Aryan went to sleep without saying a word. He knew that the library his father used to talk about was not this one. Where could that library be? He fell asleep pondering this.

  Meanwhile, an attack occurred on the upper floor of the guest room where the library was located. Maliha and Malicha brought the news to Nihira. The attacker was none other than Raiyan. He had launched the assault to uncover the history of this lineage. As he was rifling through the books, Nihira arrived. "Who are you?" she demanded. Raiyan replied, "No one. You can think of me as a traveler. I haven't caught your name yet."

  Nihira answered firmly, "I am Nihira Nishat. Stop right where you are." As Raiyan prepared to speak again, he realized he was trapped within Nihira's shadow. He quickly understood that Nihira was no ordinary human; she possessed the power to control the concept of darkness.

  Raiyan fired his pistol at Nihira. She dodged, grabbed him, and threw him through the window. Before Raiyan could steady himself on the ground, Nihira began her assault. Raiyan had initially underestimated her because she was unarmed. Nihira couldn't fully utilize her power over the concept of death, but her unarmed combat skills left Raiyan with no room to breathe.

  Using his own blood, Raiyan ignited fires everywhere. However, Nihira’s darkness extinguished them instantly. Raiyan realized something. He intentionally took a fatal blow upon himself and "died" for a few moments. Nihira was terrified at the sight.

  But within moments, Raiyan returned from death. Nihira was stunned but prepared to attack again. Raiyan took another fatal blow, but this time Nihira did not strike him with full force. Seeing this, Raiyan remarked, "Girl, it is not in you to kill anyone." Then, he fled.

  As he escaped, Raiyan thought, "That girl has a soft heart; she cannot commit murder. Even if she has the power to control the concept of death, she couldn't use it without a blade or sharp weapon."

  In the other room, seeing that Nihira was not home, Aryan went to search her room for his father’s diary. Instead, he found a diary belonging to Nihira that detailed experiments conducted on the children of this family. One glimpse left him shocked. It read: "No one in this family is human. My elder brother and I carry the blood of the Ethereal Primarch. My brother was experimented upon with a black substance that holds the void. The results were so terrifying that to manage the situation, he was sent to my aunt’s house and led to believe he was an adopted son."

  As he finished reading, Nihira entered the room and snatched the book from his hand. Aryan didn't ask further questions and went to sleep. This time, he would sleep peacefully, knowing he was with his true sister.

  In the morning, Aryan woke up and sat for breakfast with Nihira. His laughter made it clear to Nihira that he now knew he wasn't an adopted son.

  Though Nihira told him not to go to college that day, he didn't listen and left anyway.

  When Aryan reached college, he found it closed. On his way back, he met Niha. "Why are you in such a good mood today?" she asked. Aryan told her about the previous night's events. Hearing this, Niha said, "Then you have the blood of my race in you! I'm so happy." Aryan asked, "Why does that make you happy?"

  Niha ignored his question and asked instead, "What would you prefer: a place where there are flaws and problems everywhere, or a place where everything is perfect and follows the rules?" Aryan smiled and said, "The flawed place." Niha asked for an explanation. Aryan pointed to an old man and said, "See that man children are giving chocolates to? He was a soldier in WWII. He went to war against his mother's wishes, and when he returned, she died before he could speak to her. No one knows him now. What did he gain?"

  Niha said, "He gained nothing; he lost everything." Aryan smiled. "No, he gained humanity. His mother and his comrades who never returned home live on within him. Even if the world doesn't remember his sacrifice, every object is a testament to it. That wouldn't exist in a 'perfect' place. That is the flaw in perfection." Niha understood and said, "You're right. I want to stay in the flawed place too."

  Then Niha said, "I have to go somewhere. It might take 1 to 4 days or more to return." Aryan said dejectedly, "My mood was so good today, and you have to leave now? Fine, take care of yourself. But tell me, do you sleep with the lights on?" Niha asked confusedly, "It's always bright there; I don't need lights. Why do you ask?" Aryan laughed. "I'm terrified of the dark, so I sleep with the lights on." Niha smiled. "You spend half your time in a half-dead state. I see you as a machine. What if I don't return?" Aryan looked at her. "In this flickering world, I believe in nothing. We’ve had such terrible days. Our paths are different, yet I met a stranger. Your stranger’s smile had a hidden purpose, yet you were by my side, protecting me. This should have ended that day. It’s too late to restart the heart. Even if this is a dream, I’d stay in this dream world."

