The temporary rebel camp was merely a cluster of temporary tents gathered between the thick trees of the dense forest. The air was thick with the scent of wood and moss, and the soft light of lanterns cast shaking shadows against the rough fabric of the tents. The rebels passed through, tending to their wounded and consulting with each other regarding the empire's inevitable retribution.
Zero sat on a wooden crate in the center of the camp, his arm darkened from the wounds he had incurred also propped against his knee as he gazed at the flickering flames before him. The five otherworlders they managed to rescue sat in a circle around him, their faces ranging from fatigued to barely concealing fear.
Elise, the closest to Zero in age, curled her arms around her knees, her big green eyes scanning the rebels as though expecting one of them to lunge at her. She wore light brown hair in a sloppy braid, but some pieces had come undone, curling around her sweet, young face.
To either side of her, Damon and Felix—two boys who were about Zero's age—sat with obviously different faces. Damon had short black hair and sharp brown eyes that carried an unmistakable challenge, with arms crossed on his chest as if he was surveying the camp for all to see. Felix was leaner, with svelte blue eyes and dark blonde hair. He had an arrogant smile, but the tension of his shoulders spoke of his unease.
The two most elderly were a man and woman who seemed to be in their mid-thirties. The man, Marcus, had a short, graying head of hair and brown eyes that receded deep in his face. He seemed muscular but had the look of one who would stall at the most inopportune moment. The woman, Vivian, was the only one who seemed not to be visibly shaken. She had dark red hair to her shoulders and gold, piercing eyes, and sat as if she had already accepted their doom and was simply waiting to see what happened.
Sienna lingered at the edge of the crowd, leaning against a wooden beam with her arms crossed. Her sharp eyes rested upon Zero's charred arm, but she said nothing.
The silence between them was thick until Holt finally broke it. "We should talk." His tone was firm as he turned to Zero. "That… thing on your arm. You've been using it in battle, haven't you?"
Zero stared at his arm. The black goo clung to his skin, quivering ever so slightly as though it were alive. "Yeah," he accepted. "It reacts to what I'm thinking. When I think I need something, it. moves." He curled his fingers, and the goo stretched a fraction before springing back into its usual shape.
Garrick, after taking care of the injured, addressed Zero. "And you have no clue where it came from?"
"No." Zero frowned. "I don't remember anything prior to waking up in the woods two days ago."
Damon laughed. "That's suspicious as all get-out. You just pop up out of nowhere, with amnesia, and now you've got some creepy magic stuff attached to you?
Felix grinned, jiggling Damon's elbow. "Maybe he's some failed experiment of the empire."
Zero didn't see them. Rather, his eyes flicked towards Vivian. She was staring back at him with a keen look, her golden eyes tilting slightly.
"You don't carry an imperial mark," she spoke unexpectedly.
The entire group shifted towards her.
"What?" Sienna took a step forward, frowning.
Vivian nodded to the otherworlders. "We were all stamped the moment we arrived. It was instant, like burning pain on the backs of our hands. Even these two," she nodded towards Damon and Felix, "who bitched most of the time, felt it." She rested her chin on her knuckles. "But you, Zero—you don't have one, do you?"
Zero automatically checked the back of his hand, but he already knew. "No," he said quietly.
Sienna's eyes dimmed. "That means you weren't summoned at the temple like they were."
Marcus fidgeted in unease. "Wait… If he wasn't summoned there, then where did he come from?"
Zero gritted his teeth. "I don't know."
Vivian watched him for a moment longer before relaxing back with a sigh. "Interesting."
The conversation was interrupted by a sudden upheaval at the edge of the camp. A scout came in, gasping for breath. "We have a problem."
All of them automatically tensed.
"The empire?" Holt queried.
The scout nodded. "They're moving rapidly. It seems they knew exactly where we were going."
Sienna's expression darkened. "They planted a tracker."
Zero's stomach did a somersault. The empire had not even given the otherworlders a reason before demanding them to swear allegiance. They had not even tried to coax them. If there were a way to track their actions, it meant the real rebel camp was in danger.
Garrick cursed and grumbled under his breath. "We have to leave. Now."
But Zero was not listening.
Somewhere in the heart of the empire, there was a discussion going on.
Imperial Palace – War Council Room
An older man stood in the big, dark room, his expression impassive as he faced a younger soldier with grime and dried blood on his body.
"The seed has been planted," the soldier muttered, bending his head.
The officer barely twitched. "Good. Keep following them." He sounded curt, irritable.
A figure stood behind him, listening in silence. She was young—no older than Zero—but her sharp eyes betrayed a keen intelligence.
The officer turned to her. "Rika, you'll oversee this personally."
She inclined her head, her expression unreadable.
The officer smirked. "Let's see where the rats run to."
Back at the Outpost
The rebels had already begun packing up, dousing the fires and gathering supplies. The air was tense with urgency.
Zero bunched his fists. The empire was already on their doorstep. He didn't know who he used to be before he awoke in the forest, but he knew this much.
He wasn't going to let them take him.
Not yet, anyway. Not until he got some answers.
