Evolto City: The Nexus of Eternity

Morning — Nyxia's Home

The morning sun filtered through the obsidian-tinted windows of Nyxia's house, casting soft golden rays on the walls.

Nyxia stirred faintly beneath his covers… until a pair of small hands started poking at his face.

"Nyyyxiaaa… get uuuuup," Eri whispered insistently, her pajama sleeves half-rolled and hair a puffy mess of sleep.

One eye cracked open. Then, with a resigned sigh, he sat up.

He stood slowly, stretched once, and padded downstairs his bare feet silent on the polished steps.

Once in the kitchen, he reached for the pan and started prepping breakfast with silent, smooth efficiency. Eggs cracked. Batter mixed. Sliced fruits floated briefly midair before landing perfectly in bowls. A familiar soft hum filled the air.

Then

Knock Knock.

The door shook slightly under the weight of it. Nyxia opened it without hesitation.

Standing there was Vidarath, grinning like a man who'd already started trouble… and Dr. Wagner, arms folded, his brow already furrowed.

"Heya buddy!" Vidarath beamed. "We're checkin' up on ya. Plus, Dr. Wagner needed an excuse to visit his girlfriend."

"Ich bin hier nicht wegen einer Frau, du greller Störenfried!" Wagner snapped, his cheeks red as lava under his pale skin.

Nyxia said nothing he just stepped aside to let them in.

Just as they entered, Eri came skipping down the stairs.

Gone were her pajamas she now wore a cute outfit Nyxia was absolutely sure hadn't been in the house last night: soft purple overalls with star patterns and a matching hoodie.

He blinked once.

"Where did she even find those?"

He decided not to ask.

Eri paused at the sight of the guests.

"Dr. Wagner! Vidarath!"

She waved enthusiastically and ran over to give them both a hug Vidarath returned it with a full spin, lifting her up, while Wagner gently patted her head with a soft, rare smile.

Nyxia went back to the kitchen, flipping pancakes like a seasoned pro.

"You're cooking for us?" Vidarath sniffed the air. "Bless the void, I knew waking up early was worth it!"

They all sat around the table as breakfast was served stacks of fruit pancakes, void-butter toast, coffee brewed from a gravity-bending bean that floated in the cup, and Eri's favorite: glowing star-shaped syrup candies.

Wagner took a sip of his coffee and sighed.

"Mmm… you do have taste, monster boy."

Vidarath leaned back in his chair.

"So. You still heading to Cavian's daycare today?"

Nyxia nodded.

"She's expecting us."

Eri clapped her hands with a grin. "I can't wait!".

The sun was rising higher now, Evolto City casting shimmering rays through floating walkways and hovering trees.

Nyxia, Eri, Vidarath, and Dr. Wagner walked down a gently winding path. The scent of strange flowers and humming crystals followed them, as Eri occasionally skipped forward and back, holding Nyxia's hand.

Soon, they reached a large, radiant structure nestled beneath a dome of skyglass and thornwood trees.

The building looked like a blend of a castle, a greenhouse, and a child's drawing come to life color-shifting walls, cozy windows, floating playrooms, and patches of dreamlike gardens that seemed to move when no one was looking.

Standing at the front gate, arms folded with a patient smile, was Cavian.

Her eyes sparkled the moment she spotted them, especially when they landed on Nyxia and Eri.

"There you are," she said warmly. "I was starting to think you'd float in fashionably late."

Before anyone could respond Vidarath leaned close to Dr. Wagner, nudging him with a wide, taunting grin.

"Look, Wagner. Your girlfriend's waiting for you."

Dr. Wagner didn't miss a beat. He shot Vidarath a piercing glare, the kind that could curdle milk or shut down a warframe.

"Wenn du noch einmal davon sprichst, begrabe ich dich unter einem Berg von OP-Berichten."

(If you bring that up again, I'll bury you under a mountain of surgical reports.)

Cavian raised a brow with a smirk, clearly hearing them but choosing diplomacy over chaos.

"Boys. Please. Inside voices and less testosterone."

Inside Cavian's Daycare

As the doors opened, a soft chime rang, and the scent of warm bread, flowers, and crayons wafted out.

The moment they stepped in, Eri's eyes widened.

There were creatures of every kind a floating cloud-child with blinking eyes, a tree-sapling boy running with a lion cub, toddlers with tiny wings doing loop-de-loops, and a group of orphans sitting on cushions listening to an Orowyrm telling riddles.