  Niha began to fade into the wind. "I will be hiding. Take care. I will return only for you," she said and disappeared.

  Aryan boarded a bus, thinking to himself, "Is everything a lie or the truth? Niha, you look so beautiful in that smile. You are etched in my memory; it's impossible to remove you from my heart. How will I rebuild my heart? I've been walking since then. You are the only one who has seen my true form."

  He reached home. Nihira saw him and asked, "Brother, what happened? You were fine this morning." Aryan replied, "Niha is dead." Nihira screamed, "What?!" Aryan calmed her. "She’s not dead. She’s out of town. I meant that every departure is a partial death." Nihira glared at him. "Save your philosophy for elsewhere." Nihira also knew Niha wasn't human because she lacked the concept of death. They talked for a while.

  After lunch, they saw on TV that about 20 people had gone missing. An "offender" had been arrested. Both knew an innocent person was being framed to silence criticism. Just then, the domestic staff who had been on leave arrived: Shobuj the gardener, Rajia the cook, and Abdur Rahman the head steward.

  Nihira introduced Aryan to them. "Abdur Rahman was our father's friend. He lost everything in a war and has worked here ever since." Aryan introduced himself as well.

  After the introductions, he collapsed onto his bed. Niha’s words were still spinning in his head. Suddenly, he saw all the missing persons standing outside his window. Their appearance was abnormal, looking like those strange shadows.

  Aryan knew something like this might happen after Niha left. He jumped out of bed, but saw no one there. Meanwhile, Nihira had fainted. Aryan rushed to her. She was laid on the bed. College was set to reopen the next day.

  In the evening, Nihira opened her eyes. Aryan was by her side. Nihira said, "Everything is going wrong. And college starts tomorrow." Aryan said angrily, "Forget that, you're sick!" Nihira smiled at his care. "My brother cares so much; maybe I should stay sick longer." Aryan retorted, "Don't say that! The sooner you recover, the better."

  Nihira sat up. "I have a meeting today; I have to go." Aryan protested, "But you're sick." Nihira insisted she'd be fine. As she was leaving, Raiyan arrived at their house. "Hey Aryan, haven't talked in a while, so I dropped by."

  Aryan said, "Oh right, I almost forgot about you." Nihira was fuming. "My head hurts; I'm not going to the meeting."

  When Raiyan tried to talk to Aryan, Nihira interrupted. "You have college tomorrow, talk then. I'm not feeling well; leave." She didn't give him a chance. She whispered in his ear, "I let you go before, but this time you won't leave alive."

  After he left, Nihira told Aryan, "After college tomorrow, I'm coming with you wherever you go." When Aryan asked why, she said, "We’re going to the movies together."

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Aryan asked, "What kind of movie?" Nihira thought, "If we watch a romance, brother might think something weird. Better watch a horror movie." She said to Aryan, "Let's watch something terrifying."

  Next morning, Aryan wouldn't wake up. Maliha came and said, "Nihira is waiting at the table; you'll be late for college." Aryan mumbled in his sleep, "Go away, I'm having a beautiful dream."

  Maliha told Nihira. Nihira came and started calling him. "Only 30 minutes until college starts!" Hearing this, he jumped up and got dressed quickly. There was no time to eat, but Nihira forced him to eat a few bites with her own hands.

  At college, Aryan saw Raiyan. Raiyan said, "Lucky for you your sister doesn't go to this college." Aryan replied, "Not luck. She’s transferring here from her other college in a few days." Then class began.

  During class, Aryan and Raiyan stared at each other as if they had a thousand years of conversation bottled up. After class, Raiyan told Aryan, "You and I are not the same. You are immortal and cannot die, while I can die yet I'm somehow stuck between life and death. He is coming to take me back to the world of death." Before he could say more, Nihira arrived and pulled Aryan away.

