The city streets were eerily quiet as Takumi walked toward the meeting point. Under the dim glow of flickering streetlights, the world felt different—more uncertain, more fragile.
Along the sidewalks, posters and signs cluttered the walls and lamp posts, each one screaming in silent defiance.
"STOP CORRUPTION!"
"NEPOTISM IS ROTTING OUR SYSTEM!"
"ANTARCTICA IS A LIE!"
"THE TRUTH IS BEING HIDDEN!"
"JUSTICE FOR THE EXPEDITION TEAM!"
Takumi slowed his pace, his eyes scanning the collage of rebellion. It wasn't just him. Others were questioning it, too.
Then, just ahead, beneath the dim glow of a streetlamp, stood a girl.
Mira Kurasaki.
Their eyes met.
Before Takumi could say anything, he noticed movement behind her—three men, closing in fast.
Mira's eyes flicked to the side, sharp and calculating. She caught on immediately.
"Run!" she shouted.
Takumi froze for a heartbeat, his mind struggling to process. Run? Why? Who were they?
But instead of running away, he charged toward Mira, instincts overriding hesitation.
As he sprinted forward, she was already in motion.
Three against one.
And yet, she moved like a blade through the air—fluid, precise. One attacker lunged, and Mira effortlessly sidestepped, twisting his arm behind his back before slamming him into the pavement.
Takumi barely had time to be impressed before a second man came at him. No time to think. He clenched his fists and swung. His punch landed square against the guy's jaw, sending him stumbling.
Mira handled the other two with ease, locking one in a submission hold while knocking the last one unconscious.
The fight was over in seconds.
Takumi stood there, panting, his pulse hammering in his ears.
"Who the hell were they?" he asked, still catching his breath.
Mira flicked her wrist, shaking off the fight. "No idea. Doesn't matter. Follow me."
She didn't wait for his response.
Takumi hesitated, but then followed as she led him toward a parked van at the edge of the street—unmarked, tinted windows.
She pulled open the door. "Get in."
Takumi hesitated, but the urgency in her voice left no room for doubt. He climbed in.
Mira shut the door behind them and leaned forward. "Go now," she ordered the driver.
The van lurched forward.
Just as Takumi turned to ask what was going on, a cloth pressed against his face.
A faint scent. A second too late. Darkness swallowed him whole.
Back at the crossroad, the three men lay unconscious, the aftermath of the brief but intense struggle. The flickering streetlamp buzzed, casting eerie shadows over their motionless bodies.
A sleek black car sat parked in the distance, its engine humming softly. Inside, a figure observed the scene through tinted windows, fingers tapping idly against the steering wheel.
He reached for his radio, his voice steady but firm.
"As we predicted… he's chosen his side."
A brief silence followed. Then, a cold voice crackled through the earpiece.
"There's no other option. Eliminate him."
The man in the car exhaled slowly, his lips curling into a faint smirk.
"Understood."
Takumi's eyes fluttered open. A dull headache throbbed at the back of his skull as he adjusted to the dim, unfamiliar room. The air was cool, sterile—too quiet.
He bolted upright, his heart hammering against his ribs. His breath came in sharp, uneven gasps as his mind scrambled to make sense of his surroundings.
Beside him, Mira Kurasaki leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching him with that same unreadable expression.
Confusion twisted into frustration. His fists clenched.
"What the hell is going on? Where am I?!" His voice was sharp, demanding.
Fragments of memory rushed back—running, fighting, the van, the handkerchief… then darkness.
Mira barely reacted. She sighed, her tone calm, almost indifferent.
"You're in Edenfall Headquarters."
The name sent a chill down his spine.
"Edenfall?" He echoed, his breath hitching. He had never heard of it before, yet something about it carried weight—like a shadow looming over him.
Mira finally turned to fully face him, tilting her head slightly.
"My name is Mira Kurasaki," she said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "I'm an undercover agent of Edenfall. My mission was to keep an eye on you."
Takumi's blood ran cold.
"Keep an eye on me?" Disbelief edged into his voice. "Why the hell would you need to do that?"
"Because you're too valuable to us—"
Before she could continue, the door creaked open. A man strolled in, moving with an easy confidence, yet there was something about him—an odd mix of authority and playfulness.
