What years can do

The sky was pink — not soft or comforting, but loud and saturated, like a canvas had been slapped across the horizon and left to burn.

A figure walked through it, boots tapping against the smooth blue glass beneath him. A silhouette, tall and motionless inside, as if carved from the silence of a forgotten age. His coat drifted behind him with each step, the fabric brushing the glass like smoke.

He didn't blink. He didn't smile.

A shadow walker.

And the world itself didn't dare speak.

Beside him, another shadow moved — more relaxed, shoulders a little slouched, hands lazily behind her head. Where the first figure was silence, this one was boredom. Lightly amused by existence. Her eyes wandered over the absurdly pink sky, unimpressed.

"…Why does this universe look so gay?" she muttered, voice dry as desert wind. "Like, pink skies and glowing grass? Please."

The shadow didn't reply.

Didn't glance at her.

Didn't even flinch.

He just kept walking — as if he hadn't heard a thing. Hands in pockets. Steps steady. Eyes empty.

She clicked her tongue. "Right. Emotions off, again. Got it."

Then, suddenly — a ripple.

The air behind them twisted.

The first figure's head tilted slightly, almost imperceptibly.

Something was coming.

Her eyes sharpened, catching the flicker. "Hey—hey! Behind you—LOOK—look at it! What the fu—!"

She lunged forward to shove him—

But the shadow moved first.

He dodged.

No effort. No emotion. No hands.

Still pocketed. Still blank.

Like water flowing around a stone, he slipped out of reach of the oncoming attack.

The creature hit the glass with a screech, sliding forward with feral weight.

She blinked. "You didn't even look."

No response.

Now they both faced it.

It stood on eight crooked legs, its body like an insect merged with a bird, merged with something that never should have lived. Feathered wings tucked in on a scaled back.

A long, armored tail twitched restlessly. Six eyes blinked across its face in no pattern, and gills pulsed open on the sides of its neck. Breathing. Alive. Watching.

The girl raised an eyebrow, half-suprised, "What the fuck is that thing?"

The boy finally spoke. His voice didn't sound human — it was weighty, cold, stripped of life. It echoed low in the ribs like a chill.

"This is the state of the most destroyed universe."

She let out a long "hmm," then glanced around.

"Well. Could've been worse."

She took a few steps forward, arms still hanging behind her head. Her tone softened just slightly, like she meant what she said.

"But it's fine. We're here to fix it, aren't we?"

There was silence again. But this time, he replied.

His voice was quieter. Same tone. Same weight.

"Don't step too close. Not like you can get hurt or anything still."

That was all. But it said everything.

She blinked.

Then she smirked. "Awww, Zazm, you do care—"

The creature roared and lunged. A blur of rage and jagged limbs.

It never reached him.

He didn't dodge this time.

He deleted.

By the time the air snapped back into place, the monster was gone. No blood. No body.

Deleted.

Gone.

Like it had never existed.

The girl stared. Then turned to him — he stood calmly ahead, untouched, the same posture as always. His back to her. Hair long and drifting down his back.

She frowned and walked up behind him, poking his head.

"…You really had to go full 'delete from reality' mode?" she said. "I wanted to analyze it."

No answer.

She poked again, finger prodding the long strands of obsidian black hair.

"Also, your hair is ridiculous," she added.

"Reminds me of that witch....." Zephyra irritatingly muffled her hair, "Ahhh have to deal with her again."

Still no reaction.

She poked again.

A soft sound escaped him — more of a "tch" than a word. Annoyed. Barely audible. He shooed her off like a mosquito.

And walked on.

The pink sky watched them in silence.

A few more steps passed in silence before the shadow finally spoke again. His voice cut through the air like steel.

"Where the hell is everyone else?"

Zephyra didn't stop walking. She just raised a lazy finger and pointed toward his left ear.

"Use that shiny little thing Nova gave you," she said with a slight grin. "Y'know. The one you never take off. The one that makes you look like an edgy prince."

Zazm's hand lifted slowly to touch the silver earring. Its surface glowed faintly — a soft shimmer against the dull light of the shattered sky.

"This thing Nova made…" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "It's extremely useful."

His voice remained flat, unreadable, yet there was a subtle approval buried in the tone — or at least, as close to approval as Zazm ever got.

"It'll help me hide this."

