Chapter 10: Wings of fate

It's been seven hours since, Nyxon's fight with Donnel. His body lay down in the bed he slept in every day. He couldn't stop thinking about the battle with Donnel. He was furious. He fought right there in the palm of his hand, and then suddenly– it vanished. His victory vanished right in front of him. He stared at the ceiling, thinking about what he could have done then. He knew he couldn't just sit around all day.

He crawled from his bed when he stepped on something. It pressed against his knee– he was almost afraid to see what it could be. It felt nice, like a rugged cloth running on his hand. It was folded into itself from what it looked like. He started to turn it over in multiple directions until it revealed itself to be a cloak. He remembered now. "When times get rough," thought Nyxon. He put the cloak over him. It buckled nicely around his neck. He would admire how nice it was around him if it wasn't for this circumstance. He heard slight noises of talking coming from the outside of his room. He pushed his ears to the door. He could hear Manda and Brinks talking just outside of his room. Brinks sighed heavily, "Look– just go to bed. I can watch Nyxon, and then-"

"No!" cried Manda. "I can't believe you're doing this!"

"Doing what? My job?" asked Brinks.

"No, doing this to impress Dad!"

"This again?"

"Yes! I hate how you won't do what you wanna do. I hate how you won't think for yourself." shouted Manda. She sounded annoyed, almost as if she were on the brink of crying.

Nyxon tried to keep listening, but the conversation only moved elsewhere. He saw this as an opportunity. He took his sword he saw lined up against the wall and opened his door. The hallway was dark. Although he could see it as clear as day, Nyxon couldn't shake the feeling he had from just knowing how dark it was from before. He tip-toed across the rugged carpet. His feet were scraping the edges of the floor as he tried his best not to make any noise. He stared at the door in front of him. Although this time, his scar didn't burn or itch as much as it would before. He didn't notice it and quickly opened the door before anyone saw him.

He noticed how dark the hallway was. It was a stairwell that led down to the most bottomless pits of the darkness. He walked down and continued to do so, knowing this was what he wanted. Nyxon almost started to hope whatever was down here took him out instead. Nyxon couldn't help but have thoughts as he continued to walk down the stairwell. Should he have closed the door? What would his father think? What would Luna think? Would she even believe him? It didn't matter. Nyxon finally reached the bottom of the stairwell. It was cold, nearly freezing. He walked in a straight path as he glared at all the loud machines in the background. They all seemed to be plugged into something. He looked all over the room with his emerald eyes, staring into every corner of the room as he kept advancing to where all the wires met on the cold steel floor. His scar started to itch whenever he walked forward. His body knew he was on the right path. He kept scratching at his scar– it was infuriating him to the point he drew blood from scratching it too much. He got annoyed but knew his body would heal from it soon (Due to his regenerative ability as a Half-Dragon).

His scar seemed to hurt more when he walked in a different direction; it was almost like a compass. He followed the pain anxiously as his head started to ring again; it felt like he was banging against something. A voice started to call out to him; it seemed to be the same voice from his dream from earlier! He began to run, but then– he landed head-first into what looked like a chamber. It was covered head to toe with nothing but steel and what looked like a big red button and a foggy window. Nyxon looked in the window anxiously, his hands started to sweat, and his mouth had gone dry from the fear of being caught. He saw a woman.

White hair, a lightning-like scar just like Nyxon, it was her! This was the woman Nyxon was after. He pushed the button, but to no surprise, it didn't do anything. He started to get sick in the stomach from being unable to open the door, his hands getting more tense each time he pushed the button, only to hear an annoying beeping sound. "Screw this-" Nyxon said as he grabbed onto the door. He pulled it off effortlessly as if it were made out of paper. He pushed the door to a corner next to the chamber as he looked inside.

The woman stared at him in shock— it looked like she was scared of Nyxon. Nyxon first noticed her appearance. She was in rags for clothes and had gauntlets on her hands connected to another set of chains. The woman kept staring at Nyxon as he spoke up, "Who are you?" Nyxon asked softly.

The woman flipped her head in the other direction, moving her silver hair over to the side of her head as it covered her right eye. She reached out towards Nyxon– but the chains occupying her made her hand freeze in place. Nyxon put his torch and sword on the floor as he sat near the woman in the chamber. She reached her hand out again as she touched Nyxons scar. "Thank you for putting your sword away. I thought you came to hurt me like the others," she said. Her voice was soft, smooth like silk. Nyxon spoke nervously, "What do you mean? Who hurt you?". The woman pointed outside of the chamber. Nyxon followed her aim towards a photo of his father, Magnus. She pushed her hair aside from her face, "That's who hurt me. He did this to me." she said. Her left eye almost looked transparent. She had a scar over it, as if someone had slashed her. Nyxon looked at her in a terrified manner. Would Magnus ever do this?

