They came at noon.
Not in white tactical gear this time. In suits. Professional. Clean.
A small group, led by a woman with sharp eyes and a calm voice.
She stood at the entrance of the community center, flanked by others, and waited.
Haru opened the door.
"You're early."
The woman smiled — professionally, not warmly.
"We wanted to talk before the deadline. To make sure you understood the offer."
"I understand it perfectly. You want us to come willingly so you can study us. Use us."
"Study, yes. Use, no." She tilted her head. "We've learned from our mistakes. The doctor — your doctor — he taught us that control isn't the answer. Understanding is."
Haru's eyes narrowed.
"He died to close the fracture."
"I know. And we honor that. But his work — his research — it's too important to abandon." She paused. "We're not asking you to be subjects. We're asking you to be partners."
Kenji appeared beside Haru.
"Partners in what?"
The woman's expression softened slightly.
"In understanding what happened to you. In helping others who might experience the same thing. In making sure no one suffers alone in a world they can't escape."
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small device — not a weapon, not a tracker. A simple recorder.
"I'm not here to take anyone. I'm here to invite you. To a place where you can learn, share, and help. No experiments. No force. Just conversation."
Haru studied her eyes.
Looking for lies.
Finding... something else.
Uncertainty.
Hope.
Fear.
"You're afraid too," he said quietly.
The woman's composure flickered.
"I am. I'm afraid of what we became. What we almost became." She met his gaze. "I'm afraid that if you say no, someone else will try again. Someone less careful. Someone who won't ask first."
Silence stretched between them.
Then Aiko stepped forward from inside the center.
"We'll discuss it. Among ourselves. And we'll give you our answer — together."
The woman nodded slowly.
"That's all I ask."
She and her team withdrew.
The door closed.
Haru looked at the others.
"Well. That was unexpected."