A faint, almost unnoticeable tremor crept from the tips of Nyx's fingers and toes before moving towards her chest. After reaching her core, the mysterious energy slowing its absorption of the dark and ice essences, the chilling sensation crawled up her spine and settled at the base of her skull as an image appeared in her mind.

"You!"

Nyx's voice, ice-cold, reverberated off the walls as well as in the heads of all those nearby. At the same time, Memories of her last encounter with her former Master in Welshmar rapidly faded into those of the more distant past. However, Nyx's reminiscence didn't last long as she inhaled a deep breath through her nostrils and organised her thoughts.

A single idea erupted in Nyx's mind, eradicating the negative, gnawing emotions that were threatening to overwhelm. "This time is different. I am not bound..."

Like a signal fire, the thought triggered other ideas as Nyx felt the flutter of hope. The dream she had held onto for hundreds of years, one she often mentioned but had little hope of achieving didn't seem so distant. "I... I can end this."

However, one troublesome thought kept distracting her. "Isn't this too convenient?"

At this particular moment in her existence, with all of the bizarre things happening to her, Nyx had encountered a chance that she would regret for eternity if she didn't take.

Retracing all of the interactions and events Nyx believed could have let to this point, she searched her memory for signs of manipulation or direction from the shadows. As she did, Nyx's sense of unease once again started to grow. "This is wrong... Where are the guardians? Why does he feel it is safe to confront me now? Even if my body looks to be at its limit, he should have some indication that something strange is happening. Where is the Sect? Where they pawns of his plans? How? I decided to leave the forest on a whim, and it's only been three weeks?"

"Quite a rude greeting for your Master after all these years." The amused, masculine voice wasn't any less impactful than Nyx's. Even momentarily drowning out the vibrations deep in her chest. "But I shall forgive you this time. After all, it must be quite a surprise for you for us to meet so~ unexpectedly."

With her eyes still closed, Nyx thought back to her surroundings, realising that apart from the long corridor and brightly lit door, there wasn't any other information she could obtain. Debating how she could attack or retreat while ensuring that she dealt the maximum about of carnage while guaranteeing her death, a small scowl appeared on her features.

As she had done countless times before, Nyx tried to guide the dark essence in the surroundings only to discover that her control was slow and sluggish. It was as if her affinity for the dark element was almost non-existent.

After trying a little longer, Nyx realised that it wasn't her affinity for the dark essence that had changed, but that the energy was acting if it was scared of her. And it wasn't just limited to that particular element. The small amount of her cultivated essence released to manipulate the natural energies surrounding her was like a wolf standing amongst sheep. Everywhere it flowed, the natural energies would scatter in all directions.

Her frown growing, Nyx wrestled what essence she could, into obeying her thoughts before sending it towards the door. As she did, the voice that she remembered so well returned.

"Though the silent treatment suits you better as a woman, are you really just going to stand there in silence? Retract your essence and enter. We have much to discuss, and I would prefer to do it in a civilised manner."

The moment the dark essence touched the beams of blinding light spilling through the door, it violently hissed and seemed to evaporate. As it vanished, a sharp pain erupted from Nyx's core, causing her to lean forward as she resisted the urge to clutch her chest.

"So~," Nyx flinched as the voice returned while the pain slowly subsided, adding to the growing sense of unease she felt in the pit of her stomach. "Am I going to be forced to drag you inside, or are you going to use those beautiful legs of yours?"

The unseen owner of the voice cleared his throat. "While I want this encounter to be as pleasant as possible, I will resort to other means to achieve my goals if you force me Nyx. You should know that by now."

Clenching her fists, Nyx took another deep breath as her eyes subconsciously traced the unusual red motes floating in the darkness of her eyelids. For some reason, when she tried to open them, the light from the doorway made Nyx feel extraordinarily suffocated and slightly nauseous. A small part of her wanted to back away and avoid the area, but her instincts told her that it wouldn't be that easy. Not only that, she might lose a once in an existence chance.

"Calm," Nyx spoke to herself before she relaxed, and her tense muscles started to uncoil. "It's just some sort of suppression array. I need to calm down and think. I can't miss this opportunity."

It began as a small tilt of her neck but quickly escalated as Nyx started to twist her back and stretch her legs as if she were about to undertake vigorous exercise. As she moved, her tail swished behind her, leaving a faint trail of black mist. "If I am to have any success, I must be calm, patient and wait for the right moment. Even if he has his guard lowered, it won't be gone. I need to keep that bastard off-balance, distract his thoughts and act in a way that will confuse before..."

Abyss-like black flickers of lightning appeared for a split second at the ends of Nyx's claw-like nails before vanishing. "I see just how destructive this energy is."

Nyx bit the inside of her cheek, having already healed from a similar action earlier. "However, the gap in our cultivation is too great. I'll need to get close so there won't be time for life-preserving skills or trinkets to activate. If I strike, it will be all or nothing."

A tiny but wicked smile flashed across Nyx's face as she imagined standing above an old woman's corpse. However, it quickly vanished as the pain in her chest made itself known and an unusually painful pulse rippled through Nyx's body.

"But... I can't reveal any real weaknesses. He will use them against me. Bluff and misdirect." Nyx grit her teeth as she focused her thoughts on the pain and strange energy in and surrounding her core. While the unknown essence didn't immediately obey, Nyx continued to focus her will. Within a few seconds, she was able to manipulate it barely.

While the new rate of absorption she imposed would slow the episodes she had been suffering, Nyx somehow knew that she couldn't stop what was happening to her body, only delay it. "I have about thirty minutes."

"You have ten seconds. I'm growing impatient."

Nyx ignored the voice as she continued to urge the energy to settle. While she wasn't wholly successful, the hum coming from her chest slowed, finally breaking into separate beats as the frown faded from her face, replaced with a small smile. "Even if I don't know what it is or where it comes from, its still mine. I just need to learn how to use it."

Just as Nyx was about to open her eyes, her attention suddenly focused on the red motes of light as she noticed they were vaguely humanoid in shape. It was only then she realised that there was no red from the lights on the wall or spilling through the door as she would have expected.

There were only four blobs in her vision. Three of them huddled close together slightly to her right while there was a much brighter one slightly elevated directly in front of Nyx. If the size of them were related to humans, they would be in the room before her.

As Nyx paid more attention, the red blurs started to take shape and what appeared to the human's vascular system began to develop. Thin, blurry red lines formed the shape of a human body as they pulsed at varying rates. The three on the left were fast and erratic while the one in the centre was slow and steady, giving off an unshakable vibe.

As she focused more, a dull pain began to appear behind Nyx's eyes, the brighter the shapes became. However, just as she inspecting what appeared to be the hearts and shiny circular objects next to them, several vague glows started to form at the edges of her strange perception. They lined up as if they had their backs pressed against a wall on each side.

The pulse of Nyx's core finally slowed to the point where the near-constant hum caused by the vibrations ceased. As the beat she had become accustomed to returned, Nyx suddenly felt that she could hear a pair of separate, quiet, thuds beating behind her.

"Five~."

Turning her head slightly, keeping her eyes closed so she wouldn't alert whoever was behind her before she could strike, Nyx's long, elf-like ear on the left side of her head stood erect. However, all thoughts of listening to the thuds to identify their source fled from Nyx's mind as she flinched as released a deep, chilling hiss as her eyes shot open.

"Fo- Oh! It seems my new toys are not as impressive as they promised." The voice trailed off into light laughter.

The corridor behind her was empty, yet Nyx felt something wrong. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. After looking around and not finding a trace of what she had glimpsed, Nyx frowned for a moment before closing her left eye.

The darkness of her eyelid once again revealed two faint silhouettes made from red lines. Unlike the four in the room, the lines had no pulse or heart-like objects. Instead, the energy seemed to flow from a diamond-like shape at the centre of their heads.

The man's laughter subsided. "Brilliant. Just brilliant. Those researchers guaranteed me that the mutated gargoyles would be undetectable, but you found them so quickly. It seems all it took was you to start thinking like your old self. The future of warfare? Bah. A true weapon is born and tempered in the fires of the seven hells, not created in some workshop. You can't train instincts into a construct of liquid stone."

A faint growl rumbled from Nyx's throat as she revealed her teeth. The realisation that she wasn't walking into a trap, but was already inside it, causing a surge of irritation.

"Enough! There is no point in fighting those mindless things. It would just be a waste of time. Reveal yourselves."

As the voice faded, two hulking figures appeared to Nyx's left, where the shapes had been. With a slight thud, their feet landed on the ground kicking up a small amount of dirt.

