[Main Story 14-01]
I stand in an open field.
The sky is low. No wind. No clouds
Someone’s calling my name.
I look around and see a hazy figure in the distance.
I chase after the figure, but it only gets farther away.
Its color get lighter, as if haloed with water,
starting to disappear around the edges.
Suddenly a great fog swallows everything.
All I see now is an icy grey.
{{MC}}: So cold!
I awoke from the desk with a residue from my dream of bone-chilling cold and deep despair seemingly stuck in my marrow, causing me to shiver.
I got up to close the window. The sky outside was brooding with heavy rain clouds.
On the horizon, black thunderclouds roiled, as if a storm would break out any second.
I was feeling as gloomy as the weather, oppressed by thick layers of cloud that didn’t let a single ray of light through.
I couldn’t help thinking of that gentle sunset, that azure blue sky, that day when the truth of his betrayal had not yet come to light.
It wasn’t long ago, but to me it felt like ages had passed.
The thought almost made me want to mock myself. Lucien never said he had the same goals and aspirations as I did. How could one call that “betrayal”?
From the beginning, he always told me how cruel the world is.
I willingly gave him my trust. In the end, no one was to blame.
And now more than ever I couldn’t stew in disappointment and hurt. I couldn’t do nothing and have all my previous efforts be in vain.
{{MC}}: I can’t let it get me down! I have to get my spirits back up!
After getting my emotions together, I then put the files on the desk in order and placed them into a folder.
These were all the information on all the out-of-control Evol incidents in Loveland City, and the clues deduced from them.
All of the little questions were strung together, pointing in the end to the Loveland TV Tower.
If Lucien led me on purpose to the TV tower, why did he do that?
I picked up my phone. Not one new call or message.
My messages with Gavin stopped a few days ago, and Victor’s last call was a week ago.
I dialed a number, the contact info the Commander gave me when I was at the STF. I tried once yesterday, but there was no answer.
I waited a long time this time too, and I was about to give up when someone finally picked up.
{{MC}}: Hello, I’m…
??: I know. You’re Miss {{mc}}, right?
A somewhat bubbly woman’s voice came out of the speaker, certainly not the Commander’s voice.
??: The Commander ordered me to contact him right away if anyone contacted this number. But recently, the Commander has had no time, so I’ll relay your message to him.
I hesitated a bit, unable to tell if she was telling the truth or not. I almost spoke out, but decided against it.
{{MC}}: I just wanted to ask about Gavin… about Capt. Gavin.
??: It’s very normal for Capt. Gavin to be out of contact while on mission. Don’t worry too much. I’m not clear on the specifics myself.
{{MC}}: …Alright, thank you.
An answer like that didn’t surprise me. I quickly hung up without bringing up my other request.
If the effect from the electromagnetic wave becomes greater closer to the TV tower, then getting Evolvers involved would be extremely dangerous.
And without Gavin anymore, I wasn’t even sure if the Special Task Force could be trusted.
Right now there was still one other way. It wasn’t time to give up yet.
After Loveland City officials took emergency measures, order slowly returned to society.
Most stores were still closed, but people were taking to the streets again. On the surface, it seemed like things were getting back to normal.
Occasionally one would see a toppled tree or billboard, like the aftermath of a typhoon.
But I knew that this was all chaos caused by out-of-control Evolvers.
Clutching my folder, I hurried off to the Loveland City Police Station.
In contrast to the desolate streets, in here things couldn’t be more bustling.
All kinds of shouts, complaints, and begging formed a wall of sound. The air was thick with anxiety.
Officer Landsman was hurrying past with a file in hand, and I hastily called out to him.
{{MC}}: Officer Landsman, hi! I have some leads here I’d like to provide, concerning the cause of the recent chaos…
Officer Landsman: Not you again?!
Officer Landsman frowned and cut me off, seeming very impatient.
Officer Landsman: We don’t have any hot tips here for you to scoop. It’s chaos right now, and we don’t have time for dealing with reporters like you!
Having said that, he walked off. I followed close behind to try tell him the key information.
{{MC}}: I’m not here for an interview. I’ve got enough clues here to show that this all points to the Loveland TV Tower!
{{MC}}: If you just cut off the electromagnetic waves from the tower, then you won’t have a riot on your hands.
Officer Landsman: The Loveland TV Tower? If you’ve been investigating it, then surely you know that it was attacked two days ago. It’s already shut down!
{{MC}}: Maybe that was their objective. The tower may be closed, but the electromagnetic wave transmissions still haven’t stopped!
Officer Landsman: Enough! I’m very busy, so if you have any speculations, find someone else to discuss them with. We have no time to play games with you!
Officer Landsman: Just like Officer Gavin, nowhere to be seen when you really need him. Probably hiding scared somewhere, lucky rich kid…
Without paying me anymore mind, Officer Landsman left in a huff.
Since Officer Landsman was a dead end, I decided to find another officer. But no matter how much I tried to persuade them, none of them paid any attention to me.
No one was willing to believe in even the existence of superpowers, so to posit out-of-control Evol as the cause of all these events was even more outlandish to them.
Officer: Miss, I think a TV station would be a better place for you. The police station is no place for jokes.
I stood helpless in the station lobby. I thought I must seem like a child acting up for no reason.
Officer: We’ve logged the case. Please wait till further notice.
The officers said the same thing to everyone, their voices tired and stale from saying it so much.
Leaving the police station, the storm that had been brewing for some time now finally broke out.
In this moment, I felt like I was standing in the middle of a desert island, the ocean stretching out in every direction, cutting me off from all help.
[Main Story 14-03]
After raining all afternoon, toward evening it finally let up. The clouds parted revealing a pale yellow sky.
I hurried to the office to get Dad’s notebook that I’d left behind yesterday when gathering my files.
All the companies in the building were on temporary hiatus, and there was only one middle-aged security guard at his post.
Security: Miss, what are you doing coming to work at this hour? It’s such a mess out there, you should stay safe at home!
{{MC}}: Uh… I’m just here to grab something. A friend is waiting for me outside.
Security: Oh, oh, well alright. I heard two days ago someone got stuck in the elevator on the top floor. When the door opened, he ran out of their scared, and then… he saw a dark shadow!
{{MC}}: Oh really… ha… ha…
After forcing me to make small talk and then filling my head with ghost stories, this unfamiliar security guard finally deemed it fit to let me go.
{{MC}}: These rumors of ghosts in elevators are a really getting out of hand.
I whispered this to myself as I pressed the button to go up.
The other elevator had an “under repair” sign in front of it. Seems the guard’s ghost story might have had something to it.
The lights weren’t on in the lobby, and the white marble floors cast a blurry reflection. The cold air was in stark contrast to the sultry heat outside.
Even though I didn’t believe the guard’s story, at that moment, I still felt a bit uneasy.
{{MC}}: It’s all in your head. It’s all in your head…
After all, the security measures in this building are good, nothing strange has happened here, and ghosts aren’t real either…
I was nervous the whole way, but the elevator arrived smoothly at our floor. Not a thing happened.
As I put the notebook in my bag, the phone in my hand suddenly vibrated, making me almost drop it.
The screen showed it was actually from Kiro.
Because of all the fallout from his sudden retirement announcement, he was probably busy sorting out sponsorship matters. How did he have time to call me?
I hastily answered it.
{{MC}}: Hello? Kiro?
Kiro: {{mc}}, where are you right now?
His tone was very anxious, and his breathing was uneven. I was a bit perplexed.
{{MC}}: Me? I’m at the office. What’s up?
Kiro: Listen. I’m on my way to you right now. Get out of the office, and don’t take the elevator.
I could hear a constant, rapid tapping of a keyboard, and his voice somehow sounded unreal.
