"Roro! Are you okay?!"
Hiro heard an angelic voice calling out to him, gentle yet urgent. It was Zenith's voice.
Disoriented and shaken from the overwhelming assault on his mind, he struggled to piece together what had just happened. His vision was blurred, but he could make out Zenith's figure crouched beside him, her arms supporting him.
The warmth of her presence felt comforting, grounding him in reality. Compared to the excruciating pain he'd just endured, her touch was a balm, a reminder that he was still alive.
After a few seconds, Hiro managed to force out a response, his voice trembling.
"Yeah…i'm- I'm alright."
Zenith let out a relieved sigh as she stood and carefully carried Hiro back to the bed, placing him down gently.
Hiro felt a wave of gratitude wash over him—being back on the soft mattress was a relief after what he had just endured.
Now more oriented, he looked up at Zenith. Her expression was etched with deep concern, her eyes fixed on him intently.
"What happened?"
she asked, her voice firm but tinged with worry.
"I found you clutching your head in agony. It was the mask, wasn't it? Did it curse you or something?"
"I don't know…I put the mask on after you left, and… I don't know."
His gaze shifted to the mask lying on the floor. It seemed so ordinary now, but Hiro's mind churned with questions.
'Why had his father given him this mask? Did he know what it would do? What was its purpose?'
After a moment of silence, Hiro spoke again, his voice steadier this time.
"When I put it on, it was like I could sense everything around me. I could see it all, hear it all , even feel everything's movements."
He hesitated, piecing together the memory of the overwhelming experience now he could tell something else from his experience he could only tell now that he didnt have the masks on
"And… there was something else. Everything felt connected—like there was a force tying everything together. I could see those connections."
Zenith's thoughtful expression deepened. She crossed her arms, her brow furrowed. "I see… The connections between objects, almost like—no… that's impossible,"
"What?"
Hiro asked, his confusion evident.
"Oh, nothing," Zenith replied quickly, though her tone carried a trace of unease. "It's just that what you described almost sounds like you were able to see fate because of the mask."
"Fate?"
Hiro echoed, his dark eyes wide.
"Yeah, or at least, sense it, remember how I told you that everything in the world is connected to fate?"
"Yeah."
"Well, that's likely what you were experiencing. The mask must have let you sense the fate that binds everything around you. Even the tiniest objects are tied to fate, so all that information—the movement, the connections, even time itself—was crammed into your head all at once."
Hiro pondered her explanation. It made sense. The unbearable flood of sensations must have been his mind grappling with the ability to see and feel fate itself.
"So… the mask lets me see and sense fate?"
"It seems so. But for now, I think it's best if you avoid using it—at least, not yet."
"Not yet?"
Hiro asked, confusion lacing his tone.
"Yeah,I've been through something similar. And now that you're my student, I can help you train your mind to use it again."
"Use it again!?"
Hiro's voice rose in shock. The very idea sent a chill down his spine.
Zenith held her ground. "I know it might seem more like a curse than a blessing right now. It might even feel like a liability. But think about what you could accomplish if you mastered it."
Hiro hesitated. The thought of being able to sense everything around him was tempting—but the memory of nearly dying made him shudder.
"Look, If you train your mind to filter out all the unnecessary noise and focus only on what matters, you could see everything around you—down to the smallest detail."
It was a tantalizing prospect, but doubt lingered in Hiro's mind.
"Can I really train myself to do that?"
"Of course!"
Zenith said with a confident smile.
"Your teacher is here to guide you every step of the way."
After a moment's pause, Hiro nodded, determination replacing his uncertainty.
"Alright then. I'll do it."
Zenith's smile widened.
"Well, that's enough of that,"
Zenith said, breaking the silence.
"You must be starving by now."
Hiro's stomach growled faintly, a reminder that he hadn't eaten in who knows how long. He was ravenous, though he hesitated to admit it outright.
"Yeah... a bit," "Alright then, I'll make you something, give me a moment."
"Ok, thank you."
Zenith stepped outside briefly and returned with two freshly killed rabbits, their lifeless bodies dangling in her hands.
Not too long ago, the sight of a dead animal would have made Hiro flinch—or worse, panic. But after witnessing the horrors of what Drael had done to his family, he felt nothing.
The shock and grief had dulled his emotions, leaving only a quiet numbness.
Still, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of pity for the rabbits.
Soon, they would be his meal, though whether it was lunch, breakfast, or dinner, Hiro had no idea—and he didn't care enough to figure it out.