The Unvanquished: Child of Nihility-Chapter 85: Fractures in the Night

Chapter 85: Fractures in the Night – ( You’ve walked the path of discipline long enough. It’s time to remember the blood that runs in your veins–and the legacy waiting ’beneath’ the surface.)

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It had been over a year since she heard from her mother directly. Only third-hand updates from her uncle–Sherman Perry, the head of the Sherman family–whispers in encrypted reports, maybe a random digital footprint. But now, as the envelope pulsed faintly in her grip, an image came unbidden to her mind.

Her mother.

Sharp eyes like stormlight behind clear lenses. Hair always tied in a sleek, disciplined braid. A woman made of command, not affection. Her rare smiles were never meaningless–they were earned.

Tyler remembered one moment in particular.

When she passed her early endurance trial as a child, barely able to stand, her mother placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "You walk the edge of two worlds, Tyler. One will shape you. The other will test if you’re worthy of it."

That voice echoed now, clear and commanding, like it had always lived inside her.

She also remembered the last visit–when her mother stood before rows of agents in black, flanking either side of the departing airship. She had smiled, rare and soft, and said, "We’ll meet soon, child." Then disappeared into the skies.

Thanks to her, Tyler knew what many in Eden Domineer didn’t: that Eden Planet wasn’t just made of the academy, the seven sections, or even the Divine Beast Forest.

There were three true states.

And the academy rules just one...

Now, the place her mother came from–the place she know nothing about–was calling for her.

’Let’s see the content,’ Tyler thought.

Without hesitation, she placed her thumb against the verification seal.

Flash–

Blue light burst from the envelope, illuminating the training chamber. At the far end, a soft projection shimmered into place: a mature woman with tightly braided black hair, sharp black eyes, and features unmistakably similar to Tyler’s.

When Tyler caught sight of the figure, an unfamiliar wave of emotion welled up in her heart; the woman standing before her felt both intimately near and achingly distant.

The projection wasn’t live. But her presence was undeniable.

Her voice followed, warm yet unwavering:

-----

Hello, Sweetie.

If you’re seeing this, it means Ann Shia has delivered the message.

Congratulations on passing the academy trial as a Unique Cadet. But that isn’t enough–not for my daughter, not for someone I expect beside me.

The time has come. It’s your call now.

Your presence is requested.

You’ve walked the path of discipline long enough. It’s time to remember the blood that runs in your veins–and the legacy waiting ’beneath’ the surface.

A trial approaches. One not set by Eden Domineer.

But by the world we belong to.

Return.

You have one cycle.

–Mother

-----

As the voice faded, the light dimmed. The envelope disintegrated into fine particles, dissolving like dust into the air. The image vanished.

Tyler stood unmoving, her fingers slightly trembling.

"One cycle...?" she whispered.

Her eyes lifted, scanning the room. But the cloaked woman was already gone. No trace. No movement. Not even the sound of a step. Only the lingering echo of her power, and the strange whiteness it left in the air.

Tyler clenched her fists.

Just as the silence returned, her wrist device buzzed.

She glanced down.

-----

[New Message – Instructor Haister]

[Combat Techniques & Monsterology Class – Mandatory Attendance]

[Time: 7:00 AM – Central Arena B1

Uniform Required]

-----

She stared at it.

First combat class with the Unique Class. She should feel excited–proud, even. It was everything they’d trained for. But right now...

All she felt was conflict.

Her eyes drifted to the floor where the dummy had once stood. Then to the exact spot where Ann Shia had appeared. Then back to the tech-envelope drifting particles in her mind–its contents still fresh.

One cycle.

Return to her mother’s state. Embrace a different path. One she barely understood–but already knew in her bones was far removed from everything Eden Domineer represented.

Her jaw tightened.

And then, the memories came rushing in.

Morca’s blade, crimson and clean, as it pierced the skull of a 3-Star monster.

The Monument Tower trembling–awakened–when he passed the comprehension trial.

His calm eyes, unwavering even before the second-years.

The way he shoved her aside before the explosion. Harsh, but protective.

The time they shared as children–she always stood in front, shielding him. And now... he stood ahead, leaving her behind.

Their last moment at the Sherman estate. Words unspoken, questions unanswered. Something fragile lingered in that space. But everything had shifted since then.

And that voice, soft but firm:

’Change is constant. That’s what defines everyone.’

