I can almost taste the electricity in the air—Neo-Tokyo’s streets feel on the brink of something. Every neon-lit alley and soaring tower crackles under the weight of too many secrets. If I close my eyes, I can sense it: the hush that comes right before a storm breaks.

I’ve been drifting through these avenues and thoroughfares in a strange new state of mind. It’s not just about recovering the memories I lost or discovering whether the person I was even still exists. It’s the knowledge that, in a twisted way, I am Professor Akira. Or a part of him, at least—a clone he made, shaping me like clay for reasons that still elude me. The thought gnaws at me. Am I really me, or am I just his echo?

Rose’s footfalls echo softly beside mine. She’s been a steady point in a world full of shifting allegiances. Yet I can’t deny there’s still tension in the space between us—she knew more about my origins than she’d let on. But for the moment, we’ve found a cautious balance, united by the need to protect this city from a looming crisis we can barely see.

“What’s it like,” she asks, turning to me, “knowing you were…someone else’s design?”

I pause in my stride, considering how to answer. “It’s like waking up to find out your reflection isn’t your own,” I say, voice tightening. “I keep looking for my instincts or feelings to confirm who I am, but they’re stained by this notion that I’m just…Akira’s echo. A living memory of him.”

She nods, and a flicker of empathy crosses her features. Before she can respond, the raucous sound of a bustling market square envelops us. Dozens of stalls under fluorescent canopies, vendors hawking contraband, and a swirl of whispered deals weave a tapestry of risk and opportunity.

We slow down, letting the crowd’s noise wash over us. Rose pulls out a slim communicator, scanning some data that scrolls by in pulsing green text. “There’s a rumor about a high-stakes meeting tonight—some kind of alliance negotiation.”

I glance at her. “Between which factions?”

She shakes her head. “It’s not clear. Everyone’s on edge. The Guardians, Rebels, Rangers, Investigators—they’re all sniffing around. If these talks happen, it could mean an unprecedented partnership…or it could blow everything sky-high.”

The thought of that many Breakers, each with their own cause and motivations, trying to sit down at the same table is almost laughable. But if they’re serious…this city could look very different by dawn.

We slip into a narrow alley, stepping away from the flashing holographic ads and bargaining shouts. My pulse flutters when I notice a figure shifting at the edge of my vision—a presence trying to hide but failing to fully escape my notice.

“We’re not alone,” I whisper, barely moving my lips.

Rose tenses, a shimmer dancing across her eyes as she taps into her time manipulation. The world feels like it slows down for a heartbeat—I can see every detail in sharp relief. We pick out the shape lurking behind a stack of crates, trying to follow us.

“On my signal,” she murmurs, and we break into motion, darting down a side passage. Footsteps echo behind us. We twist and turn through the city’s maze, luring our pursuer into a vacant warehouse whose walls creak like old bones. Inside, the faint glow from an emergency light bathes the concrete floor in a ghostly hue.

We skid to a halt, and the figure steps out from the shadows. My heart jumps when I see that they wear a cloak and the faint neon glow of an earpiece. They lift their hood—and for a second, I think I’m seeing a reflection of my own face. Then I realize it’s just that same aura of familiarity: I’ve seen them before.

“Hidari?” I breathe. It’s not the small device perched on my ear, but a sleek projection of the AI in a vaguely human shape.

“Apologies for the chase,” the AI says, voice modulating with that faint digital buzz. “I had to confirm you were alone. The meeting you’ve heard about… it’s no simple deal. It could redraw the lines around every Breaker faction in Neo-Tokyo.”

Rose’s arm is half-raised, ready to summon her powers if this turns out to be a trap. “You’re supposed to serve Tatsuya. But now you show up with new intel out of nowhere?”

Hidari’s projected face remains placid, eyes glowing with faint code. “I’ve discovered subroutines within my own directives. It appears I was meant to gather information not just for Tatsuya’s benefit, but for…Akira’s vision.”

A prickle runs up my spine at that name again. “Akira’s vision,” I repeat softly. “So this meeting… you’re telling us it’s an ultimatum?”

Hidari’s form crackles with static, as if it’s uneasy. “The alliance being discussed is on a tightrope. If it works, the Breaker factions might finally form a unified front—something that could turn the tide in Neo-Tokyo. If it fails, the city might tear itself apart.”

“Why keep it so quiet?” I ask.

“Because if word got out, the sabotage would be swift and overwhelming. You two might be the only ones able to navigate both sides of these fractious groups.”

Rose sighs, pressing her palm to her forehead in exasperation. “I knew something was off. Everyone’s been too quiet lately—no open feuds in the squares, no blatant skirmishes. They’re all saving up for this.”

It feels like a pivot point. The knowledge of my lineage—of being Akira’s clone—looms in the back of my mind, warring with the immediate need to prevent a potential cataclysmic meltdown of Breaker factions. Everything’s happening too fast, but there’s no time to hesitate.

I lock eyes with Rose. “If it’s this big, we have to be there. We need to figure out how to steer it so it doesn’t blow up the city.”

She nods, resigned but determined. “We do. But we walk in there blind, Tatsuya. We don’t know which side we can trust—or if any of them will accept you once they learn what you really are.”

I swallow, a bitter taste in my mouth. “That’s a risk we have to take.”

Hidari, luminous and inhumanly calm, watches us. “Time is short. I’ll guide you through the underchannels to the meeting. But once we arrive, it’s up to you to convince them not to tear each other apart.”

Rose squeezes my shoulder, a silent show of support. In the gloom of the warehouse, that small gesture feels monumental—like a lifeline in a swirling undertow.

I steel myself, letting the hum of the city’s distant neon fill me with a shaky resolve. This might be the moment everything shifts—my identity, my relationships, and Neo-Tokyo’s future all hanging in the balance. The idea terrifies me, but it also spurs me forward.

“All right,” I say, forcing a steady tone. “Show us the way.”

As we slip back into the night, I sense the city holding its breath, as if anticipating the dawn. And maybe, just maybe, I’m no longer the same amnesiac wandering in search of himself—I’m something else, someone who might actually be ready to face what’s coming next.

Because in a place where illusions shape reality, forging true alliances might be the only way we can hope to stand against the chaos. And with Rose beside me, and a fractured memory pushing me forward, I’m ready to see if we can do it—together.