Chapter 63: Brothers

There are bonds you can’t see — invisible threads that cross time, space, even memory. Some are born of the same womb. Others, from the same pain. But the deepest… the truest… are woven in the silence of what was lost and in the hope of what remains to be reclaimed.
A reunion between two souls torn apart is not just bodies meeting again. It’s a crossroads — an intersection of past and present, of the child you once were and the warrior you’ve become. And at that intersection, words carry weight. Silences weigh more. And glances… they can say everything.
What does it mean to be a brother? To share blood? Memories? Or perhaps the same purpose, even if your methods contradict one another?
Some seek answers in history. Others create them with their deeds. And there are those who, without fully understanding, find themselves drawn into something far greater than themselves. Because sometimes what matters is not understanding the world… but deciding what to protect when everything seems to fall apart.
In a world marked by war, betrayal, and hidden truth, the simple act of remembering a name… can change everything.

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The wind blew with a deceptive gentleness, as if it wanted to comfort the earth after the storm. Dark clouds were starting to clear from the sky, but the true chaos still beat inside it.
Edén limped through the remnants of the battlefield. His body shook; his legs barely obeyed.
“Damn… I can hardly move… I’m wrecked,” he thought, exhaling in frustration.

His pupils flashed for a moment and his aura slowly faded. He had returned to his normal form. He felt it — he knew it. For the first time, he’d used that power intentionally, without losing himself to its darkness. But it was still too soon. Too unstable.
“Though I’m still too weak to use it right…” he reflected, letting the breeze cool the sweat on his face. “And it looks like I’ll leave here… without getting what I came for.”

Soft footsteps on the scorched earth interrupted him from behind.
“Well… that was a complete surprise,” said a relaxed voice. “I expected you to be strong, but you surprised me.”
Edén turned immediately.
“You… who are you, really?”
The newcomer raised an amused eyebrow.
“Oh, right… I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Zero. I’m a member of the Revolutionaries.”
“The Revolutionaries…?” Edén echoed, then something clicked in his head. “Wait — did you say Zero?” His eyes widened. “Are you… Zero Yomi?”

The atmosphere shifted. The man before him went serious at once, as if that name transported him back in time.
“Who told you that?” he asked cautiously.

Instead of answering, Edén pulled him into a fierce hug.
“What a joy… you’re alive… brother.”
Zero froze. For a beat he didn’t know what to do — whether to return the hug or step back. But his heart already knew.
“…Edén.”
“Wait… how do you know?” Zero wondered. I remember grandfather placing a mental block on him at my request… so how is this possible?

“Can I ask you something?” Edén said.
“Yes,” Zero answered, and Edén didn’t let go.
“How do you know I’m your brother?”

Edén pulled back and looked him in the eyes.
“To be honest… I’m not sure.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“A short while ago, during a battle in Nork… I fought Iss. During that fight… she broke something in my head. Some kind of block. Since then everything’s been fuzzy, but bit by bit… I began to remember. And one of the things I remembered… was that I had a brother. His name was Zero.”

Zero lowered his gaze. There was no anger — only resignation.
“I see…”
“Sorry if I’m wrong,” Edén said, unsure for the first time.

But Zero shook his head.
“You haven’t been wrong. My real name is Zero Yomi… and I am your brother.”

They embraced again, this time without questions or doubts.
“Thank God…” Zero thought, closing his eyes. It wasn’t what I feared…

Time seemed to stop. Only the whisper of the wind surrounded them, as if even the world wanted to grant them this moment.
Minutes passed and they started talking — about everything and nothing, about what they’d lived, what they’d lost… and what lay ahead. They laughed. They recalled. But at some point, Edén’s expression changed.

“Everything changed since that day,” he said suddenly.
“What day?”
“The day of my birthday. Some guys who called themselves Black Lights… attacked me.”

Zero shot up.
“Black Lights?!”
“I couldn’t do anything. I didn’t even react…” Edén’s voice broke. “But grandfather showed up. He tried to save me. They captured him because of me. That’s why I became strong. To rescue him. To make them pay. I won’t rest until I’ve done it… no matter the cost.”

Zero fell silent, watching him closely — with sadness.
“Are you sure that’s what grandfather would have wanted?”
Edén looked confused.
“What do you mean?”
“I know I won’t change your mind. But… grandfather always wanted us to live in peace. Far away from all this. Still… it seems you and I were never very good at following the rules, huh?”

