Chapter 13: A Family
Nyx suddenly flinched and felt a sting in her ear, as if she had just heard someone call her name just now.
Just as she was puzzled, she saw the man was about to be hit behind by the person with a bat and Nyx''s eyes involuntarily shone purple.
Before she knew it, she already appeared behind the person and sliced him with an ice dagger she made with 003''s ability.
The man and the other three thugs were stunned about the sudden appearance of Nyx and the mam took this opportunity to beat the others with his bare fists before breaking their necks.
The remaining two thugs were terrified and wanted to flee but the man did not let them go and was able to catch them, knocking them both unconscious before brutally beating them up repeatedly.
Seeing this scene made Nyx stiff, unable to grasp her current situation.
''Is this- really Mister? That kind hearted person who couldn''t even kill an insect...''
Just as she was hesitant, the sound of beating continued until Nyx licked her dry lips and called out softly, "Mister?"
At that moment, the man''s fist remained frozen in the air and everything fell silent.
Nyx did not know whether to continue to try to call him or just leave silently, but then saw the man turn his head slowly towards her, and when the man saw her appearance, he looked up in shock, tears gradually welled up in his eyes.
"I- Is it-...is it really you?" The man uttered.
Nyx was stunned for a moment before she pursed her lips and hummed.
Seeing her, the man stood up abruptly, startling Nyx. But the next actions of the man made her froze and stiff.
She was met with a warm embrace and the man spoke in a hoarse voice. "I thought you died."
"I''m sorry, it''s all my fault, if only- if only I was able to stop them at that time- t- then-!" The man kept stuttering as he tried to explain frantically, only making it more difficult to understand.
"A- Alright! C-Calm down for second!" Nyx said as she pushed away the man''s shoulder and looked at him.
This was her first time seeing him in such a state.
"Let''s get out of her first. Come! I''ll take you to my place!" She said.
"You mean...?" The man was hesitant and Nyx was able to see through his thoughts. Shaking her head, she said, "No. It''s a different place."
The man looked at her for a moment before he said, "Okay."
Just as they were about to leave, the man suddenly asked something. "Aren''t you afraid?"
"What?" Nyx looked at him inexplicably, puzzled.
"Aren''t you atleast, vigilant? Towards a stranger like me..." The man said hoarsely.
Nyx frowned when she heard this. "You know, Mister. You are the only one I ever treated as my own family."
"You are the only one who gave me free and edible food, the only one who saw me as myself."
Hearing her words, the man fell silent and Nyx geld his hand and said, "Mister, you are a family to me, not a stranger."
Tears welled up in the man''s eyes before he said softly, "I see."
"Come on! Let''s go!" Nyx said as they strode off.
----
When they got back home, Nyx was excited to introduce the man to Raizel.
The moment her hand landed on the door, her vision suddenly turned red and the familiar white lines appeared, it''s just that they were scattered all around and does not show any particular order nor direction.
She gasped and subconsciously let go of the door.
"What''s wrong?" The man asked worriedly.
Nyx panted for a little before she gulped and shook her head, "It''s nothing, I thought I just saw something."
The man was puzzled by her words but in the end, did not pry any further.
Opening the door, Nyx searched for Raizel excitedly, forgetting about what she had just felt.
The strange thing though, is that Raizel was neither in the kitchen nor the living room where he should be at this time.
Nyx squinted her eyes for a moment before she went to Raizel''s bedroom and knocked on his door.
"Raizel? Are you there? Can you open the door?"
There was no sound.
Just as she thought that he was also not in the bedroom, she finally heard the door creaked and saw Raizel opening it.
When her eyes met Raizel''s crimson eyes, she did not know why but her vision suddenly turned crimson and the tiny short white lines kept wriggling around the air, coming out from Raizel''s eyes.
''What...?''
Nyx was frightened and her pupils contracted.
Just as she felt her hand was about to move instinctively on its own, Raizel closed his eyes and opened it again, this time, Nyx''s vision returned to normal.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
''What-...just what did I just saw?''
