Nyxia and Virdarath walked through the daycare's darkened halls, huddled close together. The moment they stepped inside, they both realized the same thing: This was a bad idea.
It had all started earlier that day. Nyxia had let Eri stay for the weekly sleepover at Cavian's daycare a cozy little tradition filled with lullabies, starlit ceilings, and bedtime stories. But just as he dropped her off, Eri gasped in horror.
She had forgotten her favorite plushie.
Not just any plushie, either the plushie of Nyxia in his monstrous form, complete with glow-in-the-dark eyes and velvet tendrils. She looked so devastated that Nyxia promised he'd find it and bring it to her before bed.
He did find it. He just... got a little distracted.
He and Virdarath had ended up playing games, completely losing track of time. By the time they remembered the plushie mission, the daycare was already closed and silent. That's when Virdarath, in all his chaotic genius, said: "Let's sneak in and give it to her. It'll be quick."
Spoiler: it wasn't quick.And it was definitely not a good idea.
While Eri's side of the daycare was whimsical at night like something out of a dream, filled with glowing stars, gentle music, and cozy colors the worker's side, where Nyxia and Virdarath entered from, was something else entirely.
Sterile white walls.Posters of smiling cartoon animals that looked cute by day but unsettlingly lifeless in the dark.Long, winding halls that felt like a maze.
To make things worse, making noise was strictly forbidden. One wrong sound and they'd risk waking the children or worse drawing the attention of Cavian, who patrolled the hallways at night like a warden of sleep. A few of the other staff were more relaxed, but Cavian didn't tolerate anything less than perfect silence.
Nyxia and Virdarath moved quietly, checking each room as carefully as they could.
No sound.No mistakes.
But progress was agonizingly slow.
Eventually, Nyxia leaned toward Virdarath and whispered, "We should split up. We'll cover more ground that way."
Virdarath immediately hissed back, "Are you insane? This is literally how people die in horror movies!"
"But we're wasting time."
"I like wasting time! It keeps us alive!"
After several rounds of whisper-arguing and dramatic eye-rolls, Virdarath finally gave in. They parted ways, keeping just enough distance to still hear each other's footsteps. The silence of the daycare seemed to tighten around them like a noose.
Then "Aaahh–!"
A muffled shout echoed from Virdarath's direction. Then… nothing.
Nyxia spun around, the plushie still gripped in his hand.
"Virdarath?" he whispered.
No reply.
Only silence.And shadows.
Something had dragged him away. Something fast. Something quiet.
And now, Nyxia was alone deep inside the twisting, soundless labyrinth of Cavian's daycare.
Virdarath crept through the hall like a very reluctant ninja, clutching his oversized hoodie tighter around his body like it would somehow protect him from the doom he knew was coming.
"This is it," he muttered under his breath. "This is how I die. Not in battle, not in some multiversal storm... No. Dragged into a cursed hallway in a daycare."
The sterile white walls around him seemed to stretch forever. The pastel murals cheerful animals holding hands, happy suns wearing sunglasses looked like they were watching him now. He side-eyed a cartoon rabbit too long and swore its smile grew just a little wider.
"Split up," he says... "It'll be faster," he says. It's always the big, shadow-monster types with no fear of horror logic."
He turned a corner and immediately jumped as the softest creak echoed under his boot.
He froze.
Nothing.
He exhaled slowly, continuing onward, careful to keep his steps light. His mind was racing.
What if Cavian caught him?Would she just scold him?…Or unleash the "Punishment Room" he'd heard rumors about from the older orphans?
As he passed one of the doors, something inside shuffled.
He stopped cold.
"…Nyxia?" he whispered.
No answer.
He backed up slowly, eyeing the crack beneath the door. A warm light leaked out.
He wasn't sure if it was a nightlight or a portal to hell.
Then
something grabbed his ankle.
A hand small, fast, too strong yanked him backward into the shadows of the adjacent hallway before he could react.
"AAAHh–mmph!!"
His scream was cut off as a gloved hand clamped over his mouth. He kicked, thrashed
And then stopped as he realized...
