Side Story (3) - Chapter 5
The train rumbled to a slow halt, its metallic groan slicing through the soft murmurs inside the carriage. Solace looked up, pulling herself from her thoughts, and glanced out the window at the unfamiliar station. The city beyond the platform loomed under a gray sky, buildings shadowed and blurred by a thin, misty drizzle that clung to the air like fog.
She stood up, slipping her phone into her pocket. No messages, no news—just silence. Megan's sudden absence had settled like a lead weight in the back of her mind. She barely knew Megan, had barely considered her more than a classmate. Yet now, the rumors and whispered conversations in the halls made Megan feel like a ghost shadowing her, a distant figure whose disappearance felt disturbingly close.
At first, it had been easy to ignore, to tell herself it was just coincidence. Megan's absence, her own involvement with Zenith, all of it unrelated. "She's probably fine," she'd told herself. But then, every passing day fed her unease, whispers of Megan's absence crawling under her skin, wrapping around her thoughts. "Apparently she hasn't been seen since last Wednesday," someone had murmured in the cafeteria. "Do you think something happened to her?"
Solace had tried to push the rumors aside, but the doubt lingered, creeping into her thoughts like a shadow she couldn't escape. Had she unknowingly triggered something? A series of events set in motion by choices she'd made—choices that now felt disturbingly irreversible.
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She stepped out onto the platform, feeling the cool mist settle against her skin as she adjusted the strap of her bag. The city's energy pressed around her—strangers bustling along, faces blurred and impersonal, the murmur of conversations blending with the hum of distant traffic. Solace felt out of place, untethered, as though her steps were leading her into a world she didn't quite belong to.
She checked her phone, following the directions Nyx had sent her, toward a place called Juice Junction. According to the map, it was only a short walk. Still, she'd arrived early, feeling a need to steady her nerves in this unfamiliar city, surrounded by the weight of questions she wasn't sure she wanted answered. The air was cool, the smell of rain and pavement filling her senses, and the muted sky cast everything in shades of gray, giving the day an oddly surreal feeling.
Her mind drifted back to FoxFlare—the mysterious Ahri player she'd encountered online, who she now knew was Nyx. "Real shame… as if you wouldn't know… You seem sharp… strange you haven't figured it out yet." The words echoed in her mind, lingering with a chilling implication. Nyx had known something about Megan that Solace herself didn't understand—something deeper, something she couldn't quite grasp. And that unsettling familiarity in Nyx's words, as though they'd been waiting for her to make the connection, gnawed at her.
Solace shivered, feeling as though she'd only scratched the surface of something much darker than she'd anticipated. Why had Nyx reached out like that, hinting at secrets she'd barely begun to question? What did Nyx know about Megan—and about her—that Solace didn't?
The thought settled into her mind, chilling her further: Was this just the beginning of something she couldn't control?
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The juice bar was warm and inviting, a striking contrast to the chill outside. The scent of fresh fruit hung in the air, mingling with the faint aroma of coffee and the subtle hum of blenders. Solace took a seat in a booth at the back, a perfect vantage point to observe the entrance, though she herself remained mostly hidden.
She ordered an iced green tea, hoping to anchor herself. But the warmth and the inviting atmosphere didn't calm her; rather, it seemed to press her tension into sharper relief, making the weight of her thoughts feel heavier. Had she made the right choice coming here? She didn't know anything about Nyx beyond cryptic in-game messages and the vague hints at knowledge she couldn't understand.
She replayed her parents' hushed conversations in her mind—their glances that seemed to hold too much and reveal too little. She was sure they knew something, that they'd been withholding information from her. But what?
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The door chimed, snapping Solace from her thoughts. She looked up, her heart skipping as a young girl stepped inside.
Silver hair cascaded down in loose waves, fading into vibrant turquoise with hints of purple that shimmered under the juice bar's soft lighting. It was a look that immediately set her apart—a bold, defiant statement. The girl wore a cropped, off-the-shoulder sweater adorned with intricate patches and symbols: a crescent moon, a fox emblem, and other abstract designs that hinted at secrets. A crescent moon pendant hung from a choker around her neck, and small silver earrings glinted against her skin. Her high-waisted pants completed the look, giving her an air of casual confidence that seemed both purposeful and effortlessly cool.
Despite her age, she exuded a maturity and self-assuredness that didn't quite match her youthful appearance. Solace felt a prickle of tension as the girl's eyes swept the room, a piercing gaze that seemed to see everything, assessing each detail in a fraction of a second.
When her gaze landed on Solace, a faint, knowing smile tugged at her lips. Solace's pulse quickened. This wasn't an ordinary stranger; this was Nyx.
Nyx approached the booth, sliding into the seat across from Solace. Up close, her features were even more striking—sharp eyes that held a glint of amusement, framed by a natural, minimalistic look that only enhanced her air of cool confidence. There was a quiet mystery about her, an aura of secrecy that seemed incongruous with her age but fit perfectly with everything Solace had imagined.
"So," Nyx began, her voice smooth but with a hint of youthful pride, as though savoring the moment. "You're the one who tracked me down. Not bad for a first-timer." She leaned back, giving Solace an appraising look. "Didn't think you'd actually pull it off."
Nyx leaned back, arms crossed, her gaze never leaving Solace.
"So, what's this really about?" she asked, tilting her head with a smirk. "You didn't come all this way just to say 'hi.' Let me guess… you have questions about Megan."
Solace opened her mouth to respond, but Nyx raised a finger, cutting her off with a quick smile.
