For the next several days, Ember did her best to drag a little humanity into the boy who'd spent his whole life in a cave.
The Language Disaster
Morning one, Ember sat cross-legged on her porch, a slate board and chalk ready.
"Okay, repeat after me: hello."
Nyxar stared, silent as the grave.
Bug buzzed in, wings whirring like an irritated fan. "You're saying it wrong, shiny-hair. He doesn't do greetings."
Spirit flickered beside them. "Maybe if you stopped interrupting—"
"Stop interrupting? You've been circling his head like a drunk firefly all morning!"
Ember clutched the chalk hard enough to snap it. "Both of you, ZIP IT!"
Nyxar blinked at the sudden shout and calmly pointed to the chalk fragments. "Broken?"
Bug hovered to Ember's ear. "See? Progress. One new word: broken. Good job, teacher."
Ember groaned and walked off to cool down.
Cooking: The Shocking Plot Twist
By day three Ember changed tactics. "Fine. Let's cook instead. Easier than speech, right?"
They started simple: roasting vegetables. Nyxar copied every movement without a single wasted gesture, eyes sharp as a hawk's. He didn't say much—just watched.
Bug narrated like a sports commentator. "Look at that knife grip. Ten outta ten. If he weren't terrifying I'd hire him for catering."
Spirit sniffed the sizzling pan—figuratively. "Impressive heat control for someone who probably used to eat rocks."
Ember chopped, stirred, and explained temperatures. Nyxar absorbed it all with unsettling precision. By sunset his knife work made hers look like a toddler's.
The Steak Upset
On the fifth evening Nyxar announced, "Boar. Butter. Cook."
He laid thick slices of giant boar meat in a pan, sprinkled a pinch of salt Ember swore she hadn't shown him, and flipped them with perfect timing. The aroma was criminal.
Ember tasted the first slice and nearly dropped her fork. "Wh—HOW—this is…better than mine."
Bug licked imaginary lips. "Yep. Cave boy wins. Knew it."
Spirit chimed in smugly, "Clearly he's chosen his true path: kitchen overlord."
Ember slumped. "I… taught him yesterday. Yesterday!"
The Smile That Broke Reality
Nyxar watched their reactions, then… his face twitched. Slowly, the corners of his mouth curled upward. It wasn't right. Too even. Too deliberate—like a mask stretching wrong.
Bug backed up mid-air. "Uh…is your face malfunctioning?"
Spirit tilted like a confused lantern. "That…is supposed to be a smile?"
Ember blinked, half creeped out, half impressed. "It's a smile. Sort of."
Nyxar's crimson-rimmed black eyes glinted. "Smile." He held it, unblinking.
Ember shivered. "Yeah, maybe… don't do that while holding a knife."
Bug whispered, "Congratulations, surface world. We've created a smiling, gourmet, undead-vibe chef. We're all doomed—but dinner's amazing."