Absolute Being: I Am Nothing-Chapter 83: "That Would Be Me,"

Outside the kingdom of the Dark Lord

"That’s Kahdijah," Adam said casually as Merlin and Morgana stepped through the gate behind him. He gestured toward her like he was introducing a family member at a reunion. "My best friend. Try not to annoy her too much. She’s got a short fuse with strangers."

Kahdijah crossed her arms and gave Merlin a quick once-over. Then her gaze shifted to Morgana. She didn’t ask who they were or why they were there. She just nodded once, a small acknowledgment that felt heavier than any greeting.

Adam’s eyes moved past them.

He stopped.

He looked at Bolt.

Then he leaned forward slightly, his head tilting like a dog hearing a strange sound.

"You," Adam said slowly. There was something different in his voice now. Less casual. More focused. "You look familiar."

Bolt blinked. "We just met. Like, two minutes ago."

Adam narrowed his eyes. He studied Bolt’s face like he was trying to read fine print without glasses.

"Have we met before?" Adam asked. His voice was serious now. No jokes. "Be honest with me. Have I killed you before? Past life. Present life. Parallel universe accident. Something. Tell me where we met."

Bolt stared at him.

"...What?"

Kahdijah raised an eyebrow. She looked between them, sensing something she hadn’t picked up on before.

"You told me you’d met him," she said to Adam. "Was that a lie? Or did you forget?"

Adam didn’t answer. He was still staring at Bolt, his expression caught somewhere between confusion and recognition.

"No," he muttered. "I know this face. I know that look. That panic. That expression like you owe me money and you’re hoping I forgot."

Bolt’s face twisted. "I do not owe you money."

"Are you sure?" Adam pressed. "Because I’m getting serious unpaid debt vibes right now."

"I’ve never seen you before in my life."

Adam tilted his head. "Are you absolutely sure? Think carefully. Think hard. Maybe I erased your memory and you just don’t remember."

"Why would you erase my memory?"

Adam shrugged. "Because I felt like it. I do that sometimes. Not often. But sometimes."

Bolt rubbed his face with both hands. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere else.

Kahdijah walked around Bolt slowly, circling him like a shark. She studied him from every angle, her eyes narrowed in mock inspection.

"He does have that look," she said thoughtfully. "Like someone who got erased and never quite recovered. There’s a faint confusion aura around him."

"There is no confusion aura," Bolt snapped. "That’s not a thing."

Adam snapped his fingers.

"That’s it," he said, his face lighting up. "You came to me. After the Night Regalia. You showed up looking for help."

Bolt’s face went blank.

Adam laughed, loud and genuine. "Yes! I remember now. You were panicking. Begging for help. Saying your hometown was under attack. You were shaking."

"I was not shaking."

"You were absolutely shaking. Like a leaf."

"I was not."

"You were. I remember it clearly. You had this look on your face like you’d just seen something worse than death."

Bolt clenched his fists. "You destroyed them before I could even finish my sentence. I was trying to ask for assistance and you were already done. I didn’t even get to the point."

Adam burst out laughing again. "Oh man. You were so serious too. Standing there, trying to explain, and I just—" He made a wiping motion with his hand. "Gone."

Kahdijah looked at Bolt with new interest. "You went to him for help? Voluntarily?"

Bolt looked embarrassed. "I had no choice. They were going to destroy everything."

Adam grinned. "And now look at you. Still alive. Still dramatic. Still making faces."

Bolt’s eye twitched. "You are impossible."

"I’ve been called worse." Adam glanced at Kahdijah. "Much worse. By better people."

Morgana watched the exchange in silence. Merlin said nothing, just observed with quiet interest.

Bolt finally snapped. "Can you two stop messing with me? This isn’t funny."

Adam looked at Kahdijah. "He’s about to cry."

"I am not about to cry."

"You sound like you’re about to cry. Your voice is doing that thing."

Bolt took a deep breath. "You know what? Forget it. Forget this whole conversation."

Adam laughed again, softer this time. "Relax. I remember now. You’re the guy who showed up right after I ended the Night Regalia. You were looking for backup. Something about your hometown being swallowed or something."

Bolt exhaled slowly. "Yes. That was me."

Adam patted his shoulder. "See? We’re friends."

"We are not friends."

"We survived the same day. That counts. That’s how friendships start."

Before Bolt could respond—

A tremor shook the ground.

Not loud. Not violent. But unmistakable.

Everyone went quiet.

Another one. Closer.

Screams echoed from somewhere beyond the streets. Not distant screams. Nearby. Human. Terrified.

Adam’s smile faded.

Kahdijah’s posture shifted instantly. The playful chaos in her eyes hardened into something sharper.

Merlin’s gaze snapped toward the sound.

Morgana stiffened.

Bolt turned.

Figures were moving through the city. Not running. Marching. Rows of them, dark armor swallowing the fading light. Blades raised. No hesitation in their steps. No mercy in their formation.

They cut down anyone in their path.

No warnings. No demands. No speeches.

Just slaughter.

People ran. Families scattered. Merchants abandoned their stalls. Children screamed for parents who couldn’t hear them.

The soldiers did not slow.

Bodies fell one after another as they advanced toward the gate.

Adam watched for a long moment. His expression was unreadable.

"Well," he muttered. "That escalated."

The army parted at the center.

A tall figure stepped forward.

Dark cloak, heavy and trailing. A crown of jagged metal sat on his silver hair, catching the torchlight. His eyes burned with something cold and patient—hatred that had been cultivated for centuries.

The Dark Lord.

He stopped a few steps from the gate entrance. His gaze swept across the group, taking in each face with deliberate slowness.

It paused on Adam.

Then on Merlin.

He tilted his head slightly, a gesture of curiosity rather than threat.

"So," he said slowly. His voice was calm. Almost conversational. "Which of you is killing me today?"

Silence.

Merlin stepped forward. One step. Then another. He positioned himself between the Dark Lord and the others.

"That would be me,"