Again

I spent the rest of the day walking around buying supplies. Food rations, water, spare clothes, everything I could think of that I would need. As the day went on, it eventually became evening faster than I had thought it would. I head back to the tavern to grab a drink before I head to the gate to meet up with Kira and the rest of the group. I head inside and grab a seat by the counter before gesturing to the barkeep, lifting my satchel off of me and slamming it onto the counter.

“Hey Julius, give me your strongest one. It’s going to be my last for a while.”

He sighs and grabs a tankard behind him. “You’re gonna black out before you even leave Zero, you sure about that?”

I just shrug and tap my finger rapidly on the counter. “Just hurry it up, you’re losing a highly valued customer for a while, you should be glad I’m buying.”

Julius sighs again as he fills up the tankard and slides it over to me. “20 gold.”

I wave my arms around frantically before slamming my fist down. “20 GOLD?! You trying to rob me old man? 20 gold could be used to buy a month's worth of food!”

“Consider it an advanced payment, since you’re planning to come back alive, aren’t you?” He looks at me, crossing his arms against his chest.

I freeze for a second, before sighing and pulling out my pouch to retrieve the gold. “20 gold it is.”

I lay the gold on the counter as I grab the tankard up to drink. Julius walks over to take the gold, putting the gold into his personal compartment. “Be sure you come back, the place isn’t going to be the same without you drunk and yelling.”

I gulp down the alcohol and slam the tankard on the counter before wiping my mouth with my hands. “Of course I’m coming back! You just extorted me a whole month’s wage! Tch, of all people, I didn’t think you’d be like that.”

He chuckles and walks around the counter to my side to slap my back. “You’re a man aren’t you? Deal with it. Keep Kira safe, you got that? You’re the last person she has, and I would assume she is to you too.”

I cough as he slaps my back. “You don’t need to hit me that hard!”

I sigh as I stand up, grabbing my satchel and lifting it over my shoulder onto me.

“I know, I’ll make sure she’s safe. I have to.”

The place felt warmer, I turn to face Julius to say a small farewell, but as I turned to him, a familiar sight came into view.

M-Mabel…?

I shake my head, seeing Julius again. I smile as I turn my back to him, treading toward the door and waving him farewell. It was a warm feeling, a feeling I didn’t think I would have again. It felt like I had something close to what I’ve always wanted. A place to call home.

***

I arrived at the gate, a bit earlier than intended but I wanted some time alone to think. I sat down on the ground, leaning against the village fence as I look up toward the darkening sky.

“I wonder if those stars are like the books. Each star represents a lost soul that has found their way to the eternal ending afterlife. Maybe they’re both up there already, looking down at me. See what I’ve become.”

My lips curve into a smile as I let out a quiet chuckle. “Vivian would hate me for who I’ve become.”

A female voice shouted out to me “Hey Zero!”

I turned my head to the side to see who it was. It was Zoe. She gestured to me to walk toward her. I got up, dusted myself from the ground and walked over to her.

Where is everyone else? That’s weird.

“Hey Zoe, where’s Kira and the rest?”

She looks at me, like I just asked the most random question. “Hm? Everyone else? Oh right. I think they’ll be coming soon.”

She stands right in front of me. I can just smell her scent. She smells… like berries? It’s an enticing smell.

“I have a secret I wanna tell you Zero, but you can’t tell anyone else okay?” her eyes lit up with a bright smile to match.

I just chuckle and lean in. “No promises, but sure. What’s this secret you want to tell me?”

As soon as I give my permission, she leans in to nibble on my earlobe before letting go and whispering into my ear. “The Oathbreakers… send their greetings.”

All of a sudden, I feel a burst of pain in my lower abdomen. I glanced down to see a dagger that she had thrust into me, coated in what looked like poison.

I grabbed onto the dagger to yank it out of my body. I let out an excruciating yell as it came out.

“Z-Zoe… W-why…?”

She lets down her facade, her face entirely changed. She goes from the soft cute face, into a dark obsessive look with a smile that sent chills down my spine. “Because Zero! You belong to me! Not Kira! No… no… She thinks she’s so clever, telling the KING that she wants to HELP YOU! I SHOULD BE THE ONE HELPING!”

She lets out a manic giggle, sounding like a bird being strangled to death. She leans in and caresses my cheek before sliding her finger down my jawline. “Mmmm finally… You’re all mine… They promised me that I can have you all to myself…”

I couldn’t think, I felt myself going numb as the poison spread through my veins. I fell down on my knees before collapsing into the dirt. The poison restricted my movement, keeping me immobilised on the ground, unable to move.

“What did you… do to me…? Where… is Kira?”

Without batting an eye, she just stares at me. Her manic grin disappears, instead comes something darker, her face contorting in disgust.

“Kira?! Kira?! It’s always about Kira! Why is it never about me! I’m the one who truly loves you! It’s me! Ever since I first saw you as that little boy in the village. I fell in love with you! Seeing Kira take your affection! Seeing that little girl take you away! They don’t deserve you!”

She grabs hold of her hair and starts pulling on them roughly until strands start to fall out.

“Why Zero?! Why do you not look at me! Am… am I a monster?! Am I not good enough? Is that it?!”

She walks closer and starts kicking me in the stomach, each kick feeling like a boulder being smashed into my bones. “Why, why, why, why.” She kept repeating multiple times before stopping. She squats down before lifting my face up to her and smiles again.

“I’ll let you in on another secret… Do you remember what happened 15 years ago? How your little tiny village burnt down in flames and how that cute little purple-haired girl died?”

She leans into my ear to whisper. “It was all me. I brought them there. Hehe, I had to make sure that no one could take you from me. Because…because it was love at first sight! S-so I went in secret to signal them to come so we could kill everyone! Heheh!”

“I was only a few years older than you, but I know how you felt, I knew that I had to help you! Seeing what they were doing to you, making you cry and sad. I couldn’t have that any longer! I knew they were looking for souls to harvest… so I gave them a really really amazing target!”

My eyes widened in shock. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

It… Was it her fault? It… It wasn’t mine?

It was your fault. It’s your fault. It’s all your fault.

“IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT! I’M GOING TO KILL YOU! YOU'LL PAY FOR EVERYTHING!"

“Huh?” She looks at me, enraged that I even suggested a thing before standing back up and kicking my face in.

“Kill me? You’re not going to do a thing. You’re going to stay right there like a good boy and watch as we burn this town down and slaughter the townsfolk.” She lets out another manic giggle before lifting my bloody face up.

“That’s right little hero, we’re going to be doing the same thing we did 15 years ago, this time, you’ll get the best seats to the theater of death.” She smashes my head into the ground and stands up to wipe her hands.

“Now, stay still, I need to go signal Luci and Gray in so we can start the process. Tch. I just want to spend time with my little toy. Be good little Zero, I’ll be back soon and then we can have our own fun! Hehe.”

She vanishes from her spot, leaving me still immobilized on the ground, coming in and out of consciousness.