Louise Vallière stood at the edge of the academy courtyard, her small frame barely noticeable amid the crowd of students surrounding her. They chattered excitedly, their voices carrying across the open space, filled with anticipation for today's event—the familiar summoning—the ritual that would define each mage's future. Louise's fingers clenched the hem of her skirt tightly, her knuckles whitening as her heart raced in her chest.

"Hey, Zero," a voice jeered from behind her, followed by mocking laughter.

Her red-haired rival Kirche strolled past with a sneer, her robe flowing dramatically behind her. "Try not to blow yourself up today, would you? Not everyone wants to end up in the infirmary because you can't manage a simple spell."

Louise's jaw tightened, but she said nothing. She had heard it all before. The "Zero." The nickname clung to her like an iron shackle, a constant reminder of her failures. No matter how hard she tried, her spells always ended in disaster, explosions, or nothing. To be a mage who couldn't cast magic was to be a nobody—a zero.

But today would be different. Today, everything was going to change.

She took a deep breath, eyes fixed ahead on the ancient stone platform where the summoning ritual would occur. The other students filed around her, each radiating confidence and power, ready to summon their lifelong companions—familiars that would symbolize their prowess as mages.

Beside her, Tabitha stood in her usual silence, her face a mask of indifference, while Guiche preened and polished the hilt of his sword with exaggerated movements. He glanced at Louise and smirked. "Don't be too disappointed when you summon a puff of smoke, Vallière. Some of us are born great, others… well, there's you."

More laughter.

Louise ignored him, her heart steadying as she focused inward. Deep inside, she felt a pull, a connection to something larger than herself. For years, she endured ridicule, doubt, and humiliation, but she somehow knew today was her day. It was fate—her fate.

Standing tall at the courtyard's center, Professor Colbert called for silence. His voice boomed, echoing off the academy's towering walls. "Today, you will summon your familiars, a task that will bond you to a magical creature for life. Remember, the familiar you summon is a reflection of your magical ability. Approach the summoning circle with confidence, for it is through this ritual that your path as a mage begins."

One by one, the students stepped forward. A dazzling array of creatures emerged from the glowing circles: hawks with shimmering feathers, proud lions with golden manes, and even a majestic dragon that roared as it spread its wings, casting a shadow over the courtyard. Each successful summoning was met with applause, admiration, and envy from the crowd.

Louise's heart pounded louder with each summon. Her turn was approaching, and the moment's weight pressed heavily on her shoulders. She couldn't fail. Not today. Not when everything hinged on this one moment.

"Vallière!" Professor Colbert's voice cut through her thoughts.

She stepped forward, her legs trembling but steady. The eyes of the entire academy bore down on her, some curious, others amused, but all expecting the same thing—failure.

Louise closed her eyes and raised her wand, pointing it toward the ground before her. Her voice, though shaky, carried conviction. "My name is Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière. Pentagon of the Five Elemental Powers… heed my call and bring forth my familiar!"

The silence that followed her chant was deafening.

For a moment, nothing happened. Whispers began to ripple through the crowd, a familiar sense of dread creeping into Louise's chest. Then, a blinding flash of light erupted from the summoning circle, far more intense than before. The air vibrated with a strange energy, a low hum that resonated deeply within her soul.

Louise staggered backward, shielding her eyes from the brilliance. When the light finally dimmed, gasps echoed around her.

In the center of the summoning circle lay a single, gleaming object. It wasn't an animal or a creature of any kind. It was a helmet—a golden, ornate helmet etched with ancient runes that glowed faintly in the dimming light.

Louise stared, her breath catching in her throat. The crowd was stunned into silence. This… this wasn't what anyone had expected. Confusion spread through the students, but none spoke, too baffled to form words.

Something in it called to her. She could feel its power, an ancient and overwhelming presence that thrummed with the very essence of magic. Slowly, almost involuntarily, her hand reached out, fingers trembling as they brushed the excellent, metallic surface of the artifact.

