Nyx trudged through the snow‑covered forest on all four paws. White snow blanketed almost the entire ground, making every step heavy and difficult. Flakes clung to his blue fur, which grew damp and cold as the biting wind swept over him.
He kept moving even as his legs began to ache. Each paw left a deep print in the thick snow, and every breath he exhaled turned into a wisp of white vapour. He tried to find his way out, but the deeper he walked, the more unfamiliar the surroundings became. He had no idea where he was—only that he must return to the palace and clear his name before Princess Celestia.
His stomach rumbled loudly with hunger. It had been a full day since the guards abandoned him, and he had not eaten a single bite since being cast out. For the first time in his life, Nyx felt utterly helpless. He thought of the palace—once his home, the place where he had always stood beside Celestia. Now he was alone in the wilderness, discarded like a stray. Yet he refused to stop. He still believed he could fix everything.
"Princess Celestia… wait for me…" he whispered weakly.
Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through the silence.
"Nyx!"
His eyes flew open. He spun around. Between the snow‑laden trees, a hare came bounding toward him.
"Silas?" Nyx stared in disbelief.
Without hesitation, he hurried over. "Silas… you came looking for me?"
Silas looked him over with concern. Nyx's usually sleek fur was now matted and heavy with snow, his face drawn with exhaustion.
"I followed the carriage that took you away," Silas said gently. "I wanted to make sure you were safe." He glanced around. "Are you hurt?"
Nyx fell silent. He had never expected anyone to search for him. For so long, he had thought only he was the one who protected Celestia and the palace—but now, someone else had come to find him.
"You… you came all this way just to help me?"
Silas gave a small smile. "Of course. I know you are innocent in all this."
Relief washed over Nyx. At last, someone believed him. "Thank you, Silas. I won't forget this. I will tell Princess Celestia the truth—what Ryan did to frame me."
His expression hardened as he thought of the betrayal.
Silas nodded calmly. "Don't worry. Let's go."
Together, they walked deeper into the woods. The snow grew thicker, and tall trees blocked out most of the sunlight, turning the forest dim and cold. Nyx followed behind, but his steps soon slowed. Weak from hunger and cold, his large body began to falter.
Silas noticed at once. "Nyx."
Nyx stopped. "I can keep going."
But his voice lacked its usual strength.
"You are pushing yourself too hard," Silas said softly.
After a while, Silas halted. "Do you need water?"
Nyx nodded eagerly. "Yes."
Silas led him to a ravine where a pool of unfrozen water rested between rocks. Nyx leaned down to drink—but just as his tongue touched the surface, a sharp force slammed into his side.
"Whoa—!"
His balance vanished, and he slid toward the edge. In a desperate move, Nyx dug his claws into the rock face, catching himself just in time. His body hung suspended over the drop.
"Si… Silas?"
He looked up. Silas stood there—but his face had changed. The gentle smile was gone, replaced by cold indifference.
"Nyx…"
"What are you doing?"
Silas stared down at him. "I think it would be better if you died here."
Nyx froze. "What?"
"You remember Liy, who was accused of stealing important documents?" Silas asked.
Nyx's eyes widened. "That was…"
"Alice planted them. She wanted to sabotage Charles, but the papers ended up stuck to Liy instead."
"And Qas…?"
"I used him to deliver the letter to Princess Elowen," Silas confessed.
Nyx could barely believe his ears. All this time, every incident, every trouble—Silas had been pulling the strings.
"And you?" Silas chuckled softly. "I was the one who took the tax money from the treasury to buy fish and supplies for myself."
Nyx went numb, his body stiff with shock. The creature he had trusted completely was the true mastermind behind everything.
"Silas…"
"Thank you, by the way, for helping me drive Charles out of the palace," Silas added.
"You… you and Alice are working together?"
"Yes," Silas admitted without shame. "And Fin helps too—he acts as my eyes and ears inside the palace."
"Why?" Nyx growled.
"I was supposed to be the only one Princess Celestia trusted completely," Silas said, his voice turning sharp. "I want to bring all of them down. I want the whole kingdom of Wonderveil to fall."
"You are mad!" Nyx roared.
Silas smiled coldly. "Goodbye, Nyx. No one will ever find you here."
He kicked a mound of snow loose. Nyx's claws slipped, and he fell.
"Silas!"
He tumbled down the ravine—but because of the deep snow, he did not suffer fatal injuries. He tried to stand, but then heard low growls. From behind the trees emerged a pack of large wolves, their eyes fixed hungrily on him.
Nyx backed away, his heart sinking. Silas did not come to rescue me—he came to make sure I never return.
He ran. With an empty stomach and a weakened body, he stumbled through the snow. The wolves gave chase. He crashed into branches, thorns tearing at his skin, but he kept moving.
"I can't die… I must reach Princess Celestia…"
Then his paw caught on a thick root. He fell hard. The largest wolf lunged, seized him by the scruff of his neck, and flung him onto the ground.
"Silas told us to hurt you first before we eat," one wolf snarled.
The others closed in, kicking and biting, treating him like a toy. Nyx was too weak to fight back, but he refused to give up. Summoning his last burst of strength, he rolled himself toward a steep slope.
"Hey—he's getting away!"
Nyx rolled down the snowy incline, thorns and stones scraping his fur, until he plunged into a deeper ravine. The wolves stopped at the top, peering down.
"He's gone. Must be dead."
