Morning had arrived.
The night, frigid and unwarming, layered by echoes of fear and disorientation, managed to pass without much of a disturbance to speak of. Trickles of light filtered through broken gaps in the roof above, golden beams illuminating the interior as the dust floating around the room glistened from its glow.
So much energy had been spent the night before — not just by Nyx, but the entire group — that the sun was already decently high in the sky, just creeping out over the canyon wall and shining down on the sunken city below.
Carefully, he raised his back off against the wall he rested on, neck aching in pain as a result of the stern backboard he so effortlessly managed to rest upon. Compared to the bed in his dorm, a dusty, slightly charred and tattered stretch of plank was far from the most comfortable option. Still, it wasn't like he had much of a choice.
His wounds still came with a minor seething grip, though notably felt dampened, especially when compared to the agonizing tug that threatened to pull him asunder just a few hours prior. His arm was still bandaged; tinted red, though tight as ever, already starting to feel the holes mend beneath the fibers.
Similarly, the gash in his cheek had already dried, beginnings of a scar creeping and growing to clench the wound shut. It was only a matter of time.
Silas slept close by, cloth sheet loosely covering his body as short and calming breaths rhythmically came in short waves. Somewhere amidst the dead of night, Nyx had lost all possession of the blanket, now only covering the still-slumbering boy.
He smiled.
The events prior had been so chaotic that Nyx never managed to dwell on it for long... but he was glad Silas was alive. No matter how foreign and volatile their circumstances had been thus far, Silas always had a strange warmth to him. To Nyx, he was a sense of familiarity and kindness in a now unknown and hostile world. A treasure. A brother he'd protect, no matter the cost.
This odd, fleeting sense of bliss came to pass, however. A new feeling started to take over; that of dread. Today was the day the group would decide... to follow Rei towards the end of the canyon, or try to ascend, hoping that reinforcements would be soon to arrive.
Nyx no longer knew which side was correct. Which side was right. It's true that the Phantoms are their best and possibly only chance at survival, but at the same time, Nyx agreed with Seren's judgement: The Phantoms left them for a reason. The Terrors that remained and assaulted the city are likely nothing in comparison to what was at the nest. If it was something even Omicron struggled to handle.... Nyx could understand.
The cadets were simply no longer a priority.
His eyes paced around the room, glaring over the still-sleeping survivors he was stranded with. Acher was practically completely towards the opposite end of the building, calmly resting against a few piled crates lining the wall. Inside his heart, he felt grateful to him. He felt like he owed him, and knew he'd be sure to repay it. And yet, with gratitude came an underlying stench of envy. Acher was able to do the one thing Nyx had so desperately wanted.... yet failed to achieve.
His heart ached — stung with self-doubt and pity and reflection like the thorn of a rose pricking into his skin. Acher had suddenly become an idol. A rival. Nyx wasn't sure which it truly was. Joy or dissatisfaction… he hated these emotions.
Not wishing to dwell on those thoughts much longer, his eyes swept to where the two nameless cadets slept in relative darkness underneath a small wooden canopy built overhead. He didn't know their stories, how they survived, or how they're feeling about their current situation. Still, it comforted him knowing there were others like himself — those who weren't inherently special. Those who survived purely from luck rather than skill, saved by people who far exceeded their own abilities. Ordinary cadets which still lived on because they didn't want to die. Nyx respected them for that.
Last but not least, his eyes landed on Rei and Seren, still with them in their respective positions within the building.... or at least, that's what he hoped.
On the contrary, both were nowhere to be found. Rei and Seren were gone.
He didn't waste any time in confirming his observation, hastily coming to a stand and quickly scanning over every crevice and corner of the building, only to no avail. Evidently, they had left.
Nyx's mind immediately jumped to the worst conclusions; Perhaps Rei had left in the middle of the night and Seren went to stop her. Maybe they both grew detached and left simultaneously. Maybe a Terror was nearby, and they went to try and fend it off.
His own heart would collapse with every new story he made up in his mind. With a quick nervousness in his step, he bolted through the rummaged halls and toward the front edge of the building, noting the wooden barring they had placed over the door lumped to the side, the aforementioned ever-so-slightly held open by a stone locked at its base.
His hand gripped the rusted metal latch, holding firm for a few moments as he tried to calm his own nerves. He clenched his eyes. Loosened his hold. He let out a shallow gulp through his throat before he pulled and stepped beyond the crooked threshold.
As the light touched his skin, a tremendous wave of near-relief lingered throughout his body. Never before had heat been so appealing to him — letting its warmth embrace and flounder over every part that kept its face to the sky. If it weren't for the two missing cadets, he probably would've stayed in that moment a while longer. Deep down, he knew he wanted to.
