Rei blinked slowly, the faint light filtering through the cracks of an old window.
The ceiling above her was stained, cracked in places, nothing like the clean, white facilities of NERV.
For a moment, she just lay there, trying to understand where she was.
Her most recent memory was fragmented.
She remembered being inside the entry plug, hearing Ritsuko's voice.
Then, a sound… like something being forced open.
And then darkness.
"I was… captured?"
Rei sat up slowly. The floor was old wood, covered in a thin layer of dust. The place looked like an abandoned house, perhaps the mansion Subaru had noticed on the other side of the lake without mentioning it to anyone.
Turning her head, she noticed a figure sitting beside her.
A girl with brown hair, leaning against a chair, sleeping with her face resting on her arms.
It was Mana Kirishima.
Rei watched her silently for a few seconds.
Mana's breathing was calm, strands of hair falling across her face, her uniform slightly crumpled.
Even there, in that strange environment, she seemed… exhausted.
"Was she captured too?" Rei thought, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Or… is she here of her own free will?"
She moved her body carefully, feeling the cold fabric of the hospital gown against her skin. There were no handcuffs, no serious injuries.
Just an uncomfortable feeling, as if something inside her was different, out of sync.
Rei placed her hand on her chest, feeling an irregular pulse, almost as if there were another rhythm, a frequency beating alongside her heart.
"This… isn't mine."
Before she could think further, Mana stirred, letting out a sleepy murmur. "Mmnh… Ayanami-san…?" her voice was weak, drawn out. "You… woke up… thank God…"
Rei turned to look at her, expressionless but attentive. "Where are we?" he asked in a calm but firm voice.
Mana blinked a few times, trying to fully wake up.
She looked around, a little confused, and sighed. "In a… in a kind of captivity… I think." She ran a hand through her hair and forced a sad smile. "At least… for now."
Rei remained silent, studying each word.
Nothing in that answer seemed convincing.
The way Mana looked away, the slight tremor in her hands, everything betrayed something.
"Why am I here? Why are we here?" Rei insisted.
Mana took a deep breath, staring at the ground for a moment, before looking back at Rei.
Her expression became serious. "Because he… wanted it that way."
Rei frowned slightly. "He?"
Mana hesitated. Her lips parted slightly, as if to answer, but at that instant, the heavy sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway outside.
A firm, constant sound that made the floor vibrate slightly.
Rei turned toward the door.
Mana stood up, her gaze filling with nervousness.
"He's coming…" Rei thought, feeling the air grow thick.
The door latch turned.
The wood creaked.
And before Mana could say the name, a tall shadow filled the entrance to the room.
Rei kept her gaze fixed on that figure standing in the doorway—Regulus.
Even without an aggressive gesture, his presence was suffocating, as if the air around him were being swallowed, the entire environment bending to his will.
His eyes, clear as frozen glass, reflected a cruel, inhuman serenity.
Mana took a step back, instinctively placing herself between him and Rei, her body trembling slightly. "R-Regulus… she just woke up, there's no need—"
He raised a hand, and she instantly fell silent. The gesture was almost elegant, but each movement seemed to radiate an authority bordering on the divine.
Rei watched everything in silence, analyzing every detail.
"He doesn't move like a human. Not even like an Angel."
"But… something about him is familiar to me. A pattern. A cold force."
Rei realized that reacting now would be useless.
She needed to understand before acting.
Subaru and the others would certainly notice her absence, and she trusted that, somehow, he would come.
Rei took a deep breath and broke the silence: "What do you want from us?"
Regulus glanced at her, like someone observing a curious piece on display.
He approached slowly, the sound of his footsteps echoing like a dry beat.
"You are… my wives," he said, with a calmness that sounded worse than any threat. "Simple as that."
Rei didn't blink.
His expression remained neutral, but within it, his words resonated with something ancient, like a distant echo, memories of when he first saw the core of the Evas, and felt that within them there was also something that "pulsed" in a non-human way.
Mana clenched her fists.
Rei kept her gaze fixed on Mana. "So, you… let him do this?"
"I had no choice…" Mana replied, her voice choked. "T.RIDEN.T needed him. Without his power, we would be destroyed by NERV."
