zero

Chapter 4: The Angel Among Us

Zero had always felt a little out of place at school, like they were living in a world that didn't quite fit them. But they had friends—good friends—who made the long days of classes and homework bearable. Romy was one of those friends. The two of them had been inseparable since elementary school, always sticking together through thick and thin. Romy was everything Zero wasn't: bubbly, outgoing, and endlessly optimistic. They balanced each other out perfectly.

It was a Friday afternoon, the kind of day where everyone was just counting down the minutes until the weekend. Zero and Romy were sitting in their usual spot in the cafeteria, talking about nothing in particular. Romy was animated, laughing at some silly joke Zero had made, when suddenly, everything changed.

The first shot rang out, loud and sharp, cutting through the noise of the cafeteria like a blade. For a moment, there was a stunned silence, as if time itself had frozen. Then, chaos erupted. Screams filled the air as students scrambled to find cover, overturning tables and chairs in their desperate attempt to escape.

Zero's heart pounded in their chest as they grabbed Romy's arm, pulling her down behind the nearest table. "Stay down!" they hissed, trying to keep their voice steady even as fear clawed at their insides.

But before they could fully grasp what was happening, they heard more shots, closer this time. Zero peeked out from behind the table and saw him—the shooter, a boy they recognized from their math class, his face twisted with rage and something far darker.

Zero barely had time to react before the boy's eyes locked onto them. There was no time to think, no time to move. The next thing Zero knew, pain exploded in their chest as the bullet struck them, knocking them to the ground. The world tilted and spun as they fell, everything fading into a blur of noise and pain.

They hit the floor hard, gasping for breath as the metallic taste of blood filled their mouth. Their vision blurred, and all they could hear was the sound of their heartbeat, loud and uneven in their ears. But through the haze of pain and fear, one thought stood out clear as day: Romy.

Zero could barely see her through the spots dancing in their vision, but they knew she was there, huddled behind the table, paralyzed with fear. And they knew what was coming next—the shooter had already set his sights on her. Zero could see it in his eyes as he slowly turned his back on them, moving toward Romy with the gun raised.

Something inside Zero snapped. The pain in their chest, the fear—they all vanished, replaced by a burning, almost inhuman rage. They wouldn't let him hurt Romy. They couldn't.

Zero's body moved on its own, fueled by something far greater than adrenaline. In a split second, they were on their feet, blood dripping down their face, but their mind clear and focused. The shooter barely had time to register what was happening before Zero was on him, tackling him to the ground with a force that didn't seem possible.

The cafeteria went silent, the chaos of moments before replaced by an eerie stillness as Zero pinned the shooter to the floor. The boy struggled beneath them, but Zero's strength was beyond anything human. It was as if they had become something else entirely—something more.

The world around them seemed to slow as Zero looked down at the boy, their breath coming in ragged gasps. The pain in their chest was gone, replaced by a cold, burning fury. Their hands, clawed and trembling, pressed down on the boy's face, their nails digging into his skin as if they were about to tear him apart. But that wasn't all—something far more terrifying was happening.

Zero could feel it, deep inside them, something ancient and powerful awakening, something that had been hidden for a long, long time. The world seemed to tilt as they screamed, a sound that was more than human, a scream that echoed through the cafeteria like the wail of a banshee.

And then it happened.

Wings—massive, dark, and powerful—burst from Zero's back, unfolding with a sound like cracking thunder. They stretched out above them, casting a shadow over the cafeteria, their feathers shimmering with an otherworldly light. Above Zero's head, a halo appeared, but it was no ordinary halo. It was made of twisting, writhing eyes, each one wide and staring, each one filled with a burning intensity that seemed to pierce through the very soul.

The shooter's eyes widened in terror as he looked up at Zero, his struggle ceasing as he realized the true nature of the being before him. This was no ordinary person—this was something from another world, something far beyond his comprehension.

Zero leaned in close, their breath hot against the boy's face as they hissed, "You will never hurt anyone again."

With a final, desperate scream, the boy pushed Zero off him, scrambling to his feet and running for the exit, his gun clattering to the floor as he fled. He didn't look back, his terrified screams echoing through the halls as he disappeared.

The cafeteria was silent, the students frozen in place, their eyes locked on Zero in shock and awe. But Zero didn't care about them. Their attention was on Romy, who was still crouched behind the table, her face pale and her eyes wide with fear and confusion.

Zero took a step toward her, their wings folding slightly, the eyes in the halo above their head blinking and twisting as they focused on her. "Romy, it's okay," they said, their voice soft but filled with an otherworldly resonance. "It's me. It's still me."

But Romy didn't move. She just stared at Zero, her mind struggling to process what she was seeing. Zero could see the fear in her eyes, the confusion, the disbelief. And they knew, deep down, that things could never be the same.

Zero's heart ached as they realized what they had to do. They couldn't stay. They had broken the rules, revealed their true self, and now there was no going back.

"I'm sorry, Romy," Zero whispered, their wings spreading wide again. "I didn't want you to find out like this. But I had to protect you. I'll always protect you."

With that, Zero turned away, their wings flapping once, twice, lifting them off the ground. The cafeteria watched in stunned silence as they ascended, the halo above their head glowing brighter and brighter until, with a final flash of light, they were gone.

The aftermath of the incident was a blur. The police arrived within minutes, the school was locked down, and the students were evacuated. But the shooter was long gone, his terror at what he had seen driving him far away from the school. Rumors spread like wildfire—stories of an angel, a demon, something not of this world that had saved them all.

But Romy knew the truth. She had seen Zero, had seen their transformation, had heard their words. And even though she didn't fully understand what had happened, she knew one thing for certain: Zero had protected her, had saved her life. And now, they were gone.

The days that followed were hard. The police wanted answers, the media wanted a story, and Romy just wanted her friend back. But Zero had disappeared, vanished without a trace, leaving behind only questions and a deep, aching void in Romy's heart.

But Romy never forgot what Zero had done, never forgot the friend who had risked everything to save her. And even though Zero was gone, Romy knew they were still out there, watching over her, protecting her from the shadows.

Zero was more than a friend, more than a guardian. They were an angel—a fierce, powerful, and unbreakable force of good. And even though they had to leave, Romy knew that one day, somehow, they would meet again.