Chương 89: Dan and Ari

When Nyxil imagined her reunion with the boy before her, she'd never expected him to be mad at her. Sure, he might have been annoyed that she'd gone and taken K'tan's life without involving him and Ari, but with so much time having passed, they should have gotten over it. At worst, Nyxil had considered that they forgot about her. Or never cared that she disappeared in the first place. They were kind, but had only really interacted with her for a week, after all.

But here was Dan, glaring at her as if she'd stabbed him.

"You disappeared," he accused.

"Where the fuck were you hiding?"

"I was stuck in the Dark Star," she said. That was one part of her story she couldn't lie about. Her disappearance lined up too perfectly with the event to pretend she'd been anywhere else. Dan didn't look surprised.

"Then you shouldn't be alive. No one below their fourth evolution has ever survived in one. And you…" He left the rest unsaid. Dan still thought of her as the weak, cursed girl.

"Ari did," she rebutted. His furrowed brows twisted in confusion.

"She was never inside." Oh, right. Nobody knows that she was trapped inside the Dark Star Event with her kidnappers.

"But you," Dan continued.

"After they moved us to the new ward, you never showed up. You killed K'tan. You should have known it was unsafe to be out while the Fleshsmiths had smoke in their ears. It was stupid. You were stupid. Obviously something bad would happen." Nyxil watched, unmoving, as Dan huffed and his anger fled. His hate was directed at her willingness to leave herself in danger, not her. While it was founded in a lack of awareness of her circumstances, she was touched by his concern.

Now apparently calm, Dan gave her a once over. His gaze lingered on her missing arm before discovering that one of her legs did not have its associated foot.

"What did happen to you? We assumed they nabbed you before they blew up their forge, but if you were in the Dark Star Event… then how did you survive?"

"With very little sleep." She grinned, not certain how much she should tell. Especially with Val'oura still listening from the side. Nyxil turned as she heard the woman flick off the PA system microphone. She'd been so held up with Dan's sudden appearance that she hadn't noticed the woman speaking.

"I called Selȧil," Val'oura said, noticing her gaze.

"She's your group's new overseer." Nyxil bit her lip, and the taste of blood slid over her tongue. Immediately, she raised her hand to cover the trickle. Just because her teeth felt flat, didn't mean they actually were. She needed to be more careful. The name of the new overseer sounded familiar, but Nyxil couldn't put her finger on where she knew it.

"Your room might not be the same as you left it, but I'm sure Selȧil can get you sorted."

"Oh, I'm not here to stay. For the time being, I'm being housed under T̆a̹̅… Tarchon's protection." She had to stop herself saying the name she heard Ta'Stralanov'r used to address Tarchon. He'd introduced himself without his inflections; Nyxil assumed there was a reason he didn't want his evolution rank known. Still… it was surprising to see he was at his ninth evolution. Her first time meeting him, she'd thought he was sixth or seventh, and even that was in awe of his strength.

"Protection?" Val'oura tilted her head.

"I'm a witness of the Dark Star. The only one that isn't a Fleshsmith."

"Those rotten…" She stopped herself short, but it was clear what she wanted to say. Unfortunately, even with the safety of the wards, it wasn't exactly smart to badmouth the cults. Frowning, Val'oura looked past her and Dan. Out through the shutters.

"You didn't come alone, did you?"

"Uh…" Nyxil tried to avoid the woman's narrowing eyes. She'd realised it back when she'd returned in time, but it still felt strange that the people in the wards could be so caring and worried for others. The rest of Coral would call it soft, but there was no question their home would be a better place if everyone was like the caretakers. … Assuming they could still protect themselves. Those who stayed in the wards long term were never strong. Nyxil squirmed under her judging gaze.

If this was someone intending to hurt her, or take advantage of her, she would be able to stand and glare back with a ferocity no other fifteen — sixteen? — year old could replicate. That few cultists in general could replicate. But against someone who openly cared, she had no idea how to cope. Thankfully, she didn't have to answer. A commotion from down the hall pulled the attention of all three, and soon they found small group running towards them. In an instant, Nyxil found herself surrounded.

This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. She noticed Ari only a second before the girl backhanded her hard across the shoulder, before crashing into her with a hug. As with the last one, she found the embrace uncomfortable, but tried her best to return it with her single arm.

"I knew you weren't dead." Nyxil stiffened under the gaze of a dozen other kids and a few caretakers who watched on, shock written across their faces. The expression of those who'd written her off as dead, and couldn't comprehend how she was standing here. This entire situation was one she didn't know how to handle. Not only was Ari gripping her tight — she never thought she'd gotten that close to the girl — but she was surrounded by people that seemed… glad that she was alive.

The same people a lifetime ago she was certain hated her. She didn't have time to extract herself from Ari's grip before a rapid string of questions were thrown in her face. How was she alive? Had she been in the Dark Star? What was it like in there? Was it the Fleshsmiths? It took her some time to calm down and realise that their amazement at her presence was mostly in celebration that someone who had disappeared miraculously returned. On Coral, that was not common.