Rei looked at Regulus again, and for the first time, something cold gleamed in his eyes. "This won't last long…"
Regulus tilted his head, intrigued. "You speak as if you already know the end of this story."
"I trust that someone will come..." she replied, with a cutting serenity.
Regulus chuckled softly, the sound reverberating off the walls of the room. "What a sweet belief. We'll see if your heart will still shine so brightly... when 'that someone' arrives..."
Rei didn't answer.
She simply watched him, motionless, like a statue waiting for the right moment to awaken.
The corridor where Rei and Mana walked was narrow, lit only by yellowish lamps that flickered from time to time. The concrete walls were cold and damp, and the air had a metallic, dense, almost suffocating smell.
Rei walked in silence, observing everything with the same calm and impassive gaze as always, but inside, a growing discomfort began to throb.
Mana followed beside her, her steps hesitant, as if she feared that someone or something might appear at any moment.
As they turned the corner, Rei stopped abruptly.
What she saw ahead made her chest clench.
There were dozens of women, all dressed in the attire of maids, servants, or ancient maidens. Some seemed in a trance, others lay motionless on the floor, like broken dolls.
Those who still moved had empty, lifeless eyes, staring blankly into nothingness.
Rei took a step forward, the sound of her shoes echoing on the damp floor. "Who… are they?"
Mana lowered her gaze, her voice almost fading. "He… captured many women. Women who lived in the vicinity of Tokyo-3. He said he needed them to maintain the 'balance of power'…"
Rei frowned slightly, a subtle but rare reaction for her.
Subaru's words echoed in her mind, as if they had been spoken moments before:
"Be careful, there have been disappearances of women around the city." At that moment, everything fell into place.
Rei looked around, analyzing the space, the motionless bodies, the circular marks on the floor, the pipes and cables connected to old machines. It was as if those women were serving as a source… of energy.
"Does he use them…" Rei murmured. "As conduits?"
Mana nodded hesitantly. "I… I don't know…"
Rei closed her eyes for a moment, feeling a strange weight in her chest.
She knew that this was more than perverse; it was a distortion of what is most fragile and beautiful in humanity: feeling.
She turned to Mana. "And you? Why are you still here?"
Mana hesitated, her eyes trembling as she met Rei's serene gaze. "Because… he said that if I tried to escape, he would destroy everything that remained of T.RIDEN.T." She paused. "But I don't want that. I just wanted… to protect the people who were with me."
Rei watched her silently for a few seconds. Then, she stepped forward and gently took her arm. "So, you're going to help me get out of here."
Mana's eyes widened. "Rei… what if he finds out?"
"He will," Rei interrupted calmly, her voice firm. "But by then, I'll have already discovered what he really wants."
As the two continued walking down the corridor, past rows of motionless women, the sound of something distant echoed—a muffled roar, like a structure vibrating under immense power.
Rei quickened her pace slightly.
"Subaru… come quickly."
The thought arose silently, like a prayer she herself hadn't realized she was uttering.
Rei stopped, her steps ceasing immediately.
The muffled sound of a body falling echoed across the cold floor—a woman with long hair and once serene eyes now lay motionless, her empty gaze fixed on the ceiling.
Mana swallowed hard. "Again…" she murmured, her voice choked. "One more…"
Rei knelt beside the body, touching the woman's neck with his fingertips. No pulse. No reaction.
Cold.
For a moment, silence filled the corridor.
The flickering light of the lamp above them blinked, casting distorted shadows on the dead woman's face.
Rei kept his gaze fixed on her, expressionless, but inside, a deep discomfort was forming.
It was a mixture of revulsion and silent contempt.
"He… calls this love?…" said Mana, her voice trembling. "All of us… are called his 'wives'."
Rei slowly shifted her gaze to the corridor, where other women, still alive, seemed unable to react, their frail bodies moving like puppets under an invisible force.
"Love…" Rei repeated, her voice soft, almost a whisper. "How contradictory. This is the opposite of what Subaru taught me."
She stood up, wiping her fingers on the handkerchief she had found in her pocket. The white fabric was now stained red. "He takes their lives to sustain his own existence, and still calls them wives. That's not love," she finished, emotionlessly.
