"Nice kitty. I don't want any trouble; I'm just trying to get home." Nyx decided rambling may be the best course of action as the lumbering leopard sat on her haunches. "I only came down here to protect my friends, and now I need to get back to them and tell them Tunrida's plans, okay? I know she might be your Queen, but she's trying to do some evil shit. I can't let that happen."

The creature huffed, and Nyx could've sworn it rolled its eyes.

She is not my Queen. A regal tone purred in Nyx's ears, causing her mouth to drop open.

"Right, sorry. Uh, do you have a name?" She rocked from foot to foot, glancing down at her small compass before meeting the cats' eyes again.

Moja. Who sent you here, child of Midgard?

"Um, a scout from this Hell, Emry." The name came out more like a question, and the creature's tufted brows lifted.

The Prince helps you?

"Prince? I didn't know he- You know what, never mind. He told me to continue west until I reach the edge of Niflheim, and he will use the portal to send me home." Her shivering returned with a vengeance as the wind picked up across the barren plane. Moja regarded her with slow blinks and another light chuff.

Climb on my back.

Nyx let out a small laugh as she shook. "What? No. I don't want to hurt you."

You are near death, and you concern yourself with my pain? She stood and curled around Nyx, letting her thick fur brush against the shivering woman. The heat from Moja's body was enough to rid Nyx of any hesitation. She nodded and carefully hoisted herself onto Moja's back, burying her frozen limbs in her long fur.

"West," Nyx called over the winds.

I know. Now, hold on.

Nyx gripped her thighs tighter around the beast and pushed her face down as protection from the nipping winds.

Moja ran for miles, and Nyx clung on, terrified she would fall to the earth that rushed past at dizzying speeds, glad at least to be warm.

Once Nyx's hands and legs were entirely numb, Moja finally slowed her pace and flattened herself for her to climb off.

We are here, but the Prince is not.

Nyx wrapped her arms around herself and took in the scene. They stood on the edge of a craggy cliff with a bottomless drop that weaved for miles in either direction. She walked further along, peering down, but saw nothing. A sigh ripped from her lips as fury swirled in her stomach. 

"I am so fucking done with these Hells right now. I just want to be a nurse and help people." She kicked a few stray stones into the abyss and scowled. "I want to go home. I want to see my parents." Tears leaked from her eyes, and she let them fall as she sniffled, defeated.

I can take you to the purgatory portal. But there are no guarantees you will find your way out. Moja sniffed and began walking in the opposite direction to Nyx. The woman sniffled again and followed. "I don't know. That doesn't sound like the safest option. What if Emry shows up?"

An echoing snarl flooded the plane, silencing her queries. She knew what Moja was about to say before she uttered the words.

He's not coming. Anger rolled from the cat's shoulders as she clawed to a swirling portal below the cliff edge. The witch captured the rightful heir to Niflheim. I must go.

Nyx had many questions, but she buried them and offered tender thanks to the animal. "As soon as I get back to my home, I'll find a way to help free your prince," she offered. "He's been a good friend to me."

I believe you are more than friends. Moja purred before sprinting off the way she came.

"What the hell does that mean?" Nyx muttered to herself before shaking her head. "More cryptic bullshit. Does anyone in Hells know how to be upfront?" She turned to face the purgatory portal and shuddered. The vicious spinning vortex looked identical to the cave portal in Tartarus, and Neo made sure to keep her far from it. The likelihood of her escaping Purgatory unharmed or even escaping at all seemed dubious.

After minutes of contemplation and rising anxiety, she stepped forward until her toes hung over the edge. Here goes nothing.

Sucking in a lungful of air, Nyx free-fell into the whirling vortex and felt the roaring winds rip at her clothes and skin. Her eyes stitched shut against the constant tugging, and her back hit a hard surface, forcing her held breath to whoosh from her mouth. Then, finally, the wind subsided as the surface beneath her solidified, and she peeled her eyes open. The world around her, Purgatory, looked ashen. All colour faded into shadow, and the barren expanse of dirt and trees looked like some old-timey movie—shades of grey.

