The silence between the three of them stretched just long enough to feel heavy until Eri suddenly leaned forward on her elbows and, with all the seriousness of a child making a profound observation, said:
"Your head is shiny. Like… super shiny. Do you polish it?"
Nyxia froze mid-breath, his eyes going wide. The orowyrm perked up, head swiveling toward Eri as if to say, You did not just say that.
For a second, the robed woman simply looked at Eri then a laugh escaped her, soft and genuine, as though she hadn't expected to be caught so off-guard.
"I suppose you could say I maintain it," she replied, touching the side of her head. "Takes less time than dealing with hair."
Eri grinned. "Dad should try it! Then he can be the shiny-headed monster instead of the scary one."
"Hey," Nyxia said, feigning a wounded expression. "I think I'd look terrible bald. My head's not symmetrical enough."
The woman's eyes gleamed with quiet amusement. "Symmetry is overrated. Some of the most remarkable people I've known were anything but symmetrical."
Eri nodded sagely, as if this was an important life lesson. "See? She's wise. You should listen to her."
Nyxia rolled his eyes, but the tension had cracked like thin ice. The conversation drifted into playful teasing Eri declaring herself "Chief Judge of Shiny Things," Nyxia joking about starting a baldness competition, and the woman deftly matching their rhythm, never quite revealing more than she intended but blending into their banter like she'd been at their table for years.
Even the orowyrm seemed more relaxed now, curling comfortably in Eri's lap as steam from their food began to rise from the kitchen.
Their food arrived, steaming bowls and plates filling the small table. Eri immediately dug in, humming happily as she tried to spin noodles around her chopsticks and mostly failing, while Nyxia kept one hand on the table and the other absentmindedly steadying the orowyrm so it wouldn't taste-test the dishes.
The Ancient One sipped her tea calmly, eyes never lingering on Nyxia for long, but always coming back to him.
"So," she said lightly, as if continuing the playful back-and-forth, "I travel often. I like to see… disturbances in the world for myself. You never know if a shadow in the alley is just a man, or something more."
Nyxia caught the phrasing immediately it wasn't about alleys or travelers. Her tone was casual, almost amused, but the words felt like an invitation to answer without answering.
"True," he replied, meeting her gaze with a faint smirk. "Sometimes a shadow's just a shadow. Sometimes it's something that knows how to hide in plain sight."
Her lips curved into the faintest smile, and she broke eye contact to add more tea to her cup. "And sometimes… it's neither dangerous nor harmless, but something in between. Something the wise prefer to understand before deciding."
Nyxia didn't need more than that. She hadn't come for the food, or for idle talk with strangers. She'd come to look at him, to weigh the shape of his presence that monstrous aura he'd worked so hard to keep under control and decide if he was threat or anomaly.
Eri, oblivious to the undercurrent, held up a dumpling and announced, "This is the best thing I've ever eaten!" which made the Ancient One laugh softly and turn the conversation back toward harmless things.
But Nyxia knew the truth. Every question, every glance, had been a subtle probe. And though she'd left her verdict unspoken, her continued presence at the table told him one thing she wasn't done watching.
The Ancient One finished the last sip of her tea, setting the cup down with the quiet precision of someone who never wasted a movement. Eri was still happily working on her dumpling, humming a little tune to herself, while the orowyrm dozed in a loose coil around her shoulders.
"Well," the Ancient One said warmly, "it's been a pleasure sharing a meal with such good company." She smiled at Eri in the way that made children feel instantly at ease. "You take good care of your dad here. He's… special."
Eri giggled. "I know! He always makes sure I'm safe. And he buys me snacks!"
The Ancient One chuckled softly, standing with the grace of someone who could vanish without a sound if she wished. She placed a small, folded paper crane on the table in front of Eri. "For good luck," she said. "Sometimes, you'll need it more than you think."
Eri's eyes lit up. "Thank you!"
Nyxia watched the exchange, but his attention was on the way she looked at him before turning away not hostile, not fearful, but assessing, like someone who'd taken a first reading of an unfamiliar constellation and was already mapping the rest.
As she moved toward the door, she paused just long enough to add, "Perhaps our paths will cross again… when the winds change."
Eri just waved cheerfully. "Bye, lady!"
Nyxia gave a short nod, saying nothing, but his eyes followed her until she disappeared into the bustle of Chinatown. He could feel the faint ripple she left behind, like the wake of a boat long after it had passed.
To Eri, it was just a nice stranger who'd given her a paper crane.To Nyxia, it was a warning wrapped in courtesy she knew what he was, and she hadn't decided yet if that was a good thing.
Nyxia was still staring at the door the Ancient One had walked through, the folded paper crane resting between Eri's small hands, when a gravelly, amused voice broke through his thoughts.