"I'm sorry, I never introduced myself." The woman said. "My name is Lapis– and you're Nyxon. I can tell from the scar that you're Nyxon." Nyxon nodded. Nyxon felt nothing but guilt, this woman had been down here for years, and he was just now discovering her; he could almost puke from the suspense. Nyxon finally moved his lips, "But how did you get down here? Where are you from?"

"Hm, I'm from a faraway planet known as planet Yutania. A planet most known for-"

"Elderians– you're an Elderian, right?"

"That's right, and so are you– brother."

Nyxon gave a sour look, "Brother?" Nyxon said in his head, "That's not true. I've never had a sister before-"

"It's true," Lapis said, "And I can hear you in your head as well. We're connected, you and I." Lapis said. Nyxon could hear her voice, but her lips weren't moving. It was pretty scary.

Nyxon tried saying everything else he could in his head, to which she answered with pitch-perfect accuracy. Nyxon finally decided to speak with his mouth again, "So, why have you been here for so long– I have so many questions–"

"And we can answer them all later," Lapis said. She rose to her feet but quickly stumbled on Nyxon. Nyxon caught her. She looked more hurt than before."I can answer all of your questions, I promise! But I can sense four- no, five people coming downstairs right now!"

Footsteps echoed into the hallways as Nyxon grabbed Lapis from the chamber. Her chains unlocked, but the braces still hung tight onto her wrist. Nyxon tugged at the braces but was shocked by a painful sting each time he brought his hand closer. He was quickly startled by none other than Magnus and his royal guards. "Nyxon!" Magnus shouted, "What are you doing?" he said. Lapis started to act unusual. She began to growl as her hair started to flow, quickly shifting from soft into spiky as Nyxon watched. Lightning began to course her body as the guards backed away in fear. Nyxon tried telling Lapis to calm down, but her mind was too clouded with these strange thoughts. "YOU MONSTER– I'LL MAKE YOU PAY!" Lapis screamed in her head. Nyxon wasn't going to get through to her anytime soon. Magnus tried to calm the situation down. He took a step near Nyxon and Lapis. "BROTHER!" Lapis shouted. Nyxon looked at his father in suspense. He kicked his sword up from the floor and quickly drew it from the handle as he pointed it at his father. The room gasped. Nyxon's father has never looked so disappointed before. Magnus spoke, "She told you that much already, hasn't she? You know, once you do this, you'll never be able to return after this-"

"Don't call him that! Our dad didn't raise a murderer!" Lapis shrieked.

Magnus's eyes widened in anger as he reached for his sword. He moved too fast for Nyxon to react to. Lapis noticed just in time for her to plan an escape for the two. Lapis charged her body with her lightning.

Lapis shot through the floor above them at breakneck speeds. Lapis landed in the throne room of the castle, an evenly spread-out room decorated with nothing but crimson red and gold. Lapis lightly pushed Nyxon off her and grabbed him by the face, "You're making the right choice, believe me– when we get out of here, I can tell you everything you would ever want answers for."

Magnus quickly rose from the crack in the floor, pulling his royal guards from beneath him and throwing them near Lapis and Nyxon. Lapis entered a fighting stance, crossing her fist behind each other. Nyxon stared at his sword, thinking about how he just pointed a weapon at his father. Lapis noticed Nyxons expression, "Hey– we're getting ready to fight. Make sure you're ready." Lapis said worryingly. She was quickly charged by a group of Magnus's royal guards as Nyxon stared into his reflection through his sword. Nyxon muttered to himself as he looked at his reflection, "J-Just... what am I?"

Magnus stood tall in front of Nyxon, "You're my son, nothing more, nothing less-"

"You're lying." Nyxon scoffed, "You've been lying this whole time to me about everything," Nyxon whispered while staring at his sword.

Magnus sighed, "Young people are prone to make stupid decisions. You're still-"

"Young. I'm still young. Were you also young and stupid when you destroyed Yutania?" Nyxon snapped.

Magnus gritted his teeth in annoyance, "That's not what happened-"

"Then what DID?" Nyxon shouted. His eyes started to show a faint purple glow as lightning coursed around his feet.

Lapis overheard the screaming as she turned to see what Nyxon and Magnus were doing while she was fighting his guards. Nyxon looked at his father in annoyance, pointing his sword at him.

