Zeo

Zeo sat with Amy on a wooden bench in the courtyard. A familiar place they walked together so many times. The kids ignored him as they ran past them, splashing puddles on the cracked floor and shouting at each other. However, his presence seemed to disturb the caregivers, who shot nervous glances in his direction and gossiped.

Amy tugged his sleeve insistently as she bombarded him with questions, her high-pitched voice filling his ears. Zeo did his best to answer honestly and told her about the mansion and how Remnya and himself had gone on separate ways, which disappointed his little friend. Regarding his journey, Zeo told her he had joined the military.

“The military?” Amy asked in surprise, with her mouth full of food, and bread crumbs landed on his lap. “That means you learned how to fight!”

“I guess you could say that.” Zeo smiled.

“What do you do there?”

Zeo thought for a moment, struggling to find the right words. As much as he wanted to keep her happy, he didn’t want to give her false hopes. “My job there is to protect people, but I came all the way here because I wanted to protect someone very special to me.” He narrowed his eyes. “You.”

“Me?” Amy giggled. “Protect me from what?”

“Bad people.” Zeo caressed her face and leaned closer. “There are bad people out there, but I won’t let them harm you.”

Her pupil dilated. “Who are those bad people?”

“Let’s just call them . . . Demons.”

She chuckled. “Like the demons in that book you read me?”

Zeo recalled a fantasy book about the war between Demons and Elves. “Yeah, there are demons out there.”

“But why would the demons want to harm me?” Amy pointed at her tiny horns. “I am a demon too.”

“No, you’re not.” Zeo scowled. “Who told you that?”

“Everyone.” She shrugged. “After you left, Orena told me I was a half-demon like Rem, and then the boys and girls started calling me that too.”

“Those assholes,” Zeo muttered between his teeth.

“Hey!” Amy pouted. “Don’t say bad words!”

“Sorry.” Zeo put his hands on her shoulders, staring tenderly into her innocent eyes. “Listen to me, Amy. You’re not a demon. You’re a half Nephilim.” As soon as those words left his mouth, he questioned their veracity. Every adult with Nephilim blood he had met had been a ruthless beast to him, and he couldn’t help but wonder if Remnya and Amy would turn out like that at some point too.

No. Zeo shook his head. They’re different.

“Oh, but I know that.” Amy giggled, bringing him back to reality.

“Wait, what did you say?”

“I read some of the books you left.” She grabbed his ears and pulled them softly. “You’re an Anglish, and Rem is a Nephilim!”

Zeo blinked with confusion. “So you already knew.”

Amy nodded effusively. “I also know my horns will keep growing. Mirtha told me.”

“Mirtha?”

“The director, Mirtha! She’s really nice. A lot nicer than the previous directors, so I am happy she replaced them.”

“What else did she tell you?”

“She told me about The Hunters too.”

A cold shiver ran down Zeo’s back.

“She said since I am a half Nephilim, I must protect humans and Nephilims. She also told me The Hunters are the protectors of our planet.”

“That’s not true.” Zeo scowled, and words left his mouth without thinking. “The Hunters are the true demons.”

Amy tilted her head, unimpressed. “Are they the demons trying to harm me?”

Zeo flinched as he realized his mistake, and his brain tried to find an explanation for his outburst, but there was none. “Amy, please listen carefully.” He sighed. “The only reason I returned is to take you with me. The orphanage is not safe anymore, but I am here to protect you.”

Amy looked undisturbed by his revelation. “I never said I believed her.” She looked left and right and leaned closer to whisper in his ear. “I heard the adults talking about it. They said The Hunters kidnap kids and force them to make babies.”

Her words froze his blood, but Zeo kept his cool and tried to be the wise big brother she needed. “Amy, whatever they said doesn’t matter anymore. I won’t let anyone hurt you. That’s my promise.” He narrowed his eyes and brushed her soft hair. “And please, no matter what, don’t ever tell anyone about this. This will be a secret between you and me, okay?”

“I won’t tell anyone. Pinky promise!” Amy bobbed her head and kneeled on the bench to hug him and kiss his cheek. “I’m just happy you are back.”

“And I’m happy to see you again, Amy.” Zeo smiled and squeezed her little body. “Now, go get your things ready so we can leave today.”

“Wait!” She pushed him away and shook her head, scowling. “I can’t leave today. It’s my friend’s birthday!”

“Hey, there’s no time for that,” he said firmly and grabbed her hand. “The sooner we leave, the safer we’ll be.”

