The day between tournament stages was meant for rest and recovery. Most teams used it to heal injuries, repair equipment, and strategize for the Arcane Arena.
I used it to visit the academy's restricted archives.
Professor Grimoire had given me access as part of my advanced training, and there was something I needed to research—information about Void Cultists and how they'd targeted people close to me in my previous timeline.
If I could identify them early, prevent them from gaining influence, maybe I could avoid the whole situation that had led to me becoming Damien.
The restricted archives were housed in a tower separate from the main library, accessible only through magical wards keyed to authorized personnel. I made my way there after dark, when most students were asleep.
The tower was quiet, lit by floating orbs that cast everything in soft blue light. Shelves stretched up into darkness, filled with texts too dangerous or controversial for general access.
I was searching through records of known cult activities when I felt it—a presence in the shadows, watching me.
"You're very thorough," a voice said from the darkness. Female, low and smooth as silk. "Most people wouldn't think to research cult activities from twenty years ago."
I spun, a spell forming in my hand, and found myself face-to-face with someone I recognized from my previous timeline.
Nyx Shadowveil.
She looked younger than I remembered—nineteen instead of the hardened assassin in her thirties I'd known. Her black hair had purple highlights, and her amber-gold eyes gleamed with predatory intelligence in the dim light.
"Who are you?" I demanded, though I knew exactly who she was.
"Someone with similar interests to yours, apparently." She stepped out of the shadows, moving with the fluid grace of a trained killer. "You're researching Void Cultists. Why?"
"Personal reasons."
"Hmm. Personal reasons." She circled me slowly, assessing. "The vagrant student who everyone's talking about. The one with impossible knowledge and skills he shouldn't possess. The one who convinced an ancient archmage and a Northern duke that the demon invasion is real."
My blood ran cold. "You've been watching me."
"I watch everyone interesting. It's my job." She smiled, showing teeth. "Though you're more interesting than most. Especially after I dug into your background."
"What did you find?"
"Nothing. Literally nothing. Cain Ashford didn't exist before six months ago. No birth records, no family history, no paper trail at all. It's like you materialized out of thin air." She tilted her head. "Which, given your claims about being from another timeline, might actually be true."
This was dangerous. Nyx was brilliant, deadly, and had connections to information networks across the realms. In my previous timeline, she'd been one of my most valuable assets as Damien—until I'd pushed her away like everyone else.
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked. "If you've uncovered my secret, why not report it?"
"Because I find you fascinating. And because..." She moved closer, close enough that I could smell her perfume—something dark and exotic. "I want to know what you're really after. The tournament, the team, the princess and the saint both fawning over you—it's all just means to an end, isn't it? So what's the end, Cain Ashford?"
I could lie. Should lie. But something in her eyes told me she'd see through it.
"I want to save the world," I said simply. "Everything else is just preparation."
"Save the world." She laughed, but there was no mockery in it. "From demons that won't invade for twenty years. From a threat most people don't believe exists. That's either incredibly noble or incredibly insane."
"Can't it be both?"
"I suppose it can." She studied me for a long moment. "In my line of work, I hear things. Whispers about cults and dark rituals, about people who serve powers from beyond our world. Most of it's nonsense, but some..." She pulled out a folder from the shadows—where had she been keeping that?—and handed it to me. "Some of it's real."
I opened the folder. Inside were reports, observations, names. A network of suspected cult members across the Seven Realms, all carefully documented.
"Why give me this?" I asked, stunned.
"Because you're going to need it. And because..." She smiled that predatory smile again. "I'm going to help you."
"Help me? Why would you—"
"Because I've also had dreams. Visions of cities burning, of creatures made of living void. I thought I was going mad." Her expression turned serious. "But then you showed up, talking about demon invasions and dimensional rifts, and suddenly my nightmares made sense."
This was it. The moment Nyx had joined my cause in the previous timeline, though it had happened very differently. Back then, she'd been a mercenary I'd hired. Now, she was volunteering.
"If you help me," I said carefully, "you need to understand what you're signing up for. It's going to be dangerous. We'll make powerful enemies. And I can't promise we'll succeed."
