Jeremiah and Nyx sat in relative silence after their conversation, the earlier tension having settled into something calmer, more comfortable. The soft hum of the café blended with the distant noise of the mall below, creating a steady backdrop as they sipped their drinks and watched people move through the open space beyond the glass.
Jeremiah pulled his phone from his pocket, checking the time. He still had about an hour and some change before his meeting with Magus Selene. Plenty of time to spend with Nyx and enjoy the view.
Leaning back, he shifted his attention back to Nyx, his curiosity finally piqued about the newcomers from the day before. "So," he began, tilting his head slightly, "that unit that showed up to 'save' us… the leader was quick to introduce everyone else, but I realized I didn't catch much about him."
Nyx finished the last of her parfait, setting the glass down with a small, satisfied exhale. Her fingers lingered against the cool rim as she leaned back into her chair. "His name is Eric Rover," she said. "Their unit is a lot like ours—not officially designated as a Soma Unit yet, but they operate at that level anyway." She paused, offering a small shrug. "Honestly? They probably outrank us."
Jeremiah's gaze sharpened slightly, though his expression remained neutral.
"Eric is the heaviest hitter among them," Nyx continued. "He's already achieved Master rank. Within the Alliance, he's essentially their golden boy."
Jeremiah didn't respond immediately. He leaned further into the plush chair, his eyes drifting toward the window as he processed the information. A faint, hollow smile tugged at the corner of his lips, though the warmth never reached his grey eyes.
"You know," he said after a long moment, his tone deceptively casual, "I read this once, in a book awhile back."
He tapped his finger lightly against the armrest as he recalled it.
"Be wary of the man who hides his flaws behind a charismatic smile and a gentle personality, because behind that mask, he might be hiding the most despicable demons."
Nyx watched him, her expression shifting from curiosity to mild amusement. One brow arched slightly as she studied his face. "Is that your 'weird intuition' talking again?" she asked, a playful smile forming.
Jeremiah shook his head,"No," he said lightly, his voice returning to its usual dry cadence. "Just food for thought."
Nyx found herself glancing at Jeremiah more often than she intended.
At first, it was subtle—just quick looks between sips of her drink, her attention drifting back to him without reason. A soft smile would form, almost unconsciously, as she watched him sit there and then the smile faded as her mind circled the same frustrating wall.
It hit her truly that she knew absolutely nothing about the man sitting across from her. He had simply appeared one day in her life and decided to stay, and the only person who seemed to hold the keys to his past was Overseer Selene.
Curiosity began to build, slow at first, then more insistent. She wanted to know. Not just small things—everything. Every piece he kept hidden, every layer he chose not to show.
She had learned early on that Jeremiah didn't like questions. He avoided them, redirected them, shut them down without ever making it obvious.
But this time—
She didn't care, the need to understand him was starting to outweigh her caution.
"So, Jeremiah," she started, breaking the silence. "You said you had somewhere to be soon. Mind if I ask where?"
Jeremiah, snapped out of his own dark reverie and looked up. "I have plans to get coffee and catch up with Magus Selene."
Nyx stared at him, genuinely dumbfounded. 'Get coffee and catch up?'
"You're really going to meet up casually with an Overseer of the Alliance?" she asked, her voice incredulous. "With our boss?"
Jeremiah gave a slow nod. "Yes. That's the one."
The curiosity in her eyes intensified. Jeremiah saw it, and for the thousandth time, he felt the internal tug-of-war.
His thoughts spiraled quietly beneath the surface, each possibility pulling in a different direction. Outwardly, though, he remained composed, his expression calm as if none of it had crossed his mind. "Alright," he said, leaning forward slightly. "How about this: you get two questions. I swear to answer them truthfully."
Nyx's gaze locked onto his. She went silent, weighing the value of every possible question. Finally, she leaned in. "What is your actual relationship with Overseer Selene?"
"She's my benefactor," Jeremiah answered without hesitation. "When I was alone, she found me. She saw my talent or potential and decided to train me—which usually meant throwing me into life-or-death fights until I figured it out. Her mana breathing technique, mixed with my own tweaks, is what I taught you to help your mana flow."
Nyx nodded, a soft, understanding smile returning to her face. She didn't respond right away. Instead, she thought.
Carefully.
Nyx lingered for a moment then, her voice dropped, becoming hushed and heavy with anticipation. "Will you let me in, Jeremiah?"
Jeremiah went deathly quiet. 'Let me in.' He knew exactly what she was asking, and the honesty of it terrified him. He looked at her and felt a contradiction that made his core ache.
He knew she was infatuated with him, but he also knew she had fallen for the lies—interested in the curated version of the man he showed.
Can I trust her? Or would she run the second she saw the vampire playing human? Would she accept me... or be afraid of me? How can I pursue something built on false pretenses? To love the lie is to hate the truth.
Did he even like her?
No—that wasn't the question.
The real question was whether he had any right to let this continue. The alternative was a clean break: pulling away, cutting her off, and crushing whatever hope she had before it could root any deeper. It was the "safe" choice, the logical one for a man made of secrets.
But the thought of the look on her face—the idea of being the one to extinguish that violet light—felt worse.
Much worse.
Jeremiah exhaled slowly, realizing he had been silent for too long. Across the table, Nyx hadn't moved. She just watched him, her expression a hauntingly still mask as she waited for the one thing he wasn't sure he could give.
"Nyx…" he said finally.
His voice was quieter now.
More honest than before.
"I want to. Truly I do. But if I let you in… you will regret it."
Nyx stood with a suddenness that made her chair scrape loudly against the tile, the sound echoing in the small café. Conversation around them died as a dozen heads turned toward the noise, but she didn't care about the audience. Her world had narrowed to the space between her and Jeremiah.
She stepped around the table, her movement quick and determined, until she loomed just inches away. Jeremiah remained seated, his posture leaning back, but his gaze was heavy, watching her with a stillness that usually meant he was pulling up his internal walls.
She didn't let him. Nyx leaned down, her hands moving before she could think better of it, cupping his face. Her palms were warm against his skin, and the contact sent a jolt through her, but she didn't pull back.
For a long moment—
She said nothing.
She just looked at him.
As if trying to reach past everything he was hiding.
"Regret?" she challenged, her voice dropping to a low, fierce whisper that only he could hear. "Who decided that for me? You don't know if I'll regret it. I don't even know. But I know that I want this. I want to know you, and I want you to know me. And that's enough."
Jeremiah had no counter for someone this earnest.
He wanted to tell her she was being foolish. He wanted to push her away to save her. But as she leaned in, those thoughts were drowned out by the sheer, undeniable reality of her presence.
She leaned forward, her eyes fluttering shut as she pressed a soft, lingering kiss to his lips.
Jeremiah froze. The taste of her, the warmth of her breath, and the weight of her touch were a sensory overload that bypassed his mind and went straight to a heart he'd forgotten how to use. He didn't move—he couldn't. He was a statue carved from disbelief.
By the time he regained the ability to breathe, Nyx was already pulling away. Her face was flushed a deep, frantic crimson. She didn't say a word. She grabbed her shopping bags with shaking hands and practically bolted out of the café, her footsteps fading into the mall's ambient hum.
Jeremiah sat there for a long time, the warmth of her kiss still tingling on his lips. He slowly raised a hand, his fingers tracing the spot where she had touched him. He slumped forward, his elbow resting on the table as he covered his face with his palm hiding a smile.
What the hell am I doing…