Ball of Nothing

Zero stayed in Poseidon's sea temple for a few days, enjoying the luxury of an esteemed guest while he became the titan's conversation buddy. The titan was very interested in what happened while he was out of touch with the world. Zero didn't keep anything from Poseidon and also admitted that his knowledge was lacking. It didn't take long for the teen to spill the truth about his origins after that and Poseidon didn't know how to react to finding out about Zero's identity.

\"Are you sure you should be telling me this? You should be more careful about who you trust,\" the God of Oceans advised.

Zero shook his head. \"I don't have any reason to see you as a threat. You are very weakened right now and I am very powerful. What difference does it make?\"

Poseidon had no way to refute Zero's harsh facts. In the past, he would have taken it as an insult but now that his time was coming to an end, he could only laugh at the irony.

\"Indeed, what difference does it make? I'm sure you have more important things to do now that you understand the truth about Athena's past. That girl suffered a lot while she was alive, I only hope that she can find peace now that she has departed.\"

Zero frowned. It was true that he no longer needed to remain on Hyacinth but as a doctor, he didn't feel good about leaving a dying man all alone especially when he knew how to revive the dying man. Right now, Zero tried to shift his mentality from a doctor to a businessman. As a business person, there was still much to gain from Poseidon even in his weakened state. Heaven is currently still very weak and lacking in powerful anchors, unlike Hell. Poseidon used to be a Great God so if Zero could find a way to reinstate his rank, the number of prayers he could receive will benefit the plane. The burden on Sedna could be reduced as well and personally, Zero would love to learn more from this ancient titan.

\"How about we make a deal?\" Zero proposed and Poseidon raised his brows in surprise.

\"What kind of deal?\" he asked.

The teen grinned. \"You're Athena's teacher, right? Wouldn't that mean that you surpass her in everything that she knows?\"

The titan knew what Zero was hinting at. \"A good student will always surpass their master,\" he told Zero who agreed.

\"However, your student isn't around and I'm currently looking for a teacher to teach me all about strategy and tactics,\" Zero sighed dramatically before casting a side glance to the blind titan.

The titan didn't give Zero an immediate answer. Instead, a look that Hades might be very familiar with in the past settled on his tired face. For a long time now, Poseidon had been thrown into the chasms of despair with the mess that happened. Not only was he unable to help Medusa, he indirectly ordered his niece into taking her own life by not being able to tell anyone the truth. He was a failure as a man, a god, a teacher and a lover.

However, this teen who appeared before him was like the light at the end of his tunnel. Maybe, this was what he had been holding onto for so long. For the first time since he lost his sight, Poseidon felt a sense of purpose. He might be a great tactician and strategist capable of seeing everything that happened on the battlefield and lead the troops to victory without fail. Despite that, Poseidon was unable to discern right from wrong when it came to matters of the heart, leading to his downfall.

\"I do not teach for free,\" Poseidon smirked. Zero grinned carefreely.

\"I wouldn't dare. Please state your price,\" Zero smiled.

The titan didn't state his price immediately, instead, he wanted to know more about what Zero could do. The young doctor didn't spare any details about his abilities and even boasted that he was able to restore Lucifer's sight. \"I could help you restore your sight too!\"

Poseidon shook his head. More than his sight, there was something else he wanted to do. \"When Athena's regrets are addressed and the curse is lifted, her remaining soul fragments will have to fall somewhere. I want to be able to create a place for her soul where she can truly be happy. If you are the Great One, could you help me create land on this water planet?\"

Zero paused. \"I think there's been some sort of misunderstanding. I'm not the Great One, I'm Zero. The Great One is Solo and unlike him, I don't have the power of creation. What I do have is the power of recreation. I could create land but I would need to absorb some parts of the sea here before I can do that.\"

\"That's fine,\" Poseidon said. In all honesty, there was way too much water on this planet. All he really wanted was to see some land but no matter how much time passed, Hyacinth remained the same as before, filled with nothing but water. The planet was rather dead in a sense, there weren't any movements beneath the oceans that threatened to create land.

Zero found it odd. \"Don't you want to see again?\"

The titan sighed. \"And what good will that do? I've seen enough in my life both the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. I do not wish to concern myself in the struggles for power any longer. Spending the rest of my time in peace until the end of the world is my only wish and if I can be a little bit more selfish, I ask to accompany my niece whom I've let down in her time of need. I don't wish to regain my sight, it's not important.\"

The teen understood. If this was what made the titan feel better, he would let Poseidon continue living in a dark world as atonement for his past wrongdoings. He was a doctor, he could only heal the body but not the heart or mind. That was up to the individual to decide. Those who did not have the will to live will still find a way to die. Zero couldn't do anything about that.

\"Understood. I will work on creating land on Hyacinth. In return, won't you teach me how to win the war? I will be fighting against myself in the future and it is a battle I cannot lose.\"

The teen then told Poseidon all about his mission and the strange things that happened ever since he had been reawakened from the void. They spent hours, maybe even days, simply just talking and discussing over the points and observations that Zero thought were strange.

At the end of it all, Poseidon sat back and folded his arms with a deep frown. The servants were inching away and only Zero was left in the room. If there was a word to describe the titan's mood after listening to Zero's story, it was conflicted. Before he got to know what the teen did in his childhood period, he thought that Zero was a very promising student. After hearing the stunts that Zero pulled off, he was rather hesitant about teaching Zero about strategy and tactics. This boy was like a wild card. While Solo is trying to destroy the world, Zero isn't doing much better at preserving it. Should he really arm this brat with the knowledge to win his personal battle against his past self?

