A hush blankets Neo-Tokyo beneath the midnight rain, each drop reflecting neon colors as it splashes onto the streets. It’s never truly silent here—just subdued, like the city’s breathing gently in the dark. The air thrums with hushed energy, a secret symphony coaxing anyone who dares to listen.

I tug my hood up against the drizzle, weaving through narrow roads that wind like circuit boards beneath colossal skyscrapers. My reflection wavers on the wet pavement—a slight, silver-haired figure caught between dancing neon arcs and swirling puddles. I’m just seventeen. And yet, these alleys, worn and half-forgotten, make me feel both ancient and brand new. In them, I sense echoes of my past—memories that remain out of reach.

“Why this alley again?” Hidari’s chipper tone breaks the silence in my ear. “You’re always prowling back here like you expect to find an old ghost waiting for you.”

A half-laugh slips from me as I idly tighten the earpiece connecting us. “Maybe I am,” I admit, glancing at the vacant doorways. “Sometimes, shadows reveal the truths that broad daylight tries to hide.”

I run my fingers over the small device in my pocket—a piece of technology that hums with gentle beeps. The action soothes me, reminding me that while I’m walking into darkness, I’m never truly alone. Hidari is with me, for better or worse.

Crossing into a broader, busier street, the city’s pulse surges. Hovercars glide by in flickers of neon. Somewhere up above, I hear the hiss of rails and the hum of floating platforms. In my mind, rumors swirl: the Guardians, the Rebels, the Rangers, the Investigators—factions dancing through the city, each with its own agenda. And somewhere behind the scenes is the elusive Professor Akira, whose name surfaces in every whispered conversation about Breaker tech.

My heart speeds up when I catch sight of a familiar figure standing beneath a row of glowing signs: Rose, pink hair cascading like liquid color in the downpour. She’s scanning the crowd with that keen, unwavering gaze I’ve come to trust—and sometimes fear.

“Late again?” she calls out the moment I’m in earshot, a crooked grin softening her otherwise guarded features.

I force a casual shrug as I approach. “Honestly, if I keep you waiting, I might finally find a real rumor about you.”

She rolls her eyes, though a spark of amusement lingers. “One day, Tatsuya.”

Her posture is a little too stiff, betraying the constant tension that rides just under her confidence. We slip into a comfortable stride together, weaving around vendors hawking exotic foods and glimmering contraband. Muffled voices rise and fall in a turbulent melody: the heartbeat of a city teetering on the razor’s edge of both progress and chaos.

“Is it true,” I ask, lowering my voice so it doesn’t carry, “that Professor Akira is connected to Factor Zero?”

Rose’s step falters almost imperceptibly. “That’s what some sources say. Factor Zero isn’t shy about pushing the limits of human potential. Nobody knows exactly where they operate—only that they dwell in places that make even shadows uneasy. And that’s exactly the kind of place Akira would haunt.”

A strange ache flickers through me, like I’m on the verge of remembering something crucial. It vanishes the moment I try to chase it. Exhaling, I press on. “Is that also why you stay with the Guardians? I mean…everyone knows they’re on the front lines of these kinds of mysteries.”

She tilts her head, pink strands of hair catching the neon glow. “I’m not with the Guardians because I love them,” she answers calmly. “I’m with them because…they anchor me. At least for now.”

Her honesty surprises me, and an odd camaraderie settles in. We walk past stalls that groan with junk-tech, crates of black-market chips, and old manuscripts rumored to be relics from times best forgotten. The crowd grows louder, the air thick with sizzling food and desperation.

Hidari buzzes in my earpiece, cheerful in the midst of the chaos. “Hey, Tatsuya, I’m detecting some unusual data flow—potential signals referencing Akira’s predictive models. Could be worth investigating!”

“Then let’s see where these signals lead,” I say, turning to Rose.

She nods. “I’ll watch your back.”

We slip away from the lights, winding through an archway that leads to a quieter section of the bazaar. The noises dull to a low murmur, the shadows deepening. Unease prickles down my neck. In a city teeming with opportunists and hidden deals, quiet spaces can be the most dangerous of all.

Rose senses it too; her shoulders tense even as her expression remains cool. “Ready?” she asks, her voice hushed.

I clench my fist around the Limit Breaker chip. Something in it pulses back, a faint spark, as if it’s echoing my own heartbeat. “No. But let’s go anyway.”

She smiles—fierce and reassuring. “Then we move forward together.”

In the distance, a flicker of bright signage draws my gaze to the sky, the city’s infinite canopy of neon-laced towers swirling in the dark like a cosmic ocean. I can almost taste the promise of secrets waiting to be exposed, and with every step I take, I feel one more piece of my identity snapping into place—like the city itself is coaxing me back to a life I forgot I had.

Above us, thunder rumbles, or maybe it’s just the hum of a distant hovertrain. Either way, it resonates with the electric tension of the night. I grip that tension, channel it, and keep moving.

Even if I’m chasing shadows, I’m not running anymore.