Morwen floated above the coastline, watching Zero as he stood facing the rising half moon. Its pale light fell across him, solemn and searching, while the cold breeze moved through his dishevelled white hair.
Morwen's face twisted as she looked over the scene, and she began mumbling to herself. "What just happened between them? I don't get it. He gained a connection with her. Promised to keep the marble, yet he knocked her out…? What are you up to, Necromancer?"
As she reflected on what she'd seen, Zero shut his eyes, taking a sharp inhale before steadily exhaling. He stood there while the scene around him stayed serene, the moon continuing its pale gaze upon him.
For a moment, he was still…
Then all at once he turned around and, with haste in his step, bolted back toward the alleys.
Morwen broke out of her depth of thought and flew after him from a distance.
I lost him earlier, only to find him fighting some delinquents—which could have ended badly, but luckily for them I got there in time and managed to save their lives.
A smile tugged at her lips as she continued to think.
But missing the first few beats of the moment, it actually looked like he was rescuing the girl…which I foolishly thought, until I saw him raise a pair of steel scissors to kill her…
So I won't lose you this time, Necromancer!
She concluded, but her thoughts trailed off even further.
"My question is, why did he stop when she touched him?"
As Morwen's thoughts churned, Zero reached the back alley he was in earlier. He skilfully kicked up the steel scissors into his hand while holding Freya still.
Morwen then flew beside him. Seeing her, he instantly handed her the body before she could fully appear, placing her gently. Morwen reacted, slightly startled by his sudden haste, swirling her mana around the body with careful precision.
Zero walked off without looking back. "Hold her for a while."
She asked, "Why? What's going on?"
But Zero didn't answer.
He walked over to a nearby wall, opening his book of Deluxe. He flicked to a certain page and took a long look at it before sticking the book back at his side and beginning to carve a small magic circle into the solid wall using his steel scissors.
While Zero worked, Morwen's focus shifted to the girl, trying to sense her.
"I can sense her mana—nothing special here—but I can't seem to comprehend her soul quality at all…"
Morwen shook her head, thinking.
I can't figure it out. I can't understand what happened when she touched him…why did he spare her? Why is he in such a hurry?
Morwen held her ghostly head in agony.
Damn, it's too much!
At this time, Zero finished the circle, immediately slitting his hand. His face remained straight as he splashed the blood from his palm all over the circle.
Zero hummed a chant. "Take me, oh abyssal beam, to where I desire to be."
The blood started to sizzle, then crust, as the magic circle brightened in a dark purple hue.
He gestured over to Morwen, but she was still clutching her head, thinking deeper.
Then he shouted, "Give me Freya, dammit!"
Morwen broke out of her trance and flew over to him. Zero held his arms out, eyes fixed on Freya's unblemished skin. Then, as blood dripped from his palm, he halted, silently looking at it.
Opening his cloak, he ripped the bottom of his new black shirt off and wrapped the pieces of cloth around his bleeding hand.
Then he held out his arms again.
As she handed her over, he took hold of her with great care—one hand on her legs, the other on her head. Morwen's mouth hung slightly open at his actions.
Zero spoke. "Get inside me." As he turned around and backed into the magic circle, Morwen barely managed to get inside him—for as soon as his back touched the wall, he beamed into another gloomy but almost suffocatingly narrow alleyway.
Morwen flew out of him, looking around. "Where are we?"
Zero put Freya down gently. With a hint of annoyance, he replied, "The regional capital."
Then he continued as he took off his book and staff. "Are medical areas usually open this time of night?"
"Why are we here, and what are you planning to do with this girl?"
The question went through one ear and out the other as she floated around the alleyway, looking at him.
Zero didn't spare her a reaction as he took off his cloak, saying, "Morwen, less questioning, more action. Are medical areas usually open at this time?"
What! That's a weird question, what— Her thoughts were interrupted as she realized what he'd said.
Morwen!
"YES, MASTER, THEY ARE!"
"Okay, I need you to go find me one, then come back here. Quickly now, don't waste time." Zero said calmly as he placed his cloak over his staff and book, covering them.
"But—"
"Just do it!"
What is he going to do with that girl? I need to make sure I protect her from him!
