Zero headed towards the kitchen carrying the dishes. She opened the door and placed them on the table, looking around before turning towards the pantry.
"Is something wrong... Zero?" Shi said as she entered the kitchen carrying dishes.
"Shi… It's nothing, just… I was wondering… this place reminds me of my mother's kitchen." Zero said, taking the dishes from Shi's hands and placing them on the table, then turning to say, "I'm a little confused..."
"No need to worry..." Shi said, approaching.
"I know… I'm not worried about fitting in… it's just… how do I describe it to you." Zero said with a desperate smile.
"Well maybe… you're putting too much pressure on yourself.." Shi said.
"Maybe you're right.." Zero said with concern.
"Zero… I don't like to interfere but… maybe you should rest… since you're here… you're safe," Sunny said, turning on the water tap over the dishes.
"You misunderstood… I'm not afraid of what I'm facing… it's just… I-"
"...Well.. you're not the only one who feels it… but it's the reason we're here… you understand what I mean.. but.. we either fight it in every way possible.. or we accept it and give up… whether we like it or not," Shi said.
"Do you still have hope of survival inside you?" Zero said. Shi suddenly froze in her place in astonishment, turning towards Zero, then began to wash the dishes, saying, "Who said that's hope… hah.. if I had hope… I wouldn't have entered this world."
Zero looked at Shi, then opened the door, saying, "I lost hope at first… but… I realized… I don't need this false hope… to stay alive… all I need is… an opportunity." Zero left the kitchen. Shi turned back, not understanding Zero's words, then turned again towards the pantry door. It opened, and End came out.
"Is everything alright?" Shi asked.
"Don't worry… things are under control," End said, heading for the door.
"I almost forgot.. Sunny told me she would take responsibility for Zero, so she preferred her room to be on this floor… Tell Gel about it," Shi said while washing the dishes.
"What about the room?" End asked, turning towards her.
"She didn't say anything about the room… except that she should be alone in the room… oh and also… try to have the room far from the iron door… you know what I mean?" Shi said.
"Is that all?" End asked.
"Hmm… let me remember… if possible… it would be best for her room to be.. close to your room... that's all."
"Alright… I'm going." End left the kitchen. Shi continued washing, looking at her wet hands with a look of regret and worry, 'I still have a phobia of the sea.'
*******
Zero was standing in the hallway waiting, her hand touching her necklace. Zero looked at the window; the sun was about to set. She turned to find End.
"You're late, End… Where have you been all this time..?" Zero said, following End.
"I had to finish some tasks.. let's hurry," End said.
The two continued walking, silence filling the air. A strange feeling filled Zero's body. She suddenly felt someone following her. Anxiety struck Zero's heart, and she quickly turned back. She didn't find anyone. End turned to her, asking, "Is something wrong?"
"No… nothing.. just-" Zero said with concern.
"If Sunny hadn't interfered at that moment… you would be dead by now," End said, directing his gaze towards her bandaged eye.
"Actually… you're right… I'm like a doll without a soul… I just listen to orders," Zero said, touching her bandaged eye.
End didn't say a word and continued walking. Zero spoke, breaking the barrier of silence, "You told me to keep the matter of the world a secret from your friends.. and also about your power."
"What exactly do you want?"
"On one hand, you trust me… and on the other hand, you don't trust me.. so… you know something about it… I'm not even sure what I'm saying, but you understand what I'm going through."
"You could say that..."
The two spotted a boy wearing a wool hat, a worn-out gray winter shirt, and torn short pants. He was a few centimeters taller than End, with olive skin and honey-colored eyes. The boy was waiting, then turned towards the two.
"Well.. here is the one who will decide your room," End said, turning towards Zero.
The boy approached End, saying, "If I'm not mistaken, you're End. Nice to meet you." The boy's tone was like that of a thirteen-year-old. The boy raised his hand to shake End's.
The boy turned to Zero, saying, "You must be Zero then… My name is Gel.. Nice to meet you."
"Me too.." Zero said.
"The requirements… are for Zero to be on this floor… also… for the room to be empty… and put her in the fifth section," End said.
"Alright… follow me." Gel turned forward, and the two followed him. Zero turned to End, asking, "I don't understand.. the fifth section."
"The rooms in the shelter are divided into sections… each section consists of ten rooms.. and three storage rooms… but in some cases… there are some sections that contain old, locked, unused rooms," Gel said.
"Old rooms?" Zero asked, puzzled.
"It's a long story… but.. maybe we can open them one day," Gel replied in an incomprehensible way. Zero didn't understand, but she didn't care.
*****
It took a while to decide on Zero's room. All the rooms were occupied, so Gel resorted to the fourth section as it was closer. The search continued, and they finally found an empty room.
Gel took a set of keys from his pocket and inserted the correct key into the lock from the start. Zero was amazed, turning to him in astonishment. He opened the door of that room. It was a small room with two beds, a wardrobe, a table, and a chair next to the window. Gel entered and turned on the light. Dust filled the place. He opened the window overlooking the sunset view. The golden light crept into the room like a powerful beam that illuminated it.
Gel came out of the room, saying, "It's the only room close to the fifth section… cleaning it will be difficult… but the others will come to help you."
"Okay.. that's good." Zero smiled.
"Isn't there another room other than this one...?" End said.
"Unfortunately… this is the only vacant room, End… and it's the closest to the fifth section."
"There must be another one-" End said with annoyance.
"It's okay… this room is perfect," Zero said, calming End down.
"It's important, Gel…" End said.
"This is the only room… It's getting late," Gel said, but End refused.
