Chapter 30: A Night of Unease
Night swallowed the Midnight Exchange whole.
Above, thousands of lanterns burst to life, spilling gold and crimson across the cobbled streets like liquid fire. From the rooftops, the city looked like a galaxy spilled upon the earth—twinkling, breathing, alive.
Beautiful?
Absolutely.
Peaceful?
On the surface.
But Fenrir felt none of it.
A weight pressed against his ribs—tight, unrelenting. The sense of eyes in the dark watching him. A chill that had nothing to do with the weather ran down his spine. Something ancient, hidden coiled just beneath the silence was waiting.
"You're doing it again," came a voice.
Fenrir blinked.
Yuna stared back at him, a skewer in hand, her mouth half-full of grilled meat.
"Doing what?"
"Overthinking."
"No I'm not."
" Yes you are."
"I really am not."
She jabbed the stick toward his face.
"Same look, same brooding storm behind your eyes since five minutes ago, now—identical."
"...I have more than one expression."
"Nope, right now, you've got The One Where He's About to have a life or death battle."
He exhaled sharply.
"You're impossible."
She grinned, cheeks puffed.
"Heard it before."
Silence settled between them.
The sizzle of meat on the grill.
The laughter of passing pedestrians.
The chatter of merchants.
Life moved normally...
Too normally.
"You're still thinking about them, aren't you?" she asked.
Fenrir's gaze drifted toward the horizon.
"...Yeah."
She chewed, swallowed, and then said,
"They'll be fine."
"You sound awfully sure."
"I am."
"Why?"
Yuna tilted her head, her golden eyes glinting.
"Because they're monsters."
He almost laughed.
That answer again.
And somehow...
it helped ease the knot in his chest.
Just a little.
---
After her sixth plate, Yuna stood and patted her stomach.
"Done."
Fenrir stared at the mountain of empty dishes.
"Wow...that redefies biology."
"It doesn't."
"It does."
"It doesn't!"
She pouted.
"Rude."
"I'm concerned. For science."
"My stomach is legendary."
"...Of course it is."
She beamed.
Then her expression softened.
"Walk with me?"
He glanced at the quieting streets.
"...Sure."
They moved through the evening in silence.
Shops pulled down their shutters.
The cool night air curled around them.
Minutes passed without words.
Then—
"Do you miss them?"
Fenrir glanced at her.
"Who?"
"Your family."
The question landed like a stone.
His voice dropped.
"...Yeah."
"A lot?"
"...A lot."
He lifted his eyes toward the sky.
"My parents were good people,they took me in when I was small. They weren't rich, they weren't powerful but they loved me."
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Mom worried about everything. Dad tried to act cool."
He chuckled softly.
" But he failed miserably."
Yuna snorted.
"Sounds hilarious."
"He was."
Silence stretched between them.
Then—
"They died when I was seventeen."
The smile disappeared.
The air stilled.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
He shook his head.
"Don't know why I'm saying all this."
"Because you're sad."
"...It's that obvious?"
"Blindingly."
He sighed.
"I need to work on that."
"No."
He turned.
"Hmm?"
Yuna met his gaze.
"You don't have to hide everything."
She spoke softly.
"Sadness. Fear. Loneliness. They're all normal."
Her golden eyes seemed unusually gentle.
"Even the strongest beings have felt those things."
She smiled.
"So don't blame yourself for feeling them too."
His steps faltered.
For a heartbeat, he was back in that empty apartment.
Alone.
Breaking.
Whispering goodbye to the life he had lost.
"...Thank you."
His voice was quiet.
"I really needed that."
She smiled softly.
"Anytime."
---
Then—
Fenrir froze.
Every muscle in his body locked.
There it was.
Cold.
Ancient.
Watching.
'OBLIVION.'
[Yes.]
'Again?'
[Affirmative.]
A chill ran down his spine.
Beside him, Yuna suddenly went still.
Her ears stood upright.
Her tails stiffened.
"You feel it too?"
She nodded slowly.
The playful spark in her eyes was gone.
"What is that...?" she whispered.
No answer came.
The feeling lasted for a split second.
Then—
it vanished.
As though it had never existed.
They scanned the shadows.
Nothing.
No figures.
No threats.
No signs.
Just the quiet streets.
But the fear remained.
"...I don't like this."
Yuna's voice was small.
Smaller than he had ever heard it.
Fenrir didn't like it either.
And seeing her afraid?
That made it infinitely worse.
---
At that exact moment—
far beyond the city's barriers,
deep within a nameless forest—
Aetherion stopped.
The others halted instantly.
"What is it?" Raphael asked.
The old man slowly lifted his head.
The sky.
The stars.
The silence.
Everything looked normal.
Yet—
for the first time in centuries—
a shiver ran down his spine.
"...Something's wrong."
Kael frowned.
"Can you sense anything?"
"No."
"Then what—?"
Aetherion stared into the darkness.
"...I don't know."
And that—
terrified him.
---
Back in the Midnight Exchange—
Fenrir and Yuna returned to the bookstore.
No jokes.
No laughter.
The warmth had bled from the night.
Yuna curled up on the couch, her tails wrapped tightly around her body.
Fenrir stood by the window.
The city lights shimmered in the distance.
Beautiful and serene.
But he saw something else.
Something fragile.
Something precious.
And it felt as though it could shatter at any moment.
'OBLIVION.'
[Yes.]
'Do you know what's coming?'
Silence.
Long.
Heavy.
Then—
[No.]
Fenrir went still.
No?
For the first time since his awakening...
OBLIVION didn't have an answer.
And that terrified him.
A cold wave crashed through his body.
Because OBLIVION always knew.
It always understood.
Even when it lacked complete information, it could still identify, classify, or predict.
But this?
Nothing.
Complete uncertainty.
If even OBLIVION couldn't name it...
What the hell was approaching?
His gaze drifted toward the night sky.
The stars suddenly looked colder.
Distant.
Unfamiliar.
And far, far beyond them—
something moved.
For reasons he couldn't explain...
his heart began to pound harder.
As if fate itself had taken its first step.
The calm?,
It's over.
Author's Note
Hello everyone!
Thank you all for reading and supporting God Devouring Abomination. Your comments, reviews, and support mean a lot to me.
Starting from now, I will be releasing one chapter daily to maintain a consistent schedule and ensure the quality of the story remains high.
Also, I have some exciting news!
Very soon, I will be launching a Patreon where you'll be able to read advanced chapters ahead of everyone else, along with other exclusive content.
Thank you once again for being part of this journey. The story is only getting started, and there are many exciting things ahead!
— Kingmora259.