Kiro: On the left side of the building, there’s a fire escape. Do you know how to get there?
{{MC}}: Yeah, I know it.
As I walked toward the exit, I started to ask what this was all about.
{{MC}}: What…
Kiro: Shh–
Kiro: Stay quiet for now and wait till you see me. I’ll tell you everything.
Even though I was still totally confused, I did as he said. My heart started pounding again, and I couldn’t stop my imagination from running wild.
When I reached the fire escape that hardly anyone ever used, Kiro’s voice just happened to start up again–
Kiro: Take the stairs down to the 10th floor. Don’t worry, I can keep an eye on you from surveillance.
Hearing that, I looked up at the camera in the corner, seemingly able to see through it to the person behind it, as if he was right by my side.
I ran quickly down the stairs, being careful not to be too loud.
Kiro: Exit from here and go right.
I didn’t know what was behind me, but right when I opened the door, I heard the sound of footsteps from above.
Kiro: Go to the end and then take the fire escape to basement level two.
By now I was starting to understand the danger I was in. The echoes behind me followed closely, and my palms broke out in icy sweat.
Kiro: Don’t be scared. They haven’t discovered you.
I could hear my heavy footsteps and breathing. Kiro’s calm voice on the other end was helping me just barely keep my wits together.
Kiro: Almost there…
*ZzzZzzz*
The crackle of electricity came over the phone, and the signal was cutting in and out, making it impossible to hear what Kiro was saying.
{{MC}}: Kiro!
In my panic, I couldn’t stop myself from calling out his name.
Kiro: Signal’s bad… no worries… I’m waiting for you at the exit.
The signal cut out entirely, and my heart sank.
I fought back my panic and kept sprinting down the dark corridor.
When I finally ran out from the pitch black underground parking lot, the dusky gloom outside seemed like another world.
I looked around but saw no sign of Kiro.
A black car suddenly sped over, and just as I was about to turn and run, a powerful force pulled me into the car.
[Main Story 14-05]
{{MC}}: ！！
Before I could even shout, the car door closed in my face, and the car sped off.
I was in terror and tried to pry open the hand that was holding me, but in the next second I was being held in his arms.
Kiro: It’s me, it’s okay. {{mc}}, it’s okay. Don’t be scared.
Kiro’s gentle, soothing tones sounded in my ear, and I was completely reassured by the familiar voice and scent. I started to get choked up and almost cried.
My throbbing heartbeat was still pounding in my eardrums. I needed a moment to collect myself.
Kiro: There’s someone behind us following this car, so time was tight. Sorry, I didn’t know I would scare you like that.
Kiro patted my back, and his voice sounded full of regret.
As I lay in his arms, I shook my head, letting him know I was okay.
When I settled down, Kiro finally let go. Extremely gently, He smoothed out my disheveled hair.
Looking into his clear, pure eyes, my panic dispersed like a cloud.
{{MC}}: You…
Kiro: There’s still one more thing.
I looked at him and blinked somewhat confusedly.
Kiro: It’s my time to shine! You rest, while I shake these guys off our tail. This will just take a second.
I turned my head and saw several off-road vehicles hot on our tail, tires screeching. It looked like they were about to ram us–
My head was quickly covered and turned forward again by Kiro.
Kiro: Don’t look back there.
{{MC}}: I’m not a little kid…
Kiro: I know you’re not. You’re my Miss Chips.
Kiro: There’s nothing she can’t do. Everything she cooks is delicious, and she always gives me half. She’s my superhero!
{{MC}}: Ppbbbff–
I had to laugh at his joking, seeming to break the ice in my heart. I could finally relax.
Kiro: Give me a second.
He tousled my hair, and after I gave him the thumbs up sign, he turned back to his computer screen.
There were two laptops open in front of us, one showing traffic conditions and one showing all the surveillance cameras from the office building.
I felt a twinge of fear seeing the figures in black in the video searching through the building.
{{MC}}: These people were looking for me?
Kiro: Yep. Do you remember the underground secret room from the Hacker’s Summit and the things we saw?
{{MC}}: I remember! The Black Swan Collective…
Kiro: Right. Those people who came to get you today are from the very same organization.
Kiro: I hacked into their files. They already did this once a few days ago.
{{MC}}: Could that have been the elevator ghost story the security guard spoke of?
Kiro: Yeah. I couldn’t find any more information, so I was worried about you. As soon as I thought you might be in danger, I–
He turned to look at me, his eyes full of worry.
Kiro: Thankfully, I found you.
The earnestness and rejoicing in his voice made my heart flutter. He was still the same old Kiro I knew so well.
{{MC}}: Are those people still after us?
Kiro: Oh, them? They’ll be gone real soon.
Maybe it was Kiro’s sure tone, or maybe because he was by my side, but I wasn’t a bit scared.
{{MC}}: I trust you!
I looked at Kiro. He was focused on the screen, fingers clicking away at the keyboard. He occasionally told the driver which roads to take to get rid of all these suspicious cars.
It had been a long time since last we saw each other, and he seemed a little different.
His mouth was drawn, and around his eyes was a little dark. All the brilliance of superstar Kiro seemed swept under the rug. Right now, he was the hacker, Key.
There weren’t a lot of cars on the roads. I don’t know how Kiro was doing it, but we managed to avoid all the red lights.
Cars shuttled back and forth, and the streetlights on either side lit up. A yellow glow swept over us periodically, sweeping over Kiro’s earnest profile.
There seemed to be a gleam in his eye, a side of him I wasn’t familiar with.
*Tap–* He struck the final “enter” key.
Kiro: We lost them. Now I’ll take you home.
I was about to nod, when I thought of another possibility that made me uneasy.
{{MC}}: Won’t it be dangerous for me to return home? Won’t they be waiting there for me?
Kiro: I thought about that, but your home is special.
Kiro brought up a surveillance display of my apartment complex. Aside from the property manager and a few familiar residents, there was nothing out of the ordinary.
Kiro: There’s always been people around your home protecting you, so it’s safer than anywhere else.
{{MC}}: People protecting me? Special Task Force?
Kiro: Right.
Kiro: And I’ll be keeping tabs through surveillant… although I promise, I have never done that before.
Kiro pointed at the screen before him and raised a hand in solemn oath.
His serious, solemn manner made me laugh. I finally relaxed and didn’t resist returning home.
Kiro: Actually… I’ve been under surveillance by some people lately, so I can’t stay with you. I’ll only feel at ease if you’re in your home.
{{MC}}: Surveillance? Is it paparazzi?
Kiro: No, not just paparazzi.
His expression was stern, but he didn’t say any more.
Kiro: {{mc}}, don’t go anywhere by yourself for the next couple of days. And don’t go out at night. After I’ve taken care of things, I’ll come for you.
His tone was gentle, even a little pleading. Even though I didn’t know what things he was talking about, I nodded.
{{MC}}: Don’t worry, I’ll be fine… I was just a little frightened just then.
That was what I said, but I still felt a little lost and confused.
Just who was he being watched by? What’s behind this rare look of grim seriousness on his face?
Kiro: Miss Chips… You don’t look like you’re doing so hot.
{{MC}}: What? I’m fine…
I hastily shook my head and gave Kiro a big smile.
Kiro firmly took up my hand and locked eyes with me.
Kiro: Wait till I’ve taken care of some things, and I will come for you. I’ll tell you everything that’s happened.
Kiro: So you need to wait for me! I won’t be too long. And you need to get your spirits up, or else I’ll start worrying!
This smile was like the dawn breaking through the clouds. It couldn’t be held back by any darkness or gloom and brought me warmth every time.
Turns out he had already noticed how down I was feeling, that something was off with me.
Kiro: If you’re scared, don’t turn off your phone. If anything urgent comes up, I’ll call you.
