The young girl introduced herself as Nyx and offered her hand for him to shake, which he recoiled from. Deus couldn't touch her. Even if he wanted to, she was far too pure for him to taint. The oily blackness inside him willed him to reach out, to give her some of the hatred that smoldered inside him, but he physically couldn't.

She swatted at a fly with stifled laughter, her cute smile prompting him to smile back. "Laughter is good for the soul," he said. He stood and dusted himself off. His hands were sore and the scratch on his face burned slightly, but he had had worse injuries. "So what are you doing out this late at night? And alone? It's dangerous here."