Cyrene
Hex
Several days have passed but Medusa is nowhere to be found. The squad has made countless attempts to reach her, yet no one has been able to establish any contact. After all she is a Nocturne, a master of disguise. She cannot be found unless she chooses to be discovered.
“We need to find Medusa; we cannot fight the gomogaba alone…”
A meeting is being held on the 80th floor of a skyscraper in the middle of Grimshire. All members are present except for Medusa and Kurokami. Cameleo can no longer hide his worries. It has been days, and in Medusa’s absence, the squad has taken shelter. Rumors are beginning to spread. Some claim the squad was wiped out in an attack by the AshReapers, causing unrest among the citizens. Some believe this is the beginning of a war, while others think the squad is simply taking time to recover from the last assault.
The entire floor is filled with confusion. Cameleo scans the room, hoping for any news, but everyone looks just as lost and worried as he is.
“Cam, we’re trying to search for her every day, but you know she is Medusa… It’s not easy to get a hold of her,” Oboro finally breaks the silence, attempting to console the leader. He shifts uneasily in his chair.
“Try harder!!” Cam yells. “If we do not find her, Kuro will…” His voice falters for a moment, then he continues, “…and that will make Master very unhappy.” He is outraged after weeks of waiting. Everyone knows their empty words can no longer satisfy him.
Cameleo scans the room for Kurokami, but everyone knows he no longer attends meetings, especially after Medusa’s disappearance. He spends every night searching for her, only to lock himself in his room during the day. He neither eats nor drinks. I’m certain he cannot even sleep in this state of turmoil. His health is deteriorating day by day, and if this continues, he may lose his abilities for a very long time.
Kuro cannot rest unless I maintain my spell over him, and it has been days since I last cast it. He has been haunted by the deads every day ever since he cast his spell on the cursed child. Kuro possesses the ability to bring people back to life after their souls have departed, but only for a limited time. After that, he must force them back into nothingness. If he fails to do so, Master Khaji warns that the natural order of the world will fall into an imbalance. Because of this, the souls he returns to nothingness do not leave him in peace. They linger, haunting him for days, weeks, and sometimes even years.
Sometimes, we hear him screaming in pain, and it haunts us all to witness how much he is tormenting himself. He blames himself for Medusa’s disappearance, believing he did not do enough to prevent her from leaving. Samar has tried multiple times to break down his door, but whenever he does, Zephyr suffers immense pain. It fuels Samar’s rage. Why would Kurokami act so selfishly, hurting Zephyr and the others when he knows Medusa left on her own free will?
With Medusa gone, we have lost not only a team member but also our leader. Kuro has become nonfunctional, and no matter how hard Cam tries to fill the void, we all know he cannot lead us to victory against the Ash Reapers if they return.
Master Khaji left for Egypt on the same day Medusa disappeared. Even when Kuro begged him at the port to allow Tempest to find Medusa, he refused. He believes Tempest is still too young to wield her abilities to this extent. Searching for Medusa against her would consume immense power, especially when the squad still needs to monitor the Ash Reapers—a task for which Tempest is invaluable. Moreover, if Tempest were brought out of her room, the Ash Reapers might detect her, particularly now that Master Khaji is absent.
Master Khaji’s mission to Egypt was crucial to retrieve the portions we need, and he could not delay his departure. We need to leave Grimshire as soon as we are back to our maximum capacity for which we need the portion and only Master Khaji can prepare it. I understand his dedication to our squad; he has cared for us like his own children, teaching us control and discipline. Even though I understand how desperate Kuro feels right now to find Medusa, I am just as worried about her wellbeing. But I also know that Medusa is strong and capable of taking care of herself, which is why I do not support Kuro’s outbursts and his misconduct toward Master Khaji. If I hadn’t intervened to paralyze him in time, he might have completely lost control. We all know how powerful Master Khaji is, but we also know the potential destruction Kuro can unleash, especially considering that Master Khaji is growing older and more fragile.
We have no contact with Master Khaji now, but Oboro assures us he will return soon, which brings some peace. Still, I sometimes suspect that Oboro may be keeping Master Khaji under his spell, out of our sight, to prevent Kuro from demanding that Tempest be taken from her room.
