"Who..." Maya whispered, pulling her knees closer to her chest. "Who are you?"
Zen paused at the question, with his hand suspended in mid-air. He retracted his hand and slowly sat down on the glass-covered floor right in front of her, crossing his legs so he was completely on her level.
He looked directly into Maya's terrified eyes. Instead of using his overwhelming, heavy aura, he projected a gentle and warm version of his magic to help calm her shaking.
"I am the same Zen you know," Zen said softly.
Maya shook her head quickly. She pulled her knees tighter to her chest. "No," she whispered in a shaky voice. "No, you are not. The Zen I know is a Low F-Rank. He was weak. Kaelan beat him up so badly that his core completely shattered. He could barely stand up on his own. He was... he was pathetic."
Zen didn't get angry at those words. He just smiled a little. "That used to be me," he said calmly. "Until I awakened the consciousness of the Emperor inside me."