"Hold that thought." She turned in her seat and flagged down the barista. "Can I get a Dragon Fruit Inferno?" she asked, her tone brightening as though they'd just entered a casual hangout. "Extra lemon. Oh, and throw in one of those kiwi shots on the side."
The barista nodded, glancing curiously between the two girls, but Nyx ignored him, returning her attention to Solace with a relaxed smile.
"Sorry, where were we?" she asked, as though they'd been discussing the weather. "Oh, right—Megan. Poor thing. I bet you're dying to know what happened to her."
Solace tried to keep her composure, though Nyx's casual demeanor was getting under her skin.
"You're really going to order a juice mid-conversation?" she asked, unable to hold back a hint of annoyance.
Nyx shrugged, unbothered, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the table.
"Hey, you can't have a meeting in a juice bar and not order anything. Plus, it gives us a chance to... ease into things." Her smirk widened, her gaze sharp. "No sense rushing, right? Especially when you're diving into something this deep."
The barista returned, setting down Nyx's drink and kiwi shot. She picked up the neon-colored juice, giving it a thoughtful sip, and sighed contentedly before turning her attention fully back to Solace.
"Now, where were we? Oh, right—Zenith's got… certain interests. And Megan? She didn't quite fit the mold, if you know what I mean."
Solace's fingers tightened around her cup, her brow furrowing slightly as she absorbed Nyx's words.
"What do you mean, 'didn't fit the mold'? She was just… a regular student."
Nyx's eyes sparkled with a hint of amusement as she set her drink down.
"Regular? Sure," she replied, her tone laced with sarcasm. "If that's what you want to believe." She tilted her head, watching Solace closely. "Zenith doesn't pick people at random, Solace. They look for... certain qualities."
Solace felt a chill crawl up her spine, though she tried to keep her composure.
"And what kind of qualities are those?"
Nyx leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table, her voice dropping to a near-whisper.
"People who are smart, capable… maybe a little rebellious." She gave Solace a pointed look, her lips curving into a slight smirk. "People who won't settle for just following orders blindly."
Solace's stomach tightened.
"So Megan didn't just disappear. They… they made her disappear because she wouldn't play along?" The words felt heavy as she spoke them, a weight of fear and guilt building in her chest.
Nyx's gaze softened, but there was still a hint of that playful edge.
"Let's just say she didn't like being told what to do. And Zenith?" She shrugged, taking another sip of her drink. "They don't exactly tolerate that kind of thing."
Solace's mind raced, flashes of Megan's quiet defiance and subtle, unspoken resistance in her eyes during their few encounters. She'd always assumed Megan was just withdrawn, but now…
"Why are you telling me all this?" Solace asked, her voice barely above a whisper, though there was a new sharpness in her tone. "If I'm walking into the same mess she did, then what's the point? Why even meet me?"
Nyx leaned back in her seat, a look of genuine curiosity crossing her face as if Solace had asked the right question. She took a moment, tapping her fingers against the table thoughtfully.
"Because you're different," she said finally. "I think you're smart enough to play the game… but on your terms."
Solace's eyes narrowed.
"On my terms? I thought Zenith didn't allow for that."
A slow smile crept onto Nyx's face, her eyes glinting with something almost conspiratorial.
"Zenith has rules, sure. But they also have loopholes," she replied, voice dropping to a whisper. "They don't expect you to find them. But I do."
Solace's heartbeat quickened as she processed Nyx's words. She wasn't sure if Nyx was offering her a way to survive—or setting her up for something she didn't fully understand.
"And you? Are you following those same rules?"
Nyx laughed softly, the sound low and slightly mocking.
"That's the fun part, Solace. If you're clever enough, you don't have to follow anyone's rules. Not Zenith's, not anyone's." She leaned in, her voice a whisper. "But you have to know how to play the game better than they do."
A chill ran through Solace as Nyx's words hung in the air, and for the first time, she felt the full weight of what she was stepping into.
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Solace watched as Nyx casually gathered her things, leaving her unfinished drink on the table as she rose to leave. There was an ease to her movements, a sense of control that only seemed to deepen Solace's frustration.
Nyx slung her bag over one shoulder, giving Solace a brief, dismissive smile. "Places to be, people to see," she said airily, as though they'd just had a casual chat. Without even a second glance, she turned and began to weave through the tables toward the door, her silver and turquoise hair catching the dim light as she moved.
Solace opened her mouth, tempted to call after her, to demand more clarity, but something held her back. She realized she couldn't stop Nyx, couldn't control her. It was like trying to grasp smoke.
Instead, she sat frozen, her thoughts spinning, her mind turning over every word. Nyx had left her with a cryptic puzzle rather than answers—a dangerous game to play, with rules Solace didn't fully understand.
But one phrase stuck with her, echoing in the quiet hum of the juice bar: "You have to know how to play the game better than they do."
She gripped her empty cup, staring down at the faint imprint her fingers left on the surface. Nyx had made it sound so simple, like it was all just a matter of perspective, of figuring out the loopholes. Yet it felt anything but simple—it felt as if she'd just glimpsed the edge of a much larger, darker game.
She exhaled, feeling the weight of her confusion settle like a stone in her chest. Megan's disappearance, Zenith's shadowy influence, and Nyx's strange confidence—it was all connected, somehow, but Solace couldn't yet see how the pieces fit.
If Nyx was right, she thought, then I'll have to be clever enough to survive. Clever enough to beat them at their own game.
As she sat there, the faint hum of the juice bar blending with the distant buzz of the city outside, Solace knew one thing for certain: this was only the beginning. Nyx's cryptic words might not have clarified anything, but they'd left her with a sliver of resolve—a quiet determination that burned just beneath her uncertainty.