His fingers lingered briefly on the earring — a flicker of energy pulsed through it. In an instant, waves of invisible signals spread across the fractured dimension, snapping into alignment. Locations sparked across his vision like stars igniting in the dark.

He saw them.

All of them.

The other Catalysts — scattered, but present.

Zephyra peeked at his face, raising an eyebrow. "And once again," she said, exhaling softly, "you've been thrown in the opposite corner of the world."

She chuckled. Just a little. The sound was quiet, dry, and surprisingly genuine — like she actually found it funny in that cold, distant way she had.

Zazm didn't laugh.

Instead, he exhaled slowly and threw his hair back with a sharp jerk of his head, clearly irritated as the long strands fell forward again.

"Let's go there."

No pause.

No extra words.

Just direction.

The glass beneath their feet shifted slightly — almost as if it had heard him. The wind caught behind them, no longer still, pulling toward where fate would drag them next.

And without another word, they walked on.

---

The dome shimmered faintly like it was breathing—pulsing waves of light-blue energy across a field that should not exist. It floated a little above the ground and was crafted by Jahanox, it kept the absurd, collapsing universe at bay... for now.

Outside it?

Madness.

The sky was having mood swings again—cycling from lime green to storm gray to a disco-ball glitter pink every few minutes. At one point, it cracked like glass and stitched itself back together with what looked like… vines?

The clouds mooed.

Yes. Mooed.

A three-eyed sun wiggled happily in the corner of the sky, then blinked out of existence and came back with an extra eye.

The wind whispered nonsense every few seconds:

"Taxes are due…"

"Don't trust the broccoli…"

"Your Minekraft dog misses you."

Kiyomasa shook his head trying to get rid of the noises every few seconds. "I never even played minekraft."

Jahanox smiled sitting in the center, "This doom will keep everything out except wind ofcourse and also grass....."

The grass barked when you stepped on it.

A floating catfish wearing a crown slowly drifted by above them, weeping softly and clutching a lollipop.

Everyone inside the dome was trying their best not to lose their minds.

---

"I'm just saying—this universe is actively bullying me," Minos muttered, standing near the edge of the dome with arms crossed, glaring out at the technicolor disaster beyond.

"The grass barked. The wind called me a liar. And that broccoli's been giving me side-eye for ten minutes."

The broccoli in question was indeed glaring.

It held a carrot like a weapon—tiny arms shaking with vegetable rage.

"They're planning something," Minos added flatly.

Ai looked at the broccoli, "What does that thing thinks it's gonna do?"

"Start racism, probably." Jahanox shrugged clearly enjoying it.

"What?" Ai looked at Jahanox with a suspicious glance.

Miwa sat nearby, curled with her arms around her knees, cautiously eyeing the terrain.

"Y'know, I kicked a rock earlier, and it said, 'Good throw.' I didn't even throw it. It complimented my accidental violence."

She paused. "...I kind of liked that."

"That's being a sadest Miwa." Jahanox sat looking above him where a cloud was giving him side eyes.

"Jeez, does this world has no modesty?"

A breeze blew past Miwa's ear and whispered, "Soon you will become the rock."

She stared up at the sky. "I think I'm being spiritually adopted by the environment."

Kiyomasa tilted his head. "That doesn't sound… good."

Jennie clutched her dress and stood just behind Ai, her wide brown eyes nervously darting around.

"T-The sky just winked at me… and that mushroom is walking."

Ai glanced over. "What mushroom?"

Jennie pointed.

A giant purple mushroom shuffled by like an old man, waving a leaf slowly and grunting in Morse code.

Jennie took a small step back. "I-I don't think I'm emotionally prepared for this…"

Minos also dropped by them to look at the mushroom, he pointed at it and said, "Atleast it's not hostile if anything it looks kinda friendly."

"This is officially the most cursed timeline," Ai muttered, flicking her wrist console as she scanned the collapsing data around them.

"And I thought the last one was bad."

Jahanox looked at Ai and spoke in a casual tone, "Hey Ai, didn't your powers fully activate after last time. So are you hearing the complaints of wind with speakers?"

Ai clicked her tongue, "I can control my senses and I've totally dulled them and to answer your question. I was seeing at 1,000,000 HD if that's something, hearing at ahh well yeah speaker. It's so bad I can smell and taste the air and it's wierd."