It was Cavian.
The matron herself loomed over him in her soft pastel cardigan, glowing eyes narrowed with silent fury. She said nothing. Only held one finger to her lips.
Shhh.
Behind her, one of the other workers stood with a clipboard and a slightly amused smile, as if this happened all the time.
Virdarath didn't even try to explain himself. He just raised both hands and mouthed: "Please don't kill me."
Cavian didn't respond. She slowly pointed in the direction of the hallway Nyxia had gone.
She was hunting him next.
Nyxia moved through the daycare like a hunted shadow every creak of the floor beneath him sounding like a gunshot in the silence. His monstrous form, usually so powerful, felt like a liability now. He hunched low, arms drawn in, moving silently through the too-long corridors.
His thoughts raced.Panic bubbled in his chest.
"Where the hell did they take Virdarath?"
"Why did I agree to this?"
"Stupid Nyxia. Stupid Virdarath. Sneaking into a daycare? At night? Oh yeah, real smooth. Real smart."
He pressed his back against a corner as a soft footstep echoed in the distance. His breath hitched.
Cavian?
No… nothing. Just paranoia.
He carried on.
Eventually, the horror maze gave way to something… gentler.
The hallway opened into a room bathed in soft starlight, courtesy of the glowing ceiling. Holographic constellations twinkled above like they had been plucked straight from the real sky, gently rotating, slowly shifting. The air here smelled like lavender and warm cocoa.
This was it.
Eri's room.
His heart squeezed when he stepped in.
Little bodies lay scattered across plush mats and sleeping bags like tiny islands of peace. Soft breathing filled the space, undisturbed. Everything about the room glowed with calm, dreamlike beauty.
And there she was Eri.
Curled beneath a blanket with stars on it, clutching it tight to her chest as if pretending it was the plushie she'd left behind. Her little face scrunched slightly in her sleep, as if something was missing.
Nyxia felt his chest tighten.
Slowly so slowly he crept forward between the children. Not even his claws made a sound. Every movement was measured, careful, reverent. He passed a boy with a pacifier, a girl snoring like a chainsaw, someone sleep-talking about cheese.
He reached her.
Gently, he slipped the plushie his monstrous plushie into her arms.
Eri's expression softened, a smile blooming on her lips as she instinctively hugged it closer.
Nyxia crouched low, and with a soft shimmer of light and a whispered thought, his monstrous form faded away.
For this moment, he became human.
He leaned in, brushed a lock of hair from her forehead, and kissed her softly.
"Good night, little star," he whispered, voice trembling with emotion.
He stayed for a second longer… and then turned to go.
But just before he exited, he heard a tiny murmur behind him:
"…Nyxia?"
He froze, halfway through the door.
Eri was still asleep, smiling in her dream, the plushie hugged tight.
He smiled back, even if she couldn't see it.
What Nyxia didn't realize was that he was being watched every careful step, every silent breath through the daycare's hidden cameras.
In a softly lit monitoring room, Cavian leaned back in her chair, eyes glued to the screens. A slow, amused smile curved her lips.
"Ah, how cute," she murmured, voice silky but edged with something cold. "I must say, he is a good dad. But he could have just contacted me instead of sneaking in."
Her gaze shifted sharply to Virdarath, who was gagged and tightly restrained in a nearby chair. His wide, terrified eyes met hers, and she tilted her head with mock curiosity.
"This must have been your idea, Virdarath," she said softly.
Virdarath's only response was a shaky shake of his head and the muffled sound of his gag.
Before he could do more, the door to the room creaked open and another Cavian stepped inside. Identical, down to the last detail, but with a colder, more ruthless aura.
"Well," the second Cavian said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "time to catch the rule breaker."
In a blink, she split like a shadow fracturing into two identical forms.
One clone turned toward the monitors, eyes scanning the cameras, directing their partner with precision. The other vanished into the shadows, hunting.
The hunting Cavian moved with impossible speed silent but deadly even in heels that clicked softly but with terrifying efficiency as she slipped through the halls.