Kiro: If you can’t sleep, you can call me too. Any time of night.
The car stopped at my building, and Kiro got out to escort me home.
Kiro: Here, it’s a magic healing item.
Kiro placed a little object into my hand and closed my hand over it so I couldn’t see what it was.
The driver honked the horn twice to hurry us along. Kiro scratched his head and gave a helpless look.
Kiro: I gotta go.
Kiro: {{mc}}, rest up. I hope the next time I see you, you’ll be your usual self, full of vim and vigor.
I stood there and watched the black car speed off just as it had come and disappear into the night.
I opened my hand. It was a candy. I unwrapped it and placed it in my mouth.
Strawberry flavor. So sweet.
The gloomy shadow in my heart really seemed to be lifted from me.
[Main Story 14-07]
I returned home alone, still feeling a little shell-shocked.
It was already dark outside. The moment between dusk and night had passed, and all the rays of light were extinguished.
The deep, dark night seemed like a sea seething with undercurrents and unknown dangers.
Thinking of what had just taken place, I found myself unable to settle down completely.
All this time, even though this organization has been causing incidents around me, none of them have been like today.
What’s happened that’s caused them to abandon other means and start acting out in the open?
I took out my phone and was surprised to see two missed calls and one voice message, all from Victor.
Having been out of touch with him for so long, my first reaction was to finally feel relief.
{{MC}}: Great, he must have just been too busy earlier after all…
I don’t know why, but this whole time I’d been out of touch with Victor, I had a constant vague feeling of worry and unease.
A feeling that I’d never had about him before, something seemingly foreboding.
I opened the voice message, not even 15 seconds long. Victor’s familiar, deep voice boomed forth.
Victor’s Voice Message: I need to go away temporarily to take care of something very important. Don’t worry. You need to protect yourself, and don’t go rushing into danger…
After a few seconds of silence, Victor’s voice sounded again.
Victor’s Voice Message: …I hope to see you in the future.
He spoke calmly, composedly, and with reluctance and resolve.
I put down the phone in a daze and looked out at the multitude of city lights in the distance, my heart pounding with doubt and distress.
{{MC}}: …see me in the future? What did that mean?
I hastily tried to call him back, but after a long, long time still no one picked up.
A robotic beeping reverberated in the night, and that cloud of worry in my chest grew larger.
{{MC}}: Is he busy?
{{MC}}: Where could he be at this hour? What was he trying to tell me?
I opened the voice message again and listened over and over, trying to find even the slightest thread of a clue.
I looked Victor’s name flashing repeatedly on the screen and gave a solemn nod.
{{MC}}: I promise you, I will protect myself. But I didn’t get to tell you, you take care too…
As I muttered to myself, my eyes came upon a glass cup on my bed’s headboard. It shone with an ethereal blue glow under the light, and I couldn’t hold back a laugh at the silly, grinning dog painted on it.
I wondered if the other cup with the snarling cat on it was being used by its owner?
As I traced the dog’s outline on the cup with my finger, I let out a smile.
Minutes before. Victor’s house.
No one was picking up the call. After the voice prompt ended, the call hung up automatically.
Victor: What could she be busy doing at this hour?
His finger paused over the close button and then hit redial again.
*Beep– beep– beep*
Victor frowned. The incessant beeping of the dial tone was starting to wear on even his patience.
“Sorry, the number you have dialed is busy. Please leave a voice message after the tone.”
He let out a sigh and gave up on dialing again.
Victor: I need to go away temporarily to take care of something very important. Don’t worry. You need to protect yourself, and don’t go rushing into danger.
He paused a moment and then added a few more words:
Victor: …I hope to see you in the future.
The phone slipped from his hand, and he doubled over, his body trembling with pain. That familiar, soul-tearing pain was more intense than ever.
*Woosh–* A wind suddenly kicked up in the sealed space, turning into a vortex.
Behind Victor, a black hole appeared out of thin air, and a swirling air current rapidly expanded.
In the blink of an eye, it had filled up the entire space.
The silent vortex seemed entwined with a black light around the edges, but the center was a completely still and pure blackness.
If anything entered it, even light, it could not escape.
Victor stared grimly into the gaping black hole. The powerful pull from the vortex made it hard for him to hold his ground.
Victor: I guess I have no choice…
The black hole-like dimensional rift devoured everything in his field of vision. At this moment, he still couldn’t help but think of her.
In an instant, all light was snuffed out, and then quickly returned back to its former brightness.
The room looked as if nothing had happened at all. A brightly-lit lamp, a cold black-and-white table top, a cube of ice melting in a glass cup…
It was as if the vortex and black hole from before were just illusions.
Except there was now no sign of Victor.
Agent: Agent B15. I have an urgent situation to report–
The young man on watch nearby broke out into a sweat. One minute ago, the detector in his hand registered a spike of data, going past alarm levels in just 10 seconds.
Then it rapidly hit a peak and even exceeded the detectable range for the device.
Agent: The observation target experienced an intense energy fluctuation, exceeding peak levels. Now the situation is unclear. Requesting backup to investigate. I repeat…
Inside the room, the phone that had dropped on the floor kept vibrating, stopping minutes later.
Meanwhile…
Kiro looked at the file he’d just cracked, his eyes flashing with vengeance.
A document 10 pages long, recording all kinds of data, and at the top, several lines of words–
“Superpower Amplification Experiment (Code P029)”
“Location #03: Loveland City”
[Main Story 14-09]
A sound kept blaring outside the window.
One ambulance after another, their piercing sirens reverberating through the early morning streets.
{{MC}}: …What happened?
Completely unable to sleep, I walked over to the window and watched the ambulances rush off toward a thick cloud of smoke.
I suddenly felt a stabbing pain in my brain. Those sirens seemed to be going off in my head with an ear-splitting blare.
I cradled my head and couldn’t help from leaning on the windowsill.
My vision blurred and for a moment I seemed to lose all sensation.
I saw a thick fog, with a silvery steel structure flittering in and out of view. Hidden in the fog was a huge tower that seemed incredibly familiar.
A powerful wind pushed me forward. I struggled, but it was in vain.
I was forced to walk into the TV tower. The elevator stopped at the very top.
As the door opened, a white mist rushed toward me.
In the fog was a woman whose face I couldn’t make out. She said something, but I couldn’t hear it.
She opened a box in her hand… and the city below her erupted in flame.
What is this… What is she saying…
I strained to hear, but everything continued on silently. All I could do was try to read her lips.
“Pandora’s… Everything will end…”
A red switch flashed into the scene, and a hand pulled it down.
Everything stopped abruptly. I leaned on the windowsill and gasped for breath to relieve the pain and throbbing just now.
I closed my eyes, wanting to find some more information, but I saw nothing. The scene just then kept replaying in my mind.
This time, the vision left me completely unclear, like a fragment of an absurd dream.
The strange woman, the box, the city on fire, the switch… what was it all?
{{MC}}: What was it trying to tell me?
I recorded the details from the scene in my notebook and then drew a circle around the words “TV tower” and “switch”.
Then I put a question mark beside “box” and “strange woman”.
A riddle with no clues, pointing once again to the TV tower.
This unknown force is truly powerful…
But no matter how powerful, I will not admit defeat!
With that in mind, I gave the Commander a call.
Not two seconds later, someone picked up.
Leto: {{mc}}, what can I do for you?
{{MC}}: Hello, Commander. Are you free right now? I have an important matter I’d like to ask you about.
Leto: Speak.
{{MC}}: You said before that every time I see the future, the future will change…
Leto: –{{mc}}.
The Commander interrupted me.
Leto: Your visions certainly do make the future change, but whether that change is for good or bad, the only one who can make that change is you.
Without waiting for me to reply, the Commander hung up the phone.