Louise blinked, her hand still hovering above the gleaming helmet. The moment of awe was shattered almost instantly by a chorus of laughter. It started as a few snickers but quickly grew into open ridicule. The students watching in silence now erupted into mockery, their voices blending into a cacophony of derision that filled the courtyard.

"That's it?" Guiche scoffed, his voice carrying over the noise. "A helmet? You can't even summon a proper familiar! Not even a rat or a bird—just some old, dusty headpiece!"

Kirche was nearly doubled over, her usual smirk replaced by a broad grin. "Leave it to Louise the Zero to summon the least useful thing in Halkeginia. Maybe you'll start a new trend—helmets as familiars! You better try wearing it. Maybe it'll improve your magic!"

There was more laughter. Even Professor Colbert, standing nearby, was at a loss for words. He frowned, his gaze lingering on the helmet momentarily as though trying to place its significance, but in the end, he said nothing.

Louise's face burned. The jeers and taunts stung more than she could ever admit, each driving the knife of self-doubt more profound into her chest. She could feel the familiar sense of failure settling over her like a cold, wet blanket. This was supposed to be the day everything changed. She was supposed to prove them all wrong. But here she was, standing in the center of the summoning circle with a useless helmet.

Her vision blurred as she stared at the golden object lying at her feet. Why? She had poured every ounce of her will, every bit of her hope, into that spell. She had felt the connection, the energy in the air. But this—this was all she had summoned? A lifeless piece of armor?

Maybe they're right, she thought, her fingers trembling. Perhaps I am a Zero.

The weight of the realization pressed down on her. She had dreamed of this day for so long—fantasizing about summoning something powerful to show everyone she wasn't the failure they thought she was. But this… this was worse than any explosion or misfire. This was her fate. To always be the one who couldn't measure up and fell short no matter how hard she tried.

She could feel tears prickling at the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away. She wouldn't cry in front of them. Not now. Not ever.

"Louise," Tabitha's soft voice broke through the din, but even her calm demeanor couldn't soften the blow of what had happened.

Kirche wiped a tear from her eye, still giggling. "Oh, come on, Louise. Don't look so disappointed. At least your familiar won't blow up in your face, right? It's not like a helmet can do much damage."

More laughter rippled through the crowd, and Louise's chest tightened with every mocking word. The helmet sat silent and unmoving, mocking her and the rest. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, her nails digging into her palms.

Why? Why couldn't I summon something—anything else?

But deep down, a small voice whispered the answer. This was her fate. No matter how much she tried to deny or fight against it, perhaps she was destined to be the Zero forever.


Louise entered her dorm room, the door creaking shut behind her. The laughter and mockery from the courtyard still echoed in her ears, gnawing at her confidence like a persistent insect. She clutched the helmet tightly to her chest, its cold, smooth surface pressing against her fingers, a harsh contrast to the heat rising in her cheeks.

The room was quiet—almost oppressively so. Usually, Louise would find solace in her private space, a small corner of the academy where she could shut out the world and her classmates' ridicule. But tonight, the silence seemed heavy, weighed down by the day's events. The familiar summoning ritual, the one chance she had to prove herself, had become a disaster.

She crossed the room slowly, her steps muted by the thick carpet, and placed the helmet carefully on her desk. It gleamed faintly in the dim candlelight, its gold surface reflecting the flickering flames. Louise stared at it, her mind racing.

This couldn't be it.

"This… this is what I summoned?" she muttered, sitting on the edge of her bed. She stared at the helmet, disbelief etched into her features. "How could this be my familiar? What am I supposed to do with… a helmet?"

It didn't make any sense. Louise had always believed she was meant for greatness, that her magic—however unreliable—was destined for something extraordinary. Despite all the failures, she had held onto that belief like a lifeline. But now, as she sat alone in her room with this strange, useless helmet as her only companion, the certainty she had clung to all her life began to slip through her fingers.

