- "Do you know where Solomon is?" Nyx asks Vivianne.
- "You can't just sense where he is? Did he mess up your creation or something? I'm sure I told him how to do it right though…" Vivianne puts a hand on her chin. "Oh sorry, I didn't mean to be rude! You're great the way you are."
- "..." Nyx patiently smiles at her, waiting for the answer to her question.
- "Right, Solomon. He's in the garden over there, we were having tea when I saw you falling from the sky!"
- "Ah, thanks. I'll go talk to him then."
Nyx walks in the direction Vivianne pointed at, and the latter excitedly follows her through the hallways of the glass castle.
- "So, are there any other angels besides you?" She asks.
- "Huh? I'm not an angel." Nyx replies.
- "Then what are you? Just a spirit?"
- "I'm a god, I don't think humans changed the way they call us did they?"
- "Oh, you're a divine spirit then!"
- "Huh? No, I'm just a god like usual." Nyx frowns in confusion. "I don't get all this complicated stuff you're saying. I didn't have time to catch up on all the new human stuff."
- "You know, you kind of remind me of someone I used to know. In a good way of course!"
- "Is that so?"
- "Yeah!" Vivianne reaches down to take Nyx's hands in hers. "Don't worry though, I'll absolutely make sure you don't end up like them! If you need anything, just call my name and I'll answer, even if you're in Specta!"
- "Vivianne." A tired, cavernous voice calls out as they exit the hallway into a massive garden with a round marble table in its center, surrounded by four chairs.
The origin of the voice was a tall old man sitting in one of the chairs. He had a long beard that dragged on the grass under him, sharp purple eyes and long, white hair that was intricately woven with his beard. He was wearing a black cloak featuring hundreds of shooting stars darting across the fabric, sometimes colliding and exploding into bright dust clouds.
- "Solomon you rascal!" Vivianne's grin gets wider. "I found out about your angel! You can't hide anything from me! Granted I think you raised her a bit wrong, she thinks she's a full on god…"
- "An angel?..." Solomon glances at Nyx, and his eyes widen as his irises start emitting a bright violet glow. "This can't be…"
- "What's going on? You're terrified. That's unusual, is she a problem?"
- "No." He places his hand on his forehead and a veil of white energy covers it for a split second before swiftly disappearing. "And I would appreciate it if you could cease probing my emotions."
- "You could've just asked, you didn't need to put on a protective spell!" Vivianne pouts.
- "Like you would have listened. Now begone."
He snaps his fingers, and Vivianne's body starts to fizzle away, turning into particles of purple and pink light.
- "And now you're kicking me out??" She yells, indignant. "What did I do to make you mad at me this time?!"
- "Nothing in particular." He pauses for a second, hesitating. "..Please just leave for now, I will allow you to return later. I just need to discuss serious matters."
- "...Alright then. I'm guessing that you don't want me hearing about this. Do I have ties to this spirit or something?"
- "You can be so… irritatingly perceptive." Solomon grumbles as he dismissively waves his hand at Vivianne, who completely disappears.
The garden falls silent, and Nyx walks over to the table to sit on the chair opposite of Solomon. The latter silently watches her as she does.
- "Hi Solomon!" Nyx finally exclaims. "I-"
- "Let us make things clear." Solomon cuts. "Who are you?"
- "...Nyx? Why are you asking?"
- "I see."
Solomon gets up from his chair and slowly walks over to her, tears slowly forming in his eyes.
- "Six hundred million years." He whispers as he falls to his knees and hugs her. "A miracle."
- "What are you talking about?" Nyx tilts her head to the side in confusion.
- "After this eternity, I can finally tell you this." He takes a deep breath, and the entire sea of clouds trembles in response. "I… I am sorry."
- "About what?"
- "I should have been… done… more. Better. My duty was to guide you, and I fled like the irredeemable coward I am when you needed me most."
- "Don't worry about it, look I'm fine!" Nyx smiles at him, patting his head.
Solomon starts quietly sobbing, and keeps to Nyx for what feels like hours. The latter doesn't mind, and simply waits for him to get back up on his own. His eyes were red, and his nose too.
- "I should have expected you would bear no grudge." He says with a defeated smile. "Part of me was hoping you would, if I am to be entirely honest."
