The room fell into sudden silence. Only the faint hum of the music lingered in the air.
Nara took a small step back, eyes wide.
"Whoa… that's heavy."
Van gave a slow nod. "And he's got the Aidra."
Nara's face paled instantly.
"Ohmigosh!"
Code's stomach twisted. The fear in Nara's voice hit harder than he expected. He knew being a Zero meant danger… but now it felt real.
Hina leaned forward, brows furrowing.
"This is massive. A Zero containing Aidra? The Aidra? I thought he was just a myth."
Van nodded. "Yeah. It's him."
A chill crept down Code's spine. His thoughts spiraled, dragged down by worst-case scenarios.
"I don't know, guys…" he muttered, voice distant. His eyes wandered to the ceiling. "Maybe I should just turn myself in."
"What?" Hina's voice cracked with disbelief. "No way, Code! You can't just hand yourself over. Do you have any idea what they'll do to you? Especially with Aidra inside you?"
Code shrugged, his gaze lost in the flickering lantern light.
"I don't know. But I don't see another way out."
Van stepped forward, eyes sharp.
"Hey. We're a family now, Code. We're not letting that happen to you."
"Yeah," Nara agreed, slapping Code on the back. "We're in this together, bro."
A sudden warmth bloomed in Code's chest. He couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips. For the first time in a long while… he didn't feel alone.
"But seriously," Hina cut in, leaning forward, her expression cautious. "The real question is—how did you get possessed by Aidra? Not just any demon, but that one?"
Code blinked. "That's the thing. I don't know either."
She turned to Van, eyes narrowing. "How?"
Van's voice dropped, tone grim.
"There are only two ways someone becomes a Zero. Either you make a contract with a demon… or you consume part of one's body. But neither method works on special-class demons."
"Good grief…" Hina whispered.
"Code," Van said, turning to him, "remember when I told you to try letting him out?"
Code nodded slowly. "Yeah… I remember."
"Did he come out?" Nara and Hina blurted at once, eyes wide with tension.
"No," Van answered. "Even my technique couldn't bring him out. It's like… he's sealed."
Sealed? The word echoed in Code's mind like a bell.
When? How?
His heart thudded wildly. Something deep inside told him Van was right. But he couldn't figure out who could've sealed Aidra… not when he knew next to nothing about his past. The only thing he remembered about his childhood… was that his parents died shortly after his birth.
Hina's voice turned low, serious. "Something's wrong."
"Sealing Aidra…" Nara mumbled. "Is that even possible?"
Van gave a slow nod. "If it is, then the one who sealed him would have to be beyond this world."
He stepped forward, eyes gleaming with intensity.
"No one else can know about this. If they do… the whole world could turn against us. Code, you need to grow stronger. Fast. You'll have to fight the demon inside you someday."
Code's breath caught in his throat.
Van continued, voice firm. "The fact you're still alive means your tenzen is strong enough to suppress Aidra's anti-tenzen. That's not something just anyone can do."
Nara turned to Code, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
"So? What's your sorcery style?"
"Uh…" Code hesitated. "Sorcery style?"
Nara blinked. "Your tenzen affinity, man."
Code shook his head. "I… don't know."
Van stepped in, calm and composed. "We haven't figured that out yet."
"Hm…" Nara tapped his chin, visibly intrigued.
Code let out a nervous laugh, still trying to make sense of everything.
Van stood. His shadow stretched across the room.
"He's going to train with me," he announced. "Code. Come with me."
Nara clapped Code on the back again. "Don't die, okay?" he teased, his grin returning.
Code stiffened. "...Die?" he echoed, barely above a whisper.
Hina shot Nara a look. "Nara, don't scare him."
"What?" Nara grinned. "Just being honest."
As Code followed Van toward the next room, his heart beat wildly in his chest. A storm of questions spun in his mind.
What am I? What's waiting for me?
"I hope I don't die," he whispered under his breath.
From behind, Nara's voice rang out.
"Don't worry, Code! We'll protect you… unless you're allergic to training. Then you're on your own!"
***
TBC