Nyx released a mental shudder at the realisation of such an obvious blunder. Yet, even though he had identified the problem, he was faced with a new, somewhat baffling discovery. At some point during his imprisonment within the nightmares of his mind, he had somehow forgotten how to breathe. 

Trying to organise his scattered thoughts, each potential implication more disturbing than the last, Nyx was almost sure he had never had to worry about his vessel's instinctive needs when he had been summoned in the past. For some reason, this time was markedly different from what he could remember. Not only were his physical senses in disarray, but nearly everything he felt was wrong or confusing. 

Or...

He briefly wondered if it was because he forgot what normal was. The memories, and later their warped representations, he was forced to relive only contained his worst experiences. The mundane and forgettable seemed to have been blotted out, making him wonder what else he might have forgotten or lost. Without them, was he still even himself?

"My name is-."

"Nyx~!" The memory of the old lady's voice echoed in his head like the tolling of a bell as his thoughts became more frantic and desperate. At the same time, the white motes that littered his vision began to flicker in sync with the ever-increasing beat of his heart. The thought of returning to the loops was unbearable, yet Nyx knew that if he didn't...

His mind jarred at the realisation that he had been doing nothing but think. He had become so used to being a passenger, where the outcome was set and anything he did was pointless, that he hadn't even tried forcing his body to work. However, the knowledge didn't seem to help him as he soon discovered that no matter what he tried, his body seemed to refuse to behave how he wanted it to.

Just as he was on the verge of blacking out, Nyx suddenly felt a familiar presence. It was the same one that had appeared during the seemingly endless cycles or during the darkest moments of his existence. While it seemed to do nothing, like a bystander watching an event in the distance, its presence had always been a strange comfort. 

As he focused on the feeling, Nyx briefly felt as if he saw the Shallotte of an impossibly tall and thin woman before the shape warped into a familiar scene.

A beautiful night sky appeared containing countless twinkling lights. The occasional shooting star would leave a steak across the black expanse as a cold, emotionless moon watched impartially as its glow illuminated the rippling water above. 

The origin of his name. The place were-

The enchanting scenery became nothing but a backdrop to the set of vibrant eyes glaring downwards. The gaze, lacking any emotion, seemed to contain a single purpose. 

To watch him die.

"..." 

Nyx's chest violently shuddered before the bottom suddenly moved downwards while the muscles between his ribs contracted as they rose. At the same time, his back arched as a crackly, desperate gasp erupted as he sucked in a mouthful of thin, stale air.

The haunting eyes in his vision wavered before vanishing, along with the surrounding scenery, as Nyx was thrust back into the dark-red, almost black world. The burning in his chest quickly mutated into a hot, itchy sensation as if thousands of insects were crawling across the insides of his lungs.

He felt the spasms that had racked his body subdue until they were little more than shivers as he continued to suck in as much air as possible. Yet, even though they were gone, along with the presence, Nyx couldn't forget the intensity of the eyes. 

After what felt like a minute or so, his desperate gasps devolved into a wet, hacking cough as his body seemed to remember what it needed to do. The accomplishment distracted Nyx enough to feel a wave of relief. His body was back on, at least tentatively, autopilot.

The coughing fit eventually died down into wheezy, somewhat raspy pants, as Nyx felt the last few muscles stop twitching. His body sagged, coming to rest against the cold stone slab beneath him. 

"I'm... alive."

He wasn't sure how long had passed after that, but he was woken from his dazed state as the metallic scent registered in his mind.

Blood.

The fog that had clouded his mind quickly dispersed and it wasn't long before Nyx could smell something else far more acidic and pungent. Yet, he couldn't quite place the familiar, if incredibly revolting, stench.

"I swear to the Holy Seven. Mike, if you forget to empty them before the operation one more time..." The deep, masculine voice returned, making Nyx's momentarily tense as he remembered he wasn't alone. The notion that he had forgotten about his unknown foes was almost as disturbing as the fact that he had let himself lower his defences and relax.

"I did. I swear." The timid voice responded somewhere close to the first, probably around one or two feet further to the left.

Mike. Male. Young. Nervous. Not respected. Probably the weakest. Low value.

Nyx shifted his body slightly only to find that he had nearly no energy or ability to move. As he moved, he felt a faint feeling of something cold and band-like on his wrists and ankles. There was also something pressing down on the front of his neck, though it didn't seem to obstruct his already troubled breathing.

"Like fuck you did. I've got more piss, shit and blood on me than a sewage mage during a lurkent uprising." Another voice appeared, this time to Nyx's left. It sounded slightly closer than the first two yet shared the common trait that they all seemed relatively young.