It has been fifty-six days since Medusa disappeared, and exactly fifty-five days since Master Khaji left. We have kept the Tempest locked in her room, just as Master instructed us for the past few years, but now we are uncertain about what to do next. The Tempest is approaching her 18th birthday. Once she turns 18, she will gain more strength, and her predictive abilities will surpass what she has now. However, if we unlock her now, the Ash Reapers might capture her, as she is currently the biggest threat they fear.
Samar has built the finest lock, one that even the Ash Reapers cannot breach. Only we can unlock it. Once Tempest reaches the age of 18, the Ash Reapers will no longer be able to find her, and she will be granted freedom. I have spent countless sleepless days guarding her door, worried that Kuro might attempt to unlock it to use her abilities to locate Medusa. Yet, not once has he tried it. I believe he is not as selfish as Samar believes he is. I know he would never put the Tempest, or any of us, at risk. Without Medusa, Master Khaji, and Kuro’s weakened abilities, we would be no match for the Ash Reapers if they discovered us now.
It is past midnight, and I am still guarding the Tempest. Everyone else has fallen asleep, and it feels unfair when everyone is well rested, I am left with so little energy, but I cannot trust Kuro. I hear Tempest’s breathing slow, her nerves are finally calm, and I know she is sleeping peacefully. I glance outside from the balcony and see lights across the street. Oboro keeps our 80th floor hidden with his abilities, which is why Master insists he must be kept well-fed and energized. We cannot let the human eye see the building, or the Ash Reapers might find us.
It feels surreal that this building is in the middle of a busy town with countless offices, what hides on the 80th floor no one knows exists. Everyone believes the last floor is 79. Sometimes I pity humans. Their thoughts are limitless, yet their eyes cannot perceive what is right in front of them. I tell Tessa the same thing whenever she says she misses her human self.
I was lost in my thoughts when I felt Oboro’s presence beside me. My ability allows me to paralyze people by sensing their breathing, heartbeat, and blood coursing through their veins. The only exception is Zephyr; she has neither heartbeat nor any sign of life.
Oboro stood beside me, silently observing the cars from the balcony.
“I wonder where Kuro is right now,” he says. As usual, Kuro had already left before we could even see him, off in search of Medusa. I stayed silent; I had no answer to this question. No one does.
“Hex, how have you been?” he asked, breaking the silence.
“Sleep-deprived,” I replied with a faint smirk.
“I think you need to lie down for a bit.” He looked at me with concern and continued, “You’ve done enough to protect the Tempest.” Hearing this from Oboro felt like a blessing. I was already starting to feel sick from exhaustion and lack of energy.
“Are you sure you can stay here until everyone wakes up?”
“I assure you, you need not worry”. He reassured me and I went to my room.
I didn’t even remember when I crawled onto my bed and fell asleep. By the time I woke up, it was already morning. Cam’s voice rang out from the living room, yelling wildly. My mind instantly clicked, and I knew something was wrong. I could only hope it wasn’t what I feared. I stepped out of my room into the living room, finding Cam with the others. He looked utterly stressed.
“Where the fuck is Tessa? Where the hell were you guys?” The words left his mouth, and a wave of dread washed over me.
“What the hell is going on?” I inquired.
“When Zephyr went to see Tessa, her lock was not intact. We all know this is a doing of a Nocturne! Nobody can breach those barriers except us!” Samar intervened. He was the best lockmaker and the one who had taken our blood to craft the lock, ensuring that only we could open it.
“I’m sure Kuro was not on the premises,” I said, stepping forward, partly to comfort Cam, partly to steady myself. We all knew it was Kuro’s doing. He must have sneaked in while I was asleep to reach the Tempest.
“Then who was watching Tessa?”
It was Oboro… He told me to rest while he stayed and kept an eye on her,” I reported in my defense.
Oboro stood there silently. I could sense he was hiding something. I could feel his heart racing; he was trying to calm himself, aware that I could sense it. He avoided eye contact and held his breath.
A lot of thoughts were flooding my mind. Was it what I feared? Did he really help Kuro get in and force Tessa to leave her room to cast a spell? Is that why she’s gone? Did the Ash Reapers reach her before Kuro could lock her back?