- "Oh I think I've learned how to do those! I have a big grudge against Lady Night!"
- "..." Solomon takes a step back, the supernatural light his eyes progressively disappearing. "So you met."
- "Yes! Can you please go extinguish her?"
- "...I am afraid this is the only request I must deny."
- "Huh? Why?"
- "She too, is you." He replies, returning to his chair on the other side of the table.
- "Solomon." An aura of starlight surges around Nyx, disorderly firing in all directions as the mysterious force permeating the realm prevented her from controlling it. "Even if she's me, we're not the same. You know that, right?"
- "She simply went down a different path than you. In comparison to her, even if your vessel already has apparently… affected you, you remain closer to the Nyx I used to know. In that sense, you are indeed different."
- "Thanks." Nyx deeply exhales as the starlight surrounding her slowly dims. "How can she even exist though? I know she's supposed to be me, but I'm right here…"
- "I will be blunt: you are not the goddess of the Night."
- "...What?" Nyx quietly whispers. She didn't want to believe him. It was nonsensical. And yet… if she wasn't herself, then what was she? Questions she had been trying not to ask herself flood her mind, causing the light in her eyes to visibly grow dimmer every second. "That's not right. I'm me."
- "This is only what your memories lead you to believe. Do you remember when Vivianne shattered your soul?"
- "..." Nyx remains silent for a few seconds, trying her best to silence her thoughts. "...Yes! Beatrice told me I should be angry about it, but I really don't get why."
- "Beatrice? Who may that be?"
- "My… friend? I guess? It feels more like she's my family, like Andreas and Julian."
- "Hmm. Is this due to your vessel?..." He snaps his fingers, and powerful rays of white light erupt from Nyx's eyes.
The light congregates into a humanoid shape on the neighboring chair. It ends up stabilizing as an exact replica of Nyx, with her skin faintly glowing white.
- "What did you do?" The second Nyx asks.
- "I separated your soul from your body. In my realm, it can remain stable enough to exist on its own." Solomon replies before turning to the first Nyx. "And you must be her vessel."
- "It's an honor to meet you, Lord Solomon!" Vanessa yells as she bows her head so quickly she hits her forehead on the edge of the table.
- "The pleasure is mine." Solomon absentmindedly replies as he stares at Nyx. "...How long have you been possessing this body?"
- "Seven months?" Nyx replies.
- "I see, and the shape of your soul has already been permanently altered…"
- "What do you mean?"
- "Even outside of your vessel, you subconsciously assume her appearance. This is further proof that you are not truly Nyx."
- "Did you guys change my name again then? Is that it?"
- "No. You are a fragment of Nyx's soul, embedded into a human vessel. And so is Lady Night."
- "Is that why I can't do everything I normally can then?"
- "Yes. And I believe this is entirely my fault."
- "Why so?"
- "...Ever since you granted us godhood, we have gained the ability to manipulate reality, to a degree. Manifest phenomena. Influence the rules of the world with our Authority. Our will, as you first called it." He deeply inhales, leaning his back on his chair. "And my deepest wish ever since the events of that day has been to see you again, so that I could maybe… rectify my mistakes. No matter how much harm it would bring, I could not let go of this wish, and it relentlessly kept attempting to manifest." He pauses, looking down at the table. "I apologize, this must seem incredibly selfish of me."
- "It is! But that's a good thing."
- "Is it?..."
- "Humans are selfish, it makes them, them! And I'd prefer you guys to stay human, I don't want you to end up like me!"
- "Like you? But you are-"
- "Not a human." Nyx tries to smile, but tears made of starlight quickly start forming in her eyes and trickling down her face. "I'll never be a human. I know it, deep down. And I knew I wasn't fully me either, when I met Lady Night." She sniffles, looking up to face Solomon. "I'm the one that's causing the Touch of the Night, right?"
- "You are mistaken! It is I who… who…"
- "Brought me to Earth by accident. And since I like humans so much, my fragments are trying to get close to humans, because that's what I want to do. And… it makes them go crazy. Because I'm too much to handle."
