Crying

I've woken up staring at the sky so many times, it almost feels natural now. The clouds drift like they're used to me watching. But today, the dust clings to the air, blending in, twisting around like it belongs there.

"Wait... the sky?" The realization hit me like a cold slap. "I clearly remember passing out inside that observatory. Why am I outside?"

I tried to stand, my limbs aching—a painful reminder of what happened earlier. The world around me was a mess. Broken stones and shattered marble statues littered the ground. Pillars jutted out of the dirt like broken bones. The air was thick with dust, making everything feel surreal.

Flashbacks of being trapped under debris flooded my mind. The hopelessness, the fear—they clung to me, lingering like a shadow. But this time, at least, I wasn't buried beneath the rubble.

"You should really stop doing that," Nyx spoke inside my head.

I'd experienced this before, but it still felt unnatural—like having a thought that wasn't mine, an intrusive whisper curling through my mind. It was unsettling in a way that I would never get used to.

"You know, passing out before everything is finished?" Her voice was laced with amusement, but there was something else beneath it. A tightness. Like she was trying to stay calm.

"You should really know your limit, girl," Nyx added. Her words echoed in my mind, sharp and unrelenting, like a parent disappointed in their child.

I rolled my eyes; I wasn't about to accept this kind of scolding from a god trespassing inside my body. "Well, sorry for having human limitations. I'm not some all-powerful god," I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

Nyx didn't answer right away.

Her silence made my heart beat faster. It wasn't like her. The quiet was heavy, pressing down on me like something was wrong.

But I couldn't just back down. "What's the problem? We're safe, right? Nothing bad happened, right?" My words came out sharper than I intended, like I was trying to convince myself as much as her.

"Do you know how hard it is to escape a building falling out of the sky?" Nyx snapped, her frustration seeping through. "It was not easy."

Her voice lingered in my mind, the weight of her words sinking in. I hadn't really thought about it, but—how did we survive that?

"What do you mean not easy? You would've probably done it with no problem at all," I argued, my lingering fear twisting into frustration. "You're a god, Nyx. Isn't impossible supposed to mean nothing to you?"

"That's the thing, Ariane! I'm a god—your body is not," Nyx shouted inside my head, sending a sharp migraine crashing through my skull. "You left me with nothing—no mist, no energy, no power! I had to escape that place as a normal human!"

The words pounded in my head.

"I almost used up all of my energy to save you," she continued, her voice heavy with exhaustion. "Every ounce of power I had left went into getting you—us—out of that nightmare."

She hesitated. Then, softer, "I almost disappeared."

That stopped me.

For a moment, I just stood there, my breath catching in my throat. I wasn't sure how death worked for a god, but the way she said it—like she had come this close to losing everything—it sent a shiver through me.

I lowered my head. The guilt settled deep in my chest. "I'm sorry, okay?" I sighed. "I didn't realize how much it took. I'll do better next time—promise."

It felt weak, like an empty reassurance, but it was all I could give her. Nyx had risked everything to save us. And whether I liked it or not, I was still alive because of her.

"Are you getting overconfident right now?" Nyx's voice cut through my thoughts, sharp and biting. "Feeling powerful, huh?"

She let the words hang, her presence pressing down on me.

I didn't answer, and she took that silence as permission to keep going.

"Well, you're not," she said, her tone dripping with disdain. "Just because you keep surviving doesn't mean you're unstoppable. You're still fragile—still human. Don't forget that."

Something inside me snapped.

"But did I even ask for any of that power?" I shot back, my frustration bubbling to the surface. "Last time I checked, I didn't ask for any of this! And did I volunteer to be possessed by you? I don't think so! I'm pretty sure I didn't sign up for that either."

I could feel my voice waver slightly, but I couldn't stop now. "I was just a normal girl before all of this! The blood, the violence—I don't know anything about that!"

The tears burned hot down my face. "So why are you acting like I'm supposed to be grateful? Like I wanted any part of it? I never had a choice, Nyx. You're the one who forced yourself into my life. So don't stand there and act like I owe you for it."

I waited for Nyx's reply, I could feel my chest getting tighter with each passing second. The silence wasn't comforting at all — it was like she had just left, the equivalent of someone walking out the door. I braced myself, waiting for another wave of condescending remarks.

But there was nothing.

The emptiness lingered, like a void where her presence should be.

"Silent treatment then? Real mature, Nyx," I muttered, the bitterness in my voice barely masking the uneasy feeling creeping up my spine. It wasn't like her to stay quiet — not after everything.

I began to get ready for the journey back to the warehouse, tidying myself, brushing off the dust, and trying to steady myself as best as I could. The soreness in my body was relentless, every muscle aching from the ordeal. But I needed to push through. Every step felt heavier, the weight of everything that had happened pressing down on me.

