"Nero."
Sunday's voice was firm and authoritative. he approached Nero and placed a hand on his shoulder.
He shook his head and simply helped Nero to his feet.
"If you had to throw up, why didn't you do it in the bathroom?" Sunday led Nero down the hall to the room.
"Which bathroom?" Nero sat down on the toilet.
"Nero," Sunday's voice turned mocking, "how can you answer a question with another question?"
Lux glanced at Kōri, who simply shrugged.
"I need to go to the bathroom."
Nero stood up again and looked around until he found the bathroom door. He approached it and opened it, feeling his body heavy.
He closed the door with a soft click.
His body stumbled until he reached the sink.
He raised his head to see his reflection...
His face was the same, but... his hair was white instead of black, and blue instead of his characteristic red.
He ran a hand over his face, confused.
"What's happening to me?" he murmured, fear rising through his body.
"That's not me..."
It was true, it wasn't him, but Nero felt a strange connection to that face, that hair, and those eyes.
His lower lip began to tremble uncontrollably, and a cold sweat covered his body.
He collapsed to his knees, clutching his head.
Suddenly... all he could see was black.
Nero's body lay on a cross, his arms and legs impaled by enormous metal needles.
He could only see darkness. A peculiar chill pierced Nero's frail body.
Everything seemed distorted.
Nero couldn't move; whenever he tried, he felt an intense, stabbing pain throughout his body.
Visions began to appear in the darkness, illuminating the entire place with gloomy colors.
The image froze Nero in his tracks.
They were some kind of monsters, some with horns, others with wings, and most with a permanent grin plastered on their faces.
They were killing people, burning villages, and then... more people were pointing at Nero with hatred.
They shouted insults, but there was one word they kept repeating in broken voices:
Wanderer...
"Silence... silence... shut up!" Nero's tone sounded more like a plea than a shout.
Nero could only repeat those words until he felt himself opening his eyes.
When he opened his eyes again, his reflection was 'normal'.
Knock! Knock!
"Nero, you've been locked in the bathroom for about 20 minutes," said Kōri, her voice half worried, half annoyed.
Nero got up from the floor and opened the door.
His eyes were wide and a little empty. Before anyone could say anything, he threw himself onto the bed to sleep.
The world gradually faded into the distance. His eyes closed completely, and he fell into a deep sleep.
He slept for a long time...
He heard some people talking, but it sounded as if he were underwater.
His eyes opened with a gentle, soft movement.
Suddenly, an intense hunger and thirst shook him.
On the nightstand were two ham and cheese sandwiches on a plate, and next to them, a glass of water.
Without the slightest bit of self-respect, he began to eat the sandwiches and drink the water.
When he finished, he turned his head and saw a nurse with a raised eyebrow.
Nero shamelessly wiped his mouth.
"You've been discharged," the nurse said in a soft voice.
"Your family is home," he continued.
Family... that sounds so good.
"My clothes and personal belongings," Nero said, getting up and stretching.
"In the bathroom," the nurse said, about to leave the room.
"One last question, how long did I sleep?"
"Two days," the nurse replied, leaving the room.
Nero showered in the small bathroom, dressed, arranging his cloak and adjusting his monocle.
He put his revolver and knife where they belonged, but inside he felt something was missing.
Where's my hat?
Before leaving, Nero visited Roxane one last time.
"What are your favorite flowers?" Nero asked, approaching Roxane.
The poor woman lay on the cot, with large lumps under her eyes, and it was clear she was suffering.
"The roses..." she replied almost weakly.
Nero whispered, "Activate."
He let his aura flow around his body and created three roses of a vibrant red.
Roxane's eyes widened.
Nero gently handed them to her and, before leaving the room, waved goodbye.
"Your face is pretty..." Roxane murmured.
At that moment, Nero realized he wasn't wearing his mask.
"Hey."
Nero looked back at Roxane's husband, who was pacing in circles in the hallway.
"Is this yours?"
He was holding Nero's hat. Nero removed it in a smooth but steady motion and placed it on his head.
Without giving it another thought, the two men said goodbye with a handshake.
Nero descended the countless stairs, his body still weak but feeling better.
He left the hospital, but not before greeting everyone he could.
Nero looked around the hospital grounds, his face etched with confusion.
Hmm... I'm lost.
He wandered for a while until he reached a park. Tired from walking, he sat down on one of the benches, closed the doors, and stayed like that for a while.
When he opened them, he saw a young woman selling newspapers being harassed by a group of four men.
He stopped, thinking that even among the wealthy, such things happen...
He pulled out his revolver and cleared his throat, drawing the men's attention.
"On the count of three," he said in a low but commanding voice.
"1..."
The young men exchanged mocking glances until they noticed the revolver in Nero's left hand.
"2..."
The boys didn't even wait for Nero to finish counting before running off.
Nero put the revolver in his pocket and turned to look at the girl. She had a small, shy smile as she approached him with a stack of newspapers in her hands.
"T-Thank you," she murmured, handing him the stack of paper.
"You can take three... consider it your reward," she continued, looking Nero in the eye.
Nero's red eyes met the woman's beautiful brown eyes.
Without another word, he took exactly three newspapers.
"Do you know where 25th Street is?" Nero asked, holding the papers in one hand.
She nodded enthusiastically and pointed to a street to Nero's right.
"That's 23 Len. Walk until you find a fork in the road, turn right and go straight, then turn left. That's 25 Len."
Nero nodded and left, completely confused.
He walked along the street to the right for about 15 minutes until he found the fork, turned right, and kept walking.
He could see families walking, birds flying in the sky, and some parks with small ponds.
He turned left and started running until he reached the Nongua apartment building.
He went upstairs and opened the door to room 28.
"Hello?"
"Oh. Hello, bastard," Lux said, sprawled on the sofa.
Wow! I almost died, and those are the words you use to describe me.
Nero ignored Lux and simply went inside.
He went straight to the dining room and sat down in one of the chairs.
He placed the stack of newspapers on the table, while the smell of Sunday and Kōri cooking something delicious wafted through the kitchen.
Rose was happily humming in her room.
He picked up the first newspaper and began to read.
"The eastern zone was destroyed!"
Nero was already learning a little about Unma without needing the memories of the original Nero.
"A terrorist attack struck the entire eastern zone."
"The perpetrators were identified as a criminal gang calling themselves 'Smilers.' They destroyed exactly 40% of the zone!"
"In Vickmolt's 100-year history, no one had ever carried out such a massive attack!"
Hmm...
Nero continued reading, but the rest of the newspaper was irrelevant garbage.
He picked up the second one and looked for something interesting. The most noteworthy headline was:
"New invention created!"
"A kind of motorized bicycle has been invented. It's automatic, like a steam carriage, but cheaper, making it affordable for the less wealthy."
"Less wealthy," they say... it's easier to call them poor.
He threw the newspaper on the table, just like he did with the other one.
He picked up the third one, thinking that everything he was reading was pure crap...
"Authorities are concerned about a new criminal gang called: The Echo Brotherhood!"
Hmm... interesting.
"They say that whoever manages to find their hideout, their leader, or how they operate will receive 100 Long. If they find all three, it would be 300 Long!"
"Some minor details are:"
"They operate in the western zone."
"They have a hierarchy of rookie, aspirant, sub-leader, and leader."
"They have a type of device with which they can control people."
"Some agents of the Filius Dei in charge of espionage say they operate at night."
The rest of the newspaper was once again unimportant.
"Guys... I have an idea."