Mana approached, her face pale. "He said that love is the purest bond… and that, by possessing their hearts, he becomes eternal."
Rei turned to her, her red eyes cutting through the air like blades. "He doesn't love anyone. He collects hearts. He's greedy."
Her tone was calm, but there was something cold and sharp behind the words, something that not even Mana dared answer.
The distant sound of footsteps echoed.
Heavy.
A steady, arrogant rhythm, as if whoever approached believed the whole world belonged to them.
Mana paled. "It's him…"
Rei didn't move. She just stood there, motionless, as if watching the sound approach.
Her fingers slowly closed at her sides, and her gaze fixed on the door.
The air grew thicker, heavier.
She knew that this would be the moment she would finally see Regulus Corneas, the man who dared to call his dominion over hearts love.
And inside Rei's chest, something silent, but real, began to burn.
It wasn't anger.
It was pure revulsion, at the way that man corrupted the meaning of life.
Regulus entered through the door with a calm smile, the kind of smile that hid arrogance and madness in equal measure.
His impeccable white suit contrasted with the dried blood on the floor and the heavy air of that place.
Each of his steps sounded like a decree, as if the simple act of walking were an affirmation of power.
Rei remained motionless. His gaze followed him silently, analyzing every detail, the way he breathed, the way his eyes moved without ever seeming to waver.
Mana, beside him, took a step back, visibly frightened.
"Ah, you're awake..." said Regulus, his voice calm, almost polite. "I hope you rested well. It's good that you're aware of how lucky you are. You are facing the purest love that exists."
Rei observed him for a moment, but did not answer.
The word "love" coming from his mouth was a meaningless noise.
As he approached, Subaru's face flashed into his mind, that curious expression of his, gazing at the sky, trying to point out constellations.
"This is Regulus, the little king," he said, with that innocent glint in his eyes.
Back then, he thought it was beautiful.
Now, that name sounded like cruel irony.
Rei took a step forward.
Regulus raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
And then, unexpectedly, she hugged him.
His body stiffened in surprise.
For a moment, the air seemed to stop.
Mana covered her mouth, confused.
"What is this?" he asked, looking at the top of Rei's head, his voice hesitant, almost… human. "Have you finally accepted what is inevitable? That you were chosen for something greater?"
Rei kept her face pressed against his chest.
She said nothing.
She only closed her eyes for a brief moment, feeling his heart, or rather, its absence.
No heartbeat, she thought.
Nothing. Just a constant, cold emptiness, impossible to understand.
Regulus chuckled softly, satisfied with his own interpretation. "I knew it… you understood love. Unlike the others, who only knew how to resist."
Rei slowly raised her face, her blue-gray eyes reflecting an almost disturbing calm. "Love?" she murmured softly. "So… if that's what you call love…"
She narrowed her eyes, the artificial light of the place reflecting in her irises. "I want to see how far it goes."
Regulus smiled, not realizing what she was trying to do.
But Rei knew.
She was testing. Observing.
She wanted to understand the reach of his power and discover where the man ended and the monster began.
As soon as Regulus walked away, with that calm and confident gait, the doors closed automatically behind him. The silence that hung in the air was almost suffocating. The sound of the chains, the light footsteps of the servants, and the distant echo of metal were replaced only by the irregular sound of Mana's breathing.
She quickly approached Rei, still in shock from what she had just seen. "Rei… what was that? Why did you do that?" she asked, gripping her arm tightly. "You… you hugged him! He could have killed you!"
Rei remained silent for a moment, looking in the direction Regulus had left. "He wouldn't have," she finally replied, calmly, almost impassive.
"How can you be so sure?" Mana insisted, not understanding.
Rei placed her hand on her own chest. "Because there's no heart beating inside him."
Mana blinked, not immediately understanding. "What do you mean…?"
"He doesn't live in the same flow of time as we do." Rei looked at the ground, organizing her conclusions in a low, cold, analytical voice. "His body... is still. Suspended. As if the moment he stopped became eternal."
Mana frowned, trying to process it. "So he... doesn't feel pain? Doesn't age?"
