Nacht's eyes fluttered open, but darkness enveloped him. He sat up, rising slowly to his feet, trying to make sense of his surroundings. Beneath him was a foot-deep lake, its inky water reflecting the void around him, making each movement laborious.
A wraith-like voice broke the silence. "You land here, yet again."
Nacht sighed and looked up. "What do you want, Haeyse?"
A silent chuckle echoed, followed by footsteps behind him. Nacht turned to face his 'other self'—white hair, glowing purple eyes, dark veins creeping across his neck and face. Haeyse approached until they stood face to face.
"I merely want you to become yourself, become me… us," Haeyse said, his glowing eyes boring into Nacht's. He placed a hand on Nacht's shoulder, and everything went black.
Moments later, Nacht felt the warmth of sunlight on his skin. He found himself in a vast estate. Taking a few steps toward the front door, he saw a little boy with white hair and purple eyes—his younger self—open the door. The boy didn't see Nacht as he walked past him to the stables, where he sat next to a horse, black as night.
The horse turned to the boy and nickered softly. A smile appeared on the boy's face as he leaned close to the horse's ear and whispered, "Don't worry, Shadow, I'll protect you." The name "Shadow" stirred recognition in Nacht; this was the horse that had been his loyal companion ever since his arrival in the Empire.
As Nacht approached the horse, a woman abruptly interrupted, walking briskly to the boy. She roughly grabbed his arm and dragged him inside. "I'm sorry, Mother! I promise I won't go out again!" the boy pleaded, struggling to break free. But the woman's grip was unyielding. "I am not your mother, you monster!" she screamed, her voice filled with fury. She continued towards the front door and disappeared inside with the boy.
Everything went black again. Images of the woman, the boy, and the horse flashed in front of Nacht's eyes as if seared into his brain. Pain surged through his head before everything calmed, and he found himself in an unfamiliar place. It was a white room with medical instruments on one side and torture devices on the other.
Nacht's gaze settled on a slightly older version of the boy lying on a medical table. A man, fully clothed in white and wearing a surgical mask and gloves, stood over him, holding a scalpel. Nacht approached the table, horrified by what he saw. The boy's veins and heart were cut open, tubes inserted into them, draining blood into a tank. The man began speaking to a one-way mirror, conversing with someone Nacht couldn't see.
"What is this?!" Nacht shouted, his voice trembling with shock and anger.
Haeyse's voice responded, eerily calm. "This is where the virus was created, years ago, using my … our body. Mother handed me over to the bioweapon corps once she realized what I was."
Nacht fell to his knees, watching the boy's blood—his blood—flow into the tank. Suddenly, the door was kicked open, and a familiar figure appeared. The hooded man who had rescued him and his sister in a previous memory. His master from the Empire. The one who had taught him everything.
The hooded man held a dagger and swiftly lunged at the doctor, slicing his throat. He then grabbed the boy, carrying him out and disappearing around the corner. Nacht tried to follow, but once more, everything went dark.
Once again, Nacht found himself in another unfamiliar place. He saw the same boy—himself—sitting on a street corner. Next to the boy was a girl with black hair and a soft face. His sister. She held the boy in an embrace, trying to warm him, but the boy's face remained expressionless. After a while, his hooded master appeared again, crouching next to the boy and girl. He handed them a map and smiled softly. "I can't stay with you here now. Come to this place, and my master and I will meet you there and take care of you. Can you do that?" he asked quietly.
The boy didn't respond, but Loriel, his sister, nodded and grabbed the map. Together, she and Nacht's younger self stood up and walked towards the city gate in the distance.
Everything went dark again before Nacht opened his eyes. He was back in the void-like place, standing in the foot-deep inky water. He took a deep breath as pain surged through his head. Haeyse appeared once more, his face devoid of expression. "Your memory is yet incomplete, but now you know more about who you truly are. I'm afraid I don't have time to show you more, Nacht," he explained, urgency in his tone.
"Wait! Why not?" Nacht asked, desperate to uncover more memories.
"If you stay here longer, you will not be able to wake up again," Haeyse explained shortly. "You are one step closer to becoming who you are. We are one step closer to becoming one once more."
Haeyse made a gesture with his hand and smiled softly at Nacht. "A gift, to remind you who you are," he said, pointing towards the water. Nacht looked down and noticed his appearance had changed slightly. He touched his face, observing the image. A large strand of his hair was now snow white, and his left eye glowed with a purple hue.
Suddenly, Nacht felt an unforeseen force pulling him from behind, as if he were falling from a great height. He landed with a jarring thud. In shock, he opened his eyes and looked around, feeling something heavy pinning him down. As his vision cleared, he realized it was Ashley, embracing him tightly. He sighed and chuckled softly, then glanced at Livia, who recoiled in shock when she saw his eyes open. A grin spread across his face as he gently stroked Ashley's hair, waiting for her reaction.