While they had a humanoid form, the pair resembled grotesque statues made from the nightmares of a lunatic. Horrific, elongated faces only emphasised the twisting, unnatural muscles definitions and odd curves and joints of the creatures. Their arms were too long for their bodies, allowing the tips of their claw-like hands to touch the ground. The grey-white skin covering their bodies seemed to push back the natural essence around them, causing a void-like a gap in Nyx's senses as she tried to analyse the two.

Unlike Nyx's essence, which seemed to frighten the natural energies away, the gap surrounding the gargoyles felt more as if the world was actively rejecting them, trying to force them back to wherever they came.

Nyx's growl became louder and more profound as a desire to destroy the strange creatures grew. It wasn't because they were blocking her only path of retreat, nor that they had got so close without her noticing them. The feeling came from something even more deep-felt than instincts.

It was as if the centre of Nyx's existence, similar to the world essence surrounding them, rejected the rock-like creatures at a fundamental level. She felt as if they were a travesty upon creation and needed purging at any cost. The sensation was so intense that Nyx's focus on her current troubles began to fade into her background thoughts.

The glow from Nyx's eyes grew as the lightning became erratic and seemingly unstable. However, just as she was about to launch herself at the pair, their appearance became more indistinct, and she could faintly see through their bodies. With the change, the impulse within her significantly calmed.

While the feeling wasn't completely gone, it was as if Nyx was looking at a mirage or reflection. As she couldn't quite see or focus on the creatures, the repulsion she felt was near non-existent. As she regained rational thought, Nyx realised that the man was still talking.

"- the Nyx I remember. Not a seconds hesitation at facing the unknown. Unbridled hostility and aggression, revealing the instincts drilled into you over countless life and death battles. And your new form only adds to an exquisite piece of art that fits perfectly with your personality. As a male, you were impressive, but now you're a beautifully deadly entity that sparks an equal amount of fear and wonder." The sound of the man's voice further calmed Nyx down. Not because it was soothing, but because it reminded her of her goal.

Straightening from her crouched pose, noticing that she had positioned herself so that she could see both the new arrivals behind her and the doorway in front, Nyx felt disgusted at the praise she had received.

Just as she was about to ignore the comments, Nyx realised her facial expression hadn't changed much since she recognised who was in the next room. The small signs of emotion she had been revealing were slowly becoming more muted.

Her expressions and inner emotions that had been turbulent were fading as she subconsciously repressed them. A habit she had developed a long time ago. Something that her old master would expect.

"Keep him off balance. Behave in the unexpected. Earn my opportunity. I can't behave as he would expect me to. Not this time."

Nyx took another deep breath as she reminded herself of her goal. That inside the next room, the three men at the top of her death list waited. That even if she couldn't kill all of them, one of their deaths would make the struggle and pain she had suffered worthwhile. As she thought this, a nagging feeling that this train of thought wasn't natural, that it had ingrained itself into her soul thought experience and could be detrimental, flickered before going out.

As Nyx released the stale breath of air, slightly whistling as it passed her sharp teeth, the spikes that had risen when she prepared to fight slowly flattened against her body.

After closing and opening her fists a couple of times, the nails on her claw-like hands stopping her from feeling any satisfaction from the movement, Nyx abruptly turned and walked with confident steps towards the doorway. Within the span of a few heartbeats, the sound of two sets of dull thuds followed behind.

"Time waits for no ma- woman. I have a date with the Reaper, and I want to bring guests."

As her foot stepped into the light, Nyx felt a blistering pain that caused her to release another hiss. This one was higher pitched and less aggressive.

Without any conscious thought, Nyx felt the need to protect her body and tried to pull everything inwards. A sensation like trying to breathe in as you held your mouth and nose closed came from every corner of her body as an itchy feeling crawled across Nyx's skin.

As she did, Nyx's razor-sharp nails retracted as the tiny scales on her foot slightly lifted before wiggling their way inwards. Soon, snow-white skin revealed itself between the cracks as the nails became smaller and more transparent.

Even though the transformation on her foot wasn't complete, the process continued upwards. The spikes on Nyx back and arms merged with her body as the scales pulled inwards in a wave-like motion. The soft, velvety black skin that covered Nyx's stomach, the inner parts of her chest, neck and face lightened before turning milky white.

As her skin returned to its human appearance, Nyx's short, cropped black hair smoothed and lengthened until it reached the centre of her back. Her hands followed a similar process to her feet, revealing the symbol on the back of Nyx's right hand. However, it was no longer the sigil shown in Welshmar or the sky above Corban. The lines were distorted and mixed, as they wiggled around. Yet their movements didn't appear random as some seemed to settled while others seemed to struggle to get to a particular location.

As the transformation started inwards, Nyx instinctively felt that she couldn't continue. She somehow understood that she had enough energy to take on the outward appearance of her previous form. However, if she wanted to change her internals, she would need a vast amount of energy — both from food and that from the three essences now occupying her body.

Surprisingly, with a thought, Nyx felt the change happening inside slow before coming to a stop just as the external adjustments completed. It was at this moment she felt warmth on the sole of her foot as it touched the ground that had bathed in the strange light.

The entire process had taken the same amount of time as her foot had taken to land on the floor. While the warm sensation felt somewhat pleasant, it also alerted Nyx that she was no longer walking on dirt but what felt like textured stone.

Unlike when the light had first landed upon Nyx's scales, there was no pain. However, she felt a substantial discomfort as the pores on her skin tried to absorb the non-existent dark and ice essence in her surroundings. It was a similar feeling she got when she previously tried to look into the room.

Comparing the two sensations, Nyx finally understood what she felt earlier. Her body, including her eyes, was intrinsically linked to her elemental affinities and cultivation. Where she had used supporting natural essences to enhance her senses instinctively, she couldn't do so here, and it made her feel vulnerable.

In combination with the discomfort, Nyx felt an enormous weight pressing down on her, making it feel as if every movement would exhaust all of her energy. With familiar, memories of formations and arrays that had trapped her in the past resurfacing, the feeling she got this time felt like it was was magnitudes greater. However, unlike the past where she could barely resist, Nyx continued walking without issue. The muscles beneath her skin twisted and coiled as they readjusted and supported her body's near-effortless entrance into the enormous hall.

Blinking a few times, her pupils dilating as they grew accustomed to the bright light, Nyx continued forward as warm air swirled around the chill emanating from her body. While her appearance had returned to its previous human state, her body had undergone slight changes. She was no longer an unhealthily scrawny girl but appeared to be a young woman in the prime of her life.

Nyx's well-proportioned hips lined up almost perfectly with her chest, connected by a slim waist. The faint outline of toned muscles protruded from beneath her skin. While they were not enough to make her look particularly strong, they gave the impression of explosive yet flexible power.

Squinting as her vision adjusted, Nyx tried to take in her surroundings. The enormous room appeared to formed by large sandstone blocks. At first glance, there seemed to be only four entrances, including the one Nyx had just entered. Large chandeliers hung from the ceiling, over eighty-foot above, as innumerable glow stones were embedded into the wall or on self-standing poles at seemingly random heights and intervals.

As she scanned the room and ignored the stunned expressions of those watching her, in particular, that man sitting in the centre of the room, Nyx frowned slightly upon the realisation that there wasn't a single shadow. Not only that but on most of the sandstone blocks, what appeared to be hastily carved red runes emitted so much heat that the air seemed to shimmer around them.

"How... clever. It seems that not only has he been expecting me, but watching close enough to know I have improved my ice affinity. But how?"

The frown on Nyx's face vanished as she resisted the urge to look towards the centre and let her faze fall upon the three men standing to the right. At their feet, a circular rune made up of various flowing colours glowed. Piles of beast cores, parchments and vials of bright liquids lay scattered nearby.

The first man Nyx studied was the once fat, now painfully skinny man from the dungeon. Dark circles lay under his eyes as the uneven tufts of his beard stood out in various directions. The moment their eyes met, he released a squeal-like shriek and staggered backwards before trying to move behind the back of the next.

The older man he tried to hide behind, his hair now utterly grey in contrast with the memory of ten years ago, clutched something under the chest of his robe as he trembled. He had similar bags to the other man, but it seemed to be more natural.

Seeing nothing else of note Nyx's sight moved onto the young man, more of a boy, standing nearby. While his appearance seemed vaguely familiar, Nyx couldn't place where she had seen him before. Her thoughts were distracted as she saw the young man's gaze traverse from her chest, downwards before stopping for a few seconds and returning to her chest. His actions repeated several times as a slight red ting steadily grew on his cheeks.

