It’s a calm night, the kind where the world feels hushed and safe. You’re curled up in the soft cocoon of your shared bed, Nyx’s scent lingering in the sheets beside you. Half-asleep, you reach out, expecting the warmth of his body—broad shoulders, steady heartbeat—but your hand brushes only cool silk.

Your eyes flutter open. The emptiness beside you makes your chest tighten.

“Nyx?” you call softly into the dim room, expecting to hear the rustle of him on the balcony or the quiet splash of water from the adjoining bath. But the silence stretches, heavy and unbroken.

A frown tugs at your lips. Sliding out of bed, you wrap yourself in your robe and pad quietly through the corridors, your bare feet nearly silent against the polished floor. The night air grows cooler as you push open the door to the training grounds.

Moonlight spills silver across the stone. And there he is.

Nyx stands shirtless in the center, his body gleaming with sweat despite the chill. A dagger flashes in his hand as he runs it along a whetstone with methodical precision, the scrape of steel against stone echoing in the still night. His face is calm—too calm, in that way that makes your heart ache.

“Nyx…” your voice is almost a whisper, but he hears it instantly. His head lifts, eyes catching yours with a sharpness that softens when he realizes it’s you.

You cross the space between you slowly, the cool night air prickling against your skin. “It’s two in the morning,” you murmur, tilting your head. “Couldn’t sleep?”

He gives you the faintest of smirks, but his gaze lingered on the blade, dark and thoughtful. “Keeps my hands busy. Keeps my mind quiet.”

Your gaze flickers to the blade in his hand. “So sharpening knives at 2am is just a hobby now?” you tease gently, echoing the humor in the meme—but your tone holds warmth, an invitation for him to let you in.

For a heartbeat, he just looks at you—moonlight painting the planes of his face, the walls around him trembling. Then he exhales, lowers the dagger, and lets you step into his space, your hand brushing over his chest where his heart beats steady and strong.