Nyx picked herself up and took in her surroundings. The setting seemed to flicker. A mirage of nature and cityscapes came in and out of focus. Her chest tightened as she spun, looking for any sign of life. The urge to call out hovered across her lips, but common sense one out. She stood in silence, trying and failing to even her breath. She swallowed against the dryness in her mouth and started walking. Soon she realised while her legs moved, her position in relation to the environment did not change.

"What the H-"

"Welcome, child," a tender voice said.

Nyx's eyes shot to the almost mirror image that materialised on her right. The woman's catlike eyes blinked slowly as her sharp shoulder-length copper hair swayed with her movements.

"Are you-"

"You are one of mine, I believe," she said with a smirk, revealing her razor-sharp canines. "But not truly dead," she added, slinking around Nyx's stiff form.

After humming a silent confirmation, the woman returned to Nyx's front. "So you're my Nephalem babe. Full grown already?"

Nyx finally regained her voice that had died in her throat and laughed, borderline terrified. "Um, what is going on right now? What do you mean full grown?"

"I could ask you the same question, daughter. What are you doing down here?" The woman adorned a familiar motherly expression despite her insanely youthful looks. Nyx noted how she skirted the questions she didn't want to answer.

"I'm trying to get home. To the earth realm, at least. But, who are you? I mean, I think I know who you are, but what- what is your name?"

Nyx pressed her lips together as the woman's smile split across her beautiful face. "Cyren will do."

Cyren turned and walked along a path that emerged from the earth. Nyx followed.

"So," Nyx started, "what are you doing here? I thought- I thought Neo's father killed you..."

A small smile pulled at Cyren's lips as she glanced sideways at her child. "Hades." Her footsteps quickened, and Nyx quickly matched pace. "Where are we going?"

"Surely you have more pressing questions for me than that, petal. Don't you trust your own mother?"

Nyx swallowed and nodded, watching Cyren's dainty movements along the increasingly winding path.

"Who is my father?"

"An angel," Cyren said simply.

Right, her mother was a fairy. Nyx was sure there's some lore about them being tricky with their words.

"Why was I born?"

"Because he and I had se-"

"Never mind," Nyx interrupted, making a small apology when the Fairy frowned at her.

"I had dreams of you. Or maybe they were memories. I think an angel was responsible for some of them, but in them, you wanted me. You loved me. Is that true?"

Cyren froze on the path, and Nyx almost bowled her over.

"I fear he manipulated the truth for you, little one. Your creation was fated. We must always keep the balance, and that is your purpose. Your father and I were chosen to ensure your life."

So my life was some kind of destiny? They didn't even want me? I can't believe Micah faked all those memories! The thoughts forced a scowl on her face, and Cyren continued.

"If you seek love, look no further than the humans that raised you. I cannot give you what you desire. Neither can he. It is not in our nature."

The answer hit her square in the face like a physical blow, but a calm resignation settled in Nyx's chest after minutes of heart-palpitating silence. It certainly wasn't the reunion she expected, but at least she was honest. Nyx vowed the first thing she would do after returning to earthside would be to see her parents and squeeze them.

"How did you get here after my birth?" Nyx finally asked.

"Purgatory chose me to be an adjustment agent for departed souls. And as you are not a departed soul, I'm getting a backlog at the entrance portal."

A sudden blast of light appeared before them, and Nyx shielded her eyes. "Is that-"

"This is the light after death. I can send you back through it, but you need to picture a place you want to return to."

Behind her shielded eyes, she took a final long look at her birth mother. Or surrogate effectively. Cyren's feline eye's blinked a few times slowly, and a muscle twitched in the corner of her mouth.

"I'm sure these weren't the answers you were seeking, child, but it was a pleasure to meet you. I doubt I will see you again, considering your immortality, so farewell." She spun with a smile swirling on her lips and flicked her wrist at her side. A physical force blew Nyx off her feet and directly into the light of a million stars. She gasped and barely had enough time to picture her parents' faces in their city apartment.