The walls were lined with paintings that moved. Laughter echoed gently from every corner, without ever becoming overwhelming.

Cavian led Nyxia through the halls, pointing things out.

"This is the music room it can adapt to any species' sound frequency. That's the gravity nursery, and over there's the quiet room… some of our multiversal kids are photosensitive."

Nyxia listened quietly, taking it all in with the same precision he gave to battlefield terrain.

"We also offer emotional therapy via plush-beasts," Cavian added.

"And time-dilated nap pods. You'd be surprised how many kids need a five-hour nap in two seconds."

Meanwhile, Vidarath and Wagner waited near the main playroom, where Eri was already being swarmed by curious, playful children including a miniature stone golem, a two-tailed fox, and a toddler with stars for pupils.

One girl shyly approached her and asked, "Wanna play traveler and dragon?"

Eri nodded, grinning. "Can I be the dragon?"

Laughter exploded.

As the tour came to a close, Cavian looked at Nyxia and spoke gently:

"She's safe here, Nyxia. We take it seriously."

Nyxia, watching Eri begin to laugh truly laugh for the first time since he'd met her… nodded.

"I know."

The Parent Waiting Lounge – Cavian's Daycare

It was a strangely serene room softly lit, with plush seats that adjusted to your spine, trays of floating snacks, and a gentle chime every few minutes that soothed the nerves of even the most battle-hardened parent.

Nyxia, Vidarath, and Dr. Wagner sat in a circular booth made of woven void-silk. Through the large glass window to their right, they could see Eri laughing in a group of kids reenacting a wild multiversal game of tag one involving portals, bubbles, and a talking plush minotaur.

Nyxia, arms crossed and expression unreadable, watched calmly.

Vidarath was half-lounging, one leg over the armrest.

Dr. Wagner was seated with perfect posture, sipping a gravity-anchored espresso that refused to spill, no matter how hard Vidarath tried to bump the table with his foot.

"So," Vidarath began with a smirk, "care to explain how you vaporized All For One's soul like a midnight snack, then passed out for four days?"

Nyxia didn't look away from the window.

"I was tired."

Vidarath cackled.

"Tired? Man, you turned into a living multiversal delete key!"

Dr. Wagner gave a slow nod.

"Your cells were metabolizing void residue and primal memory fragments. Fascinating. Dangerous. But fascinating."

Nyxia blinked. "Explains the headaches."

As they talked, the door to the lounge opened and in walked Cavian.

Not the warm, cookie-baking Cavian from five minutes ago.

This Cavian glowed.

She carried herself with the ethereal grace of a celestial being her presence commanding, her aura radiant and undeniable, like a queen who wore motherhood as armor and allure as a secondary weapon.

She approached the table slowly, her every step measured.

Then, she stopped behind Dr. Wagner, gently placing her hand on his shoulder the touch like a soft pulse of power through his lab coat.

Leaning slightly, she whispered with that perfect balance of authority and teasing seduction: "When you're done chatting with your friends… come see me in my office."

She gave him a slow, deliberate wink one that would've brought gods to their knees then walked off down the hallway, her flowing robes trailing behind her like stardust.

For a moment… silence.

Dr. Wagner stared straight ahead.

Expression blank. Coffee cup hovering near his lips, unmoving.

Nyxia didn't react at first… but his eye twitched.

Vidarath, of course, could not let this go.

He leaned in with a grin so smug it could power a small star.

"Not your girlfriend, huh?"

He wiggled his eyebrows up and down like a demon on vacation.

Dr. Wagner snapped back to reality, his face slowly turning red like molten steel.

"Ich schwöre, Vidarath, wenn du das noch einmal sagst, werde ich dich in einen Wartungsroboter mit Liebesproblemen verwandeln!"

("I swear, Vidarath, if you say that again, I will turn you into a maintenance robot with romantic issues!")

Nyxia finally let out the faintest chuckle. His version of a cackle.

"Confirmed," he said.

Vidarath gave him a triumphant finger-point.

"See?! Even shadow boy agrees!"

Dr. Wagner rubbed his temples with a long sigh.

"I fought through six burning realities to become a doctor… not to be teased in a daycare."

Vidarath finally began to settle down, brushing tears of laughter from his eyes. But the grin stayed.

"Okay, okay, but seriously…" he leaned forward, elbows on the void-silk table, eyes gleaming with theatrical suspicion.