I shot a sharp glance at Oboro. He was still avoiding eye contact. I could sense he had helped Kuro get in, otherwise, why, on so many nights, had he come to me, insisting I sleep? I hesitated to disclose this to the others. I understood why he helped Kuro. After all, he could feel the pain Kuro was experiencing, being his monozygotic twin.
He could feel the longing in Kuro’s heart for Medusa, and witnessing his brother’s anguish must have clouded his judgment. They likely believed they were strong enough to protect Tessa and prevent the Ash Reapers from reaching her first. Yet Tessa was gone. This showed they had failed to secure her return to her room, or perhaps they thought they had mended the lock, but it was not nearly as powerful as Samar’s creation and thus, could not stop the Ash Reapers from gaining access.
“Bring Kuro out of his room, Samar, and make sure Zephyr is not around when you do it. Take Zephyr to the nearest temple, Hex!” Cameleo commanded us.
“It is too late. He is not in his room,” I replied, sensing no trace of Kuro anywhere on the premises.
I saw the blood drain from Cam’s face. As the eldest after Kuro, and with Master Khaji absent, he was the only one we could rely on. I could see him blaming himself, convinced he had failed, and that Master Khaji would be disappointed. He sank onto the nearest couch, head in his hands. He was turning grey just as he always does when he is under a great deal of stress. He’s the only nocturne who can shift his colors like a chameleon, which makes it easy to read his emotions.
Zephyr sat beside him, trying to offer comfort.
I stepped closer, trying to relieve the overwhelming tide of his emotions. His heart raced, and his breathing was shallow, suffocated by the flood of thoughts in his mind. Silently, I paralyzed his limbic area, easing the rush of fear and worry that threatened to consume him. His color slowly returned to normal.
Kurokami
Several thoughts were rushing in my mind as I continued to search for Medusa in one cave after another. I knew what I had done was wrong, and that I had put my entire squad at risk. But what other choice did I have? I had led this squad for years, and now, when I finally needed help, Master Khaji refused to intervene. Was I being selfish, or was he the one being selfish? Kira and I are his assets, and I am the strongest of the Nocturnes—yet he paid no attention to her absence. Was it because Kira was not as strong as the others? I didn’t even know if she was alive or dead, or whether she needed help.
When I went to ask Oboro for help, I didn’t expect him to agree so easily. But after days of not being paralyzed and being haunted by ghosts, I think he must have sensed what I was enduring, and perhaps felt grateful that, even though we share 100% of our DNA, he was spared the same pain.
Tessa did not want to help, but after all, she is only seventeen—a teenager who obeys her elders. And I am her leader; she could not refuse me. I believe that when Samar finds out what I did, his claims will come true. I could hear him call me selfish countless times behind those walls.
When I took Tessa out of her room, I was careful not to completely damage the lock, ensuring that we could seal it back once she was safely returned. When Tessa cast her spell, she did not lose consciousness, which reassured me that she was growing stronger as her birthday approached. It took her a while to get through Kira. Through her flashes of vision, she revealed that Kira was alone in a forest, refusing to be found. All she could tell me was that Kira did not want to return and was staying in a cave to the west, far from Grimshire. When Tessa was getting her vision, she started trembling and looked pale. I could tell she was hiding something, and deep down, I knew that no matter how much I asked, she would never reveal it. Now that I had a lead, I felt it was enough to find her as soon as possible. I immediately accompanied Tessa back to her room with Oboro and left at once.
It was Oboro who called me later, warning that Tessa was gone and advising me not to return until I found Medusa. So, I continued my search day and night. Four days have passed as I wandered the forests in search of Kira. Oboro has not contacted me yet and I can’t help but worry about Tessa now. If he hadn’t contacted me yet, that only suggests they haven’t found her. I have continued to comb every forest in the west and explore every cave, large and small, even while being haunted by the dead. This cave I now entered was my last hope; after this, I would have no choice but to return to Grimshire to join the other Nocturnes to find Tessa.
As I stepped into the last cave, leaves crunched beneath my feet and darkness swallowed me. My heart pounded; this cave was my only chance. It was a large cave, and my vision started to blur. As I moved forward, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned, but all I saw was more darkness.