She looked around as she thought. The capital was pretty desolate at this time, with the occasional resident walking by. Most of the big things were clearly happening inside—lights were on in some homes, and there were even taverns open at this late hour.
Then she finally stumbled upon a large, bricked building with a sign saying 'Trishtan's Best Medical Area.'
"Found it!" she said happily, flying back. As she turned the corner, she stopped, shocked. Zero appeared, stumbling out of the alley—his new clothes tattered and dirty. He was bleeding from his body, his face beat up. There was a stab wound in his stomach, a slash on his chest, and some on his arms. Zero's eyes were dulled, his features exhausted, his pants ripped up.
He was purposely bleeding.
Morwen floated there, bewildered by this.
"Where is it…" he asked, his voice weary.
A trail of ghostly spiritual mana lit up, leading the way.
Morwen still floated there.
He ran, stumbling with each step, holding Freya covered in his new black shirt.
Zero barged into the medical area, doors flying open. He fell to the ground as soon as he entered but flipped round to land on his back.
Nurses saw this, screaming, "Emergency!"
The doctor burst through. "BRING THEM IMMEDIATELY, NURSES!"
They rushed them into the same room. They huddled around Zero first, his face expressionless as they examined and patched him up slowly. After a while, they all left, leaving one nurse who remained holding a glass vial of AST (Arcane Sustainment Tube). From it ran a tube of MRF (mana restoration fluid) which connected to a tiny, long crystal whose tip was stuck into his skin.
From the crystal, she could tell the stabilization of his mana by the hue of color.
The nurse had black hair going down to her shoulders and was quite tall, her eyes kind as she spoke, seeing his face. "You should smile more, kid. You could have died, ha-ha, if you didn't make it here in time. I'm glad we could stabilize you."
She said this while putting the AST on the table beside his bed.
"You showed great bravery and courage bringing the girl here, even through the pain."
She tried to motivate Zero, but he never once gazed at her. Instead, he simply looked at the wall.
She giggled.
"Aw, you kids, huh? Acting tough, haha."
She pinched his cheek, but he didn't flinch as it turned red.
She turned, looking at Freya. "I will take a look at her, then get some restorative fluids for you, okay?"
Morwen just floated there, deep in thought again, as the nurse came over to look at the untouched Freya.
The MRF in the tube next to Zero was sucked dry, but the remaining liquid in the AST—the blue fluid—started to bubble up, then turn purple rapidly.
Morwen looked at the nurse as she realized Freya seemed to have just been knocked out. She had no bruises or anything too bad.
"That's kind of weird…"
Morwen then thought to herself, watching the nurse inspect. I have to go back to my main focus—if he truly had known all this time, why is he being so bold about everything?…wait, I think I—
A vial connected to a tube swung round, hitting the side of the nurse's neck as the contents smashed. It instantly decayed a gap in her neck away like acid, the shards flying everywhere.
As the nurse fell to the side, her expression not even able to register, Morwen saw life slowly leave her—every second of it. The more she drifted away, the clearer Zero became, his face expressionless as he was still in the motion of swinging into her.
Then Zero threw it away. He grabbed her with his dark telekinesis, along with all the shards, picking her up and plopping her on the bed.
Morwen shouted, "NO!"
Zero paid her no mind. In haste, he jumped on the bed, whirling the steel scissors in his hands.
The nurse had already passed, but Zero wasn't done.
He first carved a tiny magic circle on her shoulder. Zero cut a large portion of his hair off, then made a small cut for a single drop of his own blood. Then he chanted.
"Grand oh chaos, change this body to mimic me! Zero!"
As he said this, all the materials he'd placed on her and the magic circle flared up, morphing the nurse's body grotesquely turning into Zero. The only faults were the clone's eyes, which were yellow like hers, and the height, which wasn't similar to his but instead retained her very tall stature.
Zero conjured the soul from the woman. Morwen's mood shifted as she was quickly entranced by the soul, thinking to herself, How long has it been since I've eaten?
Zero just stored the soul within himself, his face straight.
He jumped down and walked over to Freya's body, looking at her closely—her body untouched and clean.