- "That's not-"
- "Don't deny it, Solomon. I know how I work. I'm just a big problem for everyone." Nyx has a light, desperate laugh. "And I kinda knew from the start that something was wrong with me." The light in her eyes flickers for a second. "...Say, what will happen to me if Vanessa dies?"
- "...The fragment inhabiting her will dissolve into pure light, with no particular shape, and eventually be… extinguished. You will cease to exist."
A deafening silence befalls not only the garden, but the entire realm.
- "Forever?" Nyx finally asks, intensely staring at him, hoping he would tell her that she was mistaken like usual.
- "I am… terribly sorry." Solomon sadly shakes his head, avoiding her gaze.
- "Haha, that's… scary…" Her shining tears turn to torrents of liquid light as she begins violently trembling. "I won't see Andreas, Julian, Beatrice, Vanessa, Calypso, or you… ever again?"
- "..." Solomon silently looks down at the grass, unable to answer.
- "There, there." Vanessa walks over to her and wraps her arms around her.
- "Vanessa, I… I… I don't want to be dead!..." Nyx bursts into tears, yelling incoherent strings of words and names that loudly echo through the garden.
Vanessa keeps whispering words of comfort as Nyx completely breaks down in her arms.
- "Why does my story have to end?! That's not fair!" Nyx finally screams.
- "It's not." Vanessa calmly replies.
- "I want my powers back!"
- "You can't have them."
- "Then what do I do?!"
- "Just live, like the rest of us." Vanessa smiles, tears filling her own eyes. "You know, sometimes you don't have a choice but to accept your condition. I'd know."
- "But I don't want to accept it!"
- "Then what are you going to do? Spend all your time crying until the day you die?"
- "...No, I want to spend more time with everyone… It wasn't nearly long enough…"
- "Then keep your head high, and do just that. If you're going to be with us for a limited time, then at least make sure you have fun while it lasts!"
- "...I don't understand…"
- "You don't have to. I'm sure you'll come to terms with it sooner or later. And I'll be with you every step of the way."
Nyx silently nods and clings to Vanessa with all the strength she had left, loudly sobbing. Solomon has a relieved sigh as he witnesses this scene.
- "I was afraid you would be lost without me, but you have found yourself a fine guardian." He whispers.
- "Say, Solomon…" Nyx calls out without looking at him.
- "Yes?"
- "If you won't stop Lady Night, you won't stop me right?"
- "From doing what exactly?"
- "I'm going to get rid of her myself, even if you don't want to help me. It's better… for everyone."
- "..." Solomon visibly shivers, but manages to keep his composure. "I will not stand in your way, if that is what you desire."
- "Okay." Nyx suddenly gets up from her chair. "Let's go Vanessa."
- "Where to?" Vanessa replies as Nyx lets go of her.
- "Back home." Nyx frowns. "I mean, our other home, at the Fourth Branch. I should really visit Andreas soon…"
- "Sure!"
Vanessa also gets up, and Solomon regretfully looks up at the sky, his eyes devoid of their light. Nyx feels a sharp pain pulling at her heart at this sight, and a thought crosses her mind: "(If I'm not going to disappear someday, I don't want to only have sad memories of him. And I don't want him to have sad memories of me.)"
- "And Solomon?" Nyx calls, turning to face him. "Don't feel bad. I know you're scared that I hate you, but I don't… really. I still loved being a human."
- "Is that so?" Solomon whispers, still refusing to look at her. However, the faint purple glow had returned to his irises.
- "Yes! I'll come to visit you again so you can tell me stories about the things you did, and this time I can even tell you stories about the ones I did!" Nyx forces herself to smile, pulling the corners of her mouth up with her fingers.
- "...A semblance of normalcy, at last." Solomon lets out a deep sigh, carrying millions of years of anguish. The infinite sea of clouds in the distance parts, revealing a blue sea below. He grins back. "I think I like that idea."
- "Great! Then I'll see you, for now I have things to do!"
Nyx grabs Vanessa by the hand and runs to the edge of the garden, jumping over the guardrail. The latter, terrified, unintelligibly screams as they fall, quickly disappearing from Solomon's sight.
- "Ah…" The god of Magic exhales, leaning back in his chair. "She has grown so much… Maybe she had no need for me after all."