[Chp 14] The Aftermath

Several months had passed since the war had ended. Every kingdom, once shattered by fire and blood, now stood in the slow process of rebirth—rebuilding from the ashes, forging a future from what remained. At the center of the world stood a towering building. At its summit was a grand chamber, where a circular table sat surrounded by fourteen chairs. One by one, fourteen figures entered the room—the Kings and Queens of every kingdom across the land. For four of those thrones, new rulers had taken their place. The war had claimed the old ones, and now their successors bore the heavy burden of rebuilding what was lost. “Why is it that you called us here Kaku?” His voice low but commanding. “I called you all here was because…” He took a deep breathe. “Was because…I think we all should have a festival.” Kaku said. A silence followed—sharp and uncertain. The idea seemed to hang in the air like smoke from an old battlefield. Queen Virelia narrowed her eyes, clearly taken aback. “A festival? After everything?” Warchief Grondar let out a grunt. “You jest, surely.” Queen Skadara tapped her sharp, ringed fingers against the table. “Or perhaps you’ve gone mad.” But then, King Kaeron leaned forward, his voice calm. “No… he’s right. We’ve mourned long enough. A festival could be… what the people need.” Lord Veshar nodded reluctantly. “A moment of peace. A symbol that we have survived.” King Thaelion, ever the reserved one, simply said, “Let the world breathe again.” Empress Ziyana gave a faint, knowing smile. “Then let it be more than a celebration. Let it be a reminder of what peace costs.” The five new rulers looked around, uncertain at first—but they each slowly nodded. Youth and burden weighed heavily on them, but hope was a language they were learning. “Then it’s settled five months from now is when we have our festival.” Kaku said, everyone stands up and one by one they teleport back to their kingdoms. “Welcome back, Kaku,” Malik said softly, bowing his head. “There’s no need to bow, Malik…” Kaku’s expression shifted—his face falling into sorrow once more. “Kaku… what’s wrong?” Malik asked, concern lacing his voice. “Nothing’s wrong… I’ll be fine,” Kaku replied, turning away. He descended the stairs in silence, each step heavier than the last, leading down to the Training Chamber. There, alone in the cold quiet, he removed his king’s cape and let it fall to the ground. White flames burst to life around him. In a flash, his fist crashed into the stone wall. “This is all my fault!” he roared. “I should’ve never let him leave that day! None of this would’ve happened!” His left hand ignited in black flames, rage and grief intertwining. He struck the wall again. And again. And again. “AHHH! My fault—all my fault!” Kaku’s fists slowed, his knuckles bleeding against the fractured stone. His breaths came in ragged gasps as tears began to fall—silent at first, then freely. His body trembled, not from exhaustion, but from the storm of guilt and fury raging within him. "Kaku, you must stop..." Gemini’s voice echoed gently in his mind, calm but firm. “Why should I, dammit!?” Kaku shouted, voice cracking with anguish. “It’s my fault Zero left… my fault he was captured by Ember Vow that day!” His eyes burned with fury and sorrow. “It’s my fault the war even started! And now…” He sank to his knees, white and black flames flickering chaotically around him. “…it’s my fault he’s gone.” “Zero wouldn’t want you tearing yourself apart like this!” Gemini took form outside Kaku’s body—a being cloaked in pure black, wearing a stark white mask, with white stripes radiating outward from a hole in his chest. “If you truly want to unleash your frustration and sorrow… then come at me.” Without hesitation, Kaku lashed out, his fists pounding against Gemini’s dark form—each strike fueled by a storm of frustration and pain. “That’s it,” Gemini said, voice calm yet encouraging. “Let it all out.” Kaku’s fists continued to strike, each blow unraveling a little more of the tightly wound pain inside him. Slowly, the fire in his chest shifted—not just anger, but something deeper: grief, regret, and the faintest flicker of acceptance. The room grew quiet, save for the crackling of the flames around them. At last, Kaku’s breath hitched, and his fists stilled. He looked up at Gemini, eyes wet but clearer than before. Kaku swallowed hard, the weight of his emotions pressing down on him like a crushing tide. “I… I don’t know if I can ever make this right,” he whispered, voice rough and raw. Gemini stepped closer, his presence steady and unwavering. “You don’t have to do it alone,” he said softly. “But first, you need to forgive yourself. Only then can you move forward.” Kaku closed his eyes, the flames around him flickering gently as if responding to the quiet shift within. After a long pause, he nodded. “Maybe… maybe a festival isn’t just for the kingdoms,” he murmured. “Maybe it’s for me too.” Beyond the reach of sunlight and the bounds of the known world lies a place forgotten by time and memory—a realm where shadows linger, and the air tastes of desolation and silence. This is the