Frowning, Nyx glanced down and realised that she was completely naked. Her snow-white skin seemed to reflect the light while her black hair absorbed it, making her presence stand out from the yellow colours surrounding her. While she wasn't embarrassed at her exposed body, irritation and disbelief erupted deep inside Nyx as she decided that if she got the chance the seemingly unknown boy would perish with the rest.

After slowly looking up and into the young man's eyes, allowing a low rumble to escape her throat, Nyx's top lip briefly twitched up. As it rose, the tips of her slightly sharp, but still human-looking, teeth and elongated canines came into view.

The sound caught the young man's attention. Seeing the serpent-like pupils locking onto him with a bloodthirsty glint, the young man flinched and quickly looked down at the floor. While he appeared intimidated, he didn't give off the same fearful vibe as the two men standing nearby. Instead, the red blush on his cheeks made it seem as if he was more embarrassed that he was caught.

Repressing the idea of making the best of a bad situation and being satisfied with the three men's lives, Nyx readjusted her expression before revealing a charming smile and turning her attention towards the centre.

At the top of a stair-like, layered platform sat the angelic figure of the man she had faced in Welshmar. However, unlike then, the man's feathers were no longer white and pristine but had a diseased look to them. A couple of discarded, greying feathers lay nearby. The man's once proud, muscular frame seemed to be weakening, giving him a gaunt, almost sick appearance.

The angel was watching her intently.

"Well, I prefer your... beast form? But this one is good too, a beauty that could topple kingdoms and set brother against brother. Just what the avatar of chaos and destruction should be like." Seeing Nyx's eyes scanning him, the man smiled and sat a little straighter. Seeing that she was focusing on his wings, he tilted his head in a very familiar fashion. "Surprised? Who knew that the myths stating that if angels sinned, they would fall were true."

Nyx's left eyebrow slightly twitched as she felt something off. In all of her memories since being summoned, the beings called angels were not bound by good or evil. The only place that she could think of that had such legends was Earth, her homeworld.

"Good girl. Though time marches onwards, your memory and thoughts remain sharp as ever. At least for some things." The angel, who had been resting his head on his knuckles, chuckled as his eyes studied Nyx's body in return. "Unlike the others, you are truly unique."

Nyx couldn't stop the tremble that snaked its way up her spine as the hairs on her arms and neck stood on end. Unlike earlier, she wanted to cover her body. It wasn't just her flesh that felt violated by the invasive gaze, but along with his words, she felt that the angel was peering into the depths of her mind and soul. Coming to a stop, Nyx took a deep breath as she glared back and lifted her chin while placing her hands on her hips.

"No. I can't be intimidated. I'm the hunter, not him."

Nyx forced a light and melodic chuckle of her own before performing a slightly exaggerated bow. "I guess I should thank you for preparing such a... warm and bright welcome, my former Master. Even bringing together those I've been dying to meet for a decade. If I didn't know better, I'd believe that this entire place had been created just for me."

Returning to her straight and upright posture, the corner of Nyx's lips twitched upwards as she saw the momentary hesitation and confusion in the angel's murky brown eyes. "So~ what should I call you these days? I think your old name isn't very suitable for a strapping angel such as yourself."

It was at that moment that a loud, grating thud echoed behind her. Muscles tensed, curling unnaturally under her pale skin, Nyx glanced over her shoulder to see that the entrance she had come from had vanished. Beside where it should have been, the two gargoyles stood.

Turning back, cursing herself for reacting and destroying her flow, Nyx noticed two, semi-transparent screen-like objects floating on each side of the platform. They were around a meter high and two meters wide.

"I have to say I like this part of the new you. I always felt like I was the only one paying attention during our conversations in the past." The angel lowered his hand from the screen floating on the right, a smirk on his face. "And I'd prefer it if you called me as you always have, Master. But seeing as you are going through a rebellious phase and I lack the means to educate you at present, you can call me Lucifer."

Nyx's body froze, not even breathing as the name she had just heard resonated in her mind. While the previous hints could have been a coincidence, the angel claiming to fall due to sin calling himself Lucifer destroyed any hope she had remaining. "He knows. He knows about Earth."

"I believe you get the reference." The man slowly leaned backwards, his crossed legs supporting his frame. "I have to say it was quite a compelling story. Though I guess I would have sided with those that cast from..."

He paused as if lost in thought. "Where was it again? Heaven? Having to bow and serve those weaker than themselves for a mere whim of a nonsensical entity. How pointless. Creatures created for one's ego and no other purpose. To listen and obey or be cast into the fiery pits of a single hell."

Taking in a deep breath, Nyx closed her eyes to calm her mind. As she did, she remembered the other faint red-spots linning the edges of the room. After a couple of breaths, she slowly opened her eyes as her muscles relaxed. A smile once again appeared on her face, but it was clear that it was forced and uneasy.

"Ahh, I have to say your expressions are not as practised as when you display that heart-fluttering mask of nothing, but they are delightful none the less. Also somewhat cute." Lucifer smiled brightly, his white teeth almost glinting in the intense light. After glancing at the three men momentarily, he returned his attention to Nyx. "So, are you going to ask how I know the tales from your original plane?"

Nyx was silent for a moment but quickly opened her mouth when she saw Lucifer about to continue. "By destroying or blinding the Guardians? Probably with the same methods you use to hide those abominations. With them out of the way, it wouldn't be hard getting information from a summoned. Even a fool can ask a question."

Seeing the smile falter on Lucifer's face, Nyx continued as she hastily tried to put something tangible together. From her memories, she knew what most annoyed the Mad Summoner was people knowing that they shouldn't, especially if she planned to reveal it.

As she reflected, images of what she had seen during her breakthrough gave some hints, but Nyx wasn't confident in what she was about to say. "And it's probably linked to those gargoyles. Seeing as the Guardians are the embodiment of the laws of this world, and you mentioned planes of existence, I can guess you are using other dimensions that have not diverged enough to exist independently to hide them?"

Nyx then looked around the room. A crazy and worrying idea birthing in her mind. While she wasn't sure, Nyx felt the burning need to force the flow of the conversation in a direction that gave her enough information to act. After taking a deep breath, she locked eyes with Lucifer. "This room is one such dimension. The maze-like corridors are a mixture of others bending time and space. The two you hide your pets in is another. Though they are close enough to overlap with this one so they can move between easily."

Lucifer's mouth had slowly dropped with each sentence Nyx said, giving him an almost stupified appearance.

The memory of when strange lightning had resuscitated and bound Nyx to her current body flashed across her mind. "What happened in Welshmar, as well as why you had to reveal yourself, are also linked. Whatever you did to me was a hasty experiment before the guardians expelled you from the fourth continent. One that you have built upon in the ten years since. A method to hide from the sight of the Guardians."

As she spoke, Nyx slowly walked forward, only stopping when she noticed Lucifer frowning. Seeing his gaze flicker to the sides, where she remembred the other gargoyles to be lurking, Nyx laughed and swayed her body back and forth with her hands behind her back in a defenceless, seemingly innocent display. "So? Did I get it right?"

After hesitating for a moment, his gaze traversing the distance between him and Nyx a few times, Lucifer's head twitched in a nod, something she remembered him subconsciously doing after he confirmed that something was acceptable. Looking back up, the smile he had displayed earlier quickly returned. "Impressive. I have to say you never cease to surprise me. I was worried for a while that the experiments had effected your personality. Even if what you have revealed are mostly educated guesses, you are not far from the truth."

"Experiments?"

Lucifer ignored Nyx's question as he continued. "Instead of hunting down your targets and regaining your soul stone, slaughtering all standing in your way, you retreated to that resource-poor forest. There you nonchalantly gathered strength at a pitiful pace and lazed about without any seeming direction."

Lucifer sighed as if recalling a sad memory. "Oh, how I thought I broke you. If you didn't kill those I occasionally sent your way and use the resources I placed on them, I would have come and picked you up. While it would have been a great shame, I had already started preparing this sanctuary. At least here I could have looked after you and made sure you were strong enough for what is to come."

As Lucifer continued to talk, Nyx started to scowl, especially at the almost remorseful, caring tone he used.

Clapping his hands as if to dispell his gloomy mood, Lucifer took a deep breath before continuing. "Oh well, it all worked out in the end. After making sure there were no public associations to me or any forces you would be cautious of, I made sure you got hold of the information on Rue's whereabouts, and you returned to your senses."

Nyx felt a burst of anger upon hearing that all of her efforts in remaining low key had been useless but restrained herself from revealing her emotions. However, she quickly realised that Lucifer had successfully directed the conversation away from what she wanted to know, and was unlikely to answer any questions on the subject.