Only I can make the change?
I opened the window and looked out at the TV tower. A cold wind blew, bringing with it confusion and hesitation.
If I’m the only one, then will I go change the future no matter the risk? Will I give it my all?
I sat on the sofa and watched the news on the TV in a daze.
“For reasons unknown, a series of explosions rocked a residential building in Loveland City at 6:10 this morning. There are currently 5 dead and 47 injured.”
“The injured have all been rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.”
“As to whether this explosion and the previous series of incidents have a single cause, the police are still investigating.”
Another major case of Evol out of control!
My heart sank as I watched the images from the scene being broadcast. The weight of it all seemed to be pressing down on my chest, making it so I couldn’t breathe.
If things keep developing like this, what more disasters will unfold, and how many more innocents will get hurt?
{{MC}}: If I’m the only one who can change the future…
The Commander’s words rang in my ear.
After all I’ve been through, I didn’t know if I would be able to fearlessly seek the truth.
I held my father’s notebook in my hands. It was the only thing now that could bring me courage.
Just then, I thought of something Anna said to me before: “Let the superheroes worry about saving the world. Your safety is the most important thing.”
But is that really how things are?
I thought of that agent at the STF that suddenly went haywire, of Gavin’s strange disappearance, of Victor being unable to be reached…
…the peaceful lives of Evolvers destroyed by powers out of control, and the bereaved and despairing people at the police station…
If this is all a plot by Black Swan, if I am their final objective, then can I really just turn my back on everything?
I’ve been wondering this whole time, what is my Evol for?
Perhaps, my visions are meant for changing the future, and not for sitting around waiting for everything to happen!
I made a decision, perhaps the bravest decision of my entire life.
[Main Story 14-11]
The next day, I sent the clues I’d gathered to the police’s public mailing address, and then wrote a letter to Anna handing future company matters over to her.
Then, I gave Kiro a call.
A mechanical, female voice notified me over and over that the phone I was dialing was turned off.
What now? If I couldn’t contact Kiro, I wouldn’t be able to go through with my plan.
But there was no time to lose. I couldn’t keep waiting.
With that in mind, I decide to disguise myself and go looking for Kiro.
After leaving my house, I had a vague sense that a pair of eyes were always following me.
I surreptitiously turned on my phone’s selfie cam, but after looking around, I didn’t find anything suspicious.
{{MC}}: My nerves must still be on edge from yesterday!
Being among other pedestrians and cars, I settled down some more. My adversaries wouldn’t act out in broad daylight like this, right?
I walked quickly to the corner, and a hand suddenly grabbed me. A shady figure dressed in black and wearing a black hat and mask appeared before me.
{{MC}}: Aaahh–!!
Kiro: Shh– It’s me, Kiro.
When he took off his hat, I finally recognized that this suspicious character actually was Kiro!
{{MC}}: Wh– what are you doing here?
Kiro: I was about to give you a call when I got to your building. I didn’t think I’d run into you first.
Kiro: More about that later. You’ve got someone following you. We have to lose them.
{{MC}}: There’s really people tailing me?
I looked carefully behind me, but I still didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
Kiro: Don’t worry. They won’t do anything rash here. We’ll easily give them the slip!
{{MC}}: Then what should we do?
Kiro: I’ll count down from three, then we’ll run into the metro station.
{{MC}}: What? Just like that?
My look of complete shock made Kiro laugh.
Kiro: Yeah, it’s just that simple. Here we go, three, two, one…
Kiro: –Run!
I took off running with him. His hand in mine was warm and strong.
I knew we were being followed, but in the moment, it felt exhilarating.
I turned and looked into Kiro’s shining eyes, and we both laughed together.
(On the metro)
We ran onto a metro train about to take off. Anyone behind us definitely didn’t have time to get on.
There were no other people in the whole car, only the two of us huffing and puffing in our seats.
Kiro: Now no one’s following us!
Kiro took off his face mask. His expression relaxed greatly and then shifted to anger.
Kiro: Why did you go outside against my advice?! If I didn’t just happen to run into you…
{{MC}}: Sorry… I needed to find you, and you weren’t answering your phone…
Kiro took out his phone. Seeing the screen was black, his eyes grew dim.
{{MC}}: What is it?
Kiro: Never mind. Why did you need to find me?
{{MC}}: This might sound far-fetched, but I think the most recent events may be because of an unknown electromagnetic wave.
{{MC}}: It can affect some people with special power, a power called Evol. The message from Black Swan in the secret room also mentioned it.
{{MC}}: The source of the wave is the Loveland TV Tower. My guess is there’s an emitter at the top.
{{MC}}: So… I thought maybe someone like Key would be able to shut down the device.
{{MC}}: Do you… believe what I’ve said?
Kiro: I believe you!
Kiro: If there’s one place that can affect the whole of Loveland City, it’s the TV tower.
With the look of trust on Kiro’s face, my last speck of worry evaporated from my heart.
Kiro turned on his phone, connected his mini-keyboard, pulled up the antenna, and a dense string of numbers started flashing across the screen.
His fingers flew over the keyboard, the sharp tapping sounds mixing with the screech of the metro tracks, making me unconsciously hold my breath.
The metro entered a dark tunnel, and the daylight disappeared. With the final key tap, a huge “ERROR” prompt flashed on the screen.
Giant beads of sweat ran down Kiro’s temples. He scowled at the screen and wrung his fists.
Kiro: Sorry… I can’t shut it off…
His tone was dripping with disappointment. I looked into Kiro’s gloomy eyes and held his hand.
{{MC}}: It’s okay. I’ll think of another way.
Kiro squeezed back on my hand, looked me in the eye, and said in earnest:
Kiro: {{mc}}, next time, I’m sure I’ll turn it off.
At the time, I didn’t know what kind of determination was behind those words, and I couldn’t make out the hint of unease behind his earnest expression.
I only clung to the warmth and courage flowing between our enjoined hands.
As the black tunnel flew past me, I even felt a moment of serenity.
{{MC}}: There’s something I want to go do.
Kiro didn’t turn his head and lightly patted the back of my hand.
Kiro: I’ve already guessed what it is.
Kiro affected a mystical tone as he spoke.
Kiro: If you want to go play the superhero and save Loveland City, then you can’t go without me. After all, I’m this superhero’s biggest fan.
{{MC}}: Haha–
{{MC}}: I’m not trying to be some mighty superhero and save the world.
{{MC}}: I just want to do what I can.
{{MC}}: Even if it’s hard, even if it’s dangerous, I don’t want to have any regrets.
{{MC}}: I must turn off that emitter. Then, everything will go back to normal!
Kiro: Not just you. We.
{{MC}}: But… this will be dangerous. And I don’t know what might happen.
{{MC}}: We might even run into some Evolvers. I don’t want to get you wrapped up in it.
Kiro: {{mc}}, don’t look at me as some normal person. I’m an Evolver too.
My eyes grew wide hearing this word coming out of Kiro’s mouth. I almost couldn’t believe it.
As if satisfied at how shocked I was, Kiro perked up his eyebrows and smiled.
Kiro: Don’t believe it? My Evol is passively attracting others, so that’s why everyone loves Kiro.
{{MC}}: I thought that was just something your fans say as a joke?
Kiro: No, it’s really true. I’m an Evolver too, so I have a responsibility to resolve this as quickly as possible.
The seriousness of his tone swept away my doubts. It may have felt unbelievable, but it seemed to explain some things I wondered about before.
{{MC}}: So, does that mean those fan riots from before were because of your Evol?
Kiro: Right. When I lose control of my Evol, it has bad effects. I couldn’t appear in public anymore as Kiro, so I had no choice but to retire.
His face looked hurt for a moment, but it quickly returned to normal.
