Once Anthea removed her hand from Greyson's forehead, Lucinda placed a new damp towel on him. He flinched, which seemed to be the only reaction he could muster for the past five days. She placed a new box of tissues on her nightstand, and his arms immediately attempted to reach it and grab one. When he still couldn't reach it, she grabbed one for him instead. But even after he blew his nose and tossed the tissue in the garbage bin, he still breathed through his mouth when he lay back down.

She took a clean handkerchief from her nightstand's drawer and wiped his nose. It was runny already.

"His fever should have gone down after three days," she said as she placed a hand on his cheek. "But it just looks like he's getting worse."

"Does he have any allergies?"

"Just pollen, but we haven't visited the rooftop garden in a while."

"And it didn't rain the past few days, either. Did he eat spoiled food?"

She shook her head again.

Anthea took a deep breath, and a long sigh followed afterwards. "I know what's wrong with him, then."

"What is it?"

"Stress and a trauma response." She took off her gloves and placed them in her pockets. "I don't think it's a surprise when I say that kids getting sick because of stress is normal in the DUO."

Anthea placed one hand on Greyson's chest, then the other held one of his hands. At first, she was quiet as she closed her eyes. But once she took a deep breath, her hands glowed in a soft green color, just like her irises. Strings of light swirled around her arms before swirling his own.

For the first time since he got sick, Greyson took a deep breath. And when he exhaled, his lips curled into a soft smile. The dark circles under his eyes were still there, and his nose was still red and runny, but the smile on his face made him look more relaxed despite his current state.

Lucinda sighed, and a weight she never even knew was there finally left her chest. "Stress and trauma response," she repeated.

Anthea nodded. "Since my healing doesn't do anything physically, there's a chance that he's going to go back to feeling sick again. But if you keep giving him the same medicine he's been taking, I'd say he'll be okay after tomorrow or two days."

"But he wasn't overworked. I made sure he wasn't."

"Stress isn't necessarily because of being overworked. If something's bothering him, then it'll stress him out. And most, if not all, the time, something mentally can affect you physically. Like in this case, people get sick. In other children's cases, trauma or stress can make them lose the ability to speak, even. Maybe it's only when they're stressed, maybe it's a permanent thing. Our brains can even develop a defense mechanism that makes us forget our trauma. Different people have different reactions."

"I see," was the only thing she could muster. Anthea was most likely still talking, and she felt her mouth move to reply. But she couldn't hear what any of them were saying.

Her mind returned to what happened five days ago. To the time she killed someone in front of Greyson just to make sure that he wouldn't get hurt or taken away. To the way she let her body move before she could think rationally, and the way she didn't even bother looking at him as long as it meant killing that Underworld member.

She gritted her teeth and hung her head. Lucian's and Poseidon's words and voices echoed in her head, repeating the same things they had been telling her over and over again.

What if Nyx's game involves Chuchu getting hurt? What if the game would affect him? What if one of you has to die? More and more 'what ifs' piled in her head. And as much as she wanted to push them all away, they rooted themselves in her head, digging themselves deeper and deeper until it was starting to hurt.

Nyx won two rounds already, and it wasn't Lucinda facing the consequences. It was Greyson.

"Hey, chin up." Anthea placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a pat. "You did what you could. We told Viktor that a kid shouldn't be looking at dead bodies, especially at this age, but he still insisted this should be Greyson's first case."

She placed her hands behind her. Right, Viktor. The kid who, for some reason, didn't see an issue with an eight year old looking at corpses and calling it experience.

The chuckle that left her lips was bitter. "You'd think that would be common sense."

"Unfortunately, common sense isn't common these days." Anthea waved a hand in the air and put her gloves on again. "I'll head back home now, but I'll let him know tomorrow that you and Greyson won't be attending work for a day or two more. Then maybe smack him in the head."

"Do it twice. For me as well."

"Of course. I'll let Azul do it twice as well."

She put her jacket on again and headed out of Lucinda's room. While she was tying her shoes' laces, Lucinda placed a hand on her chest.

"Thank you for this, Thea," she said with a nod. "I was so worried that it might be worse. I'm not exactly thrilled with the cause, but I am glad it's not as bad as I thought it would be."

"Of course. Like I said, he should be okay in a few days. As long as he rests his mind, his fever won't be as bad anymore. Goodnight, Lucinda."