Zero became tense, trying to convince End, but he kept refusing.
'End is strange today… he was usually uninterested.' Zero became tense, trying to think of a solution. She interrupted them, saying, "Okay… it's fine if it's a shared room."
"That would be a waste of time," End replied angrily, turning to Zero.
"Alright… we'll look elsewhere," Gel said, "There are some rooms in the third section."
"Try to have the room close to the fifth section," End said.
Zero didn't understand End's motive for his condition. She followed him, her heart filled with bewilderment, holding her necklace tightly, asking her other self 'What should I do?'. She stopped in her place.
End turned back to find Zero frozen in her place, her legs trembling.
"Hurry up… we don't have time," End called to Zero. Zero raised her head, looking at him in surprise, and let go of her necklace, rushing towards him, "I'm coming-".
Suddenly, Zero felt a familiar feeling, as if a part of her had returned, getting closer and closer. She turned to her left to find a corridor, and she spotted Sunny carrying something in her hand. It was long and covered with a white cloth. Her necklace suddenly gleamed around her neck. It was a faint purple glow. Zero noticed it and realized. She stopped in her place again, then turned to the boys to find them moving away from her. End hadn't noticed her.
'What should I do?' Zero said hesitantly, turning to her left and in front of her. 'I must seize the opportunity.'
In that moment, Zero quietly rushed towards Sunny, trying not to make any sound, leaving End and Gel to advance without her.
Zero quietly followed Sunny, thinking: 'End said she would return it to me… but it seems… she has no intention of doing so.'
******
At that moment, End felt a jolt and turned around in surprise. He didn't find Zero. Gel turned, surprised, saying, "Wasn't she behind us?"
"Damn it… we have to follow her," End said, rushing back forcefully.
"Wait… we-" Gel tried to warn End, but he was already gone. "Hah.. we don't even know where she is."
*****
Zero continued to follow Sunny, trying not to raise any suspicion. She ended up in a dark, isolated corridor. It was an old, slightly narrow corridor, its wooden walls worn and cracked, with dust in every corner, and a rough floor.
Zero peeked at Sunny from the threshold, raising her hand to form a fist. Zero kept watching as a light emerged from within her fist, illuminating the corridor. She continued to advance.
Zero took a few steps, and one of them made a creaking sound by mistake. This caught Sunny's attention, and she quickly turned around. She didn't find anyone behind her. "Who's there?"
Caution was visible on Sunny's face, even from above. Luckily for Zero, the walls were not slippery. She clung to them up to the ceiling, cold sweat trickling down her neck. When Sunny turned around, Zero silently descended.
'(Deep sigh)… I've gotten used to the agility and lightness of my body…'
Zero followed Sunny, turning to the right, to find her standing in front of an old white door. She noticed something hanging on it.. no, it wasn't something hanging, but it was carved into the door.
Zero peeked cautiously. The distance between them was about five meters. The view was almost unclear, but the appearance of the door was prominent amidst the darkness.
Sunny knocked on the door. The curved crack on the door turned into an eye. The pupil of Zero's eye widened in surprise. She put her hand on her mouth, holding her necklace tightly, listening carefully to what was happening, peeking cautiously.
"I request to see the leader as soon as possible," Sunny said, staring at the eye. It had a brown pupil. Suddenly, strange roots appeared around it, forming a strange opening in the middle of the door. Zero felt a shiver as she watched the scene closely, with anxiety and caution in her heart.
A group of branches began to emerge from the opening in large numbers, with slender fingers appearing at their ends. They were like the hands of living trees, those hands that knock on window panes during a storm, that sound that instills fear in our hearts, materialized before Zero's eyes.
Those hands spread out in front of Sunny, and in one of them, a wooden key appeared. Sunny took the key and suddenly removed the white scarf, revealing Zero's staff.
Zero was sure it was her staff, but what worried her was Sunny's motive for hiding it. Zero realized Sunny's intention from this move. She tightened her grip on the necklace, looking at it with looks of fear and tension.
"Tell t'ma that I might be late today…", Sunny said, inserting the wooden key into the door lock. She opened it, and it made a loud creaking sound, then she closed it.
Zero retreated, despair invading her heart. She fell to her knees, clutching her necklace tightly, turning to the beginning of the corridor. Dewdrops glistened from her eye. Zero lowered her head, stifling the sound of her sobs and her pain in her heart.
Zero looked at her necklace with a look of intense sadness and despair. She suddenly felt a light pat on her left shoulder. She turned to find that demon beside her, smiling.
That disgusting smile ignited a spark in Zero's heart. She rose to her knees, wiping her tears, and glared at her damned twin with looks of anger and hatred.
{Did I anger you that much..?} At that moment, Zero rushed to punch the demon quickly. It evaporated like black fog in the air, avoiding Zero's punch.
Zero hit the wall hard, getting scratches on her right hand. She turned around to find her demon twin holding her necklace, that disgusting smile still on her face.
{Don't tell me… you've given up..} the demon said. Zero quickly retreated, pulling out her knife and pointing it at the demon, saying, "What do you want from me?"
The demon advanced, touching the edges of the knife and saying, {If you want to see Regret again… then I advise you.. to listen to me deeply… Did you hear me well.. Zero?}.
Zero didn't say a word. The demon disappeared from in front of her, planting fear in her heart, clinging to her small soul, in the middle of that corridor, making her feel weak and regretful.
"I… hate you…" a powerful cry, from the heart of a weak girl.
N.B
' Gel ' a French word , in English :' Frost'