E.Y.E.S : FRACTURED DESTINY
Arc 1: Sync of Destiny
Behind the house,
Uncle Takashima was already busy burning firewood while cooking cassava.
Smoke billowed into the air.
The flames crackled.
The cassava boiled away.
A peaceful, traditional scene. One that might look slightly suspicious from a firefighter's perspective.
"JUST COOK ALREADY, DAMMIT..." Takashima muttered as he stirred the pot.
"I've been waiting forever. Instead of cooking, you're just making me hungrier."
Meanwhile, in his room, Krish had just finished showering. He stood in front of his wardrobe mirror, drying his hair with a towel.
He tilted his head to the left.
Then to the right.
Finally, he flashed a slight grin.
"Hmm. Not bad."
He leaned closer to the mirror.
Krish stepped out of his room, a towel still hanging around his neck. As he passed Krishna's room, he suddenly stopped.
Usually, at this hour, that room would've been hosting a full-blown concert.
Krishna's snoring was loud enough to rattle the roof tiles and send the house lizards looking for a new place to live.
But now?
Silence.
Krish stared at the door, baffled.
He pressed his ear against it.
Nothing.
"Krishna?"
Knock, knock, knock.
"Krishna?"
No answer.
Krish pushed the door open a little.
Empty.
The bed was a mess. A pillow had fallen onto the floor. The blanket was twisted into a knot, as if it had just been in a wrestling match with a python.
Krish stared at the scene for three seconds.
"Damn. Where'd that little shit go?"
He was about to leave when something inside Krishna's bag caught his eye.
A blink.
Krish stopped.
Another blink.
He took two steps back.
"...Huh?"
Inside the bag sat a black box. A faint light glimmered across its surface, and the logo on it made Krish's eyebrows shoot up.
It was exactly the same logo he'd found on that document yesterday.
PROJECT E.Y.E.S.
"WHAT THE HELL?"
Krish glanced at the door, then at the box, then back at the door.
"Where'd this kid get it?"
He crouched in front of the bag.
"Don't tell me he stole it. Oh, God, Krishna... If you're gonna steal something, at least be a professional about it. Don't bring home some suspicious government-project-looking crap with a logo like that."
The box blinked again.
Krish grew even more curious.
He reached out his hand.
"I'm just gonna take a look, okay? If this thing's stolen, I'm not involved. I'm just a witness."
His fingertip touched the surface of the box.
ZRT.
Krish frowned.
"Huh?"
A small electrical shock ran through his finger. It was so faint he could barely feel it. But something moved beneath his skin, something that wasn't just an ordinary electrical current.
ZZZZZT!
Krish's eyes suddenly went blank.
A face appeared inside his head.
A woman.
At first, she looked perfectly ordinary. A human face. A pair of eyes. Lips slowly curling into a smile.
Then the smile widened.
Her skin began to change. Her body twisted and distorted. Something horrifying tore through the boundary between human and monster.
But the transformation wasn't the most terrifying part.
The woman was still smiling.
The same smile.
As if whatever had taken over her body had still left behind something that remembered how to smile like a human being.
THUD!
Krish fell backward.
"NGH!"
His breath caught. His eyes flew wide open. His hand immediately flung the box away.
"FUCK! FUCK, FUCK!"
The box slammed against the floor.
Krish scrambled backward until his back hit the wardrobe.
His chest heaved violently.
He clutched his head, trying to process what he'd just seen.
Who the hell was that woman?!
How had she appeared inside his head?!
And why did it feel so...
"KRISH! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"
Takashima's voice from behind the house nearly scared Krish to death for the second time in five seconds.
"I-I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING, UNCLE!"
"THEN WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING?!"
"I GOT SHOCKED!"
"HUH?!"
Krish froze.
Shit.
"...By a mosquito!"
"WHAT KIND OF MOSQUITO CAN SHOCK PEOPLE, YOU IDIOT?!"
"MOSQUITOES ARE ADVANCED THESE DAYS, UNCLE!"
"YOUR BRAIN'S THE ONE THAT'S OUTDATED!"
Krish squeezed his eyes shut. His hands were still trembling.