  "How did you get here so fast?" Aryan asked. "You don't need to know," she replied. They went to the theater, but all tickets were sold out. Nihira walked home eating ice cream. At least she had pulled him away from Raiyan.

  Returning home, they found Raiyan in the guest room. Nihira wanted to kick him out, but couldn't in front of everyone. Aryan said, "Come to my room, let's talk." Nihira interjected, "Whatever is said will be said in front of me."

  Raiyan started speaking loudly, "That shadow is targeting various supernatural families because they are trying to stop death." Aryan interrupted, "Brother, please stop. Let's talk elsewhere."

  Nihira said, "No, right here." Aryan didn't give Raiyan another chance. "Don't say another word; we'll talk at college." He pushed Raiyan out of the house. Nihira then said, "You're not going to college tomorrow."

  Aryan argued, "I'm never absent. You shouldn't be either, or you'll get low marks." Nihira feigned crying. "How could you say that to me? What's the point of living?" Maliha and Malicha were laughing at the scene.

  Nihira turned to them. "What's so funny? You two argue every day over who makes the bed. Do I laugh?" They ran to their rooms. Maliha whispered to Malicha, "Talk quieter next time."

  ?Niha had arrived in that realm. A place of only black and white houses that were all incomplete. It was as if parts of the houses were missing, but it was impossible to tell what was gone. Her companion asked, "Is something wrong?" This companion was the guardian of the realms of Niha, Arcos, and everything in between.

  His job was to maintain balance between worlds. He wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone who disrupted it, be it Niha or Arcos. It was said his power could rival Arcos.

  Niha said, "Nothing is wrong; you may return to your post." He vanished instantly. Niha knew she couldn't win a fight against him. He was far stronger than ordinary pillars; only Arcos was his equal. No one knew where he came from or how. He was the Void Warder.

  Nihilopolis, Arcos’s kingdom, had become a transit point between worlds. A few years ago, she saw this kingdom on Earth, but when the conspiracy against Arcos happened, Niha had ignored his suffering. She thought, "Because of my neglect, he has no peace even after death. No one is as lonely as him in this macrocosm."

  The deeper she went into Nihilopolis, the more strange and incomplete the buildings became. The realm was silent now. She reached Arcos’s throne room. She couldn't look him in the eye out of shame and guilt. His entire body was bound in chains, and a thousand daggers—thrust by his own subjects—were embedded in his back. He would never be free.

  She noticed she was walking on masks. She realized these were all of Arcos’s faces. Arcos was the Prince of Many Faces, wearing a mask every day to hide his sorrow and pain.

  Arcos saw Niha and asked, "Why are you sad?" Niha didn't answer. Arcos said, "Are you grieving for me again?" Niha looked at him bravely. "Because of me, you are so alone." Arcos interrupted, "Who is alone? You are the one who is alone. You never even saw your parents' faces, whereas I had a good childhood. I carry their memories and dreams. What do you have? Do you know why none of your kind are alive? Because they ended themselves to escape this torment. They left you with the burden of witnessing all this pain. You grew up in a cage."

  Niha remained silent. Arcos continued, "You are spending time alone now. I know you are happy with that boy. Forgive me for making you lonely again. If you wish, after this meeting, you can settle on Earth with him permanently. But it will harm the Earthly environment, so you must adapt. Your powers will diminish greatly, and you will become almost human. On this condition, you can stay on Earth forever."

  Niha smiled slightly. Arcos said, "You've learned to smile quickly. That was perhaps the hardest task for you."

  ?Back home, Nihira insisted on going to college with Aryan. Aryan said, "They don't let girls from other colleges in." Nihira laughed. " I'll just say I'm a new student. See, your college has accepted me." They laughed and went to their rooms.

  But no one slept. Nihira sat by the window thinking, "This is all for your good, brother. I've lost everyone; I don't want to lose you. I might disappear, but you will live." She saw Aryan sitting on a bench in the garden.