Unwilling to let him lead the conversation, Nyx turned her head to the side before indicating with her chin and interrupted Lucifer before he could continue. "Why do you still hide them?"

"Ah!" Against her expectations, joy once again appeared on Lucifer's face. As he straightened his wings shook, causing a couple of unhealthy feathers to drop to the ground. "So you really can see them, and not just at close distances?"

"Good. Good." Lucifer repeated himself as his eyes slightly lost focus. "If this is how sharp your perception is under the god suppression array and having your elemental advantages removed, as well as the damage to your body, I can't wait to see what you can achieve at the higher realms. You'll become the bane of all that plot against me in the shadows."

Lucifer cleared his throat as his gaze re-focused on Nyx. "Your kind really is miraculous. If transcendents don't lose their sense of self, trials and tribulations will make them grow at a rate that would make even gods envious. The saying, 'what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger' really does seem to fit."

"My kind?" Nyx ignored the figures appearing at her peripheral, small thuds as they touched the ground before straightening up and taking an almost ceremonial, guard-like pose.

As Lucifer's eyes flickered to the screen on his right, she took a small step forward. "So you no longer consider us disembodied souls from the hells? Objects to be used and discarded at a whim? Even if we are the same, just from another world?"

The smile on Lucifers face grew. "Still digging for information without revealing anything? Ahh, how I have missed your ways. No matter what face you wear, what gender you are, your base character never changes. Even now, I bet you are thinking up all kinds of nasty fates for me. Coldly calculating the odds of success and, if one even touches the threshold of what you deem acceptable, you will throw yourself in without any regard to the consequences."

In response, Nyx revealed a dazzling smile, even though inside she inwardly cursed. "Nurture over nature."

"Speaking of the past." Lucifer turned to the side and flickered his right hand to the screen-like object. A small burst of green-brown energy left his index finger before landing on its transparent surface. A couple of seconds later, a faint image, gradually gaining clarity appeared.

In a dark, dingy room, what appeared to be dead bodies were gradually waking up. Standing up, confused, they started talking in a variety of languages that were vaguely familiar to Nyx. A small fight broke out at the back as a hand appeared and seemingly pinched the bridge of the nose of the viewer as an exasperated, refined sigh came from the two darker coloured strips at each end of the screen.

"Impressed?" Lucifer glanced at Nyx's shocked expression before continuing. "I think your kind called it a TeeVee, but we call them memory slates. As long as one has a soul and is 'willing', it can display any memory they have had, even if their physical body has long forgotten it."

"Like so." With another wave of his hand, the image on the screen changed. The viewpoint on the seemed higher. Men and women, dressed in rags were lining up before a grated door. The door opened slightly, and a crying woman reluctantly entered. The scene blurred now and then as a hand wiped away the liquid that seemed to cover the other side of the screen.

"I forget this one's name. He was insane and about to lose his sense of self, so I almost had forgotten about him when I started researching this technology." As Lucifer talked, blood-curdling screams and wolf-like howls of a beast echoed from the other side of the medieval-style gateway.

"Back then, I doubted the success of the project. Not many believed the pampered souls that knew little of struggle could be anything but slaves. But it was that day that I knew I found a gem. You hid quite well at the start, never standing out, but you couldn't mask the look in your eyes after you had died seven or eight times. While the others were teetering on the edge of despair, your eyes burned with passion and hunger."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

The view changed to one looking from what appeared to be a spectators booth. A grim, underground arena was below, on the opposite side of a glass pain. Bodies, some recognisable from the previous scene, were scattered amongst broken rocks. In the centre, a gigantic wolf-like creature had a man squirming in its jaws. Bleeding wounds covered the wolves maw, a daggered stuck into the flesh just to the side of its right eye as it shook the man.

Even though blood was flowing from the man's body at an unmaintainable rate, he was still trying to claw his way up the creature's snout.

The same feminine hand that had appeared earlier reached out as a strange chant came from the speakers. With a small pinch, the image on the glass that seemed to separate the arena appeared to magnify on the man's head.

Blood flowed from between his lips, nose, ears and eyes as the man revealed a bloodthirsty smile. His eyes, locked with the beast, showed no fear or hesitation. Instead, they invoked the impression or yearning, determination and almost fanatical devotion to a single task — the death of the animal.

While there was no sound, the man's body suddenly jerked as the beast bite down. After throwing the limp corpse to the side and returning to the single entrance, the creature would occasionally glance over at the discarded body. When it did, the ferocity the wolf-like beast gave off dimmed, and a trace of fear and uncertainty flashed across its eyes.

"At the start, I never intended for my pet to die there, or for the training to last several weeks, but after seeing this, I knew I couldn't stop." Lucifer shook his head. "Alas, it is a shame that no matter how many times I repeated the summoning, almost every time I only got trash that was only useful for a few dozen lives."

Lucifer nodded towards the gargoyles, standing to attention. "Still, even trash have their uses. After discovering the right containers and removing the unnecessary parts, at least they can serve a purpose. Even if they are pretty much braindead."

After waiting for a while, Lucifer sighed. "Hmm, lost your enthusiasm to talk now we are revisiting the past? Do you find it that painful? A gift that many spend their lives searching for, given freely. Immortality and all you had to do was suffer a little bit of pain."

After a brief pause, Lucifer seemingly waiting for Nyx to speak, he shook his head lightly. "OK, let's move onto a more relevant topic."

"You know, after the last battle and my clan fell, a strange sensation hit me. Even when adjusting to my new body, all I felt was a sense of loss. At first, I thought there had been something wrong with the spell, but then I realised. It was because I believed I had lost you forever."

Nyx frowned as she slightly pulled back, but Lucifer seemed not to notice as he continued. "I summoned you when I was seventeen, and you had been a constant in my life for almost four hundred years. Not even my parents lasted that long. Yes, you were unwilling for most of it, but you were there. A constant. A being that would weather any storm and complete any mission I assigned. Yet, with a single swing of an axe, you were gone, and I thought I had no method to bring you back."

Lucifer's expression softened. "I could accept the loss of the Citadel, it didn't suit my purposes anyway, and the surviving clan members were pathetic. Even the treasury I built up over my old life was replaceable. But you. No matter how far I searched in eighty years, I could never find a replacement. I tried countless souls and creatures, but most were disappointments. Even the ones that I could call a success couldn't match up. They don't have your resilience. Their personas fragile and weak if I use them too often."

"What made it worse was that smile you revealed at the end. Such a joyful smile that made the world around you dim. One I had forgotten you could make. It caused me to remember the more enjoyable times we spent together. Well, the times before I realised what you truly were." Lucifer sighed. "Alas, while my ambitions have not changed, the world felt slightly less... bright without you."

After shaking his head, Lucifer chuckled and leant forward though his smile didn't seem as genuine as before. "You know, I've never asked you Nyx. What do you think about the time we were in love? Do you remember it fondly, or is it just another one of the never-ending mistakes you regret?"

Just as a new image was forming on the screen, Nyx spoke. "All I remember is the howling expanses of the wastelands, of being slowly digested by terror worms, eaten alive by death ants, crushed, split, torn limb from limb, pain. An existence that had no end as I was endlessly revived in rotting corpses and sent back. Not knowing if I should rush and face my next death in the hope it would be painless or prolong the journey and suffer the maggots eating me away from the inside."

Nyx ground her teeth as her tiny hands clenched. After a couple of seconds, she relaxed and revealed a tired smile. "I grow tired of these mind games. Can we move onto the main course?"

"Oh," Lucifer shook his head disapprovingly. "Is my company that unbearable?"

The cold air around Nyx started to form a breeze as hot air rushed to fill the gap created above her. "If all you need to do is buy time, then I would prefer it if we wait in silence."

The half-formed image vanished as the screen returned to its transparent state while Lucifer lightly grimaced. Seconds later, a small vein throbbed on his forehead as a red flush appeared on his cheeks. "Are you so ignorant that you do not know the reason for your suffering? Why I sent you there?"

"I knew too much and was an embarrassment." Nyx stepped forward. Her chest stuck out with clenched fists at her sides. "Isn't that it? I was an inconvenience that wouldn't silence with death. Not just to you but your entire clan."

While on the outside, she seemed enraged, Nyx's thoughts had cooled significantly remembering her experiences of the wastelands. "That's it. Just a little further."

Lucifer snorted as he ran his right hand through his dull golden hair. "It seems becoming a woman hasn't given you any more sense."

"And becoming a man hasn't made you a better lier." Nyx was about to take another step forward when she spotted Lucifer tense. While trying making it look natural, she changed the direction of her foot and stamped on the floor. As she did, she let the muscles on her other leg relax and staggered before quickly catching herself and appearing to try to hide what had happened.

