...
I slowly open my eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling.
The dull throbbing in my head returns with a vengeance.
"Nnngh..." I groan, my voice rough.
My arm—the one that was cut—still burns, but the cold, dead feeling is gone.
Replaced by a strange, tingling warmth.
I try to push myself up, but my body feels heavy, sluggish.
My head spins.
A cool, detached voice cuts through the ringing in my ears.
"She's stirring."
It's female. Young, but with an edge.
I try to turn my head towards the sound.
"Vital signs appear stable, despite the trauma. Resilience noted." The voice continues, like it's discussing a specimen.
"The infusion of Divine Ki appears to have stabilized her system, neutralizing the corruption."
I blink, trying to clear my blurry vision. Trauma? Divine Ki? What is she talking about?
I manage to turn my head just enough to see her.
A young woman with large, luminous, intensely blue eyes with defined irises and a glassy sheen.
Two small, sparkling blue lines glow faintly on her face—one vertical line above the bridge of her nose, and one horizontal line on her left cheekbone near the temple. Her long, vibrant green hair flows straight past her waist.
She wears a simple, revealing white dress with thin delicate straps and a deeply plunging neckline, exposing her upper chest cleavage.
A thin black belt cinches the waist, and the short, slightly flared skirt reveals her legs. On her wrists, sleek, form-fitting black forearm guards glow with green accents.
She is sitting beside the bed, her hands resting on a small, glowing device that hums softly.
I've never seen her before, but she's so beautiful...
I try to speak, but my throat is dry.
She reaches out and places a small, cool glass against my lips.
"Hydrate,"
"Your system requires it for optimal recovery."
I take a small sip. The water is cool and refreshing. I take another, and another, until the glass is empty.
Ah... My throat feels better.
"Who... are you?" I manage to whisper.
"Kotori,"
"Member of the System Breakers," Kotori replies, placing the glass down on a nearby table.
"You are currently underground in our base of operations, located beneath Kitakyushu City, near the site of your incapacitation."
I blink, trying to process her words. Kitakyushu City? System Breakers?
"Incapacitation?"
"Yes. Your Ki output spiked erratically, followed by a sudden, severe drop. Had our commander not intervened, your current state would be…terminal."
I stare at her, my mind racing. My Ki? Terminal? It sounds so cold, so clinical.
"Our commander?" I ask, my voice still weak.
"Haruka,"
"She found you lying on the ground in one of the cameras and sent Kaito and me to retrieve you."
I try to recall what happened, but my memories are hazy and fragmented. The figure… the cold… the void…
"The void…" I mutter.
Kotori's blue eyes narrow slightly.
"The void?"
"Elaborate."
I shake my head, trying to clear the lingering fog.
"I… I don't know," I whisper, a shiver running through me.
"I was… disappearing. And then… light. Azure light."
Kotori's gaze remains fixed on me, unblinking.
"Interesting,"
My stomach rumbles loudly.
"Huh...?" I feel my face flush.
Kotori tilts her head, her blue eyes scanning me.
"Energy levels indicate significant depletion. Hunger is a logical physiological response."
She rises smoothly from her seat.
"I will get you sustenance."
Kotori exits the room without another word.
I'm left alone in the room, trying to make sense of everything.
Kotori... System Breakers... Haruka...
My head is still pounding, but the pain is less intense now.
I slowly sit up, pushing myself with both hands against the soft mattress.
"...This is..."
I notice a bandage wrapped around my left arm, leaving only my hand uncovered.
I gently poke it with my right hand. It's tightly wrapped, but the underlying warmth is still there. The corruption… It's gone.
Completely.
How?
I glance down at the back of my left hand—and freeze.
There's a weird mark there.
An azure mark glows slightly on my skin.
The design is intricate—angular lines mixed with smooth, flowing curves.
Four points stretch from a diamond-shaped center, each ending in a precise arrow tip.
Between them, fine lines of light twist and loop, forming a delicate, interconnected pattern.
What is this?
I lift my hand closer to my face, turning it over and over, trying to decipher the strange symbol.
It's beautiful... but also unsettling.
It feels… alien. Yet, somehow, familiar.
The azure glow reminds me of the light in the void, the warmth that had pulled me back from… whatever that was.
Could this be… a remnant of that light?
I try to rub it off, but it doesn't budge.
(It doesn't hurt.)
I poke it again, more firmly this time. Still nothing. It feels like a part of me now. And that thought, that chilling, inescapable thought, sends a shiver down my spine.
What did that light do to me? What *is* this mark?
My head spins, not just from the lingering weakness, but from the sudden, overwhelming questions.
I push myself off the bed, my legs still a little wobbly. I need to find Lenah. She'll know what this is. She'll know what to do.
But first… I need to find my way out of here.
I look around the room. It's sparsely furnished: the bed, a small table, and a single door.
My bare feet press into the cold, hard floor as I drag myself to the door.