day one
After the session ends, Zero sits alone with pepper in his hand, reflecting on what just transpired. Once he's done, he approaches his brothers to share his conclusions. He begins to show them his drawings, but they don't immediately understand. Zero explains that he believes there is a pattern among the 23 individuals he observed. To illustrate, he flips a pepper and reveals the pattern:
1. Jan - 25 years old
2. Febi - 24 years and 11 months old (1 month younger than Jan)
3. Mars - 24 years and 10 months old (1 month younger than Febi)
4. April - 24 years and 9 months old (1 month younger than Mars)
5. Mayo - 24 years and 8 months old (1 month younger than April)
6. June - 25 years old (same as Summer)
7. Juls - 24 years and 7 months old (1 month younger than Mayo)
8. Auggie - 24 years and 6 months old (1 month younger than Juls)
9. Septim - 25 years and 9 months old (3 months younger than Decota)
10. Octavios - 25 years and 8 months old (1 month younger than Septim)
11. Nevara - 25 years and 7 months old (1 month younger than Octavios)
12. Decota - 26 years old (same as Yearwelv)
13. Yearwelv - 26 years old (same as Decota)
14. Unday - 25 years old (1 year younger than Yearwelv)
15. Monreal - 25 years and 1 month old (30 days older than Unday)
16. Weeki - 25 years minus 7 days old (7 days older than Unday)
17. Spring - 24 years and 10 months old (same as Mars)
18. Summer - 25 years old (same as June)
19. Winter - 24 years and 6 months old (6 months younger than Summer)
20. Autumn - 25 years and 9 months old (same as Septim)
21. Dawn - 23 years old
22. Sevan - 20 years old
23. Sudown - 23 years old
Zero explains that the connections among the names and ages are revealed through a pattern he identified by remembering details and doing some simple math. His brothers examine the list and notice that **Sevan** and **Dawn** don't fit the pattern. Zero points out that Sevan shares the same birthday as him, suggesting a possible connection, while Dawn's age places him in the middle of the age range, making him an outlier. This discrepancy highlights an exception in the pattern, suggesting a deeper significance.
C then suggests there must be four missing names, but Zero and the others don't fully understand. C points out that everyone on the list shares a common factor: a cycle of years forming a circle with 12 points, implying they should have 12 individuals instead of 8. Zero interprets this to mean that the "new seven" plus the eighth (himself) total to 8, but the pattern suggests there should be more. Despite this realization, they are uncertain about the implications. They all shake their heads, signaling their confusion.
They decide to call it a day and go to sleep, hoping to gain more clarity with a fresh perspective in the morning.
Meanwhile, Dr. Pill reflects on the session and is puzzled by why Zero remained silent throughout. She wonders why Zero didn't speak up or participate in the discussions himself, while U and R spoke on his behalf. She then opens a file that details U's personality: U (Object 2) is anxious about his abilities and often has a low opinion of himself. He wishes he could live another life, as long as it isn't his own. This anxiety and self-doubt contribute to his tendency to speak up for others, like Zero, rather than advocating for himself. Dr. Pill couldn't understand how two unsocialized people, as noted in the file, could have taken the initiative to speak. She took a deep breath, closed the light, and went to sleep, pondering the situation and the complexities of the individuals involved.
**Day Two**
The six were waiting outside while C decided he would be the one to wake Zero up. Zero seemed to be having a nightmare, and when C touched him, Zero jumped.
"Are you okay?" C asked.
Zero rubbed his eyes. "It's fine... just a dream."
C sighed. "I think that's normal, considering you've been asleep for three days."
Zero frowned. "Three days? Did Dr. Pill mention that? It sure didn't feel like three days."
"Time flows differently," C said with a shrug. "But how should we know? We never really cared before."
"Agreed," Zero replied.
C continued, "So, wake up, take a shower, and these clothes were delivered for you. Dr. Zero, they said."
"Dr.?" Zero smirked. "Does that mean I can start experimenting on all of you?"
C chuckled, then warned, "Don't push it. You'll just be talking." He headed for the door. "Anyway, we're waiting outside. Don't keep us waiting too long, okay?"
And with that, C left the room.
---
As C stepped outside, D immediately asked, "How's Zero?"
C gave a reassuring smile. "He's holding up... had a nightmare, but I didn't tell him we all had. You know how he overthinks things, so I left that part out."
R chimed in, smirking slightly. "Well, at least it's good to have something new—rather than these clothes with 'The Outcast' slogan on the back."
U sighed. "I know the project is called *Expelled*, but why do they keep emphasizing it? Like they need to make it any clearer for us."
S smirked. "I mean, if someone like you guys was in the project, I'd probably emphasize the word *murder* too."
They chuckled.
E shook his head, amused. "Didn't you mean *expelled*?"
S nodded. "Agreed."
They all laughed again, the tension easing just a little.
---
At the same time, Carla asked Dr. Pill, "Why did you send him a lab coat and a full doctor's uniform?"
Dr. Pill smiled faintly. "He needs a little push so he can swing like all of them."
Carla raised an eyebrow. "All of them? What do you mean?"
Dr. Pill's smile grew a little wider. "Just watch. I bet it won't be boring like yesterday."
---
As Zero stepped out of his room, the six immediately began joking around. C started with, "Dr. Zero, I'm hurt. Describe me a medicine."
D quickly added, "Yeah, Doc, take a look. His leg's not feeling too good."