Kiro: Aside from that reason, there’s still another important thing I have to do.
{{MC}}: What important thing? Is it what you talked about on the phone last time? I thought you were talking about retiring…
Kiro: It’s not retiring. It’s something else. Although right now, solving the out-of-control Evol problem with you is more important.
{{MC}}: But…
Kiro: Don’t say no to me. The reason I’m here is to help you.
Kiro: I know this might be dangerous, but that just means I can’t let you go alone all the more. I want to protect you too.
I seemed to be the only thing in his mind just then. That determined look in his eye made my chest heat up, and I just couldn’t say no to him.
[Main Story 14-13]
The Loveland TV Tower in the city’s center is 470 meters tall, and 120 floors high. It used to be the tallest structure in Loveland City, one of its landmark buildings.
Due to an out-of-control Evol incident two days ago, the tower has been shut down, and nearby streets have all been blocked off.
But surprisingly, what should have been a desolate scene at the foot of the TV tower was actually more lively than usual.
A crowd of women holding signs and banners were gathered in the square in front of it, and circling around them were quite a few reporters and film crews.
{{MC}}: What’s going on? What happened?
I searched on my phone and found a little story from an unknown source had blown up online– “Superstar Kiro to Make First Appearance Since Retirement at Loveland TV Tower”
Even though officials from the TV tower dispelled the rumor, the news still spread like wildfire.
No one had seen Kiro since his announcement, and no media outlet could uncover a shred of information on his motivations.
So when this news came out, true or not, it got everybody’s attention, and the officials even had to send staff to maintain order.
{{MC}}: Did they know you were coming here? Why did they want to expose this?
This had me completely confused. I looked over at Kiro. His expression looked complicated.
Kiro: I think they’ve already told us.
{{MC}}: What?
Kiro pointed at the background of the picture accompanying the article. A string of letters in an inconspicuous place in the shadow of the building– “Warning”.
{{MC}}: Warning? What do they want to warn about? Is that just a coincidence?
Kiro: Maybe one picture’s a coincidence, but it’s in all these pictures.
I looked carefully at all the pictures, shocked to find that no matter which media outlet or which picture, I could find a “Warning” in all of them.
{{MC}}: What are they trying to warn about…
I looked at the crowd and saw they were all looking around too. Every pair of eyes was a scanner, scanning for anyone suspicious.
{{MC}}: There’s so many people now. How will we get into the TV tower?
Kiro didn’t respond. His sudden silence made me restless.
{{MC}}: What’s wrong? Is…
Before I could finish, a sharp cry cut me off.
Woman A: Aaahh–! What are you doing!!
Woman B: Let me go! Kiro doesn’t need fans like you!
The crowd suddenly erupted in panic. Several women started squabbling for some reason, their emotions getting very heated.
Even from this far, the ear-splitting shouts could be clearly heard.
Not even a few minutes later, the situation escalated and they started hitting each other, and even people nearby trying to pacify them got mixed up in the brawl.
More and more people got swept up in it, and the scene descended into chaos. Even though it was mostly young girls, the situation was terrifying.
{{MC}}: Wh– what’s wrong with them?
Posters and signs imprinted with Kiro fell to the ground and were trampled.
The media excitedly raised their cameras to capture the action, not a bit scared of the threat to themselves.
It was full-on pandemonium.
The outburst was quickly quelled by the security guards in charge. When the girls who had first started it were forcibly removed, they were still struggling and acting volatile.
Such a sudden, unreasonable outburst. Could it be…
I looked at Kiro, who was balling his fists and looking on in silence at the chaos before him.
Those eyes that were always full of sunshine were now full of unmistakable pain and worry.
Kiro: Maybe it’s a warning they were giving to me…
I felt a stabbing pain in my heart. Kiro had always cared so much about his fans…
How must he feel seeing fans break out into violence before him?
{{MC}}: It’s just a sudden outburst! And I noticed those girls weren’t seriously hurt.
Kiro: Yeah, I told my agent to keep an eye on the situation. He’ll be here soon to deal with it.
Though he said that, his was still feeling bad about everything. I didn’t know what to do.
Kiro: After we get into the TV tower and get farther away, even if my power gets out of hand again, it won’t have a big effect. Now, we need to figure out how to get in.
The disturbance just now opened up quite a few holes in the security around the TV tower, allowing us to get into the underground parking area through a side door.
Kiro took his phone out and opened an app that I’d never seen before.
After he entered a string of numbers, I heard a faint buzzing sound nearby.
Kiro: This can temporarily jam nearby monitoring devices. They didn’t have time to set up too many, so reaching the top level won’t be hard.
The underground parking had an entrance for employees. Kiro quickly cracked the lock. We had made it smoothly into the TV tower.
Because the tower was temporarily closed, only a few dim lights were on in the underground corridor.
Every fork in the passageway was steeped in darkness, like something was laying in wait there. I looked around, on guard that someone might suddenly appear any time.
Just then, Kiro reached out and grabbed my hand. The sudden warmth took me by surprise.
Kiro: If you’re scared, you can hold my hand.
My face started turning red.
{{MC}}: I– I’m not scared. I’m just worried someone will ambush us.
Kiro: They won’t be waiting for us in a place like this. Don’t worry, I don’t think this is their goal.
{{MC}}: Oh? What do you think their goal is?
Kiro gripped my hand tightly. I couldn’t see his face clearly, but a moment later he answered me.
Kiro: My guess is that this is an experiment of theirs.
{{MC}}: An experiment? An Evol experiment?
Kiro: Right. An experiment to amplify Evol abilities. But the experiment failed.
{{MC}}: You mean they’re using the entire city of Loveland as a guinea pig?!
Kiro: Maybe not just Loveland City…
We didn’t keep discussing the topic, but a seed of doubt was buried in my mind.
If this was all an experiment of Black Swan’s, then what role was Lucien playing in it?
What was their objective for luring me to this TV tower?
After the long corridor, we finally reached the ground-floor entrance lobby.
Upon opening the door, the sudden light made me wince, and Kiro quickly put his hand over my eyes.
I blinked, my lashes brushing against his palm, making his hand twitch too.
Kiro: You’ll be fine in a second.
When I’d acclimated, Kiro took away his hand. A giant crack in the lobby floor appeared before me.
[Main Story 14-14]
Without a single tourist in the tower, it was so spacious and desolate. The crack was a reminder of the incident that had occurred here.
Two days prior, lots of cracks suddenly split open in the tower’s floors and walls, and rapidly expanded. It caused a huge panic and nearly set off a stampede.
Before it’s confirmed that the cracks won’t keep spreading, the tower has been shut down.
{{MC}}: Such big cracks. Will it be a problem?
Closer inspection showed cracks both big and small in all the walls, glass, and the ceiling.
It made me worried they’d keep growing, causing the whole tower to collapse.
Kiro: It won’t be a problem. I ran some calculations. The cracks may look scary, but they haven’t damaged the load-bearing structure.
{{MC}}: But isn’t this some freak accident?
Kiro: Maybe it wasn’t an accident. Only a powerful Evolver could have such a precise effect.
Kiro: If his power went out of control, the lobby would probably be entirely destroyed.
Kiro took out a small computer he carried on him and opened a file on the desktop.
A 3D image of the whole tower appeared on the screen, with dozens of red lines running from its base to the top.
Kiro: These are all the routes to the top of the tower.
{{MC}}: Who knew there were so many? So which one do we pick?
Tourists usually only took one route. The other routes on the screen were completely new to me.
Kiro: We can rule out a few from here.
As he spoke, he brought up a black interface. The screen split into nine squares, each corresponding to a surveillance camera.
After a few seconds, it then switched to another batch of feeds. Everything going on in the TV tower was clear to see.