As a Nocturne, I was granted the ability to see in the dark, though I’m sure it was never intended for me to use it to find the girl I love as a hopeless romantic.
I kept moving through the darkness, my vision blurred from days of starvation and sleep deprivation. I stumbled repeatedly, something constantly snagging at my feet, slowing me down with every step.
Suddenly, I felt a grip on my toes—they were tied together. Relief washed over me. For a moment, I thought I had finally found Medusa. But then my feet slipped free from the strands, and worry surged through me. What was going on?
I picked up the thick strands from the ground. They were muddy, dusty, and tangled in clumps like frayed, damaged ropes.
“Medusa! I know you’re here! Come out, I beg you!” I shouted, my voice trembling. These strands had to belong to her, I was certain of it. Panic mixed with determination. I couldn’t turn back now, not when I was this close. Wherever she was hiding, she needed to come out. She knew that if she stayed hidden, I might go to the nearest grave and raise the dead to help me search for her. She also knew nothing would stop me.
“Medusa! Please come out.” I pleaded again. But there was no response.
I continued to move deeper into the cave. At the far end, I heard the faint sound of someone sobbing.
“Medusa?” My blurred vision struggled to make sense of what I was seeing.
Medusa was sitting on the floor, sobbing. Her thick strands of hair were wrapped tightly around her body, covering her from neck to toe, leaving only her face exposed.
What the hell was I seeing?
Her teary, swollen eyes met mine. It was clear she had been crying for hours.
“Why are you here, Kyle?” Her voice trembled as she finally acknowledged my presence. “Kira.. what are you doing?!” I gasped at the sight.
“You went against the wishes of Master Khaji! Youve put everyone at risk Kyle!” Her voice was soft, yet firm. She looked disheveled. Her eyes, usually as deep and vibrant as the midnight ocean, were now clouded with sadness. Something was wrong, and my heart sank with her.
“No! You tell me, what have you done?” I rushed forward, hands working to untangle the thick strands of hair wrapped tightly around her body. Her chest heaved in shallow, desperate breaths; it was clear she had been struggling for air.
The moment my fingers touched the strands, they loosened, sliding away from her skin. I could see the marks left across her body, evidence of how tightly they had bound her.
She continued to cry as I gently lifted her into my arms. She seemed so small, fragile, as she curled against me, hiding her face in her hands. Her sobs shook through her, unrelenting.
For a while, I just held her, letting her cry, letting her feel that she was safe—letting the storm inside her settle.
“Kira…let me see you at once.”
After a few minutes of silence, as her sobs slowly faded, I gently spoke again, carefully removing her hands from her face.
“My eyes have searched for you endlessly, and my heart burns for your presence. Like a vampire reborn from endless nights, I crave not your blood, but you—your very being.” I whispered; my gaze fixed on her pale, quiet face.
She didn’t respond. She didn’t meet my gaze.
I needed to ask her why she had left us, why she had left me, when she knew I needed her most. I wanted to tell her how much I missed her, how many nights I had spent searching, haunted by the dead, those I had risen only to put back to rest. I could not sleep; I could not eat.
But something in her eyes held me back. This was not the moment for my own longing. There was something else she needed, words of comfort.
“Kira… tell me what happened?” I sat beside her, my voice soft and gentle. There was a moment
of silence, then she finally spoke.
“Kyle… why did you let them take Tessa away? You know how much we need the Tempest to fight the Ash Reapers. Now she’s gone, and you’re all at risk. I… I’m already of no use to the Nocturnes, and now they’ll hate me for being the reason this all happened.” Her crying pierced me, and it hurt to watch her break like this. I wanted to make her happy. I wanted to erase her pain, to hold her close, to love her, but all I could do was sit in silence and watch.
“I was worried about you! You’re an integral part of our squad. You’re a Nocturne!” I tried to reassure her, my voice trembling, thick with anger, and the flood of emotions I could barely contain.
“I am as useless as a shadow in the dark… a blade without an edge. A flame that cannot burn. I am nothing!” She yells in pain and I do not understand what hurts her to say all this.
“Kira…” I held her face in my hands while tears continued to roll down her cheeks.