Jennie walked closer to Ai, "Are you okay?"

Ai smiled, "No need to worry, I already dulled them and therefore my condition is better than y'all."

And infact that was true because the air smelled and actually tastes wierd.

Kiyomasa looked out at the horizon with a curious expression.

"Um… I think the ocean is upside down."

They turned to look.

It was.

Minos pointed aggressively. "WHY is it raining from the bottom UP?!"

Jennie's hands flew to her mouth. "Oh are the fish okay?!"

"They're going to hell, Jennie," Ai said dryly. "Let them go."

Jahanox also got up to look at it, "Should we go there?"

"Hell no that ocean is three times bigger than Pacific ocean back home." Ai said as her pupils returned to normal size again.

Minos asked, "Oh so now you can also see far far away?"

Minos dropped to his knees tired, "I'm so done man. I wish I could've gone with Zazm inside void to train so atleast I would've been useful."

Jahanox smirked, "Well Zazm had his body frozen in time so he pretty much is immortal but you would've been bones."

"Yeah yeah I know but still Zazm could've freezed my body in time aswell but no he said, 'Too much risk' what does he mean by that." Minos clicked his tongue.

"Just leave it." Jennie said sitting down.

Jahanox, meanwhile, sat in the center of the dome on a makeshift crystal bench, arms behind his head like he was chilling on a beach.

"Honestly? I'm vibing."

"You would be, you psycho," Ai snapped. "We're inside a hell bubble surrounded by killer vegetables, sky disco parties, and judgmental air."

A nearby gust whispered: "We judge because we care."

Minos facepalmed. "I'm gonna snap."

Miwa stood up slowly, brushing dust off her pants. "Okay but like… seriously. Why does the sun have three eyes now? Was two not enough?"

Jennie blinked at the sky, now shifting to a paisley pattern. "M-Maybe it's evolving…?"

"Into what?" Ai asked, unimpressed. "Demon from 9th hell or something?"

The broccoli outside the dome who had been following them, suddenly threw the carrot like a javelin—it bonked the dome and bounced off harmlessly.

Jennie squeaked. "I think it's attacking!"

"Let it think aswell." Jahanox said leaning back till a sound caught his attention.

The carrot hit the ground, then exploded into glitter and screamed, "JUSTICE!"

Everyone went quiet for a beat.

Miwa whispered, "Okay. That was kinda cool."

Kiyomasa sat next to Jahanox on his made bench.

"Thank you, Jahanox… your dome's really strong. The creatures outside haven't gotten in at all."

Jahanox gave him a thumbs-up. "Told ya. Top-tier doom bubble."

"Dome." Ai corrected.

"Doom." He grinned.

Jennie peeked outside again, hugging her arms close.

"D-Do you think our universe would be like this someday?"

Everyone went quiet and there was a subtle hint of question.

Jahanox chuckled a little, "Don't worry we would fix it before it reaches this stage. Though I think it would be more fun this way."

Ai raised a brow. "Jennie, this place is sentient chaos with a personality disorder."

Kiyomasa looked up. "It might still be alive though… like crying."

Miwa nodded. "That tracks. I'd cry too if I looked like this place."

Minos let out a heavy sigh, glaring at the sky, which was now blinking like a massive neon sign.

"We need a plan. A real one. I'm not about to get taken out by salad with attitude."

Outside, the broccoli army had grown.

There were now two.

One held a carrot.

The other was eating a spoon.

---

Miwa squinted. "Okay, I'm gonna say it. This is the most distorted universe we've seen."

Minos nodded. "Yup. Peak garbage."

Jennie blinked rapidly. "—what if it gets worse than this?"

Ai rolled her eyes. "Then we burn it. Or we find and burn Zazm. Preferably both."

Jahanox stood up at last, stretching his arms with a dramatic yawn.

"Okay enough of this Zazm's here let's hunt him before anything."

--

The two figures blinked into existence mid-air, reality folding open and then stitching itself shut behind them.

Zazm and Zephyra reappeared in silence.

The terrain around them was blanketed in snow—at least, it seemed like snow. But this place, like everything in this universe, had no interest in being normal.

The sky here was an icy gradient of pale gray and seafoam green, blinking occasionally like a broken screen. It snowed, but not just snow—feathers, marbles, even occasional music notes drifted down between the flurries. One snowflake had tiny teeth.