From behind the house, Takashima shouted again.
"WHATEVER! GET OVER HERE AND HELP ME! BRING ME THE POT!"
Krish stared at the black box lying on the floor.
Then at the door.
Then back at the box.
"...I nearly died just now, and I'm being told to fetch a pot."
"KRISH! MOVE IT!"
"COMING, UNCLE!"
He hurried to his feet, still wearing the expression of someone who'd just watched Hell open a branch office in the next room.
The morning hadn't even properly begun.
And his life was already going off the rails.
Miracle of Technology
That morning, the atmosphere inside the building was anything but normal.
Ever since the E.Y.E.S box had vanished from the storage room, the people at MoT hadn't been able to breathe easy. Technicians hurried back and forth through the security room, staring at the monitors in shifts, while several researchers continued cross-checking the footage against sensor data.
The result?
Nobody could explain where the box had gone.
The intruder drones had been destroyed. The security system had been breached. The box was missing. And now, every person walking down the corridor seemed like a potential suspect.
Amid the growing chaos, the sound of a legendary old motorcycle echoed through the front courtyard.
Vroom... vroom...
A Honda Astrea rolled into the parking area.
The rider killed the engine, lowered the kickstand, and climbed off as casually as if he'd just stopped by a convenience store to buy cigarettes.
His slicked-back hair was neatly combed. Round glasses rested on his nose. Two buttons of his shirt were undone, and a cigarette hung from his lips.
His name was Jin.
Yep. Jin. Hard to believe, right? Especially considering he worked at a technology research institution.
Jin grabbed a small bag from the motorcycle seat, locked the handlebars, and headed toward the building.
He'd barely reached the lobby when he spotted two people running past with tablets in their hands.
"Is the storage-room CCTV back online yet?"
"Not yet! They're still checking the server!"
"What about the footage before the alarm went off?"
"I'm looking for it too!"
The two nearly crashed into Jin.
"Hey, watch where you're going, sir!"
Jin glanced at them.
"Morning to you too."
Neither of them answered. They disappeared around the corner before he could say anything else.
Jin took a drag from his cigarette and continued walking.
Near the elevator, a disheveled division member hurried over to him.
"Mr. Jin! You're finally here!"
"What happened? You look like someone just came to collect your debt."
"Dr. Fushida, sir."
Jin let out a quiet sigh.
"What is it this time?"
The staff member glanced toward the corridor.
"He's chewing on a door."
Jin fell silent for a moment.
"...What?"
"The door, sir. He's biting it."
Jin stared at him, waiting for the rest of the explanation.
Unfortunately, that was the entire explanation.
He nodded slowly. "Okay."
Then he headed down the indicated corridor.
The staff member hurried after him. "Sir, don't just walk in if he's—"
Jin had already opened the door.
And sure enough,
Dr. Fushida was chewing on the edge of his office door.
CRUNCH.
Jin stood in the doorway.
CRACK.
Jin stared at the door, then glanced at Fushida.
"Doc."
Fushida raised his head. Wood splinters clung to his lips.
"WHAT?!"
Jin pointed at the door.
"That belongs to the building."
"I KNOW!"
Fushida immediately released the door and spun around.
"JIN! GOOD, YOU'RE HERE!"
Jin stepped inside and gently closed the door behind him.
He placed his bag on a chair, then pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.
"I just got here, Doc. I haven't even had a chance to sit down."
"I'VE BEEN SITTING HERE THIS WHOLE TIME, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!"
Jin looked at the dented door, its surface covered in bite marks.
"So?"
"THAT BOX STILL HASN'T BEEN FOUND!"
"Right. That's what I'm here to deal with."
Fushida paced back and forth. His hair was a mess, his lab coat was wrinkled, and his desk was covered with printed security footage. A cup of coffee had spilled across the desk, soaking several sheets of reports.
He stopped in front of the desk, grabbed a sheet of paper, and crumpled it.
"All they've been saying is that the footage is being checked, the data is being checked, the system is being checked! EVERYTHING'S BEING CHECKED! WHAT NEXT? IS THE BOX GOING TO MAGICALLY REAPPEAR ON ITS OWN?!"