A feed with people in it was quickly singled out, two security guards still on duty.
There were also several suspicious figures flashing by. No telling who they were.
Kiro: It’d be best if we avoid them entirely. There’s also some other places closed for repair.
Kiro: After ruling out all these routes, the only ones we have left are…
One by one, the red routes on the screen disappeared, until only three were left, all of them overlapping at one part.
Kiro sent the map to his phone. The 3D structure simplified into a flat map that we could follow.
Kiro: Now that the route’s settled, let’s take the service elevator to the 90th floor observation deck.
{{MC}}: But will the elevator be working now?
Kiro: They shut down the tourist elevators, but the other ones are still in normal operation.
{{MC}}: That’s good, otherwise getting to the top would be a huge problem.
The service elevator stopped at the ground floor. We got in and started going up. The numbers on the screen jumped quickly. 20m… 30m…
The air inside seemed stagnant, and I couldn’t help thinking of everything that could go wrong.
Kiro: Why are you so quiet? Nervous?
I really wanted to say no, but I nodded my head truthfully.
{{MC}}: All this crazy stuff straight out of a movie keeps happening to me. I’m in way over my head. After all, I’m not some action star.
Kiro: But you have me! I’m Key after all!
I paused a second. Having a legendary hacker like Key was good, but he wasn’t a fighter either.
{{MC}}: Our attack stats combined probably wouldn’t even add up to 5…
Kiro: Don’t worry, we’ve already escaped twice, haven’t we? Doesn’t that make you less nervous?
Seeing how unassured I was, Kiro reached out and stroked my hair. Strangely enough, my restless heart really did settle back down.
The elevator went all the way up, reaching the 90th floor observation deck.
We crossed the lobby, and through the glass wall, we saw a completely different scene outside.
Under an azure blue sky and a brightly shining sun, the city looked like a forest of buildings crisscrossed with streets stretching out into the distance.
Kiro: Let’s come here for fun next time.
Everything was going smoothly, and I was about to agree, when I heard someone talking.
Stranger A: …Did they come in?
Stranger B: I heard they came in through underground parking.
We’ve already been discovered!?
Kiro reacted instantly, pulling me behind a recess in the wall, a perfect blind spot along the curved corridor.
Kiro stood in front of me, his body tensed.
In this stillness, footsteps on the marble floors sounded loud and clear. They were coming our way.
I couldn’t see them as they neared. I unconsciously held my breath.
All of my senses were focused on the steady sound of footsteps and the warm hand holding mine.
The footsteps stopped close to us, and I could just see a piece of the person’s black clothing.
Have they spotted us? Will they spot us? My mind raced nervously.
*Ding* The sudden sound of the elevator made me tremble. Cold sweat dripped down my back.
After several more minutes, we didn’t hear any more sounds.
Kiro: It’s okay. They’re gone.
{{MC}}: Oh geez, I thought we were gonna be found out…
My legs felt like jelly.
Kiro: But there’s no telling if they’ll come back. We’ve gotta hurry.
Kiro had his head in his phone, studying our route.
Kiro: We can’t take this elevator for now, so we’ll have to take the freight elevator.
{{MC}}: But… didn’t we rule out the freight elevator because it wasn’t safe?
Kiro: It’s possible it was affected by the cracks, but it still runs.
The freight elevator was in a fire escape passageway. The black tiles under us had miniscule cracks that you’d barely notice if you didn’t look closely.
We waited in silence as it ascended from the first floor. Soon it smoothly came to rest on our floor, and the doors opened.
I inwardly let out a breath.
But then the moment Kiro stepped into the elevator, something happened.
Kiro: Stay back!
A strong force suddenly pushed me back. I lost balance and fell to the floor.
The elevator suddenly dropped before my eyes. I watched wide-eyed as Kiro disappeared from view.
{{MC}}: Kiro!!
The elevator doors slowly closed shut. I seemed to hear a loud “bang”.
My mind went blank.
[Main Story 14-17]
My whole body started shaking in fear and panic, but now was no time to be scared.
{{MC}}: He’s gotta be okay. He’s gotta be…
I braced my limp body as I prepared to get up, when I heard the impending sound of footsteps.
{{MC}}: Who’s there!?
A man in black appeared, pausing in the doorway.
From behind him, in walked a young woman with long, black hair, radiating arrogance and scorn, like a blood-spattered rose, both captivating and terrifying.
She was dressed all in black leather, and there was something ineffably unique about her. She was enticing, yet cold, making you want to get near her, but also shy away from the danger.
Several more people in black lined up behind her, but none as intimidating as her.
{{MC}}: Who are you? Are you from Black Swan?
??: Right now, you don’t need to know.
She stood there, looking down on me probingly, her dark grey eyes like an icy serpent’s sizing up its prey, causing me to shiver.
{{MC}}: You led us here on purpose?
{{MC}}: You made that elevator drop! Why did you have to do that? What’s happened to Kiro? He…
??: He’s not dead yet.
Even such an icy voice sounded like the angel answering my prayer at that moment. My nerves wound to the breaking point finally relaxed.
I held back tears and started taking in my surroundings. I had to escape from these people and reunite with Kiro.
The way we came was blocked, and one side was a reinforced glass wall. Behind me was an out-of-commission elevator and hallway. I only had one option left.
{{MC}}: What is your goal? If it’s me, then let Kiro go.
??: Still worrying about others even now?
Her expression was slightly mocking, but more so, there was something profound that I couldn’t read.
She neared step by step. The shrinking distance made all the cells in my body cry out to run away.
But what was I actually going to do? What could I do?
A sudden pain interrupted my thoughts. I propped myself up on the floor.
A barrage of broken images flashed in my brain. My eyes swam with grey, white, and black lights.
A crash of shattering glass, shards scattering everywhere, reflecting dazzling light…
I popped open my eyes, snatched up the phone from the ground beside me, and without hesitation– threw it at a corner of the outer wall of glass.
*Bang–!!*
My vision replayed before my eyes. With a “smash”, the whole plate of glass already riddled with cracks suddenly burst open.
Shards rained down where the woman was standing.
I didn’t even look. I took advantage of the moment to run out to the hall behind me.
{{MC}}: Ooof!!
A sudden, massive force washed over me, sending me kneeling to the floor.
I seemed to hear my bones straining. I found myself doubled over trying to escape this force.
??: Stop.
For a moment, the strain on my body let up. With difficulty, I leaned on the wall and got myself up, and what I saw next shocked me.
All the shards of glass were suspended in the air, shining in the dazzling sun, as if an invisible hand was holding them up.
A violent wind poured in from the broken window, almost blowing me over, but it didn’t move the shards at all.
Below it, the black-haired girl was still in the same place, her expression neither alarmed or angry. She didn’t move, not even so much as a centimeter.
The shards around her slowly rose up and carefully avoided her. I suddenly realized that there probably wasn’t just one person here!
Thinking of the person in the darkness, my whole body started to tremble.
I was taken to another floor– an empty lobby with a glass walkway suspended in the air. The view below made me feel dizzy.
The gravity pressing down on me had lessened, but it was still difficult to walk. I tried to remain composed and not let the terror I felt just now fill my entire mind.
{{MC}}: What do you want to do?
The woman’s gaze shifted from the window to me. Her expression was a little surprised, but she didn’t answer my question.
She walked over, stuck a hand under my chin and raised it up. She did so gently, but even through her soft leather gloves, it made me shiver.
??: Nothing special about you at all.
Her frigid eyes regarded me as if looking at a dead thing.
{{MC}}: What?
??: If it wasn’t because of… why would you cause him to sway?
She said this as if saying it to me, but also to the “him” she referred to.
{{MC}}: Who would that be?
??: You really still don’t know anything.
She let me go, stood before me, and elegantly removed her left glove.