  Aryan was thinking, "This environment is bringing everything back. So open. I came to the garden to take it all in. Maybe you’ll come back, wearing a different pair of shoes, with a smile, doing something you don't usually do. You know you're better than this. How could you not return? You still have it. Did that humanity ever exist in you before? You're just afraid to lose."

  Nihira didn't disturb him. She knew Niha was the only light in Aryan’s dark world. She thought, "I want to see you happy. I want to see you as a human. Maybe I won't be there. But you'll be so happy you won't even remember me. When I leave, not even a stone will notice. I'll leave without causing anyone grief."

  Aryan was in his world of thoughts. He felt the world of ideas was truer than the material world. He said to himself, "Stay away for a while. You'll understand that what cannot be found in this world is true beauty. Real happiness might not be permanent, but I am not real, so I am eternal. Are you ready for the day you are born again?"

  From the other side, Niha sensed Aryan was thinking of her. "Are you watching me in secret? No, we have seen. It is the void inside you that makes you feel lonely. When I return, everything will be fine."

  Nihira called Aryan. "Brother, aren't you going to sleep?" He looked at her. "Yes, I'm going. But look, isn't the moon beautiful? Maybe it's beautiful because it's so far away."

  After some small talk, Aryan went to sleep. Today, he had no fear of nightmares because she was watching over him from above. He slept peacefully.

  Late at night, Nihira went for a walk outside. She couldn't sleep. Suddenly, she was attacked. Some people attacked her, appearing to be under someone's control. They attacked relentlessly. Nihira fought back but didn't have the heart to kill them. She eventually decided she had to kill to save herself, justifying it as self-defense.

  But Raiyan stopped her. "Girl, don't do it. Don't become a monster like me. No matter the reason, killing a human is never right." Raiyan then shot and killed them all.

  Nihira said, "That wasn't necessary because I'm not human."

  Raiyan replied, "Then who is human? Those who inhumanely kill others? They might be the human species, but they lack humanity, so they aren't human. You have humanity, so you are human. In this world, when a human kills another, he kills two people: the victim and himself. He can only commit one murder; the rest are committed by an inhuman beast."

  Nihira returned home. No matter what anyone said, she knew she was human because everyone saw her that way. If she told society she wasn't human, they would ignore her logic and create a new definition of 'human' just to fit her. Society wants to measure everyone with one unit, but those outside that unit are the ones who can be great.

  She wondered who was controlling those people. Likely someone from a famous lost family. They might possess an "Optical Axiom," possibly "The Sovereign Glare." These are eyes some natural-borns get that allow them to control specific concepts. Nihira wasn't afraid. They were human, and she was not. Plus, she had two Optical Axioms: "The Erebus Optic" and "The Thanatos Optic." Besides Arcos energy, she had Primarch blood, meaning if her Arcos energy ran out, she could still fight using her own power.

  She then heard Aryan talking. She wondered who he was talking to. Peeking, she saw Aryan caught by Malicha while stealing pickles. Aryan was begging Malicha not to tell Nihira. Nihira stepped out. "Stealing again?" Aryan dropped the jar and fled.

  Nihira went to bed, but a sudden storm with heavy rain and lightning started. It felt strange to have rain in winter. It was on such a day that she lost her parents. Terrified, she went to Aryan.

  Aryan said, "I won't steal pickles anymore!" Nihira said, "It's not that, I'm scared." Aryan stared at her. "What do I do, rock you to sleep?" He laughed. Nihira stayed silent. Aryan realized something was wrong.

  He got out of bed and told her to lie down. But Nihira couldn't sleep. Aryan said, "I'm going to the bathroom; wait for me."

  Nihira was consumed by fear. Previously, when her parents went out, she wanted to stay home alone, thinking silence would bring peace. But now, this solitude felt like an approaching death. The time Aryan was away felt infinite; one second felt like a day.

  Meanwhile, a small sub-world had been created in the city by those lost people. From the void, more creatures were emerging, using the bodies of those lost people as vessels.

  Aryan, seeing Nihira’s state, realized he had to find out what happened to his parents and what they truly were. Only his aunt could tell him that.