Chapter 173: Aftermath (1)

The control system beside the Teleportation Array flickered weakly beneath the emergency lights.

Nykos stepped toward it, his gaze moving across the complicated strings of coordinates and destination markers displayed across the holographic screen. The original destination was already locked into the system, but the array had been designed for repeated transportation between different sites, which meant changing the destination wasn’t impossible—it was simply a matter of knowing what to change.

Amar moved beside him, studying the display with a deep frown. "You said we only need to send ourselves back to Gaia, but this system isn’t exactly designed for someone to casually pick a destination."

"I know."

"You’re surprisingly calm about that."

Nykos glanced at him over his shoulder. "Would you prefer I panic?"

Amar’s mouth twitched, but he didn’t answer, moving closer to the control panel and beginning to examine the destination codes. "The original coordinates are encrypted. Whoever manages this array didn’t want unauthorized users changing the route."

"Let’s break it then."

Amar gave him an incredulous look. But he couldn’t continue complaining and did what he had been instructed to do.

Aisha barely listened to their conversation, her arms beginning to ache. Zenick’s weight had become increasingly difficult to support, especially with the lingering pain spreading through her body. The miasma inside him was still moving beneath his skin, dark lines crawling across his body in slow, irregular patterns, and every time she shifted him, she could feel something cold brushing against her guiding ability. She tightened her hold. She wasn’t leaving him behind—not now, not after everything.

Behind them, the shadows covering the entrance remained completely still. Outside, the Association soldiers were busy securing the facility and extracting the civilians, and there were occasional footsteps and muffled voices, but no one attempted to cross the darkness Nykos had left behind.

Amar’s fingers moved across the holographic controls. "There are three registered arrays on Gaia. We can choose one of them, but I don’t know which location will be safest."

"Pick one with the least traffic."

Amar glanced back. "Why?"

Aisha didn’t respond, only glancing down at Zenick.

Amar’s expression changed slightly. He quickly understood. Even if Zenick survived the journey, taking him through a public teleportation site would be dangerous. Someone would notice the strange state of his body eventually, and once word spread that a human had been found with his physical body merged with miasma, the Association wouldn’t be the only organization interested. The Federation and the Empire would come looking too.

Amar finally found what he was searching for.

"There." A small list appeared, and he scrolled through several destinations before stopping at one. "There’s a teleportation site on Gaia that should be relatively quiet at this hour. It’s not one of the major arrays used by travelers. Most people use the larger ones in the central sectors."

Nykos looked toward Aisha, noticing her pale complexion for some time now. Nykos’s gaze lingered on her for another second before he turned away.

He leaned closer. "Let’s use it."

Amar nodded, his fingers moving rapidly across the controls, and the array responded. A deep vibration rolled through the chamber as blue and violet light began spreading through the intricate lines carved into the floor, illuminating the enormous ring at the center. The air grew heavy with psychic pressure as the array slowly activated.

Vince approached with several of the remaining men. "It’s ready?"

"Almost," Amar replied without looking away from the controls. "Once we step inside, there’s no turning back."

Vince knew what Amar was worried about and glanced toward Nykos. "What if the destination is wrong?"

Nykos smiled faintly. "Then we’ll improvise."

Vince stared at him for a moment before sighing. "That answer somehow makes me feel worse."

Aisha didn’t hear the rest, her attention fixed on Zenick. His face was still, and she reached up and brushed a strand of hair away from his forehead. "Hold on a little longer," she murmured, not knowing whether he could hear her.

The array suddenly flared.

"Now!" Amar shouted, and Nykos immediately moved, reaching for Aisha, but she shifted Zenick closer before he could take him. "I’ll carry him."

"You’re already struggling to stand."

"I can still—"

Nykos’s eyes narrowed.

"Aisha."

There was something in his voice that made her stop.

"You’ve done enough."

She stared at him for a second, then finally allowed him to take Zenick from her. Nykos carefully lifted Zenick into his arms, and the moment he did, his expression changed—his fingers had brushed against the dark miasma covering Zenick’s side, and a black stain immediately appeared across his glove and spread toward his palm.

Nykos looked down. The miasma moved—it wasn’t merely sitting on Zenick’s skin; it reacted to him. His crimson eyes narrowed, but he didn’t hesitate, adjusting Zenick’s weight against his body and stepping toward the array. Aisha followed.