"Hmpf" Lucifer crossed his arms as his eyes narrowed while examining Nyx. After a couple of seconds, he lightly nodded. "Those were only superficial reasons. If I didn't want you gone, not even father and the elders could have forced my hand. No, the reason I wanted you out of my sight is far more simple. Even a senseless idiot like you should be able to know what the issue was."

Lucifer leant forward, his face contorting in anger. "It was that you were more of a whore than an assassin."

Nyx blinked in confusion as her head jerked back a few centimetres. The argument she had planned to continue enraging Lucifer forgotten as she tried to make sense of what she had heard.

"Ahh, at least it sounds better now you are a woman. Whore. Slut. Harlot." Lucifer's anger faded with each word as he started to smile. "Your character changes as often as the wind and all it took was a hint of care, longing or attractiveness for you to fall into the arms of any women that would spread their legs. While you claimed to love me, you remained distant and cold, whereas the moment you were on a mission, you became someone else. Someone that would laugh, love, cry and even burn entire cities as their emotions dictated."

"I was what you made me." Nyx inhaled sharply as her muscles tensed.

Seeing Nyx's reaction, the last traces of anger left Lucifer's face. "Still, I'm surprised. When I discovered you had become female, I would have thought you would forever be on your back, legs in the air — using feminine charms to manipulate those around you and eliminate your targets without ever leaving a bed."

"Sticks and stones." Nyx smiled, not minding the insults thrown in her direction. Instead, she was more focused on the emotions that she had never seen from Lucifer. A weakness she was almost certain was genuine. "That's right. Get emotional. Make mistakes. Let me closer~."

Lucifer's shoulders slumped slightly, no longer bothering to hide the frown etched upon his forehead. "Fine, if happy memories aren't your thing, how about I answer some of those questions you must be dying to know?"

"No need." Nyx shook her head, making sure to take note of the positions of the gargoyles on each side. During Lucifers previous rant, she had managed to creep further forward.

The three men to the side, who the pair had ignored thus far, shuffled uneasily gaining a warning glare from Lucifer. After the three returned their eyes to the ground, their shoulders hunched, he returned his focus to Nyx.

"So, you don't want to know why the Twilight Sect betrayed you?"

"The reason why doesn't matter. What is done is done and, in this life of the next, I will have my vengeance."

"Fine." Lucifer shuffled his body as he thoughtfully stroked his chin. "What about the cat beast you took a shine? Don't you want to know what happened to her? She was your type. Fearless, loyal to her own and not the rules, attractive and didn't cower when you started revealing your true self. Normally you would have toyed with her before completing your mission with any doubts, but you held back this time? Is she special in some way?"

Nyx saw Lucifer carefully analysing her before turning her head towards the screen at his side. While starting at the transparent glass-like surface, taking long, slow blinks, she sighed. Her concern for Dimi matching the fears on what she could reveal if her memories were displayed.

Turning back to Lucifer, Nyx shrugged. "What does it matter now? She's either dead or disabled. If the process of you extracting her memories didn't do it, you would have done so afterwards just to make a point."

"Oh, would I?" The smile Lucifer was revealing crept up a notch, twisting into a somewhat mischievous smirk.

"Well, I guess you don't know me that well after all." After a minutes silence, the smile only grew before he lifted his left hand in the direction of the teleportation circle and clicked his fingers.

The three that stood nearby jumped backwards as a flash of light caused Nyx eyes to shut automatically. When she opened them again, Dimi was standing at the centre of the formation in a daze.

After taking in the tattered, blood-soaked robes, Nyx's eyes travelled to Dimi's face. The dark bruises covering nearly every inch of Dimi's skin almost matched the spiked, black collar hanging around her neck. Under the bright light of the room, silver runes skittered across the collar's surface.

"Dimi..." Nyx unconsciously spoke as a sense of dread fell upon her.

Dimi, who had been staring at the floor, suddenly looked up and locked eyes with Nyx. After blinking repeatedly and opening and closing her mouth, a sad smile appeared on her face. Just as she was about to speak, Dimi seemed to change her mind as the clenched fists at her side dripped with fresh red blood.

Nyx, the energies in her core growing unstable, glanced at Lucifer as she tried to maintain a neutral expression. Taking in the happy, amused smile etched upon Lucifer's features, the cold feeling settling over Nyx continued to grow as the desire to vomit rose from the pit of her stomach. "Fuck."

"Nyx..." Dimi's voice was quiet, raspy and tinged with what sounded like pain. "I'm sorry. I-"

The sound of Dimi's voice abruptly ended as her body flew backwards. Before anyone could blink, she had crashed into the wall between two gargoyles, a dark blue, almost black spike protruding from her chest. As she fell to the ground, the sound of crackling ice came from the spike as tiny, pitch-black lines snaked their way towards Dimi's chest. As they came into contact with the robes and flesh, the lines became more active as they began to devour everything they touched.

"Nyx!" Lucifer shouted as he recovered from the shock and jumped to his feet. Looking between Nyx and Dimi with confusion.

As Dimi's mouth opened and closed, thick red blood flowing between her lips, her eyes seemed to search for something. While looking like she still hadn't comprehended what had happened, Dimi's eyes finally found the emotionless face of Nyx.

Looking down at Dimi with an icy, predatory gaze that made any that fell under it feel small and insignificant, Nyx slowly lowered her outstretched arm. As her hand fell, the scales covering its surface once again retracted beneath Nyx's skin as a few small black snowflakes fell while rapidly melting.

"I'm sorry." Nyx didn't project her voice, only speaking to her self as she watched the life fading from Dimi's eyes. "You should have never got close. At least this way, you will suffer less."

It wasn't long before Dimi's struggles stopped, and her pupils slowly widened. As the muscles of her face relaxed, Dimi's confused expression became more peaceful.

The room remained silent as they watched the black lines rapidly devour Dimi's body. When there wasn't enough mass left to support the shard, it toppled over. At the same time, it was rapidly shrinking as the ice covering its surface melted. As the liquid evaporated, black vapour rose into the air. The mist angrily hissed before slowly fading away.

The two gargoyles on each side seemed to sense something as they each took a step away and turned their head slightly, keeping Dimi's body within sight of their bead-like eyes.

Reu, the first of the three to awaken from his stupor, quickly moved as blood, contaminated with the black lines, spread across the floor and towards the group. The other two weren't far behind, and soon they had retreated to the back right corner.

Nyx slowly returned her gaze to Lucifer, a new pain joining the one pulsating from her core, as she felt her emotions numb and a sense of disconnection from her surroundings.

"Just when did I get attached to her?"

Nyx was only slightly surprised to see Lucifer standing, two gargoyles standing at the base of the steps of the platform between them.

After turning her head slightly to the side, Nyx saw that the two gargoyles that had been standing behind her were closer. They now stood a meter or so behind her, their arms slightly raised as if ready to attack.

Turning back to Lucifer, Nyx saw the angel dragged his gaze away from the swiftly vanishing body and revealed a complication expression as locked eyes with Nyx.

"Seems... this is as close as I get." Nyx began to calculate the distance between them. While there were only around eight meters separating the pair, with the addition of the gargoyles, Nyx didn't rate her chances very high. "Stall. My chance will come."

"You seem to have forgotten." Nyx's voice was emotionless, yet those hearing it felt a cold, heavy pressure with each word. "Who I am. You may play games with others, enjoying the feeling of them dancing in the palm of your hand but doing it with me will get you killed."

Nyx's face didn't reveal even a shred of emotion, yet the lightning in her eyes told a different story. If one were to describe it as a slight storm before, now the swirling blue and flickering bolts appeared to be more akin to the deadliest of typhoons.

Lucifer swallowed hard, taking a step back as two more gargoyles joined the two separating him and Nyx. After a few moments, a trickle of sweat falling down his cheek, he cleared his throat. "Nyx, I-"

"Enough of the false sentiment. Do you think I have gone senile? End this farce and get to the point or we can move to the finale we both know is coming." The clothes of Lucifer and the three men faintly moved as a slight suction gravitated towards Nyx.

"Ahh, my Nyx. You never cease to surprise me." Lucifers voice was a little sadder than before, a thin veil of hurt laced within it. "With the current state of your body due to the dungeon core and the restrictive measures, I was impressed you were able to stand. I would never have thought you would have the energy to launch such a murderous attack."

He shook his head slowly while revealing a self-deprecating smile. After taking another glance at the flickering black lines, which had now moved onto the bones and blood, he sighed. The few strands that had become isolated after finishing their grisly task seemed to turn on each other before quickly vanishing from sight. "I knew it wasn't going to be overnight, but I do want to make peace. Our disputes are meaningless in the face of the threats soon to endanger this world, and as I said before, no one can ever replace you. When I stand at the top, it will be with you as my left hand."