They turned and left, unaware that Nyx had managed to catch hold of a sturdy branch jutting from the rock wall.
He waited, trembling, for fifteen long minutes before climbing slowly back up. His body was covered in cuts and bruises, his blue fur matted and stained with blood—but his eyes still burned with determination.
"I… I have to see Princess Celestia."
He tried to walk again, but his strength gave out. At last, he collapsed onto the snow. His vision blurred.
"I can't go on…"
In the distance, he heard the wolves returning. Nyx closed his eyes, ready for the end.
Am I going to die here?
But before he lost consciousness completely, he felt something lift him gently off the ground. Then everything went dark.
............
Nyx slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was a wooden ceiling. His vision remained blurry for a moment before he gradually became aware of his surroundings. When he tried to move, a dull ache ran through his body.
He looked down at himself and blinked in surprise. Several parts of his body were wrapped in clean bandages; the cuts from thorns and the wolves' attacks had been cleaned and treated with ointment. The air carried the strong, earthy scent of healing herbs.
He twitched his ears. Nearby, he heard the soft crackle of a fire burning in the hearth. Its warmth seeped into his bones, driving away the bitter cold he had endured for so long. He realised he was lying on a soft couch—not on snow, not in the middle of a forest. Someone had saved him.
"Where… am I?"
Nyx tried to sit up slowly, but his strength was still gone, forcing him to pause. He glanced around the small room. It was simple and modest: a few pieces of furniture, a small table, and the fire that lit and warmed the space.
He frowned. Who could have brought him here?
"Who saved me?"
Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke.
"Nyx."
His whole body stiffened. He turned his head sharply, and his eyes widened in shock as someone stepped through the doorway.
Charles.
Charles carried a tray in his hands, holding boiled fish and a bowl of water. Nyx stared at him in silence. This was the man he had once looked down on, the man he had deemed unworthy of being near the palace, the man he himself had tried to drive away from Princess Celestia's side. And yet, this was the one who had rescued him.
Charles walked slowly over to the couch and set the tray down on the small table beside Nyx.
"Good, you're finally awake," he said with a faint smile. "You've been unconscious for two whole days."
Nyx remained quiet, unsure what to say.
"Why did you save me?" he asked, his voice weak and hoarse.
Charles looked at him calmly. "Because you are a living creature. I found you in the forest, running for your life from a pack of wolves. I could not just leave you there to die."
Nyx lowered his head, a heavy feeling of guilt settling in his chest.
"Charles…"
"Yes?"
"You should have left me there," Nyx said, his voice trembling. "After everything I did to you… after I insulted you, after I thought you had no place in the palace… after I tried to push you away… you still saved me."
Charles only smiled gently. "I never held it against you."
That simple reply left Nyx speechless. Before he knew it, tears began to well up in his eyes.
"Why?"
Charles looked slightly taken aback. "Hey, don't cry. This is the first time I've ever seen a cat shed tears." He chuckled softly.
Nyx quickly turned his face away, but the tears still rolled down his cheeks.
"Charles… I am sorry," he said at last, letting out all the feelings he had kept bottled up. "I truly am sorry for everything I did. I thought I knew what was best for Princess Celestia. I was too proud, too sure I was always right."
He closed his eyes. "I don't mind if you hate me now. But I admit it—I was wrong."
He tried to push himself up to bow his head in apology, but his body refused to obey.
"Stay still," Charles said gently, reaching out to stop him. "You are still badly hurt."
He picked up the bowl of boiled fish and held it out. "Eat first."
Nyx looked at the food, and only then did he realise just how empty his stomach was. Without hesitation, he began to eat, devouring it quickly after days without a proper meal.
Charles watched him with a quiet smile, never imagining that the fierce, proud cat he had known could ever look this fragile. Before he realised what he was doing, Charles reached out and stroked the top of Nyx's head.
Nyx paused mid‑bite and looked up at him. But this time, he did not growl, did not pull away, did not feel offended. He simply stayed still.
When he finished eating, Nyx rested his head and looked at Charles's hand still resting on his fur.
"You… you are the first person who has ever petted me like this."
Charles raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really?"
Nyx gave a small nod. "I appreciate it."
Charles smiled warmly. "Then I suppose I am lucky to be the first."
Nyx gazed at him, and for the first time in ages, he did not see Charles as someone who disturbed Celestia's life. He saw him as the man who had saved his life.
"Nyx," Charles said after a while.
"Yes?"
"You must stay here one more day to rest," he said, glancing at the bandages. "Tomorrow, we leave this place."
Nyx frowned. "Leave?"
"Yes." Charles looked toward the window. "This area is not safe. If Silas is still looking for you, he will eventually find this spot."
The name Silas made Nyx's expression harden. He remembered every word of that betrayal, every lie, every secret that had been hidden from him.
Charles noticed the change but did not press him for details. "I will take you somewhere safe, where no one will find you."
Nyx looked into Charles's eyes and asked quietly, "You… you won't betray me too, will you?"
Charles paused for only a moment before smiling. "I will never do that, Nyx."
Slowly, Nyx nodded.
That night, the fire in the hearth continued to burn, filling the small room with steady warmth. Nyx lay curled up beside Charles. For the first time since being cast out of the palace, he did not feel alone.
Charles ran his hand gently over Nyx's fur again. And this time…
Nyx let him.
Without even realising it, the proud, stubborn cat who had trusted no one but himself had finally begun to trust the man he had once tried to destroy.