He made Galela manifest in his hand, her form dimly glowing light green.
"Okay, Fay. I have come to terms with your master's plea. Now I bring you here out of the fact that you accepted her expected finality. All you must do now, Fay, is just be quiet. I don't want you to say a single thing about me and her relationship to anyone. That's one. And two, if she asks, don't tell her about me."
Galela glowed quietly.
Zero looked at Freya again, his eyes squinting as the memory of Freya's smile ran through his mind.
He looked at Galela again, saying, "And if she continues to pressure you…tell her that I died trying to save her."
"And don't worry about if she asks the people here, as I've set up a decoy. Just play it off with that story…"
Without hearing her response, he began to place her into Freya.
As he did, Galela's voice echoed. "Galerius was right about you. You're not all bad."
Morwen's eyes widened even more, bewildered. Galerius… don't I know him…wait—
He simply put Galela inside Freya.
Then, looking at Freya one last time, he left, saying, "Let's go, Morwen."
THE GALERIUS?
Zero's form was shrouded in shadows as he walked out of the medical area. He walked outside now, toward the large castle.
Morwen thought, What was that? What just happened? Did he have a relationship with Galerius? What happened while I was suppressed?
The urge to ask was biting.
Zero, still shirtless, his pants ripped, remained expressionless.
He answered as if he knew. "I killed Galerius."
Morwen just gasped, holding her mouth.
Her train of thought sailed through her mind.
Killed Galerius? There's no way. He was the strongest warden in this region and one of the strongest commanders in the whole of the Order. That must have been his Fay spirit.
No way…then that girl's connection—why would he give the Fay spirit of a strong warden to a random girl? Better question, why would the Fay want that? That has to be his daughter! Yeah, I remember now—Freya Liora, the Gale Warden Galerius's daughter. Yes, I remember now!
As Morwen's mind remained clouded in thought—
They reached the unguarded castle door.
Zero looked at it and spoke. "Morwen, open it."
His voice cut through her thoughts.
She looked forward and, without thinking, phased inside. The castle was grand in its interior. Seeing a guard sleeping on the inside, she grabbed his key, unlocked it, and pushed it open from the inside.
Zero slipped in, walking through the gap. "Morwen, go find me the regional master's chamber."
She shifted through the building. After a while, she found it and made a trail toward it. Zero followed.
After walking up many flights of steps, he reached it. He saw a guard standing there, almost asleep. He poked him.
"Hey, mister, I have an urgent message for the regional master. Can you let me inside?"
Morwen distorted the guard's vision.
His tone happy, he said, "Of course, kid! Let me introduce you to the regional master, haha!" He led him to the regional master.
The man was wearing many fine robes. As he raised his hands up, his face gleeful, he spoke. "Oh, come, my boy!"
Zero walked there slowly, but as the guard closed the door, he stumbled and fell.
The man went round his desk to pick Zero up. "Are you okay!?"
As he helped him up— "Alright, I will get a—"
The steel scissors seeped into his gut.
The man looked down in stunned shock.
Then Zero continuously stabbed him, going higher and higher until reaching his neck, then swiped his feet, forcing him down, crashing on his back to the ground.
Blood spurted from his mouth, but no words came as Zero held the steel weapon in his throat.
Zero smirked evilly as he ripped it out, more blood drawn. Licking around the weapon as Zero whirled it between his fingers, laughing as he started to mutilate the regional master's abdomen and carve a magic circle into his stomach while laughing maniacally.
"HAHAHA!"
Morwen shook, watching him mutilate the regional master, her heart starting to race frantically.
No, I can't continue to let him kill them... I'm supposed to save them. I can't let anyone else die! Forget the plan, forget the thinking through I've done—I need to stop him now! He will always be a monster!
He tried to jut his hand toward the stomach but let out a puff of purple air.
Zero pouted, blood all over him. His eyes not leaving the man, he asked Morwen, "Morwen, give me some help here, would you?"
Morwen shook even more, looking down.
Abruptly she shouted, "I WON'T! NO, NECROMANCER!"
Zero turned to face her, his plain eyes slightly widening.
