The morning light finally seeped through the window as Zero awoke from a deep slumber. His expression suggested he'd just come out of a pleasant dream, his body still languid and relaxed.
As he stretched, he glanced over at Tobey, who was still blissfully asleep beside the bed. Gently, he scooped the cat into his arms.
"I don't know what happened, but I feel so... refreshed," Zero mused, a strange, almost eerie smile crossing his face. He settled into a rocking chair, holding Tobey in his lap, gazing out at the backyard garden.
He inhaled deeply, his senses alive as the morning air wrapped around him like a comforting embrace. The sky above was still in its early stages of blue, the moon lingering in its slumber. It felt like a perfect morning—a peace he'd never experienced since being banished by his clan to this forest.
"Well, it wasn't my banishment, but the previous owner's. Still, I can't help but feel a sense of freedom," Zero thought, his eyes lingering on the peaceful view. He realized he had never felt so content in his new life.
Zero noticed a subtle change within himself, something he hadn't fully acknowledged until now. His body had begun to alter overnight, and he hadn't even felt it happening. He looked better, more... refined. But it wasn't just his appearance—something deeper had changed.
"At least I can enjoy this life for as long as I want," he mumbled, glancing at the sleepy Tobey nestled in his arms. "Three years since I was reincarnated, and it still feels like I'm living in the perfect life. Free of obligations, free to do whatever I want. What more could a person ask for?"
It had been exactly three years since Zero had taken over the body of the original owner, who had been banished to the wilderness. The original owner had died from self-neglect, overwhelmed by depression and hunger. He had deliberately starved himself until he passed, unaware that his soul would be replaced by Zero's.
Zero wasn't bothered by this; in fact, he found peace in the isolation of his current life. The freedom he had now, even in the face of the original owner's tragic end, was far more appealing than the complex life he had left behind.
"It's perfect. Just me and Tobey, away from the chaos of human interaction," Zero thought as he took a sip of the coffee he'd brewed, still holding the cat. The warm cup was a comfort, and the solitude was even better.
Suddenly, something felt off. A strange sensation prickled at the back of his mind. Something important had slipped his memory. And just as the thought flickered in his head, the sound of galloping hooves reached his ears.
"Huh. I didn't expect the envoys to show up so soon," Zero murmured to himself. A wave of disappointment washed over him. He had hoped this day would never come, but now it seemed unavoidable—the day when he'd be escorted back to the Landhart clan.
Knock knock knock.
The sound of a firm knock echoed through the cabin. Zero sighed, setting Tobey down carefully before making his way to the front door.
Opening it, he was greeted by the familiar face of a man he had not seen in three years—his father, Mr. Uno Landhart.
Uno studied his son with an intensity that made Zero's heart race. The tension in the air was palpable. Despite being the father, Uno had not seen his son for years, and the change in Zero was unmistakable. He looked different—more confident, more composed, but still his son in some ways.
"Umm, hello, Father. It's been a while…" Zero began, but before he could finish his greeting, he felt a chill in the air—a sudden, sharp hostility emanating from Uno.
Uno had expected to see the same son he had banished years ago—lost, defeated. But the man before him was something entirely different. His son's smile, something that had never been seen before, only deepened the suspicion that perhaps the boy before him wasn't the same.
Sweat beaded on Zero's forehead as he tried to keep his composure. He had inherited the original owner's memories, but he could feel the weight of his father's penetrating gaze, sizing him up.
"Seems like the banishment was a good lesson after all," Uno mused inwardly, but his thoughts were interrupted when he turned abruptly and walked back toward the carriage, leaving Zero standing in the doorway, still unsure of how to react.
Before the awkward silence could stretch on any longer, a guardian motioned for Zero to join them. The envoys had already prepared to escort him back to the Landhart clan.
Reluctantly, Zero climbed into the carriage, taking a seat across from his father. The road to his clan's estate was long, but Zero didn't mind. He had grown accustomed to the solitude of his cabin, away from the politics and duties of clan life.
Tobey, now awake, meowed softly in Zero's lap, and Zero gazed out the window, avoiding his father's probing stare.
Uno's eyes narrowed as he studied his son. "There's something different about him," he thought, his mind racing. "His physique... it's changed. He's become well-built, almost like a warrior born of our bloodline."
A smirk tugged at Uno's lips as he formulated his next move. "Well, if he's finally ready to become strong, I'll train him myself. He'll be better for it."
The silence in the carriage deepened as the distance between Zero and his past grew wider with each passing mile.