“Not yet!” Amy glared at him, slapped his hand away, and jumped off the bench. She stuck out her tongue at him and stormed away from him like a bullet.

Zeo stood still for a moment, processing her reaction, and then let out a deep sigh. Despite everything, it wouldn’t be so easy. Amy reminded him of Remnya, but bolder and more stubborn, and he wondered if forcing her to leave was even an option.

However, there was something to do before making a drastic decision.

*°*°*

Their mission could only proceed after Arkor and Kristina located the two Nephilims on the farm. It was a crucial part of his plan, so Zeo grabbed his cell phone and called them.

The minutes passed, but no matter how many times he dialed their numbers, neither picked up their phones.

"Dammit." Zeo slammed his fist on the wooden bench with frustration. He sat still, staring vacantly at the sun peeking at him from behind the clouds. He hoped his teammates would call him back when they noticed his missing calls. Otherwise, it meant something had happened to them.

The clouds slowly vanished, and the smell of food reached his nose as the orphans gathered to have lunch.

A group of girls walked past him, shooting contemptuous glances and murmuring something about him before laughing. Zeo just stifled a chuckle, pitying their pathetic existences, and focused on scheming a new plan in case things went south.

However, a presence distracted him from his thoughts.

Someone stood next to him. A skinny and stylish girl with blonde dyed hair and faded pink tips. Her earrings glimmered under the sunlight as she smiled at him.

Zeo sprung from his seat to look at her closely, and when he recognized her, his jaw dropped a little.

"Zeo?" she asked, her coffee-brown eyes locked on him.

"Gina?" Zeo murmured.

"Oh my God, is this really you?" She rushed to Zeo and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him with all her strength. He didn't react and only managed to sniff her perfume, that vanilla-lemon smell that burned his nose.

Gina released him and beamed at him. "I can't believe it!" She inspected his face and scanned his body from head to toe. "It looks like you, but you look and feel different!"

"A lot of things happened." He forced a smile. "But how have you been?"

"I've survived." She giggled, displaying an adorable smile. "You?"

"Same . . . "

They sat together and talked about their journeys. Zeo revealed what he considered was relevant but omitted anything that could endanger Gina's life. Her company filled his body with a strange feeling of peace. For the first time in forever, he felt like a normal teenager hanging out with a cute girl, and worries seemed to disappear for a few minutes.

"I can't believe you've gone through so much." Gina put her hand on his shoulder, a hint of admiration in her eyes. "No wonder you've changed. You look nothing like the boy who left this place that morning."

"You've changed too." Zeo stared at Gina for a moment. She had always taken care of her appearance, but being older, she looked even better in her cheap yet fashionable clothes. Though, he always thought she didn't need that much makeup on her pretty face. "You look good." Words escaped his mouth.

Gina widened her eyes. "You think so?" She blushed and took her hand away from him.

"Yeah . . . " Zeo scratched his head while sweat prickled his skin, and an intense heat burned his cheeks.

"Thank you."

Awkward silence.

"Sorry." Zeo gulped and tugged his shirt, feeling cold air against his armpits.

"It's okay." She giggled and poked his cheek. "I can see the old you again now."

"This place makes me feel different." Zeo swept his surroundings with melancholic eyes.

"I honestly didn't expect to see you again."

"I won't be here for long," Zeo admitted.

"Figures." She lowered her gaze and twisted her lips. "When are you leaving?"

"Soon." He swallowed, feeling the weight of his choices on his shoulders.

"It'd be nice to spend more time with you before you leave." She beamed at him, and he flinched, causing Gina to chuckle at his reaction.

Zeo buried his nails into his palms, feeling stupid. His old self was dead; he tried to convince himself of it, and driven by frustration, he spoke without thinking, "I'll come to see you again later."

Gina gaped at him, surprised, and hesitated for a moment. "I'd love that, but," she hid her face under a strand of hair, "is it okay? They're very strict with us now, and girls shouldn't talk to outsiders, especially boys."

"Since when do you care about the rules?" His other self took over his body, and anger stung his insides. He stood suddenly and scowled.

"I don't!" Gina stood too. "I just don't wanna cause you trouble."

"You won't." Zeo turned his back to her, pride burning through his veins. "But if you prefer not to come, it's fine." He began to walk away and muttered, "I don't care."

"Wait!" She grabbed his arm, making Zeo halt under the soft pressure of her hand. "Meet me in the backyard after lunch? Under the old tree. I'll be there."

For some reason, those words broke through his shell, and a warm sensation filled his insides. He turned to her, hiding a smile. "I'll be there."