As I moved through the rubble, I picked up anything that might come in handy later —a torn piece of cloth to wrap around my hands, a rusted metal rod, and a pouch of strange, silver coins that had been scattered among the debris. I wasn't sure if they'd be of any use, but leaving them behind felt wrong.

I was just about done and ready to leave when a sinking realization hit me.

The necklace.

After everything — the fight, the destruction — I still didn't have the one thing I came here for. My heart pounded as my eyes darted around the wreckage, searching desperately for any sign of it. Maybe it had been flung somewhere in the chaos. Maybe Nyx had managed to grab it without me noticing.

I quickly patted down my pockets, hope flickering for a brief moment. But there was nothing.

"Of course," I muttered under my breath, the frustration knotting in my chest. After all that, I still didn't have the necklace.

Since returning without the necklace seemed pointless right now, I began to search for it. My eyes scanned the wreckage, but the thick dust in the air wasn't going to make it easy. It was hard to see more than a few feet in front of me, and every movement sent clouds swirling around my feet.

I kicked aside chunks of debris, hoping for even the slightest glint of silver. My hands were already smeared with dirt and grime, but I didn't care. The necklace had to be here somewhere. It couldn't have just disappeared.

Nyx remained silent the entire time — no clues, no snide remarks, not a single word. I wasn't sure if her absence made things better or worse. But at least, for the first time in days, my head was clear. No intrusive thoughts. No whispers. Just silence.

But I couldn't lose focus. The necklace was here somewhere, and I wasn't leaving without it.

I wasn't having any luck finding it. Every overturned stone and scattered piece of debris only deepened my frustration. I had been searching for a while when a sound cut through the unsettling silence — a sound that made my stomach drop.

It was faint at first, almost easy to dismiss, but then it grew louder, clearer. The sound of a crying baby.

That sound made me really worried. I haven't felt any form of power since Nyx went silent, and without her presence, I felt weak, exposed — vulnerable. I don't like it, but I'm starting to rely more and more on Nyx's powers. If that cry belongs to the god of time and space, there's no way I would stand a chance without Nyx.

My body is already about to reach its limit, every muscle screaming in protest. If that baby comes and decides to attack me in this sorry state, I would lose ten times out of ten. And the worst part? I don't think anyone will be able to save me.

I grabbed my axe, its blade chipped in multiple places, but still — better than nothing, right? The handle felt rough now, splintered in multiple places; it was no longer the same polished wood. It wasn't much, but it gave me a little bit of comfort. It was something familiar, something to make me feel less defenseless.

I searched for the baby, moving carefully through the rubble. The dust made it hard for me to see anything, but the sound of the crying that echoed through the wreckage guided me. My heart pounded with fear at each muffled cry. It felt unnatural in this place, making the ruins even more unsettling than before. I focused, trying to pinpoint where exactly it was coming from.

And when I found it, I was quite terrified — the sound was coming from under a huge pile of rocks. The cries were muffled, barely escaping through the cracks, and the thought of something or someone trapped beneath all that weight sent a chill down my spine.

Should I try to dig him out? It felt dangerous though — what if he attacked the moment he was free? But the cries didn't feel dangerous; if anything, they sounded helpless. Desperate, maybe? I wasn't sure.

But if it really was the same god, why was he stuck under this pile of rocks? Something wasn't right. He was the most powerful one I'd faced so far — definitely strong enough to escape from here. And as far as I can remember, he was wounded, right? So… was this a different baby?

I started removing the pile of rocks, and it took a really long time without Nyx's powers. Every stone I lifted made my muscles ache, the soreness from earlier creeping back. My hands were scraped and covered in dirt, but I pushed through, determined to reach whatever was trapped beneath.

I was drenched in sweat by the time I reached the baby, and it was the same one from before. But this time, it didn't feel dangerous at all. What caught my attention the most was the necklace, still around the infant's neck. It was glowing — the same way the God of Time and Space's eyes had glowed. But it was weaker, faint, like an eerie light pulsing, trying to escape from the center. Then I noticed a shimmering energy surrounding the baby, like a force field preventing the rocks and debris from crushing it.

The next thing I noticed was the dagger piercing its chest — the one my copy had used earlier. I didn't know how long I'd been passed out, but what I was sure of was that it took me a while to find it. And with that much time, I'm pretty sure this baby should be dead by now. Well a baby should be dead right now.

Then I noticed a shimmer of energy surrounding the wound. It felt different from the energy keeping the debris from crushing the baby — this one was stronger. Maybe the first one controlled space, while this one controlled time. Either way, it was preventing the wound from getting worse, holding it in a state of limbo.

