(Frauw – Occupation: Lit) (Zero)

  The Next Day

  Zero's eyes gradually open to a dark, cold room. The faintest light seeps from the edges of the window curtains and the gap under the door. Shadows of his clanmates move beyond, with muffled voices filtering in from the other side. The quiet hum of the world outside feels distant, and for a moment, he wishes to remain buried under the covers. It’s almost too comfortable, too familiar—like when his mother used to tuck him in. Just five more minutes…

  After thirty minutes of indulgence, Zero finally drags himself out of bed. His morning routine feels mechanical—room exercises, a quick shower, but he can’t shake the weight of what transpired yesterday.

  Upon entering the dining room, he sees him. “Amos…”

  Amos sits at the table, sipping black coffee as he lowers a newspaper. He looks up at Zero, offering a simple nod. “Morning.”

  It’s as if nothing happened. No shift in his expression, no shadow of yesterday's events in his eyes. Then Zero realizes—Amos doesn’t even like coffee. He especially doesn’t like it black. Yet here he is, drinking it as if it’s the most normal thing in the world.

  Zero's chest tightens. He feels his hands tremble but forces himself to stay still, to hold it together. He can barely stop his voice from breaking when he asks, “Are you okay?”

  Amos looks at Zero, his gaze distant. For a long moment, he doesn’t speak. Then he sets the newspaper aside and places his coffee cup on the plate in front of him. “I…” Amos sighs, his voice quiet. He turns to face Zero, but his eyes never meet his. “The best way I can explain it... my mind’s like a puzzle right now, slowly putting the pieces back together. I should be okay, I guess.”

  It’s not just Zero who feels the unease. The others in the room exchange glances, their concern evident though no one dares to address it. All day, Amos goes through his usual routine—training, eating, talking—but it’s different now. No one says it out loud, but everyone is watching him, waiting for something to indicate that he’s not okay.

  Even when Xander explains what happened, Amos’s response is almost too calm, too unaffected. He listens, nodding along, as if he were hearing an ordinary report. The others can’t stop glancing at him, unable to look away, unsure of what they’re witnessing or what to do next.

  (Frauw – Occupation: Lit) (Amos)

  Night had come, and Amos had finished one-third of the book. Though his mind was a mess, it was somewhat bearable enough to focus on some tasks.

  Carp slept on the couch, his feet dangling from Amos’s thighs.

  Amos found it endearing and felt a strong urge to pinch his cheeks. Yet something didn’t seem right… It was as if he was forgetting something.

  Carp opened his eyes soon after, followed by a long yawn. Tasting the air, he reached back for the water he had kept on the counter. “Big bro…” But before he could even touch the cup, the youngling fell asleep again.

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  A light chuckle escaped Amos as he tilted his head at the child.

  Carp mumbled incoherent words just before his breathing steadied again.

  Amos attempted to continue reading but struggled to focus. It was the last book of a three-part series, and he couldn’t finish the chapter yet. “I guess this is a good spot to leave off.” Amos turned to Carp with a growing smile. “I’ll carry you, then.”

  “Don’t worry, I can do that,” Smokey said as he turned the corner just in time.

  Amos slid Carp's feet off him as he stood. “You heard that?”

  Smokey chuckled as he scooped one arm under Carp’s neck and the other under his legs. “Perception works differently for everyone…” Smokey lifted Carp from the couch. “Thank you for treating him well,” he whispered. “I’m scared for him, though I know you all keep him safe. It’s a big relief.” Smokey attempted to grab Carp’s glass of water.

  “Don’t worry about that.” Amos waved Smokey down. “I'm almost done here. I’ll fill the glass and drop it off in his room.”

  Smokey smiled. “Thank you, brother. Good night.” Smokey headed off down the hallway.

  Amos watched them until they disappeared around the corner. A sigh escaped him before he placed the book onto the bookshelf next to the fire pit. His gaze fell into the flames while he warmed his fingers. A bucket of water by the limestone chimney covered the fire, darkening the living room.

  The water mixed with the ash, and blood streamed down the chimney. The room began to rain, though he remained dry, until a sharp headache shot through his head. White flashes appeared before him, faster and faster, until the realization of a square containment came into focus.

  ‘Til death do us part, a voice said, though it multiplied from one. Six? No, seven. They scratched at the walls, tightening the atmosphere, making it harder to breathe. They screamed to escape, though they lacked voices with substance.

  How! What! Were! Why! How is so much happening in this empty room? What anxiety is this? Where is this? Why is Amos here? Amos dropped to his knees on the white tile, but the hate… The hate made it unbearable, as if it just wanted to drown him.

  A light grinding noise caused Amos to lift his focus to the white wall. Seven Polaroid pictures lined across, three feet above his head. It was too far to see exactly what they were, and Amos attempted to focus harder.

  As his mouth opened, the pictures dropped, toppling to the ground. Amos crawled three yards until his head hit the wall. Six of the seven pictures were face down, but the one in the middle faced up. Picking it up, Blank’s dead body cut in half; it was the body of his… The individual's name was Blank… Amos’s eyelids wrinkled as his hands began to shake. He rushed to pick up another photo of Blank’s headless body. The next one showed Blank, guts everywhere. The next featured Blank and Blank and Blank… and BLANK! Amos grabbed his ears as the last picture cut his cheek. Pressing his head in, he began to drool, his tongue knocking against the bottom of his teeth. A coughing moan turned into agonizing exhales and bloody screams.

  All thoughts turned to mush until arms wrapped around Amos in a tight embrace.

  “You were standing there for ten minutes just looking at the fire pit,” Zero said. “I'm so sorry… I wish I had arrived sooner; maybe I could have done something…” He buried his head into the back of Amos’s neck.

  Amos didn’t even notice the white room vanishing as darkness washed over him. Tears dripped down his neck.

  “I promise you; I’ll feel for you, I’ll move mountains for you… I’ll seek retribution, not just for Lit, but RoT, too.”

  And no longer than a few seconds after hearing the word RoT, the same word associated with his deceased students, Amos just… snapped.

  ? Overpowers: Magical Girl Crossover [Grimlight Psychological/Genre based Power System] ?

  by Moawar

  He, Life, had a simple job.

  His responsibility as an Overpower was to make sure that fiction stories and the characters in them follow their dictated path. He always did his job well enough, not more or less than was needed.

  His latest assignment, however, would, in retrospect, prove to be his most challenging one of all.

  He would find himself in a unfamiliar world. There he'll have to quickly adapt to guide Nozomi.

  The strongest magical girl with the potential to accidentally destroy those she seeks to protect in her fight against evil.

  What to Expect:

  -If you like the psychological aspects of Madoka Magica and the mixing of different genres a crossover story brings then this story is for you