Children Of Nyx

The man flew through the air like a broken doll, crashing into the concrete with a deafening boom. The ground cracked beneath him, debris scattering from the impact. His body trembled as he coughed violently, his breath ragged.

"Damn…" He muttered, wiping his mouth only to see crimson smeared across his fingers.

"Blood?" His nose dripped red. His chest heaved. "Fuck… that actually hurt!" he growled, forcing himself to stand despite the pain. His expression twisted into a grin, his cocky demeanor refusing to waver.

He looked at Zion, his voice laced with amusement. "Your Aetheris is quite powerful, huh?"

Zion simply smirked. His cold eyes locked onto the man as he exhaled, his tone calm and cutting. "I didn't use Aetheris."

The man's grin faltered. His fists clenched. His breath came out heavy, uneven. "Don't bullshit me. You actually expect me to believe that?!" His voice rose, frustration creeping in.

Zion didn't respond, only watching.

Scratch.

The man dragged his nails across his neck.

Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.

Zion arched a brow. What the hell is he doing?

The man's breathing grew more erratic. His fingers dug deeper. Skin peeled. Flesh tore.

"Tsk, I don't care if you believe me or not." Zion grinned, as if toying with him. But something felt... off.

The man trembled. His eyes twitched. His nails kept scraping harder, faster until blood started dripping down his neck.

"Fuck!" he suddenly screamed. His voice cracked with rage. "I'M GETTING FUCKING ANNOYED!"

Zion's smirk disappeared. His expression hardened.

What the fuck?

The man's movements turned violent. His fingers dug in deeper, tearing his own skin apart piece by piece.

"Master… this is disturbing," Zion muttered, narrowing his eyes.

A sickening rip echoed in the air. Blood seeped into the cracks of the concrete.

Zion's breath hitched.

What kind of freak

His thoughts were cut short by Zero's sudden voice.

His tone was grim. "This habit… it can't be…?!"

Zion's eyes widened.

"Be careful, Zion," Zero said, his voice sharp and serious. "This is something far worse than you think."

"Fuck my gloves are dirty now!" the man hissed, his expression twisting into something unsettling. It was unnatural like an adult with an erratic, obsessive compulsion.

"Is this guy… Menschen mit besonderen Bedürfnissen?! (a person with special needs?!)" Zion thought, his brows furrowing.

Then, the man yanked off his right glove.

Beneath it, his forearm was laced with dark purple veins, pulsing unnaturally, forming jagged, inhuman patterns. His fingers were lined with small, curved spikes, his nails extending into eerie, sharpened points.

"What the hell is that?!" Zion's eyes widened.

Memories clicked in his head.

"Earlier, when he punched me… I felt something strange tiny ridges… So that's what it was."

He stole a glance at Zero. His master, usually unreadable, now wore a grim expression one that only deepened the more he observed the man before them.

"Master looks worried… No, more than that. He's shaken."

Then

The man tilted his head at an unnatural angle, eyes narrowing.

"Fucker, you're GONE."

His voice carried an unsettling rage, one that simmered beneath the surface but threatened to explode at any moment. He stepped forward, muscles tensed, pain ignored, his intent to kill growing thicker in the air.

Zion instinctively shifted his stance, still wearing his usual cocky smirk.

Before the fight could resume

A new presence emerged.

From the sleek black car, a woman stepped out.

She was dressed in a crisp black office suit, a matching skirt swaying slightly as she walked. Her long ponytail cascaded down her back, black-rimmed glasses resting on her sharp, serious features.

She barely spared Zion a glance before focusing on the man.

"Hai. Here."

Her voice was cold, almost mechanical.

The man Hai snapped his head toward her. She tossed a fresh pair of black gloves his way. Mid-air, his panic became visible he lunged forward, swiftly swapping out his current gloves for the new ones.

"Hurry up. The boss is waiting."

Her tone remained icy, her authority unquestionable.

Hai, now fully composed, ignored Zion completely as if he never existed in the first place. He casually adjusted his black suit, fixing his cuffs with a deliberate, precise motion.

But just as he reached the car

He paused.

Turning his head, his gaze met Zion's one last time.

In that instant, the air froze.

A wave of killing intent crashed down upon Zion like a suffocating tidal wave cold, dark, absolute.

Then, Hai spoke.

"This isn't over. As one of the Children of Nyx… I won't stop until I kill you."

Zion's breath caught in his throat.

A shiver crawled up his spine, his body reacting on instinct. He stood still, expression unreadable—but inside, his mind was racing.

"That bloodlust what the fuck was that?!"

"And what the hell is 'Children of Nyx'?!"

His fingers twitched. He could still feel Hai's presence, even as the man entered the car.

The vehicle pulled away, the darkness of the night swallowing it whole.

A heavy silence settled.

Then

Zero exhaled. But it wasn't relief.

It was dread.

"No… No, no, no… Don't tell me—"

Zion turned toward him, catching the subtle tremor in his master's voice.

"Master? What's wrong?"

Zero's expression darkened. His voice was low, almost a whisper.

"…They're back."

Zion's stomach dropped.

"Wait. Who's back?"

Zero's gaze remained distant, lost in memories too heavy to speak of.

Finally, he answered.

"Nyx."

Zion's confusion only grew. "Who the hell is Nyx?"

Zero didn't reply immediately. He turned away, gripping his coat, voice barely above a whisper.

"You'll find out soon enough."

"Masters are hiding something... I can feel it. But it doesn't matter I'll know soon enough."

Zion's intense gaze remained fixed on Zero, even as twenty long minutes ticked by since the Children of Nyx had vanished. Soon after, the authorities arrived, their presence marking yet another turning point in his tumultuous journey.

After that chaotic encounter, Zion finally made his way home, his name now whispered among those who'd witnessed the night's events. Yet, as he settled into his nightly routine just like any other human rest still eluded him. Lying in bed, his mind refused to quiet.

"Nyx..." he murmured into the darkness, the name echoing in his thoughts. It sounded so familiar, yet its meaning slipped through his grasp. He strained to remember, to piece together fragments of a memory, but the harder he tried, the more elusive it became.

Exhaustion finally overcame his restless mind, and his eyes fluttered closed, leaving the mystery of Nyx to haunt his dreams until morning.