The capital wasn't just bigger than the towns they'd passed.
It was different.
Kiana's jaw nearly hit the cobblestones as they passed through the massive arched gates. Every building looked like it had been pulled straight from a painting — walls of perfectly laid cobblestone bricks, windows trimmed with fresh white paint, not a single crack or stain in sight. The air smelled faintly of flowers, not smoke or rot. Even the roads, paved with smooth stone, were spotless. Not a single bit of trash or a stray leaf dared to linger.
And the people… they smiled.
Not just the polite, nod-as-you-pass kind of smile — these were bright, unguarded grins. Children ran down the street, chasing each other with sticks, their laughter ringing out even as the sun dipped lower in the sky. No parents yelling for them to come home. No fear in their voices.
Kiana's own smile spread before she even realized it. "Whoa—!" she broke into a sprint, darting after the kids with a laugh.
Kallen slowed, watching her go with the faintest pout tugging at her lips. Her eyes softened like she wanted to join… but the moment passed. A long sigh escaped her as she noticed Chris watching her with that flat, unreadable stare — and beyond him, Otto glaring at Chris like the mere act of breathing in the same space was a challenge.
When Kiana came bounding back, cheeks flushed, she grinned wide. "This place is awesome! You've got kids running around without a care in the world, the streets are clean, and—oh my god, did you see that guy's bread cart?!"
Kallen chuckled. "Yes, Kiana. I agree — it's a beautiful city."
But the warmth in her voice cooled almost immediately. Chris and Otto had stepped away from the group, speaking in low tones. Otto's hands were folded behind his back, posture stiff, while Chris leaned slightly forward, the movement sharp and deliberate. Whatever they were saying, it wasn't friendly.
Chris straightened suddenly, turning to the guards. "Take them."
The soldiers obeyed without hesitation, stepping forward and seizing the chained prisoners.
Kiana blinked. "Uh… take them where exactly?"
Kallen's answer came easily. "I arranged for those that can be redeemed to work at the orphanage. They'll be fed, sheltered, and given honest work."
Kiana's smile softened at that. "That's… actually really nice."
But then another thought crept in. "Wait. What about the others?"
Kallen's expression dimmed. Her gaze dropped slightly, and her voice came quieter. "…I can only hope Chris does what's right."
Kiana followed her line of sight — Chris was already walking away, his broad back cutting through the street as the sunset cast long shadows behind him.
For the first time since stepping into the capital, Kiana noticed something beneath the perfect streets and polished smiles.
Something that felt… off.
Outside the simulation, the room was quieter than it should have been.
Chris and Otto both looked away from the screen — not out of boredom, but like they'd bitten into something bitter. Neither of them so much as glanced at the other.
Between them, Viktor broke the silence.
"…Perfect. That's what it was," he said, voice low but certain. "A city where everyone had a place, everyone had a purpose. The system worked flawlessly. No one starved. No one feared. Children… they laughed like the world couldn't touch them."
His gaze lingered on the frozen image of the capital's pristine streets. "I wish… I wish it still existed."
Raiden Mei tilted her head, her voice soft but puzzled. "Then… what happened? How could something like that—something so perfect—fall apart?"
Viktor's lips pressed into a thin line. "…It was too perfect."
Chris gave the smallest nod, his eyes still shadowed. "Exactly that."
Yuzuki leaned forward in her seat, looking between the two men. "Then… why? What was the reason for you to build something like that in the first place?"
Chris finally looked up.
"For all of us," he said simply.
No flourish. No grand speech. Just those four words, heavy enough to still the room again.
The group's eyes returned to the simulation.
The scene had shifted — the sun bled gold and crimson across the city, but they were far above it now. Kiana stood beside Kallen in a rooftop garden that crowned the tallest building in the capital. Flowers swayed gently in the evening wind, their fragrance mingling with the cool air.
In the center of it all stood a single tombstone.
Its surface caught the sunset's glow, the carved words clear as day:
"Everything is for the tomorrow that the man I believed in fought for."
Neither Kiana nor Kallen spoke. They didn't have to.
Eden's lips curled into the faintest smile, though there was no joy in it.
Beside her, Mobius mirrored the expression — grim, knowing, and quietly respectful.