Sunday.
Nyx woke up at noon.
For once, there were no alarms. No deadlines. Just silence and soft sunlight bleeding through the curtains.
She stretched, tied her hair back, and put on Lilith by Saint Avengline.
The apartment filled with music.
She cleaned. Folded laundry. Washed dishes.
Humming under her breath.
At one point, she caught herself doing a small spin in the kitchen—barefoot, careless—moving with the rhythm while chopping vegetables.
A version of herself no one ever saw.
By one, lunch was ready.
She ate quietly, then showered, dressed, and checked the time.
2:45.
By three, she was sharp.
A car horn sounded outside.
Lucien.
She grabbed her jacket and stepped in.
James sat in the front. Elias in the back.
"Good afternoon," Nyx said evenly.
All three replied.
The car rolled off.
No music. Just road noise and thoughts.
The building they arrived at was discreet—glass exterior, guarded entrance, no signage.
They were led into a meeting hall.
Minutes later, Liza walked in carrying a thick file.
She dropped it onto the table.
"Check this out."
Nyx opened it.
Her eyes narrowed.
"The missing university records," Liza said. "The originals are with the mayor."
Lucien stiffened.
"And you're lucky," Liza continued. "He's attending your fresher party as a guest."
Elias leaned forward. "So we tail him."
"You watch every move," Liza confirmed. "Get close to him—or his son."
James raised a hand. "And my invitation?"
Liza waved him off. "Already arranged."
Elias flipped through the file. "Who's the son?"
Liza slid out a profile.
"Richward. Currently doing his master's in arts."
Nyx froze.
"Oh crap."
Everyone looked at her.
Liza frowned. "What happened?"
Nyx closed the file slowly. "He's my ex."
Silence hit the room.
Liza blinked. "Well… that makes things easier."
"No," Nyx said flatly. "No way I'm approaching that piece of—"
Elias cut in, "Where is he now?"
Liza shook her head. "Unknown. He barely attends class."
Nyx exhaled.
"I know exactly where he'll be at night."
Lucien glanced at her. "Then we follow your lead."
Liza hesitated. "Listen carefully. The fresher party is high-risk. Anyone there could be hostile. Stay alert."
Nyx's voice was cold. "That's easy. We'll kill them."
Liza's eyes widened. "Nyx—no. That will draw attention."
Nyx leaned back. "Relax. We work in the dark."
Liza nodded slowly. "Okay. One more thing."
She took a breath.
"Our main target—the one behind everything—he killed Lucien's parents."
Lucien's jaw tightened.
"And Nyx's."
Nyx didn't react.
"He destroyed his own father's properties," Liza continued. "Killed members of his own family. A complete psychopath. We don't have his name. No identity. No photo."
She paused.
"That's what makes this mission so difficult."
Nyx stood.
"We'll find him."
Her voice didn't shake.
"And when we do," she added quietly, "I'll make sure he dies by my hands."
Lucien stepped beside her.
"We all will."
The room fell silent.
Not with fear.
With inevitability.
The car moved through quiet streets, streetlights flashing across their faces in slow intervals.
No one spoke for a while.
Then James cleared his throat.
"You guys know how strong our main target is, right?"
No one answered.
They all did.
James continued anyway.
"He's cruel. Calculated. I've heard he brutally murdered his own people just for lying to him. Tortured enemies until they begged for death. He's smart—too smart to get caught easily."
Elias shifted in his seat.
James went on, voice tightening. "We need to be extremely careful. This man doesn't make mistakes. He creates them for others."
Nyx stared out the window.
"So?" she said quietly.
James looked at her.
"So what if he's cruel?" Nyx added. "So what if he's evil?"
She finally turned her head.
"One day, even evil dies."
James exhaled sharply. "You have no idea who you're dealing with. That man—"
Lucien cut in, his tone calm but sharp."Are you on his side?"
James snapped his head toward him.
His voice rose. "No way. I'd rather die."
Silence dropped hard.
Nyx glanced at James once, unreadable.
Then scoffed softly.
She picked up her phone, scrolling like the conversation never mattered.
Outside, the city kept moving.
Inside the car, something fragile had just cracked.
And none of them said another word.