Realm of Hollows—an endless desert of pale sands and jagged stones, where lost souls wander and hope withers like a dying flame. Here, the sky hangs heavy, a washed-out canvas of grey-white, bleeding faint light but no warmth. In this forsaken land, the boundary between life and death blurs, and those who fall here are trapped between worlds, caught in a limbo of their own making. Amidst the barren silence, two figures remain—one broken and still, the other watchful and waiting. The Realm of Hollows stretched endlessly beneath a pale, almost colorless sky. Jagged, blackened rock spires pierced the horizon like broken teeth, casting long, eerie shadows across the vast desert of shifting white sands. The air was dry and still, carrying only the faint whisper of a distant wind that stirred the grains beneath unseen feet. In the midst of this desolation, Zero lay motionless on the cracked ground. A hollow, perfectly round hole gaped in the center of his chest—an empty void that seemed to swallow the pale light around it. His body was still, eyes closed, as if suspended between life and oblivion. Not far away, perched atop a jagged rock, sat Zen. He was relaxed, his dark form silhouetted against the glow of a small, open campfire. In one hand, Zen held a piece of cooked meat, tearing into it with casual patience. The flickering flames cast warm light on his white mask, its expression unreadable, stark against the darkness. Zen’s eyes, sharp and alert, watched over Zero quietly, waiting for the moment his companion would awaken in this desolate world. The silence stretched on, broken only by the crackle of the fire and the faint, endless shifting of sand beneath the harsh, empty sky. “I gave to much of my power to you…and now” Zen took a deep breath, “And now…your just like me a hollow…more like Seravain, but you’re not just a Seravain…you still lose control of yourself” Zen’s eyes, hidden behind the mask, seemed to darken as he spoke. “But that struggle… it’s what makes you different. It means there’s still a part of you fighting back. A part that refuses to be swallowed by the void.” He shifted slightly, the firelight flickering over the sharp lines of his mask. “You may be lost now, but you’re not broken. Not yet. If you can find that part inside you—the part that remembers who you really are—then maybe, just maybe, there’s hope.” He glanced down at the glowing embers in the fire. “But first, you must wake up. And that’s something only you can do.” “Till then…Your training will be on hold…” Zen eyes turned into worriedness. “How much time will we have till the new threat comes…How much longer? Not even I know that answer…” Zen whispered A figure appeared silently behind Zen. “It’s been a long time, Zentistu…” the voice said softly. Zen’s gaze sharpened. “Yeah… it has been a long time, brother.” “What’s wrong, Zen? Not glad to see your older brother?” the figure taunted, a mocking smile curling his lips. “Shut up, Morvex. Go back to the damn Los Sombras,” Zen snapped, eyes blazing with irritation. “Oh, woah, feisty much,” Morvex sneered, his gaze flicking toward Zero. “So, who’s this?” Morvex said as he suddenly teleported to Zero and grabbed him by the neck“Get your hands off him—now!” Zen shouted, slamming his fist into Morvex’s jaw. “Ouch. That hurt, you know,” Morvex muttered, barely fazed. He casually let Zero drop to the ground. “Fine then,” he said with a smirk. “I’ll be going now…” With that, Morvex began to rise into the air, wings of shadow forming as he slowly flew away. Zen dropped to his knees beside Zero, checking urgently for any signs of life. No heartbeat. No breath. Then—suddenly—the gaping hole in Zero’s chest began to seal itself, threads of glowing energy stitching the wound shut. His heart thudded once. Then again. Zero gasped sharply, air rushing back into his lungs. Zero eyes opened, he got up instantly gasping for air, “What the hell happened?” He asked, “A lot has happened, but the war is over but you’re in the realm I was born in…” Zen said. “Wow then no wonder why you’re so boring.” Zero started laughing in a playful way, “Is that how you say thank you to someone for literally saving your life!” Zero smirked, brushing the sand off his clothes as he stood up fully. “I mean, thanks and all… but next time, maybe don’t let me die first.” Zen let out a dry chuckle. “You’re welcome, drama queen.” The tension between them faded into a moment of lightness, rare in the bleak expanse around them. Zero looked around, finally taking in the eerie silence and the ghostly sky. “So… this is your birthplace, huh? Real cheerful.” “It ain’t supposed to be cheerful” Zen said. “Look, Zero…Theres a new Threat coming…” A quick pause came from Zen. “The power I gave you is no longer mine but is yours now so before you can go and rage whenever you’re close to death so you’re going to be training here with me.” Zen said. “I don’t know how long we have till then, so you got to give it your best at controlling these new powers of yours.” Determination lit up in Zero’s eyes. “I will control it…I won’t let it break me! Or control me!” Zero yelled. “Good” Zen said.