They were happy anyone thought gone had survived, even if it was Nix, the cursed girl. It was a shame the same could not be said for the other sacrifices K'tan had taken.

"Yes I'm alive. Yes I was stuck in the Dark Star. And yes, it was the Fleshsmiths' fault." She would take any chance she could to blame them. Nyxil had no problem kicking someone while they were down so long as that person was a cultist. Especially a Fleshsmith.

"But I'm not here to return. I only came back today to speak with Ari and Dan." One of the caretakers stepped forward, shaking off her own surprise.

"We understand, and will give you space." She turns to urge the teens to back off. Nyxil finally recalled her as the first woman to rush to her aid when she'd entered the bath looking more blood than person.

"And Nix, your room is still there if you want it. I'm glad you're okay."

"If you want to speak in private, then there's nowhere more secluded than your room," Dan offered as Ari finally stopped clinging to her. Nyxil nodded but paused.

"Wait, that doesn't mean people have been using my room to…?"

"No." He rolled his eyes.

"There was no getting past the stigma of your curses. Even though they cleansed the entire ward, some still believed that your curses clung to the walls."

"Well, that's convenient." She'd call them irrationally superstitious… if the danger wasn't at least somewhat true. Nyxil had caused two Dark Stars just from the depths of her curse… and she had no reason to think she couldn't create more. They left Val'oura and a few other curious eyes in the entrance hall. The woman was disappointed to see her go without answering a thousand questions, but Nyxil didn't really want to have to worry about weaving lies to everyone who was listening.

As the duo led her down the hall of their age-group, Nyxil considered what to tell them. She couldn't say everything. Not her mutations, or the fact she now had nearly ten mental years on them, but she still wanted to be somewhat open. Actually speaking the truth to Tarchon had felt… relieving. The stress of keeping everything to herself had evaporated. Well, not immediately, but with almost a day to settle her mind, she realised how freeing it had been. She wanted the same with these two.

There were far fewer of her ward-mates around than — how long had she supposedly been gone for? — three months ago. But that was to be expected. Some of them had definitely found positions within the cults and now had tasks required of them so that they could earn their place. Nyxil frowned as she glanced at Dan's clamps. Even he'd been trying to enter a cult. She couldn't blame him for it, even if she really wanted to tear off those nasty goggles and force him to keep clear.

The last thing she wanted was for him to become her enemy. At least Ari had shown nothing that revealed she'd become an acolyte. Nyxil hoped it stayed that way. Just as they were walking down the dorm hallway, Nyxil heard the creek of a door and turned. Poking his head out and glaring at her with so much hate that even she had to question whether she'd killed his pet at some point, was Kal. He was that bully that always used to suck-up to Grif.

Nyxil tilted her head at him in question, but all she got in answer was the slam of a door.

"What happened to him?" she asked.

"I don't know," Dan said, glancing at the door himself.

"He's been grumpy and reclusive lately, but not hostile as he once was. Should I ask if you did something to him?" She shook her head as she entered her old room. It felt unfamiliar. The bed was clean and new, and her wardrobe was empty. That expensive robe she'd worn to the naming ceremony must have been incinerated in the cleansing. No loss.

"It feels so strange to be back," she murmured. Ari leapt ahead and threw herself on Nyxil's bed. Dan sat before the girl's legs, while Nyxil opted to stand. She knew it wasn't necessary here, but it had become difficult to relax when she couldn't react at a moment's notice. Staying on her feet was better than leaving herself vulnerable.

"So you wanted to speak to us?" Now that the anger had left his eyes, his words sounded nervous. What did he think she was going to say?

"Well, I wanted to be honest, and I'd rather not have everyone and their friend hear." Now Dan looked really nervous. Ari only smirked behind him, as if she could tell his expression without seeing his face.

"First off, I think a reintroduction is in order." She forcefully calmed her heart. Convenient.

"I am Nỷx̱il-n̚oth-thaḁren." Despite the assists holding his eyelids open, Dan somehow managed to widen his eyes. His jaw fell in shock, and a squeak escaped his lips.

"Two evolutions?" Ari only grinned wider.

"I knew it," she declared, and sat up with a cheer. Both Nyxil and Dan turned to her. Simultaneously, they asked, "you did?" A finger scratched at her neck and she averted her eyes.

"Well… I guessed." She gestured toward's Nyxil's missing arm, then her sword.

"I mean, just look at her. She was stuck in a Dark Star for three months! And survived! Of course she evolved."

"Two years," Nyxil corrected under her breathe, but was admittedly taken aback by Ari's unfazed attitude.

"Anyway, congratulations for pushing through despite the curses." Ari's smile was genuine.

"I'd love to say I always believed, but, uh, I doubt I'm the only one who considered it impossible." Dan shook his head and turned back to Nyxil, working his jaw as if unable to find the words.

"With two evolutions already, you would be welcomed into any cult you wanted. Most would kill for an acolyte with that level of promise. Do you have any idea which cult you will choose?" No. The word almost left her lips as a mindless reaction. But that wasn't the truth anymore, was it?

"The Technocult," she declared, finally, truly internalising that to take down the cults, she needed to join one.

"I need to prove myself to them."