Chapter 2: Shadows of the Past
Rain streaked down the windows of Kuroda Azein's safehouse. The photograph of his captured ally burned in his mind. The Crimson Circle wasn't just another Syndicate remnant—they were organized, ruthless, and deadly. And now, they had forced his hand.
Flashback: Forged in Shadows
Kuroda's mind drifted back years before Lucien Kael, before New Arcadia knew the name 001.
At sixteen, orphaned and alone, he survived the streets through cunning and ferocity. That survival drew the attention of the Syndicate—not as a recruit, but as a weapon.
Training was relentless. Days blurred into nights of combat drills, tactical instruction, and endurance tests. Every strike, every movement, every lesson was designed to make him unstoppable. Pain became routine, fear irrelevant. By twenty, Kuroda was more than human—silent, lethal, invisible.
But the price was steep: friends lost, innocence stolen, and a past buried beneath a legend of vengeance. This past had forged Code Name 001—the one-man army.
The Present: A New Enemy
Kuroda's reflection was broken by Mira's voice. "I traced their signal. The Crimson Circle has cells worldwide. Whoever's holding your ally isn't just skilled—they're meticulous, connected, and deadly."
Kuroda's eyes hardened. "Then we move fast. Precision, speed, and no mistakes."
Every safehouse, alley, and skyscraper would be both battlefield and advantage. The city itself would be his weapon.
The Blood Oath
He prepped his gear with methodical calm—blades sharpened, firearms loaded, and tools for infiltration arranged with care.
"This isn't revenge," Kuroda whispered, eyes on the rain-drenched streets. "It's a promise. One man. One army. And a debt that must be paid."
As night fell, he vanished into the neon-lit streets of New Arcadia, shadows swallowing him whole. Every corner was a threat, every enemy a lesson yet to be delivered.
The war had begun again—but this time, it was personal.