Edén’s face hardened. His fist clenched.
“So what should I do? What should I protect?”

Zero lowered his head… and smiled bitterly.
“I don’t know.”
“Huh?”
“The truth is… there’s never a single right answer. The good aren’t all that good, nor the bad all that bad. There are only people… trying to defend what they believe is right.”

The silence between the two brothers grew more comfortable — almost companionable. The battle now felt like a distant memory, and for a brief moment, the world had stopped burning.

“Why did you choose to join the Revolutionaries?” Edén asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.

Zero turned his gaze toward the horizon, as if searching there for a better answer than the one he was about to give.
“Who knows…” he said at last, with disarming honesty. “I’d like to give you a cool reason — something noble, like protecting others. But that’d be a lie.”

Edén raised an eyebrow, surprised.
“Then why?”
“Maybe it was just… a whim,” Zero sighed. “I wanted to know the truth. The real truth. The reason behind the races, the meaning of the worlds, the unwritten rules of existence… and I knew this was the shortest path to that answer. So I won’t stop — not until I understand everything.”

Edén studied him in silence. There was no arrogance in his words, no ego — only hunger. A hunger to understand.
“The truth?” he echoed softly. “What do you mean?”
“I’m sorry,” Zero replied with a faint but firm smile. “It’s not time for you to know that yet. When the day comes… you’ll have to decide for yourself what to protect — and who.”

Edén let out a weary sigh.
“Alright… I guess I’ll wait.”
“Mind if I ask you something now?”
“Go ahead.”
“How did you end up in Grek?”

Edén chuckled awkwardly, lowering his gaze as if recalling something embarrassing — but not entirely unpleasant.
“That’s a long story… but let’s just say some pink-haired idiot blackmailed me.”
“Huh?” Zero frowned.
“Huh? What’s wrong?” Edén tilted his head.

Zero’s face twisted into visible irritation.
“T-That idiot?”
“You know the idiot?”
“You… could say that,” Zero muttered, crossing his arms as a chill of old training memories ran down his spine.

Both fell silent for a moment… and then burst out laughing — short, genuine laughter that broke the tension.
“Looks like we both had a rough time with that guy,” Zero admitted.
“Yeah… something like that,” Edén said with a grin.

The lighthearted moment ended when two hooded figures emerged from the brush, approaching with steady steps.
“Boss,” said one, voice firm. “We have to leave. Another mission awaits.”

Zero turned with irritation.
“Can’t you see I’m reconnecting with my brother?”
“Apologies, sir— Wait, brother?” the first voice stammered. “Y-You have a brother?!”
“The boss has a brother?” added the other, stunned.

Edén raised a hand in a shy wave.
“Hi.”
“Edén, let me introduce you,” said Zero. “These are Landis and Ëliel. They’re under my command.”
“A pleasure,” Edén replied, still watching them with faint fascination.

“I’m sorry I can’t stay longer,” Zero said with a resigned tone.
“Don’t worry. I’m just glad I got to see you again, brother.”
Zero smiled — a genuine smile.
“Same here, little brother… Something tells me we’ll see each other again soon.”
“I’ll be waiting.”

With a final nod, Zero vanished along with his subordinates, like a gust of wind disappearing among the trees.

Edén stood still, alone, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
“What is it that I should protect…?” he whispered.

Meanwhile, several kilometers away, Zero ran through the forest alongside his two companions.
“Sorry to interrupt, sir,” said Landis carefully. “But… why didn’t you invite your brother to join us?”
Zero kept his pace, not looking back.
“For now, it’s better that he stays with them. He’s not ready yet… to know the truth about this world.”
“Do you think he’ll ever be ready?”
“I’m sure of it,” Zero said with quiet conviction. “But that moment hasn’t come yet.”

Landis nodded silently.
Ëliel moved ahead a few steps.
“Sir, we’ve just received information on our next mission.”
“Where is it?” Zero asked.
“In the region of Eldoria — the City of Science.”

Zero smiled, a different spark in his eyes.
“Oh… that will be interesting.”
“Yes, sir!” both replied in unison.

And with a new path set before them, the silhouettes of the three disappeared among the trees.