... To be honest, I'm new to all of this, as you probably know. I don't really know how to approach something like this. How would you go about creating a magic system that's not too complicated, something simple and easy to follow?"

Silence listened to Nier; naturally, it was prepared for a question like this, as it replied back, and said.

[Simplicity is key... This is the Material Plane, home to mortals, their gods, and even lesser and greater evils. Take Fluxes, for example, they’re lesser evils born from greater ones. Of course, your wife Kaly is far beyond them and everything on this plane. But setting that aside, mortal problems should have mortal solutions]

[I suggest building a magic system based on what you already know about the mortal world. As for energy, don’t worry, I can sense two types here. There’s Gaian energy, which is positive, and Flux energy, which is ohhh it has negative aspects to it, but it is a split between Good and evil, how interesting... maybe we can capitalize on this source, I can split the positive side to it, and leave just the negative aspects, but I'm not sure what type of price you will pay for absorbing negative energy of such supernatural power... would you like to absorb and filter out the positive aspect of Flux energy]

When Nier heard this, he wasn’t surprised that Flux energy was inherently negative, but learning it carried traces of positivity made him wonder what it truly was. Naturally, Silence responded smoothly.

[Filtering it would take about 5 minutes per unit to isolate the negative aspect. So, that means you can collect 1 unit every 5 minutes. In an hour, that’s 12 units. Over a full 24 hours, you’d be able to gather 288 units of purified negative energy per day minimum... Butttt...

"Of course, there is a but... alright give it to me straight."

Neir Said to Silence.

As she replied back to him.

[Flux energy is coming from multiple sources too much to count... but from what I am sensing it coming mostly from multiple divine beings that are leaking it from across the cleave passively, from the divine beings in question they are leaking it from a higher plane beyond the cleave, into the world where the cleave leads to, and now into your world since the world beyond the cleave and many others are now connected, but the Fluxes that exist also depend on this energy, they release it and absorb it back in naturally in small and great amounts depending on how strong they are]

[So, the Flux energy around you is constantly mixing. Every time you absorb a unit of it, random memories from these Fluxes could surge through your mind. That’s dangerous since these are powerful beings; at least by mortal standards, but that aside I can filter the energy beforehand, but once it is fully absorbed within your soul, you’re still going to experience that negative influx regardless]

[And absorbing it in this case will be a gamble, and a massive one at that, since the energy is too mixed to stem from a single source upon filtering. So heed my warning very carefully, if we use Flux energy as a source to farm negative energy, you are risking your mortal sanity, to a great degree, it basically gambling at that point. As such would you like to proceed knowing the risk]

Hearing this, Nier started weighing the pros and cons. He wasn’t sure if this was the best idea, but his thoughts drifted toward the future. Even with Silence guiding him, he realized he needed to focus on what he truly wanted to use Unlimited for. Taking Silence’s advice to heart, he understood that solving mortal problems with mortal solutions made sense, especially since he still had a mortal body in this material world.

But for now, he let out a sigh and spoke.

"Yeah, start collecting negative energy from the Flux energy... and also let me know when the 24-hour mark hits. For now, I need to get out of here. Guess I'll have to leave my vehicle behind. But first, let me find the license plates and get rid of them. A crash this bad isn’t something I can cover up easily."

"Sigh!!... And after that, I’ve gotta walk all the way home... but seriously, how the hell am I supposed to get up there?"

This was indeed a question to take into consideration, and Silence came in for the clutch as it said to him.

[You have 34 units of Negative Energy right now. I’m also sensing 483 units coming from your car, it’s holding the negative memories and experiences from your previous death. If you absorb that, you’ll have to relive that incident, but it would give you a total of 519 units to work with. That should be enough to create your first magic.]

At these words, Nier glanced to the side and noticed a thick black smoke-like aura rising from the wreckage of his car.

That was clearly negative energy.

Of course, he clenched his jaw, knowing that absorbing the energy would be painful, but it was necessary.

"...Fine."

He muttered.

"Do it... Absorb it."

The moment he agreed, Silence drew in the swirling negative energy from the wrecked SUV.

Suddenly, Nier’s mind was flooded with vivid, crushing memories, and live sensations of the pain and feeling he felt in that moment.

Kaly’s form, glitching, distorted, appeared in front of him, the same haunting image that had caused him to lose control.

The sharp jolt of the crash slammed through his senses.

He felt the impact again, the violent lurch of his body, the unbearable pain splintering through his limbs.

The acrid stench of gasoline filled his lungs as he crawled from the wreckage, only to see Kaly once more.

Then...darkness.

His consciousness slipped away as he bleeds to death.

And then finally his own death.

It all came rushing back, raw and merciless.

Nier staggered, gripping his head tightly, his breathing ragged.

"Shit...!" 

He hissed, barely able to stay on his feet.

