Both Haruto and Natsume were out of breath. The twins frantically searched for somewhere else to flee but saw none. Antigone had cut off their best plan for an escape without breaking a sweat.

Natsume and Haruto both pulled out their smartphones as their next best bet would be calling for help. But she had no signal, looking to her brother she saw his phone was the same. They found themselves in a "Dead zone."

"As you can see, Miss Ito, there is no way to escape" Antigone seemed to have read their intent. "will you come with me now?"

"W-what will happen if I do?" said Natsume, her voice was still shaky from a mixture of anxiousness and fatigue from the run.

"You will live in perfection, then you will live forever." a forced smile cracked Antigone's lips.

Haruto moved to speak but had his mouth covered by Natsume as if to say, "You've done enough, let me handle her now."

Haruto's eyes lit up in anger. He didn't like getting cut out of a conversation that involved his sister, and he struggled not to interject more. He wanted to trust his sister's newfound confidence, but she was his twin, and they had been looking out for each other all their lives. His terror for her was palpable.

All through childhood Natsume had always shied away from confrontation. She had been growing bold since the first meeting with Antigone that morning. Something deep inside was waking up.

"If I say no?"

Antigone's grin disappeared. "I am not permitted to leave without you. You must come with me, no matter the answer." Lifting her Satsuma, Antigone pointed the weapon in Haruto's direction. "Any further attempts to flee will result in violent action, Violent action against Miss Ito's brother if I must."

Natsume gripped her brother's hand tight, keeping him behind her.

"Take my hand now... please." Antigone's cold demeanor cracked, she now seemed to plead with Natsume out of fear of remorse. Natsume realized Antigone could have taken her by force at any time but rather chose to convince her instead. In Natsume's mind, she had no choice at all.

Natsume nodded, then looked back to her brother.

"I can't see you get hurt."

Letting go of Haruto's wrist, Natsume walked to Antigone's waiting hand. Haruto quickly grabbed Natsume's arm, but she pulled away from his grip. Looking over her shoulder, Haruto could see the fury in his sister's eyes. Tears began to trail down her face as she looked away. In all of his life, he had never seen such anger. Haruto fought back his need to stop her.

"Thank you, Miss Ito. You have made the right choice." Antigone tentatively approached, meeting Natsume halfway.

Turning the dial of a watch-like device on her left wrist, Antigone opened it, giving light to its display. A holographic globe appeared at her wrist, neither Haruto or Natsume could recognize the planets it displayed. Pushing the dial down, the screen closed, starting a slow beeping noise. The device turned slowly as a timer wound down.

Haruto suspected by the time the watch reached the end of its cycle, his sister would be gone forever.

Never in his life had Haruto been a hero, when there was trouble. He had always run away from any problem, leaving it for someone else to deal with. But not now, not when it came to his sister. His body seemed to move on its own.

Without hesitation, he charged hard with all his force at Antigone. Seeing his move, Antigone pushed Natsume behind her. Raising her staff high, Antigone stood poised to strike as Haruto, his face contorted in terror and rage, came at her head-on.

Natsume screamed. She could see the blow before it could come. An image of the Satsuma coming down with lightning-fast speed atop her brother's head flashed before her eyes. Her last memory of him would be his body face down in a pool of his own blood. She stood by Antigone's side to avoid just such a scenario. Antigone was about to break their unspoken agreement.

Natsume jumped at Antigone's weapon, grabbing it by its tip, pulling it back away from her. Antigone was caught off guard and unable to attack.

Ramming into Antigone, Haruto grappled her by the waist, unintentionally pushing her back into his sister, knocking Natsume away from the struggle.

A moment later, the device at Antigone's wrist gave off one last loud metallic click, accompanied by a chime "Warp jump activation."

A pillar of blinding white light descended from the sky, hitting the ground with a thunderous quake. Haruto and Antigone were both enveloped by it where they stood.

"Nooooo!" Antigone screamed, her face twisted into an expression of despair. Dropping her staff, Antigone turned to grab hold of Natsume outside the pillar of light. But it was too late, the light immediately ascended back into the night sky, back into the stars where it had come from.

Natsume stayed where she fell, dazzled, and half-blinded by keratitis. She stared at the place Antigone and Haruto had just stood but found them nowhere to be seen. All that remained was a woman's right hand that lay at Natsume's feet. Severed at the wrist, a faint glint of metal could be seen in the glow of street lights. Where bone should have been, there were only mechanical parts.