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, her eyes never leaving the helmet. Its intricate design seemed out of place, even in a world filled with magical artifacts. The gold surface was adorned with swirling patterns and symbols that almost seemed to move in the flickering light. But what caught her attention were the runes—etched deeply into the metal, winding around the helmet in an unbroken line.

Louise frowned. She didn't recognize them.

They were unlike any runes she had ever seen, and she had studied plenty of magical texts during her time at the academy. These symbols didn't resemble anything from her world's magical languages. They weren't the familiar shapes of elemental runes or the complex diagrams used for enchantments. No, these runes were… different. Alien, almost.

Her hand reached out slowly, hesitating before her fingers brushed against the metal. What are you?

She traced the tip of her finger over one of the more prominent symbols. It was sharp and angular and seemed to pulse faintly under her touch. A strange feeling stirred in her chest, something unfamiliar and unsettling. It wasn't fear but an odd sense of… anticipation.

"This can't be all there is," she whispered to the empty room, her voice barely above a breath. "There has to be something more. I'm not… I can't be a Zero forever."

But the helmet remained silent. It didn't glow or hum with latent power. It didn't offer her any answers. It just sat there, an immovable, unfeeling object mocking her thoughts.

Louise bit her lip, her frustration bubbling to the surface. She had been ridiculed her entire life for her lack of magical ability, and now, this—this joke of a familiar—was the final straw. She had been so sure that today would be different, that fate had something special in store for her. Instead, she was left with nothing but this bizarre piece of armor, something she didn't understand and couldn't explain.

"Why?" she asked aloud, her voice thick with emotion. "Why me? Why couldn't I summon a normal familiar like everyone else?"

She picked up the helmet, turned it over in her hands, and inspected every inch. Its weight was solid and heavy as if it were made of more than metal. As she looked closer, she noticed that some of the runes seemed to shift when she wasn't looking directly at them, the shapes twisting subtly at the edge of her vision. It was as if the helmet was alive, but it offered no hint of its purpose or origin.

The academy's magical texts did not mention such a thing. Louise had read about ancient artifacts and powerful relics, but this was different. This helmet didn't belong to any of those stories—it didn't even seem to belong to this world.

Louise sighed, placing it back on her desk. What am I supposed to do now?

She sat silently for an eternity, the day's weight pressing down on her shoulders. The mocking laughter of her classmates still echoed in her mind, and with it, the nagging doubt that had been growing inside her ever since the summoning ritual.

Maybe it is my fate to be a Zero, she thought, her chest tightening at the possibility. Perhaps I'll never be anything more than a failure.

But even as the thought crossed her mind, something deep inside her rebelled against it. She had always believed—no, known—that she was destined for more. That she was meant to be great. And yet, here she was, with nothing but a strange helmet and a heart whole of doubt.

Her eyes flicked back to the helmet, glinting in the dim light. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it. Something she couldn't yet understand. But what?

Her frustration mounted. "This can't be it," she muttered, half to herself. "There has to be more. Why would fate give me… this?"

Suddenly, a faint glow flickered along the surface of the helmet.

Louise yelped and stumbled back, nearly tripping over the edge of her bed. Her eyes widened as the glow intensified, radiating from the runes. The light was soft at first, but it grew brighter, pulsing with a strange rhythm as if the helmet were… alive.

Before she could react, a voice rang out, deep and authoritative. "Where am I?"

Louise froze, her heart pounding in her chest. The voice didn't echo in the room—it reverberated inside her mind, strong and clear. She glanced around wildly, half-expecting someone to be there, but the room was empty. Her gaze snapped back to the helmet, and realization dawned on her.

The voice was coming from it.

The helmet pulsed again, the runes flaring brighter. "Who are you?" the voice demanded, sharp and commanding. "What is this place?"

Louise's breath hitched in her throat. Her hands shook as she took a step closer, her mind racing. "W-What…? How are you… talking?"