Anthea turned around and opened the door. Lucian stood behind it, one hand holding a bag of groceries while the other one was raised, as if he was about to knock. He took a step back and nodded at Anthea, who nodded in return before heading out.

Lucinda sighed as she sat down in one of her dining chairs. Her fingers brushed her hair back, only stopping when she felt a tangle between her locks. Since when did her hair even tangle, anyway? Regardless, she removed the locked strands and tossed the fallen ones in her bin.

"So." Lucian said as he placed the bag down. "What'd she say?"

"Stress and a traumatic response." She started taking the groceries' contents out. Biscuits, some juice—her brows raised when she grabbed five cups of coffee jelly, but she ignored that for now and continued putting more things away. "He got sick the day after that happened, so Thea might be right. But as far as the others are aware, it's because of his first case around a month or two ago."

"Really?" He chuckled, though his laughter immediately died down when she shot him a look. "I mean, it sounds funny. But now that I think about it, the same thing happened to you back then. Still funny, though."

She paused as she placed the container of coffee cake down. "The only times I got sick was when I injected too much poison in my body."

"Not really. I remember a time when we were kids that you were bedridden for almost a month, I think. Miss Sidon was so worried you were going to die cause not even the healers could patch you up. Then, another doctor came, and they said it was a mental thing rather than a physical thing."

Somehow, she managed to chuckle. "I guess it is funny if you put it that way. How do you even remember it when I don't?"

He shrugged. "Who knows."

Now that she thought about it even more, it was strange to think about. She had been so used to killing people now, so used to feeling both her blood and her victims' blood coating her palms, so used to injecting poison in her system—the thought of it frightening her as a child was... well, strange.

She shut her eyes for a moment, trying to recall her first mission. But each time she thought she found it, the memory slipped from her mind, and it only felt like she was holding a thin thread.

Twenty years was so long ago, and she had done so many missions since then. It was only natural she wouldn't remember them all, especially the first one.

Once she finished putting the groceries away, she took another slice of her strawberry shortcake in the fridge and started eating. She would ask Lucian if he wanted some, but he had already started heating the leftover rice and stir fried beef. The sound of food sizzling made her ears twitch, and the scent of the meat almost made her want to grab one for herself as well. But she hadn't had cake in a while now, so she focused on this one first.

"So." He sat in front of her and started eating. "What's your plan?"

"What plan?"

"Today's the last day, isn't it? If you don't meet Nyx, she'll screw over your life, and you'll really have no choice but to enter a witness protection program or something."

"Oh." She took a small bite of her cake. "That."

"Don't tell me you forgot."

"I didn't. I've actually been doing some thinking."

"That's dangerous. What are you thinking?"

"Play Nyx's game."

He clicked his tongue and grabbed another spoonful of his food. "Well duh. What else?"

"There's no 'what else'." She stood up and placed the plate on the sink, albeit a lot stronger than she had expected. The utensils clattered against each other, and she grabbed the plate to see if it cracked. Fortunately, it didn't.

"I go to the church near Fort Antagone," she continued, "play her game, then kill her if I have to." Or maybe because I have to.

"And?"

She faced him and crossed her arms. "Poseidon's going to go there, regardless if I want her to or not. So whatever happens, I have to make sure she won't get in the way."

"Do you even have a plan to kill Nyx?"

"I do."

"Great. What is it?"

"You're not usually this nosy." She tilted her head to the side and scanned her brother from head to toe. "Is Sidon listening right now?"

"And if she is?" He fanned his hand in the air and stood up. "You're not usually this against her. Hell, you listen to her more than I do. Why is this one so different?"

She lowered her head, fingers tapping on her arms. "It's different because Chuchu's involved this time. I was always confident that if you and Lucia would be involved, you two would be able to get out of any mess without my help. But Chuchu is eight. If something happens..."

She shook her head. No, she was not going there.

"Watch over him while I'm gone," she said as she headed to her room. "I'll be back before three."

"Ate Lucy—"

Whatever Lucian had to say, she didn't bother listening to it. She locked her door and opened her closet, grabbing her usual black attire. It took her a while, but she managed to grab all of her hair and tie it into a messy bun. And after she finished wearing them, she put a coat on to hide her getup.

