NOVPUBNyx vanished from her spot.
She had used an artifact — a prototype created by Jeremy — that allowed instant teleportation to a preset location.
The technology was still in development… at least for ordinary people.
Moments later, she arrived at her destination.
Her apartment.
Without hesitation, she dragged Alden's unconscious body across the room toward one of the spare bedrooms.
"Why is he so heavy?" she muttered.
With a grunt, she threw him onto the bed and turned away immediately.
She didn't want to stay in the same room as him.
Not right now, at least.
Her face was still burning.
I'm such an idiot.
She slapped her cheeks lightly in frustration.
It doesn't matter.
"It was just a… kiss, nothing much."
She mumbled, stammering more to herself than to the empty air.
It wasn't like anyone was watching.
But the warmth in her cheeks remained, and so did the confusion.
She turned and entered her own bedroom.
There was a message she needed to send to Jeremy — and probably a hundred things she needed to process — but first…
A shower.
Her body was soaked in blood and sweat.
Stripping off her clothes, she stepped into the bathroom and turned on the cold water.
The water droplets slid down her porcelain skin, washing away the dust and slowly, calming the chaos in her mind.
The tension in her shoulders began to fade.
Clarity returned.
What was that back there…?
The image of Alden appeared in her mind —white hair, golden eyes, raw power radiating from his very form as if a deity had descended on the mortal realm.
He had been stronger than he should've been.
Far stronger.
Does he have a supreme ability?
That would make sense… almost.
But even the Supreme Ability holder didn't start off that powerful.
She knew — she was one of them.
Supreme abilities were balanced at the start. Their real strength only surfaced later, as one grew.
Alden was different.
She had sensed his rank. Apprentice Intermediate. Not even advanced.
But just days ago, he had been an initiate.
Two breakthroughs in such a short time?
That was unheard of.
And yet… it wasn't just the strength.
There had been something else in him.
Something deeper.
Ancient.
Primal.
And most of all — something dangerous.
She had felt fear.
Real fear.
Alden… Could he be HIM?
He's definitely not normal.
After finishing her shower, she stepped out and dried off.
Once dry, she dressed in a fitted black tank top and jeans.
Dressed and focused, she grabbed her ManaSync.
She typed a single message to Jeremy:
__
Investigate what happened in Lustra.
__
No names. No context.
She could've mentioned Alden.
But she didn't.
Jeremy was a trained dog of the clan. He was bound by oath. But that didn't mean he didn't have secrets.
Nyx didn't fully trust him. She had seen the gleam in his eyes… he was planning something.
He couldn't disobey her. But that didn't mean he couldn't scheme around her orders.
Especially if Alden was HIM.
Her ManaSync buzzed a moment later.
It was the reply from Jeremy.
__
Yes, Miss. Give me an hour and I'll investigate everything.
Also, here are the documents you requested earlier.
__
Two files were attached.
One labelled Alden Draven.
The other — Amyra Celestrian.
Nyx ignored Amyra's file for now and tapped on Alden's.
It was straightforward at first.
His official record, background, and recent activities.
But as Nyx kept reading… her expression changed.
From impassive to confused and finally — to pity.
Nyx's eyes scanned the document, each line unravelling a piece of Alden's past.
Name: Alden Draven
Status: Illegitimate son of the Draven Family — one of the Four Great Families.
Illegitimate.
She had known about this. Almost all of the noble students looked down on Alden, muttering he was an illegitimate son.
She knew the meaning of the word. There were many illegitimate children in her clan as well.
Many elders had affairs resulting in such children.
But all of them were treated equally as legitimate heirs.
So she didn't think much about it and skimmed past it.
Mother: Unknown. Vanished immediately after childbirth.
Father: High Lord Alaric Draven. No recorded interactions or acknowledgements.
The file was clinical, devoid of emotion — but Nyx could read between the lines.
His father didn't just neglect him.
He denied his very existence.
And that wasn't all.
Sibling: Cedric Draven — Second son of the House. Multiple incidents of documented abuse against Alden. No disciplinary actions recorded.
There were photos attached—captured by surveillance or perhaps hidden recorders by servants.
Alden, no older than nine, huddled in a corner, bruised and bloodied.
Another image: a teenage Alden with a split lip and one eye swollen shut, surrounded by three other youths in Draven family insignias.
Her chest tightened.
Daily physical assaults. Solitary confinement. Restriction from formal training.
It continued, line after brutal line.
He had been raised like a prisoner in the shadows of the Draven mansion — a bastard child hidden from the world, punished simply for existing.
And then—
Status Update:
Officially exiled.
Charges: Tarnishing the House's image.
Date: Two weeks prior.
Nyx stared at the last entry in silence.
She remembered how she'd first thought about him.
A playboy who charmed his way around.
She'd believed her own delusions. Dismissed him as another arrogant noble-born.
But this…
There was no charm here. No privilege. No shelter. No love.
Just scars.
And pain.
She closed the file slowly.
Sat there for a while — motionless.
Her mind drifted back to their trip. His awkward smiles.
The way he always stayed slightly apart.
Was that really someone raised as a pampered flirt?
No.
Was it a misunderstanding? A cover-up?
Or…had he played into that role — the charming mask — because it was easier to wear than letting anyone see the truth?
The memory of her first kiss flashed again — sudden, chaotic, unintended.
An accident.
And yet… behind that moment… Was there more?
Nyx leaned back against the headboard, fingers pressed to her temple.
Did he just want to be loved?
Is that why he acted like that?
Like a playboy?
Who are you really, Alden Draven?
Her earlier certainty wavered.
He wasn't just strange.
He wasn't just strong.
He was broken. And somehow, still standing.
And suddenly… that made him even more dangerous.
Or perhaps…
Even more human.
