Ziro: The Lost Chapters 03 - Lost in Memory

On the 17th of January, in the year 18 AD, the forgotten SSS-60, Nada, was detained by an underground Sad Star Soldier society called CRUX.

Right after the day the SSS who fostered the six-year old Nada was horrifically brutalized, news about it travelled through the shadows, from one SSS to another, until it reached the concerned leaders of CRUX.

At once, the leaders—the Scions, to which they are called—dispatched a 3-man team of Sad Star Soldiers, making-up the best of CRUX. They were known as The Trinity.

The Trinity didn't have a hard time locating Nada, since Nada was already leaking out of formless darkness. Nada did not need to be alerted though, he knew at that point that he was being followed. But though Nada still has his humanity, the formless darkness in him had already taken over his control. Nada gave them a fight.

The Scions completely trusted The Trinity. They knew that even if only either one of three was faced with Nada, the situation could already be handled smoothly. But for this fight, they didn't take their chances. They knew something could go horribly wrong, especially if the battle would take place where civilians can get involved.

As soon as The Trinity spotted Nada, they surrounded him from three different directions, forming a triangle. Once Nada has been surrounded, their traps stretched towards each other, forming a barrier that would stop the flow of formless darkness. It was one of the 13 Binding Techniques they have specialized in. For the Binding Techniques, neither one would work if just one of The Trinity was missing.

Nada trashed inside the barrier but nothing in his power could break it. The Trinity was way beyond his level. Slowly, the three moved closer towards him, making the triangle smaller and smaller. In effect, it lessened the flow of his formless darkness, making him turn back to his normal state. When at last he was normal, he collapsed on the ground.

Nada was brought to a large, empty cavern. The ceiling was filled with stalactites but the walls were built with steel. Standing still around him was The Trinity. They were alert in case anything unexpected happens. In front of him were two children twice his age. They both had different sets of eyes but it was obvious that they were twins.

"What should we do, Scions?" one of The Trinity asked as he bowed his head in respect.

"I say we eliminate him!" exclaimed the other.

"No…He's just a small child…" the last of The Trinity implored.

"Don't be silly," the hot-tempered of the three retorted, "even though he's a small child, he's still a monster inside! Don't let your femininity get ahead of you!"

"Enough, you two!" exclaimed the first, still bowing and waiting for the Scions to speak. Obviously, he was in charge of The Trinity. Feeling ashamed, the hot-tempered one and the girl bowed down their heads as well.

"Now, now," one of the Scions started, "although he is still a child, a horrible monster still wait for unsuspecting prey inside." The hot-headed SSS smiled in the shadows yet the girl felt as if he was telling her I told you so.

"But even though he is a monster," the other Scion continued, "he is still a Sad Star Soldier like all of us." The first Scion nodded. The female SSS felt relieved. Just as she thought the Scions would say.

"Even though he does not have a crimson scarf like the rest of us," the Scions chorused, "he is among us." They pointed at the star on the child's chest. It was the source of the formless darkness. They knew that the child was one of the experiments of former President Lacroix. They were aware that this child was the same experiment that ravaged the SSS research facility. "It may be dangerous for him to survive but it is not our duty to end the life of one of our own." They paused and finally said, "The Seventh Technique."

"As you wish," The Trinity spoke in unison like they finally brandished a sense of teamwork within themselves.


The Seventh Technique was a binding technique that involved a seal and a memory wipe. The first thing The Trinity did was bound Nada with their scarves across his neck, careful not to choke him. Their traps tore apart, forming a single trap around Nada's neck. This was needed to limit the flow of formless darkness in Nada's body. The traps of The Trinity regenerated, as if they have not been torn apart in the first place. At this point, Nada became calmer. He tried to open his eyes as he breathed hard.

The Scions moved closer and touched the star on his chest when suddenly Nada trembled. His eyes screamed for help. It was the monster, once again, taking over. The trap is no use, one Scion looked at the other. The other nodded, they were thinking of the same thing. They looked at the three and signaled them to proceed.

Formless darkness sprouted from the star, trying to escape as if it had life of its own. Little by little, formless darkness covered every inch of Nada's body, leaving only the greenness of his eyes. The trap was becoming tainted as well, turning blacker and blacker every second.

Without wasting time, the hot-headed pushed his hand against Nada's chest, carefully avoiding contact with the star-shaped mark. He channeled his energy onto Nada's body, scorching him in an attempt to at least slightly sever the star. Try to burn the tissues of his body around the star, he remembered the Scions telling him. That will avoid the formless darkness from leaking out and controlling him. In effect, Nada's head turned into a ball of crimson flame.

Trinity's leader extended his hand towards Nada, pointing his fingers at the scorched star. Suddenly, his fingers turned to vines of thorns, growing and extending towards Nada. Slowly, the thorny vines slithered onto Nada's chest, wrapping around him and covering the star. That will protect the mark. Your thorns will prevent it from direct contact, the Scions told him earlier. It seems that physical contact with the mark stimulates the evil energy in him. In a few minutes more, Nada's entire torso was covered in thorny vines. Nada screamed in pain and his entire body bled but there was no other way.

The female SSS winced as if she was the one in agony. She moved her face close to Nada's and kissed his lips, her formless darkness protecting herself from getting burned. As her lips touched his, she discovered his true name. She discovered how he came to be. She learned why it happened in the first place: his reason, his friends. She felt how he felt whenever the darkness controlled him. She felt how he wanted the pain to end. Invade his thoughts, they said. Erase everything from his past. It may be harsh but this is the only way we can prevent him from turning back into the monster. It's the only way, she reminded herself as she absorbed his memories and replaced them with new ones. When it was over, she collapsed on the floor, crying. At once, the other two pulled her up and comforted her. It had always been that way. Her role among the three had always been the hardest.


Moments later, the boy woke up. As if the mood suddenly changed, his fireball head changed from crimson to blue. He remembered how the formless darkness changed him into how he is and how the Scions took him in and cared for him, like family. He looked up to the three and remembered them playing with him every time he was alone. They were like brothers and sister. It relieved him to see they were right there beside him. Then, he remembered his name. Ziro.