Tribrid Nexus

-SIXUS-

Melfina lay unconscious in the dorm room. I couldn’t hide my secrets from her forever. Timbrax cleared his throat, drawing me out of my thoughts. I looked at him.

“We had a deal, Sixus,” Timbrax spoke as he removed his scarlet trench coat and matching gloves before handing them to me. “Our little alliance was temporary and... now I’m leaving.” He turned and walked out of the open French doors and stood on the balcony.

“I’ll see you out on the battlefield,” I said as he climbed up onto the marble ledge and stood still before opening the astral thread with his right palm. “Victim Commander.”

I watched as Timbrax flipped backwards and entered the thread before it closed behind him.

A moment later, a bright green light flashed inside the room, and the shaman returned. They stood before me and kneeled before standing.

“We’re ready for your orders, Solas,” Varric nodded curtly at me as he glanced at Nyxie, who had been knocked out after Orion electrocuted her with a lightning bolt. “You can’t keep erasing her mind.”

“I’m telling her the truth about us later, Varric,” I sighed as I gazed at her. “I’m reawakening her shamanic powers.”

I just hope she won’t be too pissed at me for protecting her.

***

-MELFINA-

My eyes shot open, and I tasted electricity. I slowly sat up and found Sixus standing near the entrance of the open French doors, gazing out into the night sky. I climbed to my feet when he turned and rushed to my side as I fell, after losing my balance.

“You need to rest, Mel,” Sixus whispered down to me as he gently led me back to the bed and sat me down on the edge. He kneeled down before me. “Orion struck you with his lightning bolt before re destroying the Xeonada Empire.”

“What?” I asked, stunned.

The doors slid open, and three shamans entered my dorm room and walked up to Sixus as though they knew him personally.

“Did you tell her yet, Solas?” the guy demanded.

“She just woke up,” Sixus hissed through his teeth. I felt his annoyance through his end of the bond. “Varric, I can’t just unload everything on her like this.”

“What’s going on, Sixus?” I demanded. “And don’t you dare lie to me.”

“I’ve been wiping your memory for years,” he admitted. “I gave you a new identity to protect you.”

“Protect me from what?” I asked.

“From Claus,” he sighed. “He’s a Spellbinder like his sister Phyre was before you killed her.”

“Nyxie killed her,” I said. He gave me a look. “Didn’t she?”

“You and Nyxie are the same person, Mel,” Sixus said. “Just like Solas and I are the same person.”

“No,” I gave him a confused look. “How can you possibly be some other guy?”

By snapping his fingers, Sixus changed his appearance. He looked like the other guy who had been with the shaman earlier tonight. He snapped his fingers and was back to himself.

My eyes widened in surprise. Sixus was, in fact, Solas.

The alarms sounded around the institute, and I stood and walked out of the French doors and stood on the balcony. I saw Orion, Largo Croix, Tasia, Timbrax, and a legion of Victim standing outside of the gates.

“Why the hell is Timbrax back with Orion?” I asked Sixus.

“Our alliance was short-lived,” Sixus said as he walked out, standing beside me. “He’s returned as the Victim Commander Mel.”

Timbrax and the others leaped over the wall, and I climbed up onto the marble ledge of the railing. I leaped down, rolling and standing. Sixus and the shaman leaped down, rolling and standing as a unit.

“I guess I didn’t strike you hard enough, Melfi,” Orion stated. “I intended to kill you with my lightning,”

“You struck my kingdom again,” I spat. “Why can’t you leave us alone?”

“My life’s mission is to kill you, dearest sister,” Orion replied bluntly. “I see you have aligned yourself with the shamans.”

Orion altered his appearance like Sixus had, and he, too, looked different.

In my mind, I saw a vision.

Claus and Phyre standing beside each other back on Erda facing off against Solas, me and the entire battalion of shamans came to me.

It dispersed rapidly.

I felt Timbrax unbind himself from me and Sixus. I turned my attention towards him as he stared a hole into my soul.

“You gonna stare?” I spat as my rage boiled to the surface. “Or are you gonna fight me, Victim Commander?”

“Victim,” Timbrax spoke as he pulled his sword out from behind his back and held it out in front of him in a defensive stance. “Bring the oracle to me alive,” he paused. “And kill everyone else!”