"Don't you ever question the ethics of having a 'talk' in her office?"

He threw exaggerated air quotes around the word, grinning like a devil child. "I mean, what if a kid stumbles in there mid-talk? The trauma alone would spawn a new subclass of therapist."

Dr. Wagner didn't answer. He just sipped his espresso a little too deliberately.

Nyxia, meanwhile, remained quiet, watching Eri now floating in a slow-motion gravity bubble, squealing with joy as another child phased through the wall to tag her.

Just then, the door to the lounge hissed open.

A woman strolled by casually, cradling a cooing baby wrapped in a plush blanket stitched with what looked like lullaby runes. The baby was babbling nonsense soft syllables of joy that danced in the air like song fragments. The woman smiled at the group warmly.

"Hi, Wagner. Good to see you here."

Vidarath glanced up and froze.

It was Cavian.

Only Cavian was supposed to be in her office. Preparing for the "talk."

Before anyone could respond, she scrunched her nose playfully, leaned closer to Wagner, and added:

"By the way, you smell like motor oil."

Then she walked off, humming softly to the baby, disappearing around the corner with the ease of a woman who had the universe and its toddlers on a perfect nap schedule.

Vidarath blinked slowly.

"Was that...?"

Nyxia spoke without looking away from the window.

"Yes."

Vidarath squinted, still processing, then turned to Dr. Wagner.

"You didn't even flinch. You're not surprised?"

Dr. Wagner adjusted his glasses, then lifted his espresso cup again.

"There are things," he said carefully, "best left unremarked upon."

Vidarath leaned back, arms crossed, eyes narrowed with mock suspicion.

"You're way too calm. You're either in love, or you've accepted your fate."

Nyxia, in his usual low monotone, added:

"Both."

Dr. Wagner set down his cup with a soft clink and exhaled through his nose.

"I used to study the behavior of collapsing stars. They scream less."

Vidarath chuckled again, but softer this time.

The silence returned not uncomfortable, but reflective.

Beyond the glass, the multiversal game of tag had escalated. One of the plush minotaurs had summoned a labyrinth made of cotton candy. Eri was now leading the charge through it with a team of bubble-slingers.

Nyxia stared for a long moment before speaking.

"...I want a plush minotaur."

Dr. Wagner nodded, as if this was the most logical sentence he'd heard all day.

Vidarath laughed under his breath, rubbing his jaw.

Outside Cavian's Daycare – Midday

The warm breeze of Evolto City swept through the cobbled street just outside the daycare, carrying with it the scent of crystallized pollen and distant music from a floating vendor ship.

Nyxia and Vidarath stood at the gate, now closed behind them. The sounds of children laughing, bubble-beasts bouncing, and miniature thunderclouds giggling echoed faintly inside.

Nyxia glanced back through the shimmering fence.

Through a small window, he could see Eri, sitting cross-legged with a group of other kids, showing off her Nyxia-plush. One of them appeared to be a lizard in a hoodie. Another, a glowing orb with rabbit ears.

"She looks… happy," Nyxia said quietly, his tone as even as ever, but his eyes softened.

Vidarath, standing beside him with arms folded behind his head, smirked.

"Of course she is. It's Cavian's place. Nothing bad ever gets past that lady. You know those Sector-class barriers Zalthorion uses for vaults? She has three around the nap room."

Nyxia nodded slightly. He still looked back one more time.

"She'll be safe?"

Vidarath gave a rare, genuine smile.

"As safe as she'd be inside Zalthorion's own coat pocket, buddy. Cavian's got this."

There was a pause.

"Besides," Vidarath added, glancing up at the sky, "if anything does try something… well, let's just say the last guy who tried to mess with Cavian's kids became fertilizer for the Dendrites."

Nyxia finally turned away.

Reassured.

Meanwhile… Back Inside the Daycare

Dr. Wagner stood outside Cavian's office door.

He adjusted his coat. Cleared his throat. Adjusted it again.

Took a deep breath. Paused. Considered turning around.

Too late.

Click.

The door opened before he could knock.

Cavian stood in the doorway. Her lab coat was gone, replaced with a soft golden robe, glowing slightly at the edges, and her hair was done in a way that was definitely not standard for daycare admin work.

She leaned on the doorway, one eyebrow arched.

"I was starting to think you got cold feet, Doctor."

Dr. Wagner stood there frozen for a second like a glitching mech.

