The Shadows of the Nox

I grabbed the hand Luke offered. His skeletal frame hadn’t fully filled out yet, but because he was so much taller than me, I struggled to keep up with his pace. My second-oldest brother, who had the biggest difference in stride, usually just carried me around, so I’d never dealt with this before. Then again, expecting Luke to show the consideration of walking slowly was nonsense. Just approaching the creek changed the atmosphere entirely, and eyes began to trail us again. Remembering that most who entered the Nox became prey, I moved my feet industriously.

“What’s your name?”

“Rin.”

The name that slipped out was the nickname I only used with Helena. I felt I’d made a mistake, but it was too late to correct it. I should have gone with something like James. I was glad I had enough sense not to give my real name, but a more common one would have been better.

“That’s a pretty name. It suits you.”

“Thanks.”

“My name is Luke. Though you seemed to know that already.”

“There’s no one on these streets who doesn’t know your name.”

It was a half-guess, but it must have been right, as his reaction was minimal. Instead of taking offense, he chose to keep me talking.

“Tell me about your friend.”

“El. He’s a bit taller than me, black hair. Blue eyes. He looks ill-tempered at a glance. He’s good at swearing, too. I just hope he didn’t get beaten for talking back.”

Luke, who had been heading up the creek, stopped so suddenly I nearly slammed my nose into his back. The bridge, made of several overlapping old planks, was a mix of rotted wood and newer patches. It seemed like it would have been better to just build a proper one from scratch. Luke crossed first and pointed out the spots I should step on.

“If he’s alive, he probably didn’t get beaten. Assuming he really is in the Nox.”

I pondered his words for a moment before realizing he meant: ‘If he acted like that in the Nox, they would have killed him rather than just beating him.’

“Shit…” I muttered a curse under my breath and then quickly covered my mouth in surprise. Luke, halfway across the bridge, laughed.

“How does someone like that get lost here?”

I hesitated for a moment, but once the dam broke, the story came out easily. I described Berinon—anonymously—as a godforsaken demon. I felt no guilt. That bastard deserved to be cursed out by strangers. Surprisingly, Luke listened quietly, occasionally nodding along.

“Want me to kill him for you?”

The question was asked so peacefully I almost mistook it for him asking if I’d eaten dinner. I was about to ask if he was serious, but realizing how ridiculous a question that was, I stopped myself.

“Is that also because you’re ‘interested’ in me?”

“Something like that. I’m doing you a favor, so consider it an extension of that. If you want, I’ll even let you pick the method. Drowning is a bit tricky, though. Once the body rots, it tends to float.”

He went on to list a few more options. Cracking the skull with a blunt object was the easiest; stabbing was harder than you’d think if you missed the vitals. If I wanted him to suffer for a long time, he explained where to cut and how to treat the wounds. He sounded like some kind of expert lecturer. His detailed, cheerful explanation made my stomach churn.

“No. Forget it.”

“Why? He put your friend in danger and forced you all the way in here.”

“If El is fine, it’s okay. Though I won’t let it slide.”

“And if your friend is already… gone?”

“Then…”

I tried not to let too much emotion show. Then. If Elliot was hurt because of Berinon’s pathetic little prank…

“Then I’m the one who will kill him. I won’t let anyone else do it.”

Upon hearing that, Luke let out the loudest laugh yet. It was a laugh I could never expect from Cedric Klein, who feigned gentleness while hiding his true nature, or from the Crown Prince, who treated dignity as life itself. Luke had emphasized how dangerous this place was, yet here he was, laughing right in my face.

“Is it that funny?”

“I like it.”

I wondered what exactly he liked, but I didn’t ask. If he meant he liked my answer, that was fine, but if he meant he liked me, I wasn’t sure I could stop myself from getting defensive. Better not to hear it. But as if he knew my resolve, Luke poked at my pride.

“But could you actually do it?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re a bit too thin and small to be killing people.”

“I’m actually tall for my age.”