Ashley, lost in her grief, didn't notice the change immediately. "You are heavier than you look, you know that?" Nacht's familiar voice broke through her fog. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she recognized the voice. She jumped up, staring at him with astonishment. Nacht held his chest in pain as he slowly sat up and leaned against the wall. Ashley quickly crawled towards him and grabbed his face, inspecting him closely. She held his face so firmly that his cheeks puffed inward, making it difficult for him to speak.
"What are you doing?" he asked with difficulty, his voice muffled by her grip.
Ashley quickly let go and stared at Nacht, her eyes wide with shock as she noticed the differences in his visage and hair. The sight of the white strand in his hair and the faint purple glow in his left eye was both startling and mesmerizing.
"You... you're alive," she whispered, her voice trembling with a mixture of relief and awe. Tears welled up in her eyes, but this time they were tears of joy.
Nacht chuckled softly, his chest still heavy with lingering pain. "I sure hope so," he replied, his voice carrying a mix of exhaustion and relief.
Ashley continued to gaze at Nacht, her eyes brimming with tears of joy and disbelief. She reached out, her fingers trembling slightly as they traced through Nacht's changed hair, as if reassuring herself he was truly there, alive and whole.
"You... You're really alive," she whispered again, her voice barely audible, filled with a profound sense of relief.
Managing a weak smile, Nacht slowly rose to his feet, feeling the weight of his survival. He looked down at his sword, its blade stained with his own blackened blood, and then at Ashley's hands, marked with the same.
Livia, who had stood back in shocked silence, finally found her voice. "Nacht? We thought we lost you," she said, her tone a mixture of awe and disbelief, cautiously approaching as if unsure of what to expect.
Nacht nodded, meeting Livia's gaze briefly before turning back to Ashley. "Yes, but it seems I have unfinished business to attend to," he said softly, his voice tinged with determination.
With deliberate care, Nacht cleaned his sword, wiping away the remnants of the battle. He sheathed it with a practiced motion, a symbol of both his strength and the darkness he carried. Standing up, he stretched his arms, feeling the ache and weariness in his muscles.
Ashley rose from her seat and embraced Nacht once more, holding him tightly as if afraid to let go. Their embrace spoke volumes of the fear and relief they had both endured. Eventually, she released him and took a step back, her eyes searching his face for any sign of the darkness that had consumed him moments before.
She gazed at his glowing eye, her concern evident. "What happened to you?" Ashley asked softly, still trying to comprehend Nacht's transformed appearance.
Nacht met her gaze with unwavering steadiness, his expression enigmatic but laced with a trace of fatigue. "I've told you, I'm not an ordinary human... not human at all," he murmured. "The syringe I used triggered my 'alternate form,' accelerating my healing."
"Your alternate form?" Ashley asked, intrigued by the revelation. She recalled her first encounter with Nacht when he revealed his fangs and black veins under his mask, but it was nothing like this. He still seemed like himself then, with black hair and normal eyes.
"You cannot control this 'alternate form,' I assume?" she asked, already sensing the answer.
Nacht sighed and nodded. "Indeed, I can't. This 'alternate form' is a completely different entity than I am, or so I would like to believe," he explained. "I spoke to him earlier, and he returned some of my lost memories."
"Memories?" Ashley queried curiously. "Can you tell me about them?"
Nacht nodded affirmatively. "I don't mind, though they are still fragmented." He recounted what he had seen: the void-like place where he conversed with Haeyse, memories of his biological mother, the horse, his master, and his sister. However, he chose to omit the creation of the virus.
"I see," said Ashley, captivated by his revelations. "This Haeyse, why is he so … violent?" she asked, recalling their previous encounter.
Nacht sighed deeply. "I don't know," he admitted, troubled by the question.
He paused, reflecting on his fragmented memories and trying to piece them together.
"But enough about that for now. We still have the final battle in the arena to win, remember? Let's focus on that and then we can finally rescue your brother," Nacht suggested, shifting the conversation.
Ashley nodded resolutely. "Right. You'll have to tell me more about yourself sometime, but for now, let's get a drink. I need it after today." She rose to her feet, but as she turned, her eyes fell on the innkeeper's lifeless body, a stark reminder of the day's events. "What do we do with him?" she asked Nacht, her voice tinged with sadness.
Before Nacht could respond, a familiar voice interrupted from the doorway. "I wouldn't worry about that. My men will take care of it," said Duke Sebastien as he entered the room.
"Duke Sebastien … to what do we owe the pleasure?" Ashley questioned sharply, knowing the duke's involvement in their ordeal.
Sebastien approached Nacht and sat beside him, a concerned expression on his face. "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly.
Nacht met the duke's gaze. "What do you want, Sebastien?" he asked, his tone guarded.
"I've heard what happened," Sebastien replied, his smile unsettling as he glanced at the innkeeper's body. "Still unable to control him, are you?" he mused. "Tell me, have you recovered more of your memories?" His question hung in the air ominously.
Nacht nodded tersely. "I have," he confirmed.
The duke leaned in, his eyes fixed on Nacht's. "Was there … anything about me?" he inquired, a hint of apprehension in Ashley's heart.
The room fell silent as Nacht and Duke Sebastien locked eyes, each waiting for the other's next move.