"I don't need promises. I need purpose." She extended her hand. "I'm Nyx Shadowveil. Professional information broker, occasional assassin, and your newest ally. If you'll have me."
I shook her hand, feeling the calluses of someone who'd trained with knives and other close-combat weapons. "Welcome to the team. Though I should warn you—it's getting crowded."
"I heard about your harem-building project. The silver saint and the ice princess. Quite the collection."
"It's not a—" I stopped. "You know what, never mind. Yes, there are others. And there will be more. If that's a problem—"
"It's not a problem. It's smart." She moved past me to the shelves, running her fingers along the spines. "One person can't change the world. But a group of dedicated, powerful individuals working together? That might actually work."
"You sound like you've thought about this."
"I've thought about a lot of things." She pulled out a book and handed it to me. "This is what you were looking for. A comprehensive history of Void Cult activities in the Third Age. Not pleasant reading."
I took the book, noting that it was exactly what I needed. "How did you know?"
"Because I already read it. When I started having the dreams, I did research. Same as you." She leaned against the shelf. "The cultists have been active for decades, working in the shadows, preparing for the demon invasion. They don't want to prevent it—they want to help it succeed."
"I know. In my previous timeline, they targeted everyone close to me. Killed my family." I set the book down. "That's why I need to identify them now. Stop them before they can do the same damage."
"You won't stop them alone. They're too entrenched, too well-connected." Nyx pulled out another folder. "But together, with the right information and the right people? We might have a chance."
"What's in the folder?"
"Names. Locations. Suspected cult safehouses. Everything I've gathered over the past year." She handed it to me. "Consider it a joining gift."
This was more than I'd hoped for. With Nyx's intelligence network and my knowledge of future events, we could actually get ahead of the cultists.
"Thank you," I said sincerely. "This is—"
"Don't thank me yet. There's a price."
Of course there was. "What do you want?"
"I want in. Completely. Whatever you're building—the team, the organization, the grand plan to save the world—I want to be part of it. Not just as an information source, but as a full partner."
"Done. You're in."
She blinked, clearly not expecting it to be that easy. "Just like that?"
"Just like that. I know what you're capable of, Nyx. I've seen it." I caught myself—that was too revealing. "That is, I can see your potential. And I need people I can trust absolutely."
"You trust me? We just met."
"You had information that could destroy me, and instead of using it for leverage, you offered to help. That tells me everything I need to know about your character." I smiled. "Besides, anyone who'd independently research demon invasions because of prophetic dreams is exactly the kind of person I need."
She laughed—genuinely this time, not the predatory sound from before. "You're either very naive or very smart. I haven't figured out which yet."
"Why not both?"
"That seems to be your answer to everything."
We spent the next few hours going through the files, cross-referencing cult activities with my memories of the previous timeline. Several names stood out—people who would become major players in the cult's hierarchy.
"We need to move carefully," Nyx warned. "If we expose them too quickly, the cult will go deeper underground. We need to identify their leadership, their resources, their goals."
"Agreed. This is long-term work."
"Speaking of long-term work..." Nyx's expression turned calculating. "Your tournament team. You're planning to recruit me for it, aren't you?"
"The thought crossed my mind. Though we already have four members."
"The rules allow for reserve members. Besides, the Arcane Arena stage allows for individual showcase matches. I could demonstrate my value there."
She had a point. And having Nyx on the team, even as a reserve, would be invaluable.
"Alright. But you'll need to meet the others first. Particularly Aria and Elara—they'll want to approve any new additions."
"The harem council?" Nyx's eyes glinted with amusement. "This should be interesting."
───
I arranged a meeting the next morning in a private training room. Aria, Elara, and Sera arrived to find Nyx waiting with me.
The reaction was immediate and predictable.
"Who's this?" Aria asked, her tone carefully neutral but her eyes suspicious.
"This is Nyx Shadowveil. She's an information broker and—"
"Assassin," Nyx finished helpfully. "Sometimes. When the job calls for it."
"Wonderful," Elara said dryly. "Another person Cain wants to recruit."
"I can see why you'd be concerned," Nyx said, unfazed by their hostility. "He does seem to collect powerful women at an alarming rate. But I assure you, I'm here for professional reasons. Mostly."
