"I am her other self." The creature standing before him, wearing Iris's face but none of her warmth, spoke with a calmness too still to be natural. "I am the ghost beneath her skin, a phantom created solely for the purpose of cursing her existence." She took a step closer, her eyes neither blinking nor wavering.
"I am her imperfection. The part of her she prays will never surface… and yet, I do." Her voice grew softer, almost to a whisper. "I am her flaw."
River stared at 'Iris' with an incredulous expression, struggling to understand the depths of what her words meant. '...her flaw?' Then, his eyes grew wide, a mix of shock and terror blooming on his face.
He had suspected that there was something more to the 'Iris' that stood before him. She was simply too different from the Iris he had grown to know at the Awakened Academy. His thoughts had brushed against the idea that it might be tied to her Aspect. But this? Her flaw being another version of herself? A flaw that could not only speak but also fight?
The sheer possibility of such a thing existing flooded his mind with questions and theories. But before a single word could form on his tongue, he could already see 'Iris' slipping away. The composed flicker in her eyes slowly faded as her gaze never once turned away from him.
At that moment, there was only one question on his mind. One that he hadn't even thought about until he looked into the dimming light of her eyes. "What's your name?"
It was a simple question, one that might not have mattered in the grand scheme of things. A question that some people might have, even said he wasted. Yet, that didn't matter to River in the slightest. For some reason unknown to even him, it was the only thing he wanted to know.
Her gaze remained firmly focused on River for a while, remaining unchangingly calm as if the question hadn't fazed her in the slightest. But for a split second, it seemed like the edges of her lips raised ever so slightly. "Nyx." Then, she was gone.
Finally in control of her body, Iris looked around at her surroundings, her face growing more resigned as she took in all of the destruction. She took a brief moment to exhale deeply as her shoulders shrugged before looking at River.
"...you met her, didn't you?" Iris's voice was soft in a way that he had never heard her speak before. As though she had already come to terms with the truth, and saw no point in hiding it any longer.
"Hard not to," River replied, his gaze lingering on the blood still drying on her dagger. "She makes quite the impression."
Iris let out a small laugh. "Yeah… sorry about that. I can't really control when she comes out."
There was a moment of silence before River cautiously asked, "Is… she really your flaw?" He wasn't sure if he could exactly trust Nyx; something about her was off-putting, no matter how much he tried to ignore it.
The question caught Iris by surprise, her eyes widening slightly, staring at River with a shocked expression. But after a beat of silence, she spoke.
"Yep… I guess that means she talked to you?" Her voice was quiet, almost like she was speaking to herself. "I wasn't sure if that was possible."
River paused for a brief moment, a flicker of confusion appearing on his face. "You didn't know she could talk?"
"It's complicated," Iris's voice faltered slightly before taking a deep breath to steady herself. "When she takes over, everything just becomes a blur. I'm able to somewhat understand what's happening in the moment, but it becomes a struggle to remember things clearly after she disappears. It's like I'm forced to suddenly watch my life being filmed on a communicator with poor resolution."
Her words sparked a sudden realization. The reason Iris hadn't encountered any Nightmare Creatures on the cliff wasn't luck—it was Nyx. She must have taken control before Iris even knew something was wrong, killed the creature, and then slipped back beneath the surface. That's why Iris had seemed so unsettled after he brought it up, it was because she had come to the same conclusion.
"Then, you don't know what Nyx and I talked about?" River asked with curiosity about how much she could remember within that state. "Has she ever talked to anyone else?"
Iris physically flinched, her shoulders tensing as if the question itself had physically struck her. And for a moment, she stared past River, her eyes unfocused like she was seeing something else entirely. When she finally spoke, her voice sounded distant. "It doesn't matter," she said quickly. "What she chooses to do isn't something I like to think about."
River opened his mouth to press her further, but she had already turned away.
