All Chapters of Kingdom Zero: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Derby spun toward the kitchen doors and called out, her voice cutting sharp across the room: "Ethan!"A voice called back. Bright, easy, completely unbothered—the voice of a man who'd somehow developed immunity to verbal flamethrowers. "I'm coming!"Bryce, Selin's younger cousin, leaned over and snickered loudly. He was nineteen, had just failed his first semester of community college, and had somehow appointed himself the family's official Ethan-basher-in-training. "See that? He's happier than all of us. That's... unacceptable! His wife's about to be served divorce papers by her mother, his father-in-law's been ignoring him since the Obama administration, and he's in there whistling. The man's either enlightened or brain-damaged—I haven't decided which.""Even worse. That's unforgivable!" Penelope chimed in, because apparently she'd decided that being dumped meant she got to dump all her emotional baggage on the nearest available punching bag. "A man who does breakfast for a living

After ten minutes of complete dumbfoundment, Gavin finally snapped out of it."Should you be offended? he repeated. "Are you retarded? Of course, you should! I called you overqualified for unemployment! That's a good one! That took me three days to workshop! I had to research all the historical figures I compared you to! I put actual effort into this!"Ethan offered a quiet, unshakeable smile. "If I got offended every time someone made a joke about me... I'd never have time to finish making breakfast." He paused, then added, "Besides, I've heard worse. Last week, Cousin Marcus told me I was proof that evolution can sometimes go backwards. I'm still not sure what that means, but it was creative. I respect the craft."Marcus, who had been mid-sip of his coffee, nearly choked. His ears went red. "It—it was a good line! I came up with it during my existential crisis!""Also, Penelope told me I was 'the human equivalent of a participation trophy,' which I thought was particularly inspired,

Ethan stepped out of the Hartwell mansion with the exact same quiet, unbothered smile he had worn while inside the house—the kind of smile that made people wonder if he was either a saint or profoundly out of touch with reality.The heavy front door closed behind him with a muted, authoritative *thud*, sealing away the silver spoons, the snide laughter, and the familiar chorus of snarky voices that had become as routine as the morning sun."Ah, another majestic exit," Ethan muttered under his breath, adjusting his stance. "Ten out of ten on the soundproofing."A cool morning breeze drifted through the impeccably trimmed hedges lining the circular driveway. The Hartwell estate looked every bit the picture of old-money success—gleaming marble steps, polished black vehicles that probably cost more than Ethan’s entire life expectancy, sculpted gardens, and fountains sparkling beneath the early sun. It was breathtakingly beautiful, provided you didn't mind the suffocating atmosphere of hig

The woman dabbed at the corner of her eye with the back of her sleeve before lowering her gaze to the bread in her lap. She turned it over once in her hands, as though testing its weight, its warmth, the simple fact of its existence. For a long moment, she seemed to wrestle with herself, her lips pressing together in silent deliberation.Then, as though gathering every ounce of courage she possessed, she rose from the bench, adjusted the sleeping infant against her shoulder, and crossed the square with the little girl trotting beside her, small shoes slapping against the worn cobblestones.She stopped in front of Ethan, her shadow falling across his outstretched legs."I know this is awkward," she began, her voice carrying the faint rasp of someone unused to speaking to strangers. "And I'm sorry to intrude. But... I couldn't just walk away and let kindness go completely unacknowledged."Ethan blinked, quickly setting his folder aside. "You really don't owe me anything, ma'am. It's p

The mechanic and courier directed their frustration insults, and ridicule at Ethan for interfering, "Who asked you to butt in, butthead?" barked the mechanic. "Yeah! What's your problem, douchebag?" the courier seconded. However, Ethan was unfazed by their rudeness as he handled their hostility with calm composure, maturity, and a touch of dry wit, guiding them toward a peaceful resolution without taking sides or assigning blame."Sorry guys, I didn't realize there wasn't a problem in the first place. My bad. You can carry on with your demolition-of-each-other-one-o-one. Here..." Ethan brushed a speck of road dust from the plastic housing before extending his hand and offering the mirror back to the mechanic."Knock yourselves out," he added, handing the mirror back. The brief, bizarre interruption completely stole the momentum out of the argument. Both men stood frozen for a beat, staring at the stranger who had strolled into the middle of their feud without choosing a side.The