Chapter 14 – Revised
Morning – Rooftop, 4:00 AM
Nox rose like clockwork. No alarms needed. Four AM was stitched into his bones.
Outside, the city was dark, breathless. He climbed to the rooftop in silence, the world still asleep beneath him. The concrete was cool under his palms as he started his workout—push-ups, pull-ups from the railing, slow precise movements like a machine tuned by purpose.
By the time the sun began peeling back the sky, he was already smoking a cigarette, silent, watching the dawn unfold like a trick.
He didn't believe in beauty. But he appreciated patterns.
Dorm Kitchen – 6:10 AM
The fire alarm hadn't gone off today. That was progress.
Nox stood by the stove mask on , stirring eggs with one hand, the other sipping coffee. Ash and Leo had tried to cook the day before—results were best not remembered. He left them plates on the counter before vanishing to the background.
He heard them stumble out minutes later.
Ash yawned. "Oh my god. Did we black out and hire a chef?oh yes nox is back !!."
Leo groaned. "The silent chef is back "
Nox didn't respond. Just passed by behind them, coffee in hand, still masked, still shadowed.
"Morning, tall-dark-and-silent," Ash said, lifting a fork. "You spoil us."
"Reminder," Nox said simply.
"Reminder of what?"
He didn't answer. Just walked away.
Living Room – 10:00 AM
Canvas assignments were spread across the floor. Theme: Summer Memory.
Leo sat cross-legged, charcoal-stained fingers dragging a lazy sunset across paper. Ash was hunched beside him, dabbing bold streaks of color into what looked like chaos.
Nox sat across the room, mask on, laptop open, eyes glancing over college files—access logs, faculty updates, recent visitors. In the corner of his vision, Leo laughed at something Ash said, wiping a smudge from his cheek.
Nox paused.
Leo's smile looked real. Maybe it was.
Ash nudged him with an elbow. "Come on, prince. You draw something yet?"
Leo shrugged. "Working on it. You?"
Ash held up his canvas. It was abstract, vibrant, messy. "It's called 'We're Not Dead Yet.'"
Nox didn't comment, but filed the moment away.
Leo was still clinging to the illusion. Pretending this peace was sustainable. Pretending the shadows didn't exist.
He watched Leo's hands move—steady, certain. That was the only tell: Leo had grown up with weapons, even if Ash didn't see it.
Underground Network – Midnight
The city's hidden files bloomed on his screen. Encrypted deals. Suspicious wire transfers. Club camera feeds.
Nox found the faces again.
The same men trailing Leo two days ago. One had switched IDs. One had changed cars.
Sloppy.
They weren't professionals. Not yet. But they were circling.
Nox tapped into campus security and rerouted the blind spots. Just in case. Still watching. Not intervening.
Yet.
Rooftop – 2:00 AM
Noodle cup balanced on one knee. Cigarette between fingers. He watched the city blink below him like a dying constellation.
Leo was asleep. Ash, probably too. The dorm was still.
Nox watched. Logged files. Ran scans.
He didn't need to sleep much. Dreams were useless.
Only patterns mattered.
And this summer? This brief illusion?
It was almost over.
End of Chapter 46