Mission Complete
Nyxar stood in the yard, staring blankly at the group. Everyone else looked at him like he had just drop-kicked God.
"…What?" he asked flatly, scarlet eyes flicking between them.
Bug floated over, patting him on the head like he was some oversized murder puppy. "Don't worry, you totally innocent, oblivious child. Nothing's wrong. You did good. You didn't kill her. Good job."
A glowing, imaginary [MISSION COMPLETE] sign seemed to hang over Nyxar's head. He gave a tiny nod of satisfaction, then turned on his heel and wandered back into the house. The steel bears dissolved into smoke as he de-summoned them.
The narrator's voice chimed in: Most likely, he was going back to master yet another drink recipe—because why not continue proving he's infinitely better at cooking and beverages than Ember, despite starting only a few days ago?
Sophia the Folded Chair 🪑
Back in the yard, Sophia pushed herself off the dirt, swaying. She looked like her soul had been rattled loose. Ember rushed forward, worried.
"Are you okay?"
Sophia's voice was airy, fake casual. "Yeah, just… a bit surprised. Not much."
Lie. Her stomach felt like it had been kneaded by an ogre, her spine re-arranged into modern art, and her lungs refused to cooperate.
Edward laughed so hard he almost fell over. "Stop lying. We can see you're barely holding it together!"
Sophia wheezed, then forced a laugh of her own. Bug hovered nearby, arms folded smugly. "I did try warning you."
Spirit drifted by with a shrug. "Yup. And you didn't listen."
Edward grinned like a fox. "So, how'd he do, Sophia?"
Sophia coughed. "…He's… okay, I guess."
Edward burst out laughing. "Okay?! Don't even start. He folded your ass like a chair."
Sophia groaned, finally admitting: "…Fine. Maybe he's a little stronger than I thought."
Housebound Recovery 🏠
After catching her breath (and swallowing down the urge to vomit), Sophia limped back inside to collapse on a chair. Edward followed, still smirking.
"So, this 'roommate' of yours is surprisingly strong," he teased Ember.
Ember nodded. "Yeah, very surprised. But why are you specifying the word roommate like that?"
Edward ignored her question completely and turned to Sophia. "How you holding up?"
Sophia muttered through clenched teeth, "Not so good. Might need a healer. Feels like my organs, spine, and soul all got rearranged, folded, bent, and crushed."
Bug, ever the commentator, buzzed overhead. "I told you—he doesn't know how to hold back. When he fights, he just goes straight for weak points. All of them. Rapid fire."
Ember groaned. "Couldn't he hold back even a little?"
Bug: "I literally just said he can't. The only rule I gave him was don't kill. Not don't traumatize, dislocate, and potentially cause fatal injury."
Ember facepalmed. "That would've been nice to know before the spar began."
Bug shrugged. "Well, no one asked."
Edward Stirs the Pot 😏
Edward leaned against the counter, grin sharp as ever. "Must be stressful living with him as a roommate, huh?"
Ember blinked. "…What do you mean?"
Edward ticked things off on his fingers. "Let's see: his insane strength, zero understanding of language or customs, deadly summon bears with anger issues—and then your extra company: Bug and Spirit."
Ember frowned. "Honestly? Not really. He's usually quiet, mainly 'cause he doesn't understand what's happening half the time. The real stress is…"—she glared at Bug and Spirit—"…these two."
Bug and Spirit froze midair.
"They don't shut the hell up. Always arguing, always fighting. I never get a moment of peace. Whenever I tell them to stop, they just keep going. But when Nyxar tells them to stop? Oh, suddenly, silence. Works every time. I still don't know how he does it."
Spirit and Bug looked at each other.
Trauma flashback: Nyxar silently chasing them around the house with a kitchen knife, expression blank, footsteps heavy. The sound of steel scraping on the floor.
Bug shuddered. "…It's better if you don't know."
Edward barked a laugh. "So, he's useful then."
Ember smiled without realizing. "Yeah. He is. He's quiet. It's… fun, teaching him new things. Watching him try to figure stuff out. Even if he gets better than me ridiculously fast. Cooking, drinks…" Her smile softened. "It's nice. Yeah. It's nice."
Edward raised a brow, catching her expression. The sly grin spread across his face like wildfire.
Sophia noticed too, but she couldn't say a word—her body was too busy screaming in pain.