A black snake crawled out from her wrist, its obsidian scales merging almost seamlessly with her black outfit.
Its golden pupils locked on me as its forked tongue darted out of its mouth.
Although I knew snakes could only see prey up-close, I felt like it was watching me with an icy glare just like its owner’s.
I couldn’t control my impulse to run away, but the force of gravity still weighed on me.
I saw on her exposed wrist a strange black ouroboros tattoo, and there was an unnatural pale grey color on her fingertip.
Everyone else in the lobby unconsciously stepped back, trying to keep their distance.
I strained to think of another way of escape. My hands held behind my back trembled, but I had to keep a calm and collected facade.
Just then, the sound of a vibrating phone cut through the tense atmosphere.
The woman took out her phone, saw the caller, and glanced at me with a complex look on her face.
Who could that be calling?
Seeing her walk back over to the window to take the call, I breathed a sigh of relief.
I don’t know why this person gave me such an intense feeling of danger. Just being near made me feel suffocated.
I could overhear her talking, and unless I was hearing things, she sounded much gentler than before.
??: …I’m here to take back experiment equipment. P029’s effect isn’t as predicted.
Hearing this, my body froze. I thought of Kiro’s hypothesis about this being an experiment.
An experiment where every Evolver in Loveland City was a test subject. Was it really true?
All my attention was focused on this phone call, hoping to hear more information.
??: You knew?
??: I can’t guess what you’re thinking… Yes, you won.
She abruptly hung up the call and walked over to her bedraggled captive.
Her constant look of observation and her excitement at seeing me struggle were completely vanished.
A subtle fury was seething in her dark grey eyes. I had no idea what she was going to do next.
[Main Story 14-19]
??: I’m not going to kill you.
Her indifferent expression did not conform at all to the words out of her mouth.
??: If you can escape from my grasp, then I’ll concede that you have some value.
Her hand hadn’t even touched me. Just from the nearness I could feel a scorching pain.
I looked in shock as her grey fingertip seemed to dissolve and spread into the air, drifting around like a living creature. I unconsciously held my breath.
*Boom–*
A loud sound came from the level below us, and the floor seemed to shake with it.
What was that? An explosion?
Right after, a huge plate of glass shattered, and even the glass underfoot started cracking, like it would break open any second.
??: What’s happening?
Just as she said that, tons of white smoke billowed in from all directions, filling the space in a few short seconds.
My vision went blurry in an instant, obscuring the people and the scene in front of me.
An blaring disaster siren sounded, reverberating throughout the building, drowning out all other sounds. The automatic sprinklers in the ceiling started spraying water from out of nowhere.
In the sudden chaos, the gravity that had been pressing on me finally let up. Now was my chance!
The woman in front of me instantly reacted and tried to grab me.
I don’t know why, but her hand suddenly paused, just a few centimeters from me.
I don’t think I’ll ever have such a moment of agility for the rest of my life.
Darting through the thick fog, I quickly got away from several people and ran for the exit.
{{MC}}: !!
In the fog, a hand suddenly grabbed my shoulder.
Kiro: Come with me.
It was Kiro’s voice!
My nose got all prickly, and I almost cried.
Even though we were escaping, the fact that Kiro was alright was all I could think about. I felt a happiness as if I had survived a disaster.
The whole building seemed to be full of smoke, but with his map, Kiro knew exactly where to go.
I sensed that we went through several doors and ran down a corridor, the sound of footsteps retreating behind us.
After a few minutes, the mist gradually faded.
I looked at Kiro pulling me along. He seemed a mess, his hair all wet and plastered to his forehead.
His face was wet, and when he looked at me, so were his eyes.
Kiro & Me: Are you okay?
The two of us asked the same question at the same time, and then finally I went first.
{{MC}}: They seemed to have some other objective, so they hadn’t done anything to me yet.
{{MC}}: And you? That elevator suddenly fell. Were you hurt?
Remembering that chilling moment, I still felt worried and started checking him for injuries.
Kiro: I’m okay. The elevator fell a dozen meters and then slowed to a stop. It was just getting back up here that took some time.
Kiro gave me a reassuring smile as he downplayed what just happened to him.
{{MC}}: Well thank goodness…
Seeing he didn’t want to worry me, I tried to change the topic.
{{MC}}: Was that smoke back there all your doing?
Kiro: Yep, just one of my little special moves! Good thing it worked.
Kiro: Right now we need to figure out how to get out of here quick. They’re dangerous, and not just that woman. There’s the one hidden in the shadows too.
He lowered his head and found the information he was looking for from the tangle of routes on his phone. His long fingers quickly froze.
Kiro: We can’t use any of the elevators now. That only leaves the stairs. Can you do it?
He looked at me, neither panicked nor shaken, giving me great courage.
{{MC}}: I can!
(In the lobby)
Mystery Man: Dumb little trick.
The white smoke disappeared instantly, and the fractured holes in the glass were controlled at a certain height.
With the cross-ventilation, the wind that surged in didn’t affect the people standing.
The black snake wrapped around its owner’s shoulder flicked its tongue and stared malevolently at the man who had suddenly appeared.
Mystery Man: They ran. Aren’t you going to chase them?
??: No.
Mystery Man: Tch. Well that’s no fun.
Mystery Man: You don’t want to see how far they’ll struggle? If you’re done playing, then I’ll have a turn.
[Main Story 14-20]
The spiraling stairs kept going up, seemingly without end.
The open space of steel and glass reflected the sunlight from the rooftop, like an amber-colored glass castle.
The crisscrossing steel giving off light and shadow formed a bewildering image.
The spiral-shaped steps wound upwards around the wall, like an endless stairway to heaven.
The sound of footsteps rang out particularly clearly in this quiet space.
*Thud–*
A sound suddenly came from lower down, echoing as if something broke and fell from high up.
These sounds kept coming, reverberating ceaselessly as their echoes slowly faded out. It made my feeling of uneasiness stronger.
{{MC}}: What is that noise?
Kiro: … !!!
Kiro didn’t respond. After a bit, he pulled on me and suddenly picked up the pace.
Kiro: Run! Quick!
A crashing sound grew closer, and I looked back as I ran. What I saw almost took my breath away.
As far as I could see, the stairs below us were gradually collapsing level by level.
As if affected by some heavy force, they warped and snapped at the base. The steel and stones fell with a huge crash.
{{MC}}: What is happening? Why are the stairs…
Kiro: It’s that guy’s power!
This is an Evolver? The one that was weighing me down back there has this much destructive power?
The noise kept drawing nearer, and nearer. I didn’t dare look back anymore.
My feet were getting heavier, and it was getting harder and harder to breathe.
The collapsing stairs and crashing noises were like inexorable death. A heavy shadow shrouded the entire space, and the pressure mounted in my chest.
The distance to the top was despairingly far. We seemed to be sprinting down an endless hall, seeing the same thing over and over again.
My body was almost at its limit. My lungs stung, my muscles burned, but my feet didn’t dare stop.
The hand that was holding mine and the warmth of another person gave me the greatest support.
Kiro: Hang in there, {{mc}}.
The closer we got to the roof, the closer we got to the emitter, and the greater its effect. I hadn’t felt anything before, but now I started to feel discomfort.
Kiro, who was running ahead of me, suddenly staggered, almost losing his balance. Luckily he was holding the handrail.
{{MC}}: Kiro! You okay?
Kiro: I’m fine. My foot just slipped. Did I scare you?
Kiro tried to sound as casual as possible, but I could feel his hand trembling in mine.
{{MC}}: Are you sure? We’re…
Kiro: We’re fine. We’re definitely gonna be fine.
Kiro squeezed tight on my hand. He looked back and gave me a reassuring smile.
