Seeing Aria's lifeless body, Nate knew he would never be able to take the blame for her death. And whatever would happen, after using the technique, he would make sure she became a useful ally to him.
"I accept!" He muttered.
In the blink of an eye, he felt a surge through his veins. His blood drummed in the tight pipes that it ran through as a cool feel of power surged to his fingers.
The first thing he did, was place his hand on her chest, feeling the hum of her heartbeat. It was slow, but with a slight tap of his fingers, it drummed to life.
"Thank goodness…" He whispered and clasped her head in his palms. Her skull which bled heavily, felt the cooling sensation from his fingers.
The blood flow stopped, color returned to her face and her head lulled to the side.
As soon as he realized she was alright, he let out a low sigh and slipped to the floor.
[Congratulations, Nate Williams. You have successfully used the Super Healing Technique and have gained yourself an ally!]
[Host: Nate Williams
Ability: 2
Appearance: 5
Women: 1
Ally: 1
Account balance: $14,000,050]
He stayed in that position, trying to regain his strength but the stench of blood in the air wouldn't let him rest. He cleaned every inch of the house, finally putting everything back in place.
And by the time he was done, it was midnight.
"Oh fuck…" He muttered, as he swiped on his phone to get through to Nyx. But the phone rang for long minutes, with no answer from the other end.
And then a message came in, "I won't be home for the night, Nate. I had to go back to my family."
"I will see you at school after the students' council meeting."
While he read through that string of words, he felt there was something off. Her visit to her family was too sudden, especially at that time of night.
And when he called her again, it went straight to voicemail.
He stood up, ready to go back to the villa to confirm her words, but soft footsteps made him halt his steps.
Aria stood a few distances away, staring at him with blurry eyes. He took a deep breath, wondering if she recalled what had happened.
She got closer, her lips quivering, "What happened?"
He stared at her, with a serious gaze, "What did you remember?"
"Dying?" She looked confused. "Rick dragged me here and hit me with a baton countless times."
"I thought I was going to die."
"It's alright…" He waved his hand. "You are not dead. I managed to save you…"
"But how?" She whispered, as her confusion deepened. "I feel no pain, and there are no injuries on my body..."
"All that matters is that you are alright, right?" He raised a brow.
"Yes…" She nodded.
He didn't take another glance at her, before he started to walk away but she ran after him, clutching his arm anxiously.
"You saved me…" She whispered, with wide eyes as if that was the greatest realization she had ever had. "What can I do to repay you, Nate?"
"I will do anything..."
He stared at her, knowing there was nothing he needed her to do. She could not get the information he wanted and she had been cast away by Rick.
"You don't have to do anything…" He shook his head. "Just leave, when it's dawn."
"But…" She protested, stopping him from leaving again. "I want to do something…"
"You don't—"
The next second, she went down on her knees, with her head bowed and eyes tight with devotion.
"I am pledging my loyalty to you, Nate."
He was taken aback by this staunch devotion. When the System told him she would be an ally, he didn't think it was this extreme. She wasn't an ally, but a devout follower.
And if he ignored her too much, she might go out of control. This was how she would become a weapon.
"Oh no…" He whispered as he sat back down on the chair. He wondered if the system had tricked him as there was no way he would have to keep minding Aria's presence in his life.
"What should I do, Nate?"
He thought for a moment, deciding to give her something random to do.
"Go back to Rick…" He said, knowing he would need someone loyal to him who would report every one of Rick's movements.
"However, go back after a few days, pretending you are just healing up from your injuries. Penetrate his life and find out everything I need to know about him."
"His secrets and any incriminating things that could bring him down."
He was done playing petty games with Rick, and after such a trap that had been laid out for him, he needed to pay back the enemy in his own coin.
"Yes, Nate!"
He waved his hand at her, before stepping out of the house, going straight to the villa. A few minutes later, he finally arrived and it was cold and empty.
Nyx was nowhere to be found, and he felt a coldness creeping up his body.
It was ominous.
___
The next day…
Nate had still not been able to get through to Nyx, with all of the calls going straight to voicemail. However, he walked toward the building for the council meeting, while wishing she were by his side.
She had supported him this far, and yet she would disappear this way?
He stood outside the building, hoping she would appear but there was no one.
And at that moment, he felt a tap from behind, turning to see Professor Claire staring at him with a pointed look.
"It's you..." She sneered.
Nate pursed his lips, recalling their interaction. The charm buff he used on her, had cleared up.
But then, he recalled Nyx had said she was his aunt.
"Have you seen Nyx?" She blurted out. "Did she go back home?"