"Well, well… what an interesting conversation you've got there, sonny."
Nyxia turned his head and found an older man leaning casually against the counter, dressed in a neat cap and jacket, eyes twinkling behind thick glasses. There was something about the way he stood like the whole room was an audience, and he'd been performing for decades.
Eri blinked at him, tilting her head. "Do you know that lady we were talking to?"
The man grinned. "Nah, kid, but I know when two people are talking without really talking. You know what I mean?" He tapped the side of his nose. "Lots of folks don't pick up on that. I do."
Nyxia allowed himself a small smirk. "Eavesdropping's a habit of yours?"
"Observation, my boy," the old man said with mock indignation. "Eavesdropping is rude. Observing? That's an art. Been at it longer than you've probably been walking." He gave Nyxia a once-over, as if sizing him up not in the mystical, piercing way the Ancient One had, but in a more… human way. Like he was taking stock of the person rather than the power.
Then, leaning in conspiratorially, he added, "You've got the look of a guy who's about to get caught up in something bigger than he planned. Don't forget to take care of the little one there not just keep her safe, but let her have a childhood, too."
Eri grinned and lifted the paper crane. "I got good luck now!"
The man chuckled. "Sure do, sweetheart. Just remember sometimes luck's just knowing when to duck." He winked, straightened, and tipped his cap before heading for the door.
Nyxia watched him go, a faint, bemused frown on his face. First the Ancient One, now this stranger with oddly sharp instincts. He exhaled slowly, patting Eri's head.
"Alright, kid," he said quietly, "let's finish lunch before any more 'interesting' people show up."
◇◇◇
Dr. Wagner's footsteps echoed like a drumbeat through the marble halls, each one sharper than the last. His gloved hand clutched a thick stack of papers printouts, schematics, diagnostic readings all of it trembling slightly, not from fatigue, but from barely restrained fury. By the time he reached Zalthorion's office, he didn't bother with the decorum of knocking.
The double doors slammed open with a bang.
Inside, Zalthorion sat in his high-backed chair, the firelight casting his face in flickering gold. A crystal tumbler of whiskey swirled lazily in his hand, the amber liquid catching the light with every small rotation. He didn't even look surprised at the intrusion if anything, he looked mildly entertained.
"How is it possible?!" Dr. Wagner barked, storming in and slamming the papers down onto the desk with a violent thud. "How did you know Eri's bracelet was damaged?" His voice was shaking now, a mixture of outrage and betrayal. "And don't you dare lie to me this wasn't just about baiting that thing. You sent them because you wanted to confirm something. What is it, Zalthorion?"
The old being chuckled softly, the kind of laugh that carried far too much patience and far too little urgency. He set down his glass with deliberate slowness, the crystal clinking against the desk.
"How did I know?" Zalthorion's lips curled into that infuriatingly calm smile. "Well, doctor… that is a secret you'll have to uncover on your own, my friend." He leaned back, folding his hands together. "But yes… you are correct. I did send them to confirm something. And since you've come all this way in such a temper, I might as well tell you a few other things I know about you."
Dr. Wagner's brow furrowed, but Zalthorion continued, his voice smooth and cutting.
"Your little hobby with cars, for instance. Not just repairing them upgrading them. Custom engines, illegal modifications. Racing between universes, weaving through traffic on alien streets. Drinking yourself to sleep to quiet the noise in your head. And let's not forget," his smile widened, "that peculiar insistence on speaking English… despite the fact that the MTD I gave you could translate your words automatically into any language."
Dr. Wagner's fists clenched, knuckles whitening.
Zalthorion's eyes gleamed. "I have to wonder… what made a 'normal' doctor so fascinated with engineering, with speed, with danger? It couldn't have been something you picked up here in Evolto. Perhaps… before you arrived? Back when you were a na—"
"Shut your mouth, Zalthorion!" Dr. Wagner snapped, cutting him off with a shout. His voice echoed harshly in the large room, his German accent thickening with his temper. He slammed a palm down onto the desk. "If you're so eager to parade my secrets, then perhaps I should share a few of yours."
For the first time, Zalthorion's smile faltered just a fraction.
"That shadowy being," Wagner pressed on, his voice dropping to a cold, deliberate tone, "the one that attacked us… that's been tearing through the people of Evolto City. You know about it. Don't deny it. Maybe I even know why because why else would it have been locked in your older vaults? And maybe… maybe you broke your precious code, your sacred rules, to use someone as bait… because you're desperate enough now to sacrifice your own agents."
The silence that followed was heavy. The fire popped and hissed.
Zalthorion swirled the last of his whiskey in his glass, then took a slow, deliberate sip, his eyes never leaving Wagner's. The air between them felt like it might shatter.