"I'M DONE WITH THESE GAMES YOU PLAY! I WON'T LET YOU HURT ANYONE OR ANYTHING ELSE! I HAVE BORNE IT ENOUGH—I DON'T WANT TO FIGURE YOU OUT ANYMORE!" she said, the room swirling with her spiritual mana, her eyes gleaming with ruby rage. But she also sweated miasma.
"YOU MONSTER, I WILL KILL YOU!"
Zero's voice finally cut clean through her rant.
"Oh, Morwen…. Did you forget?"
The room grew cold.
Zero's expression turned smug, his eyes gleaming with purple delight.
What? What did you say?
Laughter echoed in the background.
Rotted blood and flesh stained her sense of smell.
Zero's presence started to emanate through the room.
"You belong to me."
She gasped, her voice shuddering as it hitched.
And..
Her breath grew heavily frantic.
"…Morwen, are you not the one who devoured all those poor souls mercilessly for just a taste?"
"NO! IT SAID THA…NO, IT WASN'T MY FAULT! IT TOOK OVER ME!"
"It?... Well, all 'it' told you to do was to have a taste, right? Did it not?"
Morwen?
"Ye…yes!"
"And what did you do, Morwen?"
"I ATE IT, BUT I DIDN'T LIKE IT! I SWEAR, I SWEAR, I SWEAR!"
"I mean, you said it yourself, Morwen—'its taste phenomenal,' did you not?"
Morwen didn't say a thing, her head looking down, her eyes widened.
"As you can see… all I gave you was a taste."
Morwen's soul trembled as Zero started to take slow steps toward her, each word he spoke stabbing deeper into her mind.
"Yet you call me the monster? Did you not kill in anger and selfishness, Morwen? Did you not willingly help my undead soldiers?"
"Only a monster would help their own kin. You call me this and that, but you're just like me... so stop trying to save people, because that's not who you are anymore."
Standing over her, he bent down slightly.
His finger reached under her chin, pushing it up as he got close, looking down on her.
"I mean, look at you. You really tried to look over all that, didn't you?"
Morwen sniffed as feelings of despair and anguish washed over her…
"Aww. Poor thing, just trying to save lives and do the right thing…"
His face twisted in slight anger, his mouth straightening.
"It's so pathetic…" Zero's voice hissed, his tone low and demeaning.
Then his face relaxed.
"I gave you so many chances to end me, but you kept thinking. About what? You're so simple-minded." Zero scoffed.
As he turned around, he said, "I will say this once and for all. You are mine, Morwen, and there wasn't a single thing you could do to escape that fact. Slowly but surely, you will come to my side whether you like it or not. It's just up to you to make it easier for yourself."
As he walked to the door, he said, glancing behind, "Once you've made your decision, activate the magic circle and join me outside."
He left, shutting the door.
Morwen looked around, her eyes drained, weary.
Then she cried, but no tears came. She saw this and got mad, slamming the floor, banging constantly.
"I just wanted to read. I just wanted to read. I just wanted to read. I wanted to be alone. I just wanted to live where it was quiet and peaceful, where I could just live under the moon's gaze."
"But Grandma, you had to leave me, didn't you!"
She repeated, "Just had to leave me. You just had to let them take everything away."
Words rang through her mind.
Even when I am long gone, I will always be under the moon's gaze, watching both of you.
Morwen stood up—not a single tear had dropped.
As she stood, the moon's gaze shining through the window, she phased through the wall, seeing the once half-moon now a full moon.
She looked at it.
Desperate.
Needing.
"Would you be upset if I did something very bad?"
Another memory rang through her mind.
"My child, there's nothing you can do that would truly upset me."
But...Grandma...
Last words rang out: "Whatever you both choose to do from now on, know that I will always love you two no matter what."
She phased through the wall.
Complete, Morwen's body fluttered.
"He's right. I was lost, but now I am found again. I belong to him now."
Her mana graced the magic circle as it glowed, then dimmed again.
"Time to embrace that fully."
She went outside.
Floats beside him
He asks immediately "did you do what I asked?"
"Yes master,"
"Good also you can call me Zero now."
"Yes zero…I have question…
Zero immediately poses holding up a thick money pouch.
