Once upon a time, there were beings called the Sur. To human eyes, they appeared as beams of light. No one dared to approach them—until one day, a heavily drunk man stumbled close. By accident, he touched one of the Sur, and in that instant, the creature let out a piercing scream before finally evaporating into thin air. The drunken man, panicking, ran home immediately. Centuries passed after that day, yet the man did not die. He told everyone in the village about his encounter, and humanity—now intrigued—rushed toward the Sur whenever they had the chance.
Over the centuries, just as humans evolved, so did the Sur. They could now take human form, but only the form of people they had seen before. Believing they had found the key to immortality, humans began slaughtering them. Anyone who killed a Sur gained a unique ability: some merely had their hair color change, while others could catch brief glimpses of the future. Greed drove humanity to want more. A one-sided massacre began, and in the end, only twelve Sur remained. To survive, they dirtied their hands and were taken captive by force.
Among the twelve, the first surviving Sur had seen life in its raw, unfiltered truth. To live, their hands could never again be clean. One day, while walking through the poorest streets, the First Sur saw a little boy sobbing uncontrollably. In that moment, all the darkness they had gathered was swept away by a brilliant white light. Even if it meant turning against their surviving comrades, the First Sur swore to protect that child.
My sister looked at me, her smile warm like sunlight."How was the story I told you?"
Still heavy with sleep, I cracked my eyes open and muttered, "It was beautiful."
She hugged her knees to her chest, her smile tinged with sadness."Do you think the First Sur betrayed their friends by doing something like that?" she asked, then turned her face to me with one of the saddest smiles I'd ever seen."So… do you think the First Sur was good?"
I gave her my best smile in return."The best in the world. Protecting a child they didn't even know—someone like that could never be bad," I said firmly.
She laughed warmly and ruffled my hair."Alright, sleepyhead. If you've got enough energy to talk this much, you won't be escaping your lessons tomorrow."
I pulled the blanket over my head and fake-coughed. I could already picture her expression—slightly furrowed brows and a sly grin. She stood, walked to the door, and just before turning off the light, the glow in her eyes faded. She said something softly, then closed the door behind her.
Moonlight spilled into my room through the window beside my bed. The night sky was full of stars. I stared at them, thinking about what she had said, until my eyelids grew heavy and I drifted into sleep.
When I woke, sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating specks of dust in the air. Squinting, I climbed out of bed and made my way to the kitchen. The wooden floors creaked under each step. Our home was worn-down, but it was warm.
In the kitchen, my sister was cooking while humming a gentle melody. I sat at the table and tapped my fork and spoon like a drum."Alright, little food monster. Your meal's ready right now," she teased, placing a plate in front of me before sitting down.
As I ate, I stole glances at her. She had bright green eyes, straight gray hair, delicate hands, and skin pale as snow. She was beautiful—but today, the circles under her eyes were darker than usual.
"You didn't work last night again, did you?" I asked.She pouted, speaking in a childlike voice. "My boss is such a jerk. And besides, there's a little food monster in this house."I smirked. "In my six years of life, I've never met anyone more annoying than your boss."
She giggled and mimicked him: "Arina, why is the floor dirty? Arina, you'll take care of this too."We both burst into laughter until she fell from her chair. Standing, she straightened it.
"I'd better get going now.""Mmph," I mumbled through a mouthful of food.She grinned. "By the way, I left your schoolbooks on the table." She waved cheerfully before leaving.
After she left, I wrapped the rest of my food in a cloth and packed it. I glanced at the books. I didn't want to, but I had to at least skim them. I picked up the thick, red-covered one.
Long ago, people gained special abilities. These powers were passed down through bloodlines, so they became known as 'Legacies.' Today, cities are formed based on the strength of these Legacies. The strongest are found in Constantini. A Legacy grows and develops with its bearer—so strengthen yours and move to a better city.
I closed the book. In six years of life, it was the most boring, scattered thing I had ever read.
I packed my bag and grabbed my patched jacket from the floor. The marketplace was always lively, even in this weakest of Legacy cities. My sister worked at a fruit stand in the mornings. I pulled my hood low to avoid being seen and went to the adventurers' notice board in the center.
A simple job caught my eye—show a newly arrived knight around the city. I tore the paper down and headed toward the listed address.
A tall, muscular man with purple hair, a short beard, and a sword at his side stood there."I think this is for you," I said, handing him the paper."Yes, that's me," he replied. "Aren't you a bit too young for this job?""I have to do it," I said plainly.
"My name's Odasaku," he said as we began walking. "If we're going to work together, we should at least know each other's names.""I'm Apollon."
