Chapter 2

Nyx

Chapter 2

            Nyx faded through the crowded hallway like a ghost, weaving through the foot traffic as if it was nothing but smoke. She could hear the voices of her team calling out to her, but the only thought on her mind was to get away. The bell to the next class rung and the crowd began to disperse. Once the last person disappeared from sight, Nyx broke into a run. In her mind, the scene with Thrash replayed over and over again, refusing to give her any reprieve. She didn’t know how far she ran, but eventually stopped, gasping for breath. The Faunus looked around, trying to get her bearings, but totally lost in an unknown part of the school. Her wings twitched under her bulky sweater, begging for release, and her eyes were drawn to the large windows right next to her.

            No… no this was a bad idea. She had very nearly exposed her secret not once but twice today and it wasn’t even lunch yet! Her wings twitched some more, and she thought about the peace of simply escaping into the sky. It had been over a month since the last time she had flown, and in the previous days, she had already begun to go stir crazy from being grounded for so long.

            Nyx sighed in defeat and walked forward, pushing the window open and looking down at the 30 story drop below her. She took a deep breath and simply leaned forward, letting gravity do the rest. She hadn’t realized she had closed her eyes, snapping them open at the same times she pulled the sweater over her head.

            The wind rushed past her, trying to catch her still closed wings, and the ground swam up at a dizzying speed. A small smile graced her lips and for the first time in a month, she was truly happy.

            Nyx snapped her bright wings open and was caught in the air current’s loving embrace, throwing her downward momentum into forward thrust. She streaked through the air, her feet brushing the leaves of the trees below her, as she zoomed further and further into the forest surrounding the school.

            She could hear the growling of the monsters inhabiting the forest below her. They could sense, smell, and see her as she flew over their territory, but she paid them no mind. The creatures of the forest were mostly ground ridden, and the ones who could take to the skies were few and far between.

            The miles disappeared under the power of her wings, the air currents doing nothing to hinder of escape from everything that she knew, and just to get lost into the sky. She could see the mountains in the distance, looming giants towering over the forest, beckoning her onward and promising solace and freedom. All thoughts had left her mind, just responding to her instincts, dancing from one air current to the next. No longer did she have to worry about keeping her identity a secret. Gone were all fears of being discovered and for the first time in a long time, Nyx could finally be what she was born to be.

            Nothing was stopping her, freedom was in her grasp. She could just keep flying, and put this foolish dream of living in civilization to rest. She could just keep flying and be able to fly every day, never having to hide who she was. She could be herself and have to answer to no one… because no one would be there. Suddenly there was something holding her back from flying any further. Where was she flying? What would be waiting there for her? No one. Nyx didn’t have any family to fly home to; all she had was her solitude. That was her primary reason for applying at the school.

She had no formal teaching in the sciences or arts, but fighting, that was something she could do. Years of living on one’s own gave skills in survival that would make her an ideal student into the Guardian Institute. She had arrived, craving friends, family, anything to strive off the deep sense of loneliness that had set into her heart, and she had found a family or sorts in this team that she had been assigned.

The wind had changed directions, as if trying to tell her to go back. Nyx had fought hard to get this family, and she wasn’t going to let one stupid mistake ruin all that hard work. She soared in a wide relaxed half circle, facing the way she had come from, and once again laid on the speed. Leagues passed under her even faster this time, and it was almost no effort at all, using her wings like a sail and letting the wind do most of the work.

The castle came swimming into view, growing larger with each passing second. Night had fallen long ago, and it was just minutes from sunrise. Nyx streaked right through the tall towers of the castle, and circled around the backside. She landed quietly right outside of their window and quickly pulled the bulky sweater back on, once more hiding her wings from prying eyes.

Nyx peered into the room as she slowly opened the window. She could make out the distinct form of her roommates sleeping in their beds. She tiptoed through the near pitch black room to her bed. Hopefully her roommates would sleep in and allow her a few precious hours of sleep, because at the moment she was about to pass out from exhaustion.

The lights snapped on, and light bombarded Nyx’s sensitive Faunus eyes. She cringed, blinded and was tackled to the floor from three different sides.

“I got her legs!”

“Who has the rope?”

“I have it, drag that chair over here.”

Nyx felt as if she was being pulled in all directions, but she was too exhausted to fight. Her wings ached; she hadn’t eaten all day, and had been running on empty for several hours. She whimpered, just wanting to go to sleep. As her roommates began to tie her hands and legs together, she passed out from exhaustion.