"After we are done here, you are cleaning my clothes. I can't go back like this or Altheria's going to kill me."

There seemed to be a chuckle from the first voice, though Nyx couldn't be sure it hadn't come from the same location as when it first appeared.

"You know her kind can't bear the smell. It-"

The rest of what the man was going to say was concealed by Nyx's sudden, violent coughing. By the time Nyx had regained control, making a mental note to make sure he didn't hold his breath while focusing, he was able to eavesdrop again.

"But David, I-"

Nyx listened for a few moments before realising the group was in the midst of a pointless argument. While he half-listened for any relevant information, he focused on the itchy, burning sensation in his lungs. Not only did it feel like something was wrong with them, but he could also barely feel any essence from the air he breathed. It felt like, even though his body was getting what it needed to survive, he was suffocating.

"Suppression formation? Extractor?... one of the lower continents? No, if it was any of them I'd just feel weak... this... this is different."

After resting for a bit, barely listening to the three men argue, Nyx felt his stomach contract as an acidic liquid abruptly rose. It was so fast that it seemed to explode from his mouth before splattering over his face. However, before he could react or clear his airways, his body instinctively sucked in a breath, causing him to choke on his own vomit.

"By the Maker, has the god of Death fallen in love with this bitch or something?!"

Once again fighting to take a breath, Nyx barely noticed his body tilt as he was rolled onto his side in the direction of the two men. After choking for a few seconds, feeling like he may never be able to get a decent breath again, he felt a heavy thud on his back and his airway suddenly cleared.

He instantly recognised the feeling of mana passing through his back and into his body. Yet, the moment he tried to retaliate, forgetting he had no essence of his own, Nyx abruptly vomited again as the foreign energy seemed to gather around his stomach and lungs. 

Just as he wondered what sort of attack he was facing, the remains of the burning liquid were quickly forced out through his mouth and nose, and he was able to draw in a painful breath.

Though he wanted to know what had just happened, Nyx was instantly distracted as the painful feeling along his lower abdomen became far more intense than before. It almost felt like his insides had started to fall out as a hot, wet sensation began to grow on the side he was laying.

"Idiot." The first voice returned as Nyx felt something hit his shoulder, and he was forced back to his original position lying flat against the stone table.

There was a sharp pain that made him gasp as he felt a stabbing pressure against his abdomen, but that was quickly replaced by a warm, comforting sensation. Nyx vaguely recognised it as life essence as it flowed around his waist before spreading outwards. 

"You sure this one isn't cursed?"

The voice was barely audible as Nyx focused on the warm, comforting sensation that caused the pain to diminish considerably. He also felt what little energy he had sucked from the nearby flesh and muscles as the feeling of weakness grew. It almost felt like the warm essence flowing through his body was trying to turn him into an empty husk.

"Low ability. Weak."

Nyx released a grunt as the feeling faded, only for his body to shudder in relief as it washed over his body once again. It was only after the seventh wave that it stopped. 

"Seven heals... that's got to be a record."

He struggled to focus on the sound and was unable to assign its owner. Yet, as Nyx gasped, his throat raw, he noticed that he could no longer feel any other pain or soreness. Even the pressure-like aches where he had been held down had vanished alongside the irresistible urge to cough.

"The Maker, she needed a lot. I can't do anything about the scars without a flesh mage, but it shouldn't matter. I heard this one is 'hot' at the moment, so we're leaving her here with the others." The man to Nyx's left sighed as he moved around him and towards where he had heard the other two previously.

"Yeah, don't worry about it." An unfamiliar voice joined in. "I'll get someone to come and fix her up before we return next spring. While I'm sure Dad doesn't care about the organs, she's one of his backup plans, so she needs to at least look the part." 

Nyx tried to pinpoint the location of the new voice. However, it seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.  "Four. One more powerful than the rest. The new one likely has my-" 

His thoughts once again jarred as he realised something important. Meredith, his old master, was dead. He could still remember the sizable dwarven battle axe descending towards her head moments before he woke up surrounded by the fake darkness.

How had they been able to summon him? Not only that but even though he had once again manifested in the physical realms, Nyx couldn't feel the tug from his Soul Crystal, the compulsion to obey orders or the excruciating pain if he were to think about harming those that held it.

"I'm... not bound..." Nyx's mind raced as he tried to remember everything he had discovered since the summoning. Unfortunately, bar the strangeness of his new body and the seeming incompetence of his captors, there wasn't a lot.

"James. David. Mark."

Nyx frowned, wondering if the last name had been mentioned but quickly put that to the side as he re-examined the hints they had given him. Their relations, hierarchy, location, a 'Dad' who seemed to hold some power, organs and something happening next spring.

