I stand at the threshold of the Guardian headquarters, my mind reeling from the revelations still echoing in my skull. Each breath comes slow, measured, as if I’m reluctant to let it fully expand in my lungs. Past the imposing doors ahead lies a future I’m no longer certain belongs to me.

Ever since Professor Akira’s files spilled their secrets about my origins, the fragile puzzle of my life has been knocked off the table. I was…made. A piece in someone else’s grand plan. And although I came here seeking clarity, a part of me wonders if I’ll find only more shadows.

When I step inside, the Guardian chamber welcomes me with a low, electric hum, half data center and half war room. Holo-screens and holographic readouts flicker around me, each one a window into Neo-Tokyo’s beating heart—intel on ongoing patrols, faction movements, emergent threats.

Rose awaits me near the center, the faint glow of a suspended map casting blue light across her features. There’s a tightness in her eyes I rarely see, like the city’s burdens have coiled inside her and refused to let go.

“You’re handling this better than I expected,” she says softly, though her voice trembles with an undercurrent of tension.

But I don’t feel composed at all. My thoughts keep returning to the chip embedded in my wrist—once a symbol of potential, now a reminder of my synthetic roots. Am I just another product of Akira’s ambition? Am I nothing more than a living blueprint?

“Rose,” I begin, searching her expression, “did you know about…this…all along?”

She dips her head in a small nod, the motion tinged with regret. “From the day I found you. It was part of why I kept you close. The Guardian sector needed you, in a way we couldn’t reveal.”

For a moment, the hum of the chamber seems to fade, leaving only the hush that settles between us. I stare at her, trying to pick apart her reaction—whether it’s remorse, resolve, or both.

“Why not tell me?” My voice cracks slightly, betraying the swirl of hurt and confusion that churns beneath my words.

Her gaze is steady but shadows flicker behind it. “Because your truth is dangerous. We saw how quickly it could be exploited if the wrong hands knew. And…” She draws a breath, steel creeping into her tone. “We needed your help. If you’d known from the start, you might have run or fought back. Then all of this—Neo-Tokyo’s fate—might have spiraled further out of control.”

I clench my fist around the cuff of my jacket, remembering how I once believed I was just some random amnesiac. “So, what does that make me—a pawn? A weapon?”

A flash of guilt mars her composure. “That was never my intention.” She glances around at the vacant corners of the chamber, as though searching for watchers. “This place is crawling with eyes and ears. Let’s talk in private.”

Before we can move, Hidari breaks in with its usual deadpan timing. “Master Tatsuya, might I suggest a classic sword duel to resolve your differences? My logs show it can be quite cathartic.”

Despite everything, I let out a strangled half-laugh. “Always know how to lighten the mood, huh?”

We slip into a smaller alcove off the main hall, the tinted glass walls providing a semblance of privacy. Rose quickly taps at a nearby console, deactivating local surveillance. My pulse is still pounding, but at least away from prying eyes, I can breathe without feeling exposed.

A flicker of blue light announces a hologram spinning into the air: Professor Akira’s face, etched with brilliance and burden. Dozens of data fragments orbit around him—snippets of code, half-finished designs, notes scrawled in his own handwriting.

Rose’s voice lowers. “Akira never accepted the world’s constraints. He believed in transcending them. That’s why the Limit Breaker tech exists, why you exist. He wanted to create someone who could tip the balance for all of us.”

Memories, fuzzy around the edges, flicker through my mind: a hazy image of a man with tired eyes, kneeling beside me as though I was his final hope. “I remember him…just flashes. He seemed…conflicted.”

Rose nods. “He reached beyond nature’s limits. But whenever someone aims that high, others line up to twist their vision to suit their own ends.” Her gaze sharpens. “That’s why you’re so important. You can become the embodiment of Akira’s intentions—or tear them down altogether. It’s your choice.”

The words resonate, fusing with the raw swirl of emotion roiling inside me. Despite the anger I feel about being left in the dark, there’s a seed of determination that takes hold—like a spark that refuses to be snuffed out.

I exhale slowly, letting the tension bleed from my shoulders. “I want to see those archives. Everything he left behind. If I’m going to decide my role in this, I need all the pieces.”

Rose’s posture eases, relief touching her eyes. “I’ll help. But you must be prepared for what you’ll find. It might not be what you want to hear.”

A chime echoes across the chamber, an urgent summons. Duty calls, as always. Rose kills the hologram with a wave of her hand, Akira’s face vanishing like a wisp of smoke. “They need us out there,” she says, voice tight with renewed focus.

I nod, following her back into the main hall. It’s a hive of activity, Guardians rushing to and fro, prepping for something big—another riot, a Rebel push, or the latest wave in this endless power struggle. The adrenaline in the air stirs my own blood, and I let it sharpen my senses.

As we walk, Rose catches my arm, her eyes reflecting the shifting lights of the data screens. “You’re more than a creation, Tatsuya. More than I ever could’ve predicted. Don’t let that slip away, no matter what the archives say.”

I hold her gaze for a heartbeat longer than I intend. “I won’t,” I promise. And somehow, that vow steels me, giving shape to a new sense of self.

Up ahead, the doors hiss open. A Guardian officer belts out an order—something about imminent deployment. People fall into line with the ease of well-drilled soldiers, each person carrying their own burdens, their own reasons for protecting this city.

In the rush, I catch a glimpse of my own reflection in a glass panel. For the first time, I recognize a flicker of strength in the set of my jaw. Sure, my origins might be a twisted concoction of genius and ambition, but I’m still here, forging my own path in a place that can crush or free you, depending on your will.

A fresh jolt of energy surges through me, fueling my step. Even if my life began as a piece on someone else’s chessboard, that doesn’t mean I can’t make my own moves.

And I won’t be playing alone.

With that thought thrumming in my chest, I join Rose and the other Guardians as they head into the city, into yet another looming crisis. This time, though, I’m armed not just with the Limit Breaker chip but with the spark of understanding that I get to decide who I am, what I’ll become—and maybe, just maybe, how this whole game ends.