But what caught Zazm's attention weren't the colors. It was the glass.

Long, razor-sharp shards of it were falling alongside the snow—floating blades of translucent death. Some were the size of swords. Others as long as spears.

One of them—twice the size of Zephyra—drifted silently downward, a few centimeters from impaling her where she stood, her back to it.

She didn't even notice.

Instead, she was staring at a tree that was humming a lullaby and petting a nearby rock that purred.

The glass shard shimmered—

—and vanished into static just before touching her.

She blinked. Yawned. Kicked the purring rock. It rolled away.

Zazm stood motionless beside her, eyes scanning the sky. His coat fluttered slightly in the wind, and his shoulders trembled just a little. He was shivering—but his face didn't change.

Expressionless. Blank. Cold inside and out.

Zephyra folded her arms and hunched her shoulders up.

"Ughh… Zazm. It's freezing. Do something about this cold, yeah?"

No reply.

Before he could say a word, she scooped up a pile of the strange snow, casually packed it into a ball, and threw it straight at him.

The snowball struck Zazm's face with a soft whump and then launched him backwards like a cannon shot.

His body sailed through the air, coat fluttering wildly, before disappearing in a flicker of warped space.

Zephyra's eyes went wide.

"Wait… what?"

But then, she felt it—his hand on her shoulder.

She turned, and there he was. Standing behind her, same blank expression. Same stillness.

"...Sorry," she said simply, eyes half-lidded, voice casual. "Didn't know the snow had knockback."

He didn't answer.

She smiled faintly, still shivering. "But thanks for the warmth."

And just like that, she stopped shaking.

Zazm's eyes wandered over the terrain again—this absurd, fractured winter. The cold gnawed at reality. Every breath they took shimmered like glass. He reached up, touched the small silver earring Jahanox had given him, and frowned.

"Where are we now?"

Zephyra floated a little off the ground, arms behind her head.

"Another weird, ridiculous place. Obviously."

Zazm's voice was colder than the wind.

"I can see that. But according to the artifact... everyone's supposed to be here."

Zephyra drifted closer to the silver earring, tilting her head.

She floated in a lazy circle around him, legs crossed like she was lounging in midair.

Then she snapped her fingers.

"Oh. I think I get it now. The universe is so unstable, it's not projecting locations properly."

Zazm let out a soft breath and ran a hand through his hair, irritated. His long, black strands tangled slightly in his fingers.

"I forgot how fractured the data field gets in realities this far gone…"

He crossed his arms.

Zephyra continued to float above him, relaxed.

"Sooo... what're you doing now?"

Zazm's gaze sharpened slightly.

He raised both his hands, and space itself began to ripple.

Lines thin, glowing threads of gold and violet appeared midair. The fabric of the universe split, as if being unzipped by cosmic force. Two separate voids opened, held in place by Zazm's will alone.

Zephyra flew closer, hovering just behind him, letting out a soft sigh.

"Right. You can do that. I forgot."

The threads snapped tight in Zazm's palms, and his voice dropped lower.

"This time, the location is accurate. We're teleporting directly to them."

Zephyra floated beside him, face slightly impressed, as the world began to collapse around the edges once again.

Together, they stepped forward into the tear.

And vanished.

---

The dome floated gently a few feet above the ground, swaying just slightly in the broken winds of the fractured dimension. From the outside, it looked like a hovering orb of blue energy, silent and untouched. From the inside, it felt like a pause—a breath held in the middle of a nightmare.

But that pause was quickly starting to crack.

The strange light outside flickered more frequently now, and the wind had started whispering new things.

"They're watching you…"

"Someone's lying…"

Ai sat next to Jahanox on a curved, smooth ledge inside the dome, arms folded, watching the haze swirling outside with narrowed eyes.

"It's not all shits and giggles, you know," she muttered, her voice low and serious.

Jahanox tilted his head slightly, flashing his usual, easygoing smile.

"So you noticed too."

Ai nodded once, her tone flat.

"The entire area is filled with some kind of gas. Subtle, but thick. It's everywhere. Like the universe is bleeding slowly."

Jahanox leaned forward, elbows on his knees, grin still intact.

"Gas that—who knows—might melt us, or make us hallucinate, or turn us into sock puppets. This place doesn't exactly come with rules."