“Firelash Power!” I shouted as I transformed into the superheroine vampire Hell’s Guardian. Draped in a pale blue and white corset dress, I adorned myself with long, pale blue boots that ascended to my knees, white gloves that extended to my elbows, and a dragon mask that enveloped my eyes and nose. I pulled out the Valistik sword and slashed at a Victim as he rushed at me with his fingers crooked. “Gotha bitch!”

Instead of turning into a dark pile of ash at my feet, the victim fell, transforming into a demon. He slowly rose, and I slashed it again. Blood seeped out of the wound, but he sneered at me.

“The fuck?”

I thought.

“Do you like the upgrade I made to Victim?” Orion asked. “Makes it harder for you to kill them now, doesn’t it, Melfi?”

Then I remembered the dagger Nyxie had given me earlier that night. Or I had given myself, I guess? This shit was confusing the fuck outta me. I grabbed it and put the Valistik sword away. The dagger transformed into a sword.

“Whoa.”

Sixus said, in my mind.

I slashed a demon, and his head rolled to the right. It fell, turning into a dark pile of ash, as did the body.

“Holy shit!” Sixus said as he and Timbrax exchanged glances with each other briefly in shock.

“Looks like I found your kryptonite,” I smirked at Orion. He gazed at me and became pissed. “Kill the demons with the shaman’s daggers!”

The vampire hunters stood behind us. The assassins, dragon knights, and mecha pilots all flanked behind them. Sixus snapped his fingers, and daggers appeared in everyone’s hands who wasn’t a hunter.

I rushed towards Timbrax, and our swords clanked as we were an equal match. We snarled at each other before we backed up a step to regain our composure.

“So,” I said, panting. “Did you just use me to get what you wanted, or what?”

“Something like that,” he smirked. “I hadn’t anticipated falling in love with you, Melfina.”

“Fuck you, dude!” I spat. “You only love my power!”

Timbrax was about to reply when Orion snapped his fingers and Zyra appeared in a dark cage. She looked around in confusion and terror. She was human and didn’t know about our world after I revived her and wiped her memories, and her vampire abilities.

“What is this, Orion?” Timbrax snarled as he shifted his gaze towards my brother.

“Prove your loyalty to me, Victim Commander,” Orion replied as he released Zyra. She screamed as she fell. Timbrax caught her by the throat, and she kicked at him to let her go. “Kill your ex-wife.”

“What?” Timbrax’s surprise was evident as he stared at him in disbelief at what he was asking him to do.

“Let me go,” Zyra begged with tears in her eyes as she gazed down at Timbrax. “Please?”

“I’m sorry, Z,” Timbrax whispered as he regained his composure. He brought the blade forward, thrusting it deep into Zyra’s abdomen. Her eyes widened in surprise as he stabbed her. “Please forgive me, gorgeous.”

He yanked the blade out and tossed her body, making it land before the feet of the stunned vampire hunters.

“MOM!” Zara screamed as she rushed over to her mother’s side. Chaos also ran over to comfort his daughter before she died. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked at her father. “You’re a monster, Dad!”

“Welcome back, Victim Commander,” Orion nodded curtly at him as he licked Zyra’s blood off the blade. He kept his eyes fixed on me. “I was worried you had forgotten your mission there for a moment after the Flight Games fell apart on us.”

“You sick fuck!” I snarled at Timbrax.

“You’re just as demented as the rest of us, Melfina,” Timbrax smirked at me. “I find that darkness within you to be sexy as fuck.”

“Hunters!” Tork spat. “Attack!” The vampires started shooting their acid bullets towards Victim. Once they had transformed, Sixus stepped forward.

“Assassins, dragon knights, mecha pilots, shamans!” Sixus shouted. “Attack!”

The purple magic seal exploded from my body as I slashed at the demons. I turned my attention back towards Timbrax. He stood there, waiting for me to attack him. He slammed his sword against mine, and my power shot him backward. His back slammed into the wall behind him, cracking it.

“We did what we came to do,” Orion shot at Timbrax. “Fall back!” They turned and leaped over the wall.

“I’ll be back,” Timbrax spat. “Melfina is your reigning queen of the Dark Region!” he shouted to the vampire hunters. “I look forward to your coming after me!” He opened the astral thread, leaping backwards into it. It closed behind him.