Once she finished putting on both of her gloves, she opened the bottommost drawer of her desk and grabbed one of the smaller bottles. The vial was just the size of her palms, and she could tell it was still full. In fact, she doubted she had ever opened this one before. She spun it around, nodding to herself when it was still far from its expiration date.

It had been a while since she last used her strongest poison. Now that she was looking at it again, she could remember why; she had only used it twice, but it was the one that brought her to a weakened state both times and caused her condition now.

She wasn't sure how quickly it would even take effect. But for now, she grabbed a syringe from the drawer and pocketed them both. She would use them later.

She turned to the bed, where Greyson was fast asleep. His forehead wasn't as hot compared to this morning, and he was breathing normally again. She pressed a soft kiss on his forehead and caressed his soft cheeks.

"I'll be back, Chuchu," she whispered before kissing his cheek again. "I'll see you once I get home."

►•••✫✦🦋✦✫•••◀︎

Like what Lucinda expected, Poseidon was already there when she arrived near the church. It didn't even look like she and Lucida were hiding themselves; they sat on an outside table that belonged to a restaurant. Though she doubted it was just them. There were definitely more people properly hidden.

"I've scanned the area for another ten minutes," she said once she reunited with them. "I didn't see anyone else, either. If Nyx brought anyone else, they might all be inside."

"Are you sure you don't need backup?" Poseidon asked. "I'm willing to fight alongside you if I need to."

"Sidon." Lucinda took off her coat and placed it on one of the chairs. "Unless you want me and Greyson dead, stay where you are and don't do anything."

"I don't think you even know her rules," Lucia added.

"I'll live whether I know them or not."

She grabbed the syringe and injected it in the vial of poison, filling it up. The pale blue hue almost looked colorless in the dark. Her fingers shivered when she placed the needle in her arms, but she tightened the grip and injected it in her.

Her sister furrowed her brows. "How much time do you have?"

"I don't know. But if it gives you two any comfort." She raised her head, turning to Poseidon once again. "Ten minutes. If I'm not out by ten minutes, you're free to do anything you want."

Poseidon's lips remained in a straight line, but she nodded. "Good luck, Lucinda."

"Thanks." Lucinda hummed as she raised her mask, letting it cover the lower half of her face. "But I don't need it."

Lucinda remained in the shadows as she dashed towards the church. Every time she hid behind a wall, she scanned the area before moving again. It was just like they all thought—there was no one outside. Not even an illusion or someone using their ability to hide. Did Nyx seriously come here on her own?

It could be a trap. But for now, she didn't complain. She managed to get to the church without any issues. For now, that was all that mattered.

Once she reached the church, she raised her head. It still stood tall despite the fact that it had been abandoned for decades now. Underneath the light of the three moons, the burnt down walls looked like they were more of a pale milky white color rather than a dull brown hue. Regardless, she nodded before stopping in front of the large double doors.

There was no turning back now.

With a deep breath, she pushed them open. The sound of the hinges creaking and her footsteps clicking against the dusty wooden floors echoed in the empty halls. The only source of light he had was from the large windows letting the light of the moons in, but it was enough to light the entire church up.

And sitting in the middle of the dais was none other than Nyx herself.

"You're finally here." Nyx hummed as she stood up and dusted her clothes. "You had the audacity to let me wait for five days and the last minute, too. It's like you intentionally want to lose."

"Apologies. I had to think of a strategy for our last game." Lucinda placed a hand on her chest and bowed. "Well then, what's our last game?"

"Simple."

Nyx snapped her fingers. Her eyes glowed in a bright blue hue before she disappeared into a puff of smoke. More of it appeared from the ground, slowly rising and growing thicker with each second. Eventually, it was the only thing Lucinda could see. It dimmed the church, but it didn't make it too dark.

"Find me before I catch you first," she added, her voice echoing like she came from every direction.

Lucinda dug her fingers deep in her arms, drawing out blood. She summoned her usual pair of blades, spinning them in her hands until she caught them again.

Ten minutes. That was how much time Lucinda had left.

She hummed as she lowered herself in a stance. "It's time to play, Nyx." 

Word count: 2766
Total: 26791

hi im sorry if this chapter feels weird i wrote it on my ipad cause my laptop kicked the bucket anyway were almost done and im still suffering wheeeeeeeeeee