Chapter 15

Flashback chapter

With the Anti-Twilight protests escalating and the West Gate mercenaries called into action, Worick finally comes to terms with what Nic really is.

Full Synopsis
The chapter begins with an ongoing report on Anti-Twilight protests, their effects on society and the response of certain organisations. Concurrent to the report, we see scenes of harsh prejudice against Twilights and then scenes of Worick and Nic's bond getting stronger. Both scenes come to an end when Nic is called away to help the West Gate mercenaries in quelling the Anti-Twilight groups.

The scene shifts to a bored Worick receiving another lesson on the history of Ergastulum. Meanwhile, as the history of Ergastulum is told, Nic is prepared for battle and leaps in to perform his duties. As Worick starts eating his classy meal by himself he recalls in anguish when Nic was being taken away and Commander Brown telling him that Nic's job was to kill and die on behalf of humans; nothing more, nothing less. Back in the streets of Ergastulum the West Gate mercenaries begin retreating and as Nic goes to leave, he drops the sign language book Worick gave to him. He hurriedly goes to retrieve it just as a grenade is launched. Its explosion is seen as Worick listens to the carnage being reported on his radio, his head buried in his knees. Suddenly Worick sees the mercenaries outside and moves to exit the library before bumping into his father. Worick rapidly apologises but his father prepares to beat him down.

Worick stands by the gates of his mansion, with his severely bruised eye, as he watches the injured mercenaries walk by. Seeing the body of a child go by he drops his head dejected but peaks up when an injured Nic greets him and apologizes for getting the sign language book dirty. Nic then asks how Worick's face got injured but Worick just tells him he tripped.

As life returns to normal, the two continue their activities together. Worick soon catches glimpses of Nic receiving his drugs and Worick notices that Nic had been acting strange recently, including hiding his drugs. Commander Brown then startles Worick and tells him it's because Nic was a Twilight. Worick doesn't take the news well and sends the Commander on his way when suddenly Nic collapses.

When Nic comes to, he realizes he is hooked to a drip and sees Worick outside. Worick talks to the doctor that treated Nic and hears Nic's condition from him. After hearing once more that Nic was a Twilight, Worick refuses to believe it due to the books he had read. It is only after the doctor tells him the cold truth (of the times) that Worick finally accepts that Nic was indeed a Twilight.

Worick sits in his room, deep in thought as another report on Anti-Twilight activity blares, whilst Nic, finishing reading pages from the sign language book, unhooks himself from his drip and goes after the departing mercenaries. As he reaches the gates in the pouring rain, the Commander tells Nic he is no longer needed. Nic calls out to his father, the Commander, but the Commander coldly rebukes him and throws the rest of the Cerebret at him.

As Worick rushes out into the rain after Nic and tells him the 'good news' about freeing him from the Commander's hold, a despondent Nic just smiles with a dead expression while the Cerebret the Commander threw at him dissolves in the rain.