"Nothing affects him," Rei replied. "No attack, no impact, no wound. Time doesn't reach him."
Mana took a step back, remembering how Regulus crushed metal as if it were paper. "That would explain his strength..."
Rei nodded slightly. "And the reason he's invincible is right there." His gaze drifted to the great hall where dozens of women moved silently, some with vacant stares, others on the verge of fainting. "His wives."
"His wives...?"
"He's connected to them... We are too." Rei explained. "Each one keeps a part of his existence stable. They are anchors that keep his body out of time, preventing him from disappearing."
Mana brought her hand to her mouth, horrified. "So that's why... they die?"
Rei nodded. "When one of them weakens, the balance breaks. He sucks what's left."
Silence returned. The distant sound of chains echoed again, like a pale whisper.
Rei looked at Mana. "He believes this is love. But what he feels... is just possession."
For a brief moment, Rei Ayanami's serene gaze turned as cold as ice, and something within her, something she didn't even understand, began to awaken.
The hall still exuded that heavy, morbid air. The smell of iron, sweat, and fear mingled with the artificial perfume of the flowers that decorated the walls, a cruel contrast to the reality of that place. The women walked slowly, some murmuring prayers, others with completely lost gazes.
Rei and Mana leaned against a marble column, trying to keep their voices low as they observed the movements of their "wives." Mana's heart raced, but Rei's remained unchanged, and this, somehow, made her even more uneasy.
Mana tried to break the silence. "You know, Ayanami-san..." she whispered, forcing a nervous smile, "the level of deduction is... incredible. You spoke of those things as if you'd studied him for months."
Rei glanced sideways, showing no emotion. "When you observe something that defies reason, you need to find a point of logic. Even if it's a distorted logic."
"Right..." Mana took a deep breath, looking at the corridor where Regulus had disappeared. "But now that we know all this... how are we going to defeat him?"
"We have to make Regulus's body function like a mere human again." Rei was silent for a few seconds, long enough for the distant sound of chains to echo again. Then, she answered simply, directly, without hesitation: "Probably... by killing them all."
Mana stared at her, horrified.
"W-What?!"
Rei turned her gaze to the servants, her face serene, but her eyes reflecting an analytical coldness. "If his body exists outside of time because of the connection with these women, destroying the anchors would cause him to collapse."
"But... they are people, Ayanami-san!" Mana protested, indignant. "We can't just kill them all!"
Rei observed her for a moment, emotionless, and then added: "I know. That's why... there's another possibility."
Mana blinked, surprised. "Another...?"
"Cryogenics," said Rei. "Suspending their life cycle, preventing the energy from flowing. If their time is interrupted, his will be too."
Mana frowned, trying to understand. "Freezing... But how?"
Rei nodded slightly. "At NERV there's a cryogenic room used for biological preservation. If we can get there with his wives, perhaps we can neutralize Regulus's power without killing them."
Mana remained silent, imagining the scene, dozens of women being taken away, one by one, fleeing that mansion while Regulus slept or wandered the corridors. It seemed impossible.
"Ayanami-san... do you really think it's possible to do this?"
Rei looked ahead, her cold, determined eyes reflecting the dim light of the lamps. "I'm not sure. But it's the only chance we have to survive."
Only then did Rei exhale, stepping back slightly from the wall. She kept her eyes fixed to make sure Regulus had truly left.
After a few seconds of silence, Rei looked at Mana. "Mana… where exactly are we?" she asked in a low, but firm voice.
Mana looked around hesitantly, as if afraid to say. The ceiling was high, and the windows covered by thick curtains prevented any view of the outside. Even so, she seemed to know exactly where they were.
"This…" she began, clenching her fist, "is the mansion near the lake."
Rei blinked slowly. "The same lake where you met Ikari."
"Y-Yes…" Mana replied, looking away. "He brought me here after that. I thought it was just an abandoned base, but…" she paused, her gaze wavering toward the dark corridor—it was, in fact, his hideout.
Rei looked back at the ceiling, as if confirming a theory in his mind. "So we were closer than we thought…"
Mana nodded, almost whispering. "I… tried to escape once. But I couldn't…"
Rei closed his eyes for a brief moment, processing the information.