The blood was barely moving — flowing at what seemed to be 1/1000 of its natural speed. It was as if time itself was keeping it in its current state, the injury frozen in a moment that refused to pass.

But given how deep the wound was, it looked incredibly dangerous. The energy was just delaying the inevitable unless I did something. I extended my arms toward it and tried to channel Nyx's power, hoping for a sliver or even a flicker of her strength. But she was being stubborn, refusing to lend me any.

"Hey! Can you help out?" I called out in frustration, though I wasn't even sure if she was listening. But luckily she was.

"Why would I do that?" Nyx's voice echoed in my mind, dripping with disdain. "Why would I care if that thing died?"

"Uh, because it's a baby?" I snapped back, the words spilling out before I could think. "I don't know how your godly world works, but here? We don't just let babies die."

"So?" Her voice was cold, dripping with the kind of indifference only an immortal could achieve. "What does that have to do with me?"

"Can you just help?" I shot back, frustration bubbling beneath my words. "Or is basic decency too much to ask from a god?"

"What basic decency?" Nyx sneered, her voice echoing in my mind. "That thing tried to kill us — or did you already forget that part?"

"Can you just stop being a bitch?" I snapped back. "Does this thing look like an all-powerful god to you? Because all I see is a helpless baby with a dagger stuck in its chest!"

"Tsk. You're too kind," Nyx replied with disdain. "Not exactly the ideal host for a goddess like me."

"Well, you're stuck with me," I shot back . "So maybe just try and cooperate, please?"

tsk, as a familiar flow through me i close my eyes

"Tsk," she replied, as a familiar sensation surged through me.

I closed my eyes, focusing on the image of the black mist flowing from my hands toward the wound. The energy responded, slithering like smoke, dark and unsteady. When I opened my eyes, the mist was already gathering around the baby's injury, swirling in a rhythmic pulse.

Without wasting another second, I wrapped my fingers around the handle of the dagger. The metal felt cold and heavy, like it belonged nowhere near a child. Taking a deep breath, I began to pull.

I was healing the wound as I slowly pulled the dagger, the black mist seeping deeper into the injury, trying to mend what it could. The baby's cries grew louder with every inch I removed, the sound echoing through the ruins.

It made my chest tighten. Every wail was like a beacon, a call to whatever monsters might still be lurking nearby. The thought of something attacking us while I was busy trying to fix up the child sent a wave of panic through me. But I couldn't stop. Not now. I just had to be quick — and hope nothing found us first.

Thankfully, nothing came. The ruins remained eerily quiet, with only the baby's cries echoing in the distance. I managed to pull the dagger clear, the sharp sound of metal leaving flesh sending a shiver down my spine.

I didn't waste any time. I focused, pouring whatever remained of Nyx's energy into the wound. The black mist pulsed and shifted, knitting the torn flesh together. It was exhausting, like every ounce of strength I had was flowing into the baby. But eventually, it was done.

The once-agonizing injury was nothing more than a faint scar, and the baby's cries softened. Its tiny chest rose and fell steadily, peaceful for the first time. It was a stark contrast to earlier when those glowing eyes radiated malice, and chunks of debris flew around like weapons. Now, it was just... a baby. Small, innocent, and helpless.

"Are you done?" Nyx asked impatiently, her voice ringing through my head like an annoying echo.

I could practically feel her tapping her foot, if she even had one in whatever form she existed in. But I ignored her, still watching the baby. Its breathing had steadied, the faint glow from the necklace dimming even further.

"Yeah," I mumbled, wiping the sweat from my forehead. "I'm done."

Nyx went silent, and I could feel the energy leaving my body. The exhaustion hit almost instantly, making my legs shake as I tumbled over. Every ounce of strength disappeared, leaving me painfully aware of how weak and human I really was. The feeling of not being human these past days? Totally not true.

I took a deep breath, trying to catch my breath. I looked at the baby, still lying there with no sign of the energy that had surrounded it earlier. The faint glow of the necklace was nowhere to be seen.

"That's good, I guess," I muttered, rubbing my temples. "Now what?"

First things first — the necklace. I reached out to grab it, but an unseen force, the same one from earlier, stopped my hand from getting any closer.

It wasn't like I planned on leaving the baby here after taking the necklace, but now it was obvious — the necklace goes where the baby goes. It seemed the necklace had taken a liking to the baby.

I made a makeshift sling to carry the baby using my jacket and backpack, adjusting it carefully to keep the baby secure. It wasn't the most comfortable setup, but it would do for now.

With the baby snug against me, I took a deep breath and steadied myself. My body still ached from everything that happened, but there was no time to dwell on it. I had to get back to the warehouse.