"H-His intentions don't change the fact that he hurt me! And in a way that he knew I wouldn't be okay with when I found out!" Nix sobbed quietly as he clung to Derlik. "I-I didn't know what he was doing in the moment, but he did, and he still did it…"
Derlik was completely limp, dead weight on top of Nix.
"You're the one who was talking about how you hadn't meant to hurt the human, so everything would be okay in the end." The woman stopped her assault on Derlik, walking around to look Nix in the eye.
"Why is it suddenly so different when it happened to you?" She grabbed Nix's chin, forcing his head up.
Fresh tears rolled down Nix's cheeks as he trembled, closing his eyes. "It's just… it's d-different… he violated me and I can't just be okay with that…"
"You murdered someone. You helped covince Halm to take away the memories. You hurt the human over and over, yet you never gave up on Halm. But the moment he accidently hurt you too," the woman said, dragging Nix up by his ear. "You threw him away like trash."
"Ah!" Nix mewled helplessly when the woman pulled his ear, more tears flowing from his eyes. He hiccuped a few times, struggling to come up with a good retort. "B-But he… h-he chose to do it too… I c— c-can't control him…"
"He was just trying to help you," the woman chided. "How could you think he would intentionally hurt you, after what you'd been through together?" The woman scowled, still tightly holding Nix's ear. She slapped him. Not as hard as she had Derlik, but that was good- he might have died otherwise. Still, it was enough to send him back down to the ground.
Nix covered his head with his arms, sobbing weakly. "B-But he… w-what he did was wrong…" He whispered. It was getting increasingly difficult for him to convince himself he wasn't the one in the wrong. "Even if I went back to him, I-I'd never be able to see him the same way again… h-he… I can't forget what he did…"
"You could have." The woman grabbed the front of Nix's dress, pulling him up again.
"Do you see that?" she yelled into his face, pointing at Halm's lake. "Do you see how dim it is? This is hurting Halm more than it ever could you!"
Nix sobbed harder, his ears flattened back against his head. "I-I can't just forget something like that! I physically can't! Whenever I look at him, all I can think about is what he did to me…"
"Neither can he! He can't look at himself without hurting himself. He came to save you, from people who actually wanted to hurt you!" The woman smacked Nix again, staring at him in disgust.
Nix hiccuped a few times, struggling to breathe, "B-But our relationship could never be the same! It wouldn't be healthy! Unless you could erase both our memories without us shattering, it would never work…"
"Try," the woman growled. She shoved Nix down with Derlik, turning away.
"You have three days. If I come back and you and the human aren't back with your owner, you'll find out just what I can do to you all." The woman disappeared without a trace.
Nix sobbed uncontrollably into Derlik's chest, shaking violently. He really didn't want to go back to Halm, but he also didn't want to find out what the woman would do to him and Cas…
Derlik was still passed out, bruises already forming slowly. Serna had heard the screaming, making sure Zachary and Cas stayed inside as she hurried out.
"Nix?" She called out, not knowing where they were. "Derlik?"
Nix couldn't reply through his sobbing, although he was loud enough to be heard from a ways off. His previously white dress was scuffed up and dirty, and he was bruised and bleeding from the blows dealt to him by the woman.
Serna followed the sounds of sobbing, picking up the pace. She stopped when she saw Nix and Derlik, gasping. She rushed over, kneeling down.
"Oh, Nix," she said softly, reaching out with gentle hands to pick him up.
Nix sniffled weakly as he clung to Serna, burying his face in the goddess's shoulder. "I'm s-sorry…" He whispered.
Serna lightly patted Nix's back.
"You don't have anything to be sorry for, sugar," she said softly. She looked at Derlik, hesitating, then picked him up too, standing to get them back to the house.
"S-She's making me— go back— t-to Halm…" Nix sobbed weakly, tightly gripping Serna's shirt. "I-I don't— d-don't wanna— go back…"
Serna stiffened at this information, holding Nix closer to herself.
"Oh, sweetie," she said softly. Still, she started back to the house. What else could she do? She couldn't stop this.
"S-She said— if Cas and I— aren't back w-with Halm in three days— I-I'll find out w-what she can d… d-do to us…" Nix hiccuped a few more times as he clung to Serna.
Serna was silent as she carried Nix and the unconscious god back to the house.
"We have three days then, sugar," Serna said softly, "to help you and Cas get ready."
"I don't wanna go back!" Nix wailed, burying his face in Serna's chest. "P-Please… I don't— I c-can't— please…"
"I'm so sorry, sweetie," Serna said softly. "But… you have to go." Her voice sounded defeated. She opened the door to the house, bringing them inside. The yelling had easily been heard here, but Serna and Zachary had refused to leave the house at all.
"W-What if he hurts me again?" Nix hiccuped a few times, sobbing harder. "I don't wanna go! And… and I don't want Cas or Zachary to have to go either…"
Serna laid Derlik down on the couch, sitting with Nix in her arms.
"I know, I know sweetie," she said softly, holding Nix close and rubbing his back.
"But… I can't let you get hurt because you don't go." She didn't rather take the chance of Nix possibly getting hurt than a guarantee he would. It'd be a lot better than the woman would do, no matter what.
"B-But I wanna stay here with you…" He sniffled. "With… with you and Mr. Derlik and Cas and Zachary…"
Serna gently rubbed Nix's back.
"I know, sweetie… Cas and Zachary and gonna stay with you, okay? And I know Derlik will always come over to check on you and keep you safe. I will too, Nix…" Serna held Nix close to herself.
Nix sniffled again and rubbed at his teary eyes, shaking violently. "I don't wanna go…" He whimpered. "Wanna stay…"
Serna hugged Nix to herself.
"I know… I want you to too…" Serna slowly stood, picking Derlik up again. She needed to take care of their injuries…