Sera laughed. "I like her. She's got spine."
"Thank you. I like you too. The muscular honesty is refreshing."
"Everyone, calm down," I intervened. "Nyx has information critical to our mission. She's been independently researching the demon threat and has uncovered cult activities that could endanger all of us."
That got their attention. I spent the next half hour explaining what Nyx had found, showing them the files and reports. By the end, even Aria looked grudgingly impressed.
"This is... comprehensive," Elara admitted. "How did you gather all this?"
"I have my methods." Nyx smiled mysteriously. "Let's just say I'm very good at being places I'm not supposed to be and hearing things people don't want me to hear."
"So you're a spy," Aria said.
"Among other things. But right now, I'm a spy who wants to help save the world. That should count for something."
"It does," I said firmly. "And I trust her. But I won't add her to the team officially without your approval. This only works if we're all in agreement."
The three women exchanged looks. Some wordless communication passed between them.
Finally, Aria spoke. "I have questions first. Why now? Why reveal yourself to Cain specifically?"
"Because he's the only person I've met who takes the demon threat seriously. And because..." Nyx hesitated for the first time since I'd met her. "Because I'm tired of working alone. I've spent years gathering information, watching events unfold, knowing something terrible was coming but having no one to share it with. Cain offers a purpose. A team. Something to fight for beyond just survival."
It was the most honest I'd seen her. Aria must have sensed it too, because her expression softened slightly.
"And you're okay with... this?" She gestured vaguely between me, Elara, and herself. "The complicated relationship situation?"
"I'm not joining for romantic reasons," Nyx said. "Though I won't pretend I don't find Cain attractive. Who wouldn't?" She smiled. "But my primary interest is professional. If romance develops naturally, I'm not opposed. But it's not a requirement."
"Fair enough," Elara said. "And you have skills we need. Intelligence gathering, infiltration, information networks—all valuable."
"I vote yes," Sera said. "We need someone who can get us information our enemies don't want us to have."
Aria and Elara looked at each other, then at me.
"Fine," Aria said. "But the same rules apply to her as to everyone else. Honesty, loyalty, no hidden agendas."
"Agreed," Nyx said. "Though I should warn you—my profession involves a lot of secrets. I'll share everything relevant to our mission, but some information I gather needs to stay confidential to protect sources."
"As long as you're not keeping secrets about threats to the team, we can work with that," Elara decided.
And just like that, we had our fifth member.
Nyx fit into the team dynamics surprisingly well. She and Sera bonded over their shared appreciation for direct action. She and Elara engaged in intellectual sparring about tactics and strategy. And she treated Aria with careful respect, recognizing her position as the "first."
But it was her conversation with me, late that night, that revealed why she'd really joined.
"In my dreams," she said quietly, "I saw you. Not as you are now, but older. Harder. Wearing black armor and standing over a burning city." She met my eyes. "You were magnificent and terrible, and I was in love with you. But you never noticed me. You were too consumed by your mission, your burden, your loneliness."
I went cold. "That was Damien. The version of me from the original timeline."
"I know. And I saw how it ended—with you dying alone, everyone you might have loved either dead or turned against you." She smiled sadly. "I don't want that future. For you or for me. So I'm here, now, making sure this timeline goes differently."
"You saw all that in dreams?"
"Visions, dreams, memories that aren't mine—I don't know what to call them. But they felt real." She took my hand. "Promise me something, Cain. Promise you won't become him. No matter how hard things get, no matter how tempting it is to push everyone away to protect them—don't become Damien Blackthorne."
"I promise," I said. "That's the whole point of this. Staying Cain, staying connected, staying human."
"Good." She squeezed my hand, then let go. "Now get some rest. You have an Arcane Arena to conquer tomorrow."
As I lay in bed that night, I thought about Nyx's vision. She'd seen Damien, seen the future I was trying to prevent. And she'd chosen to help me avoid it.
The team was growing. Aria, Elara, Sera, Nyx—all powerful women, all committed to the mission. All beginning to care about each other and about me.
This was what I'd wanted. What I'd needed.
A family built not on fear, but on trust.
And tomorrow, we'd prove to the entire academy just how strong that family was becoming.