The helmet's glow flickered momentarily as if considering her question. "Talking? This form... yes, I am bound to this form. I see. But you have yet to answer me. Who are you?"

Louise swallowed hard. This couldn't be happening. A helmet—a helmet—was talking to her. Magic was unpredictable, sure, but this? This was beyond anything she had ever heard of. "I'm… Louise. Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière."

The room fell silent momentarily, save for the crackling of the candle's flame. The helmet's glow dimmed slightly as though contemplating her words. "Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière," the voice repeated slowly, testing the name as though it were a foreign concept. "You summoned me?"

Louise nodded, her hands clutching her skirt nervously. "I—I think so."

The helmet's glow pulsed brighter again. "Where is this place? What world is this?"

Louise blinked, her confusion deepening. "This is… Tristain Academy. In Halkeginia. What do you mean, 'what world'? How do you not know where you are?"

Another pause. The voice in the helmet grew sharper, more insistent. "Halkeginia… I do not know this place. I do not belong here."

Louise stared at the helmet, the weight of the conversation sinking in. It wasn't just some enchanted object. It wasn't from her world at all. "You… you're not from here, are you?"

"No," the voice responded, its tone clipped. "This is not my world. I was… elsewhere. And now, I find myself here, summoned by one who barely understands the forces she meddles with."

Louise winced at the harshness of the words but couldn't deny the truth in them. She didn't understand—not really. She had no idea what this helmet was, how it was alive, or why it had come to her.

"I don't… I don't understand," Louise said quietly, her eyes fixed on the helmet. "What are you?"

For a moment, the light from the helmet dimmed again, the room plunging into deeper shadow. Then, the voice spoke, calm and composed. "I am the Helmet of Nabu, a Lord of Order. Through me flows the power of the cosmos, the magic that binds and governs all things. And you, Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière, have summoned me."

Louise's mouth went dry. The power of the cosmos? Her mind spun as she tried to process what the helmet had just said. "I summoned you?"

"Yes," Nabu's voice confirmed. "You called upon the forces of magic, and I answered. But you are not worthy. Not yet."

Louise's heart sank. Not worthy? She had known it all along, hadn't she? No matter how hard she tried, she was always a step behind, falling short. And now, even this strange, powerful being saw her as nothing more than a failure—a Zero.

"I knew it," she whispered, more to herself than to the helmet. "I'm not good enough."

Nabu's voice didn't soften. "You are weak, yes. But you have potential. The power to wield me lies within you. It is buried, dormant, waiting to be awakened."

Louise shook her head, tears stinging at the corners of her eyes. "You don't understand. I can't even cast a proper spell without it blowing up in my face. How am I supposed to… wield something like you?"

There was a pause, and for a moment, Louise thought the helmet might have gone silent again. But then Nabu's voice returned, quieter this time, as if considering her words. "Your world's magic is… crude. Unrefined. But there is power in you. I can sense it. The potential for greatness, should you rise above your doubts."

Louise blinked, surprised by the shift in tone. "You… you think I have potential?"

Nabu's voice was firm. "I do not think. I know. But it will not be easy. To wield my power is to embrace a fate greater than yourself. It is to become a servant of Order, a force of balance in a world of chaos. Are you prepared for such a path?"

Louise stared at the helmet, her mind racing. The weight of Nabu's words pressed down on her, heavy with meaning. A force of balance? A servant of Order? She had wanted to be powerful, to prove herself, but this… this was something else entirely.

"I… I don't know," she admitted, her voice trembling. "I don't know if I'm ready for that."

The helmet's glow pulsed brighter once more, the runes flaring to life as if responding to Louise's hesitation. Nabu's voice cut through the silence, more insistent now. "Put me on."

Louise froze, her eyes wide. "What?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"You summoned me," Nabu continued his tone firm and commanding. "To understand your fate, you must embrace it. Put on the helmet, and you will see."