Regardless, he fought his own instincts and carefully peered around the nearby scenery. The road, being fractured and almost completely useless in terms of navigation, almost naturally led him to try and seek higher ground.
The building the group had rested in was still close to the canyon wall, placed atop a minor plateau that stretched out for only a while further. Even then, the ground was scarred and fractured, uneven enough to place the structure within a small divot surrounded on all sides by wrecked buildings, jutting cliffs, endless slopes and tossed rubble for good measure. By all means, claustrophobic would be an understatement.
From what Nyx could tell from looking out during their descent, that truth only seemed to get more realized further into the canyon. If anything, it was lucky enough that their shelter was even still in one piece in comparison.
He shook off the thought, shifting his way towards a small grouping of thrown rubble and stone that progressively climbed towards the top of the safehouse. The ruined edge of a nearby wall slightly turned outwards, forming a dusted and creaking overhang of charred wood and splinters, the groaning so intense Nyx almost felt unsafe walking under it.
Once he reached the end, he was almost thrilled to see an open surface in the form of a small balcony — no longer feeling the almost choking enclosure of the streets below. The view opened up, just wide enough, to be able to see the firm leg of the canyon...
...And much to his pleasant surprise, Rei and Seren were already taking in the view. Immediately, he let out a breath of sweet relief. Those demoralizing thoughts fell from his mind. He relaxed.
"You're awake," Rei spoke softly, slightly crouched to the side as her eyes pierced into Nyx's head.
"What're you doing up here?" Nyx murmured, blocking out the aggressive sun with whatever his arm could spare him from. "Isn't it dangerous?"
She shook her head. "The canyon edge is to our back, and we're slightly higher off the ground compared to what's around us. Roughly, we should be fine."
"-More importantly," Seren interjected, glaring at Nyx just as he came to their side, "we have good news."
Nyx sighed. "Define 'good.'"
"Great." Seren pointed down the length of the valley, noting a rather softened incline on the opposite side of the cliff. "From what we can tell, that's the closest and easiest way out. Chances are that it's our only shot."
His eyes widened. "So... you two have decided then? We're ascending?"
A brief pause fell over them. Nyx could visibly see both tense as he spoke, though Rei was quick to break the silence: "No. But we've come to an agreement."
"That incline is already a decent way down the valley," Seren chimed in, "so that's where we'll be heading regardless. Once there... then we can make up our minds."
Nyx basically frothed with satisfaction.
It still wasn't the best outcome he could've hoped for, though he was glad this wasn't the day he'd have to make a decision that could lead to life or death's door. They'd all, at least for the time being, make that journey together — and even from a distance he could tell it wouldn't be a kind one.
So many minor cliffs and crevices, hills and cracks lined every part of the ground before them, even being able to note a rather sizable divot of earth that buckled like a ravine into depths unknown. It practically split the ground they walked into two separate halves.
He was sure that it alone would be enough to delay their arrival by a substantial amount. In truth, he didn't know if that was a blessing or a curse.
Rei gave a slight frown. "We can stick together- for now. If you prove to slow me down in any way, or go against my word, I won't hesitate to set off on my own. I won't stop for anything when survival is on the line."
"I understand." Nyx muttered. Seren only gave a vague nod.
"Our way through the sunken city should be easy enough, just slow and tedious. Once we reach the fields, it practically flips."
Nyx assumed as much himself. The city was undeniably a mess and a maze, though at the very least they could find shelter and cover. They could stay hidden. Beyond the city limits, however, appeared to be nothing but a dry, empty field of dust, rocks, hills and cliffs, dead trees scattered across it's plain as if to exemplify its hostility.
And, of course, the ravine.
Out there, there was practically nowhere to hide. Nowhere to run. The only shelter they'd get would be the occasional cavern or wall of a cliff, and not much else to speak of.
Even Nyx knew that, once they reach the city's edge, their best strategy would be to make it across all at once — no stops, no rest, no hiding.
A quick glance towards both Rei and Seren, and Nyx could tell they were similarly dreading such a time. Anyone sane would feel the same, after all.
"Come on," Seren blurted, whipping his body around and slowly pacing back towards the passage, "Let's wake the others. We don't have time to lose."
Rei lingered her sight a little while longer out on the canyon before her eyes clenched onto Nyx's. She squinted, as if there was a hidden meaning behind her gaze, though Nyx was unable to decipher it. Silently, she followed Seren, shortly after Nyx doing the same, just as the sun started to reach its climax in the sky above.
He wasn't sure if he was ready. He wasn't sure if any of them were. Still, he knew what was at stake. He knew he didn't have a choice. He knew he wasn't special.
With whatever power he could use, he was determined to survive. He was determined to live. He wanted to survive the journey to come just as it began.
He knew he would survive. No matter the cost. No matter the sacrifices. No matter the pain.