"Anyway! Time to go have some fun! The regional master will be paying for all our expensiveses today!
She shouts "what?!""
"just come!"
He grabs her on the ghostly arm
Pulling her along with him.
They both arrived in front of a bustling tavern. Zero saw a water bucket in front of it and lifted it over his head, drenching himself with it.
Washing all the blood off, he grabbed Morwen and burst into the bar. Zero felt the warmth instantly.
"Ah, finally warmth! It was freezing outside. Come and follow along, Morwen!"
They pushed through the dance floor of people dancing, then got to a row of seats and tables. Zero looked to his right, seeing waitresses at a table wiping cups and pouring drinks, some even running around serving food.
He pulled Morwen toward them. He let go of her and jumped on a stool.
A maid came by, asking, "Hey, little guy, what are you doing in here?"
"Little? Who are you calling little?"
The maid continued, shaking her head. "We don't serve little kids."
"WHO'S LITTLE?!"
Morwen watched them go back and forth, silently chuckling. The atmosphere was loud, but she felt happy.
She looked at Zero slam a bunch of gold coins on the table.
The waitress's eyes sparkled.
She nodded.
"Okay, but no drinking. What do you want, honey?"
"Give me everything on the menu!" Zero shouted.
"Coming right up!" she shouted back. She gave him a table.
As he sat down, Zero and Morwen sat opposite each other.
Morwen looked at him, her eyes traveling all over the tavern, as she spoke.
"So can I ask my question now?"
He looked back at her, intrigue on his face.
"Go ahead."
"Why didn't you kill that girl?"
"Did you want her dead?!"
"No! I was just wondering." Morwen waved her hands, then scratched her head in embarrassment.
Zero laughed.
His face turned serious as he tilted back, hands on his seat.
"Well, there was just something strange about her. I haven't had the time to reflect on all of that. She was so different compared to me, that it felt so far…"
"Well, then how about freezing up?"
"I felt a weird tingle in my body. Other than that, no idea, to be honest, Morwen." He scratched his head.
"Okay, but you never answered my question—why did you let her live…"
Zero scratched his head even harder.
"No idea."
"Was it really for Galerius, or?"
Hair started falling out and water droplets went everywhere as he scratched it quicker.
"No idea."
"What were you thinking, Zero? Te—"
"I have no idea, Morwen!"
Zero leaned back and fell off his seat, landing on his back. Steam came from his head.
"Give me a break, Morwen, seriously. I told you I didn't get to sit with it yet." He raised his voice slightly so she could hear him from down there.
Morwen chuckled genuinely as she leaned in.
"Do you think you have a crush on her?"
Zero popped back up on his chair. "What?...what does that mean?" He looked at her, confused.
"It's like when you have special and exciting feelings for someone, and because of this you like being around them."
Zero leaned in. "Like what type of feelings?"
"Like they're cool, funny, or nice."
"Mhm…" He held his chin, listening intently.
"It's really normal, but usually it's like a little spark that sprouts into something deeper—like butterflies in your stomach when you're around them. Sometimes you might not even know them, but you just really like them."
"Okay...I get it now…I don't think it's that, though."
Morwen rebutted, "It might be, because you froze up every time she got near you, Zero, and you even said it yourself—you had a tingle all over your body. Sparks."
"No, I still don't think that's the case."
"Why are you refusing? You like her, Zero—admit it! I saw the way you looked at her!"
Zero shook his head constantly, leaning back, this time holding on to the table.
"Fine..." She sighed, giving up as she leaned back slightly.
"I got one more question."
Zero looked to the side, seeing the dance floor. People dancing.
He stood up.
Morwen asked, "Where are—"
He didn't turn back and said, "They're taking long with the food. I'm going for a dance."
Zero started to dance to the music, copying the dance moves of a maiden beside him as they both even started dancing together.
A whole band played—three men playing the harp, lute, and fiddle, and one man who sang his heart out, longing stretching from his tongue.
Love, oh love
Aroma sweet maiden
Don't let me sleep
That I might dine with you tonight
So hath me away with you..
My tender from which I yearn!
Morwen giggled, seeing Zero dance wildly. He started to spin the maiden around as they went back and forth, dancing his drenched heart away.