Seeing no reaction in Nyx's expression or the waves of energy rolling off her despite the suppressive effects of the formation, Lucifer sighed again. "It's fine. We have time."

Standing a little straighter, Lucifer stared back into Nyx's eyes. "Luckily, I prepared this place to hold you at what I envisioned to be your peak. No matter what tricks you have, you will remain here until I am satisfied. Do you understand? Not even a god could free you without my consent."

"Though..." He continued, tilting his head in a very similar way to how Nyx would as he stroked his chin. "I may have to study you and that unusual energy a little more to be sure that your new home will remain suitable. I wouldn't want any nasty surprises during inopportune moments."

Lucifer then revealed a sad expression "Still, it's a shame you killed your surprise gift right off the bat. I was almost sure it would keep you entertained and eliminate some of the bad blood between us. Ow well, remember when you have grown bored with the others that her death was your decision."

The words echoed and synced with Nyx's memory of the shadow woman's warning. However, Nyx quickly pushed it from her mind as she released a snort. "As I said, the why doesn't matter. I will have my vengeance. Her death is just another debt I have yet to collect."

Without waiting for a response, Nyx turned her head and sized up the men now standing in the corner. As she did, she kept Lucifer in the peripheral of her vision, searching for any tells or signs of opportunity.

Upon sensing Nyx's gaze, the two men shivered and pressed their backs against the wall. However, the boy seemed to be once again be ignoring what was happening around him. While he was still staring at the floor, he would occasionally steal a glance at Nyx. Or to be more accurate her rear now that he stood at the start of the large hall.

"So... you murder your friend but hesitate on those that have harmed you?" Lucifer's voice seemed to snap the boy from his internal thoughts.

"Death..." Nyx's voice sounded empty. The implication behind what Lucifer had said, generating a small amount of doubt in her mind that she couldn't shake. After hesitating for a moment, Nyx's forced a chuckle. The sound was sounding indefinitely more terrifying than if it revealed if she was angry or sad. "... can be the greatest mercy."

The frown on Lucifer's face grew. After seemingly ponding something, he sighed. "Is that really how you see me? That killing a companion is better than letting them existing in my presence? While you are my possession, have I not always treated you well when you have obeyed?"

After waiting and getting no response, the vein reemerged on Lucifer's forehead. "Am I that unreasonable? Did I not turn a blind eye for decades as you schemed against me, slowly eroding my power at every chance you got? Did I not give you plenty of opportunities to ask for the lives of those close to you? The trash that had served their purpose and on the verge of destruction? All you had to do was ask, and I would have given them to you."

"You know what I think." Lucifer took a step forward, regaining Nyx's wandering attention. "That you wanted them gone, that I was the perfect excuse for you to get rid of the baggage and start anew. Just like you did with every mission."

Nyx stared back blankly, the lightning in her eyes still flickering intensely in stark contrast to her dead expression.

Lucifer loudly sighed as he took another step forward, his wings slightly spread behind him. "Fine. I'll let the matter rest. It was never wise to push you when you enter this state. Instead, how about you enlighten me why you haven't tried to kill me if you have an attack like that?"

As Lucifer spoke, Nyx focused on the strange energy within her. Seeing the gargoyles, the theory behind their ability and the instinctual attack that she launched against Dimi, one Nyx didn't know she was capable of making, had triggered a yearning that she couldn't place. Not only that, Nyx found that focusing on something other than Lucifer and her current situation distracted her thoughts from wandering to places she wasn't ready to visit.

"Because... you are not here." The strange feeling kept guiding Nyx towards thoughts of the new energy in her body, gargoyles, and what she had experienced during her tribulation, as she answered absentmindedly. Her thoughts briefly drifted to the black lines devouring Dimi's body but were quickly pushed away.

"What do you mean?" Lucifer frowned while raising his hands. "Am I not here now?"

Nyx's emotionless face tilted slightly to the closest gargoyle. "You are not. You are currently skirting the edge of the dimensions. Just like them, but closer."

The temperature, as well as the slight airflow towards Nyx, returned to normal as she became lost in her thoughts and fell into a daze-like state. However, even though she was distracted, her gaze never left Lucifer, her eyes carefully watching every movement he made.

"..." Lucifer glared at Nyx for a few moments before taking another step forward. In a similar fashion to how Nyx had been earlier, he seemed to be trying to close the gap between them. "I didn't want to ask as giving you too much information in your current mindset is a bad idea but... How do you know so much about dimensions? As far as I'm aware, your kind enters a state of hibernation between incarnations. It's the same no matter what transcendent's memory I gain. Nothing but endless blackness. No sight, no sound. Nothing. Worse than hell."

His question roused Nyx's attention. After gazing into Lucifer's eyes, finding nothing but honest curiosity, the emotionless mask cracked slightly as the corner of Nyx's lips twitched upwards. "So... Dimi didn't see everything, or he didn't gain access to her memories. If he did, he would have worded it differently."

Nyx felt her chest constrict, a familiar feeling, at the thought that maybe she had acted too rashly. However, the sense of relief she felt soon washed it away.

Upon seeing the slight change in her emotions, Lucifer frowned. The room once again fell into silence, the only sound coming from the last few pieces of shard crackling as they melted and the hissing black vapour. Every sign of Dimi had vanished as the location had returned to a pristine state.

After an unknown amount of time, Lucifer sighed and shook his head. "Always shrouded in mystery even though I should know everything about you."

Just as he finished speaking, his robe vibrated on the right side of his chest. After Lucifer revealed a hidden pocket and pulled out a yellow-white stone, he pressed it to his forehead. He then remained motionless as the smile on his face grew larger and larger.

After crushing the stone, Lucifer looked into Nyx's eyes and spoke. However, while his lips moved, no sound could be heard.

After waiting for a response, he closed his eyes as his body revealed the signs of a chuckled before waving his hand.

"Nyx, my previous." His voice was now audible. "I'm afraid that I am running out of time. Though I would love to spend as much time as it takes to fix our relationship as soon as possible, it seems the world won't wait. Still, I have other home warming gifts that should keep you entertained until we next meet."

Nyx remained motionless, but after hearing Lucifer mention home warming gifts, she knew that one of her earlier assumptions had been correct. She had willingly walked into a prison especially built for her.

"Before I go, I'll ask one last time. Nyx, do you want to know the why or are you content with the what?"

Nyx scanned her surroundings, seemingly not listening. At the end of the room, the large door seemed to stand out more than the two on each side. "What? Imprisonment. Why? To wait for my soul to ripen and then consume it in your quest for godhood?"

"What?" Lucifer's smile vanished as his eyes widened. "What gave you that idea?"

"Hmm?" Nyx tilted her head. She was more focused on how she could close the last few meters needed to have a good chance of killing the angel than the conversation. "Or is it to take over this body, replacing that one that is rejecting your feminine soul, now it is showing some potential?"

Lucifer opened and closed his mouth a few times before shaking his head. "Nyx. Really! Has waking up in a female body and spending ten years in seclusion damaged your mind? Do you think I would put nearly 500 years into something to use it as a cheap material? Your soul is damaged and wouldn't give any substantial increase. Especially when I can just summon others as replacements or use the trash that claims to serve me?"

He then chuckled. "And I know you aren't stupid. The moment you walked into this room, you already knew that this place was made especially for you. If it was just to keep you under control, I could have done so without half the expense or time investment."

"Hmm, well I guess you can think of it more as a well-deserved rest and reward for service." Lucifer smile slowly faded as Nyx didn't respond. After a minute, he shook his head again. "Are you honestly content without knowing why?"

Nyx went to fold her arms, hesitating before finally placing them atop her chest. "What does it matter. I live, I die, I live again. I will find out sooner or later."

"Why must you always be so stubborn?"

Nyx tilted her head, a small sense of stratification rising. "Why are you so desperate to tell me?"

"Because you are important to me." Lucifer stepped forward while opening his arms slightly. He was now standing only a couple of feet from the gargoyles that separated him from Nyx. "To the future of this world. I need you, standing by my side, willingly. You, along with Eos and the other chosen shall join me as I remove the shackles imposed by the false gods and we claim what is rightfully ours."

Nyx felt a small tug on her core as the dark essence and ice essence wrapping it shook. While their presence was slowly diminishing to the strange energy, they seemed to be adapting as they tried to reach a balance within her.

"Gods? Shackles? Chosen?" Nyx revealed a mocking smile.

