There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL) novel Chapter 124

Chapter 124: Chapter 120. The Weight of Fate

Zein flinched slightly at Radia’s words, even after readying himself for the news.

Father.

It was a sensitive word for him. He had been denying that word all his life, first by refusing to acknowledge that terrible man as his father. Which, thankfully, wasn’t his real father.

But that didn’t mean he was glad for the alternative, knowing that his real father was someone who imprinted his mother and took her away from his friends, put her in danger whilst pregnant, and resulted in her ending up in the red-zone with a man who had filth for his heart.

He had no idea whether he would end up with a worse version of a man than Marshal Tadros.

Looking at the guide’s hard gaze, Radia smiled solemnly, and spoke in a calm tone. "As I said, it’s only a hint. I haven’t actually started to look for him yet."

"Then..."

Once again, Radia tapped on his tablet and showed Zein a picture. This time, it was a single photograph. It seemed to be taken by a group of people inside a restaurant, where they take a commemorative picture of themselves.

Zein was frowning at the seemingly unrelated picture and about to ask what kind of hint was possibly there when his eyes caught a space at the corner of the picture.

"That’s..."

Wordlessly, Radia zoomed in on that exact space, and even cleared up the vision so they could identify the person caught in the picture. There was no need to guess anymore with the striking blue eyes clearly shown there; it was Zein’s mother, Lucia.

Zein stared hard at the bright smile on her beautiful face. The blue eyes were staring at a space in front of her, which unfortunately was not caught in the shot. They looked brilliant and soft and filled with apparent affection. It made Zein’s stomach churn.

"This one dated twenty-nine years ago, so the timeline fit. It was probably before she conceived you," Radia explained, and then sent out another picture. "Unfortunately, the restaurant is no longer operating, and even after tracing the management, they already getting rid of the CCTV records. Instead, we traced the people in that photograph and get another picture."

The other image wasn’t so different from the first one, still with the same group taking a picture. But the angle was slightly different, and from there, Zein could see Lucia better, as well as a part of the person that was sitting across her.

And by a part, it was only a forearm. _{freewebnovel.cσ๓}

"We don’t know yet for sure if that person is your father," Radia said, observing the hardened gaze and furrowed brows of the guide. "But from the time period and your mother’s gesture, it’s highly likely."

Zein pressed his lips, just as the summoned secretary put a sweet chocolate drink in front of him, even though he never asked for it. Without questioning it, he took the cool glass and gulped it down, cooling his heated mind.

Again, Radia zoomed in on that corner, focusing on the sliver of the arm, and a visible tattoo on the wrist. He flicked another image forward so Zein could see it; the clearer image of the tattoo.

And his heart stopped beating for a second.

It was an interlaced ten-pointed star, and in the middle of it, was the same stigma carved on his nape.

Zein gripped his hand tight, which almost flew to cover the back of his neck. Thanks to the mask, that symbol of Setnath had been hidden from the others, covered by the choker-like device.

Seeing that symbol on someone who was probably his father felt...unsettling.

"This is a brand," Radia informed him, pulling out a concise report regarding the tattoo. "It belonged to an organization that was already experiencing a purge."

The blue eyes widened a little bit. "You mean...the reason she said they were in danger..."

"That, I couldn’t tell," Radia shook his head. "It’s quite an old force, and while it’s not exactly secretive, the members were known to be elusive. We still trying to uncover this organization since it’s not based in area-13, and I couldn’t tell for sure if they received a purging during this time or later on."

"Then...about this organization..."

Radia paused for a bit before answering, watching keenly as Zein seemed to struggle on keeping calm. His usually nonchalant face was filled with agitation, and the fair face turned paler as the blue eyes never left the image of the brand.

When Zein finally shifted his eyes from the screen to look at him, Radia answered carefully. "They are called The Templar of Arms Master," he said. "They were known to worship Setnath."

Haa...Zein burrowed his face in his palms. Truly, he had no idea if this man was better or worse.

A Setnath worshipper, imprinting a fragment of Setnath--or the carrier of it. Even if Lucia looked like she loved him with all her heart...was his intention truly love? Or would it be no more than an attempt to secure the seed of Setnath in their midst?