"We should start harvesting these Nightmare Creatures before more show up," Iris muttered, already moving toward one of the corpses. Her tone had shifted, as if forcing herself back into focus. "We don't have the time to be sitting around."
"Yeah… right," River didn't ask anything else as he stepped toward the corpse of the first scavenger Nyx had killed. Whatever memory his question had stirred in Iris, it was one she clearly wasn't ready to revisit. The silence between them lingered, and for the rest of the night, neither of them spoke a word of Nyx again.
***
With the sea's sudden retreat and the pale sun now climbing steadily overhead, River and Iris took advantage of the brief moment of peace. Without the threat of the tentacles, they set up a small fire against the wind-carved rocks and cooked strips of scavenger meat, the scent of charred flesh rising into the dry air.
Iris picked up a piece of meat that was skewered on a piece of coral and stared at it with a slightly disgusted expression. "Are we sure that this stuff is even edible?"
"Only one way to find out." River prepared himself mentally before tearing off a chunk with his teeth and chewing slowly. Contrary to his expectations, it wasn't half bad—tender, a little sweet, almost like what he imagined lobster might taste like… if he'd ever actually had lobster. After a moment, he swallowed and gave her a shrug.
"It hasn't killed me yet," he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "That's about the best we're gonna get out here."
Iris eyed the meat suspiciously for a moment longer before sighing and taking a tentative bite. Her face lit up in surprise at the taste, "That's… actually not terrible."
For a few moments, the two ate in silence, only the sound of an occasional crackle of fire and the distant whisper of shifting waves. As the scavenger meat disappeared quickly between them, their hunger pushing them to eat without pause, River couldn't help but think that it was strangely peaceful.
Finally, River glanced over at Iris, his eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief. "You know," he said, with a thoughtful expression, "I'm starting to get curious about what other Nightmare Creatures might taste like. I mean, we're out here fighting them, might as well try a few, right?"
Iris gave him a side-eye, her eyebrow arching skeptically. "...you want to eat more of these things?"
"Why not?" River shrugged, grinning. "I've eaten worse. Besides, after my time in the outskirts, I'm basically a pro at turning the inedible into something halfway decent. You need to try my Sewer Surprise Stew sometime."
Iris looked at him like he was the most insane person she'd ever seen, before shaking her head. "I think… I'll hold off on stew for a while."
River chuckled, but the amusement faded as his gaze drifted toward the horizon. The vibrant crimson sea of twisting coral blades stretched on endlessly, it was just as beautiful as it was discouraging. It made him question if there was anything beyond it. If there was any real hope waiting for them, or if they'd simply been doomed from the start.
River stared at the horizon for a moment longer, then turned to Iris. His voice came quietly, stripped of his usual sarcasm. "We should leave the cliff."
She looked at him, surprised by the sudden shift in tone. "I was thinking the same thing," she admitted, her eyes dropping to the ground before lifting again to meet his. "But… do you really think we'll make it out there?
River didn't turn away. "We've survived this long," he said, his voice steady. "Might as well give it a shot and see what's beyond the horizon."
***
In the pale grey light of morning, they finally left the jagged cliff behind and set off northward. River took the lead, his steps slow but certain as he felt Seismic Sense reaching outward through the earth beneath their feet. He paused now and again, eyes narrowing in thought as he felt for the sudden vibrations of movement all around them.
A large cluster of scavengers was moving far off to the east, swarming along the lower ridges near the direction of the cliff they'd just abandoned. To the west, he sensed something heavier, slow, deliberate movements that sent dull, reverberating pulses through the stone.
And deeper still, scattered through the northwest, were smaller signatures. They darted in sudden, sharp bursts of motion, then froze. Then, after long moments, they'd shift again, just as quick in another direction. It felt almost methodical. River slowly pulled his hand back and placed it in front of Iris to stop her, his jaw tightening.
"West is dangerous," he muttered. "Something big's moving out there. And whatever's up northwest…" He glanced toward the horizon. "...is another cluster but I can't tell what type of creatures they are."