Mana ran a hand through her hair, nervously. "And now he must know we're trying to do something."
Rei turned to look at her, her tone serene, but her intention clear. "So..."
The distant sound of wind rustling against the mansion windows echoed through the corridors. Outside, the silvery reflection of the lake moved slowly under the moon, the same lake Shinji and Mana had visited days before, now harboring the epicenter of something neither of them could have foreseen.
Rei remained silent for a few seconds, observing the corridor ahead of them. The distant echo of the currents and the muffled sound of footsteps upstairs seemed to grow and fade at irregular intervals. The tension was almost palpable.
"We need to somehow let them know we're here," she said finally, her voice calm but firm, cutting through the silence.
Mana turned her face away, uncertain. "I... have a communicator," she admitted, pulling a small device from one of the inside pockets of her clothing. The object was slightly damaged, with scratches and dirt stains. "It still works, but… it's linked to the other T.RIDEN.T. pilots. The ones NERV captured."
Rei tilted her head slightly. "So they can hear?"
"They can… but if I activate it, he might notice." Mana bit her lip, hesitating. "Regulus senses when something changes. He's not like a human… it's as if the entire air around him adjusts. What if he thinks I'm plotting something…"
Rei stared at her with her expressionless, cold eyes, but there was a rational spark behind them. "He may seem like a god…" she began. "Gods don't make mistakes, but he does."
Mana looked up, confused. "Mistakes?"
"Yes." Rei crossed her arms, speaking in an almost analytical tone. "He's absurdly powerful, but… simple-minded. He acts on impulse, without considering variables. And the fact that he considers himself invincible makes him predictable."
Mana blinked a few times, trying to understand. "So… you mean he's stupid?"
Rei glanced sideways, her expression unchanged. "Extremely stupid."
For a moment, Mana let out a nervous laugh, which made Rei raise an eyebrow, slightly confused by the reaction. "That's good for us," Rei continued. "If we're smart, we can trick someone like that. He's too confident in his own power."
Mana took a deep breath, staring at the communicator in her hands, its faint glow flashing at short intervals. "Okay… maybe I can send a short signal, without making a sound. Just a location pulse." She started fiddling with the buttons, but her hands trembled.
Rei placed her hand firmly over Mana's, her gaze calm. "Don't think about the fear. Think about what he can't control."
Mana looked at her, surprised by Ayanami's serenity. "How can you stay so calm?"
Rei looked away towards the dark corridor. "Because someone will come for us."
And in silence, the small communicator blinked one last time, sending a faint signal to the outside world, before the sound of heavy footsteps echoed again, coming from somewhere above.
The two walked with light, careful steps down the hallway, the old wooden floor creaking with each movement. The mansion seemed even quieter at night; only the distant sound of a clock echoed, marking the time with slow, unsettling chimes. The candlelight flickered, creating shadows that moved on the walls like figures.
Mana held Rei's arm tightly as they climbed the small staircase leading to the room where she had hidden the communicator. When they arrived, Rei closed the door gently behind her, making sure to lock it.
"Here it is…" Mana whispered, opening a small metal box hidden under the false floor. The communicator still emitted a faint blue glow.
Rei approached and observed the device, assessing it in silence. "It's working..." she said, crouching down beside the girl.
While fiddling with the controls, Mana glanced curiously at Rei. Ayanami seemed distant, her face as neutral as ever, but there was something different—"a serene, almost… emotional concentration."
"Ayanami-san…" Mana began hesitantly. "Can I ask you something?"
Rei looked up. "You can."
"Why do you talk about him so much? About Subaru. He's yours…"
Silence filled the room for a moment. The sound of the breeze entering through the broken window was the only answer for a few seconds. Rei looked away at the communicator, but her hands stopped moving.
"Do I talk about him a lot?" she asked, in her usual calm tone.
"You do." Mana crossed her arms, trying not to seem provocative. "When we were imprisoned here, you mentioned his name three times. You said he would come, that he would understand what was happening… and just now, when I asked how you could stay calm, you said 'because someone will come for us.' I know you were talking about him."