Zero played along, "It needs to be cut. Hold his leg still while I do it."
C pretended to panic and bolted toward the door, with the others laughing and chasing after him.
U called out, "Stop right there! It's good for your health!"
C, still running, yelled back, "I'm fine!"
D added, "No, you're not. Come here!" as he continued the chase.
They all came to a halt at the door leading to the session room. Standing together, they tried to compose themselves, still chuckling.
Zero looked at them, a mix of amusement and curiosity in his eyes. "How do I look?"
The others grinned and said in unison, "Scary."
With that, they all entered the room, ready for whatever was next.
Zero took a chair and set it at the center of the room. Four screens above him flickered to life, displaying something he couldn't quite make out. The six, who were seated around him, and 23, who had been there yesterday, remained indifferent, as if this was a regular occurrence, so Zero chose not to concern himself with it.
Dr. Pill's voice came through a microphone, clear and authoritative. "Yesterday was for introductions, so we didn't intervene. Today, however, we will. Everyone is encouraged to ask Zero—sorry, Dr. Zero—any questions or, if you would like, share anything with him. Enjoy."
---
What happened next was nothing short of diabolical—so far beyond anything even Zero's brothers could have predicted. None of them knew who this person was.
"I know you're tired of running, so sit down, little kids. I will tell you everything
---
It was like yesterday—starting from the oldest to the youngest. Each of the 23 people spoke, sharing one event that had happened to them in the village. Zero sat quietly, but inside, waves of emotion surged within him, each more overwhelming than the last. A storm of thoughts consumed him.
First, he was reminded again of the mistreatment he had desperately tried to forget. Now, he was forced to think deeply about everything. Every story the 23 shared dragged up details he'd long since buried. Each account was a piece of the larger picture his brain was now unwillingly drawing—an image he had tried to avoid.
What unsettled him further was the realization that it wasn't just the seven of them who had suffered. The 23 had endured it too. They had all lived in that village for nine long years. In that moment, Zero struggled to hear beyond his own pain. He found himself blaming the 23, convinced that their suffering couldn't possibly compare to what he and the six had gone through. Although it may not have been true, he couldn't listen to the rational side of his mind that knew their pain was valid. His emotions and resentment overwhelmed him, drowning out any sense of logic or empathy.
---
The stories revealed the harsh reality: twelve of the girls spoke about their experiences of molestation, near-rape, and sexual assault. They described how, if not for the government's intervention, they would have been forced into pregnancies. The day the government took them in, many had just started their periods—a small but significant detail that underscored their trauma. As they spoke, the room was filled with tears, cries, anger, and sadness.
Yet, amidst this outpouring of emotion, one person remained unaffected.
---
And that was Zero who, after the last girl said something similar, didn't repress his anger. "You're no special. Didn't you hear? Be original." With that, the whole room fell into silence; you could hear the heartbeat in the room. Even Dr. Pill opened her mouth and said, "I said it wouldn't be boring, but that's another kind of entertainment."
Zero continued, his voice dripping with disdain, "Y'all talking about some touches and talking, and you call that struggling? You don't know the first thing about struggle. So stop being crying babies and grow up."
In that moment, everything froze, like time itself had stopped. It was then that Zero heard a voice, smooth and mocking, cut through the silence. "Come on now, this isn't very polite of you."
Zero turned around sharply, his rage flaring even hotter. The voice continued, "Hey, miss me?" Zero's anger grew even more intense as he clenched his fists, his teeth grinding. "What do you want k—"
K replied smoothly, "What I want? No, no, it's not about what I want... Tell me, Zero, what are you doing? Are you trying to take my job? After all, I'm the bad guy in this story..or am I?"
K chuckled softly, then added, "Look around you. Look at their faces. Do you remember that look? Of course you do. That's what wakes you up at night... So, Zero... what are you doing?"
K then said, "When you figure out what the hell you want... look for me. And then, only then, you will wake up from your illusion." The voice echoed before fading away, disappearing into the void. And just like that, time started again.
Zero stood there, realizing what he had just said. His heart sank. He had really messed up. The room was steeped in an uneasy silence until June finally stood up, breaking through the tension.
"You were a hero to us, Zero," she began, her voice shaky but resolute. "Even when we knew you didn't have powers, we didn't care. The stories we heard about you were the only light in our darkness..." She paused for a moment, looking down. "Even in the village, we were scared to talk to you and your brothers because we thought we were less than you. With that..." she took a deep breath, "you deserved that name. You are indeed Zero."
Her words hit Zero like a brick wall, shattering his delusions. Reality sunk in hard, and he found himself unable to recover from the blow. He didn't know what to say. Instead, he quietly started to leave, his steps heavy as he reached the door. Just before he exited, he heard a single word that tore through him like a blade: "You're still my hero."
The words ripped at his heart, and he walked back to his room, tears streaming down his face until, exhausted, he finally fell asleep.
After Zero left, the six brothers began defending him. "Excuse him," they said, almost pleading. "He's been through a lot lately, so please... just excuse him."
Dr. Pill, sensing the weight of the day, called it to a close. "That's enough for today. Everyone, return to your rooms."
Dr. Carla turned to Dr. Pill and asked, "I guess that's what you were hoping for?"
Dr. Pill replied with a small smile, "Not what I planned.if that's what your asking ?"
tO bE cONTINUE.....