It was 10:21 a.m. on June 4, 2025 — exactly one week after the Dieppe Godzilla incident that had shaken the country.
Loki was still in bed.
He had finally managed to fall asleep around dawn, and his body was making it very clear that it wasn't ready to wake up yet.
Nyx, stood on the pillow beside Loki's head. He gently tapped Loki's forehead with one soft paw. "Oi, wake up."
No response... Nyx tapped again, a little harder. "Hey. It's morning, you've been sleeping long enough."
Loki mumbled something incoherent, pulling the blanket over his head.
Nyx sighed a defeated sound. "Fine. Be that way."
The cat hopped down from the bed and began wandering around the bedroom, tail flicking lazily.
He wander around the corners, sniffed at a pair of shoes, then jumped onto the chair by Loki's desk.
From there, he leaped lightly onto the wooden surface.
His golden eyes narrowed as he spotted something mysterious.
A small, dark cube hovered slightly above the desk — a void portal same size as a fist, surrounded by glowing divine chains that pulsed with faint golden light.
The chains looked ancient, almost alive, wrapping around the cube like they were containing something dangerous.
Nyx tilted his head, curious. He took a few steps closer, he extended his paw.
Just as his paw was about to touch the cube — Loki's eyes snapped open.
Nyx jolted, he pulled his paw back and casually walked toward the edge of the desk, acting as if he had been heading toward Loki the entire time.
"Morning," Nyx said in his deep, resonant voice, jumping gracefully from the desk onto the bed.
He approached Loki with perfect nonchalance, "You finally decided to wake up?"
Loki stared at the cat for a long moment, then glanced at the small void cube on the desk. The divine chains were still glowing faintly.
He rubbed his eyes with one hand and muttered: "I'm hungry..."
He swung his legs off the bed and stood, stretching his arms above his head.
Nyx remained on the mattress, watching him with those calm golden eyes.
Loki walked over to his closet, pulled out a fresh black shirt and dark trousers, and began changing.
Then suddenly something clicked on his mind. "Wait..."
He turned slightly towards the cat, "When I named you Nyx last night… you suddenly started talking in perfect human language right? That wasn't random, was it?"
Nyx tilted his head, tail flicking once.
Loki continued to change, voice low and thoughtful. "I remember reading something about Eosysêr customs a long time ago."
"Once you give a name to a pet or a slave from that realm, a bond forms. You gain the ability to understand their language naturally, no translation spells or artifacts needed."
"That's why you can talk. The moment I named you, the bond activated."
Nyx remains quiet. He simply jumped down from the bed and landed gracefully on the floor, stretching his back.
Loki crossed his arms, leaning against the wall.
"So you've been able to understand everything I've said since last night?"
"Since the moment you said 'Nyx'" Nyx confirmed, sitting neatly on the floor. "Before that, I could only sense intent and tone. Now the words are clear."
Loki stared at the cat for a long moment, processing. "I completely forgot about that."
Nyx flicked an ear. "Your memory of the name-bond is correct, but the full details are… fuzzy for a reason. The bond only awakens the language link, It doesn't restore my memories."
Loki's eyes narrowed slightly. "So you still don't remember anything before the black market cage?"
"Almost nothing," Nyx admitted. His voice remained calm, but there was a faint edge to it now.
He paused, then added softly:
"The rest is gone wether it was taken from me or I simply… forgot when I woke up in that cage."
Loki was quiet for a while.
He finished dressing, then walked over to the desk where the small void cube — still wrapped in divine chains — hovered silently. He didn't touch it. He just looked at it.
"You almost touched this earlier," he said without turning around.
"I was curious." Loki turned to face the cat. "You're not a normal cat. That much is obvious, you have a voice like something ancient, but you don't remember who you were before." He crouched down.
"What's with that cube anyways?" Nyx met his gaze steadily.
"You'll know one day." Loki pats him in the head.
Nyx purred, "Fair enough." He glanced once more at the chained cube on the desk, then shook his head.
Loki stood back up and headed towards the kitchen "Time for breakfast."
It was a perfect morning in Paris.
At Champ de Mars, stood a large white marquee tent decorated with roses and silver ribbons.
A wedding was underway.
Hundreds of guests filled the rows of elegant white chairs.
Laughter and soft chatter floated on the gentle breeze.
The bride — a radiant young woman in a flowing ivory gown — walked down the aisle on her father's arm, her veil catching the light like scattered diamonds.
The groom waited at the altar, smiling so wide it looked like his face might split.
A string quartet played a soft, joyful melody under the open sky.
It was the kind of day people would remember for years.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" whispered a middle-aged woman in a lavender dress to her husband. "I haven't seen a wedding this perfect since our own."
Her husband nodded, dabbing his eyes. "The Eiffel Tower as a backdrop… they really outdid themselves."
A few seats away, Rainier Laurent sat quietly in a dark suit, arms crossed, looking slightly out of place among the cheerful guests.
This was his stepsister's wedding — the one family member he still tried to stay in touch with.
He had shown up early, mostly out of obligation, and now found himself scanning the crowd out of habit. "Too many civilians," he thought. "But at least it's peaceful for once."
A tall man with neatly combed brown hair and a pleasant smile, leaned slightly toward the woman beside him — a pretty blonde in a modest blue dress.
"Six adventurers confirmed," he whispered under the cover of the string quartet.
"Three B-rank, two low-A rank… and Rainier Laurent mid-S Rank what a hassle... a member of Helios Guild, huh?"
"He's off-duty but armed. Usual standard association protocol."
The woman nodded, her smile never faltering as she clapped politely at the bride's entrance.
"Alright." she murmured back, pretending to adjust her earring.
"I've marked the exits. The artifact vault beneath the Tower is only six hundred meters away, minimal resistance expected once the signal is given."
Rainier's ears twitched. "Cultists? Here???" He didn't react outwardly.
He slowly rose from his seat, careful not to disturb the guests around him, and began weaving through the crowds with calm, pretending to head towards the refreshment table.
He kept his pace casual, eyes fixed on the tall man. "Just a little more closer… don't cause a scene, not yet."
A younger man with sharp features and a waiter's uniform — moved between rows offering champagne. As he passed the first two, he leaned in just enough.
"Command has been confirmed," he whispered. "All cells are in position across Paris, the wedding is the perfect distraction."
Tall man's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Understood, tell the others… today we begin the true revival of Beelzebub."
The ceremony continued.
"You may kiss the bride." Officiant declared
The bride and groom leaned in for the kiss as the crowd cheered and clapped.
At that exact moment, the tall man raised his hand and snapped his fingers once — a tiny, almost invisible gesture
"Shit—Am I too late? What is he up to?!" Rainier head raced as he continue to approached the tall man. However, it was already too late...
A massive explosion ripped through the center of the marquee.
Chairs flew, and bodies were hurled by the force of explosion.
Rainier eyes darkened...