Started At Zero Novels & Stories

user"> *]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id="request-WEB:244cc9f1-3cfe-4916-870e-a656305a4df5-14" data-testid="conversation-turn-30" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn="assistant"> So I set out from home at six in the morning.

“Alright then. On my count.” I tensed, lowering myself into a starting position as Edwin countered down. “3, 2, 1!”

I then say, “Training commences at 0600, make sure you are all here… DISMISSED!…” I turn to face Jefferson, who is still standing next to me, and say, “0600 is the time for them to start. If you need to confer with Zaire for a starting point for a training program and then slowly increase it. I am not sure how long you will be needed as there is no Alpha to take over. I am looking into the other packs that surround this one, but until I know that they are acceptable, I will need you here.” “Yes, Alpha.”

The "Spark of the Designer" felt like a responsibility rather than power. It sat in Kael's chest like a warm, golden compass, pulsing in a rhythm that bypassed his heartbeat and synced directly with the rotation of the galaxy. The coordinates it whispered-The Origin-Well-were more than just a location in space; they marked the literal "Zero-Point" where existence began.

“Eh, why are there still so many zeroes?” Martha frowned and her heart started pounding. “This… this is…” She started counting again! “One, ten, one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand, one hundred thousand, one million!” “Ten million!” “One hundred million!” “One billion!” “Ten billion!” “One hundred… one hundred billion!”

It was a meticulously structured routine designed to sculpt their physical capabilities and prepare them for the battles and challenges that loomed in the future. The initiation of their training began with an arduous 30 minutes of collective warm-up exercises. Astrid, alongside her fellow trainees, delved into a series of stretches and light jogging. This routine was carefully orchestrated to awaken their muscles, gradually increasing their heart rates, and mentally preparing them for the strenuous tasks that lay ahead.

Morning in the capital began before the sun, Zero was already awake. 5:00 a.m. No alarm, he didn’t need one, his body moved on discipline alone. He sat up in the pristine dorm room, minimalist, immaculate, everything arranged with almost unnatural symmetry. Medals hung on one wall. Certificates framed in precise alignment. A schedule board mapped down to the half hour. Run. Shower. Lecture. Lab. Strategy meeting. Training. Study block. Call home.

Because this wasn’t the end of the attack. It was the beginning of the counteroffensive. And somewhere, watching the system flicker back to life— ShieldZero was smiling.

I mumbled smiling. “Why?” He asked, frowning. “The beginning.” I replied, remembering the meaning of the baby. “I don’t think we should care what religion the name belongs to. Our morals teaching and the things are the ones which matter right?” I asked glancing back to look at him. “You are spot on, professor.” he replied, pressing his lips to mine. “I know right!” I said, and he chuckled. “I love you!” he said, closing his eyes. I closed my eyes back and mumbled “And I, you.” This is our forever new beginning…

We ask: “Where do we begin?” “What do you think that body wants first? Cocaine or hamburgers?” Bill claps his hands with glee, his crotch-tendrils spewing bright sparks across the gray sand. “The absolute unit, it has to stay nourished in all ways.”