"System—"
Before she could continue, the room door suddenly opened, and the System panel disappeared instantly.
Lucian walked back inside with a tray in his hands as Nyx’s head turned toward him. A small smile formed on her lips when she saw him return.
Watching him walk toward her, she asked, "Done eating already?"
Lucian gave her a small smile in return, then nodded.
"The food was good. I brought some for you."
He placed the tray on the small table beside her bed before pulling the chair closer. Nyx glanced at him, then at the tray. There was a bowl of chicken soup, a plate of soft bread, and a small serving of fruit.
"Did you finish your food?" she asked. She opened her mouth to tell him that she had already eaten, but stopped when she realized she was actually a little hungry.
"Most of it."
"That means you didn’t."
Lucian looked mildly embarrassed. "I wasn’t that hungry."
Nyx sighed softly but didn’t press him. Instead, she picked up the spoon and took a few mouthfuls of soup herself. Her appetite had been stronger than usual since she had regained the memories of her previous life, which she suspected was partly a psychological response to the deprivation and constant hunger she had endured during the apocalypse. Even now, some part of her seemed afraid that food might disappear again.
For a while, the room settled into a comfortable silence.
Lucian stayed beside her, occasionally asking whether her arm hurt or if she needed anything. Nyx answered each time, though she eventually told him to stop worrying so much.
"You’re the one who should be resting," she reminded him.
"So should you."
Nyx gave him a sidelong glance. "I am resting."
"You’re eating."
"That counts."
Lucian gave her a look that made it obvious he didn’t believe her, and Nyx laughed.
It was strange.
She had spent so long with a version of him who had become painfully thin, whose face had gradually lost its color, and whose body had weakened until even walking had become difficult.
Now he was sitting beside her, alive and healthy enough to argue with her over whether eating counted as resting.
Since waking with the memories of her past life, Nyx had felt a lot of the tension in her chest ease.
Eventually, the lights outside the hospital room dimmed, and the hallway grew quieter.
Lucian had already begun to look tired, so Nyx told him to sleep on the small couch in the room. It wasn’t particularly comfortable, but it was better than having him sit in the chair all night.
"You can wake me if you need anything," Lucian said as he settled down.
"I won’t."
Lucian stared at her until she caved and nodded. He smiled before closing his eyes.
Nyx waited until his breathing became slow and even before she leaned back against her pillow.
The room was quiet.
She stared at the ceiling for several seconds before finally thinking of the System.
System?
There was a brief pause.
[I’m here.]
Relief immediately washed over her.
Nyx hadn’t realized how much she had worried that she had somehow imagined the entire thing after the System panel disappeared.
You can hear me even when the panel isn’t open?
[Yes. When there are people around you, or when communicating through the panel would be inconvenient, we can converse through your mind.]
[You are the only person who can see the System interface.]
Nyx glanced toward Lucian.
He was still asleep.
So I don’t have to worry about him seeing it?
[Correct.]
She relaxed slightly.
That was useful. She would have to keep the System, the Spatial Seed, and everything she knew about Realmfall hidden from everyone around her. Still, knowing that no one else could see the interface made things considerably easier. She wouldn’t have to worry about accidentally exposing the System whenever she used it.
Good.
Nyx closed her eyes.
She had only intended to rest for a moment, but the exhaustion weighing down her body was far greater than she had realized. Between the injury, the hospital stay, the memories of her previous life, and everything she had learned about the System and the Spatial Seed, her mind felt completely drained.
[You should rest.]
The System’s voice sounded quieter this time, almost as though it had recognized how tired she was.
[You are still recovering from your injury. It would be preferable for you to sleep.]
Nyx didn’t argue.
"Yeah," she murmured under her breath.
Her thoughts were already becoming sluggish.
Within minutes, Nyx’s breathing gradually evened out, and she finally drifted into sleep with Lucian resting nearby.
Nyx woke to pale sunlight filtering through the hospital curtains and the faint sounds of activity coming from the hallway. For several seconds, she remained still, staring at the ceiling while her mind slowly caught up with where she was.
Then she remembered everything.
The apocalypse, her previous life, the System, the Spatial Seed, and the countdown.
Nyx reached for her phone and checked the time before turning her attention inward.
System.
The interface appeared in her mind almost immediately.
[Realmfall Survival Apocalypse System]
[Host: Nyx Arden]
[Status: Activated.]
[Temporal State: Pre-Realmfall.]
[Realmfall Event: 29 Days, 17 Hours, 56 Minutes Remaining.]
Nyx stared at the countdown.
Twenty-nine days, seventeen hours, and fifty-six minutes.
That was all she had.
Nyx closed the interface.
Beside the window, Lucian was still asleep on the small couch. He had somehow managed to curl himself into a position that looked even less comfortable than it had the night before.
Nyx watched him for a moment before carefully pushing herself upright.
Her injured arm protested immediately.
She winced and waited for the ache to settle before reaching for the glass of water on the bedside table with her good hand.
The hospital had already delivered breakfast by the time Lucian woke.
He sat up slowly, blinking sleepily as he looked around the room.
Nyx glanced at him. "You’re awake."
Lucian rubbed his eyes before looking toward her arm.
"How does it feel?"
"Better than yesterday."
"Sorry, you got injured because—"
"Lucian," Nyx’s voice was gentle but firm. "You shouldn’t be apologizing for what you didn’t do, if anyone should, it’s fucking Livia and I will make sure she does. Do not do that again."
He smiled faintly as he lowered his head slightly and nodded, "Yes."
A nurse came in shortly afterward to check Nyx’s condition and go over her discharge instructions. The fracture still required time to heal, and she was warned not to put unnecessary strain on her left arm. Nyx listened carefully, accepted the medication she was given, and signed the necessary paperwork.
Once the nurse left, Nyx opened the breakfast tray.
There was porridge, eggs, toast, fruit, and a cup of warm milk.
She ate slowly at first, but her appetite quickly returned.
After breakfast, Lucian gathered the few things he had brought to the hospital. There wasn’t much. Her phone, wallet, and a change of clothes.
By the time everything was packed, the hospital had completed the discharge process.
Lucian took out his phone. "I’ll order a car."
Nyx nodded.
While he did that, she sat on the edge of the bed and opened her phone.
There was no reason to wait; she would order the things she could now.
No, she wasn’t going to order everything at once—she couldn’t, even if she wanted to. Storage was the first issue. Then there was the money, as she still needed to figure out how much of her mother’s inheritance she could actually get her hands on. More than that, placing a massive order all at once would raise far too many eyebrows.
Nyx opened several shopping applications and began making a list.
Wait... the Arden family.
She didn’t want anything from them emotionally, but they had one thing she needed: money.
In her previous life, she had spent years desperately trying to earn her place within that family. She had worked for their approval, tolerated their cruelty, and convinced herself that enduring everything was worthwhile because they were still her family.
Thank goodness she no longer believed that. Lord, she’d been stupid.
Nyx added another item to her online cart and glanced toward Lucian. He was standing near the window, waiting for the ride confirmation.
She looked back at the screen. Whatever happened inside the Arden mansion no longer mattered unless it affected her, Lucian, or her plans.
Her relationship with them could be dealt with later. But her revenge? That would start now.
A notification appeared on Lucian’s phone.
"The car is here."
Nyx closed the shopping application.
"Let’s go."