Nyx got out of the bus and immediately caught sight of the massive mountain standing behind them.
We must've circled that to get here, he thought as he noticed the road that swirled round it. He never really knew why the school went to great extents for such trips.
"Alright, everyone!" The instructor called out. "This is the Wendi camp and it's where we're spending the next two days. As you may have noticed, that mountain is the only way out of here which makes it quite interesting a camp. Plus, the Wendi town is not so far from here, so expect locals." He clapped his hands together. "That said, you can move into your tents right after you say who you'd like to go with, same gender of course."
They all started speaking up and selecting their tent mates. Nyx just stood there and watched Claudius. He wasn't too sure why they'd send someone so...what was the word?
"Nyx," the instructor said. "You're with Orion?"
Nyx looked at the instructor and then at Freida and Orion who were the only people remaining. Apparently his coming to this camp trip, made them an odd number so they couldn't be equally shared in half.
Freida looked at him with pleading eyes. She didn't want to stay on her own because of her selective hearing. She couldn't do it all the time else she'd get herself hurt. She wanted someone she could trust to hear when she couldn't.
If Nyx went with Orion she'd be forced to stay alone, since Claudius and the instructor had tents to themselves.
"Is it okay if I stay with Freida?" Nyx asked. "I know she's a female but her selective hearing condition makes her vulnerable if she's not with someone."
The instructor looked skeptically at them.
"I can stay alone," Orion added.
The instructor sighed. "Fine, but there's a condition. You must always leave your tent slightly open and you get to use the one closest to mine, understood?"
"Fair," Nyx nodded.
Close to the instructor also meant close to Claudius. That didn't really sound like a good thing but he felt the need to protect Freida. An odd feeling at that.
"Thank you so much, Nyx!" Freida tried to hug him but he pushed her off. She still smiled gleefully as they went to their tent. "Why didn't you just let Orion do it though?"
"Orion doesn't want to be anywhere close to Claudius," Nyx answered.
"Why?"
"Who does?"
"Kerith?"
"I'd bet he's scared of Claudius."
She placed her bag down. "Are you scared of him?"
"No," he immediately answered without hesitation. "He's just unsettling."
Freida skipped to the middle of the tent and smiled happily. Nyx wasn't sure what was making her so happy but he didn't care much to begin with.
"I've always wanted to go to this very place," Freida said. "It's like a dream."
"What's so goddamn special about it?" Nyx sighed.
Frieda frowned a bit. "It's nothing really. My mother used to be a Legionnaire. This was one of the places she visited last before she died."
"What killed her?"
"A disease."
Nyx stared at Freida with a bit more pity. He could relate to her. A bit, but in his case, he never even knew his father.
"Your mother..." Nyx stood up, "...she's of what rank?"
"Oh, she was just CR I think," she walked over to her bag and opened it. Nyx watched her unpack her things. She stopped and said without looking at him:
"You're going to talk to Petal sooner or later, right?"
"Why are you hellbent on that?" Nyx said, a little annoyed.
"I can hear her right now," she smiled a little.
"Huh?"
"Selective hearing, remember?"
Nyx bit his lip trying to hold back his curiosity. "What's she saying?" He gave in.
"I'm not going to say, but she really wants to talk to you."
Nyx exhaled and walked out of the tent. He could feel Freida looking at him, probably smirking. But he wasn't going where she thought. He had to do something first.
***
Nyx walked along the flowing stream with his hands in his pockets. He hoped he would see him here.
His eyes narrowed as he saw the black hair-like strands on the floor. He followed them and it led him there. He looked up at him on the edge of the stream peering into the water.
"Did you get lost kid?" He asked.
"No," Nyx replied.
"So why are you here, 'Fate Bender'?"
"I have a question to ask you, Claudius. Actually, two questions."
Claudius stood up and turned to him. He waited patiently in silence for him to ask.
"First, is there any Nexus you know without powers?"
Claudius chuckled. "No, kid. You're the first. As a matter of fact, if not for your appearance I'd think you're a human."
Nyx was shocked that he didn't reply with animosity like he did on the bus. It made him wonder if Claudius was really what it seemed.
"How can I get powers? Why aren't they coming?"
"You're frustrated, aren't you?" Nyx remained quiet. "There are a few ways you can force out your Nexus abilities..."
"What ways?"
