A few days later, the three of us Nyxia, Vidarath, and little Eri were settled in for a Harry Potter movie marathon at Nyxia's place. The room was dimly lit, the glow of the television flickering against the walls, casting dancing shadows. Eri was curled up tightly against Nyxia's side, eyes glued to the screen, utterly absorbed in the magical world unfolding before her.
Nyxia, on the other hand, kept stealing glances at the strange device sitting on the desk nearby. It was an intricate contraption, a chronostone set in the center, spinning endlessly within a translucent orb. The device created a time bubble a localized acceleration of time, so that hours inside felt like minutes outside. It allowed them to stretch their movie marathon without losing too much of the real world's night.
Vidarath lounged on a separate couch, arms folded behind his head, grinning as he noticed Nyxia's distracted looks. "Relax, Nyxia," he teased, "At least Eri's getting her full nine hours of sleep. You know what Cavian would do if she found out Eri missed even one hour? You don't want to find out."
Nyxia chuckled, the tension in his shoulders easing. "Yeah, Cavian's no joke when it comes to sleep schedules."
The three of them dove back into the movie, laughter and occasional gasps filling the room as the story progressed.
Hours later, after the last credits rolled, Nyxia carefully lifted the now-sleeping Eri from his lap. Her tiny form was warm and relaxed against him. He carried her gently through the dimly lit house, placing her softly in her bed, tucking the blanket around her with practiced care.
Quietly, he made his way back to the living room where Vidarath was sprawled across the couch, arms behind his head, an amused smirk on his lips.
As Nyxia settled into a chair nearby, Vidarath let out an exasperated sigh. "You know what really grinds my gears about that book?"
Nyxia raised an eyebrow, sensing a rant brewing. "What now?"
Vidarath stretched, then leaned forward, eyes gleaming. "The Order of the Phoenix. When Harry taught his classmates, he actually enjoyed it, you know? He was having fun, bonding with his friends, sharing knowledge. And then, at the end, Rowling makes him an Auror a magic police officer. But the way she writes it, Harry is supposed to enjoy being a cop. That's just ridiculous."
Nyxia smirked. "Maybe he needs some qualifications to be a teacher."
Vidarath's eyes went wide, and he suddenly shouted, "Qualifications? My ass! His qualification is he's the motherfucking Harry Potter! The boy who lived! The one who stopped and defeated the Dark Lord multiple times!"
Nyxia was about to respond when Vidarath suddenly paused, eyes darting to something next to him. Then he groaned, "Oh, fuck."
Nyxia grinned mischievously, holding up the infamous swear jar. "Did you enchant that damn thing?"
Vidarath groaned again. "Nyxia, did you really enchant the swear jar?"
Nyxia laughed heartily. "Nope. That's Eri's doing. She Pavlov-trained our Orowyrm. Every time I curse even when I'm at the daycare I have to fill the jar."
Vidarath sighed dramatically, pulling out three shiny ferrum coins from his pocket and dropping them into the jar with a clang. The clinking echoed through the room, a familiar and somewhat irritating sound.
Nyxia watched, amused, then asked, "Hey, why aren't you going home? Shouldn't your wives be worried about you?"
Vidarath pointed casually toward the backyard window. "Don't worry. They've got Corvina watching me twenty-four seven."
Outside, silhouetted by the fading light, stood Corvina one of Vidarath's wives. Her eyes gleamed sharply as she kept vigilant watch over the house.
Nyxia shook his head, chuckling. "Man, you really live under surveillance."
Vidarath smirked. "Hey, it's part of the package. Keeps me in check."
Nyxia gave a quick thumbs up, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Then he rose from his seat and walked over to the window. With a swift motion, he slid it open, letting in the cool night air. Almost instantly, Corvina didn't hesitate she leapt through the open window with the grace and speed of a panther.
Before Vidarath could react, Corvina pounced on him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a fierce, possessive hug. Vidarath let out a silent shout, eyes wide with mock surprise.
Nyxia chuckled softly and called out to Corvina, "You know, you could just open the door and come in anytime. Don't worry, I don't mind."
With that, Nyxia turned away from the scene, stretching his tired limbs. "Anyway, I'm beat. I'm going to sleep."
He dragged his weary body up the stairs, each step heavier than the last, until he finally reached his room. Without ceremony, he collapsed onto his bed, the soft mattress welcoming him like a long-lost friend. Within moments, his eyes fluttered shut, and the exhaustion of the day swept over him like a gentle tide, carrying him off into sleep.
I opened my eyes, but the familiar ceiling of my room wasn't there.
Instead… I was standing in my mindspace.
I hardly ever visited this place only when something felt seriously wrong. And after what happened in that fight… after that thing took a piece of my essence, the worry had been gnawing at me until I couldn't ignore it anymore. I had to check on Eon.
But the moment I saw the space, my stomach sank.
The last time I'd been here, Eon had remodeled everything into a warm, cozy living room plush couches, shelves lined with books, a fireplace that never burned out. It had felt safe. Homey. But now…
Now it was chaos.
Every bit of mental "furniture" was overturned or smashed. The fireplace was dark and cold. The walls if you could even call them that in a mindspace were cracked with jagged black lines. Papers, memories, fragments of thoughts all swirled around like debris in a storm.
I called out, my voice echoing unnaturally in the emptiness."Eon! Where are you?"
There was a pause… then he appeared.
But not like before.
Eon, once bright and sharp-eyed, now glowed faintly, his light so dim I could barely make out his outline. His posture sagged, his breathing looked… labored, like even existing here was taking effort.
"Nyxia…" his voice was weaker than I'd ever heard it."You came… good."
I stepped closer, my pulse pounding. "What happened to you?"
His dim glow flickered. "You already know… you felt it. It took from you. From us. And I… can't stop the damage alone."
