"Something inside him had already awakened… and it was not supposed to exist."
Chapter 4: The Thing Inside the Zero
Aren didn't sleep that night.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw it again.
The black glow inside the crystal.
The voice.
We finally found you.
He sat up sharply in the stable, breathing uneven.
"…This isn't real," he whispered.
But his hand betrayed him.
A faint flicker of darkness sparked between his fingers.
Aren froze.
It was back.
The same strange energy from the crystal.
Except this time… it didn't feel distant.
It felt like it was inside him.
Outside, the world was still quiet.
Too quiet.
Aren stepped out of the stable, moving carefully toward the back field behind the inn. His instinct told him not to let anyone see this.
Not yet.
He raised his hand.
"…Show yourself."
Nothing happened.
He exhaled.
"I'm losing it."
Then—
The ground beneath his feet suddenly twitched.
A small pebble lifted slightly… then dropped.
Aren stared.
"…That was me?"
He tried again.
Focus.
Nothing.
He frowned. "Come on…"
Frustration rose.
And with it—
The air changed.
The space around his hand bent slightly, like reality itself hesitated.
A thin black pulse expanded outward.
💥 The nearby grass withered instantly.
Aren stumbled back. "What—?!"
His heartbeat shot up.
This wasn't magic.
This wasn't elemental power.
It felt… wrong.
Like something that didn't belong in the world.
Suddenly—
A sharp voice echoed from behind him.
"Interesting."
Aren spun around instantly.
A man stood at the edge of the field.
Tall. Calm. Wearing a dark coat with silver markings.
But the strangest part—
He wasn't afraid.
He was smiling.
"I felt it from miles away," the man said slowly. "A reaction that shouldn't exist."
Aren's body tensed. "Who are you?"
The man tilted his head slightly.
"I should be asking you that."
A pause.
Then he stepped forward.
And with every step—
The air around him shimmered.
Pressure dropped.
Aren felt it instantly.
This man… was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
The man's eyes narrowed.
"Tell me, boy…"
"…why does a 'Zero' have void resonance inside him?"
Aren froze.
"…Void what?"
The man's smile faded slightly.
"That confirms it."
He raised his hand slightly.
And the space around his fingers cracked—just for a second—like glass.
Aren's eyes widened.
That wasn't energy.
That was space breaking.
The man exhaled.
"You shouldn't exist."
Aren stepped back. "I didn't ask to exist like this."
Silence.
Then the man chuckled.
"Good answer."
Suddenly—
He disappeared.
Aren's eyes widened.
"Wha—"
A hand grabbed his throat from behind.
No warning.
No sound.
Just instant pressure.
Aren gasped as he was lifted slightly off the ground.
The man's voice came calmly beside his ear.
"Let's see what kind of 'Zero' you really are."
A small pressure surged into Aren's body.
And for the first time—
The thing inside him reacted on its own.
💥 BLACK LIGHT BURST OUT
The man was forced backward instantly.
Aren dropped to his knees, coughing.
His hand trembled.
Dark energy flickered uncontrollably around him.
But this time…
It didn't fade.
It stayed.
The man looked at him, eyes finally serious.
"…So it's awake."
Aren looked at his own hands, shocked.
"…What did I do?"
The man slowly straightened.
"This is bad."
A pause.
Then he said quietly:
"You are not a Zero."
Aren loChapter 4: The Thing Inside the Zero
Aren didn't sleep that night.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw it again.
The black glow inside the crystal.
The voice.
We finally found you.
He sat up sharply in the stable, breathing uneven.
"…This isn't real," he whispered.
But his hand betrayed him.
A faint flicker of darkness sparked between his fingers.
Aren froze.
It was back.
The same strange energy from the crystal.
Except this time… it didn't feel distant.
It felt like it was inside him.
Outside, the world was still quiet.
Too quiet.
Aren stepped out of the stable, moving carefully toward the back field behind the inn. His instinct told him not to let anyone see this.
Not yet.
He raised his hand.
"…Show yourself."
Nothing happened.
He exhaled.
"I'm losing it."
Then—
The ground beneath his feet suddenly twitched.
A small pebble lifted slightly… then dropped.
Aren stared.
"…That was me?"
He tried again.
Focus.
Nothing.
He frowned. "Come on…"
Frustration rose.
And with it—
The air changed.
The space around his hand bent slightly, like reality itself hesitated.
A thin black pulse expanded outward.
💥 The nearby grass withered instantly.
Aren stumbled back. "What—?!"
His heartbeat shot up.
This wasn't magic.
This wasn't elemental power.
It felt… wrong.
Like something that didn't belong in the world.
Suddenly—
A sharp voice echoed from behind him.
"Interesting."
Aren spun around instantly.
A man stood at the edge of the field.
Tall. Calm. Wearing a dark coat with silver markings.
But the strangest part—
He wasn't afraid.
He was smiling.
"I felt it from miles away," the man said slowly. "A reaction that shouldn't exist."
Aren's body tensed. "Who are you?"
The man tilted his head slightly.
"I should be asking you that."
A pause.
Then he stepped forward.
And with every step—
The air around him shimmered.
Pressure dropped.
Aren felt it instantly.
This man… was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
The man's eyes narrowed.
"Tell me, boy…"
"…why does a 'Zero' have void resonance inside him?"
Aren froze.
"…Void what?"
The man's smile faded slightly.
"That confirms it."
He raised his hand slightly.
And the space around his fingers cracked—just for a second—like glass.
Aren's eyes widened.
That wasn't energy.
That was space breaking.
The man exhaled.
"You shouldn't exist."
Aren stepped back. "I didn't ask to exist like this."
Silence.
Then the man chuckled.
"Good answer."
Suddenly—
He disappeared.
Aren's eyes widened.
"Wha—"
A hand grabbed his throat from behind.
No warning.
No sound.
Just instant pressure.
Aren gasped as he was lifted slightly off the ground.
The man's voice came calmly beside his ear.
"Let's see what kind of 'Zero' you really are."
A small pressure surged into Aren's body.
And for the first time—
The thing inside him reacted on its own.
💥 BLACK LIGHT BURST OUT
The man was forced backward instantly.
Aren dropped to his knees, coughing.
His hand trembled.
Dark energy flickered uncontrollably around him.
But this time…
It didn't fade.
It stayed.
The man looked at him, eyes finally serious.
"…So it's awake."
Aren looked at his own hands, shocked.
"…What did I do?"
The man slowly straightened.
"This is bad."
A pause.
Then he said quietly:
"You are not a Zero."
Aren looked up.
The man's eyes darkened.
"You are a System Error."
The wind stopped.
The world felt still.
And inside Aren…
Something finally answered.
Not in words.
But in instinct.
Like a lock clicking open.
End of Chapter 4 oked up.
The man's eyes darkened.
"You are a System Error."
The wind stopped.
The world felt still.
And inside Aren…
Something finally answered.
Not in words.
But in instinct.
Like a lock clicking open.
End of Chapter4
"System alert: 'ZERO' is no longer stable."