He threw the crumpled paper onto the desk.
Jin pulled out a chair.
"Sit down first, Doc."
"I DON'T WANT TO SIT!"
"Fine. Stand, then."
Fushida shot him a sharp look.
Jin sat down.
"Wouldn't want the chair to go to waste."
Fushida closed his eyes. Both hands pressed against his hips. He seemed to be fighting very hard to remember that Jin was a coworker, not an object he could throw out the window.
"Listen carefully," he finally said. "That box isn't something we can replace if it gets damaged or goes missing. Project E.Y.E.S has been locked away for a long time. We don't even know everything that thing is capable of. Now it's out of our facility, and we have no idea who might find it."
Jin nodded. This time, he didn't interrupt.
"I want everyone involved in last night's security detail gathered. Guards, technicians, researchers with access. Nobody leaves yet. Cross-check the alarm timestamps, footage, and access logs. If anything's missing, find out why."
"I've already told them to do that."
"Good. And then?"
"I'll review the results myself as soon as they're done."
Fushida nodded quickly. "Good. Do that."
Jin rose from his chair, straightened his shirt, and picked up his bag again.
"I'll head to the security room first."
He'd taken only two steps when Fushida called out.
"Jin."
Jin turned around.
"If that box ends up in the hands of someone who doesn't understand what they're dealing with, we could have a much bigger problem than theft."
Jin paused for a moment, then nodded.
"I understand."
He left immediately.
The door closed behind him.
From the corridor, he could still hear Fushida ranting to himself.
Jin adjusted his glasses and headed toward the security room.
Jin arrived at the security room a few minutes later.
The place was a complete hornet's nest.
Technicians hurried back and forth, eyes glued to the CCTV monitors, while reports lay scattered across the desks.
Since the E.Y.E.S box had vanished, not a single person had managed to explain the previous night's events from beginning to end.
Jin stood behind a technician who was replaying the footage.
"Stop. Rewind a little."
The footage moved backward, showing the small drones infiltrating the storage room before the defense system finally destroyed them.
Jin narrowed his eyes.
"So they deliberately broke in to take the box?"
"That's what it looks like so far, sir. But part of the footage doesn't match the access logs."
"Check it. There could be a flaw in the system, or someone on the inside might be involved. Don't accuse anyone until we have evidence."
"Yes, sir!"
Jin picked up a report, skimmed through it, and sighed.
"Call representatives from the relevant divisions. We're coordinating this now."
Before long, the room began filling up. Technicians, researchers, security personnel, even administrative staff.
Jin turned toward the screen.
"Listen up. The intruders managed to get the E.Y.E.S box out of the storage room. Now we need to figure out how they breached our security and who they are."
He tapped the table.
"Technical team, inspect the security system and figure out how the intruders got through. Security team, review the footage and trace the routes they took. Analysis team, cross-reference everything we've found to identify them. Don't jump to conclusions without evidence. Report anything you discover immediately."
One of the researchers raised a hand.
"What if the perpetrators turn out to be a criminal organization, sir?"
"Find the evidence."
"What if they have a secret base?"
"Find the base."
After listening to brief reports from each division, Jin picked up several files from the table.
"Now, I want three people to work directly on this investigation. Call Jaffar, Raven, and Gwen."
Three minutes later, they appeared at the door.
Jaffar entered first, his hair neatly styled and his confidence turned up to an almost unreasonable level. He even checked his reflection in a powered-off tablet screen.
Behind him came Raven, carrying a stack of files with his usual expressionless face. Gwen entered last, holding a tablet and immediately focusing on Jin.
"You called for us, sir?"
Jin nodded.
"Yeah. Starting now, the three of you will be working on this case."
Jaffar immediately straightened up.
"Understood, sir! Leave everything to us!"
Raven glanced at him.
"You just got here."
"I'm building the team's confidence."
"Not sure the team has any confidence in you."
"SHUT UP!"
Gwen sighed.
Jin handed them their files.
"Jaffar, you're on field duty. Help inspect the site, trace the entry and exit routes, and follow any leads that might point to the intruders. Don't play hero."
