"A story... B, C..."
Zero began, his voice quiet but steady. "I'll start from the beginning,....when the ritual ended. It didn't take all my family, but it claimed my mom and brother, leaving behind my dad, two daughters... and an outsider—me. My mother's entire side of the family was gone, and after that, a split formed within the rest.
the father parents—they were divided. The old man said, 'Raise the kid, it's not his mistake.' But the old witch, she said, 'Leave him. He's cursed, before and after his birth.' And if you're wondering why I was supposedly cursed before I was even born, well... it's obvious, right? They came to the conclusion that my mother cheated with another man. Of course, that had to be why we survived and hers didn't. That's what the old witch said."
His voice grew quieter. "they started calling me 'the mistake.' And that became my first name in the village—'the mistake.'"
"The day I turned four was the day they—or the father and his daughters—decided to kick me out. I was on the streets at just four years old. That's when I met the nameless six. We survived because the old man kept sneaking food to us, and it was thanks to him that we lived to witness the worst year of our lives... the day we turned five."
"Am... I... I... we... you know what, I... I'll leave what happened during that year for the end. I don't think I could keep talking after that. So... I don't remember much from when I was six to nine. It was almost the same—until I got used to it.
But there's one thing I'll never forget... we couldn't find anything to eat for three years. We ate the leftover of a leftover. If you don't understand, someone would eat, then someone else would come along and eat their leftovers, and we'd eat that. Leftovers of leftovers.
It was tough. Nobody wanted to see us, not to talk to us, not to touch us—just not to see us. And I think that's what kept us alive... You can't kill something you don't want to see.
But year nine... year nine was better than all the years before combined. The six, they developed some devilish powers, and the village feared they would take revenge or something. So, they started giving them food, clothes, even money... on one condition: they couldn't enter the village. When they wanted to buy something, they had to go somewhere else. But they had to leave me behind, because I didn't have any powers... after I made them take the deal."
"We lived separate lives for the first time
after five years. When they left, I didn't have anywhere to go. I regretted forcing them into that deal...
If you're wondering how that year was better than the ones before, when the start was as bad as this....
I never said it was the best for me, but it was the best for us, even if I suffered a little.
After five years, I saw my family again... but they didn't recognize me. For some reason, the two daughters had grown into stunning little girls. I remember looking at them, stunned by their beauty, feeling like a proud big brother... but the thing is, they were older than me by three years—yeah, they're twins. I don't know why I felt that way. It was probably the dumbest thing I ever felt.
The moment they looked in my direction, their eyes met mine... not with a gaze that saw me as a lesser human, but as something far worse—a lesser being, some kind of inhumane thing. I didn't like that look at all. So, I decided to do the second dumbest thing......
"I thought I should teach them a lesson. So, I thought... I could sell them, or kidnap them, or... kill them. But I couldn't do any of those things. The ideas swirled in my head, but nothing stuck. Then I figured I'd just make them afraid... scared to death. That seemed easier.
My plan was simple, one stage: when they left the house alone, I would jump out and scare them, or I'd run straight at them. I was so sure it would work. So I waited... and waited... until..."
"I found my cue... After stalking them for a month, I discovered that every weekend they took the same road to visit one of their friends. That's when I got to work.
I dug two graves on the side of that road, each with their names carved on crude, makeshift tombstones. But I knew that alone might not be enough to grab their attention. So, I thought I should steal something personal from them—something that would make sure they noticed.".....
"There was this doll that each of them had, only in different looks. I stole them both three days before the big day, just so they'd notice the dolls were missing. Then I waited... and waited.
Finally, I saw them from afar. But there was someone else with them. I didn't care, though, because all three of them were the same height. If anyone had been bigger, I would have called it off.
But thank God I didn't... though, if you asked me today, I wish I had."
"Anyway, the plan worked. The missing dolls caught their attention, and all three of them started moving toward the graves I'd dug. As they got closer, they saw the two holes and the scribbled names. I was only nine and didn't know how to write properly, but it didn't matter. I snuck up behind them, and the moment they turned around, I jumped at them.
They screamed, and one of the sisters fell into one of the graves. The third girl fell into the other. I knew I wouldn't get another chance, so I had to keep going. I had the shovel in my hand and started burying her. She was screaming and crying, but I just kept going. The strange thing is, the other sister, the one who fell to the ground... she should've pushed me away, or done something to stop me. But when I looked at her, she just froze. She gave me a look—a look I'd saw again, years later.
That's when I panicked. I dropped the shovel and ran away, leaving a traumatized and half-buried sister with her injured friend."
Days went by, and the third girl who was with them... died. A waterfall of rumors began to flood the village, but none of them had anything to do with me. It was as if they hadn't told anyone what had really happened.
The strangest part was that people started saying they were cursed... like *him.* They were referring to me. At first, I didn't understand what was happening, but the more I listened, the more I realized the rumors were circling around me again. I ran straight to the house of the old family, and just as I got there, I overheard someone inside saying, *'We should kick them out. They're cursed.'*
I felt my blood boiling with anger. Without thinking, I burst through the door, standing right in front of them. My whole body was shaking, but I hoped they couldn't see it."
The Father looked at me with disgust, then spat in my face and said, "Spit on my grave if you ever succeed, you're a mistake and a loser. What are you even doing here? Do you want us all cursed because of you?"
I don't know why, but I started laughing. I laughed as loud as I could. It even creeped me out, but I thought it must be working. I wiped my face and looked at the old WITCH. "Haven't you heard? I've got this devilish ability now. Maybe I should practice it on both of you."
I saw the terror in their eyes. I couldn't help but smile. So, I pressed on. "Do you want to find out what my abilities are?"
Just then, the sisters came out from the back, and the old WITCH sneered, "Now all the cursed are united."