The instant all of them entered the center, the world around them disappeared. There was no sensation of falling, no sense of movement, and for a brief moment, Aisha couldn’t feel anything at all.

Then—

Everything returned at once. The instant it did, Aisha felt her stomach lurch, and her vision spun for a moment as the world slammed back into existence with enough force to make her knees buckle.

Aisha stumbled forward.

Someone caught her around the waist before she could hit the ground. Nykos, who had somehow managed to keep hold of Zenick while catching her with his other arm, appeared beside her.

"Careful now, Little bird."

Aisha tried to straighten herself, but her body refused, and she sucked in a breath, feeling as though every bit of strength had been drained from her muscles.

"I..." Her voice barely came out when she felt a splitting headache crash into her, forcing her to frown deeply.

Nykos tightened his arm around her waist and guided her toward the nearest wall. "Don’t move yet."

Aisha leaned against the wall, closing her eyes for several seconds as she fought to steady her breathing.

The teleportation site was quiet. It was still dark outside, with only the faintest grey light beginning to appear along the horizon, and the large teleportation chamber around them was empty, its surrounding platforms silent with no people around.

Fortunately, they had arrived at the right time. No one would use the Teleportation Arrays at this time.

Nykos finally lowered Zenick carefully onto the ground, but before he could fully pull away from Aisha, he noticed the black stain covering his palm. His eyes dropped to it. The miasma had transferred from Zenick to him.

Aisha noticed too, her breathing stopping for a second. "Nykos..."

He looked at his hand, then casually wiped the black substance against the side of his glove. "It isn’t much. Don’t worry about it."

"Give him back to me. You will end up being corrupted."

"Too late." He looked toward her, and for once there was no teasing smile on his lips. "Are you going to lecture me while you’re barely standing?"

Aisha opened her mouth, then closed it. She was too tired to argue.

Amar approached them, looking around the empty teleportation chamber before his attention settled on Aisha and Zenick. He said, "We should move."

Vince nodded immediately. "Should we go back to Sector Nine?"

"No." Amar looked toward him.

Vince frowned. "Why? Isn’t it safer if we head back to our hideout?"

"We can’t bring Zenick there." Amar’s gaze shifted toward the unconscious man, and he shook his head. "Sector Nine has too many people. We can’t rule out the possibility that we’ll end up harming them. And even if the hideout is secure, someone will eventually notice something. And if the Association starts searching for us, they’ll end up there as well."

Vince’s expression tightened.

Amar continued, "We don’t know what will happen when Zenick wakes up, and we don’t know how his body will react. Bringing him somewhere with other civilians could put them at risk."

Nykos didn’t immediately answer. Instead, he looked toward Aisha. "You heard them. Where do you want to go?"

He was handing the choice to her despite hearing what his men had just said. If Aisha wanted to go to Sector Nine, he wouldn’t stop her.

His words shocked both Vince and Amar, who visibly frowned and looked at Aisha simultaneously.

Aisha opened her eyes, but for several seconds she couldn’t answer. Her head was still spinning, the teleportation having left a strange pressure inside her skull, and every breath seemed to take more effort than it should. She swallowed and pressed one hand against the wall.

"I..." Her voice came out weak.

Nykos waited patiently and didn’t rush her.

Aisha finally forced herself to look at him. "My brother and I can stay where I live."

Vince’s brows lifted, and he looked at Nykos for his order.

Nykos didn’t look back at him and nodded. "Let’s go."

***

It took them some time to reach the house.

By the time they arrived, the sky was beginning to brighten, and the streets were still mostly empty, with only a few early workers and automated transport vehicles moving through the quiet roads.

Aisha barely remembered the journey. She had spent most of it leaning against the side of the vehicle with her eyes closed, while Zenick remained unconscious beside her. Nykos sat across from her, his attention staying on her almost the entire time, though Aisha didn’t notice this because she was too exhausted.

When they finally stopped in front of the house, she slowly raised her head, and for a moment she stared at it. It was strangely comforting to see it again.

Aisha stepped out, and her legs nearly gave out.

Nykos immediately caught her again. "Careful."

"I’m fine."

"I know," he said, but his arm remained around her waist.

Aisha glanced at him but didn’t have enough energy to complain.

Eventually, they reached the residential area. The moment Nykos stepped onto the street where Aisha’s temporary residence was located, he slowed down. His eyes moved toward the house, and he didn’t say anything.

"This house..."