Louise stared at the helmet, her heart pounding in her chest. Put it on? It had been one thing to hear the helmet speak, but to wear it? The thought sent a shiver down her spine. What would happen if she did? Would it change her? Could it finally give her the power she had been searching for all her life?

"I… I don't know," she stammered, her voice faltering. "What will happen?"

Nabu's response was calm but unyielding. "You will know power, Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière. But to wield it, you must trust in me. Now, put me on."

Louise hesitated. She glanced around her tiny room as if expecting someone to step in and stop her and tell her this was a terrible idea. But there was no one. Just her, the helmet, and the flickering candlelight. Her mind raced with a thousand doubts. But underneath it all, something else stirred—a tiny flicker of hope buried beneath layers of fear and failure.

Could this be the answer she had been waiting for? Could this helmet—the same one that had brought her so much ridicule earlier—be her salvation?

Her hands trembled as she reached for it, her fingers brushing against the cool metal again. The runes seemed to pulse under her touch as if sensing her decision. She lifted the helmet carefully, its weight heavier than she had expected. She stared at it for a long moment, her reflection shimmering on its golden surface, distorted by the flickering candlelight.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and lifted the helmet over her head. For a brief moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. Then, everything changed as she placed the helmet down over her head.

A surge of energy raced through her, flooding her body like a tidal wave. Her vision blurred, and for a second, she thought she might collapse under its sheer force. But the helmet seemed to steady her, anchoring her to something greater. The room around her disappeared, replaced by a swirling void of stars and glowing light. She could feel the power coursing through her veins, unlike anything she had ever experienced. It was overwhelming, exhilarating—and terrifying.

Suddenly, she wasn't alone.

"I see you now," Nabu's voice echoed, no longer distant but clear and resonant inside her mind. You are connected to me as I am to you."

Louise gasped, her breath coming in short bursts. "What… what is this? What's happening?"

"You have unlocked the first of many steps," Nabu said calmly. "This is the power you sought. The magic you believed you lacked. You are now bound to me, Louise; through me, you will wield the cosmos' power."

The words sank in slowly, and with them, a strange sense of clarity. The doubt, the ridicule, the feeling of being a Zero began to melt away, replaced by something more substantial. She could feel the magic now, humming beneath the surface of her skin, as if it had been there all along, waiting for her to unlock it.

"I… I can feel it," she whispered, her voice trembling with awe. "I can feel the magic."

"Yes," Nabu replied. "You have always had the potential, but it was buried beneath your fear and uncertainty. Now, you are free. Now, you will begin to understand your true power."

Louise's eyes fluttered open, but the room was gone. She was standing in the void, the stars swirling around her in an endless expanse. She looked down at her hands, glowing faintly with a golden light, and for the first time in her life, she didn't feel powerless. She didn't feel like a failure. She felt… powerful.

But with the power came questions she didn't know how to answer. "What am I supposed to do with this?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. "How can I—how can I control it?"

Nabu's voice softened, the commanding edge fading slightly. "In time, you will learn. For now, you must trust in the power. It would be best if you trusted me. Together, we will shape your fate."

Louise swallowed hard, her heart racing. There was no turning back now. She had taken the first step, and it had already changed everything. But was she ready for what came next?

"I… I'll try," she said, her voice steadier now, though still uncertain. "I'll trust you."

The void around her seemed to pulse with approval, and Nabu's voice echoed one last time before the stars began to fade. "Good. Then let us begin."

In an instant, the world snapped back into focus. The swirling stars, the golden light—it was all gone. Louise found herself in her dorm room, the candle still flickering on the desk and the helmet's weight resting on her head.

But everything was different now. She could feel it.

The power was absolute. And for the first time in her life, Louise knew she was no longer a Zero.

She was something else entirely.


Writing this chapter was so much fun! I'm looking forward to seeing how Louise's journey unfolds now that she's bonded with the Helmet of Fate. Just imagine how wild it could get—Louise, the "Zero," now wielding cosmic power as the next Doctor Fate!