Meanwhile, Nyxia crept toward the exit he had sneaked in through, heart pounding in his chest.
As he neared the doorway, a strange sensation prickled his skin. He froze.
He looked up and his blood ran cold.
There, on the ceiling, like a spider waiting for its prey, was Cavian. Her eyes gleamed in the dim light, a sinister smile spreading across her face.
Before he could scream, she dropped her hands clamping tightly over his mouth, muffling the sound.
A strangled, terrified scream echoed in his mind but never escaped.
Within moments, Nyxia was restrained his monstrous strength useless against the bindings.
He was hauled through the maze-like hallways and thrown into the very monitoring room he'd glimpsed before.
There, chained and gagged beside Virdarath, he locked eyes with his friend.
Neither spoke.
But the fear in both their eyes said everything.
Nyxia sat in the cold chair, still bound, gagged, and entirely overwhelmed. His eyes were wide, his monstrous instincts screaming at him to fight, to run, to do something but the sheer aura of Cavian's presence was like being trapped under a weighted blanket of maternal wrath.
She stood over him, calm and composed, brushing invisible lint off her pastel cardigan.
"Now," she said sweetly, "I understand why you did it. For Eri's happiness. For that, I commend you."
Nyxia blinked.
"Which is why your punishment… will be mild."
She leaned in, close enough that her voice dropped to a near-whisper.
"You'll work in the daycare. One week. No pay. Full shifts. Diaper duty included."
Nyxia nodded furiously.
She smiled. "Good boy."
Then her eyes turned to Virdarath, still restrained, squirming in panic.
Her expression changed. Sweetness evaporated.Only discipline remained.
"But you…"
Virdarath let out a frantic squeal through his gag, shaking his head rapidly.
Cavian gestured to her clones. "Take him to the Disciplinary Room."
As he was dragged away, Virdarath kicked wildly, giving Nyxia one last, desperate look. His eyes screamed:
"HELP ME!"
Nyxia could only sit gagged, wide-eyed, and shaking.
The door closed.
Moments passed.
Then—
BANG!SLAP!CRASH!TRUMPET BLAST?!"AAAHHHHHHHHH–!"
Screams erupted from the other room.Something heavy thudded repeatedly.Something wet slapped.Something mechanical whirred.And somewhere in the mix… an elephant trumpeted again.
Nyxia's pupils shrank.
He wanted to believe it was a dream.
Then the door opened again, and Cavian walked out casually, holding a clipboard and jotting something down. She looked as composed as ever, as if she had just finished organizing snack time.
She walked over and gently untied Nyxia's restraints.
"Lesson learned?" she asked.
Nyxia nodded so fast his horns would've rattled if he had them out.
She patted him on the head. "Good. Let's get you out of here."
He was quietly guided through the daycare, the halls now calm, peaceful again… except for the ongoing chaos from the closed room behind them.
Screams still echoed along with a cowbell? A saxophone solo? Possibly a rubber duck.
Nyxia didn't look back.
He couldn't.
The halls of Cavian's daycare loomed quiet and pristine as Dr. Dietrich Wagner walked briskly toward the office, his coat flaring behind him like a trailing cape. His neural implant buzzed with minor readings, but his thoughts were dominated by one thing:
"What. In. The. Void."
Nyxia had called him. The call had started with apologies, stammered explanations, and ended with the words:
"Virdarath is still inside. I think he's... not okay."
And that's when Wagner's voice rose to the heavens.
"You snuck into a fortified daycare! At night! With Cavian inside?!"
He had gone off on Nyxia like a plasma cannon ranting about discipline, intelligence, and the utter lack of common sense. By the time he reached Cavian's facility, he had mentally drafted a 32-slide PowerPoint titled "How to Not Get Your Friends Tortured in a Facility Built Like a Multiversal Fortress."
But now, standing in front of her door, all of Wagner's fury turned into something... else.
He opened the door.
Cavian looked up from her desk.
Their eyes met.
And for a heartbeat, Wagner forgot how to breathe.
Cavian didn't say anything.
She just smiled a slow, dangerous, knowing smile. One part seduction. One part predator.