After my rage dissipated, the sword transformed back into a dagger. I placed it in the sheath and took in the carnage as the outfit disappeared as well. Bodies of slain assassins, dragon knights, mecha pilots, and vampire hunters littered the lawn of the Abraxis Institute of Union grounds.

“You sold me out to save yourself, Brax.”

I thought.

“I did.”

Timbrax replied in my mind.

I walked over to a slain female dragon knight and kneeled before her. I recognized her immediately. She was one of the blonde twins who had spoken to me on my second day here. Blood splattered her face; she had a gaping hole in her chest.

“CLAIRE!” a female voice shouted as I turned and saw her twin sink to her knees. She pulled her twin into her lap. “I should’ve stayed with you!”

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” I whispered to her. “Claire’s death won’t be in vain.”

“Thank you, my queen,” she whispered. “I will avenge my sister’s death!” When I hugged her tightly, she began crying even harder. I released her as I quickly climbed to my feet.

I walked over to Zyra’s body, and I gently picked her up. Across the courtyard, I turned and carefully placed her body on a long black table that the hunters had prepared for the blood-draining process. I crossed her arms over her chest before I gently placed my hand across her face, closing her lifeless eyes.

I gazed up at Sixus, and he nodded. He approached and lifted the lifeless body of a male mecha pilot. Moving towards me, he placed the body on the table next to me and replicated the same steps that I had just carried out.

The others saw us and silently followed our lead. We were their royals. We had to show strength in dire times such as these.

As the final bodies were laid out on the tables, the sun began to rise. Sixus had sent everyone to their beds and had canceled classes for the entire week, giving us the opportunity to perform the ceremonies in honor of the deceased before their bodies were sent off to be buried by their families.

Sixus walked up to me and wrapped his arms around me before kissing me on the forehead. “How are you holding up, Mel?” he asked quietly.

“I’m constantly on the move,” I sighed quietly. “If I don’t stop and think about it, then it can’t affect me, you know?”

“Timbrax-”

“I’m killing that dead son of a bitch!” I spat. “He killed Zyra... he swore he loved her!”

“You should help the hunters drain the bodies,” Sixus whispered in my ear. “You transformed into Hell’s Guardian and need to feed.”

“I can’t,” I shook my head. “Those are our people laying there, Sixus.”

“I know,” he agreed sadly. “Mel, I won’t compel you to go against your humanity in any way.”

I was still half-Draconian. My conches didn’t allow me to feed on our people. Or anybody I didn’t want to feed on.

Right before we were about to enter the institute, I felt a sharp sting from a needle in my neck. It alerted me to someone injecting a cold liquid into my vein.

After tripping on the lawn, I lost consciousness.

***

Upon awakening, I found myself on the familiar black couch. Gradually, I sat up and got to my feet. I had on a short black dress with matching heels. Sixus groaned as he woke up and climbed to his feet. The doors slid open, and we walked toward them. We stepped out into the hallway and our shoes clicked on the black marble floor. We stopped in front of a door, and they slid open. Upon entering, we walked past the table filled with the other royals representing their kingdoms. We took our seats at the end of the table, and the doors slid closed, and the lights dimmed. The meeting was underway.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to you, Sixus and Melfina,” Prince Feran Rakia of the Pheacisea Dynasty said to us. He was in his early twenties, just like me and Sixus, full of youth and energy. His short, blonde hair framed his striking blue eyes and complemented his light skin complexion. With a chiseled and defined jawline, he possessed a remarkable handsomeness. Dressed in a black tuxedo, he exuded an air of elegance and sophistication with his slim physique. The news of the tragic loss reached their ears, and it included the heartbreaking story of an innocent mundane from Erda.

“Thank you,” Sixus nodded curtly. “The vampire King Timbrax DeRaps has returned as the Victim Commander to aid Orion.”

“War is upon us,” Feran spoke for the other royals. “We must prepare the dragon knights, assassins, and the mecha pilots to protect Tellus at once.”

“What about the Tribrid?” another king asked. “We must protect and keep the oracle out of harm’s way to ensure that Orion and Victim do not take control of Tellus,” another king stated.

“Did you not watch the Flight Games?” Feran scoffed. “She will lead the war if you don’t recall us making that decision recently.”

“Orion,” I spoke, making them turn their attention toward me. “Has altered the DNA of Victim, causing them to turn into demons.”

“How are you supposed to kill them now?” Feran asked.