Magnus looked in sorrow, "Who are you going to believe? The random prisoner you just freed, or your father?"

Nyxon entered his battle stance, his knees bent, and his sword laid on his arm, "I'll believe the one who tells me the truth." Nyxon said bashfully.

Magnus looked at Nyxon in disgust. Magnus drew his blade from his hip. He entered his battle stance, and his sword stayed idle on his hip as he stood tall. Nyxon and Magnus exchanged glares. It almost felt like a powerful surge of energy was exchanged as everyone looked at the two in the room. Lapis could feel it, too, this Aura. It was unlike anything she had ever sensed before. Lapis stayed focused on her fight, keeping her enemies at bay with her lightning so they couldn't touch her.

Magnus quickly charged at Nyxon, letting the clashes of their swords speak words to each other as they moved at incredible speeds across the room. Nyxon and Magnus bounced from surface to surface across the throne room. Their paces made craters in the ground from the impact of their feet. Nyxon could feel himself losing his grip on his sword, his hands were sweaty, and his mind clouded from his newfound sister.

Magnus grabbed Nyxons blade in the middle of his strike, punching him to the ground as Nyxon gave out a shriek of pain from his eye getting struck. Magnus started to pull at Nyxon's sword. It was the only thing separating Nyxon from his inevitable loss in combat. Magnus took away Nyxons sword as he delivered another strike to Nyxon's head. It made Nyxon's head ring– he couldn't tell what was happening anymore.

Nyxon lay in the crater Magnus created with his final strike. His body was aching, his lips struggling to find words. He tried to move his fingers, but his body wouldn't move.

Magnus looked at the crater in disgust, his mouth turning sour as he stared at what he thought was his son.

Magnus crouched down to Nyxon, "I thought– maybe by raising you, I could atone for what I did in the past." Magnus frowned.

Magnus looked at Nyxon's sword, his reflection staring right back at him with a sinister glare. He took Nyxon's sword and plunged it next to Nyxon's neck, making him flinch in suspense.

Magnus stared at Nyxon, his face close enough for his breath to tickle Nyxon, "You want the truth? I'll give you the truth. You are not my son. You never were. You will always be... a monster."

Nyxon's heart couldn't take this pain. He wanted to cry. He wanted to shout and scream. He wanted this to be a dream he would wake up from, but it seemed unlikely.

Lapis shouted, "NO!" her eyes widened in anger as her body shot out more lightning. It filled the room as quickly as it shot from her body, hitting multiple royal guards as they flew away from the sudden power surge. The lightning nearly struck Magnus before he deflected it toward one of his royal guards.

Magnus, within a blink of an eye, moved towards Lapis. He raised his hand as he watched Lapis shift her eyes toward him in fear of what was next.

A red Aura formed over his body as he raised his hand at Lapis. His hand quickly shifted into a claw, taking the form of a dragon as he scratched against Lapis's back. Lapis shrieked in pain as she fell to the ground, her breath erratic and her body weak from the strike.

Lapis felt sick like she could throw up from all the tension and pain she was going through. The royal guards quickly pointed their spears at Lapis, shocking her with their pointy edges as Lapis let out more shrieks and growls of anger.

Nyxon... Nyxon was lost. Everything is so confusing right now. Is this his father? What else could Lapis tell him? Who was going to save him from this?

Nyxon tried to get up from hearing the constant screams from Lapis. It was driving him crazy. He thought to himself of everything that could lead him to this moment. Every door opened, every sword his drawn... every time he's held Luna's hand. Nyxon got up. It was painful for him, "I-I can't let this happen. I have to stop it!"

Nyxon's head started to hurt, he could hear Lapis trying to talk to him, but his mind was too clouded. He knew that if he stayed down for too long, Lapis would be put in danger. He brought himself up as high as his body could take him, his body twisted in pain as he reached for his sword. He pulled it with all his might as the screams of pain echoed in his ears. He watched Magnus raise his hand at Lapis, his claw extending as he was ready for another strike– In an instant, Nyxon flew into the attack at just the last moment. Nyxon's shoulder was in agony.

He protected Lapis with his body before Magnus struck her. The attack's impact was devastating– it was enough to send Lapis and Nyxon out from the castle's windows.

Lapis fell unconscious. She stopped moving when Nyxon had protected her. Nyxon and Lapis fell from great heights as Nyxon looked at Lapis from below during the great fall. Nyxon finally managed to find the courage to fly towards Lapis– but something caught him. Someone was holding Nyxon's hand– it wasn't Magnus, it wasn't Manda, it wasn't even Brinks. It was Luna.