The sky above the Association felt heavier than usual. The clouds hung low, thick and unmoving, as if something beyond them was pressing down on the world.
Kouji and Yuusuke stepped through the front doors, fresh off their mission. The wind outside still clung to their uniforms.
Inside, the building was unusually quiet.
Receptionists typed silently. Hunters passed each other in the halls without words. The usual noise — idle chatter, footsteps, laughter echoing from the training corridors — had dulled into something reserved.
Kouji glanced at Yuusuke.
"Something's off."
Yuusuke nodded. "They're acting like someone died."
They made their way toward the mission board, but Kouji paused as he spotted Yumi — behind the counter. She smiled gently at first, then quickly looked away, pretending to shift through files.
Kouji frowned.
He turned to a nearby hunter, one of the C-ranks they knew from the training grounds.
"Hey. Have you seen Ketsu?"
The hunter stiffened, "He's… not here."
"That doesn't answer my question."
"I mean—he's not on the list. His name's off the system. Ryo's the only one who might know more."
The hunter walked off before Kouji could say anything else.
Yuusuke leaned against the wall. "I don't like this. Ketsu wouldn't just vanish."
Kouji's jaw tightened. "No. He wouldn't."
The monitors were dimly lit, soft red pulses blinking along a map. Ryo sat behind his desk, staring at the display with tired eyes.
Kagami stood to the side, flipping through a report. "That's five new disappearances this week. Same pattern. No aura disturbance, no traces. It's spreading."
Ryo rubbed his temples. "This isn't like Akechi's work."
"He was methodical. This feels… random."
"No," Ryo murmured, eyes narrowing. "Not random. Just a different kind of control."
The map beeped. Another pulse blinked in a sector to the east.
Kagami sighed, setting the file down.
"This pace… it's not going to stop."
Ryo leaned back in his chair, tapping his index finger against the armrest.
"And we're still blind."
The room was dim. Pale light slipped through the curtain edges, painting lines across the floor. Sora sat on the edge of her bed, still dressed in her uniform, but unmoving.
Ketsu's presence still clung to the room. The memory of his voice, the way he stood just off to the side when things got too loud.
She hadn't heard a word since he left.
They didn't even tell her the truth. Just a whisper from Yumi. "He's not here anymore."
She stood slowly, crossing the room to her closet. Her fingers hovered over her old gear before pulling out a black coat, less formal, more travel-worn. She slid it on, tying the sash tightly at her waist.
She adjusted her gloves. Looked at herself once in the mirror.
And left.
Minutes later, a door creaked open.
Sora stepped inside without knocking. Kagami looked up in surprise — but Ryo, still seated, merely glanced her way.
"Sora."
"I'm going to find him."
Ryo raised an eyebrow.
"I know I'm not supposed to. I know there's protocol. But I don't care."
Kagami glanced between them, cautious but silent.
Sora's voice didn't waver. "He was one of us. And now everyone's pretending he wasn't."
Ryo leaned back further, eyes locked on her.
"You think he wants to be found?"
"I don't know," she replied honestly. "But I need to see him. Even if it's just once."
A long silence hung between them.
Then Ryo stood.
He walked past his desk and stopped in front of her. For a moment, he said nothing.
Then, with a faint smile, he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Then go."
Sora blinked.
"Call it a recon mission," he said. "You leave tonight. I'll handle the reports."
Kagami gave her a subtle nod, arms crossed.
Sora straightened, eyes clear. "Thank you."
As she left the room, Ryo turned to Kagami, voice low, "She won't find what she's hoping for."
Kagami crossed her arms.
Somewhere off a man sits in a crowded café. Laughing with a friend. In a blink, the seat across from him is empty. No sound. Just gone.
A family watches TV at home. The daughter looks away for a second. When she looks back, her Father is gone.
Security footage from a subway station shows a commuter walking toward the train. Mid-step, he flickers—then disappears entirely. The camera glitches.
The next frame shows an empty corridor.