Zen lay perfectly still against the dark silk sheets. The air in the penthouse was cool, smelling faintly of ozone and sweet wine, but a cold sweat was already gathering at the base of his neck.
Outwardly, he let out a soft, defeated sigh. He wrapped his arms around Nyx's bare waist, pulling her flush against his chest as if entirely resigning himself to her embrace.
Nyx let out a contented, shuddering breath, burying her face in his neck.
Inwardly, Zen's mind was racing, crashing against the horrifying walls of his new reality.
He was a ghost.
Without a Vanguard registry, he couldn't legally stay in the Ares Domain without a permit. He couldn't rent a room, access a public transit gate, or even buy a cup of coffee outside of this city. The System couldn't fix a deleted existence.
Valeria had tried to trap him with heavily armed Vanguard soldiers, iron, and warding spells. It was a cage of force, something a person could eventually break out of.