They parted ways, and Zeo rushed his pace to walk away from her as soon as possible. Part of him hoped she never came to see him. He knew how reckless he had been and how dangerous it could be for Gina.

Nonetheless, his egoistical side disagreed. If he was going to die anyway, he hoped it would be without regrets.

*°*°*

In the evening, Zeo waited for Stella near the orphanage in front of the old restaurant. He stood under the shadow of a broken lamppost and leaned against a cracked brick wall. Few people dared to be outside after sunset, so the narrow street was quiet, except for the cars stopping by to pick up food from the restaurant.

The bliss had been ephemeral, but Gina's words still echoed in his mind, distracting him. She wasn't part of his plans, so why did he even care about such a trivial affair? His brain kept playing stupid tricks on him, and Zeo regretted not abandoning the orphanage with Amy in the morning.

His cell phone buzzed in his pocket.

It was time to face reality again.

Zeo drew the device from his pocket and looked at the screen. A message from Stella read: 'Change of plans. Meet me at the Azul Factory as soon as possible.'

He raised an eyebrow, trying to decipher her behavior. Was she trying to double-cross him, or had she encountered problems?

It didn't matter; she already knew too much, and there was only one way to figure out her true intentions.

Scheming an escape plan in his head for Amy and himself, Zeo hopped in the car and grabbed a revolver with canon bullets from the glove box. He hid it under his belt and drove toward his destination.

The industrial area was two kilometers from the orphanage in one of the poorest neighborhoods—a shady place with wide streets and improvised apartments that had once been abandoned factories.

As soon as he crossed the railway, the air changed. A stench of rotten eggs polluted the air, along with a thick mist that covered the sky. The Azul Factory was behind a wasteland surrounded by an electrified fence with barbed wire. The odd location triggered multiple alarms on Zeo, who knew something was wrong.

He stopped on a dirt road near the entrance and got off the car.

The place was grim, like a graveyard, and the buzz of the electric fence vibrated in his ears. A row of orange lights illuminated the street, and in the distance, he overheard the machines from nearby factories working and contaminating the atmosphere. However, the Azul Factory was in uncanny silence and total darkness.

Zeo called Stella many times, but all he got as a response was another message: 'I am inside by the gas tanks.' He scanned his surroundings and spotted several liquid hydrogen tanks behind fences with multiple danger signs.

"Don't try to play with me," Zeo said, scratching the surface of his gun with his fingertips. "If this is your plan to kill me, let me tell you it'll never work."

Silence.

"Where are the security guards? Do you want me to believe this place was left unattended?" He shouted while his vectors traveled underground to perceive the earth's vibrations. "Don't be stupid!"

His voice echoed against the factory walls. Zeo regretted giving Stella a second chance and swore he would kill her if she betrayed him.

He stared at the hydrogen tanks for a moment and considered using his gun to shoot them and blow up the whole place. However, there could be innocent people nearby, "Stella, you know I'll kill you if you try to play with me." Zeo summoned his vectors and tried to detect her presence, deciding to end that ridiculous game once and for all.

A body moved.

Eyes seemed to look in his direction.

. . .

A monstrous presence hit Zeo's like a freight train.

His vectors hissed and sent pain throughout his nervous system.

"What the hell?" Zeo rushed to hide behind the car and grabbed his gun. "Someone released a huge wave of energy. What's the meaning of this?"

. . .

All the lampposts blew up, and a violet flash followed by electric arcs and sparks blinded him.

"Dammit!" Zeo shouted when a hand snatched his neck and slammed his body against the car door, crushing it.

Zeo could barely breathe and glimpsed two violet eyes glowing in the dark. He tried to summon his vectors, but they didn't respond.

"That's futile. I've blocked your energy," a female voice said, soothing and cold like ice.

In the darkness, Zeo discerned a lady with carmine-red hair holding his neck tightly. She wore a long black coat, and a crimson pendant glimmered on her chest. "Who are you?" he muttered, gripping her wrist with both hands.

"I will be the one asking questions here." She glared at him, her pupils penetrating his body like amethyst knives. "The others were unable to give me useful information, but perhaps you're more willing to talk, young Anglish?"

"The others?" The realization hit Zeo like a truck. "What did you do to them, you bastard?" he roared.

"They're still alive, for now," she increased the pressure against his neck, "but that might change soon depending on what you have to say."

Silence.

"Now start talking." She leaned closer and bared her fangs. "Why are you, Hunters, here?"

*°*°*

: February 25