"Yes, sir!"
"Raven, you're in charge of analysis. Cross-check the footage, access logs, and technical reports. I need evidence, not theories cooked up after an all-nighter."
Raven nodded.
"Don't worry, sir. If Jaffar's report is nonsense, I'll throw it out before it makes it into the official record."
"HEY!"
"Gwen, help with surveillance and information gathering. Coordinate with the intelligence team, but don't disclose project details to anyone without clearance."
"Understood, sir."
Jaffar immediately turned toward Gwen.
"If you need a field partner, I'm available anytime."
"I don't need one."
"Well, you never know. Maybe later—"
"Jaffar."
"Yeah?"
"Read your file."
Jaffar immediately lowered his head and pretended to be busy.
Jin stood in front of the large screen displaying task assignments for every division.
"Now I want to know if everyone's ready. Field security team?"
"YEAH!"
"Technical team?"
"YEAH!"
"Analysis team?"
"YEAH!"
Jin nodded in satisfaction. Then he raised his own hand.
"YEAH!"
The room fell silent.
Raven slowly lowered his files.
Gwen blinked.
Jaffar stared at Jin in confusion.
Jin turned toward them.
"What?"
"Nothing, sir," a technician answered cautiously.
Jin nodded, then pointed at the group in front of him again.
"IS EVERYONE READY?!"
"YEAH!"
Jin shouted even louder.
"YEEEEAAAH!"
Several staff members instinctively shouted back.
Jaffar started raising his hand too.
"YEAH!"
Gwen immediately elbowed him.
"What are you doing?!"
"I DON'T KNOW!"
Gwen rubbed her temples. Jaffar was still struggling to hold back his laughter, while Jin seemed to have discovered a new form of entertainment in the middle of the disaster unfolding around them.
Finally, Jin lowered his hand and returned to the facility map.
"Okay, that's enough. Back to business. We don't know who took the box after the break-in. Nobody moves without coordinating first."
Raven immediately began taking notes.
"I'll start with the footage and access logs."
Gwen opened her tablet.
"I'll coordinate with intelligence to investigate possible identities."
Jaffar clenched his fist.
"I'm ready to hit the field!"
"Good. Wait for instructions first."
"Yes, sir!"
The security footage continued playing on repeat. MoT knew that the E.Y.E.S box had been stolen, but they still had no idea where it had gone after leaving the facility.
Jin zoomed in on the image of the black box displayed on the screen.
"E.Y.E.S..."
He folded his arms and stared at the logo for a long moment.
"Who's really after this project?"
Takashima Residence
The cassava had finally finished cooking.
Krish was sprawled across the sofa, busy chewing. Takashima sat nearby.
Krish still had his phone in his hand. He couldn't stop thinking about the black box inside Krishna's bag.
Before leaving the bedroom earlier, he'd taken a picture of it. Now he opened the photo again and started searching on Google.
He typed in E.Y.E.S.
The results showed all sorts of things, but none of them matched the box in the picture.
Krish tried Google Lens, hoping it could recognize the shape and logo.
Still nothing useful came up.
He continued searching for Miracle of Technology, then opened several of the results.
There seemed to be information about MoT, but hardly anything about the box itself.
Krish zoomed in on the picture. The E.Y.E.S logo was clearly visible.
He searched for the black box again using his phone. The results still weren't helping much.
He glanced at Takashima, who was busy eating cassava.
"Uncle, yesterday I found a document under a motorcycle seat. It had the name Dr. Elbert, the MoT logo, and Project E.Y.E.S on it. Do you know anything about that?"
Takashima glanced at him.
"Oh, that was leftover paper from a fried-snack wrapper."
Krish stared at him for a moment.
"Oh."
He returned his attention to his phone. Takashima's answer hadn't helped at all.
He was curious because he'd found the document, but what he really wanted to know was where the black box in Krishna's bag had come from.
Krish opened his messaging app.
Krish: where are you, idiot?
No reply.
Eventually, Krish called him directly.
At an internet café, Krishna had apparently been hanging around since dawn.