Before she even had the chance to comprehend her situation, Raizel made a sign language and said, "You''re back."
"Ah...yes, ah yes I''m back!" Nyx, coming back to her senses, felt a little embarrassed but then remembered something and said, "I''ve brought a guest! You''re never gonna believe who I brought!"
Making way, the figure of the man appeared in Raizel''s sight and Nyx said, "This is Mister! My family!"
Raizel stared at Nyx for a moment before looking up to meet the man''s gaze.
The man and Raizel stared at each other for a long time without any signs of movement, causing for Nyx to be worried.
"Ah, is everything alright? Have you two met before?"
The man looked at Raizel before he took away his gaze and said, "No, I just think that he looks similar to someone I know."
"Ah! Is that so?" Nyx said.
The man then reached out his hand and said, "David, and you are?"
Raizel looked at his outstretched hand before grabbing and shaking it. Then, he made a sign language afterwards.
"Raizel, I am her friend."
"Her friend you say..." David muttered.
Just as the atmosphere dropped, Nyx intervened and said, "Uhm, Mister?"
"Hm?" David turned his gaze away from Raizel and looked at Nyx.
Nyx took a deep breath before she inquired, "About what you said earlier...what are you sorry about?"
Hearing this, David''s body turned stiff which Raizel caught.
David gnashed his teeth secretly before he said, "May we sit down?"
"I think this is going to take some time."
Nyx was puzzled and looked into David''s eyes, trying to see if she could guess something.
But all she saw was guilt and sorrow, making her puzzled as she could not recall anything done by David to her that made him feel so guilty, even sweating profusely.
Narrowing her eyes as she lowered her gaze, she hummed.
----
"Back then, I went to the slums to check on you, having a foreboding feeling as I saw countless of enforcers roaming the empire."
"But before I went to the slums, I encountered one of my friends."
"And that''s when I found out that the enforcers are collecting abandoned children, especially- sold ones at that from the slums."
"After that, I immediately searched but couldn''t find you. Well, atleast until I heard a commotion coming from one of the houses, and when I took a peek, I saw you."
Nyx widened her eyes slightly when she heard this, but David did not gave her the chance to intervene and continued.
"I saw you, being strangled by a woman-...your mother, most likely from how you described her before."
Raizel''s pupils instantly contracted when he heard this before returning back to normal, his figure composed but his clenched fist broke it all.
David continued.
"I wanted to help and was about to barge in, but then I watched as you grasped the nearby kitchen knife and pierced it to your mother''s neck."
"I was too stunned back then and I did not had the time to react, the moment I regained my senses, you were being chased by your father and that''s when I started budging at your door but was locked."
"Then the moment I finally broke the door, a group of people suddenly shoved me towards the ground, pinning me so that I couldn''t move a single muscle."
"A group..." Nyx muttered silently and asked while trembling. "Do they perhaps, wore dark robes while following a man in a lab coat?"
David looked into Nyx''s purple eyes before speaking solemnly, "Yes."
Hearing this, both Nyx and Raizel glanced at each other involuntarily.
''Dr. Shane'' They both knew the answer in an instant.
"After that, they just entered willingly, and I tried to stop them, but they didn''t even stopped at all."
"And when they got out, they were holding you unconscious."
...
"I fought them afterwards."
...
Nyx''s eyes widened while Raizel''s narrowed.
David closed his eyes and lowered his head, "As you can probably guess, I''ve failed."
"Then I tried to infiltrate that place."
This time, Raizel''s eyes also widened. Because they know that the place that David is talking about, is none other than that laboratory...
The Hell they grew up in.
"Haha, I''ve actually caused such a ruckus back then that even that mad man actually came in person."
Hearing this, Nyx faintly recalled a scene in the past.
''When I was talking to the enforcers about the vents, they left in a hurry, saying there was a commotion. The same goes when I met Dr. Shane, when he left in an annoyed manner after someone brought up the commotion.'' Nyx pursed her lips and looked secretly at David. ''It couldn''t be...''
