Chapter 11: The Intimate Past

The Truth About ZenixIzaki and Hellesa stared at Zenix, their eyes wide with shock.

"What?! You were a former council member of Meteosity?!" they exclaimed in unison.

Zenix nodded. "Yes. I was one of them… but I left when your mother died."

Izaki frowned. "Why did you leave? But first… how did you even become a council member?"

Hellesa chimed in. "Yeah, tell us about your past."

Zenix exhaled deeply. "Alright. I'll tell you everything."

He looked up at the night sky, as if lost in thought.

**"It was the year 2020 when I first learned about Meteosity. They wanted me because I was a highly skilled fighter at the time. They sent me a proposal to join, but I rejected it. Their rules didn't sit right with me.

A month later, I was broke. No money, no food. That's when a man approached me with another offer to join. This time, I had no choice. But I made a demand—I wouldn't join unless I was made a council member.

Surprisingly, the man agreed. He handed me a thousand dollars and said, 'You'll receive an email with the location of our headquarters. We'll also provide you with an apartment in the city. Pack your bags and get ready.'

At the time, I didn't know who he was. But when I finally arrived at the organization, I learned the truth—he was Council Member 0, also known as The Creator himself. He had come in person to recruit me.

That shocked me. The other council members told me how rare it was for him to appear when someone joined. One even said, 'Council Member 0 must've seen something special in you.'

For the first month, I worked as a council member… but I hated it. The other members were ruthless, aggressive, and completely loyal to The Creator. I considered leaving, but a fellow council member warned me, 'If you try to leave, they'll kill you.' He told me that Council Member 0 wants us to be this way. If he doesn't like us, he'll eliminate us instantly."**

Zenix's voice darkened.

"I thought about reporting them to the authorities, but I knew that would only get me killed. Then, the next month… I met your mother."

Hellesa and Izaki gasped. "Our mom was a part of Meteosity too?! She was a council member?!"

Zenix nodded. **"Yes. She joined as a new council member, and we quickly became close friends. We did missions together, shared the same frustrations, and both dreamed of escaping. But we knew the consequences… so we stayed.

Then, a new assassin rose through the ranks at an alarming speed. Within a month, he became the most powerful assassin in the organization. His name was Aremaki.

At first, we didn't like him. But over time, the three of us became a team, even though Aremaki wasn't a council member. But… he left the organization for personal reasons."**

Izaki interrupted. "Wait. If he left, why didn't they kill him?"

Zenix smirked. **"Because he was the most loyal assassin they ever had. Before leaving, he made a deal with Council Member 0—he would return to complete a mission whenever they called upon him.

Months passed. Then… disaster struck. Your mother died. And the worst part? The mission to kill her… was given to me."**

Hellesa and Izaki froze.

"What…?" Hellesa's voice trembled.

Zenix clenched his fists. **"I was devastated. I didn't want to do it. I was haunted by guilt for failing to save my best friend. Before she died, she made me promise that I would train you, Hellesa. That I would make you strong enough to wield both claws.

After that… I left. I disappeared, creating my own group to fight against Meteosity. Over time, we launched secret attacks, crippling their operations. But in the process, I lost two of my closest allies. Even with all our efforts, the organization still stands.

That's why I need you both. Together, we can finish what I started."**

For a moment, there was silence. Then—

"Oh my god! That was the most insane backstory I've ever heard!" Kazen blurted out.

Izaki sighed and punched him lightly on the arm.

"Kazen, be serious." Hellesa scolded. "This isn't a joke."

Kazen rubbed his arm sheepishly. "Sorry."

Zenix raised an eyebrow. "Who is this guy?"

Izaki smirked. "This is Kazen."

Kazen quickly straightened up. "Nice to meet you, sir!"

Zenix nodded. "Same to you."

Meteosity's Basement – A Sinister PlanDeep within Meteosity's headquarters, Council Member 0 sat in a dimly lit room, staring at two people—Jim and Nemi.

His voice was cold. "If you want to live a happy and rich life, do exactly as I say. If you refuse… you both die."

Jim and Nemi exchanged nervous glances before nodding. "We'll do whatever you say, sir."

Council Member 0 smirked. "Good. Now listen carefully. You're going to act like you're about to be killed. Beg for help. Look desperate. I'll take care of the rest."

Jim and Nemi nodded again, their faces pale. "Understood."

Moments later, a recording played on a screen.

In the video, Jim and Nemi sobbed, struggling against invisible captors.

"Please! Someone help us! They're going to kill us!"

Council Member 0 nodded in approval and added his own message at the end:

"If you want them alive, come to the secret organization's headquarters. If you tell anyone… they die instantly."

Satisfied, he pressed send—and the message was delivered.

To Kazen.