\"Before I teach you anything, could you answer a question of mine?\"

Zero nodded. The blind titan sounded very serious and he straightened up.

\"What are you going to do after you've won the battle with Solo?\"

At that, Zero froze. He hadn't thought about it that far. For now, all Zero could see was a long road ahead where he had to gain back all the divine entities and explore the world while he was at it. He also wanted to become a travelling doctor but after the fight with Solo, who knew what would happen. There was a high chance that meeting Solo will send the world spiralling into the void with no stopping its destruction due to a conflict in existence.

\"I don't really know,\" he answered truthfully. \"Isis said that time paradoxes are dangerous and if I get to meet Solo at the end of my journey, there is a high chance that the world will be made to walk a one-way road to destruction. However, I cannot allow Solo to continue what he is doing by hurting so many people. I am a doctor, I want to save as many people as I can and ease the sufferings of those I can reach.\"

Poseidon sighed. \"You are aware that you cannot kill Solo. It's the equivalent of killing yourself and with your destruction, the world will cease to exist. What are you going to do then?\"

Zero froze. He hasn't thought about it that far ahead. He thought that by gathering and amassing all the divine entities, he would be able to confront Solo and duke it out grandly. Of course, Zero would follow the path of non-aggression and talk it over first. He would then try to trap Solo somewhere if his past self wasn't willing to listen to him. However, if it came to what Poseidon said, even if he refused to kill Solo, the same might not be true for his past self.

\"I... I...\"

The blind titan nodded. \"If you cannot find an answer to my questions, I cannot teach you anything. You might be able to win the battle against Solo in a confrontation but you will lose the war and the world will still be destroyed just like what he wanted. From what I understand, you do not have power over creation. That absorption power of yours is clearly something that spells the end of the world. You're fated to be the destroyer. If your resolve isn't strong enough, you cannot defy fate.\"

Zero found himself getting angry even if he didn't understand it completely. \"Fate... What's so good about fate? Why should I bend according to its will? This world belongs to me, there's nothing that can stop me!\"

Once Zero realised the words that came out of his mouth, he paled. \"I... no! I'm sorry, this isn't what I meant...\"

Poseidon smirked. \"Ah yes, these words... it's been a long time since I heard something like that. That arrogance like all the rulers before who had fallen with their kingdom... Zero, are you sure you merely want to save the world from destruction and not rule it?\"

The young doctor paled. \"No, I don't want to rule it... I just want to exist and help others along the way...\"

\"Quite the arrogant young one. Say... Why do you think some are more powerful than others?\"

Zero paused and thought carefully. For some reason, the more he talked to Poseidon, the more confused he was. He was very certain about what he wanted to do before all these but ever since Poseidon started asking him questions about what he wanted to do and who he was, the young doctor could no longer discern truth from fantasy. His emotions were no longer his own and Zero found it harder to control where his thoughts went. One moment, he was feral and the next he was suicidal.

Returning to the education he received from Hua Tuo, Zero closed his eyes and ears off to the world and turned it inwards to himself. Worldly affairs cannot move a sage because their eyes are not clouded by the chaos of the mortal realm. If Zero wanted to understand what was going on, he had to retreat and observe it from a different angle.

Poseidon didn't stop the teenager from doing what he did. In truth, he didn't expect Zero to be so hard to break. His belief remained steadfast and his heart remained pure. It wasn't as if he was deliberately trying to pick apart this boy's mind but he needed proof that Zero wouldn't use the things he taught for evil. It wasn't that Poseidon thought Zero was going to fall over the line and turn to the dark side in despair. However, he wasn't certain that Zero could handle the amount of pressure that comes with shouldering the fate of this world on his tiny shoulders. Gods were considered almighty beings but even they were easily toppled when it came to the affairs of the heart. Few were strong and consistent like Merlin, Buddha and Hua Tuo. The titan just wanted to test if Zero was able to still listen to his true conscience, untainted by the whispers of the world, uninfluenced by the changes of time.

Zero meditated for a long while, settling the voices in his inner world with a calm consistent desire for inner peace. The heart mantra was repeated over and over again until all Zero could feel was nothingness like when he first awakened in the void as a ball of nothing. Once he was in that suspended state, the answers became clear to him.

Poseidon waited for Zero patiently, sipping on bitter tea as the young doctor sorted out his thoughts and emotions that Poseidon intentionally instigated. The brunet opened his eyes with more clarity than before and gave Poseidon his answer.

\"I am Zero. It doesn't matter if the future brings forward the destruction of this world or if Solo wants me dead. I will not betray the people who believe in me. I'm not that lonely creature born from the void, I now have friends and family that are not related to me by blood. What good is knowledge and power if I cannot use it to protect what I hold dear?\"

Poseidon smiled.

\"As for what I want to do after my feud with Solo is resolved, who knows? My journey is an adventure. There is no ending to an adventure. Why should I limit my options?\"

Hearing Zero's conclusion, the blind titan threw his head back and laughed. Many years ago, someone said something similar. Seeing Zero was like seeing Athena when she was back in her youth. Poseidon couldn't help but admit his defeat. He might not be able to save Athena but at least, he could guide Zero down the path that didn't lead to his destruction.

\"Very well,\" he smiled. \"I expect you to keep up with me when I start my lessons. Know that I'm not an easy tutor as I am very strict. First, I will have you read up all the rules and master the basics of playing chess with me. Starting from tomorrow, while you work on recreating land on Hyacinth, we will play three games of chess.\"

Zero beamed. \"Yes, sir!\"