The rooster crowed, signaling the break of dawn. Maximus stirred awake. As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, he realized Onyx's bed was empty. It had already been neatly rolled up and tucked away.
Maximus glanced at his watch and bolted upright. It was 8:00 AM. The exam was set to start in just an hour.
"Shoot, I must've forgotten to set my alarm!"
Just then, Onyx called out to him. "Max! Over here. Why don't you try some of this? I think it's pretty good, but let's see what you think."
Maximus scrambled out of bed, stumbling slightly with that groggy, post-sleep dizziness. He made his way to the kitchen and looked at the dining table, where Onyx had laid out a plate of fish.
His eyes widened. The fish wasn't just well-done—it was charred black. Completely burnt.
"Oh, Primus..." Maximus muttered. "You're supposed to take it off the heat when it's golden brown. This is scorched, Onyx. It's going to taste like charcoal."
Onyx sat at the table, offering a sheepish grin as she scratched her head. "Alright, fine. It's okay. I'll just leave it out for the stray animals later."
"Ouch. Now you're just insulting my cooking," Onyx teased.
"Hey, at least it won't go to waste, right?" Maximus countered. He pulled some food out of the fridge and set it on the table. "Look, we have an exam in an hour, you know."
"Oh, I forgot to tell you—the exam got pushed back to tomorrow!" Onyx said.
"Are you serious?" Maximus asked, skeptical.
"...Yeah. Something about a sudden official event today," she replied.
"What kind of event?"
"No clue. You should probably ask the other students." Onyx stood up. "Actually, I'm in a bit of a rush. I need to head home and see my mom."
"Uh... Onyx," Maximus called out.
She turned. "Yeah?"
Maximus went silent for a long moment.
"What is it, Max?" she asked.
"This time... I'm coming with you," Maximus said firmly. "We need to go to the police and report everything you've been through."
Hearing his words and seeing the sheer seriousness in his eyes, a memory flashed through Onyx's mind: her father, a knife gripped in his hand, pinning her against the wall. The blade had been so close it nearly grazed her throat.
"Don't you dare tell a soul. If you do, neither you nor your mother will make it out alive."
"Come on, Onyx. We have to report this."
Maximus stared at her, waiting for her to say something.
Onyx finally spoke, her voice low. "No, Max. Stay out of this. I don't want to drag you into my mess." She looked down, unable to meet his gaze.
"You need help, Onyx. I can help you," he insisted.
"This is my problem, Max. You've done enough just letting me stay here. For me, that's plenty... This is more dangerous than you realize."
She paused, then looked up. "I have to wonder, why do you want to help me so badly? Why do you care this much? We've barely known each other."
Maximus opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He was speechless.
"Maybe it's because you're younger than me, so you just don't get it," Onyx continued. "I'm not a good person, Max. I shouldn't even be friends with you. I'm afraid I'll put you in danger. Your reputation is already tanking because of me, and I don't want that to keep happening."
Tears began to well up and stream down her face.
"You were keeping your true identity a secret... but I know now," she said, her voice trembling.
"You're Nexus Diggito, aren't you?!" she demanded, turning her back to him, refusing to look at him any longer.
Maximus froze. The shock hit him like a physical blow.
"I'm sorry... I snuck into your secret room last night. I saw everything."
Maximus hung his head. The initial anxiety faded, replaced by a cold, heavy fear.
"I'm not angry," Onyx said. "Honestly, I was so happy to find out you were still alive. But why hide it? Why... after everything I've done to you, why would you go this far for me?"
"I don't want to ruin your life, Maximus. I'm sorry for what I did to you. I was just so frustrated... no one understood what I was going through. I didn't know what to do. My parents were always fighting, and I was always the one blamed for everything."
Onyx grabbed her things from the table.
"Thanks for everything. I'm leaving now. I have to get home. Don't follow me."
She hurried out the door and shut it behind her, leaving Maximus standing there in total silence.
On her way back, Onyx couldn't stop thinking about Maximus. She kept glancing over her shoulder, making sure he wasn't following her.
On the other side of town, Alpha Trion was walking with his friends when he spotted Onyx walking alone across the street, heading the opposite direction.
He stopped for a moment. "Why is she heading that way?"
"Hey, Trion! Move it. We've got to go visit Richard at the hospital!" his friend called out.
"Yeah, yeah, alright!" Alpha Trion replied.
He brushed off the sight of Onyx and kept walking.
...
They finally arrived at the hospital to visit their friend. However, since Richard was in intensive care, they weren't allowed inside.
"Did you hear? Richard had surgery on his head. So creepy!"
"I can't believe he's even alive!"
...
"Hey, hey, kids. Keep it down," Dr. Drugger said, approaching the group. "You don't want to disturb your friend and give him another headache."
"No way, Doc. Richard's actually gonna explode when he sees us!"
"What do you mean, 'explode'?" Dr. Drugger asked, amused.
"He's gonna be so happy, obviously!" they joked.
Meanwhile, Alpha Trion slumped into a chair, leaning back with zero energy. He looked completely over it.
...
"Oh, aren't you Alpha Trion?" Dr. Drugger asked, noticing him.
The doctor sat down next to him, and Trion immediately sat up straight.
"What's up? Why aren't you as hyped as your friends?"
"Ah, Dr. Drugger, he's just salty because he couldn't take down Maximus!" one of his friends teased.
"Shut up, you idiots. That's not it!" Trion snapped.
"Come on, man. A water gun? Not exactly the most effective way to beat that guy!" his friends laughed.
"Tch... you guys don't get it. I'm doing this for Nexus Diggito. I'm going to get revenge on anyone who dares to insult him."
"Psst... let's just go. Told you there was no point bringing him here," one friend whispered to another.
"Ugh, we're going to the restroom. Jerk!"
"Fine, just go!" Trion grumbled.
...
His friends left, leaving Alpha Trion alone with Dr. Drugger.
"...You and Maximus are fighting?" the doctor asked.
"...Of course, Doc. He's the new kid who came in here disrespecting Nexus. I won't stand for it. I'm gonna make him take back every word!" Trion said.
"Ah—hehehe!" Dr. Drugger chuckled, scratching his head. "Maybe I should... let you in on a little secret. Just between us, okay?"
"...Huh? What secret?"
...
"Before that... I'm sorry for never telling you." Dr. Drugger pulled out his gadget.
"...Maximus is a special patient of mine... Moreover, he is..."
Dr. Drugger discreetly showed a short video and some documentation to Alpha Trion. He turned off the floating display and showed it only on his wrist-mounted screen.
The video was blunt. It revealed the truth about Maximus's identity: he was Nexus, and his body had been modified.
...
"...He's Nexus?"
To be continued...