Beside him, Asep, an elementary school kid still wearing his red-and-white school uniform, was watching the game with deadly seriousness.
"KRISHANA, YOUR LEFT! YOUR LEFT, YOU IDIOT!"
"I SEE IT, SEP!"
"THEN SHOOT, DAMMIT!"
"I'M WAITING FOR THE RIGHT MOMENT!"
"WHAT MOMENT?! THE ENEMY'S ALREADY GONE!"
Krishna clicked his tongue. Asep had been running his mouth nonstop. That kid had absolutely no brakes once he started talking.
Krishna's phone vibrated.
Krish was calling.
He answered immediately, his eyes still glued to the monitor and his fingers moving swiftly across the keyboard.
"What is it, Krish?"
"Where are you?"
"Internet café."
"What are you doing?"
"Playing Point Blank, obviously."
Krish went straight to the question he'd actually wanted to ask.
"Hey, that black box in your bag. Where'd you get it?"
Krishna glanced toward his bag, which wasn't with him at the café, then returned his attention to the screen.
"Oh, that. Yesterday, I was sleeping when something fell and hit me on the head."
"What thing?"
"The box."
"I KNOW IT'S THE BOX! WHERE DID IT FALL FROM?!"
"FROM ABOVE, KRISH!"
"ABOVE WHERE?"
"THE SKY!"
Krishna answered carelessly as enemies started appearing on the screen. He moved his mouse, trying to aim while keeping one ear on Krish.
"Anyway, I found it and brought it home. I don't know what the hell it is either."
"And then?"
"And then what?"
"What happened after that?"
Asep suddenly shouted,
"KRISHANA! IN FRONT OF YOU, IDIOT!"
Asep pointed at the screen. Krishna frantically moved his mouse, but his character got shot before he could react.
YOU ARE DEAD.
Krishna stared at the screen, then turned toward Asep.
"CAN YOU STOP MAKING SO MUCH NOISE?! I'M ON THE PHONE!"
"THEN ARE YOU PLAYING OR TALKING ON THE PHONE?!"
"BOTH, DAMMIT!"
"LOOK, NOW YOU'RE DEAD!"
Krishna was about to fire back, but Asep had already taken off one of his flip-flops.
"Sep, don't you dare!"
SMACK!
Asep's flip-flop hit Krishna on the head.
"DAMMIT! ASEP!"
Krishna ducked. His hand knocked the mouse, sending his character running down a corridor while firing wildly. One enemy actually went down.
Asep froze.
Krishna clutched his head.
"HAPPY NOW?!"
Asep pointed at the screen.
"HEY, THERE'S STILL ONE LEFT!"
Krishna hurriedly turned back to the monitor. The last enemy appeared at the end of the corridor. He immediately fired.
HEADSHOT.
The round ended. Victory.
Asep stared in disbelief. Krishna looked at the screen, then at the flip-flop in Asep's hand.
"Don't tell me you're gonna hit me again to make me win."
"SHUT UP!"
Asep reached for his other flip-flop. Krishna immediately slapped his hand away.
"That's enough. Play properly. If you lose again, I'll throw you across the room."
"TRY ME!"
The voices came through the phone loud and clear.
"Krishna?"
"Yeah, Krish."
"What are you doing?"
"It's Asep. The kid won't shut up."
"HEY! I CAN HEAR YOU!"
Krishna moved the phone away from Asep.
"That's enough, Krish. I'll tell you later. I'm playing right now."
"Hey, don't..."
"LATER!"
Krishna put the phone down on the desk and put his headset back on.
"LET'S GO, KRISHNA! REMATCH!"
"Bring it on. But if you throw another flip-flop at me, I'll throw you out of the café."
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"
"DAMMIT, KRISHNA! THE ENEMY'S BEHIND YOU!"
Krishna immediately spun his character around. Krish, still on the call, could only hear Asep screaming in the background.
"Krishna?"
No answer.
"Fine, whatever. Asshole."
Krish ended the call and looked at the photo of the black box on his phone again.
He still had no answers about E.Y.E.S.
A cliffhanger, but don't worry, our relationship isn't one. 😜
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