The Grimoire of the Night’s Children

The next morning, Anya and Zephyr woke up in each other's arms. They exchanged awkward glances before quickly moving apart, laughing it off to diffuse the awkwardness.

Anya grabbed her teddy and stood up from the bed. "Thanks for letting me stay the night," she said.

Zephyr smiled. "No problem." As soon as she left the room, Zephyr glanced down and realized he had a boner. Embarrassed, he quickly covered himself with the blanket and collapsed back onto the bed, groaning in shame.

Stepping out of Zephyr's room, Anya bumped into Damien, who was sipping on a cup of blood. Flustered, she immediately spoke, "Nothing happened!"

Damien raised an eyebrow, completely unbothered. "I didn't ask."

Anya ran her hand through her hair, muttering, "I, uh... I've got to go." She hurried off, leaving Damien to shake his head and smirk as he watched her leave.

Later that afternoon, Kai gathered everyone for a meeting. He dropped a large, dusty book in the center of the table with a heavy thud. Damien eyed the book curiously. "What's that?" he asked.

Kai leaned back, crossing his arms. "The grimoire of the Night's Children."

Anya's expression twisted in mild disgust. "That sounds... unsettling. What's it about?"

Kai smirked. "This book has everything we need to know about a Nyx. Its origins, abilities, history, prophecies... everything."

Zephyr, looking intrigued, asked, "Where did you even get this?"

Kai shrugged. "Doesn't matter. All you need to know is that it wasn't easy, blood was spilled too."

Anya wrinkled her nose in revulsion. "I'm sure there were other ways to take the book but you chose violence instead."

Kai gave her a look. "You don't have to like my methods, Anya. But at least I'm doing something."

Damien sighed, cutting in. "Alright, enough. Let's get to it. What does the book say about a Nyx's abilities?"

Kai flipped through the pages, skimming the contents before speaking. "The Nyx have a number of powerful abilities. They can see the future—precognition. They can heal others, sometimes even themselves. They can control vampires and other supernatural beings. But they also have weaknesses."

Anya leaned forward, she was intrigued. "What kind of weaknesses?"

Kai continued, "A Nyx's powers are connected to the night and the shadows. But if a supernatural creature bites you—like a vampire, werewolf, or vrykolakas—you lose everything. Your connection to the shadows gets disrupted, and your powers disappear."

Anya furrowed her brow. "So, if one of your enemies bites me, I'd just be... human again?"

Kai nodded. "Exactly. You'd lose all your abilities."

Anya crossed her arms, deep in thought. "That's... terrifying. Is there a way to stop it from happening?"

Kai flipped another page. "Not that I've found yet. But we'll keep looking. There has to be a way to counteract it."

Anya continued. "And what about the origins of the Nyx? How did we even come to exist?"

Kai paused, reading a section of the grimoire. "The Nyx were created by a higher power. They're a bridge between the supernatural and the mortal world. Think of them as protectors of the balance. Your powers are meant to maintain that balance."

Anya's curiosity deepened. "What about the prophecies? Are there any predictions about me?"

Kai scanned the pages. "There's mention of a Nyx who will rise during a time of great unrest. A war between supernatural factions. It says this Nyx—likely you—will have to choose sides, and that decision will determine the future of both worlds."

Anya leaned forward. "Is there any indication of which side I'm supposed to choose?"

Kai shook his head. "The prophecy doesn't say. It's vague, as usual. But what's clear is that you'll have a major role in whatever's coming, Anya."

Anya's mind raced with questions. "So, what if I don't embrace these powers? What happens then?"

Kai's voice grew serious. "If you don't... the supernatural world will fall into chaos. And based on what I've read... a lot of people—including us—will die."

Anya swallowed hard, recalling the nightmare from the night before. "I think... I'm starting to understand."

Anya's face went pale. "This... this is just like in my dream."

Damien, noticing the shift in her demeanor, asked, "What dreams?" His voice laced with concern.

Anya swallowed hard, remembering the vivid details. "Crimson Estate was on fire, and you... Kai... Zephyr, you were all burning alive."

Her words gave the brothers an unsettling feeling. Zephyr and Damien exchanged a worried glance, while Kai's face grew more serious.

Anya continued, her voice trembling slightly, "My future self was there. She told me that if I don't embrace my true nature, that'll be your fate."

Kai locked eyes with her. "I hope you're ready for what's coming, Anya."

She nodded firmly. "I am. I don't want that dream to become reality."

Kai seemed satisfied with her resolve. "Good." He clasped his hands together. "I'll be back later," he said, getting up and leaving the room without another word.

Damien, as if needing to escape the awkwardness in the room, muttered something under his breath and headed inside, pulling out a cigarette.

Now, only Zephyr and Anya remained in the living room. There was an awkward silence between them.

Zephyr finally broke it. "About last night…"

Anya cut him off, waving it away. "Forget about last night, Zephyr. I was scared, that's all." She offered him a reassuring smile. "And don't worry, I won't catch feelings. You don't have to stress about that."

Zephyr opened his mouth as if he wanted to speak, but Anya leaned in and gave him a light peck on the cheek. "Really, it's fine," she added, before leaving the room.

Unknowingly to them, Damien had overheard the exchange. He wandered back to Zephyr and with a smirk, asked, "Brother, when was the last time you got laid?"

Zephyr glared at him, but Damien just chuckled and shook his head.

Moments later, Damien found Anya in the hallway. "Just a heads up," he began, "you'll be home alone tonight. I don't know when Kai's coming back, but for now, it's just you."

Anya raised an eyebrow. "Where are you guys going?"

Zephyr joined them with a grin on his face. "We're going to get fucked."

Anya scoffed and shook her head. "Classy," she muttered sarcastically. "Have fun, I guess."

Later that night, Anya made sure all the doors were locked before heading to bed. She tried to fall asleep, but strange, disturbing noises echoed through the house. It sounded like someone was... slurping something. The eerie sound grew louder, making her worried.

At first, she dismissed it—telling herself she was alone and imagining things. But when the noise became impossible to ignore, she grabbed her torch and reluctantly decided to investigate.

With each step toward the source of the noise, her heartbeat quickened. The sound seemed to come from an empty room, one she hadn't noticed before. Swallowing her fear, she slowly pushed open the door.

Her torch slipped from her hand, clattering to the floor, and she screamed from her throat at the sight before her.