A giant vessel descended from the skies, hovering above before landing in the ruined city. Shaped like an aircraft carrier—only sleeker, more angular, and pulsing with bluish energy—it cast a long shadow across the battlefield.
With a hiss of hydraulics, a ramp extended from the vessel's side. A team of people in pristine white hazmat suits emerged, their visors reflecting the fires still smoldering across the cratered ruins.
They approached Vex, who stood amid the devastation. Beside her floated Zero and the bound form of the restored Creoling, his body limp but eyes still burning with dull awareness.
"Lady Vex. Lord Zero," they said in unison, bowing with mechanical precision.
Vex's voice was calm, but heavy.
"Take this one into custody." She said with a nod towards the Creoling
"Tend to them." She continued, gesturing to the unconscious combatants. Zero had healed them but they remained unconscious. "Also sweep the city for survivors. And… gather the corpse you can find."
Without hesitation, the team moved. The Creoling was sealed inside a rectangular containment box before being carted into the ship's hold. Unconscious allies were gently lifted onto floating stretchers and escorted aboard.
Then came Quinn.
His body, broken. His head, separated. The fallen warrior was placed into a cylindrical capsule—sleek, sterile, and far too quiet.
Zero didn't speak. He didn't need to.
He couldn't bring Quinn back.
He'd told her: "I can reverse death within a minute. Maybe two if the spirit lingers. But ten minutes? That's not revival. That's necromancy."
And Quinn had been gone too long.
Vex's gaze lingered on the capsule.
There was no rage in her eyes. Only sadness and a quiet ache.
'I wasn't fast enough. He wouldn't have died if I had gotten here sooner.'
He'd been so loyal. So focused. A warrior with no room for selfishness. And now… nothing left but a shattered corpse.
'What do I tell Nisha?' she thought.
'She acted like she didn't care, but I know she was hurt. And scared. Now I have to tell her… her father is gone.'
She turned her gaze to Zero, resentment present in her eyes.
'he could have gotten here immediately, but he chose not to.'
Zero didn't flinch. "Why are you looking at me like I killed your lover?"
"If you'd gotten here just a few minutes earlier, Quinn would still be alive." Her voice shook now, anger building beneath the surface. "You treat everything like a game. You watch from a distance, let people struggle, suffer… die. You think it's all just interesting."
Ice crystals began to form around her feet, spreading in sharp, silent tendrils. Snow fell heavier, stirred by her rising aura. The temperature plummeted.
"Don't blame me for his weakness," Zero replied coldly. "It's not my fault he couldn't defeat that Creoling."
The hazmat team froze, shivering—not just from the cold, but from the oppressive tension.
Vex stepped forward, eyes glowing.
"No. This isn't about his weakness. This is about your apathy. You could've helped. You could've gotten here immediately. But you chose not to. And now he's dead."
She clenched her fists.
"You act untouchable because you are stronger than everyone else. But strength without responsibility isn't power—it's selfishness. And you're the most selfish being I've ever met."
For a moment, Zero said nothing.
Then he snapped.
"I've buried more people than you will meet."
His voice dropped an octave, heavy and sharp as steel.
"I've watched comrades die, I've held shattered bodies of loved ones in my arms. You think you understand loss? You don't."
His aura exploded outward, not with heat—but with unbearable pressure. The air thickened, the ground trembled. The sky dimmed, as if the sun itself recoiled from his fury.
Every soul present dropped to their knees. Even Vex.
Her breath caught in her throat. Blood pooled in her mouth as she was forced down, the weight of his rage crushing. Her vision blurred. She tried to rise—but couldn't.
And for the first time in all the years she'd known him…
Zero looked terrifying.
Not amused. Not calm. Not above it all.
He was angry.
Not rageful.
Wounded.
He's adorable face was twisted in hurt and rage.
He never got angry over words. Which meant… she'd touched a nerve."
"Don't talk to me about life. Or death. Or duty," he hissed. "And don't blame me for what you failed to prevent. Know your place."
Her lungs burned. Her limbs refused to move. She thought she might die right there, not from an attack—but from the sheer force of his presence.
Vex choked out the words, pain cracking through every syllable.
"I… I'm sorry."
Just like that, the weight lifted.
She gasped, collapsing fully, the air rushing back into her lungs. Her body trembled. Cold sweat covered her skin.
'That was terrifying'
"I'm sorry about Quinn, I'll do better next time." His voice sounded out.
When she looked up, Zero was already gone—vanished in a flash of white light, leaving behind a group of terrified and thoroughly traumatized people.