Chapter 15: The Cold Man's Name
The evening sun dipped low beneath the horizon, casting long, ominous shadows over the streets of Jill. The cold man walked ahead, his dark figure blending seamlessly into the twilight. His pace was steady and unhurried, as if the chaos they had just survived hadn't fazed him in the slightest. Seraphine followed, trying to shake off the unease that settled in her chest. Quintin trailed behind, looking less than impressed by the cold man's mysterious and silent demeanor.
They had just defeated one of the Nexus's more unpredictable creatures, a manifestation of dark energy that had attacked them seemingly out of nowhere. Now, as the trio made their way through Jill's labyrinthine streets, Seraphine couldn't help but wonder how much more they would face before they could escape this strange world.
But there was something nagging at her, something she needed to know. The cold man—he had been a force of nature, efficient and deadly, but there was so much she didn't understand about him. Why had he helped them? Why had he even appeared when the dark creature attacked?
She glanced over at Quintin, who was walking quietly beside her, his eyes scanning their surroundings as though waiting for another attack. Seraphine knew he had questions too, but for once, he remained silent.
Finally, unable to hold it back any longer, Seraphine spoke. "I need to know your name."
The cold man didn't break his stride. His voice came, low and emotionless. "My name is irrelevant."
Seraphine clenched her fists in frustration, but she wasn't backing down. "It's not irrelevant to me. You're not just some shadow that pops up when the situation gets tense. You're real, and you're not a part of the Nexus's game. You're… different."
The cold man's footsteps slowed slightly, but only by the slightest margin. He turned his head slightly, his dark eyes meeting hers briefly before looking away again. His face, as usual, was an impassive mask, giving away nothing.
"I never asked for your trust," he said, his words deliberate, cold as the very air around them.
"Then why help us?" Seraphine's tone was challenging, her frustration evident.
For the briefest moment, a flicker of something almost imperceptible passed through his eyes, something akin to conflict, but it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared.
"You're in my way," he answered, his tone still flat, but there was an edge to it now. "But I'd prefer to avoid unnecessary conflict. For now, we share a common enemy. That's all."
Seraphine narrowed her eyes. That wasn't enough of an explanation for her. "And what's your name? You can't keep avoiding the question. We're working together now, whether you like it or not."
The cold man stopped walking abruptly, and Seraphine almost collided with him, stepping back just in time. His eyes locked onto hers, and for the first time, there was something almost like a challenge in them—something that made her spine stiffen.
"You want to know my name?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. "Then listen closely."
Seraphine held her breath, and Quintin, who had been silent up to this point, stepped closer, sensing the growing tension between them.
"My name is," the cold man began, his voice steady, but the words carried a heavy weight with them, "Lucian Dorne."
There it was. His name. Lucian Dorne.
Seraphine was taken aback, but she masked it quickly, nodding slowly. The name didn't seem to fit the person before her—someone so cold and distant, who appeared unaffected by anything. Lucian Dorne sounded more like a name from a past that Seraphine couldn't quite place, but there was no time for reflection.
"Lucian," she repeated, testing the name on her tongue. It felt foreign, like a strange key unlocking a door in her mind. But she knew now that it would be important. Lucian Dorne. Not just a shadow or a mysterious ally, but a person with a past, a history of his own.
"Now that we have names," Quintin said, breaking the heavy silence, "can we focus on surviving this place?"
Lucian shot him a glance, his expression unreadable. "We'll survive because we have no other choice. But you'd be wise to keep up."
The words were sharp, though there was a subtle undertone of something else—something darker, more resigned.
Seraphine couldn't help but feel that there was more to Lucian than he was letting on. His coldness, his silence, the way he moved through the Nexus as though he were already prepared for whatever chaos lay ahead—it was all part of a much larger picture. And somehow, Seraphine felt like she was just beginning to scratch the surface.
"Right," Seraphine replied, her voice steely with resolve. "We'll keep up."
Quintin gave a short laugh. "Good. Because something tells me the real game's just starting."
Lucian didn't respond, but the subtle tension in his posture was all the answer Seraphine needed. Whatever came next, they would face it together, for better or worse.
The trio continued down the winding streets of Jill, their steps carrying them into the unknown. Behind them, the city's peaceful exterior remained unshaken, but Seraphine knew that beneath it all, the Nexus was far more treacherous than anyone realized.
And Lucian Dorne—he was a part of that danger.
But was he an ally? Or something else entirely?
End of Chapter 15.