It had been a full two weeks since Nox was discharged from the hospital. He lay sprawled on the bed of his ridiculously huge new condo with his cat, Meimei. This was the same cat that had spoken to him, but since she was cute, he decided not to dwell on it. It was a nice, slow life... except for the fact that he needed to consume Ruach Ra'ah or die.
Fortunately, Meimei didn't just cause chaos, sleep, and talk; she hunted these things efficiently every few days, ensuring he didn't have to. It was absolutely horrifying to see a small, adorable cat covered in blood, standing over the corpse of a monstrous creature, but after all Nox had been through, he could stomach the scene with surprising composure. Additionally, Zayne had been staying with him to ensure his safety per his father's orders. Nox's life consisted of eating, sleeping, more eating, and more sleeping—a truly fulfilling existence.
Just as he was drifting off, Zayne burst into the room, startling both Nox and Meimei. They glared at him with bloodshot eyes, while Veil hovered in the closet for some reason.
"Yo, did you miss me?" Zayne struck a pose with a bright smile.
Nox looked disgusted, but Meimei ran over to Zayne, purring as he patted her head. Zayne fed her more, so she liked him more.
"Haha, yeah, you definitely missed me," Zayne grinned like a Cheshire cat, scooping the cat up. Nox scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I bought something on my way back. Wanna see?"
Nox eyed him with suspicion. "You? Bought something? Who the hell are you, and what have you done with Zayne?"
Zayne laughed and walked out. "Follow me! Stop being so negative. I'm a good person, trust me~"
"I'd trust a terrorist before I trust you," Nox muttered, but he followed anyway.
In the living room, several boxes were arranged by the floor-to-ceiling window. Nox looked at them, half-expecting grenades or guns. Zayne gave him a look that confirmed Nox's dread. With a wicked grin, Zayne tore open the packages to reveal training equipment and gear.
"Yahoo! Exercise! Isn't it great? I even got a treadmill for Meimei, too."
The room went silent. You could have heard a pin drop on the carpet. Sweat dripped down both Nox and Meimei. Suddenly, Nox bolted for his bedroom with athlete-like speed, but Zayne was faster. Nox was dragged back to unbox the equipment one by one, knowing his lazy days were officially over. Meimei meowed pitifully as Zayne laughed contentedly.
After a few grueling hours, they had moved the equipment to a separate room. "...Isn't there a gym two blocks away?" Nox asked, looking at Zayne incredulously.
"Yeah, well, I know you won't go since you're lazy. This way, you don't have the excuse of distance," Zayne replied cheerfully as he closed the door to their home gym. Nox thought about it; it made sense, but that didn't mean he was happy.
"Can you pass me that plaque? I think it's behind you."
Nox hummed and looked for the plaque. He spotted it and bent over to pick it up. Immediately, he felt as if someone had squeezed his heart. He paused, a wave of nausea sweeping over him. He grasped his chest as a migraine hit him out of nowhere. Spots danced across his vision, and the world went dark.
His body hit the floor. Zayne, who was busy with the door, spun around at the sound. The moment he saw Nox collapsed, his pupils shrank. He moved instantly, checking Nox's pulse. A relieved sigh escaped him when he determined Nox was still alive.
How could he have collapsed? Zayne thought, his mind racing. Is it an assassination attempt? No, that shouldn't be possible. I erased the young master's presence from this city...
Zayne felt uneasy. He carried Nox to his room and tucked him into bed. He stared at Nox for a while, then left. He returned moments later with a small box in his hand and Meimei on his shoulder. Meimei leapt onto the bed and snuggled up to Nox while Zayne opened the box. He took out a silver ring set with a black gemstone and slipped it onto Nox's finger.
If he gets into danger, this should save him... With that, Zayne left the room.
After a while, Meimei sat up and looked at Nox. She placed a paw over his heart, her blue eyes glowing faintly. Soon, Nox's eyes fluttered open. When he saw the pair of glowing eyes, he instinctively tried to go back to sleep.
"Master, how are you feeling? Does it still hurt?"
Nox couldn't sleep anymore. He opened his eyes and looked at the cat.
"No, I'm fine now."
Meimei meowed and stretched. "Child, have you woken?"
Nox looked toward the closet. Inside, Veil was "existing" happily, and for some reason, Nox felt annoyed. 'As you can see, I'm alive and well...'
"Good! Let One tell you something interesting. Do you want to hear it?"
Nox sat up, staring intently at the closet. 'Go on.'
"'As you consume Ruach Ra'ah, the amount you can devour increases. The problem is that when you are unable to satisfy the hunger, your body slowly and painfully dies. In short, you collapsed today because of hunger.'"
Nox's heart went cold. He stared at the blanket. '...Why don't you tell me these things earlier?!' He grabbed a pillow and hurled it at the closet.
"'How can mortals know the times and seasons in which One does things? But you should be fine as long as you eat tonight. If not, you will die tomorrow."'
'I don't even know how to throw a punch!' Nox thought frantically. 'How do you expect me to kill those... THINGS?!'
"'Hahahaha! You see, that is for you to learn now! Besides, One will not allow you to die. You have no reason to be afraid!'"
That's exactly why I need to be afraid!
Veil finally emerged from the closet. "Since this is going to be your first hunt, let One explain the hierarchy to you. There are different kinds of Ruach Ra'ah based on how much they affect the world. First, there are the Bottom Feeders. They pose no harm to anything and are basically snacks for higher-ranked spirits."
"Then we have the Harbingers. They are higher in rank but lack a material form. They bring sickness and bad luck. Above them are the Disasters. These can possess living beings and hide from sight. They are capable of causing accidents and destructive phenomena on a small scale. They are very cunning and should be faced with caution."
"The final type, standing at the top of them all, is the Mawet. These are very dangerous. They have physical forms and walk among mortals easily. Wheresoever they go, death follows. Depending on their strength, a Mawet could cause floods enough to submerge a continent."
Nox listened, and as he did, he felt as though his soul were preparing to leave his body.