Wagner stiffened. A bead of sweat formed at his temple.
You chose this, his brain whispered. You're dating her.
He swallowed, cleared his throat with a professional cough, and said, "Cavian. I'm here for Virdarath. Nyxia told me what happened. I'd like to see him."
She stood, gracefully. "Of course."
Then she walked past him.
Wagner followed, trying not to notice the way her steps were too quiet, too fluid like a panther stalking prey in the jungle of pastel walls and alphabet posters.
They stopped at a locked door at the far end of a lesser-used hallway. A keypad blinked silently. Cavian entered the code with smooth familiarity. The door opened with a hiss.
The Disciplinary Room.
Wagner stepped in and froze.
"Mein Gott…"
Virdarath was hanging. Not like punished or tortured in the traditional sense—but strung up in an utterly incomprehensible web of ropes, rainbow duct tape, glitter glue, squeaky toys, and what looked like a full-size plush elephant balanced precariously on his lap. His clothes were slightly disheveled, his hair tangled, and his eyes
His eyes screamed for help.
Wagner rushed forward.
"Virdarath! Are you are you alive?!"
Virdarath weakly nodded.
"Mmph…"
Wagner began carefully detangling the bindings, mumbling in German under his breath, while Virdarath groaned like someone who had seen the face of madness… and been hugged by it aggressively.
Just as Wagner finished untying the last rope, he felt warm breath near his ear.
He froze.
Cavian's voice was a silky whisper.
"Once you're done with this little troublemaker…"
She leaned even closer, brushing just shy of his skin.
"…Let's have a talk. At your house."
Wagner nearly dropped Virdarath.
Then, as if sealing it, she breathed in—inhaling him like a fine perfume—and murmured,
"You smell like motor oil today."
Her breath swept across his neck like velvet lightning.
Wagner shivered. Not from fear. Not entirely from pleasure.
But from the realization that he had no idea what kind of woman he was in love with.
"…Right," he muttered, barely keeping his voice level as he slung Virdarath's arm over his shoulder and led him out. "I'll... make tea."
Behind him, Cavian stood in the doorway, smiling as the door slowly closed sealing away whatever other secrets that room might still contain.
The atmosphere in Nyxia's home was the exact opposite of the daycare's disciplinary nightmare.
Soft lighting. The scent of cinnamon tea. A glowing fireplace crackling with void-energy embers. Plush furniture. Calming jazz playing faintly in the background.
And on the living room couch…
Virdarath.
Snuggled up like a traumatized panda.
You couldn't even see most of him just a tuft of blue hair sticking out from under no less than twelve blankets, two comforters, one electric throw, and a weighted plushie in the shape of a cat hugging his torso.
He didn't move. He didn't speak.Just slow blinking. Breathing.Existing.
Nyxia sat nearby, sipping tea and occasionally glancing at him like one might look at a war veteran who's seen too much.
Then
Poke.
"Hey," Eri whispered.
Poke poke.
"Hey Mr. Vidarath. You alive?"
A faint grunt emerged from the fluff pile.
"...No."
Nyxia chuckled softly. "Don't poke the trauma blanket," he murmured to Eri.
"But he's so fuzzy," she said, trying to wedge her way under the mountain of blankets like she was entering a forbidden temple.
Virdarath stirred just enough to let out a strained whisper: "She had… puppets, Nyxia. Puppets with judging eyes... they clapped when I cried…"
Eri gasped. "That sounds awesome!!"
"No, child," Virdarath muttered from deep within the warmth. "No it wasn't."
Nyxia stood and gently placed a fresh mug of hot chocolate near Virdarath's blanket wall.
"Just rest. You earned it."
Virdarath slowly reached out one trembling hand from within the blanket like a survivor at sea.
"...Tell Dr. Wagner… to move far away. Change his name."
Nyxia smiled and sat down beside him, while Eri crawled halfway into the blanket pile, her plushie Nyxia doll clutched tight.
In this moment, at least, everything was okay.
Even if somewhere, deep down, Virdarath could still hear the clapping puppets.