Nyx's feet shuffled through the dim tunnels, his steps almost mechanical. His mind was a thousand miles away, lost in the turmoil of the events that had unfolded. The disgust was still crawling under his skin, gnawing at him. The cries of the woman, the sickening thuds of the corrupt men, the way the Underground had shifted into something unrecognizable, into something far worse than he'd imagined. He couldn't escape the feeling that something inside him had changed, something irreversible.
His stomach churned as he thought about it, but he couldn't even bring himself to puke. The nausea was deep, like a weight pressing on his chest, but it was also... numb. Was that what it felt like to lose hope? To have your world crash down around you and become nothing more than a cruel, cold joke?
The air above ground felt fresher, if only for the contrast. He had wandered for hours, just walking through the streets, trying to shake off the darkness of the underground. His feet had carried him without a destination in mind, lost in thought. The world above seemed almost unreal, the normal hustle of life around him, the people still doing their daily routines, not a care in the world. But he couldn't feel any part of it. Not now.
After what felt like days, Nyx found himself at the edge of his old neighborhood. It was a part of the city he used to know so well, a place he could almost call home. His hands, now stiff and shaking, reached for the gate that separated his apartment complex from the outside world. The familiar gate creaked as it opened, and Nyx stepped into the ruins of his once ordinary life.
The place was a mess.
The apartment complex that had stood as a symbol of a past that Nyx had long ago resigned himself to was now reduced to rubble. Concrete pillars had been shattered, windows were broken, and the charred remains of what used to be his front door lay crumpled in a heap. Smoke still hung in the air, a faint, acrid scent of something burning. In the distance, he could hear the fading sounds of a battle. Something powerful had ravaged his home.
He couldn't help but stand there for a moment, stunned, staring at the devastation. His heart twisted in his chest. He thought of his mother, of his father. But there was no sign of either of them, no trace left in the wreckage. Were they okay? Or had they been caught in the crossfire of whatever had happened here?
The faint sounds of the battle continued. Was it a hero? Some kind of "superhero" taking down a monster, as he'd heard about in the news? It didn't make sense. He thought about the military's patrols, about the orders, the way they moved in packs to clean up what the heroes and the system couldn't manage. But there was no trace of any of them here.
He let out a long breath, a slow exhale, before walking closer to the ruins. His boots crunched against broken glass, shards from the windows that once gleamed with pride. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but the feeling of standing in the wreckage of his home was... unsettling. The weight of it was crushing, but it was nothing new. It was the same weight he carried with him every day, just another part of his life that felt as broken as everything else.
Without thinking, he pulled out his phone and called the insurance company. He didn't know what good it would do, but he didn't have any other ideas.
A robotic voice answered after a few seconds.
"Thank you for calling. Please state the nature of your claim."
"I... I'm calling about a-" Nyx paused, glancing around the destruction, trying to make sense of it. "A disaster. A building collapse. My home's gone. It's... it's destroyed. My name's Nyx Caelum. It's the apartment on 79th street."
"Understood. Please provide your policy number."
"Uh... yeah, it's... 089-5542-1123."
A short pause, then the voice on the other end returned.
"I'm sorry, sir. Your claim is ineligible under current terms. We cannot provide compensation for-"
"Yeah, yeah. I know." Nyx sighed, feeling a bitter chuckle rise up his throat. "Whatever. Thanks."
He hung up. It was pointless. He didn't expect anything else. What was he supposed to do now? Sit there and mourn the pieces of a life that no longer existed? No, he wouldn't. He couldn't.
As he turned to leave, his eyes caught something in the debris a flyer, clinging to a broken streetlight, fluttering in the wind. He walked over and grabbed it.
It was an advertisement. A job offer.
Wanted: Skilled Individuals for Forest Expedition
A Special Assignment Cave Retrieval Operation.
High Pay and Rewards for the Right Candidate.
"Details: Search for rare artifacts deep in the forest caves. Dangerous conditions. Must be willing to work in extreme environments. Apply at the local headquarters for more information."
The words caught Nyx's attention. It wasn't much, but at that moment, it felt like a lifeline. High pay, a chance to get away from the broken wreckage of his life whatever it was, it couldn't be worse than staying in this city.
He stuffed the flyer into his pocket and walked out of the ruins, his steps faster now, as if there was suddenly something to look forward to. He had no idea what the mission was about, or what he would find in those caves, but it had to be better than nothing.