“We have received aid from the shamans from Erda,” Sixus spoke up before I could say anything. “They have sent their best fighters, and that is how we can dominate the demons and kill them.”

“Perfect.” Feran clapped his hands together as he placed them on the table. “We must meet with their king at once.”

“My father,” Sixus spoke, choosing his words carefully. “Was the former Shaman King before his untimely death... I took his place both on Erda and here.” The room fell eerily silent, and I glanced at Sixus out of the corner of my eye. “Melfina and I will lead the charge in the war against Orion, Timbrax and Victim,” Sixus spoke. “And we will win.”

My intuition kicked in, alerting me that danger was near. I leaped to my feet and stepped away from my seat just as glass tubes shot up from the floor as soon as the alarms sounded around the building. They protected each royal in them. The doors slid open and Orion, Tasia, Largo Croix, Timbrax entered the room flanked by twenty Victim.

“You seem to have forgotten our invitations,” Orion spoke to the royals as he gazed around the room. “Bring the Tribrid to me, Victim Commander.”

My purple shamanic seal shot out of my body and protected me from them. Victim hissed as they stepped into the left corner of the room.

“I’ll get her myself,” Orion spat as he walked towards me. He reached his hand through my seal and gripped me by the throat. “Too easy, Melfi.”

“Let her go!” Sixus snarled, as he formed thick icicles in his closed fists. He slammed them against the glass; they shattered on impact. “Mel!”

A pale blue flame shot out of my body and merged with the purple magic seal, causing it to transform into a blue-violet color. Orion released me and stumbled backwards in surprise.

I felt my powers increase as my three forms balanced each other out. With the Valistik sword in hand, I made my way to Sixus Tube. I placed my hand on the glass, shattering it without even trying. He shielded his face with his arms. He lowered them and stepped out of what remained of the tube.

I pulled the Venin dagger out and tossed it to Sixus. He caught it and pulled out his shaman’s dagger.

Victim rushed at us, and we slashed them. A moment later, they transformed into demons. With a swift motion, I extracted my dagger, causing both mine and Sixus’ to transmute into swords.

We slashed demon’s limbs clean off their bodies. They soon turned into dark piles of ash on the ground. All twenty Victim were dead in seconds.

I locked eyes with Timbrax before I felt him reform the bond between us. Timbrax gazed at me and tied our souls together once more.

Sixus snarled. His soul was bound to Timbrax’s again as well.

“We’re tied to fate, Melfina.”

Timbrax thought.

He smirked as he opened the astral thread. I watched as Orion and the others ran through it. Timbrax walked slowly through it, never taking his eyes off me as it closed behind him.

I sighed in relief as the glass tubes dropped back through the floor, releasing the royals from their safety boxes.

“This location has been compromised,” Feran shouted over the alarm. “We will find a new, secure location!”

Our swords transformed back into daggers as we put them away. Sixus handed me back the Venin dagger, and I put it and the Valistik sword back into their sheaths.

The royals all shoved each other out of the room as they raced for the door. They slid open, and the mess was left for Sixus and me. We headed for the door, and they slid open. Someone guided us toward the elevators as we stepped out into the hallway.

“I’m going to bed when we get back to the institute.” I stifled a yawn. “Killing vampires and demons all night and most of the day is bullshit.”

Sixus agreed as we stepped inside of the elevator. The doors slid closed, and I saw my reflection in the silver panels. I looked like Nyxie, and Sixus looked like Solas. We just had slight alterations to what we looked like on Tellus. I looked at Sixus and found him gazing at me.

“We got our shaman abilities from our parents, Mel.”

Sixus said, in my mind.

“Imagine a thick brick wall, and you’ll be able to block Timbrax from feeling your emotions and reading your thoughts.”

He added.

I closed my eyes and imagined a thick black wall, and I couldn’t feel Timbrax’s end of the bond. I opened my eyes and Sixus smirked at me.

The bell dinged, and the doors slid slowly open. We exited the elevator and walked through the lobby for the last time. The lobby was completely deserted. The doors slid open, and we walked outside. Sixus white limousine was waiting for us. We walked up to it and climbed into the backseat. The driver closed the door and got into the driver’s seat. A moment later, the vehicle moved and pulled away from the curb.

After we were a suitable distance away, a loud explosion rocked the limo.

I laid my head down on Sixus’ lap and closed my eyes.

I drifted off into endless nightmares.