#nykra

A kingdom of flesh and fire:

Me:

NYKRA is a beautiful and mysterious, puzzle action platforming adventure with metroidvania elements that sees you exploring a mysterious land and attempting to stop the strange darkness that’s infecting it.

Sera goes to her chambers, feeling all kinds of things. She lies in her bed without removing her bloody clothes. She can't sleep despite being bone-tired. She can't think either. What would she even think about? The fact that she is Sotoria reborn? That she is going to die in less than a year? That she is the primal of Life? That, after her death all life will slowly cease to exist? She feels like her brain is going to explode.

She hears the door opening. After a heartbeat she feels movement behind her in the bed. She doesn't need to turn around to know who it is. The smell of citrus is enough.

Nyktos wraps his arms around her and buries his face in her hair. He whispers, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Her voice comes out as hollow as she feels.

"For everything." A bit later, "I'm not going to let you die." he says hoarsely.

"I'm starting to think death may not be that bad. I have no one who would miss me if I died. I have no purpose anymore either, now that I know I can't save my people. For a while I thought I had...you," her voice breaks, "but now you hate me too, don't you? I don't see how death could be worse than my life." A tear rolls down her cheek. "What can you do anyway? It's not like you can love me."

His arms tighten around her, "What if I already do?"

She stiffens.

"You have someone who would miss you terribly if something happened to you. I'm sorry for everything I said and did these past two days. I was hurt, and I didn't know what to do to make that hurt go away. So I lashed out.

"For all my life I guarded my feelings. I never let myself get close to anyone. Then you came and it was like there were never walls around me. You made me feel things I can't even express. I was happy. I now realize that I didn't know what true happiness was until you came into my life."

He takes a deep breath, "Then I learned that you were here to kill me. That you were raised and groomed to make me love you. Do you know what I thought? I thought that maybe I was unlovable. That I'd had some of the best moments in my life with you, but you were just tolerating me for your mission's sake. My one true happiness was never her real self with me. That's what I thought. Killing me was not even the problem there. I get a lot of assassinations anyway, if this was another attempt then so what?

"The problem was me caring about you, and you being so fucking close to succession. If you hadn't learned the truth about the rot in a few more days, you could have very well killed me. And I would have been none the wiser. And that hurt so much I was blinded by it. I thought everything you ever told me was a lie. Your feelings? Forced. Which doesn't make sense, really, but then again rage and hurt don't let you hear the voice of logic.

"Then I felt your fear and panic when those motherfuckers had you. Honest to fates, I was terrified. Terrified by what might have been done to you. By the fact that I might be too late. I never want to feel like that again." He buries his face in her hair even more. "How can you not see that you've wrapped me around your little finger? Nektas makes fun of me for that." he scoffs.

"I- I don't understand..." her voice is shaking, godsdamnit.

"Let me put it that way. I knew you were trouble when I saw you at that townhome, but I fell for you anyway. The moment you put that dagger into me I was done for." he chuckles. "But seriously, I knew I was in love with you by the time I left the lake that night. I thought it was obvious."

More tears roll down her cheeks, and she starts sobbing. Nyktos turns her around and pulls her closer still, with his arms around her and her face in his chest. "Shhh, it's going to be alright."

And fates be damned, she believes him.

***

Daddy Nyktos must be proud of casteel