ACT Headquarters was experiencing one of its quieter mornings.
This meant only two hallways had changed location overnight, one bathroom currently opened into itself, and something in the kitchen had been screaming intermittently since six.
Nobody had investigated the kitchen.
Nyxus sat backward in a chair in the common room, one leg hooked over the armrest, examining an envelope with profound suspicion.
It had arrived approximately eleven minutes ago.
He had spent nine of those minutes looking at it.
Yamiya Mieko eventually lowered her notebook and asked, "Are you going to open it?"
Nyxus turned the envelope over.
Nyxus announced, "Mail."
Yamiya stared at him.
Yamiya replied, "That's generally what envelopes are for."
Nyxus nodded slowly, apparently satisfied with this explanation.
Nyxus said, "Thought so."
He tore it open.
Kaosu glanced over from the other side of the room and asked, "Who the hell sends letters?"
Nyxus replied, "Torin."
That got slightly more attention.
Yamiya looked up properly and asked, "The man from Sorahora?"
Nyxus replied, "The bread guy."
Yamiya corrected him, "The man who nearly died protecting an entire village."
Nyxus considered this.
Nyxus said, "Yeah. Bread guy."
He unfolded the letter.
There were several pages.
His expression immediately worsened.
Nyxus muttered, "Oh."
Yamiya asked, "What?"
Nyxus replied, "It's long."
Yamiya said, "Read it."
Nyxus began.
For approximately eight seconds.
His eyes moved rapidly down the first page.
Nyxus,
I hope this reaches you. A lot has happened since you left Sorahora.
Skip.
My daughter was caught beneath part of the eastern market when—
Skip.
The physicians weren't certain she would survive the night, but thankfully—
Skip.
The Corps provided treatment and she's recovering—
Nyxus turned the page.
Yamiya's eyes narrowed.
Yamiya asked, "Did you just skip past his daughter nearly dying?"
Nyxus shrugged.
Nyxus replied, "She survived."
Yamiya said, "You're unbelievable."
Nyxus replied, "I found out what happened."
Yamiya corrected him, "You found out the last sentence."
Nyxus replied, "Efficient."
He continued.
There were ships.
Skip.
I don't think I've ever seen Grandfather Emon cry before—
Skip.
Captain Voss—
Nyxus slowed slightly.
Then continued.
—has allowed me to accompany them to Central Assessment. I haven't been accepted into the Continuum Corps. Not yet. Captain Voss has made that extremely clear.
Apparently my physical scores are considerably below Corps standard.
Kaosu snorted.
Nyxus continued reading.
My Binary manipulation is worse.
Kaosu snorted considerably harder.
Nyxus murmured, "But..."
Something in the next paragraph caught him.
His eyes stopped moving.
Yamiya noticed.
For the first time since opening the letter, Nyxus wasn't skimming.
His eyes remained fixed upon one line.
Kaosu glanced toward him and asked, "What?"
Nyxus didn't answer.
Yamiya's expression changed.
Yamiya asked, "What happened?"
Nothing.
She stood.
Yamiya asked again, "Nyxus?"
Nyxus slowly lowered the letter.
His face had become completely serious.
Yamiya crossed the room.
Yamiya asked, "What did he say?"
Nyxus looked genuinely offended.
Nyxus replied, "He cheated."
Yamiya stopped.
Yamiya asked, "What?"
Nyxus pointed furiously at the page.
Nyxus repeated, "He cheated."
She took the letter.
Near the bottom, Torin had written:
You told me I'd never get anywhere with dreams and good intentions.
I'm not in yet.
But I got farther than you said I would.
Yamiya read it twice.
Then she looked at Nyxus.
Nyxus folded his arms.
Nyxus said, "Doesn't count."
Yamiya replied, "It very clearly counts."
Nyxus said, "No."
Yamiya replied, "He specifically disproved you."
Nyxus argued, "He hasn't joined yet."
Yamiya said, "He acknowledged that."
Nyxus replied, "That proves I am correct, therefore I remain correct."
Yamiya stared at him.
Yamiya said, "That's circular logic."
Nyxus replied, "Best shape of logic."
From across the room, Kaosu groaned.
Yamiya handed the letter back.
There was the faintest suggestion of a smile on her face.
Yamiya said, "You're upset because Torin might actually succeed."
Nyxus replied, "I'm upset because he's incorrectly implying that I was incorrect."
Yamiya said, "Which you were."
Nyxus replied, "Allegedly."
Nyxus looked down at the letter again.
And thousands of kilometres away, several weeks before that letter would ever reach him, Torin had been standing beneath a completely different sky.
A sky that had begun to thunder.