||Hollowed||

Nanny left after a hug goodbye, she too was not blood but never the less family. It was clear she had history with Marcus Volitum regardless of him being my mother's godfather.

'There's definitely more to it even if Marcus owe a debt to my Mother's father'

"Come Zion, I want to tell you alot" he smiled as that eccentric personality came back again. All seriousness out the window, he looked more like when you give a puppy a toy.

Walking behind him, he watched the soul connector slightly warily.

Catching him staring Marcus hummed.

"Beautiful isn't she?"

'Damn was I that obvious' Zion thought sheepishly.

"Yeah" he replied.

"The only core type soul connector relic too, she's a beast on the battlefield- well she's a beast everywhere bawhahahh" Marcus's hand trailed the back of the beast that resemble a tiger. "Made fully with sicatium, a treasure metal alloyed with cybernetic structure to accommodate the relics manifestation."

"Is it true?"

"Hm?"

"Does it speak to you?" Zion wondered if maybe a valiant fighter like himself would confirm or deny the books he read.

"Sadly no, she is my vessel and my weapon, I command her and she protects me on the battlefield and day to day. The closest I could put talking to her, is the connection we share. Like that of flowing water, when danger is near, crashing waves appear" His hand rubbed it's back lovingly, like one would a pet to owner.

It wasn't exactly the response he was looking for but it made sense to a degree.

"Do you have doubts" Marcus suddenly added.

"Doubts?" Zion replied confused, as they stop in front of what looked to be a room that servants were preparing.

"Let me rephrase that, do you doubt yourself?" Why was he asking this, maybe because he had come from nothing and there was now a big expectation to achieve something while being cared for by this man?

Yes, maybe.

Or maybe it was because he doubted this reality. That being here caused his reality to overlapse to be in fact real. That he now had to do something, to truly live life, to survive in this new world he was suddenly thrusted into.

No knowledge of his death in another world just that this is all real now.

'I don't want to accept this reality yet'

"None" he finally answered Marcus as he continued to smile.

"That's a good thing, false hope and expectations only get you so far. It's better to stay consistently throughout, progression is key to fertility in life." Walking away after gesturing to the room, Zion watched them slip away behind the large hallway corner.

'Expectations huh' maybe that was it, maybe his thoughts were so diluted with 'what ifs' and 'outcomes'. That he's lost sense of himself to it at this time, in this world.

Maybe it wasn't about accepting this as reality but rather looking for a way back that he really needed to focus on. Should there be a time, if presented of existing that is, a way to get to his true 'home'.

Watching the servants leave one by one, he sat on his new luxury bed. His small suitcase that his nanny had provided seemed to bland and stood out like a sore thumb.

----

> Moments ago:

"He's going to be alright, isn't he?"

"Yes, I'll make sure of it Jullia, you have my word. I'll protect that boy as if he were my own." Marcus pledged, as Jullia looked to where Zion was standing. She slowly sat back into the carriage that had brought them here.

"He's the last one and her only child, we're counting on you Marcus. It was pointless to think you didn't know but she's getting worse." Frowning upon hearing those words, Marcus pursed his lips. As if to hold back what he was going to say.

"I know you warned her but you also abandoned her, you owe her now as well as her father." Jullia finished, as she closed the carriage door, and the Zino's powered up to start moving.

Moving back a bit, the carriage slightly moved in a non organic way as the metal it was made of shaped itself to be more aerodynamic.

jullia looked through the window at Zion and then Marcus before the Zino's started to run.

----

Staring at the ceiling in the large room, he of course couldn't sleep. Who would? No, how could someone sleep in a forgien place like this?

The atmosphere was heavier and the loud sounds of clanking steel and other various things couldn't be filtered out.

'At home there was no sound except the whispers of winds, singing stars and insects. Sure, the occasional tremor happened due to mecha's but it was more peaceful than this...' a place of oblivion. Zion's thoughts grew endless as he felt his heart ache for the first time in awhile.

He was home sick.

Even though his mother was ill and had tendencies of violent episodes. His Nanny held them together like glue, they were a family.

He had decided to find a way back. He didn't need to necessarily accept this reality, merely live in it. Live and survive.

Then maybe one day...

----

"Conspiracy theory, go-" Spoke Max as her speech was a little off due to a lollipop in her mouth.

"Ah- aliens?" He joked as she glared at him playfully.

"I'm serious, what else is there. The government is out though, they're no help" she said as she took the lollipop out of her mouth and waved it around in his face.

"My mother isn't my mother?" Zion again joked as Max simply grinned.

"See, that wasn't so hard, why do you think she's not? Come on- use some part of the brain that stimulates imagination" her seriousness had him roll his eyes.

"Because her touch feels off? Max- this is stupid"

"No- no, you're getting somewhere, there's a reason people say out of the box stuff all the time. Theory suggests that even if theoretically a joke or done at random. Our subconscious filters out things and when we blurt out obscene things, they're really a 50/50 ratio of truth and lie." As she scribbled down his theory, Zion sighed before chuckling a bit.

"You're really something-"

"-Please, just try" she interrupted as he looked at her pleading eyes.

"She's not real, she's a fake, I'm a fake, this world is fake." Zion replied as her scribbling became faster.

"Why is it fake?" She questioned as he shrugged.

"It just is-" Looking at her glare he smiled sheepishly "because she's not human?"

"See, now you get it." She said proudly as Zion scoffed.

"It's a lie though, how is it a theory? I know what you said before about it being a a 50/50 thing. But you know I'm lying out my ass right now." He grinned as she sighed.

"You always do that"

"Do what?"

Closing her notebook she got up and put it away.

"Hey, we can still do it, I'm sorry aye." He apologied as she shrugged.

"It's fine, maybe another time. You really gotta stop being such a buzz kill Zion" she snapped playfully trying to break the atmospheres sudden heavy tension.

Scratching the back of his head he smiled "I'll try and work on that" he reassured.

Smiling as grabbed the TV remote, "good" she said.

----

Waking up was tragic, it was the only time he got to see Max and their memories together. But even before he was properly functioning he was bathed and dressed in formal attire by servants.

"Zion, I hope you slept decently. I can understand that a new place may have presented some uncomfortability." Chimed Marcus as Zion joined him at the breakfast table.