Morwen took a moment to listen, her eyes sealing shut as she did.
Tankards clacking, shouts of joy, intense discussion, food being crunched, and the rhythmic tapping of the dance floor.
Yet she could pick out Zero's chaotic pattern more vividly.
Nonetheless, through the noise, she found peace.
Let us not sully our love, lest we sunder it, rather let us bask in the fulfilment of the full moon's true gaze.
My dear love, oh love
Heaps of plates clacked down on the table. Morwen's eyes shot open.
In heaps.
A large animal carcass with beast oil sauce on the side. A large slab of boar belly on another plate and many dishes with a jug of water.
Zero darted his eyes to the table, running over.
He sat there.
He grabbed the fork and knife, sweating, and asked, "How's my dancing?"
"It was good, but I'm still trying to figure out how you spun that six-foot-tall woman, haha, at five-four, haha!"
"That would never stop me!"
He said this as he started tearing the carcass apart with his hands.
She covered her mouth with her hand. "Especially the song—it's really befitting, is it not?"
Zero listened for a second. "Okay, Morwen, nice joke..."
He said this while continuing with the plates.
She giggled, eyeing the food.
Zero caught this. "Also, here you go!"
He released loads of souls out of his body.
"ZERO! THANK YOU!"
She munched on them—there were about thirty.
Then, after a lot of talking and chatting, mainly eating, they finished. Zero finished the last of his water, his belly inflated, along with Morwen's.
She asked, "Can we just sit here for a while?"
"No, we need to get moving," Zero replied.
They waddled outside. Morwen hitched a ride on Zero's back.
"MORWEN, IF YOU DO THAT, I'M GOING TO BE SICK!"
As they got outside, they both ran to a street alley and started being sick.
They came out back to normal.
"Never having food again," Zero remarked.
Morwen caught someone giving a woman flowers.
"Okay, Morwen, let's go to the next place," Zero said abruptly.
Morwen nodded. As they walked, she asked, "So, Zero, about my question—"
"Mhm," Zero replied, patting his belly and burping.
"So, what are you going to do if she comes to try to get revenge on you for the fact—if the Fay tells her—that you killed both her father and someone she held dear?"
Zero sighed, reluctant, but spoke. "She just doesn't seem like the type to come after me for vengeance. It'd have to be for something else, something more than just that. Even so, she doesn't even seem like the type that would be training—not to say she doesn't have potential...it's just...it..."
He shook his head.
"Doesn't matter. She's way too innocent and pure. I don't think she wants to be the cause of any bloodshed in any way."
Morwen was about to speak, but Zero spoke over her. "But at the slightest chance that she does, I will be ready."
Morwen's eyes widened. She asked, "What, to kill her?"
"Well, we will…"
"Anyway, I will make sure to tell you when I'm totally clear on what happened. Just don't tell anyone what happened today, okay?"
She nodded.
Zero and she went to get clothes. Zero tried on multiple outfits while Morwen made sure he got the right one.
He walked out in a black suit and tie.
Then he got a haircut—his hair slicked back, his sides slightly trimmed.
They went around and did a lot. After a long while, the sun began to come up on the horizon.
Morwen was waiting outside as Zero came out of a shop, two large bouquets of flowers behind him—one side red, one side blue.
He put something in his pocket.
Morwen asked what they were for.
"I got them for Alana."
"Oh, who is she?" Morwen asked, confused.
"You will see. Don't worry."
"The sun is coming up and people are starting to fill the streets now..." Morwen looked over to Zero, covering her eyes. "At least you look more presentable, haha!"
"Whatever!" Zero said.
She laughed more. They covered their eyes from the sun as they chattered more, walking back to their alleyway.
After a bit of walking and chatting, a group of prominent silhouettes appeared on the horizon.
"Wait, I see something," Morwen said.
Zero fiddled with something in his hands, not paying attention.
As they came into view, Morwen's eyes widened in shock.
"ZERO, LOOK!"
Zero's eyes didn't even move as he was fixed on what he was doing. "One minute, Morwen."
As they got closer, Morwen said, "ZERO, THIS ISN'T GOOD! I THINK WE SHOULD TURN BACK!"
