The night passed in a blur, and the camp was alive with activity by sunrise. Rebels scurried around, gathering supplies and going over last-minute plan specifics.
Zero sat near the fire pit, absently stroking Ash's fur as he listened to the conversations going on around him.
"We'll enter through the south entrance," Sienna was saying, her voice even. "That's where they'll be bringing in the otherworlders. Holt and I will make the main diversion while Lyra and Garrick cover us from the rooftops. The rest of you get the otherworlders out."
"Do I go with them?" Zero asked.
Sienna glanced at him. "You're coming, but stay close. You're still a wild card."
He didn't argue.
The rebels finished preparing, and soon enough, they were on their way. The city where the otherworlders were being processed was not very distant. They reached its outskirts by noon, where they could see the walled city in the distance.
Zero's vision became sharper as he looked at it. The gate guards, the wall patrols, the placement of archers on the rooftops—he observed everything.
And then something strange happened.
As he gazed at a guard near the doorway, unfamiliar words filled his vision.
—Name: Elias Varden—
—Occupation: Imperial Guard—
—Skill: Steel Body—
—Rank: Intermediate—
Zero's body stiffened. What was this?
He blinked, gazing at another soldier. The words reappeared.
—Name: Corin Hallow—
—Occupation: Imperial Guard—
—Skill: Enhanced Vision—
—Rank: Novice—
His breath caught in his throat. He could see information about people. Their names. Their skills. Their abilities.
He clenched his fists. This… this isn't normal, is it?
You alright?" Holt asked, catching his change in demeanor.
Zero hesitated, then decided there was no point in hiding it. "I see things."
Holt's eyebrow rose. "See things?"
"When I glance at individuals… I get information on them. Their names. Their capabilities."
That got Sienna's attention. She turned around. "Explain."
Zero took a deep breath. "It just started happening. I don't know why.".
Sienna stared at him intently, then exchanged a glance with Garrick. "That's… not a normal skill," she ventured carefully.
Lyra wrinkled her face. "It sounds like some kind of appraisal skill. But skills don't work that way."
Zero had no idea. But internally, he felt this was something he always had—it wasn't new. It was just something he was only now aware of.
Sienna exhaled. "We'll figure it out later. For now, focus. The mission comes first."
Zero nodded, pushing aside his questions for now.
As they moved into position, he couldn't help but think about something Sienna had mentioned before—the summoning site.
Apparently, the summoning site wasn't always there. It was built within the last two years, meaning it was a recent addition to this world.
But why?
And more importantly… what had occurred in the past two years to make them start calling otherworlders?
The question lingered as they prepared for the mission. And Zero had the unsettling feeling that the answers would not be easily forthcoming.