"You don't believe me?" Lucifer almost growled as golden-green light curled about him. "Our world has been invaded by gods from foreign realms. They suck away the true essence of life like pigs, giving nothing back as they cause strife, plagues, famines and disasters to further their goals. They kill or enslave our native deities, slowly replacing them with the kin of their own houses. That cult that stole your elemental sigil is one such existence. As you seem to know so much, I would have thought you knew this."

Nyx chuckled. "Why should I care? Your realm, not mine."

"Damn it Nyx. You were stubborn as a man, but as a woman, you are insufferable!"

"Fine, I don't need you to understand. Not yet, anyway. You will come to accept it with enough time." Lucifer hissed as he turned and motioned the screen object on his opposite side. "Another gift for you. Something to play with during your seclusion. Unlike the one that shows memories, this one will reveal a place from a distance."

"Actually..." A slow smile appeared on Lucifer's features. "You might be interested to know what is going on in the world above."

An image slowly came into focus on the screen. One that caused Nyx to do a double-take. In a glowing golden dome, Nyx's mother's symbol floated. However, unlike her memory, large cracks could be seen in the shield as enormous black wyvern-like creatures attacked it in a frenzy.

The image shifted as Lucifer swiped his hand to the side. This view was from what appeared to be a tower. Nyx vaguely recognised some of the building's shapes from when she had been tracking Regent with her shadow ability. It was the town square and headquarters of the local guild. The once picturesque square was now more similar to a vision from hell.

Panicked civilians were fleeing in panic as white, blue and grey-robed sect disciples tried to form defensive lines alongside battered and bloody adventurers. Before them, a horde of undead zombies was running the fleeing civilians to the ground. Various magics, the most common being fireballs or spears made up of multiple elements, hurled into the horde without any significant impact. The undead that had caught on fire flinging themselves at the most guarded positions and quickly making any defensive lines unmaintainable.

Nyx watched emotionlessly. While she was intrigued to know what was going on, it wasn't enough that she would ask.

"Nyx." Lucifer grinned widely. "This... this is the beginning of your story."

The scene shifted again as Lucifer moved his hand. A curly-haired blonde girl stood in the wreckage of a destroyed building, small amounts of smoke rising from amidst the rubble and bodies. Beside her stood a towering man covered in black armour.

"Lisa. Report." At the sound of Lucifer's voice, the image displayed once again changed.

Nyx frowned slightly after seeing a new figure appeared. She vaguely felt she had met the girl before, but as she was trying to remember where when Dimi's face and a cart appeared in her mind's eye and caused another pang to emanate from her core.

Clearing her throat, the blonde-haired girl saluted with a fist to her chest as her head lowered. "My Lord. Everything was going as planned until I encountered a third party necro."

The girl then lifted a familiar face into the view of whatever was relaying the image. Only one of Sam's eyes were open, his mouth agape as fresh blood dripped from where his neck should be attached to his body. Behind the girl, another figure clad in black armour was painting the true Nyx's symbol onto the wall. He was using the blood from the remains of an arm or leg as ink.

Lisa seemed to hesitate for a second. While she was speaking, it seemed she didn't know where to look, suggesting that the screen only worked one way. "My Lord... Has Nyx rejoined our ranks? Can I see him?"

It was then Nyx remembered the name. A female soul who had been amongst the last batch of summoned before the Citidel had fallen. The only reason that the girl had stood out was that she had drawn the attention of the Mad Summoner and had briefly been under Nyx's command before mysteriously vanishing.

"Soon. What about the seeds? Have they been planted?" Lucifer's voice was cold and demanding.

As if remembering something, the girl jumped before pressing her left hand to the side of her head. A moment later, the gravely, inhuman voices of countless beings rose high into the air.

"From the darkness, we are born."

Smiling, Lucifer swiped his hand in the opposite direction returning the screen to the image of the square. The horde that had been mercilessly slaughtering the living had stopped.

The imposing wall of their mangled bodies, staring at the survivors, created a terrifying sight.

"To the darkness, we shall return."

The undead spoke as one, creating a booming sound. Both the civilians and those trying to form a defensive line seemed to waver while a rare few turned to flee.

"For the dark goddess. For Nyx!"

With a loud bellow, the horde once again charged. The more powerful launched into the air while the agile ones skirted the slower undead and struck from the sides.

"Make sure there are survivors and find Nyx's... disciple." Lucifer spat the last few words out as if they were poisonous.

"As you command." Lisa's voice, though she was not visible on the screen, came from the speakers.

The tiny, almost invisible hairs on Nyx's arms stood on end as a chill crept up her spine despite the sweltering temperature of the room. For a brief moment, as she focused on the image, she felt as if she were connected to every living being the town.

The fear, terror and hatred they felt towards her seemed to convert into energy that fed into her soul. While it was only a trickle, Nyx could feel her soul grow and repair, the sensation of something broken but not knowing what that she had grown accustomed to over her long lifespan diminishing.

After looking over to Nyx to see her staring at the screen, her body slightly shaking goose pimples traced her arms and legs, Lucifer grinned while swiping again. "There are two ways to become a god. For undamaged souls, they can battle and absorb other souls. This method is much faster but more unstable. For those that are damaged, they must nurture their soul through the power of belief."

"I walk the path of power, Eos, treads both. You, on the other hand, can only rely on the thoughts and beliefs of others."

"Wrong," Nyx's mouth snapped shut, not knowing where the strong sense of disagreement she felt came.

"We shall see," Lucifer smirked.

The image was slower to change this time. When it became clear, Nyx couldn't place the location. The sun was slowly rising across the ocean as a woman in golden armour stared out. Behind her on the beach, countless skinny, poorly dressed people were cheering or hurling abuse at a hastily made execution platform at the water's edge to the female knight's left. Behind the crowd, the smouldering remains of what appeared to be a city wall marred the skyline. Floating ships, half air balloon, half vessel, circled slowly in the sky displaying the Welshmar's flag.

Chants to kill the traitors, oppressors of the people, echoed through the screen's speaker-like devices as well as praises to the holy maiden Eos echoed in the hall.

"Lady Eos, How goes the liberation of the Southern People." Lucifers voice was slow, dignified and full of grace. It contrasted greatly to how he spoke to Lisa. His words seemed to project across the beach as the crowd turned their attention towards the screen as they quietened down.

Whatever was projecting the image shook as it was raised to head height and brought closer to the female knight.

"My Lord." While Eos' reply was polite, Nyx could almost feel the hostility masked underneath. "As you commanded. The slaves and oppressed people of the Southern Isles are free. Your humble servant awaits your next command."

Lucifer smirked as he winked at Nyx. "Excellent timing. Your sister, Nyx, Goddess of Winter has struck the forces of the Twilight Sect and is ravaging their lands."

Deafening silence descended upon the crowd before an uproar exploded from its ranks. Though it was hard to make out what was said, the words 'Goddess' and 'Eos' was in almost every sentence before a zealous chant formed.

Nyx squinted, noticing that the source of the chant seemed extremely unnatural.

Lucifer continued, the mocking smile on his face indicating his thoughts. "While she is one of us, as well as your sister, we cannot allow her to hurt the mortals that have given us their faith. Gather your forces and set sail for the town of Corbin. We must save who we can and return Nyx to her prison in the underworld."

As Eos blinked with her golden eyes in shock, Lucifer turned to Nyx. "What do you think about being the Goddess of Winter? I was going to go for night or darkness but seeing as you seem to have taken a fancy to ice, I decided it suited you better. Should get a better reaction from the peasants as well. They naturally dislike the winter."

Nyx didn't have time to respond as Eos saluted with a fist seemingly, like everyone else on the other side of the screen, having not heard what Lucifer had said. "Thank you, my Lord. I will make sure to end Nyx's reign of terror and bring peace to the fourth continent."

The anger and resentment in Eos' voice had vanished as she turned around and started commanding troops. Golden Knights, appeared from the sides of the screen and began clearing the beech as the circling ships began to descend.

"Scripted," Nyx mumbled as her eyes narrowed.

The image faded, returning the room to silence as Lucifer carefully analysed Nyx. After a few moments of staring, Nyx returned her focus to him as their eyes locked. "Do you think they will believe such an obvious performance? Compared to your schemes in the past, this is almost laughable."

"In the prime continent, probably not. But this place is so backwards and full of illiterate bumpkins that it thrives on myth and superstition. They even maintain the feudal system instead of being Sect lead. Give them a bit of a show, a few rumours and an occasional act of god now and then, and there will be no problems." Lucifer lowered his hand as the crystal in his chest vibrated again.

