Revenge: A Path of Destruction
Chapter 173: Nothing Changes

Chapter 173: Nothing Changes

Alex didn’t even know what to say about the slap.

His cheek still stung hard. And the more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.

The force of that slap had been nothing short of devastating—it was a blow powerful enough to shatter the skull of a Master-ranked warrior, had they not fortified themselves with mana. Even a Grandmaster, known for their unparalleled resilience, would have felt an overwhelming disorientation. If he hadn’t instinctively reinforced his body with a protective barrier, his head might have exploded like a ripe fruit upon colliding with the unforgiving hotel wall. Yet, despite the shocking intensity of her strike, he found it difficult to harbor any resentment. After all, he recognized that he had been behaving foolishly, provoking her reactions. What troubled him most, however, was the unsettling realization that he was lost in a haze he couldn’t quite navigate. He had no clear understanding of the turmoil simmering within. It was only after the surgery—the intricate procedures that had miraculously preserved his life—that something evident yet puzzling had emerged. It wasn’t a matter of physical damage, but rather a profound alteration within his brain. Perhaps it was a side effect of the surgery: his emotions seemed to have shifted, dulled to a point where they felt almost muted. He had reluctantly resigned himself to this altered existence, accepting it as his new normal, even as he longed for the vibrancy he once took for granted.

Until her.

Seeing Lauren again had punched through that barrier like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. He hadn’t expected it.

Not after nearly a decade of numbness. Not when the only warmth he’d felt in all that time had come from Nyxara—and even that was different. She was family, more than anyone alive now. A part of him.

So no, he couldn’t fault Nyxara for hitting him. She had every right to try and knock him back to his senses.

But that didn’t mean he was going to let it slide.

He’d get her back. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But it was coming.

With a low groan, he walked back to the bed and sat on the edge. Nyxara plopped down beside him like a giant feline mountain, her black lightning aura dimmed now to a faint purr of power.

For a while, they sat in silence.

Then Alex began to speak, slowly at first, like someone trying to find words he hadn’t used in years. He told her how he met Lauren by accident.

How he’d seen her with her friends and, out of some dumb impulse, followed them through the city streets. He hadn’t even realized how long he’d trailed them—how much time had passed—until he bumped into her.

And when she turned around and he smiled at her...

That moment had messed him up more than any battlefield ever had.

He recounted everything. From the subtle way she’d studied him, like she almost recognized him but couldn’t place the memory.

Nyxara stayed quiet the whole time. Not interrupting. Not cracking jokes. Just listening.

When he finally stopped talking, Alex let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. It was like something heavy had been peeled off his chest.

Just saying it—admitting it to someone—brought a weird sort of relief.

He turned to Nyxara, almost grateful.

But then she opened her mouth.

"Never took you for a stalker, Alex," she said dryly, golden eyes gleaming with mischief.

Alex’s face twitched.

"Following a group of girls for more than five hours?" she continued, feigning shock. "Damn. I’m surprised you didn’t get arrested."

A vein bulged on Alex’s temple.

Yes, technically, she wasn’t wrong.

If he were to confide in a stranger about his actions, especially about the five long hours, he knew it would come off as a bizarre fixation. But did she have to phrase it that way? The words hung in the air, almost mocking him. Nyxara caught the flicker of emotion on his face and smartly chose to dial back her teasing. With an elegant stretch, her lithe form arched gracefully, her shimmering tail flicking playfully behind her. In a gentler tone, she murmured, "Anyway... so your crush on her still lingers, huh? Or are you going to sit there and pretend it has vanished again? Because if that’s the case, you’re not fooling anyone." Alex hesitated, the silence stretching between them like a taut string. His expression transformed, starting as a blank slate and gradually hardening into something more serious. Nyxara remained patient, waiting for him to gather his thoughts. At last, he shattered the oppressive silence that had enveloped them, his voice tumbling out in a low, steady timbre that held a weight of determination. "There’s been no change in what we came here to accomplish," he stated, his words slicing through the stillness like a knife. As he spoke, his fingers tightened into a faint fist, a subtle but unmistakable sign of the turmoil simmering just beneath his composed exterior. The air around them seemed to thicken with unspoken tension, the gravity of their mission hanging heavy in the atmosphere. "We kill Cassius," he concluded, each word deliberate and final, as if sealing their fate with the declaration.

Nyxara’s eyes narrowed a little. "Even if it puts your little crush in danger?"

Her tone wasn’t mocking now. Just cautious.

"You might have figured it out already," she continued. "If she’s here—in this continent and not back in Australia—then she’s part of the government team investigating the bounty. That means she’s involved in our mission, whether she knows it or not."

She paused.

"And if she recognized you... Then the government may know you’re alive. At least, that’s what NOVA thinks."

Alex didn’t even flinch. His answer came instantly, cold.

"It doesn’t change anything," he said, eyes dark, face unreadable. "If they come... and they stand in my way... then they’re my enemy."

"They die."

His voice didn’t shake.

He wasn’t trying to convince himself.

He meant it.

Nyxara didn’t respond immediately. She stared at him for a long time, her expression unreadable. And then she looked away, eyes drifting toward the window where morning light had begun to creep through.

In her silence, there was no argument—only acceptance.

But behind those golden eyes, for just a moment, something flickered.

Something like sadness.