I woke up early the next day not because I was rest, no I woke up because my stomach reminded me that I hadn’t eaten anything since I left for my testing two days ago. The longest I ever went without food before was when my Zero tripped and dropped my dinner one night. I had to wait another half hour for my dinner, and my father had that Zero whipped for the same amount of time. I shudder now at that memory now that I know what it feels like to get 10 I can’t imagine what it was like for half an hour… I was a terrible person.

My stomach made itself known again and drove all thoughts out of my mind except that I need and now can eat something today. I just have to wait until Nars comes in and tells us where we are working today then I can eat. This thought consumes me for what feels like an eternity until Nars finally arrives.

Nars walks in with a yawn and Shouts,”Wake up.” and once everyone is standing “You are to work the North top and bottom again today and move to the Northeast if you finish there. Also, get the new Zero up there and teach it what to do up there,” He leaves without saying anything else, and I practically run out the door behind him to go get my food.

I pass Nars who’s lazily walking up to his office, I assume and get to the chow hall before anyone else, so there’s no line. I pick up my tray and start down the aisle where other Zeros unceremoniously drop the food onto my tray one at a time. Today’s menu is the green bread again, something blue, and a brown rectangle thing. Oh joy, but at this point, I’m starving and don’t care what it is. So on my way back to the kennel’s I start eating the bread.

When I get back to the kennel, I already wolfed down the bread and standing by the door is Bur. Who looks down at my plate then up at me. “Where’s your bread?”

“I um… ate it,” I stammer out.

“That was a mistake,” was all Bur said before he grabbed my tray empty the rest of my food out onto a tray he keeps by the door. “See I was going to be nice and only take your bread this morning but you disrespected me by eating it without my say so. Now I gotta be the bad guy and take all your food today and also make your life hell at least for a little while.” Bur says calmly then he hits me with my tray.

I wake up to Lan shaking me. “Hey we gotta get to the surface and clean,” says Lan without any sympathy in his voice.

“I just got knocked out with a food tray give me a minute,” I say rubbing the back of my head, checking for blood, there was none.

“I warned you not to get on his bad side, but now you’re taking, as he sees it, two of his spots on the surface and you ate something before he got his first-pick,” says Lan shaking his head.

“It’s not my fault I’m working the surface today, it was an order,” I try to explain.

“Doesn’t matter, he may have let it go this morning, but then you show up already eating. Now you’re up shit creek, and my advice is to keep your head low and stay out of his way,” says Lan as he gets up.

All I can do manage is a nod and get up with him and head towards the supply room. We grab the brooms and head out of the sewer.

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“Okay, surface work is way easier and cleaner than sewer work. Just keep your head down, stay out of people’s way, and clean up the trash. Got it?” says Lan as we head to the north into a wealthy part of the city. “Oh, and when you’re on the North and Northwest side of the city cleaning make sure you bow to any nobles or royals that pass by.”

This last statement hits me a lot harder than I could have ever expected it too. I may have to clean outside my old palace. I may even see people I know. I could see my parents… I don’t know how I will react to that. I haven’t come to terms with what they have done to me; it’s only been two days. I’m angry, sad, and confused as I think about what they did. I’m not sure if I would come up to them begging them to let me come home or just outright attack them. But maybe this is an opportunity if I see someone I know from one of my friends in the higher noble houses. They can take me away from this hell that I’m living in now and from there I don’t know.

“Are you coming?” askes Lan from a little bit in front of me.

That is when I realized I came to a complete standstill when he mentioned the nobles and royals. “Sorry, I’m coming,” I say, and we continue making our way cleaning any trash we see on the way and sweeping any waste into one of the many sewer entrances that are found on the side of the streets.

We clean for hours without much happening. That is until we are outside a restaurant I used to frequent when I see someone I know, and not just know we were best friends and fellow Royals. It was Axel Darkstorm. We grew up together when our parents decided we both needed to spend time with not only children of the same age but the same rank. So, we would spend six months at a time in each other’s palaces and cities. But why is he here? Last year our parents stopped our arrangement, to start teaching us what it takes to run our families and cities He went back to Shadowvale and his palace there, and we haven’t seen each other since.

If anyone was going to help it would be him. So, without warning, I start running towards him trying to call out to him, but the damn command wouldn’t let me. Eventually, I get close enough, and his guards stop me.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing Zero?” asked one of the guards angrily.

This was my chance. “I am Rinox Firestorm, let me past, so I can talk to my friend Axel,” I say in a commanding, loud, voice. The guard just stares at me like I was crazy, but what I hoped happened Axel turned around upon hearing my name and looked at me. At first in confusion then in growing anger.

“How dare you filthy Zero claim to be my best friend Rinox who just yesterday passed away due to a head injury. Guards, get my whip and bring Arachne to me. I have some anger to work out on this Zero,” Axel spits as he gives these commands.

“But… but it’s me, Axel, It's Rinox,” I try again.

“Zero you are not to speak to me again now get on your knees and head onto the ground,” says Axel looking me right in the eye before without my say so turn around and get on my knees before him.

“Now I have wanted to test my sweet Arachne’s venom on someone and unlucky for you I finally get my chance,” says Axel as the guards he sent off return with a black spider the size of a medium-sized dog. “You see Arachne here is a rare variant of Night Spider. She’s a Black Mist Spider which has a very potent venom that causes pain and illusions of all your greatest fears. The best part is you can milk the venom from them and soak a weapon in it.”

I can’t see what is going on now for my head is bowed all the way to the ground, but I’m shaking in fear of what is about to happen to me with tears streaming down my face. How can he do this to me? We were friends, best friends we would have done anything for each other, and now he’s about to torture me for claiming to be myself. And what did he mean I died last night?

That thought was the last coherent one I had that day for the first lash hit then a second, and that is when a dark mist seemed to cloud my eyes. I started screaming but couldn’t get up the pain was unimaginable. The visions began then. I saw the worst day of my life, when I became a Zero, over and over again. With flashes of my different fears one of which is now spiders for during this whole experience Axel’s spider Arachne was always there. Watching, waiting, starting with its eight black eyes in hunger. Then there was nothing but pain.