The words hit me like ice. This wasn't just an attack on me it was poisoning the core of who I was.
Eon reached out, his hand trembling. "We don't have much time."
Then it happened
A deep, metallic crack rang out from somewhere beyond the walls of the room. It was followed by another… and another, each one louder, sharper, until the sound of chains snapping echoed through every corner of my mindspace.
I turned toward the singular window my only vantage point into the deeper, darker parts of myself and what I saw made my breath hitch.
Out there, in the swirling void beyond, stood it.
My monstrous form.
The part of me I kept sealed.
Only now… it wasn't the same.
It was bigger. Its hulking frame seemed to drink in the darkness around it, muscles corded like coiled steel cables. The horns that once curled modestly from its head had grown longer, sharper, jagged like blackened obsidian, and still lengthening as I watched.
It was bound, just as always, but the chains restraining it were… changing. They still glowed dimly with that golden light, but some were cracked, others frayed, and one after another, they were breaking. Each shattering link sent a ripple of force through the void, distorting the air.
The creature's eyes my eyes snapped toward the window, locking with mine. For a heartbeat, I swore I felt its grin through the glass.
Eon's weak voice cut in behind me, trembling with urgency."Nyxia… the seals are failing. If those chains all break."
Another clang another chain gone.
The monstrous version of me pulled at the remaining bindings, the golden light struggling to hold against raw, overwhelming power. The void around it began to twist, like reality itself didn't want to be near it.
And deep in my chest, I felt something I hadn't felt in years.A pull.A hunger.
Before I could get another word out, the world in my head lurched.
A force cold, absolute grabbed hold of me and ripped me away from the sight of those breaking chains. The window, the void, the monstrous form they all blurred into nothing as I was flung out of my mindspace like a ragdoll tossed into the waking world.
I shot upright in bed, my chest heaving, sweat clinging to my skin. My heart felt like it was trying to pound its way out of my ribs, each beat thundering in my ears. For a moment, I just sat there, gasping for breath, trying to anchor myself back to reality.
The image of those horns and that grin still burned behind my eyes.
I ran a hand over my face, forcing myself to slow down my breathing. It was just the mindspace, I told myself. Just the mindspace… but those chains
I cut the thought short before it could dig deeper.
Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I stood, shaky at first, then steadier. I walked to the bathroom, flicked on the light, and let the shower run hot enough to steam up the mirror. The water pounded against me, washing away the lingering cold sweat, though it couldn't quite wash away the unease gnawing at the back of my mind.
After drying off, I pulled on a fresh set of clothes something casual, soft, comfortable. I didn't have the energy for armor today, at least not the kind you wear on the outside.
Heading downstairs, the scent hit me before I saw anything warm, buttery pancakes, sweetened with just a hint of syrup in the air. The tension in my shoulders loosened a little.
In the kitchen, Vidarath was at the stove, flipping a pancake with an annoyingly perfect flourish. Eri sat at the table, legs too short to reach the floor, swinging them happily as she watched him work. Her hair was a little messy from sleep, and the oversized shirt she wore made her look even smaller.
Beside her sat Corvina, regal even when doing nothing, her sharp gaze flicking briefly toward me before returning to Eri with a softened expression. It was… almost domestic, in a strange, chaotic way.
And for a fleeting moment, despite everything I'd just seen, I let myself breathe.
I pulled out a chair and sat down, the wood creaking softly under me. Vidarath didn't miss a beat he slid a plate in front of me stacked with three golden-brown pancakes, steam still curling off the top. A pat of butter melted slowly down the sides, pooling with the syrup he'd already drizzled.
We dug in without a word at first, the only sounds the quiet clink of forks against plates and the faint sizzle from the last batch still cooking on the pan. The sweetness and warmth were a small comfort, settling my nerves bit by bit.
Then, out of nowhere, Eri piped up, her voice bright as the morning light filtering through the window."Mr. Vidarath, this pancake is delicious!"
Vidarath let out a hearty laugh, almost spilling the one he was about to flip."Well, thank you, little one," he said, grinning at her. "It's my secret recipe takes years to master, you know."
Eri giggled, clearly proud she was getting the master chef treatment.
From there, the silence broke. We started talking about little things Eri telling us about a silly dream she had, Vidarath ranting about how the market's prices for eggs were a daylight robbery, Corvina making dry but perfectly timed comments that had Eri in stitches.
For a while, it felt like nothing else existed outside that kitchen. No chains. No shadowy figure. No looming danger. Just the sound of laughter, the smell of fresh pancakes, and the comfort of familiar company.
After finishing the meal, Corvina and Vidarath stood and made their way to the door. As they stepped outside, Corvina leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper meant only for him.
Whatever she said made Vidarath freeze for half a heartbeat before his expression shifted first to a dreaded stare aimed squarely at Nyxia, then to a silent, almost desperate plea.
He opened his mouth, as if to speak… but before a single word escaped, Corvina hooked an arm through his and dragged him away without another glance.
I then turned my attention back to Eri, pulling out her books and a few colorful learning cards. We played little games between lessons counting exercises disguised as treasure hunts, spelling turned into silly rhymes. Every time she got something right, she beamed, and I couldn't help but smile back.
Hours passed almost unnoticed until the sun's orange light began to creep through the daycare windows. Eri's head started to droop, her eyelids heavy, and she leaned against me with a quiet yawn. I brushed her hair back and whispered, "Alright, little one, I think that's enough studying for today."
You were halfway through showing Eri how to solve one of the problems when your comm buzzed.
It was Dr. Wagner voice clipped, no trace of his usual dry humor.
"Nyxia… come to my lab. Now. And bring Eri. Zalthorion has called for you both."
The line went dead before you could ask anything.
Eri looked up from the workbook, tilting her head. "Is something wrong?"