"I was… mentally preparing… for our discussion."

Cavian smiled, slow and knowing.

"Mhm. Come in. Let's 'discuss'… everything."

She reached forward, grabbed his tie, and gently pulled him into the room.

The door slid shut behind them with a very final click

Back on the Street

Vidarath suddenly turned his head slightly, one eye glowing with comic mischief.

"...He's not coming out for hours."

Nyxia raised an eyebrow.

Vidarath just started laughing.

"Cavian's version of a talk usually ends with someone rethinking their life choices. Or being unable to walk straight for the day.

Nyxia didn't respond, but a faint twitch of a smile threatened the corner of his lips.

"Come on," Vidarath said, starting to walk away. "We've got time to kill. Let's grab lunch before the next world-ending emergency shows up."

ABYSS EMPORIUM – SHOWROOM FLOOR

The camera flickers on again. More static. A handwritten sign is duct-taped to the wall behind her: ❝ Today's Specials: Stuff That Could End You. No Refunds. ❞

NECROID GIRL (stretching, cracking her knuckles):"Alright you deranged gremlins and morally flexible collectors back by unpopular demand: the next wave of multiversal mistake-makers!"

She slams a dusty crate open with her foot. Smoke billows out. A spider with three eyes skitters away wearing a tiny hat.

"Infinity Gauntlet-Like Object"

She holds up a glimmering glove radiating cosmic energy.

NECROID GIRL: "Snap responsibly. May or may not delete your cousin. Comes with adjustable finger tension for when you really want to smite with comfort."

"Necrosword Shard – Pre-Owned"

She waves a jagged piece of blackened metal. The shadows behind her recoil.

NECROID GIRL: "Cuts through gods, timelines, and annoying exes. Caution: may whisper eldritch threats at 3AM. Or compliments. It's moody."

"Beyonder Fragment (Mildly Screaming)"

She flips open a containment orb. Inside, a translucent crystal writhes in non-Euclidean patterns.

NECROID GIRL: "Reality-bender. Gave it to a raccoon once. He's king of seven dimensions now. Good for parties."

"Schrödinger's Soul Dice"

She rattles two glowing dice in her hand.

NECROID GIRL: "Roll for emotional damage. I've seen someone roll a 7 and disappear in reverse."

She smirks, tosses the dice behind her (a yelp is heard offscreen), then dusts off her hands.

NECROID GIRL: "And now, a dive into the big chest o' forbidden regrets guaranteed to contain at least one war crime!"

She opens the huge, ancient trunk again. Smoke and soft chanting pour out.

She digs through it, muttering: "Too cursed… too slimy… too 'legally classified'… is this still bleeding?"

She pauses.

Her hand closes around something small, metallic.

She pulls out a slightly dented, star-shaped rattle. Glowing faintly. It jingles softly in a way that tugs at something dangerously close to nostalgia.

She freezes.

Her cocky expression falters.

NECROID GIRL(stammering, ears twitching slightly): "Wh—what the hell is this doing in here? Who even—?"

BOB (behind camera, soft, nostalgic beep-boop) [Subtitles]: "That's the rattle I gave you on your first birthday… Aww. You kept it."

NECROID GIRL (turning bright red, quickly tucking it behind her back): "N-no I didn't! I mean—I—I don't even like the dumb thing, okay?! It's just… I didn't throw it out because, uh… scrap value! Yeah! Just forgot about it! Who even remembers birthdays?! Not me!"

BOB [Subtitles]: "You used to sleep with it. Wouldn't recharge without it next to you."

NECROID GIRL (half-choking): "BOB. SHUT. UP."

She gently brushes dust off the rattle, gaze soft for a flicker of a second… then quickly stuffs it into her inner coat pocket like it never happened.

NECROID GIRL (snapping back into sarcasm): "ANYWAY moving on! No one saw that. That segment doesn't exist. Roll the next cursed death item!"

BOB: [Subtitles]: "Backing up footage to secure cloud. Labeling as: 'Sentimental Meltdown #003.'"

NECROID GIRL: "BOB I SWEAR I WILL SELL YOUR MEMORY DRIVES TO A SENTIENT TANK."

CUT TO STATIC.

FINAL FRAME:

A photo flashes briefly baby Necroid Girl gripping the star-shaped rattle, asleep in Bob's arms.

Caption: "Prototype Comfort Unit: Mission Accomplished."