"But two of them require another Nexus—"
"In what way?" Nyx was impatient and a bit anxious. He always wanted his abilities. He didn't show it, but it got to him whenever he remembered that he couldn't do the same thing other Nexuses could.
"Allow me finish. One requires a Nexus to give you their core."
"Core?"
"We Nexuses have cores that allow our powers bloom, allow us to manipulate them, evolve them, make them stronger. But if a Nexus does give you their core, they have a low chance of survival."
"You're saying it's possible I was born without a core?"
"That'll be impossible. But then...it may seem that way for now."
"What's the second way that requires a Nexus?"
"Finding a Nexus that has the ability to draw out other people's abilities."
"That's impossible!"
"Exactly. That's why you're going to remain powerless. College is your best option kid." Claudius glanced at the water and looked back at him. "What're you going to do with those powers anyway?"
Nyx paused. He never actually thought about that.
"You're uncertain about a lot of things, Nyx," Claudius began walking away.
"What's the last way?!" Nyx asked.
"Kid, you aren't going to need the last way."
He watched as Claudius walked back to the camp. Nyx realised that there was a chance that he could never actually get any abilities. He also realised that he had no idea what to do with them if he had them.
He sat down on the ground feeling unsettled. It took more time for him to realise the person standing behind him.
"You okay?"
He sprung up from the ground and rubbed his head nervously. Turning around, his eyes met hers. It was Petal. He didn't say anything back to her.
She walked over and sat down on the grass next to the stream. He looked at her and contemplated just walking back to the camp. His ego held him back from talking to her. Though Freida tried persuading him, it seemed like her attempts were halfed in effect.
Nah, he thought.
Petal's face went gloomy as she heard the leaves and grass rustle behind her. The sound became more and more distant.
He had walked away from her.
She looked up and sighed.
He just walked away. It's been two solid years since we talked properly, and he just walked away.
She swallowed in pain as tears welled up in her eyes. She'd never thought he'd just walk away from her. She felt guilt more than ever before.
He knew it was her fault and he wanted her to know that too.
***
Orion walked into the big tent that Claudius stayed. He met Claudius sitting at the edge of his bed. Orion didn't want to stand too close to him. It was how much he didn't like him.
However, the main reason why he didn't like him was because of the way he spoke to Nyx. It made him mad.
"What're you here for, kid?" Claudius sighed without looking at him.
Orion remained silent. He was most likely trying to reduce his anger to be able to speak.
"Oh, you're the last kid to break out, aren't you? You're here for your secret?" Claudius stood up. "You're late though, the others already came. But because you're the one to ask first I'd still tell you—"
"You didn't have to do that," Orion cut in.
Claudius paused. His eyes narrowed a bit at Orion. "Excuse me?"
"Nyx. What you said to him. You didn't have to do that."
"It's the truth." Claudius exhaled. He was a bit surprised at the fact that he came into his tent just to say that. He didn't even ask for his secret. "Why does it bother you so much?"
Orion's face was now visibly portraying anger. "All his life, Nyx has been talked down, bullied, beaten. You're a Legionnaire, yet you spoke no different from the rest!"
"What was I to tell him? That he could become one without powers? Whether you like it or not, that's the truth. He could never become one."
"That's not my point. My point is you're a jerk. And that's exactly what I came here to say. You disgrace your title. To think that I wanted to become one of you...."
Claudius closed the gap between them faster than Orion could blink. Orion was shocked at his speed but he didn't flinch.
"What is it you understand about Legionnaires? What have you been fed all these years, kid?" He came up to Orion's face. "Legionnaires aren't fucking heroes."
Orion looked away from him. A sinking feeling agreed with Claudius.
"Regardless..." He looked back into Claudius' eyes, "...just because you simply protect something from danger doesn't mean you can harm it yourself."
"He'd have to prove that to me himself. He'd have to 'bend that fate' he keeps talking about."
Orion stormed out of the tent after those words.
Claudius however wasn't angry, but disappointed. He was not the kind of person to go easy on anyone—even inexperienced teenagers. It was either you had it or you didn't to him.
He hated the word 'fate'. He saw it as excuse for the weak. He hated the weak and for obvious reasons, Nyx reminded him so much of that. Discouraging Nyx was saving him to Claudius.
He knew that if Nyx ever decide to become a Legionnaire, he'd die. The fact that Orion was quick to defend him irritated Claudius.
Wasted generation, he thought.