THEORY: Mint was intentionally assigned to Zero as an emotional stabilizer — while Hotori acts as the emergency failsafe

After finishing the current 1.0 story of Neverness to Everness, I think the game has been subtly building toward a much darker truth regarding Zero, Mint, Hotori, and the Director’s real intentions.

This theory connects:

• Zero’s suspicious treatment by the Bureau
• Hotori’s placement beside him
• Mint’s unusually fast emotional attachment
• and the Director’s strange decisions throughout the story.

Part 1 — Zero is NOT treated like a normal recruit

From the very beginning, the story repeatedly hints that Zero is considered dangerous by higher-ranked members of the Bureau.

Important clues:

• The Wertheimer Index reads Zero as exactly “0”
• The opening anomaly recognizes him immediately
• The anomaly literally says:“Stop interfering.”
• Zero appears directly from the yellow anomaly phenomenon
• The Director says:“As long as he remains on our side…”

That is NOT how you talk about a normal employee.

The wording implies:

• the Bureau does not fully trust Zero
• they may already know he is tied to anomalies
• and they are actively monitoring him.

Especially after the recent 1.0 lore developments heavily implying Zero himself is an anomaly.

Part 2 — Why send Zero to Hotori?

This is where things become interesting.

Hotori is not just:

• a shop owner
• or a random teammate.

She possesses some of the most dangerous abilities currently shown in the game:

• time stop
• time slowdown
• local time manipulation
• Adler Loop synchronization

The game also reveals:

• Hotori’s powers are deeply connected to trauma
• she can freeze entire environments for extended periods
• and her abilities affect reality itself.

So why is Zero specifically placed under HER supervision?

Simple: Hotori may be the Bureau’s emergency failsafe.

If Zero loses control:

• Hotori could theoretically freeze or slow him
• contain a collapse
• or stabilize reality long enough for the Bureau to react.

This would explain why the Director immediately places Zero near one of the few people capable of manipulating time itself.

Part 3 — Mint’s role makes no logical sense… unless it was intentional

This is the biggest part of the theory.

Mint is essentially still an apprentice / low-rank member.

So why would the Director:

• repeatedly assign Mint to work alongside Zero
• allow them to build closeness
• and pair an inexperienced recruit with someone potentially catastrophic?

That would normally be reckless.

Unless: the Director WANTED that emotional bond to happen.

Part 4 — Mint may be Zero’s emotional stabilizer

Throughout the story:

• Mint becomes attached to Zero unusually fast
• Zero reacts more humanly around Mint
• they spend large amounts of time together
• and the game constantly reinforces emotional trust between them.

This may not simply be romance setup.

The Director may have realized: Zero becomes more emotionally stable when connected to Mint.

Meaning: Hotori = physical/metaphysical failsafe
Mint = emotional failsafe

This would also explain why:

• Mint is constantly near Zero
• the Director allows the relationship to deepen
• and Zero is never fully isolated despite being potentially dangerous.

Because emotional attachment may be the ONLY thing keeping him stable.

Part 5 — The tragedy hidden inside the theory

The darkest part: Mint probably knows NONE of this.

Her feelings may be completely genuine.

Which means: the Director may have intentionally cultivated a real emotional bond as a containment strategy.

And if Zero or Mint ever discover this?

That could become the story’s biggest betrayal moment.

Imagine:

• Zero learns the Bureau never truly trusted him
• Mint realizes her relationship may have been strategically encouraged
• and the emotional connection keeping Zero stable begins collapsing.

Ironically: the Bureau’s attempt to control Zero emotionally may become the very thing that destabilizes him.

Final Thought

The reason this theory feels believable is because it connects multiple strange story decisions that otherwise make little sense:

• Why Mint?
• Why Hotori?
• Why the Director’s suspicious wording?
• Why is Zero treated carefully but not imprisoned?
• Why allow emotional attachment instead of strict containment?

The answer may be: the Bureau knows force alone cannot stop Zero.

So instead… they built emotional anchors around him.