The information he had been given, while imperfect, was something no summoner, undead or spiritual, would ever reveal in front of an unbound spirit. They were notorious for being vengeful, full of malicious intent to those that would bind them, and relentless after all.

Or was that just him?

Nyx felt the corner of his lip twitch upwards, as an idea came to him. Though he couldn't believe it, it seemed possible that those who summoned him didn't realise what they were doing. That or they were so inexperienced that even a lesser spirit would be able to run circles around them.

Even though his body started to become heavier, his smile continued to grow as Nyx's mind was flooded with possibilities. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but everything seemed to be hinting that this wasn't a regular summoning. If that was the case, then maybe, just maybe... he was finally free.

Free from the old woman's voice. From the endless cycles. From Meredith and her inclinations. The suicidal missions. Of pain. The Grey, and thus the Abyss, might be off-limits until he worked out if death would return him to his nightmares, but the physical realm didn't seem so bleak all of a sudden.

"She's... smiling?"

He barely heard what was being said as his heartbeat and breathing continued to slow. However, as Nyx's consciousness began to waver, he realised what was happening and bit the inside of his cheek. The sharp, sudden pain didn't help much, but it enabled him to shake some groggy feelings as he felt overwhelming joy.

He was falling asleep.

"Damn that's creepy. What you think she's dreaming about?"

Nyx felt his body shiver in anticipation but resisted the urge to give in as the voices had reminded him that he was weakened and surrounded. If he were to sleep now, he might not know how he died or who was responsible.

"Kill. Hide. Sleep... Food, meat... alcohol... Hot water... sex?" 

Nyx quickly ran through a mental plan before it quickly fragmented into a list of desires as his imagination started to run wild. There were many advantages to being a spirit, but the disadvantages heavily outweigh them in terms of quality-of-life. Especially if one was trapped looping through time as a disembodied soul.

He wanted to laugh as excitement bubbled in his chest. All he had to do was eliminate the threats around him and find somewhere safe to lay low. After enjoying himself, he would investigate what had happened and ensure that it was well and truly over before attempting to return to the Abyss.

Nyx curled his fingers, weakly clawing at the stone surface below as he attempted to lift his body. After so long, everything he had suffered, he was so close. All he had to do-

"Down." A hand slammed down his chest pushing him back. Along with the slight pain, Nyx realised something was off and couldn't help but frown. 

He had regained many of his body's sensations enabling him to realise that the feeling on his chest wasn't quite right. It felt as if there was a slight gap in the middle and something softer to each side. It also felt heavier, though not by much, than it should. 

"I said down." 

As Nyx repeated his previous movements, he was forced back to the cold stone once again. Yet, when he hit the surface, a weak, whimper-like curse unconsciously escaped his throat that seemed to surprise him as much as it did the men surrounding him.

"Shes..."

A strange silence filled the room. 

"That... was me?" Nyx quickly tried to examine his body, but without any essence under his control and his senses still in disarray, he couldn't find anything wrong. Well, excluding the part where he couldn't see. 

Nyx froze before blinking a few times and sighing in relief. For a split second, he had thought that the reason he couldn't see was that he had forgotten to open his eyes. 

"How... How can she move after that amount of healing? She didn't have much fat on her so it should have consumed the muscles and ambient essence in the flesh." The weak sounding guy spoke, breaking the silence.

"She?" Nyx tried to frown, feeling as if his face was going into spasms instead of doing as it should. He tried to recall what he had heard since arriving only to discover that any references he could infer were about him, were all feminine. Something that should have been impossible. Souls, while ambiguous, had a gender which dictated what bodies they could possess.

"Crap. The enchanted blindfolds going to do fuck all if the bitch has been listening. Your Father is going to-"

"What are you worried about? We leave tomorrow morning, and Dad's busy with the Baron and his... wife." The man who Nyx had tentatively labelled as James interrupted the deep sounding man. "And... if she were vital, Dad wouldn't be leaving her here in the back end of beyond."

Silence.

"Don't worry, I got this." 

The nervous guy seemed to make a noise after James spoke, but Nyx found it extremely hard to focus. 

"What if he finds out you used the Soul Cryst-"

Nyx's head snapped towards the sound as he struggled to lift his head.

"Fucking idiot. Shut. The. Fuck. Up." James seemed to be grinding his teeth as he spoke. "Don't make things harder than they already are."

"Let me fix that." The voice of who he assumed to be the healer, though he couldn't associate it with a name yet, appeared above Nyx as a warm touch appeared on each side of his head. While he struggled, praying that he had misheard them and his summoning wasn't related to a Soul Crystal, Nyx wasn't able to resist long. Soon, he fell into sleep's embrace as his consciousness faded.