Zero noticed the difference more each day.
Not because people insulted him openly.
Most didn't.
It was smaller than that.
Subtle.
The way conversations stopped when he approached.
The way villagers spoke to Klaus first now despite both of them standing together.
The way adults looked at him with sympathy instead of expectation.
Even the children had started looking at him differently.
Not fear.
Not disgust.
Something worse.
Disappointment.
Zero walked through the village square quietly while carrying supplies Mira had asked him to buy earlier that morning.
The market was crowded today.
More awakened teenagers than usual gathered near the training grounds surrounding the square.
Some practiced essence circulation beneath the supervision of older Dominators while others simply showed off new physical strength to excited friends.
Essence flickered everywhere now.
Wind.
Fire.
Earth.
Small unstable manifestations caused by freshly awakened pathways.
None of them had proper control yet.
But even that level of power already separated them from ordinary people.
Zero watched silently from the edge of the square.
A boy he vaguely recognized slammed his fist into a wooden training post coated in essence.
The post cracked loudly.
Cheers erupted immediately afterward.
The boy grinned proudly.
A week ago he would've struggled to split firewood.
Now people looked at him differently.
Like he mattered more.
Because he did.
"...You look like you're planning murder."
Zero glanced sideways.
Klaus approached carrying two skewers of grilled meat while chewing loudly.
"I'm thinking."
"Dangerous activity."
Klaus handed him one skewer casually before leaning beside him near the fence overlooking the training grounds.
Several newly awakened teenagers were attempting basic body reinforcement exercises nearby.
Most failed miserably.
One accidentally launched himself face-first into dirt while trying to enhance his legs.
Klaus laughed immediately.
"Okay that one was impressive."
Zero quietly ate while watching the training continue.
"...You're staring."
"I'm observing."
"That's just staring with extra words."
Zero ignored him.
Klaus looked toward the teenagers thoughtfully afterward.
"You regret it that much?"
Zero stayed silent briefly.
Then—
"...No."
Klaus raised an eyebrow.
"Liar."
Zero exhaled softly.
The truth was complicated.
He didn't regret attending the ceremony.
He regretted not understanding what happened.
The Fusion Stone had reacted to him.
Something had answered him.
Yet the Prime Nexus showed nothing.
No affinity.
No essence pathways.
No awakening.
Just failure.
And ever since then—
that strange feeling beneath his skin had only gotten worse.
Restless.
Like something trapped deep inside him had started moving.
A sudden shout interrupted his thoughts.
"Move!"
Everyone turned instantly.
One of the awakened boys lost control of his essence.
Flames burst violently from his arms before spreading wildly across the training area.
Several people stumbled backward in panic.
The boy himself looked horrified.
"I-I can't stop it!"
An older Dominator moved immediately.
Water surged outward before extinguishing the flames almost instantly.
Silence followed briefly afterward.
Then nervous laughter spread through the square.
"Idiot almost burned the place down."
"That's why beginners aren't supposed to force output."
"Still better than not awakening."
That last comment wasn't said loudly.
But Zero heard it.
Of course he did.
Klaus heard it too.
The grin disappeared from his face immediately.
Zero simply turned away.
"...Let's go home."
Klaus stared toward the group for another second before nodding quietly.
The walk back felt longer than usual.
Not because of the distance.
Because neither spoke much.
As they reached the outer edge of the village, they spotted Elias repairing fencing near the house.
Their father looked up briefly before noticing Klaus' expression.
"What happened?"
"Nothing," Klaus muttered.
That alone was enough to make Elias suspicious.
Klaus always complained when something happened.
Zero walked past them quietly toward the house before Elias' voice stopped him.
"Zero."
He paused slightly.
"...Yeah?"
Elias studied him for a moment before speaking calmly.
"Come help me."
Klaus blinked.
"Wait what about me?"
"You complain too much."
"That's discrimination."
"Correct."
Klaus looked deeply betrayed.
Zero almost smiled again.
Almost.
A few minutes later, he stood beside Elias near the broken fence while evening wind drifted softly across the fields beyond Ashvale.
For a while, Elias simply worked.
Hammering wood back into place carefully.
Measured.
Patient.
Eventually he spoke without looking up.
"You know why fencing matters?"
Zero frowned slightly at the random question.
"...To keep beasts out?"
"Partly."
Elias hammered another nail into place calmly.
"But mostly it's because people sleep better seeing boundaries."
Zero stayed quiet.
"The fence doesn't actually stop stronger beasts," Elias continued. "If something powerful really wants inside the village, this wood means nothing."
He finally glanced toward Zero briefly.
"But people still repair it anyway."
"...Why?"
"Because protecting something matters even if the protection isn't perfect."
Silence settled quietly between them afterward.
Then Elias added—
"You've been looking at yourself differently since the ceremony."
Zero's fingers tightened slightly.
"...People without power become burdens eventually."
Elias snorted softly.
"That's nonsense."
"It's true."
"No," Elias replied calmly. "It's convenient."
Zero looked at him slightly.
Elias leaned against the fence afterward while staring toward the distant forest.
"People like pretending strength is the only thing that matters because it's simple. Easy to measure. Easy to worship."
The older man folded his arms quietly.
"But the strongest Dominator I ever knew died alone because nobody trusted him enough to stand beside him."
Wind moved softly through the fields around them.
"And the bravest person I ever met couldn't use essence at all."
Zero remained silent.
Because he didn't know how to answer that.
Elias looked toward him again afterward.
"You think weakness makes someone worthless because you're afraid."
The words landed too accurately.
Zero looked away immediately.
Elias continued anyway.
"You're afraid that if you stay weak long enough, eventually people will leave."
For a brief moment—
Zero couldn't breathe properly.
Not because the words hurt.
Because they felt true.
Elias sighed quietly afterward before placing one rough hand against Zero's shoulder.
"We chose you, son."
Simple words.
Yet something about them hit harder than they should have.
"We didn't choose you because you might become powerful someday."
The pressure in Zero's chest tightened painfully again.
That strange unfamiliar ache.
Warm.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Because attachments always became weaknesses eventually.
Didn't they?
Then suddenly—
the forest trembled.
Both Zero and Elias turned instantly.
A distant roar echoed faintly from somewhere deep beyond the trees surrounding Ashvale.
Not close.
But far too close either.
Elias' expression darkened immediately.
"...That's not normal."
Another roar echoed afterward.
This one louder.
And for the first time in years—
fear crossed Elias' face openly.
Zero noticed it instantly.
Then pain shot through his body.
His scars burned.
Not dull aching like before—
burned.
Like fire had been poured beneath his skin.
Zero's breathing hitched sharply as pain spread across his arms, chest, and back all at once. Every scar on his body throbbed violently beneath his clothes.
His vision blurred slightly.
Then came the pressure behind his eyes.
Heavy.
Violent.
Like something inside him was reacting to the sound coming from the forest.
Zero grabbed the side of the fence instinctively.
The wood cracked slightly beneath his grip.
Elias noticed immediately.
"Zero?"
Another roar thundered through the trees.
Closer this time.
The burning intensified.
His heartbeat became uneven while cold sweat ran slowly down the side of his face. For a brief second, it felt like his body no longer belonged to him.
Not weakness.
Not fear.
Recognition.
Like something deep beneath his skin had suddenly opened its eyes.
Zero clenched his jaw tightly as another wave of pain surged through him.
His scars pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
Then suddenly—
silence.
The pain vanished almost instantly afterward.
Leaving only uneven breathing and tension lingering beneath his skin.
Zero slowly lifted his head toward the dark forest surrounding Ashvale.
And somehow—
he knew.
Something was coming.