“I do not know what hurt you, but you are the blade that carved through a thousand evils before it lost its edge…the shadow that makes even the darkest caves feel safe. You are the flame that burned my heart to ashes.
She avoided looking at me and instead closed her eyes are close as if she was trying to feel the comfort of my words. Her hair was tangled and messy, dulled to a dusty grey under the layer of grime that coated her thick dark strands. It looked unhealthy, like it had been neglected for too long.
“Tell me… what happened? Why did you leave? Did you not even think about how much it would hurt me to be without you?” Tears welled in my eyes. I had never felt so vulnerable. I did not believe in god, but if there were one, He would know just how much I had missed this woman… and how completely she had taken over my heart and soul.
Kira has been part of the Nocturnes for the past twelve years. She and I practically grew up together. She was brought in by Master Khaji when I was sixteen. Today, she looked exactly as she had that day, her hair messy and dulled to grey from dust, her clothes in rags, her small face almost fragile. She had been around fourteen when Master Khaji brought her in. She had been a slave of a wealthy trader in Egypt, and Master Khaji purchased her and brought her to Grimshire. When we asked him why he chose to bring her, even though she had been well cared for in Egypt, he would simply say he had felt something special about her.
At first, Kira performed basic chores for us and the other Nocturnes, cooking, cleaning, and helping where needed. But as she grew older, it became clear she was no ordinary girl. When she first arrived, her hair was always tied in a huge bun; we had never seen it loose. That changed one day when Hex and Samar got into a serious quarrel near the balcony. Samar, lost control and fell. At that time, Hex was not aware of his ability to paralyze others and could not control it, which is why Samar lost his balance and fell.
Kira, witnessing this, leaped forward to save him, and in that moment, we discovered her true power. Her long hair wrapped around Samar’s body like a cast net, holding him securely as she clung to the edge of the 80th floor. It was then that we realized she was extraordinary. Her hair was her ability, and she had a purpose like everyone else. From that day, Master Khaji trained her to strengthen her powers and master control. He gave her the title of Nocturne Medusa.
Despite her power and achievements, Kira always considered herself an inferior member of the squad. She believed her abilities were less special than the others’, which made her feel less central. Even though she had led us to victory in countless battles, and Master Khaji treated her with care and respect, her sense of inadequacy never faded.
But never, in all those years, did I imagine she would leave us because of this feeling of inferiority, especially not after the Ash Reapers had struck us so fiercely, and she had fought bravest among us, her courage unmatched. Without her, we were powerless against them.
“Kyle… I cannot do this anymore.” Kira’s words pulled me back from the depths of my thoughts. She finally looked at me, tears glistening in her eyes. Disappointment lingered in her gaze.
“Are you tired of all this, constant fear of attacks, of invasion? Is it because you want to start somewhere peaceful?” I asked, my voice trembling with hope. “If this is what your heart desires, You know I will always choose you over the Nocturnes. We can go far away… start a new life together, just like normal people.”
“Kyle… look at me. Don’t you see how useless I’ve become? I felt so humiliated when you sawme wrapped in my own net—the one I used to catch prey—but I couldn’t even control it. I wanted it to choke me until I could no longer breathe, until every inch of my soul abandoned this worthless body. But… Kyle… my own strands couldn’t even hold me firmly enough to destroy myself. What have I become, Kyle? A pity!
Kira shrieked in pain, as she collapsed on the floor as her sobs tore from her lungs. So, I was right. She had tried to take her own life. And if she had succeeded, I would have found her… dead.
The thought alone hollowed me out, sucking the warmth from my chest. I didn’t know how to respond. Anger? Fear? Sorrow? I felt them all at once, tangled and raw, unsure whether to yell, cry, or simply hold her and let the world fade away.
“Kyle… my hair. I’m losing the only thing that makes me special. I’m losing my ability—my power. After the last battle with the Ash Reapers, it started falling out. At first, I thought it was just exhaustion, but it hasn’t stopped. I can’t hold things firmly with my strands anymore.
Without my hair, I’m useless to the Nocturnes. I left before anyone could notice, and I know Master Khaji would have kept me out of pity. Kyle… I think the Ash Reapers cast a death spell on me”.
To be continued
