"Seraphina… she's connected to Nyx," Kai muttered under his breath, his voice low as the last fragments of the flashback slotted into place.

He stood frozen, eyes distant, as if still watching echoes of a past only he could see. The others exchanged glances, unsure whether to interrupt or give him space.

Kai clenched his fists.

No matter how hard he tried, the details beyond Seraphina capturing him were smudged and untraceable. He couldn't even recall the bar's name… or the location of his old apartment. It was almost as if someone had scrubbed out every breadcrumb trail before he could follow it.

But Seraphina would know.

She had to know.

And if she was some kind of celebrity singer like the others had said, she'd eventually be out in public. Performing, hosting, or whatever else she got up to.

That was something he could act on… but later.

He snapped back to reality, blinking as he realised all eyes were on him. They stared at him like he'd just announced he was secretly a talking dog.

He had zoned out and began randomly grunting and muttering. Probably looked like a lunatic reliving a trauma mid-conversation. Then came the cherry on top - the absurd statement that had stunned them all.

"You're telling us Seraphina is connected to Nyx?" Isaac asked, scepticism lacing every word. "She's not even a mutant. What would she be doing with him? What did she do to you?"

"You probably met her in your dreams," Sven said, grinning. "I've had dreams of-"

Slap!

Nadya's hand cracked the back of his head.

"Idiot."

Kai exhaled through his nose and gave them a condensed version of what he'd remembered, leaving out the parts about getting blackout drunk each night - no need for those details.

As wild as his story sounded, the others struggled to argue against his expression.

He wasn't joking, nor was he unsure.

Still, it was hard to wrap their heads around.

One of the most well-known and idolised celebrities in the world? A mutant?

And working with Nyx on top of that?

"You're saying she's doing his dirty work?" Isaac frowned. "Why would someone like her even bother?"

Kai shook his head. "Not dirty work. A favour - likely because she's in bed with the Association. They let her live how she wants, keep her ability hidden from the public… and in return, she does the occasional job for them. With powers like hers, getting what she wants is easy."

It made a terrifying kind of sense.

Her fame. Her reach. Her mystery. No one ever dug too deep. No one dared, or maybe no one could...

Kai could see it now - how she moved in the spotlight while staying in the shadows at the same time.

"I'll deal with it," he said, tone final. "Don't worry about it. I'll find her on my own."

He turned away for a moment, Seraphina's face crystal clear in his mind. Her eyes. Her voice. Her smirk.

'This time, I won't forget you.'

He wouldn't let her get inside his head again - figuratively or literally.

"Don't worry, blood boy," Nadya said playfully, her tone breaking the tension. "We'll help you kidnap her right back - celebrity or not. Sven would probably enjoy it, too."

"I volunteer!" Sven shouted, bouncing like an overexcited puppy. "I'll be the bait! I can sing too, sort of!"

Another slap. "No, you can't," Nadya muttered.

Isaac sighed and rubbed his temples, already imagining the headlines. 'Mutant group affiliated with the Mutant Outlaws have abducted singer and celebrity Seraphina.' It wouldn't surprise him, and that was even if they managed to succeed.

Still, he didn't even bother trying to get Kai to change his mind.

None of them did.

They were in this together, now more than ever.

"Before we jump into a global popstar manhunt," Nadya said, folding her arms with a grin, "I've got a friend in this city. Shady place, but if we're looking for mutants, underground drugs, or anything Nyx-related, it's a good place to start."

The others stiffened.

That smile of hers… that gleam in her eyes…

They knew what it meant.

"Just how shady are we talking?" Isaac asked warily.

"On a scale of one to ten?" Nadya hummed. "Probably twelve."

They groaned in unison, but followed her anyway.

Because at that point, none of them knew anywhere else to start.

-

Kai trailed the others through the city's nightlife chaos, adjusting his ripped robes as they moved through the neon-soaked streets.

The place was alive.

Music thumped from every alley. Holographic ads shimmered against rain-slicked pavement. Vendors hollered, street performers spun fire or hacked their own limbs with magic tricks, and groups of drunk teens in absurd costumes shouted and danced like tomorrow didn't exist.

Kai blinked as a man in a bright pink fur coat walked past with a glowing ferret wrapped around his shoulders.

'This city's full of wackos,' he thought, almost amused. Colourful hair, piercings in places he didn't even think had nerves, glowing tattoos, full-body suits that changed colour in real time… nothing was off-limits.

'At least it helps us blend in.' For once, his somewhat pale skin and blood-red eyes didn't scream "danger!" He was just another eccentric face in the crowd.

'Maybe I won't need to buy sunglasses after all,' he thought, half-smirking.

"Cool eyes and outfit," a woman said as she brushed past him, glancing over her shoulder. "You doing some kind of vampire cosplay, or what?"

Kai raised a brow, not even bothering to respond.

"Yeah, he's a Dracula," Sven said, instantly swooping in. "But enough about him - what's your name, beautiful?"

The woman laughed, clearly entertained, but before Sven could unleash the full force of his self-proclaimed "lady magnet mode," Nadya grabbed him by the collar like an unruly dog, yanking him away.

She swept her glare over the rest of them next. "Eyes front. Stick together. Especially you, Amina - stay close to Isaac."

Amina blinked, surprised, before nodding her head and walking closer to the one-armed man.

Nadya didn't bother to explain further, just started walking again at a brisker pace. But Kai caught the silent exchange between her and Isaac and understood her intentions.

With Isaac's growing control over his phasing ability - and Kai's earlier suggestions to experiment with flying in his phased form - he could phase himself and others out of anywhere. Well, almost anywhere...

If things went sideways, he was the emergency escape plan and could protect Nadya.

Smart.

And as they continued onwards together, Kai couldn't suppress his curiosity.

"By the way," he said, walking beside her now, "who exactly is this 'friend' of yours?"

Nadya grinned without looking at him. "You'll see. She's probably active on a night like this… and who knows? You might even get some action."

Kai squinted. "What kind of action are we talking here?"

She didn't answer.

Which wasn't a good sign.

They weaved through the alleys, neon lights giving way to dingier signs, louder bass, and darker corners of the city.

As they moved, the others began to notice it too - that strange tension in Nadya's posture. She wasn't as relaxed as usual, as if in apprehension of what was to come.

"Wait…" Sven said slowly, piecing things together. "When you say friend, you don't mean…"

She smiled wryly and nodded.

"We're totally not on good terms," Nadya laughed. "But I'm sure she would have got over what happened last time."

Everyone groaned at once.

Kai sighed and muttered, "Should've known."

Still, he kept walking. If this contact of hers could get them a step closer to the drugs and therefore Nyx, or Seraphina, it'd be worth it, right?

But they underestimated just how sideways things could go, not that they had much of a plan to begin with...

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.