The remnants of battle still lingered in the air. The warehouse lay in ruins as captured White Fang members were being restrained by Atlastian Knights and Vale Huntsmen. Meanwhile, amethyst-eyed Grimm desummoned, and the tension among the victors remained high.
Onyx stood apart from the group, arms crossed, deep in thought. Cinder escaped. That fact alone irritated him. He knew she wouldn't stay hidden for long, but it still felt like an opportunity slipping through his fingers.
Before he could dwell on it further—
"Onyx."
The voice came from Ren. He and Nora stood together, staring at him, but their eyes weren't filled with their usual determination or humor. Instead, there was something… uneasy.
Onyx arched a brow. "What's up?"
Nora took a step forward. "That Grimm… The Nuckelavee." Her voice wasn't its usual energetic self. It was quieter, more serious. "Can you… summon it again?"
Onyx tilted his head, confused. "Why?"
"Please."
There was something about the way she said it that made Onyx pause. He wasn't sure why they were so fixated on it, but he complied. Raising his hand, his Amethyst Eyes flickered as shadow erupted from the ground.
Slowly, the Nuckelavee materialized once more.
The Grimm's skeletal equine body emerged from the darkness, its skinless, humanoid rider fused to its back.
Nora and Ren froze.
For a brief moment, their bodies were tense—as if preparing for a nightmare to come alive again.
But then… they saw it.
This wasn't the same Nuckelavee they remembered.
The horns on the humanoid rider's head were different.
Its bone armor plating was thicker, more pronounced.
It was still terrifying… but it wasn't their monster.
Ren finally spoke, his voice almost cautious. "Where… where did you acquire this Grimm?"
Onyx frowned slightly. "It was years ago. When I was nine, I was training with Qrow when we got ambushed by a Nuckelavee. It nearly killed us, but I managed to destroy it."
He folded his arms, confused by their reactions. "Why? What's this about?"
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Then, Nora took a deep breath.
"Because… a Nuckelavee destroyed our home."
The words hit like a thunderclap.
Onyx's eyes widened. "What?"
Ren's voice was controlled, but there was an undeniable pain in it. "Our village, Kuroyuri… It was wiped out by a Nuckelavee. Nora and I were the only survivors."
Onyx felt a cold weight settle in his chest. He never knew.
When he had fought the Nuckelavee with Qrow, he thought it was just another powerful Grimm—an anomaly.
But now…
It was something more.
Behind them, the rest of the group had fallen silent.
Ruby, Weiss, Yang, and Blake looked heartbroken.
Jaune and Pyrrha lowered their heads, fists clenched.
Winter and Ironwood, normally composed, seemed visibly troubled.
And Qrow… Qrow exhaled deeply, rubbing a hand down his face.
"Damn…" he muttered, his voice unusually heavy.
Onyx turned back to Ren and Nora, his expression unreadable.
"I had no idea…" His voice was quiet, but sincere.
Nora forced a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Well… now you do."
The warehouse was eerily quiet now. The battle had been won, but the weight of the past hung heavy in the air.
Ren and Nora stood in the center, stunned, vulnerable, as the truth of their village's destruction was laid bare. Their friends had never seen them like this before.
Then, Onyx broke the silence.
"Well…" He exhaled, rolling his shoulders before casually placing his hands in his pockets. "After we clean this place up and wrap up the tournament, I guess I'll help you take back your home."
Silence.
Absolute, stunned silence.
Everyone stared at him.
Ruby's jaw nearly dropped.
Weiss blinked, processing his words.
Yang looked at him like he'd grown a second head.
Blake's ears twitched in disbelief.
Jaune, Pyrrha, Winter, Ironwood, and even Qrow—all caught off guard.
But the most shocked of all?
Ren and Nora.
"W-What?" Nora finally sputtered.
Onyx met her gaze, his expression unwavering. "You want it back, don't you?"
Ren, still trying to process, slowly nodded. "Of course, but… Kuroyuri has been abandoned for years. Grimm still roams there."
"Exactly," Onyx said simply. "And that's why we'll clear them out."
Nora took a step forward, eyes wide. "Onyx… are you serious?"
Onyx gave her a small smirk. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
She opened her mouth to respond—but stopped. No, he didn't look like he was joking.
He was completely serious.
Ruby was the first to break out of her shock, her silver eyes shining with determination. "Then count me in."
That seemed to break the spell.
Yang grinned. "You're not doing this without me."