"Aghhh... it hurts so much... I felt every sensation of pain and emotion during that memory."

Reliving his own death, twice in one night was more than he could stand. The weight of it pressed down on him, leaving him shaken and hugging himself as the feedback of the phantom pain was still there, and after five minutes, he calmed down as he said to himself.

"Ok I think I am alright now, tell me, what kind of magic would make me able to get out of here?"

[Here’s a suggestion: Body Modification Magic. It’ll cost you 400 units, but it allows you to biologically modify your body however you want. If you spend an additional 100 units, you can unlock a full-body transformation complete with its natural abilities. For example, the transformation I’m offering is The Eagle]

[With this magic, you can shapeshift into a physically perfect version of an eagle. The spell’s cost depends on what you’re trying to transform into. Simpler forms, like the eagle, are permanent and only require 1 unit to maintain, you can stay in that form as long as you like]

[More complex or powerful transformations will drain your energy reserves faster. You can purchase other species’ forms, but you need to at least know that the species exists. Once you’re aware of it, you can buy its aspect, or full body and add it to your arsenal]

Nier hesitated for a moment, considering the possibilities, then nodded with determination.

"Alright, I'll go for it... Let’s see what this can do?"

The moment he agreed, a rush of information flooded his mind. It was like an instant download, how to channel the magic, how to modify his body, the steps to fully embrace a transformation. It was overwhelming, but it felt right like a missing piece had just clicked into place.

Without hesitation, Nier focused.

And the moment he did, he felt his body shift, the air around him crackling with energy as his form began to distort. His bones were reshaped, his muscles redefined, and in moments, he was no longer standing as a man.

His arms stretched into wings, sleek and powerful. Feathers sprouted across his body, the transformation flawless and smooth. His vision sharpened, his senses heightened, and his body seemed to become one with the wind. His eyes glowed a deep, ominous red as he fully embraced the eagle form.

He spread his wings wide, feeling the surge of power coursing through him, and in that instant, the world looked different, clearer, sharper, like he could see everything at once within his line of sight.

Of course, due to his human instinct, he tried to speak to express the alien feeling of becoming an eagle.

But as he opens his beak, intending to speak, he is immediately met with the realization that he can’t. His vocal cords had vanished in this form, replaced by the simple bird sounds of an eagle.

As such he couldn’t make human words anymore.

But then, a thought struck him... He could pay a unit to add a human vocal ability to this form. With a moment's hesitation, he focused on the idea and imagined it to be so. He channeled the negative energy, feeling a slight strain internally as his form shifted again, just enough to allow him to speak.

He tested it out with a soft squawk, then spoke clearly.

"Holy shit it worked."

The sensation was surreal. His voice, though now a little more gruff, sounded like his own, but from the throat of an eagle. Satisfied, Nier spread his wings, his instincts now fully aligned with the form he had chosen.

He could feel the primal energy of the eagle's nature coursing through him, the sharp, focused awareness of the air currents, the instinctive knowledge of how to fly, how to soar. It was like his very soul understood what to do, guided by the default and basic survival memories embedded in the transformation.

But before he go, he needed to get something from the wreckage given he already hid the plates.

Turning back to the wreckage of his car, Nier gave it one final, lingering look. The crash, the pain, the memories, it was all still fresh in his mind, but it was time to move on. The car wasn’t going to help him anymore.

His eyes scanned the area, and he spotted his missing firearm, the AFHCV4, lying on the ground nearby. He extended a talon and carefully grasped it, his sharp claws handling the weapon with surprising precision for a creature that was his new form. With the firearm secured, he spread his wings wide, the air around him filling with the rush of power as he prepared for takeoff.

He looked ahead at the cliff, the open sky stretching beyond it. With a mighty flap of his wings, he shot into the air, soaring upwards. The feeling was indescribable...freedom, weightlessness, the world unfolding beneath him. The wind tugged at his feathers, pushing him higher and higher until the ground seemed like nothing more than a distant memory.

As he gained altitude, Nier felt an incredible rush, his instincts taking over. The wind currents swept him effortlessly, and with each beat of his wings, he could feel the sky itself becoming a part of him. It was pure exhilaration, the sense that nothing could stop him, that the world below was his to conquer.

With the cliff far behind him, he adjusted his wings, the eagle’s natural instinct guiding him toward his next destination.

Home. 

Nier flew into the sky, his mind focused and his body moving in perfect harmony with the air around him. Home was still a long way off, but the thrill of flight, and the vastness of the sky, made him feel unstoppable.

"Woooow!!... From here, the ground below looks really beautiful... hehe... maybe having a Lovecraftian wife ain't all that bad hahaha.... this is great... but either way, I could really use a shower... well then next stop... Home."

Those were the last words Nier said, as he flew into the distance at great speed.