Although Nyx had her own thoughts, she still did not said it out loud.
Suddenly, the temperature in the room dropped as David said something solemn.
"Then I saw a girl with long brown hair and amber eyes being thrown into the ocean near that place."
...
"I watched as she was thrown there, with the same height and probably the same age as you, and I thought that it was you, so I gave up and became a bounty hunter instead, so that I have a reason why I should kill that man!"
"Wait, a bounty- hunter?" Nyx was dumbfounded when she heard this and looked at David as she had seen a ghost.
"What? I told you before, didn''t I? That I''ve once met Caesar myself back then when he was still a little knight, I was also a Knight back then if you don''t know." David said with a grin.
"..." Nyx was so stunned that her mouth was left agape while Raizel rolled his eyes as his lips twitched.
David looked at Nyx and the grin on his lips slowly faded as he spoke hoarsely, "I''m sorry, kid."
"I shouldn''t have let my thoughts get the best of me, I should''ve searched further, I''m sorry I didn''t get the chance to save you when I still can back then..." Before he got the chance to continue, Nyx hugged him and said with tears in her eyes, "It''s not your fault Mister, I''m thankful to you more than ever if so."
David also cried silently as he hugged Nyx back and said, "Thank you."
----
While Nyx was preparing some food and Raizel carried the plates to the table, he suddenly heard David on the side whisper to him solemnly, "I hope your little secret won''t bring any harm to her."
Raizel''s pupils instantly contracted before he squinted his eyes and made a small sign language. "Same to you."
David just scoffed and Raizel turned to return to the kitchen, lost in thought.
''Did he figured it out? If so, which one?''
Secretly, Raizel''s crimson eyes shone and he thought, ''This is troublesome.''
****
"Are you sure you don''t want to stay, Mister?" Nyx asked as she reluctantly looked at David going outside the house.
David chuckled and said, "Kid, I can take care of myself, I''ll be back whenever I can to visit you."
Although reluctant, Nyx could only hum softly.
Then, David patted Nyx''s head and said, "Don''t worry, I know that you are in a great care, you have that boy with you, and I trust him."
Nyx unconsciously grinned when he said this and hummed in response.
With that, David left, leaving Nyx empty while Raizel secretly frowned behind.
Clicking his tongue, he thought, ''That damn geezer, he really got me there.''
****
At the Hunter Association Guild, David ordered a large glass of beer and drank it all in one gulp.
As he felt refreshed, a friend of his sat beside him and teased him, "You seem awfully happier than usual, it''s been a long time ey? What happened?"
"Nothing, Fred. I just finally found the kid I''ve been looking for." David replied nonchalantly.
"Is that so? Then blessed the lad!" His friend, named Fred, cheered.
Just as the bar was suffused with laughter and joy, Fred''s expression suddenly turned serious.
"Actually, I have a new information." Fred said while grabbing a piece of rolled up paper from his cape.
David looked at the paper for a moment before opening it.
The moment he read the intels, his pupils couldn''t help shaking.
On the paper was a wanted picture of two children, a boy with short black hair and a girl with short brown hair.
And obviously, David recognized them.
Above their heads were the bounty, which costs hundreds of thousands silver. And the most terrifying thing, is that this was sent by none other than the new King himself.
Fred did not noticed the change in David''s expression and continued his rant.
"Damn, just what is that new king thinking? Actually putting such bounties on a kid''s head..."
"Oh, and what''s more, he also sent a poster of a woman''s statue with a veil covering her face."
"He seems to be looking for it as it said that whoever is able to tell him the location of the statue, will recieve a million silver!"
"I can''t believe the king is this generous, he is probably insane though, haha."
David did not heard any of his words as the only thing that is left on his mind is-
''What should I do, kid?''
****
The next day.
Nyx looked at the broken well before her, the purple eyes shining.
"So it really wasn''t just a dream, huh?"