Across the dome, Jennie watched them talk. Her soft brown eyes squinted ever so slightly, not out of jealousy… but something closer to unease.

She tilted her head, watching how calmly they spoke, how Jahanox smiled at Ai—so relaxed, like he was always smiling around her.

She didn't even notice Minos approaching until he was right next to her.

"Hey, Jennie."

She blinked, caught off guard. "O-Oh! Hey, Minos."

He leaned slightly, eyes lazily drifting toward Ai and Jahanox.

"Or should I say... hey, jealous girl in denial?"

Jennie blinked rapidly. "Huh?"

He nodded toward the pair. "Is it just me, or are those two getting awfully... chummy?"

Jennie's hands fidgeted in her lap. "W-What? No! I mean—they're just discussing something important, that's all."

Minos's smirk widened ever so slightly.

"Mhm. Sure. Discussing important things while smiling like that? Just look at Jahanox. Doesn't that smile seem a bit... too smooth?"

Jennie hesitated.

She looked again.

Jahanox was smiling—but it was the same smile he always had. Casual. Light. Like he always knew the joke before it was told. But now, thanks to Minos's words, that smile felt… different.

Jennie's cheeks turned a soft red as she began to overthink, glancing down and fiddling with the edge of her sleeve.

Minos leaned back, satisfied.

But before he could say more, Jahanox turned around and walked toward them, hands in his pockets, expression unreadable for once.

"You two were staring pretty hard over here," he said. "Everything alright?"

His gaze shifted toward Minos—no longer lazy or casual. His eyes pierced through him like a blade wrapped in sunlight.

Minos chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.

"Heh—no, no, we were just… joking about how you and Ai are getting a little too comfy over there."

Before Jahanox could respond, Ai stood up with the most unimpressed look known to humanity on her face.

She folded her arms and deadpanned, "I'd rather get together with that broccoli."

Jennie let out a tiny, startled gasp.

Jahanox's smile returned immediately.

He turned to Jennie, leaned in closer—close enough for her to feel the warmth of his presence.

"Jennie," he said, brow raised innocently, "you suddenly turned all red. You feeling alright?"

He placed a gentle hand on her forehead to check her temperature.

Jennie froze.

Her entire body went still.

Her face? Crimson.

She stammered, voice squeaky and barely coherent.

"I-I-I-I'm—fine—r-really—I just—um—!"

Then—

Ai's hand snatched Jahanox's wrist and turned him away from Jennie with mechanical efficiency.

"That's enough."

He blinked. "Huh? What? I was just checking if she's okay—"

Ai's tone remained icy.

"She's fine. But if you keep going, she won't be."

Jahanox stared at her. Then slowly turned toward Minos with a helpless shrug and the most confused tilt of his head.

Minos snorted and sat back down.

"Man. I swear. I've never met someone as clueless as you."

The inside of the dome was still, but tension lingered like static in the air. The strange wind outside whispered nonsense against the wall.

Jennie sat off to the side, hands folded in her lap, face still a little pink from earlier. She was trying not to look in Jahanox's direction, but her eyes kept flickering back every few seconds.

Ai sat beside her, arms crossed, her gaze forward. She didn't say much at first.

Then quietly—casually, like commenting on the weather—she said,

"You don't have to explain, y'know."

Jennie blinked. "Wh-What do you mean?"

Ai glanced sideways, expression unreadable.

"I'm not an idiot. And neither is anyone else. Except him." She nodded toward Jahanox, still standing nearby, looking utterly confused.

Jennie turned even redder. "I-I really don't—"

"Relax," Ai interrupted, voice low. "I won't say anything. Just… don't faint next time he gets close. You're gonna give it away."

Jennie fidgeted with her fingers. "I… I don't think anyone knows…"

Ai smiled dryly, not unkindly. "Jennie, everyone knows. He's just the only one with no eyes."

Suddenly, the dome flickered.

A shadow crashed down inside with a ripple, slamming into the ground and sending a brief shockwave through the space. The light dimmed for a moment. Everyone instantly snapped to alert.

Kiyomasa jumped up, his hands glowing with elemental energy.

Miwa stumbled back and pulled her hands into position, readying a kinetic strike.

"What the hell?!" she shouted. "Something just dropped in here!"

