Chapter 3 The Birth of the Empty Monster

1

Days and nights slide along the thread of time, following what that man did, and I have been trapped in a state of such profound confusion that I can barely comprehend. Anger does not engulf me, as one might expect in such a painful situation. Instead, what I feel is a chasm of emptiness that swallows everything. My emotions are in constant turmoil, like dry leaves scattered by the wind, and I cannot find a structure to organize them.

How can I describe the feeling of being trapped in this emotional chaos? Memories of my family, of those happy moments and laughter, intertwine with pain and loss in a whirlwind of confusion. Every fragment of joy becomes an unanswered question, every smile is mixed with tears, and every loving memory is tainted by devastation. It's as if emotions have merged into an abstract canvas of blurry, shapeless colors.

However, revenge stands out as a clear response in the midst of this chaos. Hatred is the only thing I can feel with clarity. Each passing day, my determination hardens, and my hatred grows, fueled by the image of that man who took away everything I loved.

At some point in my confusion, I woke up in a completely unfamiliar place. I was lying on a dirty mattress, my hair freshly washed but with a strong, bitter odor. However, the most disturbing aspect was the chains that bound both of my arms.

The room was entirely devoid of furniture, except for the large wooden door that stood out in the dimness.

I had no idea how much time had passed until the door opened, and, to my horror, a burly, bald man entered the room. "Oh, just in time. I thought I would have to do it while you were unconscious," he laughed sadistically as he approached calmly.

"What...?" I muttered in bewilderment, cautiously observing the man who was approaching me. My survival instinct was on high alert, but my mind could not grasp the situation. "Where am I?" I asked, trying to remain calm.

"Oh, of course, you've just regained consciousness. How could I forget?" he replied with an evil laugh. "You're in a slave auction. And I'm sorry to say that I've bought you for today, so you'd better behave if you want me to be kind to you."

"For today?" I was left speechless, astounded by his response. The man's sadistic laughter filled me with horror.

Fear coursed through my entire being, a sensation I had never experienced before. After a moment of shock and fear, I managed to ask another question. "Why?" I inquired, my voice trembling.

"I have my personal reasons for acquiring you, don't worry about that," he replied, laughing sinisterly. "But, just so you know, it won't be bad for me."

Repeating my question more firmly, although I still felt trapped in a state of shock, I asked, "What are you going to do with me?" I cried out in a whisper filled with panic and desperation, unable to change my tone. My body seemed to not obey my wishes, increasing my sense of helplessness.

The man sighed and wiped away a fake tear, showing false compassion. Then, he smiled sadistically again. "I guess lying is pointless," he said. He pulled various tools from his pockets that I couldn't identify and placed them on the floor. "Let's begin," he said. His voice sounded terrifying, and the room was filled with an unsettling silence as torment loomed.

In that moment, as I stared wide-eyed, something inside me shattered. That man, with his sinister laughter and the chains that bound me, became a symbol of a world that was rotten, teetering on the edge of darkness. Suddenly, nothing seemed to matter.

Why should I care? Why should I feel anything for anyone in such a twisted world? Was it worth it? That question became a constant echo in my mind. It was as if a spark within me had been extinguished, leaving me unable to feel empathy, lacking the strength to resist the abyss that opened before me.

While the man approached with promises of torture and his sinister smile, I realized that I no longer cared about what he could do to me. Somehow, I had come to the conclusion that his cruelty was merely a reflection of the cruelty of the world in which we lived. Why should I worry about my own suffering when the entire world seemed twisted and broken?

My eyes, once filled with fear and despair, had now become cold and distant. Although my body trembled, my mind was immersed in a kind of apathy. I no longer cared about what could happen. I didn't care whether I lived or died. I had come to the conclusion that in this corrupted world, indifference was my only defense.

So, I confronted the man, looking at him with expressionless eyes as his laughter filled the room. At that moment, I decided that nothing in the world was important. Empathy and affection had faded away, replaced by a cold detachment. In a world so dark and diseased, what value did emotions hold? What value did humanity have?

Those questions had only one answer: "Zero."

Thus, at that moment, embracing my nothingness, my emptiness, my zero, I accepted my own disappearance in a world that no longer deserved my participation. In that surrender, I found a strange liberation, a peace in the embrace of the void that enveloped me. I am Nothing, I am Emptiness, I am Zero. And in that zero, I discovered a strange form of resistance, an apathetic denial of a world that had lost its own value.

— I am Nothing, I am Emptiness, I am Zero —

— Mother, I think I finally understand the nature of the human being — I smiled as tears welled up in my eyes.

2

At some point during the night, a scream followed by several thuds was heard, and then total silence. Slowly, the door opened, revealing "Zero," now without fingernails, covered in cuts all over his body, and countless whip marks on his back. He was completely naked, with blood covering his body, obscuring his nudity.

He walked calmly with no particular direction, as if he were in his own home. In his hand, he held a small blade with which he killed anyone who crossed his path, whether they were slaves or slavers.

Ignoring every plea until he finally reached the exit.

He left, completely disregarding the fact that more than half a dozen guards surrounded him.

But he simply dodged each and every one of their attacks with inhuman ease while countering with bloody and painful cuts.

— I finally understand it —

— I want to show the world its darkness. I want everyone to experience what I have felt. I want everyone to understand the nature of the human being —

<If the world destroys me, I will destroy> 

The Birth of the Empty Monster