Nero couldn't still the storm inside his chest. His heart raced, thundering with a fear so pure it numbed his limbs.
He knew the truth: Before his heartbeat could stop, his life would end first.
The massive man's blade swung toward him—unstoppable. Nero flinched, instinctively raising his arms to shield himself.
TING—!
A metallic clash reverberated through the air. The sound shattered the silence like a bell of fate. All three stood frozen, baffled by the sudden shift.
A brilliant surge of white energy enveloped Nero—tranquil and fluid, like shimmering water under moonlight.
The man with the sharp nose squinted. "Is this… Boundless Energy?" he murmured.
Nero stared at his hands. Clean. Unscathed.
His voice trembled. "Why is this happening? What… am I?"
The swordsman didn't wait for answers. He growled in frustration and raised his weapon once more. With a mighty swing, he brought it crashing toward Nero.
TING—!
The blade shattered on impact, exploding into fragments. The strike never touched Nero. Instead, the sword's metal burst apart like glass struck by thunder.
Both combatants stood stunned.
"…Could this really be my power?" Nero whispered. "That day… and the other time… and now—they were all the same…"
Nero's head rose slowly, his white eyes glowing eerily in the mist. His stare pierced through the large man like a dagger of divine judgment.
The man took an involuntary step back. "W-What kind of gaze is that?"
"Don't get cocky, kid!" he roared, fury overtaking fear. Energy surged around his arm, crackling with heat and power.
With a thunderous lunge, he closed the distance. "I'll crush your body—Destruction Technique: Eruption!"
CRASH—!!
The explosion of force rocked the valley.
When the dust settled… it was over.
A grisly sight remained: blood sprayed across the earth, entrails and shattered bones strewn grotesquely. The man who'd attacked now lay lifeless. His body—broken. His eyes—vacant. No soul left behind.
Nero stood frozen. His hands were stained red. His breath hitched.
Did I… do this?
He had taken a life.
For the first time.
A strange silence followed—before the man with the sharp nose chuckled.
"Absolutely fascinating! I never imagined a ten-year-old would carry such destructive force…"
Nero couldn't reply. His thoughts were drowning in horror. The image of the dying man, the blood, the moment of impact—it played again and again in his mind.
---
They left the mist behind without a word.
Their destination had shifted now—to a land calmer, almost beautiful. Towering forests stretched endlessly on both sides of a winding path. It should've been peaceful, but peace evaded Nero's soul.
That night, beneath the stars and before a crackling fire, Nero stared into the flames. His mind was still trapped in the carnage. He saw the blood again. The wide, terrified eyes. The final gasp.
A voice broke the silence.
"Don't dwell on it," said the man, his tone unexpectedly sharp.
Nero looked up.
Even in the firelight, the man's face looked troubled—unnerved, even. His gaze was locked on Nero's eyes, which glowed faintly white in the dark.
Within Nero stirred a power both beautiful and terrifying. The energy within him pulsed—raw, vast, and wild.
"You did what you had to," the man said. "Call it what it was—self-defense. Not a sin."
But Nero couldn't agree.
"Emily always told me… life is precious."
The name escaped him before he realized.
The man's expression flickered.
"…Am I not human?" Nero asked softly, eyes lowered.
The question silenced everything.
It took a while before the man responded. "There's no 'normal' in this world. Only the strong… and those who survive. You—you're not ordinary. You're extraordinary."
"Extraordinary…" Nero repeated. The word tasted bitter. Was that what I was? Or something closer to a monster?
"And your power?" the man continued. "It doesn't belong in the shadows. It needs a place—one where you're not feared, but forged."
Nero clenched his fists.
Is there such a place? A place for me?
---
Ten days passed.
Their journey had pushed Nero beyond exhaustion—yet strangely, his body never faltered. No fatigue. No weakness. His stamina felt limitless, as if his very cells were charged by that same boundless energy.
Finally, they arrived.
Persephone.
The highest peak on the continent. The air here was lighter, colder, yet filled with vitality. The sky stretched clearer than ever before, and Nero felt something stir deep inside him.
He stretched his arms, eyes closed as a soft breeze brushed past.
"I feel… free," he said aloud. "Why?"
"Can you feel it?" the man asked sharply, eyeing him.
Nero nodded. "It's like… energy flows perfectly through me here."
The man smiled—but there was something unsettling in it. A chill passed through Nero, but he ignored it.
"This," the man declared, raising both arms, "is a land for people like you. For those who defy limits… for those beyond the ordinary."
"Beyond the ordinary…" The words stung Nero. His gaze dropped again.
The man studied him quietly. The child's aura—the same sorrow from their first meeting—lingered around him like a shadow.
"Come," he said. "It's time to meet my master. You need to prepare."
Nero's heart skipped. "Prepare? For what?"
The man looked over his shoulder, his eyes hard.
"You'll find out soon enough. Just remember—stay sharp. Don't let your guard down."
He paused. His next words were deliberate:
"Because if you do… you'll die."
___To Be Continued ___