Weiss sighed, shaking her head, but there was a spark of admiration in her eyes. "Unbelievable… but fine. If you insist."
Blake crossed her arms, smiling softly. "I'll help too."
Jaune stepped forward. "Same here. If we can rebuild Kuroyuri, then we should."
Pyrrha nodded in agreement, her voice steady. "No one should lose their home forever."
Winter observed quietly, before giving a firm nod. "This isn't an official military operation… but I respect your conviction."
Ironwood sighed, rubbing his temple. "You kids are impossible." But there was no true frustration in his voice—just acknowledgment.
Qrow took a swig from his flask, exhaling. "Guess I should've expected this from you." His lips quirked into a smirk. "You always did have a habit of taking on the impossible."
Ren and Nora, still shocked, looked at each other.
And for the first time in a long time…
Hope flickered in their eyes.
Nora's lips trembled before she let out a watery laugh. "You're really something, Onyx."
Ren smiled—a real, genuine smile. "Thank you."
Onyx simply gave them a nod. "We'll make sure your home isn't just a memory anymore."
And in that moment, something changed.
This wasn't just about fighting battles anymore.
This was about reclaiming something lost.
Land of Darkness, Evernight Castle – 2 Days later
The air within Evernight Castle was thick with cold, oppressive silence. Shadows twisted unnaturally along the darkened walls, writhing as if alive, mirroring the malice in the room.
At the center of the throne chamber stood Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury, their heads bowed in the presence of Salem.
Perched upon her throne of ebony stone, Salem's crimson gaze bore into them with quiet, simmering displeasure.
"You have failed me."
The words were spoken with no rage—only certainty.
Cinder clenched her fists. Emerald and Mercury shifted uncomfortably.
"I should not be surprised." Salem's voice remained cool, almost conversational. "After all… you were discovered by Onyx Thorn."
Cinder's body tensed. She knew Salem was aware of him.
But hearing his name from her lips sent a chill down her spine.
Emerald blinked in confusion. "You… know about him?"
Salem's lips curved into something between a smirk and a sneer. "Of course. I was informed of him by Watts… though I did not have a name at the time."
Dr. Watts, standing off to the side, adjusted his mustache with an annoyed huff. "Back then, he was nothing more than a ghost disrupting White Fang operations. No name, no identity—just an enigma."
Hazel grunted. "Now he's more than just an enigma."
Tyrian, crouched nearby, let out a twisted giggle, his golden eyes gleaming with madness. "Ohhh, but what fun! A boy who dances in the dark! Tell me, Mistress, shall I bring you his head~?"
Salem raised a hand, and Tyrian fell silent immediately.
Her gaze returned to Cinder.
"Tell me, Cinder… what was he like?"
Cinder hesitated, her fingers twitching slightly. How was she supposed to describe him?
He was young, far too young to be such a powerful opponent. He was cold, calculating—dangerous. A predator among prey.
But there was one thing that truly stood out.
"…His eyes."
Salem arched a brow. "His eyes?"
Cinder exhaled. "During our fight, they changed."
Salem's gaze sharpened.
"Changed?"
Cinder nodded. "His sclera turned black. His pupils became slitted. And his irises… glowed amethyst."
Salem's expression did not change, but the air around them shifted.
A stillness fell over the room. An eerie silence.
For the first time in centuries…
Salem was intrigued.
Her fingers tapped lightly against the armrest of her throne.
"Amethyst." She murmured, almost to herself.
Her own glowing red eyes stared ahead, unreadable.
Mercury, still recovering from his injuries, glanced between them. "Uh… that's important, right?"
Watts frowned. "It's peculiar. His Semblance already defies convention, but this?" He folded his arms. "Eyes that shift like that… It reminds me of—"
"Me." Salem finished.
Cinder's breath caught in her throat.
That was exactly what it reminded her of.
Salem's eyes—black sclera, red irises, inhuman and unrelenting.
But Onyx's were different.
Not red. Amethyst.
Tyrian let out a delighted shiver. "Ooooh, how delightful! A little shadow in the night! Mistress, what shall we do with this Onyx Thorn?"
Salem leaned back in her throne, deep in thought.
Then, she smiled.
A slow, knowing smile.
"We shall watch."
Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury stiffened.
Watts frowned. "Watch? Not kill?"
"No." Salem's voice was almost amused. "Not yet."
She turned her gaze toward the distant horizon beyond the castle's windows.
"Onyx Thorn… You may be more than a simple thorn in my side."
Her smile widened.
"You may be something much… much greater."