Rei remained silent, the faint glow of the candle illuminating her pale face. "Subaru… is different," she finally replied. "He can… tolerate me."
Mana raised an eyebrow. "Tolerate?"
"Yes. He asks me questions that no one else asks. And he treats me like I'm… human." Her voice came out softer, almost as if she were remembering something distant. "When he talks to me, I feel like something inside me is growing, but I don't know what it is."
Mana smiled slightly. "So you like him."
Rei turned her face slowly. "I do."
"Yes. Like… love?"
Rei seemed to reflect for a while. "I don't know exactly what that is," she murmured. "But… when I think that he might get hurt, I feel something tightening inside my chest. And when he smiles, it seems like everything becomes clearer."
Mana watched her silently, noticing the rare lightness in her tone. "That sounds like love to me," she said with a sad little smile. "I… understand how it is."
Rei looked back at her, curious. "Do you feel that way about someone too?"
Mana hesitated for a moment, her eyes drifting away. "I'm sorry. But… I think I've already lost that person." She took a deep breath and went back to fiddling with the communicator. "And if you don't want to lose Subaru, we better get out of here alive."
Rei nodded silently.
The communicator began to emit a small noise, and the blue light flashed more brightly; the signal was finally being sent.
Changing Perspective...
I blinked several times, trying to understand if what I was seeing was real. The small figure with blond hair, a pink dress, and an irritated expression was standing on top of the bedroom dresser, as if it had always been there. It moved its eyes from side to side, disbelieving, its breathing beginning to accelerate.
"...B-Beako?" I murmured, my voice almost failing.
The doll crossed its arms, its expression full of boredom. "Finally realized, Su-ba-ru. I thought you were going to stand there staring at me until dawn, you know?"
I jumped back, tripping over the chair. "ARE YOU TALKING?!" I blinked several times, my heart pounding. "No, no, no… this isn't happening. I'm delirious. It's the stress, or maybe lack of sleep, or…"
"Have you always been this noisy, or have you gotten worse over time, I suppose?" she interrupted with an exaggerated sigh. "I should have guessed that seeing you again would be a headache."
I rubbed my eyes hard, then opened them again. She was still there. The doll's blue eyes shone with a life of their own, and every movement was too natural to be a toy. I took a hesitant step.
"This… doesn't make sense. Do I know you?"
Beako stared at him for a moment before giving a tired little smile. "Of course you do. But apparently, you still don't remember me. How inconvenient. I suppose."
I swallowed hard. Her voice… there was something familiar about it, a strange feeling of comfort and pain at the same time, like an echo from another life. "I… don't remember anything," he said, trying to get closer. "Where do I know you from?"
Beako looked away, her tone softening slightly. "That doesn't matter now…"
I sat slowly on the bed, speechless. "So… I guess I'm not going crazy." I let out a nervous laugh, my gaze lost. "But why are you here?"
Beako jumped off the dresser and landed lightly on the floor, hands on her hips. "Because, as always, you managed to get yourself into a problem too big to solve alone."
I sighed, running a hand over my face. "That's… so typical of me."
Beako watched him for a moment, and her expression softened, almost imperceptibly. "Subaru… you're about to face something that will test even your heart. So tell me, what do you intend to do?"
I took a deep breath, still feeling my heart racing. I looked at Beatrice, who was watching him with her arms crossed and an impatient expression.
"He's invincible, Beako…" I said, my voice trembling with frustration. "I saw him bend iron bars like they were paper. Nothing affected that guy! I couldn't even move!"
Beako sighed, massaging her temple. "Subaru, you always panic before using your head, you know? If you keep going like this, you'll end up dying, I suppose…"
"I'm trying to think!" I retorted, almost shouting, but I quickly regained my composure. "He… he looked human, but he wasn't. Kaji said the NERV system didn't even detect him… and after that…" I was silent for a moment, my eyes widening as the pieces began to fall into place.
Beako raised an eyebrow. "Looks like someone's finally using their brain."
"The missing people…" I murmured. "All of them… he specifically captured women. Rei and Mana… were taken too."
Beako nodded slowly. "So, what does that tell you, Subaru?"