Minos stood and backed up toward the group. "That's not good. I told you this dumb dome was gonna get us killed someday!"

Ai was already analyzing the figure.

The figure stood up fully now. A man dressed entirely in black—torn coat, worn-down shirt, jagged cuffs, and shoes that looked like they were on the brink of death.

His face was mostly hidden behind long, unruly black hair that fell over one eye, the rest trailing all the way down to his lower back.

His hands stayed tucked in his pockets.

He didn't speak. He didn't smile.

Just stood.

Miwa tilted her head. "I-Is that a… weird homeless creature?"

Minos shot Jahanox a glare. "Your dome's airtight, huh?! I swear if this dude eats souls—!"

Before they could panic further, the man stepped forward.

Then, calmly, he raised one hand—still half-shadowed and tossed his hair back, revealing his sharp eyes beneath.

"It's me," Zazm said. "Calm down."

Everyone went silent.

Jahanox, however, raised a hand with a calm smile.

"Relax. That homeless-looking guy you're all ready to kill?"

"That's our leader."

The mark on his hand—glowing faintly in the center of his palm—confirmed it.

Their leader.

Miwa was the first to move.

"Zazm? Zazm?! What the hell happened to you?!" she ran up to him, circling him like a worried little sister. "Why do you look like a cursed sleep-deprived wizard?! Are those your original shoes or did they evolve?!"

Zazm didn't respond.

Jennie followed quickly, eyes wide with concern.

"W-Where were you? What happened? Y-Your coat—your hair—how long have you been gone…?"

Kiyomasa stepped in too, his eyes full of pure worry.

"You were in the void, right? Are you hurt? You look… um… different…"

Minos walked up behind them, hands in his pockets, smirking despite the concern in his voice.

"Weren't you just going to train in the void? I didn't know it meant getting chewed up and spat out like that."

Ai stopped just short of them, squinting at his tangled hair and battered boots.

"Forget all that. What happened to your hair? You look homeless."

Zazm's cold gaze flicked toward her.

"Void doesn't exactly have barbers."

Then he turned to all of them, raising his hand again, his voice low and flat.

"To answer your questions—yes. I've been in the void. Fifty-six years, from my perspective. This is what it did to me. And yes… this is normal."

Everyone stood silent for a moment.

Then Miwa muttered under her breath, "Man… the void really did you dirty."

He stood in the center of them now.

Zazm.

But not quite.

He wasn't laughing. Wasn't smirking at Miwa's jokes.

Wasn't trading sarcastic shots with Minos.

Wasn't softly reassuring Jennie or giving dry one-liners to Jahanox.

He was just… there.

Hands in his pockets.

Hair trailing down his back like moonlight spun through frost.

And his eyes—Completely dead.

Kiyomasa tilted his head slightly, watching Zazm with wide, uncertain eyes.

"Um… Zazm-… you look… different."

It wasn't just his clothing or his hair. That could be explained.

It was his face.

Even though Zazm was only nineteen, his features had changed. Sharper. More angular. His jawline more defined, the shape of his eyes deeper, colder.

He looked like someone in his mid-twenties, not a teenager. Like someone who had seen too much too fast and aged through his soul rather than his skin.

Kiyomasa stepped forward slowly, eyes wide with uncertainty.

Zazm didn't turn his head, but he answered.

"Do I?"

That was all. Two words. Heavy.

"You do," Ai said walking closer.

Zazm looked at her for a while, "Nothing I can do about it."

Jennie stood nearby, hands clasped tightly in front of her. She looked at him, at the weight in his shoulders, at the way he moved slower now—not physically, but like his soul was heavier.

"Are you… okay?" she asked softly.

There was a pause.

Then Zazm finally spoke.

"I'm Fine, no need for unnecessary worries."

Not convincing. Not cruel. Just... muted.

Miwa walked up next, arms crossed. She tilted her head at him like he was some weird glitch in a game.

"You're not even blinking. Did you forget how to be human?"

No answer.

She frowned, stepping a bit closer.

"You don't look fine, y'know."

Still silence.

Then—just barely audible—

"I'm breathing which means I'm alive and a human." Zazm voice carried a weight more than an edge.

Minos crossed his arms. "Void training, huh? You didn't mention the part where you come back looking like a homeless cursed wizard. Nice."

Zazm glanced at him.

