The Battle of Zero

LEILA RUEENS It was ghost-quiet. Silence was always filling my house, and the sound of the whistling pot could be heard even if you stood at least a meter away outside. I stood up from sitting on a wooden chair that could break anytime, and went to pick up the pot to stop it from blowing a loud whistle. I put it aside so I can prepare a cup of coffee. There is at least one last cup of coffee I could drink with those few coffee beans left in the little glass jar; black beans, bitter and cheap. As I put the coffee beans on the stone bowl that I was always using to crush them powderized, my eyes suddenly locked outside the window in front of me. I was seeing what was outside, but plenty Kilometers away from where my house was standing. It looked so small from here, but I heard that you could expect to be lost when you wander around there, alone for the first time. I was talking about Zeldar, a place where they could only accept people with abilities. Unique abilities like power, magic, swordsmanship, physical strength, and many more. It could define a person's worthiness and fate up there on Zeldar as levels were created. Ranks that could change people's lives as they receive differences in treatment and influence. It was a thing that wasn't meant for a mere F-level lady like me, a rank that was referred to as a slave. Zeldar was far away from what we have. Serffol village, it seems to be out of date, it has no source of electricity, has been using water from wells, and people could survive by hunting boars or fishing at the only river we have, just like in the old ages. But Zeldar was already too far from what Serffolians had imagined, too advanced, and the system was out of this world. That's what I heard, at least. F levels like me chose to live far away from Zeldar, we chose to live peacefully here, Serffol Village. A place for F levels, a Village full of slaves. Either born as one, abandoned, or had been thrown away. We got no power to go to live on a fantasy like Zeldar, and besides, that place was our own kind of Hell for F levels... Slaves were treated worse than trash. I was still on my twenties, twenty-five to be exact, but I still didn't have anyone to spend my life with. As expected from a slave, marriage was difficult, though we had no standards. I guess I was just born unfortunate, and miracles don't work on me. I was still gazing at the far away land. And as the wind was rushing in through the cracked window, I suddenly heard the bucket on the well, repeatedly splashing on the water. The sound of someone who cannot even lift up a small wooden bucket, filled with just a liter of well water. I headed outside, and the chilly wind blew against my cheek as I hushed glanced at the well in front of my soon to break house, rusted, and cracked all over. It was caused by a heavy storm last week. I still haven't got it fixed since I have nothing to use, I don't have enough money to hire even an F level working on construction of houses, and no one I could find to help me fix it. From there I rushed to the well, and my eyes caught an out of strength lady that was still trying to get water from it, almost crawling out. She was skinny, pale, and her long black hair with a white highlight was covering her face. I could also notice a big chain mark on her feet. "Let me help you stand up" I said as I tried hugging her carefully to make her stand up as I noticed her stomach, big, and round. She was pregnant. I helped her walk and enter the house, then I laid her on my bed. "Wait for me," I said, then left her to get some water to drink. I quickly handed her a glass of water, she was chugging it without a pause, she was tremendously thirsty. Then she gave back the glass to me. "Thank you," She said while touching her stomach. "What's your name? How did you get to this village? Are you an F level, like me?" I asked. Three questions got out of my mouth but I was continuously having a lot more inside my head as I watch her. The shining white highlight on her hair, I haven't seen any F level with that. F levels were just mere humans, normal, and incapable of many things. "My name is Zerrena, I am a…" She was trying to finish her sentence but she couldn't. She started groaning in pain. Or so I thought she was just in the state of laboring as her stomach seems to be on its last month bearing the child inside... "The baby, it's coming" She suddenly mumbled. "Zerrena??" It was all I could say in an instant. Her hand suddenly created a strange light. It lit up so bright while she was laying. So bright that all I could do was to look away and had my eyes escaped from the blindly white light in an instant. It was filling the house for seconds, then the light disappeared slowly as I was trying to see what is happening. On a spun of the moment, I could hear a loud noise. I blinked and wiped my eyes like I just woke up, just to see her newborn crying and the sound already filling the house, echoing throughout. "A boy, my baby is a boy," Zerrena said as she was touching her newborn. She looked more weak after giving birth, more pale, and her lips dried out, but it wasn't an exception for my confused mind right now. It felt like a puzzle and I couldn't help but to furrow my brows while my eyes were roundly sticking out. "That's how you give birth to a baby?" It was sticking on my confused and clueless mind. She just did some magic, I was sure of it, it was so instant, but the impact it left on me was vast enough. I've never seen someone gave birth that fast. That light that came from the palm of her hand, it was too blindly, and though I haven't got any idea about it. I cannot be mistaken, it was some sort of a sorcery. This lady, She was a Zeldarian. "You, you are-" I couldn't even finish what realization I was about to say. "My time has come, Leila," Zerrena said, and that made my eyes even widened with surprise. She even knows my name though I still haven't got the chance to say it, but how??? "How did you-" "Listen to me for a moment, please" She said with tears, they were suddenly falling continuously from her bright green eyes. Those eyes, they're even getting brighter than healthy green grass, they were looking like shining round jewels, bright as emeralds. Her tears were making that effect. I wasn't able to speak, but I listened cooperatively. Her voice kept slowing down, hoarse, and felt like she was trying so hard to speak. "Take this" She said while handing me some kind of a tool, a silver one, and a green gem was attached to its center. It looks like it could be worn in the wrist, a bracelet like. "You're right, I am a Zeldarian, Class S and…" But now she was the one who couldn't finish what she was about to say. Zerrena paused for a moment, it was caused by my reaction. My hands did its job just by hearing what rank she is, both suddenly covered my mouth in shock. She was a CLASS S for heaven's