His eyes in the moment held something I didn’t understand, but I didn’t have any energy to think about that.
Make it to the top and turn off the emitter. After that, I had no idea.
I could already feel the wind being kicked up by the stairs collapsing behind me. Our every step was a race with death.
My only thought was to just keep moving forward.
Kiro: Almost there.
Even the longest journey has an end. It felt like an age had passed.
I looked up and saw the half-open rooftop door, an “Under Maintenance” sign standing in front of it. Through door, I could see the metal structure on the rooftop.
It was just like in my dream.
{{MC}}: We made it!
My voice cracked with excitement, but neither of us noticed. That door was like the dawn after a long night. I felt like crying tears of joy.
Kiro: He’s here.
{{MC}}: What?
One step from the rooftop, Kiro halted.
He let go of his hand from mine, and the sudden loss of warmth sent me into a tailspin.
{{MC}}: What’s wrong?
He turned and looked at me, his face a pallid white. His smile was still gentle.
Suddenly I felt intensely uneasy.
{{MC}}: We’re going in, right?
Kiro didn’t answer. He eyes intent on me gleamed with a flash of golden light from above.
When I looked carefully, I discovered his eyes had turned into this exquisite gold, like the purest amber, or crystallized time.
Within the gold were constant little flashes, one line after another of tiny code, just like text flying across a screen.
Kiro: I command you–
I had never heard him sound like this before: stiff, stern, and solemn.
Kiro: All within my range of control belongs to me. Now walk onto the rooftop, lock the door, and don’t let anyone in.
Kiro: …including me.
As he spoke, I realized in a panic that I was unable to speak. I couldn’t move, as if I’d lost control over my body.
Kiro: Don’t be afraid, {{mc}}.
My body started moving on its own, not listening to my commands. Step by step, I walked past Kiro.
When I brushed past him, I heard him say:
Kiro: You’ll be okay. I said before, I will definitely succeed this time. I will always protect you.
His voice was soft, as soft as the wind, drifting away all at once.
I stepped through the door and onto the rooftop.
My soul felt imprisoned in an empty container. I’d lost the ability to think.
I turned and slowly shut the door.
Don’t! Don’t! Kiro hasn’t come in yet!
I shouted silently, praying, but my body kept doing as it was controlled to do.
Only my tears loyally followed the wishes of my thoughts, gushing outward and blurring my vision.
I saw the stairs collapsing level by level, and a black figure suspended in the air behind Kiro, just like scythe-toting Death himself.
*Bang–* I closed the door.
Through the haze of my tears, the last thing I saw was Kiro’s familiar old smile.
His smile was warm and dazzling, as if we were facing not boundless danger and darkness, but a dream, a dream that we’d agreed to explore together.
Before the door closed, I heard him say one last sentence:
Kiro: Miss Chips, wait for me!
The step under his foot disappeared.
*Click* –I locked the door.
The whole scene disappeared, and the only thing before me was a cold, grey metal door.
I couldn’t hear anything as I stood alone on the closest place in this city to the heavens, a huge wind sweeping over my face with bitter cold.
I seemed to see a golden-winged bird fly by, like a ray of light crossing the sky, leaving a temporary light trail in my vision.
[Main Story 14-22]
A long time passed, and the sky gradually turned dark. I could finally move.
All the support seemed taken from my body in an instant, and I plopped down on the ground.
I recovered for a few minutes before I got used to having control of my body again.
My thoughts were like a big, tangled mess. There seemed to be lots of hints and clues, but I couldn’t untangle any of it. I didn’t understand a thing.
I struggled to my feet and pounded on the locked door. I pulled at the rusted lock, but it wouldn’t open, and there was no response.
{{MC}}: Kiro! Kiro!
{{MC}}: Kiro! Where did you go! Why did you do that…
I shouted Kiro’s name, but only the howling wind answered, like the most mournful horn in the world.
{{MC}}: Why… Didn’t we say we’d face it together…
I slid powerlessly to the ground. My whole body shook as if immersed in icy water.
Kiro… I’ll wait for you here, always… Come back soon!…
My mouth fell open, and tears fell uncontrollably in big drops, falling into my mouth and turning into bitter helplessness.
I looked at the metal door shut tight, and an interminable flood of despair surged in my throat.
I was the one who had to come here. Kiro was just going along with me.
I wanted to solve this problem, and he wanted to help, even if it meant facing a darkness beyond redemption.
Every single time it’s like this. I get the people around me hurt and put them in danger.
Why is it… always this way…
The bare rooftop was like a limitless ocean. For the first time, I realized how insignificant a creature I was.
A red light flashed, like the countdown clock of fate. The taste of rust was in the air.
A steel monster just like in my dream. The emitter’s control switch was not far from the top of the tower, where the beacon was.
The wind was heavy at the top of the building, so heavy that it was hard to stand.
It blew so hard that tears only left a salt stain on my face, stinging me harshly.
I struggled up the ladder, rung by rung, slowly climbing upward.
I need to turn off the switch… I need to wait in the most peaceful and warmest place for Kiro’s return…
My discomfort grew more and more intense, until I couldn’t ignore it anymore. It seemed the closer I got, the more severe it became.
My mind was fading out, and it was difficult to regain focus.
I bit down hard on my bottom lip, until I could taste blood.
*ZZzzzZzzz–*
I suddenly heard the faint sound of electricity.
I looked up. The controller in the instrument box was within arm’s reach.
I reached out and opened the box.
A red switch appeared before my eyes.
I just need to pull this switch, and Loveland City will return to normal!
Maybe I’ll be able to see Kiro again real soon!
I gathered all my strength, and the instant I touched the switch, my vision went white.
I pulled down hard on the switch and then lost all strength. My body fell backward off the ladder.
{{MC}}: …
Completely spent and with no more strength to struggle, I could only submit to the despair and plunge into eternal night.
Scenes from my dream seemed to be replaying. White fog, a switch being pulled down, a plunging figure– turns out it was me.
My rapidly falling body had nothing to hold on to. The raging wind in my ear seemed to be announcing death.
In a trance, I seemed to see Kiro’s dazzling smile, and the gentle hand he held out to me.
I saw a rainy afternoon and me removing a jacket from my head, watching a youth sprinting away in the rain.
I saw the swaying camphor tree leaves and a nonchalant-looking man carefully place a peace knot into his pocket.
I saw a warmly-lit evening, and a towering man caress my forehead and stare deeply into my eyes.
And I saw Dad. I saw him tying a red balloon to my wrist.
Countless scenes from the past floated before me, glowing warmly in the dark night.
Everyone says that right before you leave this world, you’ll see the sweetest, most tender moments in your life. Turns out, you really do.
This fall was long, so long I’d already looked back on my whole life.
And yet so short, too short to leave yet. I wanted to cling to the embers of this tender warmth.
Gradually, I seemed to see the lights and hear the bustle of people. It seemed not far from me.
A tear ran out the corner of my eye. I closed my eyes and waited for my final moment.
In my daze, I could feel a familiar wind holding me up.
Sense returned to my body, and I was enveloped in a thick smell of blood, deeper than the night.
My rapid fall didn’t stop. A tear in my eye was just gently wiped away.
Something anxious sounded in my ear, drowned out by the wind. I couldn’t hear it clearly.
He seemed to say, he came too late…
Who he was, I no longer had the strength to discern.
I only knew that at the final moment, I was no longer alone.
A half-light, half-dark sky, a silvery steel tower, a flashing beacon, this was all that was left in my world.
A black vortex ripped open the sky, and surging air currents seemed about to devour everything.
A white light flashed across the sky, approaching me. At the end of the light was a slender hand.
Consciousness rushed back into my brain from the brink of death. Before that, I clearly heard his lasts words:
??: I will accompany you, till the very end.