"Wasn't planned."

That got a tiny scoff out of Minos. "Figures."

Ai walked over next, eyeing his hair and tattered clothes.

"So, void training also means no laundry or haircuts?"

Zazm turned his head toward her.

He nodded slightly.

Simple. Cold. Factual.

But it was still something.

Even Jahanox, who usually had a joke locked and loaded for every situation, stood quiet for a long moment before stepping forward.

His voice was lower than usual—not teasing, not mocking, just... real.

"Seems like you've forgotten how to smile or anything, huh?"

Zazm looked up at him.

His eyes didn't flinch. They simply watched.

For a few seconds, he said nothing.

Then, he let out a breath.

"I haven't."

Jahanox scoffed.

"Keep your bullshit to yourself, man."

Still no emotion from Zazm. Not even a blink.

He walked forward slowly, hands in his pockets, steps deliberate. Then he stopped just a few feet from Jahanox and asked in a flat, dead tone—

"What do you mean?"

The question didn't just hang in the air—it pierced it.

Jahanox's smirk had faded. His voice was steady, but cold.

"You really think you can hide it?"

The silence between them thickened. Jennie couldn't take it anymore—she stepped forward quickly.

"J-Jahanox… what are you talking about?"

She sounded small.

Ai had already walked between them. Her eyes darted from Zazm to Jahanox, narrowing as she tried to make sense of the vibe.

"Jahanox, he may not look like it right now, but—"

"No. That's not it," Jahanox cut her off, eyes still fixed on Zazm. "It's his eyes. That's what's bothering me."

Zazm didn't react.

Didn't blink.

Didn't defend himself.

He simply watched, like he was outside his own body, studying the people who used to be home.

Miwa and Kiyomasa exchanged confused glances, tension creeping up their spines. They stepped a little closer from behind, uncertain, but unwilling to let things explode.

Minos felt it more deeply than the rest.

Something about Zazm's energy, his silence, his detachment—it wasn't just the void's effect.

It was something else.

He stepped forward quickly, grabbing Jahanox's shoulder and pulling him back a little.

"Oi. What's wrong with you? Why're you acting like this?"

Jahanox looked back at Minos, and the usual grin was gone.

His voice was flat.

"Tell me, Zazm."

The words froze the room.

"Where were you?"

Zazm didn't blink.

Didn't twitch.

He turned to face the group now—his eyes slowly scanning every one of them. Then, his voice came, low and calm.

"Void. You already kn—"

"No. We don't know," Jahanox snapped, voice louder now. "Because you don't want us to."

He pushed Minos aside, stepping back toward Zazm.

Miwa finally moved, stepping between them and Ai with shaky footing.

"J-Jahanox, stop. What are you even saying right now?"

"Zazm needs rest."

Her voice was nervous, breaking slightly—but firm enough to matter.

Jahanox placed a hand gently on her head.

"Don't worry," he said, smiling just a little, "he can rest all he wants."

Then, his eyes darkened slightly.

"Besides… I'm just talking to my brother."

The words were simple.

But the weight behind them hit everyone in the room like thunder.

Jennie looked like she was about to cry.

Kiyomasa looked completely lost.

Miwa took a step back in silence.

Minos rubbed the back of his neck, eyebrows furrowed.

Ai lowered her arms, expression unreadable.

Jahanox looked around the group, reading the confusion in their faces, then exhaled sharply—almost a laugh, almost a sigh.

He turned, walked back to his crystalline bench, and sat down again with a casual grace that didn't match the tension in the room.

"Zazm… you say you were in the void."

His gaze didn't leave him.

"And yet your face that damn look in your eyes... looks like you've already lived through everything."

Zazm didn't respond.

His stillness was the response.

Even Ai took a slow step away from him, folding her arms tightly.

"As much as I hate to admit it… he's right."

A second passed.

Then two.

Then Jahanox asked what everyone else was too scared to say aloud.

"You've seen it… haven't you?"

"The Future....."

Zazm didn't answer.

Didn't move.

But something in his posture shifted.

Jennie's breath hitched. Miwa's eyes widened.

Even Minos's jaw clenched.

Then, Zazm finally spoke.

His voice was heavy. Not tired. Not angry.

Just heavy.

Like it had seen the weight of time and chosen to carry it anyway.

"...What if I have?"

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