The temporary rebel camp was merely a cluster of temporary tents gathered between the thick trees of the dense forest. The air was thick with the scent of wood and moss, and the soft light of lanterns cast shaking shadows against the rough fabric of the tents. The rebels passed through, tending to their wounded and consulting with each other regarding the empire's inevitable retribution.
Zero sat on a wooden crate in the center of the camp, his arm darkened from the wounds he had incurred also propped against his knee as he gazed at the flickering flames before him. The five otherworlders they managed to rescue sat in a circle around him, their faces ranging from fatigued to barely concealing fear.
Elise, the closest to Zero in age, curled her arms around her knees, her big green eyes scanning the rebels as though expecting one of them to lunge at her. She wore light brown hair in a sloppy braid, but some pieces had come undone, curling around her sweet, young face.
To either side of her, Damon and Felix—two boys who were about Zero's age—sat with obviously different faces. Damon had short black hair and sharp brown eyes that carried an unmistakable challenge, with arms crossed on his chest as if he was surveying the camp for all to see. Felix was leaner, with svelte blue eyes and dark blonde hair. He had an arrogant smile, but the tension of his shoulders spoke of his unease.
The two most elderly were a man and woman who seemed to be in their mid-thirties. The man, Marcus, had a short, graying head of hair and brown eyes that receded deep in his face. He seemed muscular but had the look of one who would stall at the most inopportune moment. The woman, Vivian, was the only one who seemed not to be visibly shaken. She had dark red hair to her shoulders and gold, piercing eyes, and sat as if she had already accepted their doom and was simply waiting to see what happened.
Sienna lingered at the edge of the crowd, leaning against a wooden beam with her arms crossed. Her sharp eyes rested upon Zero's charred arm, but she said nothing.
The silence between them was thick until Holt finally broke it. "We should talk." His tone was firm as he turned to Zero. "That… thing on your arm. You've been using it in battle, haven't you?"
Zero stared at his arm. The black goo clung to his skin, quivering ever so slightly as though it were alive. "Yeah," he accepted. "It reacts to what I'm thinking. When I think I need something, it. moves." He curled his fingers, and the goo stretched a fraction before springing back into its usual shape.
Garrick, after taking care of the injured, addressed Zero. "And you have no clue where it came from?"
"No." Zero frowned. "I don't remember anything prior to waking up in the woods two days ago."
Damon laughed. "That's suspicious as all get-out. You just pop up out of nowhere, with amnesia, and now you've got some creepy magic stuff attached to you?
Felix grinned, jiggling Damon's elbow. "Maybe he's some failed experiment of the empire."
Zero didn't see them. Rather, his eyes flicked towards Vivian. She was staring back at him with a keen look, her golden eyes tilting slightly.
"You don't carry an imperial mark," she spoke unexpectedly.
The entire group shifted towards her.
"What?" Sienna took a step forward, frowning.
Vivian nodded to the otherworlders. "We were all stamped the moment we arrived. It was instant, like burning pain on the backs of our hands. Even these two," she nodded towards Damon and Felix, "who bitched most of the time, felt it." She rested her chin on her knuckles. "But you, Zero—you don't have one, do you?"
Zero automatically checked the back of his hand, but he already knew. "No," he said quietly.
Sienna's eyes dimmed. "That means you weren't summoned at the temple like they were."
Marcus fidgeted in unease. "Wait… If he wasn't summoned there, then where did he come from?"
Zero gritted his teeth. "I don't know."
Vivian watched him for a moment longer before relaxing back with a sigh. "Interesting."
The conversation was interrupted by a sudden upheaval at the edge of the camp. A scout came in, gasping for breath. "We have a problem."
All of them automatically tensed.
"The empire?" Holt queried.
The scout nodded. "They're moving rapidly. It seems they knew exactly where we were going."
Sienna's expression darkened. "They planted a tracker."
Zero's stomach did a somersault. The empire had not even given the otherworlders a reason before demanding them to swear allegiance. They had not even tried to coax them. If there were a way to track their actions, it meant the real rebel camp was in danger.
Garrick cursed and grumbled under his breath. "We have to leave. Now."
But Zero was not listening.
Somewhere in the heart of the empire, there was a discussion going on.
Imperial Palace – War Council Room
An older man stood in the big, dark room, his expression impassive as he faced a younger soldier with grime and dried blood on his body.
"The seed has been planted," the soldier muttered, bending his head.
The officer barely twitched. "Good. Keep following them." He sounded curt, irritable.
A figure stood behind him, listening in silence. She was young—no older than Zero—but her sharp eyes betrayed a keen intelligence.
The officer turned to her. "Rika, you'll oversee this personally."
She inclined her head, her expression unreadable.
The officer smirked. "Let's see where the rats run to."
Back at the Outpost
The rebels had already begun packing up, dousing the fires and gathering supplies. The air was tense with urgency.
Zero bunched his fists. The empire was already on their doorstep. He didn't know who he used to be before he awoke in the forest, but he knew this much.
He wasn't going to let them take him.
Not yet, anyway. Not until he got some answers.