Nightmare Mythos

"Reyna. How are you doing?"

That manner of speech, the tone used to deliver it, and his face that speak volumes about the person that she missed for the entire year was right in her very front. She was already in the City of Lights for weeks and she didn't know she would meet Cesar this way.

Standing up from the ground with Cesar's help, Reyna stood up and remained staring at him. Her eyes were telling a lot of questions yet not a single word escaped from her mouth to deliver them.

Cesar who was about to speak to clear her hesitation suddenly saw a group of people running towards them before approaching Reyna's back.

"Squad Leader, what is going on here?" A man with a tall stature shifted his gaze at Cesar with a frown, "Is this man bothering you?"

The other who followed the man's trail all looked toward Cesar with a suspicious gaze. However, Reyna immediately smacked at the man's head and scowled.

"He's not bothering me, okay? I was the one who bumped into him and fell down. He helped me get up,"

"Oh…"

The suspicions immediately died down before Reyna shook her head and approached Cesar, this time asking him to join her for lunch.

"Are you hungry? Let's eat. My treat," Reyna paused, "Oh, no need to feel pressured. I'm offering this to you if you aren't busy,"

The people behind Reyna who seemed to be her squad were left confused since the way she explained Cesar earlier was just a stranger. But looking at their interaction, he was nothing like that.

Upon contemplating that he had spare time and really wasn't in haste, Cesar agreed to the offer. Reyna began to lead Cesar to a nearby restaurant while her squad followed suit.

And on the way there, Cedeit couldn't help but speak outwardly with an interesting tone.

"I remember her all right,"

Cesar's heart wavered upon realizing that Cedeit knew something that he wasn't aware of, based only on his manner of speaking.

Cedeit then snickered, "Hehe, after all, she was the reason why one of your squad members was dead,"

Dropping that bombshell of information, Cesar's mind stirred. However, Cedeit stopped giving any additional information regarding that news as if he was interested in how their situation would evolve with that idea bugging Cesar's head.

A few minutes later, they entered a bustling restaurant where they received a VIP dining as they had a room for only themselves.

…

Their food is served as waiters, and servers enter their rooms left and right. Reyna's squad was already filling up their fill as they continued eating.

Cesar, on the other hand, never touched any of the food as he was pondering about something. Reyna noticed his actions, her thoughts circled around if Cesar didn't like any of the food being showered at his front.

But since Cesar continued his silence, Reyna let her be and started eating as well.

After a few minutes, her squad was already done and Reyna, who was halfway through finishing her meal, demanded them.

"Can you please leave us alone first?"

Her squad looked at each other for a brief moment before they all stood up from their places and left the dining table. Once the room quieted down and they are only the two of them left, Reyna began to ask.

"You're never this quiet. Is something bothering you?"

Cesar glanced at Reyna briefly before grabbing a beer at the table and took a mouthful of it. Smacking his lips, he replied.

"You never answered my question earlier. How are you doing?"

Reyna paused before she and Cesar chuckled. She began explaining the things that happened to her for the past year Cesar was gone, mostly about the Academy works and a little bit of her Army expenditures.

But her achievements throughout the short time she began serving in the Army have been top-notch notch as she was involved in clearing two sites that were festering with a few Nightmares. Her kill count was already three.

So now, after her recent successful mission, Reyna received a break from her superiors.

Now, because she heard that Cesar miraculously came back which she firmly believed that he would and not a workings of 'miracle', she went to the City of Lights while waiting for her next mission.

"Hey, what about you? You've been gone… for a year. I'm sure the experience of facing The Void is scary, right?"

Cesar gulped a mouthful of chicken from his mouth before shaking his head, "You don't know about it but I have no clear explanation of what happened to me. But Reyna, I'm relatively sure about my experience that I've not disappeared for a whole year. In the Earth's time, it might be a year. For me, it was just a day. Well, not count of me fainting and gone for a whole week but that's just it,"

Cesar paused, "But I've met the Void directly."

Reyna's eyes grew wide as a gasp escaped her lips, "You know, I'm not surprised at how you met that… emptiness. It's how you managed to escape from it. And let's say there's a time in the event when you need to explain your situation. It means there are creatures out there so unfathomable, logic and reasoning don't work on them,"

Cesar paused before chuckling, "Actually, there are. A lot of them. So let's get strong, yeah?"

Reyna chuckled before revealing, "Hey, don't underestimate me. I'm Shaded of the Second Order now. A Sergeant in the Army and know a few secrets that you don't know about. I'm quite strong, much stronger than what am I before entering the Mansion,"

"I'm sure you are,"

The two lost the passage of time as they continuously conversed with each other, their faces started to get fuzzy due to too much drinking. Their talks started to get deeper until Reyna finally slipped something from her mouth.

"Cesar…"

Cesar who heard that weak tone coming from Reyna, replied, "Yeah?"

Reyna smiled sadly before lightly shaking her head, "I… I think Nike blames me for her brother's death, but he doesn't really know the full story of it."

Cesar remained quiet as it looked like Reyna was trying to open it until she did.

"Hmm, how do I start? I don't even know why I'm telling you about this. Is it because you're my Squad Leader at that time or so that you don't feel guilty about losing one of your members? But fuck it. I'm telling you. " Reyna paused, "Joshua and I… we developed feelings when we're inside the Mansion,"