Her breath shook.

"I can’t catch up to him like this," she whispered. "Not if I keep following their rules. Not if I stay here."

She moved her fingers across her wrist device, opening the messaging tab. A pause. Then, slow, deliberate typing.

-----

[To: Morca Sherman]

Message:

If I don’t show up tomorrow... just know I’m not giving up.

I’m choosing something different. To grow faster. Stronger.

Maybe even stranger to you.

But I’ll return.

And next time–

-----

She stopped.

Then, with a steady breath, she typed the last line.

-----

–next time, I’ll walk beside you. Not behind.

–Tyler

-----

She hesitated, then tapped Send.

The device blinked.

Delivered.

Tyler stared at the screen for a long moment.Then turned slowly toward the living room.

A decision had been made.

---

Back inside Villa No. 7 – Leo Mordric’s Room / Northern edge of Unique zone.

Leo stepped out of the bathroom, now dressed entirely in black–no insignias, no emblems, only a plain, matte outfit that clung lightly to his frame. He adjusted the strap on his wrist device, casting a glance at the display.

[21:34]

"Time to go," he muttered under his breath.

Without alerting the main villa sensors, he moved toward the window, pushed it open with a soft creak, and leapt down silently onto the outer path. The sensors would register his absence later–he had already disabled the motion return prompts from his internal settings upon arrival.

As soon as his boots touched the solid ground, he tapped his wrist device.

A small arrow formed on the screen, glowing a dim blue. It pointed northeast–toward the fringe of UCv1’s boundary.

He followed it.

Through low hedges and past cooling villa towers, he moved with calculated precision. His presence blended with the darkness, as if the shadows themselves parted for him.

Eventually, he reached the edge of the Northern Region Unique Zone, where the lights faded and the air turned noticeably colder.

Ahead, a patch of gnarled forest stood–half-contained by the academy’s old energy barriers. The Dark Wood. Untamed. Rarely visited. Trees here grew twisted, their bark dark and veined with faint lines of dormant mana. Branches creaked without wind, and the floor was a patchwork of old roots and cracked stone.

An ideal place for silence.

Leo stepped between two crooked trunks and entered the isolated glade he had marked in advance.

There was no one there.

No rustle of movement. No hidden signal. Just the windless pressure of trees and a dark sky–like a space holding its breath.

He didn’t move further. He simply waited.

---

Inside Villa No. 12 – UCv1, Tyler’s living room.

Tyler walked down from the top floor of her villa with quiet determination. Her footsteps were light, yet each carried a sense of finality. In the living room, unsurprisingly, Ann Shia sat fully wrapped in her black robe, which still covered the exotech suit beneath, calmly occupying the lone couch.

Yet the aura around her felt wrong.

It was as though she wasn’t truly present–her presence distant, like a being observing through another layer of existence.

As Tyler descended the final step, Ann Shia rose.

"I guess you’ve made up your mind," she said.

Tyler didn’t respond. She didn’t need to. Her expression said it all.

With a flick of her fingers, Ann Shia snapped.

The room shuddered–then everything changed.

In the blink of an eye, the villa’s interior dissolved. They were no longer in her living room. The entire space had shifted–morphed into something else. As if they’d never been in the academy at all.

They now stood atop wide black stone tiles beneath a dark, open sky. Faint moonlight spilled over a towering gate in the distance.

Tyler’s eyes narrowed. She recognized this place. Outside the entrance plaza of Eden Domineer Academy.

Only now, it felt different.

Silent. Emptied. As though they had crossed into a shadowed replica of the real thing. The night was heavier, and the energy in the air was no longer regulated by academy stabilizers.

Her Saint-ranked perception sharpened. Though dim, she could see every detail. The stars hung unnaturally still. The wind did not blow.

It wasn’t illusion.

But it wasn’t reality either.

---

EDA central zone – Instructor residence

In a brightly lit study room nestled within one of the instructor residences at Eden Domineer Academy’s Central Zone, Mentor Gray–Emmett Lee–sat calmly, flipping through a few scroll-like documents. His fingers lazily turned each page.

The room hummed softly from floating screens and stacked data nodes. All was quiet.

Until–

His brow twitched.

A subtle frown crept across his face.

"Hm. A layered shift is being used... in the academy?" he muttered. "And at UCv1? At this time of night?"