Taking a deep breath, Lucifer started to turn. "Looks like-"

"Where do I come into this?" Nyx interrupted Lucifer seeing that he was about to take a step back. As she did, she loosened the restrictions around her core before driving the essence towards her limbs while praying that there would be no visible signs on her skin.

"Where do you come into this?" Lucifer smiled, undoing his half-turn as he took another step towards Nyx. Looking at the crystal in his hand, he sighed. "Why couldn't you have asked earlier? Now I'll have to give you the short version."

"The old gods of this realm are weak and useless. To throw out the invaders and claim this dimension for ourselves, we need to create a new order. Of course, I will stand at its head — the prime god. On my right, Eos will stand. The beautiful incarnation of justice, honour and responsibility. She will protect the faithful and punish the sinners justly." Lucifer chuckled as his eyes became slightly glazed. "On my left, you. Unyielding death and destruction. A natural calamity that falls upon any not under my protection. An uncontrollable element that only I can temper. Sometimes you will slip your leash and..."

Lucifer's grin became savage. "Purge those that are on my side but stand in the way of my objectives. There may be a few displays of justice, but as a Goddess, there won't be much to be done other than imprisonment."

Nyx felt amusement that wasn't her own as she multiple presences appeared at the corner of consciousness. It didn't feel as if they were close, or linked to her, but she could somehow sense them. They felt similar to her but drastically different at the same time.

Just as her muscles tensed, ready to charge forward, a loud crack resonated outwards from Nyx's chest. Swallowing back the blood that threatened to erupt from her mouth, Nyx fell to one knee as dizziness caused her sight to waver. However, while she was able to stop herself from being sick, the resulting battle in her stomach couldn't be masked. Her skin bulged and twisted as the ice and dark essence attempted to escape the strange energy.

Nyx spotted Lucifer frowning as he checked something in his hand. After putting it away, he spoke quietly. "I suppose if I asked you what just happened, I wouldn't get an answer?"

Nyx forced a smile, not daring to separate her lips as she could also feel the remnants of the essences in her mouth. The left side of her face twisted slightly as small beads of sweat appeared on her hairline as she felt her insides split, twist and squirm.

Forcing herself to her feet, Nyx tried to take a deep breath. When her lungs were almost 3/4ths full, she started coughing. After quickly using her hand to cover her mouth, catching the small amount of liquid that escaped, she wiped the remnants with the back of her arm.

Feeling the wetness in her hand and on the back of her arm absorb into her skin, Nyx regained control of her breathing even if it sounded strained.

Lucifer's frown deepened as he once again checked a small crystal he had pulled from his sleeve. "Hmm... well... it doesn't appear anything I should worry about."

Placing the crystal back into his sleeve, the movement not escaping Nyx's eyes, Lucifer shook his head. "Hmm, maybe I should take you along with me. I'd have to disable you of course but without knowing what's happening to your body, leaving you here feels like a bad idea."

Seeing Nyx's glare, he chuckled. "Fine~."

Lucifer used his hand to indicate the three men still standing towards the side. "The man that raped you, the other mistakenly, but fortunately for me, returned you from wherever your kind goes and the boy who led the beast woman earlier into my trap and fed her relatives' false information."

At each mention of their names, the three seemed to shrink back. However, they didn't try to make a run for the free doorways and instead moved towards the teleportation circle.

Nyx staggered forward a little, before taking a step back. After regaining her balance, she was a fraction closer to Lucifer and now facing the small gap between the gargoyles. After shaking her head, she took a deep breath before glancing at the trio.

"Rue still has your damaged soul crystal on him. I am intentionally leaving it. While it won't fix anything, it should give a minor power up."

"Master! Why are you doing this? Have I not done everything you asked?" Rue, the grey-haired man, shouted out as he fell to his knees.

Lucifer chuckled as his smile turned evil. "Who was it that didn't inform me that my precious Nyx had returned? Who hopped that if she were let loose, a certain someone's plans would fall into ruin?"

Reu looked like he wanted to argue but soon lowered his head, his body trembling.

The fat man, on the other hand, was kneeling at the teleportation circle and pulling various stones and parchments out of his pockets while mumbling. Sweat trickled down his face as his robes quickly became drenched.

The boy, one Nyx now recognised to look similar to the young man who had summoned Dimi from the cafe, seemed to be confused — looking between Nyx and the two men with a frown. In his hand was a small dagger.

Turning her head back to Lucifer, Nyx used her left foot to catch herself before she fell forward. Straightening up, a streak of inky black blood running from the corner of her mouth, she narrowed her eyes. "Do you think that forgiveness from me is so cheap."

Lucifers eyes narrowed correspondingly. "I do not need your for-"

"You will never control me again. I am not the same as that pathetic being you summoned all those years ago." Nyx's shout silenced Lucifer as a formless gust of air erupted from her causing his hair and feathers to flutter. "Nor am I that pitiful slave controlled by a fragment of their soul. The weakling that could do nothing, seeking the darkness to lick its wounds as it dreamt of revenge."

As Nyx spoke, the strange energy in Nyx's body became more and more agitated. As it did, she began to feel that it was incredibly familiar. With a sudden realisation, she recognised what the energy was.

It was something that she would have never expected to encounter outside of the abyss. The idea was so ludicrous to her that it hadn't even crossed her mind. However, as the energy swirled around her core, dark and ice essence moving up until it met with the new energy moving down through the layers Nyx thought she had lost, she knew that without a doubt that the strange essence wasn't of this world.

The moment she accepted the fact, Nyx revealed a dazzling smile, attracting the attention Lucifer and the young man. The other two were too preoccupied with trying to get the teleportation array working. "The darkness is my ally, my friend, but it is not my origin."

"You must find your own energy..." The many hints that Prophet gave her as she retreated from the battle with Timur echoed in her mind. With it came the throwaway comment which seemed to have been the subconscious start of her transformation.

Memories of when she first awoke in the underground room, confused and seemingly alone after her first death, or the subsequent awakening in the abyss, surfaced. While she didn't know the cause, Nyx felt as if she were looking at a puzzle with most of the pieces in place. While she couldn't yet tell what it depicted, the answer was tantalisingly close.

"In the Abyss, I was born."

Nyx was so lost in thought that she didn't realise that she had spoken out loud, the bright lights of the room significantly dimming alerting everyone that something strange was going on. It wasn't just the lighting that had changed. Both of the screens floating on each side of the platform had turned pitch black. Their surfaces seemed to want to absorb anything they touched as static crackled from their speakers.

"...return to your domain..." The words of the female shadow echoed in Nyx's mind, and the final piece of the puzzle fell into place, a sense of enlightenment engulfed her.

"They abyss. My home. My domain." The abyss energy inside of Nyx seemed to rejoice as it exploded outwards. Any ice or dark essence not yet converted was eagerly absorbed as loud resounding cracks exploded from her chest.

"Nyx!" Lucifer shouted as he backed up. The remaining gargoyles were quickly separating him from Nyx who had once again fallen to her knees. "Do not fight me. I warn you, if you spit in my face you will regret it for eternity."

"To the Abyss, I shall return."

Out of habit, Nyx completed her saying as she felt something appear inside of her core. A connection and at the same time, the fulfilment of something she didn't know she was missing.

Upon the thirteenth crack, including the ones inside the tunnels, Nyx's body suddenly started to break down. Pitch-black mist, far darker than she had ever released before, seeped from Nyx's pores and masked her naked body before being sucked towards her chest in whirlpool-like motion.

"STOP HER!" Lucifer's eyes suddenly widened as he leapt forward. Golden-green energy shot from his fingertips, but by the time it reached Nyx's body, she was no longer there.

The sudden deafening silence shattered with the loud clang of a fist-sized crystal hitting the floor. Dark swirling clouds of blue, with flickers of blue lightning, lay behind what appeared to be a thin layer of black, semi-transparent ice. A thin layer of ice slowly crept out from where it touched the floor as a cold mist hovered a couple of inches from its surface.

As everyone stared at the core, a heart-beat-like thump reverberated in their chests. Thirty seconds later, another thump rippled outwards.

"DAMN IT!" Lashing out, Lucifer backhanded a nearby gargoyle. Its body crumbled as it flew back and smashed into a wall. As the pieces fell towards the ground, deep cracks spread across the wall. However, before the fractures had stopped spreading, they were repairing at an unbelievable rate. Even the rune that was destroyed returned to its previous state and was releasing warm air from its surface.

"Nyx!" Lucifer roared as he stomped towards the core laying on the ground, pushing through the gargoyles that still stood guard. As he reached the core, his wings extended as he bent down to pick it up. "Do you really think you can escape my grasp?"