At my grumbling, Luke let out a soft “Ah,” as if he’d just realized a profound fact. Arrogant jerk. Even if there was a height difference, it was because of our age gap. In a few years, I’d be his size. He acted like he’d never been my age. I suppressed my temper and didn’t react, so he fell silent. Even if I was currently in his debt, I didn’t want to be swayed by his whims.

Luke was kinder than I expected, but more self-centered than I’d imagined. Just as Erkel had said, he was the easiest to talk to, but he was someone I could never truly relax around. They said he changed his attitude to match his opponent—had he decided he didn’t need to be charming to win me over? It would have been annoying if he’d tried to seduce me, but being treated like a clueless kid wasn’t much better.

After crossing the creek, Luke walked without hesitation. When I fell behind several times while struggling to keep up, he simply grabbed me by the waist. Tucked against his side and dragged along, I didn’t fall behind anymore, but I felt like I might fall flat on my face at any moment.

“What are you doing?”

“Keep quiet.”

I was about to ask him to let me walk properly, but the scenery of the Nox silenced me. I understood then why he had pulled me close. Even though there was no physical barrier, the atmosphere shifted completely the moment we entered the next alley. The reason the Nox didn’t appear on the maps of Lovenus was simple: it would be impossible for anyone to put this place on paper. No one would be sane enough to map out paths as complex as a spiderweb in a mad neighborhood where a moment’s lapse meant murder.

The buildings were extended sideways and upwards, clumsily connected, and the alleys were packed tight. The paint on the walls had long since peeled away, leaving everything a dull gray. Because of the wooden planks connecting the buildings, sunlight barely reached the ground, making it difficult to even tell where we were. I didn’t know how large this area was, but I doubted I could find my way even if I’d memorized a map.

Even in a place where it seemed impossible for humans to survive, there were people. People sprawled in the alleys with glazed eyes, indistinguishable from corpses, were part of the gray landscape, yet their invisible gazes were sharp. They were sizing us up. Deciding if we were prey or the type of predator they shouldn’t touch.

Tension choked me. Was it really okay to trust Luke and go further in? I didn’t think he’d suddenly turn on me and throw me to the wolves, but I could easily see him abandoning me if we were attacked. As I hung my head and gripped Luke’s clothes, I could feel his body shaking with suppressed laughter.

After surviving several near-misses of face-planting into foul-smelling puddles, we arrived at a building that looked relatively decent for the Nox. The guard, recognizing Luke, opened the door without giving me a second glance.

The first floor was a tavern. The half-drunk patrons were rougher than usual, and in one corner, several people were already tangled in a brawl. No one tried to stop them; this was clearly their daily life.

I knew how ugly humans could become in a place outside the reach of law and morality. There were plenty who filled their self-esteem by asserting power over those younger and weaker. You could see it just by looking at how they turned violence into entertainment in a crowded room. I pulled my hat down and stuck close to Luke to avoid trouble, but a group that had already spotted me began to jeer at him.

“What’s with that brat?”

“Acting all high and mighty… I guess your taste runs toward playing with little boys.”

Laughter erupted at the table at the brown-haired man’s words. Encouraged by the reaction, the level of their insults escalated.

“Bringing in a kid with nothing to touch? Is your prick so small you need to find a tighter hole?”

One man even began to mimic a thrusting motion. “If you’re going to sell yourself cheap, why not go with someone who can satisfy you? I’d be much better than that guy.”

Luke waited for the crude laughter to die down before speaking calmly.

“Mind your own business.”

The emotionless command seemed to provoke them even more. One man threw his glass and stood up. The brown-haired man had looked large while sitting, but standing up, he was much bigger than Luke. His neck and arms were so thick they looked knife-proof, and his fist was the size of a child’s head. He had a prosthetic leg, and the sound it made against the floor was menacing. The shattered glass rolled across the ground and touched my shoe. I realized that hoping to leave quietly was a dream far too large to have.

Calling out to a god I didn’t even believe in, I pressed my back against the wall. The opponent was a grown man, and there was no one else here who looked like they would help.