Nyx lay sprawled on the grass bed, his arms tucked behind his head as he stared up at the wooden ceiling of the stable. The stale scent of straw filled the air, and a beam of dying sunlight slipped through a crack in the planks, cutting across his face. For a long while, he said nothing.
Then, with a sigh, he broke the silence.
"Hey… Love."
[Hmm?]
Her voice was faint, almost like a whisper threading through his thoughts.
He hesitated. "You remember everything, don't you?"
[You know I do.]
A long pause. Then Nyx closed his eyes.
"Tell me if I'm wrong," he began slowly. "I just… want to make sure I have it all straight."
Love didn't respond—only waited.
Nyx exhaled. "So… my father. Nero Alexiue. The Emperor of the Sylvan Harmony Empire."
He laughed bitterly. "What a name. Sounds so noble, doesn't it? Like a man carved out of marble and glory."
[He was powerful. Respected. Even loved at one point.]
"Yeah," Nyx muttered. "Before everything went to shit."
He rolled onto his side, resting his cheek against his arm.
"He started out normal, didn't he? Ruler of a flourishing empire. Strong armies. Prosperous people. He had a wife Bryanne who died giving birth to a daughter—Alice. And everything was fine for a while. Until it wasn't."
[Yes...] Love confirmed quietly.
He paused, eyes open now, staring at the wooden walls.
"And then there was me," he said, voice flat. "Nyx Alexiue. Nero's other child. His son. Born from his own daughter."
He gave a humorless chuckle.
"But I'm not him. I'm not Nyx. I'm just a guy from another world who got shoved into this mess because some divine roulette decided I needed a punishment or a lesson or… I don't know."
[You were given a second chance,]
Love whispered.
"Some chance," he scoffed. "Born from incest. No powers."
Nyx stood, pacing the stable.
"But Alice didn't break. She escaped, didn't she? With the help of that mage. She got out."
"And after she escaped, everything fell apart," Nyx said, almost to himself now. "The other kingdoms found out. The peace shattered. Everyone who once praised Nero turned on him."
He walked to the door, stared out at the fading light.
"But even then, the empire might've survived. If not for the betrayal."
[The commanders switched sides. They joined Alice's uncle.]
"And that mage guided it all," Nyx added. "He pulled every string. Spread the truth. Turned Nero's court against him. In the end… Nero was alone."
[And he died alone.]
A pause.
"Good," Nyx whispered. "He deserved worse."
The wind outside howled through the cracks. Nyx turned back, leaning against the wooden door.
"But there are so many flaws in this story."
[Huh?]
"Let's forget about all that now," Nyx muttered, brushing a hand through his tangled hair as he stretched out on the grass. "And think about something important."
[And what might that be?]
Love asked, her voice dry with suspicion.
Nyx turned his face to the ceiling, grinning slightly. "Nyx Alexiue."
There was a short pause before Love responded with pure disdain:
[This dumb, incest-born, brainless piece of shit is what you call important?]
Nyx chuckled. "No, not Nyx the person. The name—it's the name that's important."
He folded his arms behind his head and smiled to himself. "Nyx Alexiue. Now that's a royal name. Just think about it. 'Hey, I'm Nyx Alexiue.' Doesn't it sound powerful? Like someone with a tragic but noble past. People would be impressed, right?"
Love paused for a beat, as if genuinely thinking it over, before answering in a playful tone:
[Yes, yes… Nyx Alexiue—what a name full of legacy and class. But there's just one small problem with it.]
Nyx's brows furrowed. "What problem?"
[The problem is—no one actually knows Nyx as Nyx.]
"Huh?" He blinked, confused.
[Let me explain this in a way even you can understand.]
She paused, clearing her imaginary throat, then spoke in a mock-formal voice:
['Hey, meet my friend Nyx Alexiue. He's the result of royal incest.']
She let that sentence hang dramatically before continuing.
[Now tell me, does that sound like a name that matches the introduction? No, right? A guy born from incest can't have a cool, regal name like 'Nyx.' That kind of name should belong to a hero or a tragic prince—not a confused fool sleeping on straw.]
Nyx squinted at the air as if he could glare directly at her.
"So what are you saying?"
Love's voice took on a gleeful, teasing edge:
[So, everyone's agreed to give you a new name.]
There was a pause. Nyx narrowed his eyes. "A new name?"
[Yep. Your new name is... Nutty.]
There was silence.
"…What the hell?" Nyx sat up, glaring. "Nutty? Nutty? What kind of name is that?!"
[It is what it is,]
Love replied, barely able to hold back her laughter.
[A child of incest can't walk around with the name 'Nyx.' 'Nutty' fits much better. It's got charm. Humor. Chaos.]
Nyx groaned, slapping a hand over his face. "Ugh… Nutty. What a stupid name."
[But it suits you perfectly!]
She insisted gleefully.
[Say it out loud. 'I am Nutty, son of Nero the Mad.']
He flopped back down onto the grass bed with a theatrical groan. "I'm so done with this nonsense. I'm going to sleep."
As he curled up on the hard ground, he winced. "Ugh, this isn't a royal bed. It's just itchy grass. It hurts."
Just before his thoughts drifted into the haze of sleep, he heard Love's parting words echo in his mind, full of teasing mischief:
[Sleep tight, Nutty.]
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