I took a deep breath, trying to piece together the reasoning. "That means… he needs them for something. If his power somehow comes from these women, then maybe he's not truly invincible."
Beako smiled slightly. "Finally, a spark of reasoning. Continue."
"He… he must be using them somehow, as a source of energy? Maybe? If I can figure out how… maybe I can break that invincibility."
Beako took a small step forward, his gaze sharp. "Exactly. Now that you've stopped acting like an impulsive idiot and started observing the situation. Use what you've learned."
I lowered my head for a moment, feeling the weight of the words. "...So I have to understand his power, and not confront him head-on."
"Very well." said Beako, turning his back. "And remember: the kind of creature you're facing isn't invincible. It only appears to be. Find out where its true heart is, and make Betty happy."
I raised my eyes, determined. "The heart..."
Beako glanced sideways, with a small smile. "Exactly."
I clenched my fists and whispered, "Rei... wait for me. I'll bring you back."
I remained seated on the edge of the bed, the room still partially illuminated by the cold morning light filtering through the curtains. The silence unsettled him, a silence that echoed his thoughts and the racing sound of his own heart.
Beako, standing atop the dresser, watched him with her arms crossed, her gaze impatient and analytical, as if she were already accustomed to my drama.
"Subaru," she began, her voice calm but with that slightly irritated tone: "Think carefully. These disappearances you mentioned... they're only happening in this region, aren't they?"
I slowly raised my gaze, frowning. "Yes... only here. No cases have been reported in neighboring towns."
Beako nodded with a small "hm." "Then he's not very far away, I suppose. Creatures like that rarely stray far from their territory."
I stood up, pacing back and forth, my fingers on my chin. "So... he must be hiding somewhere nearby. But where? There's nothing around here but forests and hills..."
Beako raised a finger, cutting off my train of thought. "Think, Subaru. What was the last place you visited before everything started to go wrong?"
He stopped walking. The memory came like a snap. "The lake..." he murmured, his eyes widening. "That lake with the old mansion."
Beako tilted her head slightly. "Continue."
"I went there with Asuka on a date, then I went with Rei and NERV... it was an observation point, but when we got close, we felt a strange pressure." A chill ran down my spine, as if something was lurking there…" I put my hand to the back of my neck, remembering the uneasy feeling. "After that, things started to go wrong."
Beako nodded slowly, her gaze more serious. "Then this must be his lair, without a doubt. That place has been bathed in corrupted magical energy for too long."
I felt a shiver run through her body. "So… Rei is there."
"And she's probably not alone," Beako added. "If the man in white is using human hearts, the missing women must also be kept alive."
I took a deep breath, my gaze steady. "Then that's where I'm going."
Beako sighed, crossing her arms again. "Don't die on the way, Subaru."
I smiled slightly, nervous but determined. "You can count on me, Beako." "I'm not going to die… not before I bring Rei back."
I left the room determined, the sound of my own footsteps echoing through the cold NERV corridors. Beako's weight in her coat pocket made the fabric sway slightly, and the sound of her irritated voice was impossible to ignore.
"Subaru! I'm not a toy to be stuffed in a pocket, I suppose!" she grumbled, her voice muffled. "Do you know how uncomfortable it is to be here?"
"Hang in there, Beako," I replied, quickening my pace. "I need my hands free. And besides, you're small and light, it won't make a difference."
"Small and light?!" her voice rose a tone. "I'm one of the world's greatest sages, not a portable mascot, I suppose!"
I just let out a brief, nervous laugh, without answering, as I pushed open Misato's bedroom door. She seemed to be tidying something up.
"Misato-san!" I called her attention.
Misato turned around, her gaze tired but curious. "What is it, Subaru?"
I took a deep breath, stopping in front of her. "I think I've discovered where the man in white is hiding."
Misato looked up. "A-Are you sure about that?"
I nodded. "Yes. The lake… the same one where you sent the T.RIDEN.T. reconnaissance team. It's there." "It's an old mansion."
Misato crossed her arms, studying him seriously. "And what are you proposing?"
I looked intently into her eyes.
"We're going to need all three Evas."
End of Chapter 22