His gaze flicked between Mira and Takumi, and then a smirk crept onto his lips.
"Well, well… waking up to find you two alone in a room together? Mira, I didn't know you worked this fast. So? Is he your type?"
Mira's face turned scarlet. "Wha—?! Shut up, Ayato!" she snapped, her embarrassment flaring into anger.
Ayato chuckled, leaning casually against the doorframe. "Oho? That reaction… so defensive. Now I'm really curious what happened before I got here."
Mira shot him a death glare. "At least knock before barging in, you fool."
"Hey, hey, relax, dear sister," Ayato said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "But seriously, if you're gonna sneak a guy into your room, at least lock the door next time."
Takumi blinked. "Sister?" He looked at Mira for confirmation.
She exhaled sharply, rubbing her temple. "Yeah. He's my older brother."
His patience finally snapped. "Alright, enough games. Someone better start explaining. What the hell is going on? And what exactly makes me so 'valuable'?"
Ayato's smirk faded slightly, his gaze sharpening.
"First off, my name is Ayato Kurasaki," he said, slipping his hands into his coat pockets. "And yes, you're valuable—to us… and to them."
Takumi tensed. "Them?"
Ayato let out a small chuckle, but this time, his expression was unreadable.
"They had their eyes on you long before we did. Becoming the top student in the best college in the country? Yeah, that alone would put you on their radar. But after what you did regarding the Antarctica case… now they're really after you."
Takumi's breath caught. Antarctica…? His mind raced, trying to piece together the significance of what he had done.
His hands curled into fists. "I don't care who 'they' are, or who you people are! I don't care about any of this! But why me?! What do they want from me?! I have nothing—I barely even live!"
His voice cracked slightly, his chest tightening under the weight of it all.
Everything was spiraling out of control.
Ayato stepped forward, studying him with a mix of curiosity and something else—pity.
"Your mind is sharp—like a katana," he mused. "But you're young. Like a blank canvas. Anyone can carve you into whatever they want you to be."
Then, his tone softened, yet carried an unsettling edge.
"But it seems… this world has been especially cruel to you."
Takumi gritted his teeth, but Ayato wasn't finished.
"With a mind like yours—brilliant yet naive, burdened by sorrow and hatred—if you ever decided to walk the path of a villain…" He chuckled, though there was no humor in it.
"You'd be capable of more than you could ever imagine."
Takumi closed his eyes, piecing everything together with his sharp mind.
The government was rotten to the core—corruption, deception, hidden agendas. He had always suspected it. But after the Antarctica case… when key members of the research team were mysteriously found dead, everything became painfully clear.
He turned to Ayato and Mira, his voice steady despite the storm brewing inside him.
"So, Edenfall… you're an opposition force against the government? From what I see, it seems like you're protecting me from them. Am I right?"
Ayato raised an eyebrow, impressed. Even without a full explanation, Takumi had already connected the dots.
"Wow," Ayato chuckled. "Now I see why they want you."
He leaned against the wall, folding his arms. "You're right. We, Edenfall, exist to bring down the corrupt government."
"But it's not that simple," he continued. "The truth is, Earth isn't what people believe it to be. Beyond Antarctica, there's more—another world. We've always known it, but we never had proof to the world. That is… until we worked with the research team."
Takumi's breath hitched.
"They uncovered something undeniable," Ayato said, his expression darkening. "They knew the risks, and we offered protection. But in the end… we could only save one of them."
Mira's face was unreadable, but a flicker of sorrow crossed her eyes.
"Our mission," Ayato went on, "is to free humanity from this cage—this false Eden the elites have built for themselves."
He locked eyes with Takumi.
"Takumi Asahiro, we've been watching you because the government has two plans for you. Either you join them… or they erase you."
"They want people to live like livestock—obedient, unquestioning, trapped in their system while they play gods over this world. Not just here. Everywhere. Every country is under their control."
His voice was cold now, sharp as a blade.
"That's why Edenfall exists—to bring them down."
Takumi's eyes widened. Shocked. But then, almost instinctively… he smiled.
The truth appeared right before his eyes.