"Cursed? What do you mean by that?" I asked.
She hissed, "The first friend they ever had... she died after two months of meeting with them. And these two... they're just like you." She glanced at her son. "We should kick them out. You're all the same."
I laughed again, trying to hide the unease creeping up my spine. "Alike? You think? "I was the reason that girl died. I made contact with her. I cursed her. We're nothing alike. And if you kick them out, it'll be my pleasure to torture them. Maybe I'll create another cursed family and make both of your daughters my wives."
As I spoke, I noticed the Father's eyes widening with every word I said. The old WITCH, on the other hand, seemed oddly calm. It rattled me for a moment, but I just stepped toward the door. Before leaving, I turned back and added, "Go ahead, kick them out. I'm sure you want a grandchild."
Then, I left.
If you didn't catch on, I was bluffing. I didn't want anyone to feel the way I did, trapped and hated. Maybe they'd think I was a monster, but that's alright. They needed a monster so no one would start seeing *them* as one."
"If you wondered how I survived without anywhere to get food, the six would drop some food and clothes off for me every day. The village believed the devil himself was giving me these gifts, so they left me alone out of fear. Oh, and I forgot to mention, there was a haunted house in the village—*that's* where we lived. After the six left town, I stayed there. After everything that happened, I didn't have any reason to go out for food; it was being brought to me by the six every day. And with that, the year officially ended.
Eventually, word about us reached the government through rumors. The old general came and convinced us to join. We agreed, but a couple of years passed, and I still didn't show any signs of power. They renamed me from Seven to Zero—the first official name I ever got. They stuck me on janitor duty, just so I could feel like I mattered while everyone else went on missions that pushed them to the brink of death... "And yeah, I was sent on missions with them, even though I didn't have any powers. Just like them, I was constantly pushed to the brink of death... like the last one."
And here I am. The end... Well, I guess I have to go back and talk about what happened in year five, don't I?"
"I don't know where or when to start, but I guess I'll start by waking up. I remember being so confused—like, what's going on? I didn't even know where my hands and legs were. I couldn't move them at all. Then I realized they were tied up with some kind of rope in a dark room. There was this small light that barely showed me what was around. I saw the six… their eyes were closed. At first, I thought they were dead, and I was next.
But then they woke up, and I felt… I think I was relieved, a little bit.
There was a group of men and women there, with the old WITCH among them. I don't remember much of what they were saying, but I do remember the way they looked at one of us and took him. They hung him in the air and marked him with the letter 'C.' Then it happened again and again until they spelled out 'CURSED.'
Finally, it was my turn. They hung me up."
"It took them a minute to figure out what to name me. I don't remember exactly what they were arguing about, but they were tossing around different names. Some liked certain ones, others didn't. They kept going back and forth, unsure of what to call me.
"But I remember the old WITCH saying, 'Let's try whatever. If it suits him, we'll continue with that name.' They liked the idea so much, and their creative mode kicked in. That's when the journey began—a four-month stretch of pure torture.
The first night was the worst. They marked me with twenty different names, letters, or symbols. The pain was unbearable. I screamed and cried like hell. They used two methods: one with hot, melted iron and the other with something sharp, like a knife. Oh, and they had doctors or nurses there—I'm not sure what they were. Whenever I felt like I was on the verge of death, they would treat me just enough and let me rest for a bit. How kind of them, right? Keeping their toy alive until they finally had a name for me.
The first month passed, and they still hadn't decided. My body was already crisscrossed with mistakes, marked all over. Then, they stopped for a week. They needed time to 'get inspired' or whatever, so they left me alone in the dark room."
"they decided to hang me outside, right in front of everyone, like some twisted attraction. It was like I had become the village's tourist spot or something. Imagine that—a full crowd gathered just to watch the nameless child get his name. People came from all over, pointing and laughing, throwing suggestions at me like I was some kind of joke.
I could barely lift my head from the pain, but I could hear them shouting all sorts of names—some were cruel, some were just ridiculous. And I just hung there, a spectacle for them all, waiting for them to finally decide what to call me."
"They started putting out a box for people to drop money into, like some twisted charity. Whenever the box was full, they would mark me with a highly recommended letter. I knew it wasn't about the name anymore. The box got filled three times a day, so I was marked daily in front of the same crowd. I cried every time, but no one cared. I wished with all my heart that I couldn't take any more and would die, but that wish never came true.
The second month passed, and the old WITCH was furious. I don't know why, but she ordered someone to take me and confine me in a tiny space between four walls. There was barely enough room to open the door. They locked me in there for a whole month, giving me just enough water and food to keep me alive. I thought I was finally going to die, but I didn't. During that time, I started hearing a voice in my head narrating everything in my life.
In the fourth month, they let me out. I could barely stand; I had no strength left. They hung me up again and began marking me with three names. I didn't scream this time. I was unfazed, and they were confused. They thought maybe I didn't feel anything because I hadn't eaten, so the next week, they fed me a lot to make sure I was full. They wanted to enjoy their torture after all. They tried marking me three times again, but I didn't cry. One of the medical staff stabbed me with a knife, but no sound came out of me.
They became afraid. I remember the old WITCH saying, 'Did we make him stronger? Should we shut it down or something like that?' They left me alone until the end of the fourth month. When I was reunited with the six, I told them I didn't want to talk about what happened ever. Then, they delivered the very bad news: the old man had died. They didn't know when, and to this day, I still don't know when he died. I remember feeling sad, trying to force myself to cry, but I couldn't. I thought they had taken all my tears. I vowed that I would destroy them all.
That's my story."
---
Zero had been looking down the entire time he spoke. When he finished, he lifted his head. For some reason, the lights were back on, and he saw their faces. Some were teary, others were crying. Tears streamed down his own face, and he cried for the first time in a long time.
To be continued.....