Locki and Carter stepped into Bruce's underground base, the air thick with dust and stale energy. Normally bustling with activity, the place was now unnervingly empty. Their mission was simple: gather any remaining evidence, follow the threads that could lead them to Akira and the strange events at the cemetery.
But almost immediately, their hope dissolved.
The blood of Akira, once smeared across the cold stone floor, was gone. It wasn't merely cleaned—it had been deliberately removed, leaving only faint traces that hinted at something far more calculated. Locki knelt, brushing his fingers over the faint marks.
"Akira and his men must have cleared it all," Locki muttered, suspicion sharpening his tone.
Carter shook his head slowly, his gaze fixed on the empty floor. "No… not Akira."
Locki froze. "Then who?"
Carter's lips pressed into a thin line, his expression unreadable. "The blood was taken by a professional. Probably for research… or something else."
"How can you be so certain?" Locki asked, frustration creeping into his voice.
"The Akira I know wouldn't care about his own blood," Carter said, his voice calm but firm. "He definitely wouldn't waste time on Bruce's or the others'. Someone else did this. Someone who knows exactly what they're doing. Ninety-nine percent chance."
Locki's jaw tightened. "So there's another player in this mess… someone after Akira too. But why?"
Carter didn't answer immediately. He scanned the room, thoughtful, before finally speaking. "We don't guess. First, we check the security footage—before Akira arrived at the cemetery… and after."
The dorm was quiet as they powered up the monitors. The glow of the screens cast pale shadows across their faces. Hours of footage scrolled by until Carter suddenly paused one, his hand hovering over the controls.
"Locki, come look at this," he said, his voice low.
Locki leaned in, squinting at the screen. The date froze him in place—it was the same day Carter had fought Liam.
On the monitor, Dr. Thomas moved deliberately across the graveyard, scanning the surroundings.
"So… Thomas is behind this?" Locki asked, eyes narrowing.
"Yes and no," Carter replied quietly. "Watch carefully."
He slowed the footage. At first, everything seemed normal. Then, almost imperceptibly, a shadow slipped into view, moving with unnatural fluidity. It appeared just as Thomas began to leave. In the next frame, the cemetery seemed to vanish, swallowed by a strange, invisible fog.
Moments later, Akira appeared. He made the cemetery visible again, stepping into the hidden world. But Carter's eyes caught it—the shadow lingered, lingering just at the edge of perception.
Carter exhaled, tension tight in his chest. "Someone already knew Akira would come. They were waiting… waiting for him to open the portal."
Locki's fists clenched. "Then why are we wasting time? Let's go see that cemetery ourselves."
Carter nodded. "Agreed. But we move carefully."
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Ron tossed in his sleep. The dreams had begun again, relentless and vivid. People he knew, people he had never met, twisted and warped into grotesque plant-like beings. And always, the infection started with Akira.
Each time he awoke, drenched in sweat, he scrawled down every detail before it slipped from his memory, sending his notes frantically to Locki and Carter.
Then, one night, the vision changed. He saw through someone else's eyes, as if pulled into a stranger's body. The fog swirled thick around him, curling like living fingers, and the silence was suffocating.
And then—Akira appeared. His gaze fell upon something which was not visible clearly whose eyes Ron now occupied.
"Come here,"
The man's voice, now Ron's, came out low and steady. "Do you have any wishes? I have the power to grant them."
A hungry light flickered in Akira's eyes. "Yes… make me the strongest. The king of Hero Town. Make everyone my servant."
A dark smile curved the stranger's lips. "Fine. Then shake my hand."
Akira didn't hesitate. Lost in his fantasy, he clasped the hand.
The world shifted. Akira turned away, seemingly satisfied. But the stranger's laughter echoed, cold and cruel.
"Hahaha… what a fool. Through him, I will take his body. Through him, I will infect Hero Town."
Ron jolted awake, heart pounding. His mind raced as the truth sank in—Akira had been infected the moment he shook that hand.
Desperate, he grabbed his phone, sending frantic messages to Carter and Locki. But the replies never came.
They had already stepped through the portal the night before.