When Zeroth opened his eyes, the world felt wrong.
The first thing he saw was bark — rough, cracked bark — inches from his face. The second thing he noticed was the smell. Iron. Smoke. Blood that hadn't fully dried yet.
His body screamed when he tried to move.
A sharp pain ran through his chest, where the fire bullet had pierced him. His side burned where steel had cut flesh. His throat felt dry, and his head throbbed as if something inside it had been torn apart and stitched back together incorrectly.
Then he heard chains.
Metal scraping against bark. Heavy breathing. Whimpers.
Zeroth forced his eyes to focus.
The four bandits were tied to a thick tree in front of him. Their arms were bound behind their backs, their bodies slumped, some half-conscious, some shaking uncontrollably. Blood stained their clothes — some of it his, some of it theirs.
"Oh," a voice said calmly. "You finally woke up."
Kaelor stood a few steps away, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
No — that wasn't true.
Zeroth swallowed.
Kaelor looked… wrong.
There was something in his eyes that hadn't been there before. Something sharp. Cold. Almost pleased.
"It is time for your first test, Zukiro Zeroth," Kaelor said.
The way he said his full name made Zeroth's stomach tighten.
"A… test?" Zeroth muttered, trying to sit up. His arms trembled as he pushed himself upright.
Kaelor stepped aside and kicked a sword toward him.
The blade scraped against the ground and stopped near Zeroth's hand.
"Take one of their weapons," Kaelor said flatly. "And kill them."
The words didn't register at first.
"…What?"
"Kill your enemy," Kaelor repeated, his voice merciless. "With the same weapon they tried to kill you with."
Zeroth's breath hitched.
"WHAT?" he shouted, his voice cracking.
One of the bandits began to sob openly. Tears streamed down his face as he strained against the bindings.
"Please—please don't kill me," the man cried. "I have a family. I swear. Children. Please. I'll do anything."
Zeroth's hands started shaking.
He looked at Kaelor, waiting for the joke. Waiting for the lesson to end.
It didn't.
Kaelor's gaze hardened. "Remember what I told you in the Valley?" he said slowly. "Some rules can only be learned the hard way."
Zeroth felt sick.
"They tried to kill me," Zeroth whispered. "But… I never— I've never killed anyone before."
"No," Kaelor agreed. "And that's why you're weak."
"I won't do it," Zeroth said, louder now. "I won't kill them."
The slap came without warning.
Pain exploded across Zeroth's face as Kaelor struck him with full force. Zeroth stumbled back, crashing onto the dirt.
Kaelor loomed over him.
"Listen carefully," Kaelor said, his voice low and dangerous. "Your mother. Your dreams. How do you plan to protect them if you're afraid to erase your enemies?"
Zeroth's ears rang.
"These people are obstacles," Kaelor continued. "Nothing more. And obstacles are meant to be removed."
Zeroth's heart pounded so hard it hurt.
One part of him screamed no. Screamed that this was wrong. That this wasn't him.
He was ten years old.
But another part of him…
Another part of him remembered his mother trembling at night. Remembered her pretending to smile. Remembered how powerless he felt every single time.
And that part of him didn't feel fear.
It felt curiosity.
"…Morals," Zeroth whispered, his voice barely audible. "I need to get rid of them."
Kaelor's lips curled into a smile.
"Exactly," he shouted. "Morals are chains. There is no right or wrong. There is only your dream."
Something snapped.
Zeroth stood up.
The bandits screamed louder now. One begged. Another cursed. Another promised gold.
"SHUT UP!" Zeroth roared.
He kicked one of the men in the face with all his strength.
Teeth cracked.
Blood sprayed.
The scream that followed was inhuman.
Zeroth froze for half a second.
Then he laughed.
Not a nervous laugh.
A real one.
Loud. Unrestrained. Almost joyful.
He bent down and picked up the sword.
The moment his fingers wrapped around the hilt, his magic surged.
Black energy crawled over the blade like a living thing, devouring the steel until it glowed with a dark, unnatural aura.
Zeroth lifted the sword.
One clean swing.
The man's head hit the ground before his body did.
Blood erupted.
The remaining three lost all control. Screaming. Crying. Begging.
Zeroth's smile widened.
He felt watched.
"ARE YOU WATCHING ME?" Zeroth shouted upward. "FIGURE!"
Something answered.
Not with words — but with sensation.
Approval.
Zeroth didn't kill them quickly.
First, he broke faces. Crushed noses. Shattered jaws. He wanted to hear everything.
He wanted to feel everything.
