Zero couldn't forget Earth Zero's final words.
Watch more carefully.
Not what happens.
Who remains after it.
For several days, that was exactly what he did.
He watched the aftermath of events.
Who people talked about.
Whose name appeared first in reports.
Who soldiers mentioned when they described a battle.
Who the public attached to an important moment.
The more Zero watched, the clearer the pattern became.
But understanding the pattern did not explain the reason.
If anything, it only created more questions.
Why Hiro?
Why did Earth Zero believe Hiro needed to remain at the center?
And why did the other Zero speak as though the world itself naturally moved around whoever occupied that position?
Zero had no answers.
Then he found something he wasn't supposed to see.
********************************
It began with a mistake.
Earth Zero had been more careful recently.
Zero rarely sensed him anymore.
There were no obvious attacks.
No messages.