Iris glanced in the same direction, her expression tightening. "Then we stick to the center?"
River nodded, though uncertainty lingered behind his eyes. "Yeah. For now."
He adjusted their course, guiding them along the thinnest seams of motion, threading a path through the quietest parts of the blackened terrain. But no matter where they went, there was always something lurking just up ahead, preventing them from going any further. If they attempted to go a different direction to avoid one area of movement, they'd be blocked off by another.
At some point, the constant influx of information was beginning to overwhelm River's mind, leaving him unable to accurately navigate the best course for them to take. If this went on any longer, it was possible that River could miss an entire cluster of Nightmare Creatures and lead them right to them.
"I hate to say this," He shook his head and sighed. "But, we can't keep avoiding conflict anymore. It's impossible for us to be able to make it to another cliff in time if we do."
Iris turned to him with a tense expression. "Is it even possible for us to fight off that many though? They're a whole rank above us."
"We just need to avoid the larger groups." River exhaled slowly, scanning the terrain ahead. "If we focus on the smaller groups, it's possible."
She stared at him for a moment, a reluctant look on her face, then smirked faintly. "Well, if we die, I'm blaming your terrible sense of direction."
With nothing more to say, they set off once again towards the nearest towering cliff in the distance. It wasn't long before a lone scavenger drifted into the range of his ability, blocking their path. Its movements were uneven, limping slightly, and a jagged crack split the armor plating on its chest.
River slowed, eyes narrowing as he studied its gait. "There's an injured scavenger just ahead," he whispered. "Let's make this quick."
Iris nodded and circled wide, her shoes crunching softly over the blackened terrain. She crouched behind a splintered ridge of stone, just far enough to draw the scavenger's attention without putting herself in direct danger.
River waited, crouched low behind a patch of jagged coral growths, his fingers twitching with quiet anticipation as Viper's Lamet began to form in his hands.
Without wasting another second, Iris struck first—a sharp whistle and a flash of movement as she hurled herself out from behind the stone directly into the scavenger's path. The sudden motion caused the creature to freeze mid-step, its plated head jerking toward her in a way that felt… off.
Its legs shifted, but not with the urgency they'd come to expect from a scavenger. The steps were uneven, off-beat. One hind leg dragged just a little too long behind the others before snapping forward, and its front limbs locked for a second as if they'd forgotten how to bend.
River watched from his hiding spot, frowning. The scavenger was more injured than he thought.
Still, despite its injuries, it reacted to Iris's movements as it shuffled forward with a broken rhythm, the cracked plate on its chest flexing with every step. Its mouth gaped open awkwardly like its jaw was broken, leaving it unable to hiss or shriek like the others.
The moment its attention locked on Iris, he surged forward from behind, every muscle coiled with intent. In a single leap, he closed the distance and drove his blade straight into the discolored hollow beneath its cracked head plate—a vulnerable spot they'd learned to target after picking apart scavenger corpses for food. The sword struck true, sinking deep into its brain, killing it instantly.
Or so… River thought. The creature didn't collapse or even shudder as if it hadn't even rendered the blow. But more importantly, even the spell remained silent.
River's eyes narrowed. He tried to wrench the blade free, but something was wrong. The sword felt stuck, anchored in a way it shouldn't be. And then—
A sound, wet and subtle, like flesh slipping free of bone.
River's breath hitched.
From the wound he'd carved open, something moved. A writhing black mass surged outward in a sudden, violent bloom, erupting from the cracked armor like a nest split open. The mass glistened in the grey light, a slick, pulsating tangle of oily tendrils that twisted against each other with impossible speed.
He stepped back, but too late. The mass surged—not just outward, but up, climbing the blade, racing toward him like a living tide. It hit him in a blink, a cold, slimy flood that wrapped around his arms, his shoulders, his neck—