Even Kaelor felt uneasy now.
The second fell.
Then the third.
Kaelor stared in silence.
"This child," he thought, "couldn't swing a sword a week ago."
The last one was the magician.
Zeroth turned to Kaelor.
"You said," Zeroth murmured calmly, "kill them with the same weapon they tried to kill me with. Right?"
Kaelor hesitated. "…Yes."
Black flames ignited in Zeroth's hands.
Kaelor's eyes widened.
Fire magic?
Before he could react, Zeroth raised his arm and fired.
The black flame pierced the man's skull instantly.
"Black Bullet," Zeroth whispered.
Silence.
Four bodies lay still.
Zeroth stood among them, drenched in blood, smiling faintly.
He no longer looked like a child.
Then, just as suddenly…
It ended.
His shoulders slumped. His eyes dulled.
"Can we go to the Vitral Palace now?" Zeroth murmured, exhausted.
The ride back was quiet.
When they arrived, Kaelor spoke once more. "I won't be here for three days. Survive."
Zeroth wandered the palace grounds alone, notebook in hand.
He wrote.
He thought.
"I killed four people."
"Would my mother be disappointed?"
"For my dream… it was necessary."
"There is no right or wrong."
As Zeroth continued walking through the gardens of the Vitral Palace, the notebook never left his hands.
He wrote while walking.
Words about fear.
Words about dreams.
Words about history.
Words about his mothers words.
People stared at him.
His clothes were torn, stained dark with dried blood and dirt. His hair was a mess. He didn't belong here — and everyone could feel it. Servants whispered. Guards frowned but said nothing.
Then footsteps approached.
Not one pair.
Four.
Zeroth felt them before he saw them.
He stopped writing.
Slowly, he closed the notebook and held it against his chest, his fingers tightening around it unconsciously.
"Well, well," a mocking voice said. "Look what wandered into the palace."
Zeroth looked up.
Three boys and one girl stood in front of him.
They were clean. Well-dressed. Proud.
Nobles.
The boy in front stepped forward, chin raised unnaturally high for someone his age.
"Do you even know where you're standing, filth?" the boy shouted. "This is Vitral Palace."
Zeroth's gaze drifted over him calmly.
"I know," he replied. "That's why I'm here."
The boy frowned.
"You're supposed to bow," he snapped. "I am Kirius Vitral. Future lord of this clan."
Zeroth blinked once.
Then he looked around, as if searching for someone else.
"I don't see a lord," he said. "Just a loud child."
The air froze.
The two boys beside Kirius stepped forward instantly.
"Watch your mouth," one of them hissed. "I am Vitrus Vitral."
"And I am Tarius Vitral," the other added. "We don't tolerate disrespect."
Zeroth's eyes lingered on them longer now.
Triplets, he realized.
Same face. Same arrogance. Same weakness.
"How strange," Zeroth muttered quietly. "Three of the same."
"What did you say?" Kirius barked.
Zeroth tilted his head slightly. "I was wondering how it feels. To be born identical. To share everything." As if he was remembering his own siblings.
They didn't understand.
"HEY!" Kirius shouted. "WHO ARE YOU IGNORING?"
Zeroth looked back at him, unimpressed.
"You talk too much for someone who hasn't earned anything yet."
The words landed like a slap.
"You think you're special?" Vitrus sneered. "You look like a beggar."
Tarius smirked. "Or a stray dog."
Zeroth didn't move.
Didn't flinch.
Didn't smile.
"I don't need to be special," he said quietly. "I only need to survive."
That was when the girl finally spoke.
"…What's your name?"
Her voice was softer. Curious. Not mocking.
Zeroth's eyes shifted to her.
She had been silent the entire time. Watching. Studying him. Not with disgust — but with interest.
"Why do you care?" Zeroth asked.
She hesitated. "Because… you don't look scared."
That annoyed Kirius.
"Don't talk to him," he snapped at her. "He's nothing."
Zeroth met her gaze again.
"Zeroth," he said simply.
The name hung in the air.
The girl felt it.
A strange chill ran down her spine.
As if something deep inside her whispered that this name would matter one day.
Kirius clenched his fists.
"You won't last here," he said. "This palace eats people like you alive."
Zeroth smiled faintly.
"Good," he replied. "I'm hungry."
For the first time, none of them laughed.
And as Zeroth walked past them, notebook pressed against his chest, one thought echoed in all of their minds—though none of them understood it yet:
This boy would not remain beneath them.
He would stand above them.
And when that day came,
none of them would be able to stop him.