A man with blazing blond hair and bold blue eyes, his face chiseled like a hawk—despite his strong appearance, he only had a baton by his side with brown leather armor. Two others accompanied him: a woman with beautiful silver hair in a ponytail, an eye patch on one eye, her other eye a glossy light pink. She had black clothes on. And another was a rougher-looking man with a short mohawk and a scimitar sheathed. They all wore normal clothes.
"UH, ZERO!" Morwen squealed!
As they were about to collide, as the woman's pink eye started to tilt in their direction, Zero's eyes darted. He grabbed Morwen's waist as she transformed simultaneously into a spirit, pushing her inside him as he bent to one knee, pulling out a red rose, his head down.
Both the woman and the mohawked man walked up in front of the smaller blond man, inspecting the flower.
But the man simply pushed them aside. "Back up, guys, it's just a kid."
He took the rose and handed the kid one gold coin. "Thanks, kid! Go treat yourself!"
Morwen's scared voice whispered: That's Leader Alcon of Viscura, Amanda the Blood Surgeon General of Nobility, and Rakor the strongest warrior in the whole of Viscura's order and General of Fealty.
While Morwen whispered in his mind, he maintained his composure and his stance as both Rakor and Alcon walked away. Amanda, her eye scanning Zero...
Morwen added again, "She's wat—"
"Shooosh!"
He thought back to her.
Amanda spat on the floor next to him.
But Zero kept his stance, didn't move a muscle.
As he closed his palm, he stood up. Looking down at the spit, he stood there.
Morwen's voice reverberated. "Why are you standing there?"
Zero didn't say anything as he heard her steps leave.
Then he walked back to the alleyway. Morwen tried to talk, but he didn't say a thing. When they got to the alleyway, Zero looked around, breathing in then exhaling.
Morwen asked, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, to be honest, that was a lot of pressure."
Zero said this with a blank expression on his face.
Morwen asked, "What pressure?"
He scoffed. "Yeah, they were concealing it, but all you need to know is they're way too strong for me right now."
"You scared, Zero?" Morwen teased.
"No, just trying to be more cautious, that's all."
He put down the flowers, then put his cloak on.
"Alright, fair enough, but I wonder what they're doing here? You think they're going to check on the regional…ZERO, THEY'RE GOING TO CHECK ON THE REGIONAL MASTER!"
She continued to rant continuously, worrying.
Morwen continued talking, but the flowers were brought up to her. Zero smiled gently.
Morwen's mouth widened as she looked at the flowers, then up at Zero's gentle smile. She was completely bewildered by Zero.
"These are for you. Thank you—I genuinely had fun with you, Morwen."
"No way, Zero?"
He leaned to point at the colors.
"See, I got red and blue to match you."
Still taken aback, she pushed him slightly, holding the flowers. She sniffed them—a clear, limpid aroma entered her nostrils, relaxing her soul, then washing over came a sweet, earthy smell, then finally an exotic hint of spice and fruity scent played in her spiritual senses.
She exclaimed, shouting, "You're manipulating me!"
"No, look, I even got you this."
He pointed at the box.
She picked it up and opened it.
"You didn't!" she shouted, almost dropping the flowers. Both the book and flowers floated as she started to cry, leaping into Zero's body, taking him down to the ground.
She smothered him with herself. Zero fought for air as she hugged him.
Then she stood up promptly, everything still floating. "ZERO! How did you even know I wanted this book?"
Zero stood up, dizzy. "I…I saw your eye. You couldn't stop looking at it when you finally convinced me to go to the boring library."
Morwen laughed. A single drop of miasma came from her eye as she wiped it, and she made a mirror manifest with her hands.
Zero saw himself—messy hair and blue kisses all over his face.
He rubbed it all off. "EW! MORWEN!"
She laughed, looking at Zero, her eyes trained only on him as he fixed himself.
As he touched the magic circle, exhausted, he asked, "Alright, you ready to go back?"
"I will help you. You can't do it by yourself."
"You sure?" Zero asked, surprised.
"Yeah, I mean, you basically have no mana, so let me help."
She bound to him and they teleported.