sake. The highest rank there is... The most respected, the strongest of all, and a rank that high, they were treated like royals. I wasn't supposed to interrupt her but, "Class S!?" I surprisingly screamed. I heard it crystal clear. A Class S wandering on Serffol, what could have caused her to look so weak and end up here? Zerrena just looked at me for a moment, no emotions, just pure calmness but her eyes were seemingly speaking. I couldn't read her even for a bit, she was unpredictable, as well as I felt mixed up. It was chaotic. She breathed in and out and a few seconds later, she was ready to speak. "I was a Class S, and even been one of Tauro's picks, the ruthless leader of Zeldar Academy. But I was thrown on the beddings of fire, they were accusing me for the death of Tauro's first born, luckily I was able to escape with my last ample of magic. Tauro was evil, he wouldn't spare anyone, even this innocent child" She said and looked at her newborn. Zerrena looked apologetic for the baby in her arms, it was obvious that she was all feeling the fondness and ache to give her child a good life. But something was escaping those feelings... "That tool, every Zeldarian has that, a Zel. I am telling you this because my time is coming, and I would like to ask you one thing, a big favor then I would grant everything what you wish for, anything Leila" She added. Just a moment ago that she looked so wonderful while caressing her child, but now... It was all replaced by sorrow and heartbreak. I was bursting with confusion inside me, but I couldn't show my reaction at all. I was stunned, and I don't really know why but I kind of felt like it was all fate that led Zerrena here. "Wh-what is it?" I asked, slightly stuttering. "This boy, I wouldn't have the chance to raise him and fill him with love and the care of a mother. I would name him Zero. Please take care of him" She said with her voice lowering. "A partner to spend life with, a daughter, a son, a stable house and life. I should grant your desires" She added which made goosebumps crawl to the core of my rib cage. She even knows what I wanted, what I was wishing for. "Eighteen years, raise him for Eighteen years and his fate will change. This boy, I would still see him someday" Zerrena added. She just won't stop from speaking, from looking like she's chasing time. Zerrena was breathing fast while handing me her newborn, Zero. I couldn't help but to follow her every move, I carried Zero in my arms while looking at her mother... still dying with questions. "Zero" I whispered while looking at the child. Their names almost sounded the same. I wonder what the father's name is. But moment I thought of the word Father, curiosity crawled out of me once again. She hasn't mentioned anything about him. And as I was gonna ask her, but by the time I took a glance at Zerrena again... She was gone. Zerrena vanished through thin air and only white sprinkling dusts were floating on the bed where she laid her back just a few minutes ago. Tears suddenly fell from my eyes as I took a glance at Zero. He got his mother's shining emerald eyes, the heart shaped lips, and the white highlight on his hair, he totally resembles his mother. It's such a pity, he wouldn't get to know his own mother. I could totally get it now, I realized that apologetic eyes earlier. Zerrena might've saw it coming... She might have predicted what devastation she could face, and it is by losing her own child beside her care. By losing Zero. I stopped tearing and looked at the white dusts floating, the wind was absorbing it outside instead of spreading. I guess she was totally leaving this world. It hurts, though I just met her in such a short span of time. "I would raise him with all my heart, I promise Zerrena" I whispered in the air. *** And so I raised Zero for Eighteen years, made him my own son, and filled him with love and care together with his little brother and sister, and a man I found love years ago. My house was all fixed, stable, and ain't no storms crushed it by years. I was forty-three today, and I haven't forgotten Zerrena even for a day, that day when she left Zero in my care. She gave me all of this, and I was grateful for her. Or so I thought... Zero gave me miracles. I got what I wished for. He was my lucky charm and though he doesn't really came from my womb. I felt that he was my real son, and my blood was running on him. "Nero, Wake your big brother now. He was sleeping for hours, we're gonna eat already" I shouted at Nero, my son with Ferd, an F level like me. "Ask Mina, She was just fixing her ugly face for too long" Nero shouted back. Mina was my daughter, 11 years old, a year younger than his brother Nero. These kids, they were stubborn, just like their father Ferd, he was out in the woods at this moment. Hunting boars, and chicken so we could eat delicious meat again for dinner, since it was Zero's birthday. He just turned Eighteen, a fine man, also stubborn, but a loving son. Though we're stable, we still chose to live here on Serfoll, still away from Zeldar. "I'll wake your brother up, switch with me and prepare here on the table, " I sighed, but I let out a smile after. I walked until I was in front of the door, then I burst into Zero's small room to wake him up, but as I saw him, my eyes widened in shock and my hands automatically covered my mouth from shouting. "ZERO!" I screamed his name. Zero's body was lighting up, the same kind of light that I once saw on Zerrena's palm. Just what is happening??? It was too bright and blindly, but I pushed myself from getting near him. "Zero, wake up" I was saying repeatedly, but he isn't responding and his body keeps lighting up. "Son, wake up" I said as I was continuously shaking him, starting to get teary eyed. I suddenly felt scared. Scared from the thought of losing him. He was my son whatever might happen, even when I'm not his real mother. I loved him so much that I couldn't afford to lose him. That was all in my mind in this very moment. Eighteen years, Zerrena told me something about fate, and I still haven't figured it out till now. I did everything to raise Zero as normal human, an F level boy, a mere Serffolian, without telling him everything. The truth about him, his capabilities, and his identity. I wasn't prepared for this, though Zerrena had given me a clue before. She said she would still see his son. I thought of what if she get what she owns someday? Zero. I couldn't afford it, but I don't know if I can be selfish or what. If that's what she meant, then I couldn't do anything about it. Still, there's a burning ache just beneath my rib cage right now, it hurts, it just hurts so much. Thinking of all that, it made me want to just hold him forever, and I would not let go of him. Even when he wasn't really my own. "Zero, wake up already, my son. Don't leave me, please" I whispered while hugging him. ***To be Continued***