As I guided him, I could tell life had not been kind to him. Though he had the strength of a knight, his eyes carried something heavy.
"I'm thirty years old," he added suddenly.I tried to hide my surprise. "Yes, sir."He was definitely lying—he looked closer to forty.
We wandered nearly every street, avoiding the square where my sister worked."I'd bet this city has a central square," Odasaku teased."Maybe I forgot a place," I muttered.He patted my back. "Come on, mystery boy."
Reluctantly, I led him there."That fruit stand looks nice," he said. "I could go for a good apple. Maybe I'll even buy you something."
Before I could refuse, he had already walked to my sister's stand. I pulled my hood lower and joined him."So you're the new knight," my sister said warmly. "I hope you've settled in.""Thank you," Odasaku replied.
She noticed me. "And who's this little gentleman? Your apprentice?" she asked, looking right at me.Lowering my voice, I said, "No. Just a small adventurer."
Her eyes widened—adventurers took on dangerous work."Well then, would you like an apple, shy gentleman?" she asked, reaching toward my hood.
"This little gentleman doesn't even show his face to his employer," Odasaku interrupted. "For someone in dangerous work, hiding his face is normal."
I silently thanked him."You're right," my sister agreed, handing me an apple.
We left, and Odasaku bent down with a sly grin. "So… do you like the fruit seller lady?""No!" I snapped.
A sudden gust blew my hood back. His eyes widened—red eyes and black hair weren't common. We walked a bit more before he pressed a pouch of gold into my hand. Twice what the notice had promised."This will keep you and your sister fed for a couple of months," he said.
"Thank you… I could be your apprentice, if you want.""We'll see," he replied.
I ran to the stand and handed the gold to Margarethe, my sister's coworker. Then I hurried home, opened my books, and pretended to be asleep when my sister returned. She was glowing with joy."Guess how much I made today," she said in a high-pitched voice."Ten pouches of gold?" I teased.She laughed. "Who'd be crazy enough to pay that? No, one pouch—but if I get this much every day, I'll never have to work nights again."
I acted surprised and claimed I was tired, heading upstairs. She asked, "No story time tonight?""I've grown up," I called back. "And yesterday I only asked because I was sick!"
That night, moonlight filled my room again. I thought about her words before sleep claimed me: If I keep earning this much, I won't have to work nights anymore. I decided I had to keep working as an adventurer.
The next morning, after breakfast, I saw another notice from Odasaku. This time, I didn't bother with the hood."Are you the only adventurer in this city?" he asked."I don't know, but I'm sure it's dangerous," I replied."Alright, alright, know-it-all," he said, smirking.
We set off, eventually reaching the place where we'd search for a relic. He warned me over and over to be careful. Soon, I spotted the relic—a flower-shaped hairpin—lying in the open. I knew it was a trap, but I picked it up anyway.
Suddenly, a massive boar appeared. "Move!" Odasaku shouted, his voice trembling. He drew his sword and felled the beast in one strike.
The next thing I knew, I was in a hospital reserved only for those with strong Legacies. When I woke, Odasaku was at my side. Before I could sneak away, he scolded me for hours—just like my sister would.
"It's eight o'clock," he finally said. "Kids who don't listen should be home by now."
Panic hit me. "If my sister comes home and I'm not there, she'll kill me!""Get on my back," he ordered. He carried me home at incredible speed.
Inside, I tidied up quickly and left a pouch of gold on the table. A few minutes later, my sister walked in."Is that a pouch of gold, or am I hallucinating from poverty?""Margarethe gave it to me," I said quickly.
Then, blushing, I pulled the hairpin from my pocket."This is for you… you know, because it's your birthday."
Her eyes filled with tears, and she hugged me tightly. "My sweet little brother." She immediately put the hairpin in her hair.
That night, lying in bed, I thought about Odasaku. A knight cast aside, yet strong enough to enter places only the powerful could go. Before I could make sense of it, I fell asleep.
The next morning, something felt off. The world seemed tinted blue."Apollon, don't come down here!" my sister screamed.
Fear gripped me. I rushed down the stairs despite her warning. Time seemed to slow. Two men stood at the door, each holding a staff. My legs gave out, and I fell.
"Don't!" my sister cried, throwing herself over me as magical bullets flew. Darkness closed in. Through the haze, I saw her above me—her body shattering like glass.
"It hurts… it hurts so much," she whispered weakly.
Her voice faded. The last sounds I heard were her final words and Odasaku's shouting.
The Zero looked at the now-orphaned boy crying and screaming until his throat burned. The stone-hearted Odasaku—whose hands could never again be clean—swore in that moment that no matter what, he would protect this child.