The ceiling was white, sterile, and blurred. Akos lay flat on his back, the rhythmic ticking of a clock somewhere in the room hammering against his skull like a drum. Above him, a single hanging lightbulb swayed lazily back and forth. It wasn't an earthquake; it was the sheer vibration of the building. Someone—or something—was moving through the hallways with impossible, predatory speed.
As his vision cleared, he saw a familiar flash of ginger fur perched at the foot of his bed. The yellow cat.
Akos: "Ugh... my head feels like it was hit by a truck..."
He stared into the cat's eyes. They didn't look like animal eyes; they glowed with an eerie, sentient amber light. The creature crept closer, its nose inches from his face. In a split-second instinctual reflex, Akos's arm blurred. He swiped the cat off the bed, sending it tumbling across the floor.
CRASH.
Akos bolted upright, his heart racing. He realized the room wasn't empty. Standing around him were the heavy hitters of the alliance: Ronika, Reino, Jin, Riko, Sora, Luno, and Solon.
Solon (frowning): "What are you doing? Why did you just assault a helpless cat?"
Akos (pointing a trembling finger): "You! You filthy creep! Didn't I tell you to stay away from me?! I know exactly what you are!"
The room fell silent as everyone exchanged confused glances.
Ronika (rubbing her temples): "And so the madness begins again. My God, why am I surrounded by idiots? Is this my destiny? To lead a circus?"
Reino (chuckling): "Easy there, Akos. I didn't know you had a phobia of kittens. Look at her—she's adorable." Reino reached down, picking up the cat and cradling it against his chest. "See? She's soft. She's sweet."
Akos (screaming): "DO NOT TOUCH THAT THING! DROP IT!"
Reino: "Relax, man. Just hold her for a second, you'll see how cute she—"
Akos: "IT'S NOT A CAT! IT'S A DEVIL TRANSFORMATION! "
Reino started to laugh, a deep, mocking sound. "Hahaha! Akos, you've finally lost it. The 'Infinite' power fried your brain. You think this little furball is a—"
Suddenly, the weight in Reino's arms shifted. The light cat body became heavy, muscular, and human-sized. Reino's laughter died in his throat. His eyes bulged as he realized he was no longer holding a ginger tabby. He was cradling Jack—completely naked, blonde hair messy, and grinning awkwardly.
Jack: "Hey guys... it was getting a bit cramped in that skin."
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
A collective shriek of pure horror ripped through the room. The shock was so violent that the high-ranking sorcerers scrambled over each other to get away. Reino dropped Jack as if he were made of lava and bolted out of the room, his face a mask of psychological trauma.
Outside in the hallway, Keal was leaning against the wall, undisturbed until Reino came sprinting past him, screaming about feline demons.
Keal: "What is wrong with you? Why are you screaming like a little girl?"
Reino (hyperventilating): "The cat! The cat is a man! A naked man!"
Keal stared at him for a moment, then burst into a loud, mocking laugh. "Hahaha! A Devil Transformation? You guys are hallucinating from the stress! Move aside; let me see this 'monster' for myself."
Keal walked to the door with a confident smirk. "I'm going to show you all how to handle a—"
He swung the door open.
Inside, Jack was standing in the center of the room, casually stretching his naked limbs while the others huddled in the corners. Keal's smirk didn't just fade; it evaporated. His eyes went wide, his pupils dilated, and the color drained from his face until he looked like a ghost.
Slowly, Keal reached back and closed the door with a trembling hand.
Keal (whispering): "I hope... I really hope we have some industrial-strength bleach in this building. I need to wash my eyes. No, I need to burn them out."
He turned toward the wall, doubled over, and began violently vomiting in the hallway.
The hallway was a scene of absolute carnage. Jin, Riko, Sora, Luno, and Solon scrambled over one another, fleeing the room as if a primordial devil had been unleashed. The terror of Jack's "true form" was more effective than any weapon.
Anna was walking down the hall, carefully balancing a tray with a warm cup of tea for Akos. She was muttering to herself, "Those idiots on the second floor are driving me crazy. I'll just deliver this, then head over to see Oz and Bliss to find out who's actually putting in work today."
She saw the high-ranking members of ALPHA sprinting past her, screaming, "Run! Run for your life!"
Anna stopped, confused. "What is—"
The door to Akos's room creaked open wide. Jack stepped out, still completely naked, looking for his clothes. Anna's eyes went wide.
The tray tilted. The teacup shattered on the floor, splashing hot liquid everywhere, but she didn't feel the sting. With a silent gasp of pure shock, her knees buckled, and she fainted on the spot, collapsing into a heap.
Inside the room, the chaos felt miles away. Akos sat on the edge of his bed, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. Ronika was the only one who hadn't fled, though she was standing near the door, ready to leave.
Akos (voice low): "Kettle."
Ronika froze. She slowly turned her head back toward him, her expression shifting from annoyance to pure shock. "Kettle? Did... did your memory return?"
Akos: "I don't know... but that word just popped into my head. Like a flash."
Ronika let out a soft, rare laugh—a sound of genuine relief. "Of course. You're only good at remembering the most useless, stupid things."
Akos: "Ronika..."
Ronika: "Eh? What now?"
Suddenly, a sharp, cold static surged through Akos's mind. It wasn't just a memory; it was a sensory overload. For a split second, the room disappeared. He felt the phantom chill of a winter night and heard the distant, muffled sound of a girl's laughter—a sound that felt like it belonged to a life he'd never lived. A name flickered in the darkness of his subconscious, glowing like a dying ember before roaring into a flame that scorched his thoughts.
Akos: "Who is... Ruka?"
The air in the room seemed to vanish. Ronika stood paralyzed. Her hands began to tremble, and the tough, cold exterior she wore like armor started to crack.
"Ruka..." she whispered, her voice breaking. "My big sister. How... how do you remember her?"
Tears began to stream down her face, falling onto the floor. "I can't even remember her face properly anymore. I try so hard to reach back into my childhood, but it's like someone reached into my brain and erased it. It's all gone. I don't know how to find her... not since this FAKE WORLD took everything from us."
She began to sob, the weight of years of repressed grief finally pouring out.
Akos moved with a sudden, unexpected fluidness. He stepped toward her and pulled her into a firm embrace. He didn't say a word for a long time, letting her lean into him. Finally, he leaned in and whispered into her ear:
"Don't ever forget that we are living in the same hell. All of us have tasted from the same bitter cup. I promise you, Ronika... the moment I set foot in Tokyo, the first thing I do will be to look for her. No matter where she is, we will find her."
He pulled back slightly, looking her in the eyes.
"We have to put our hands together. We have to stand upright against the threat that's coming. We aren't just survivors anymore. We're the hunt."
Ronika stands up, wiping the last of her tears away. She looks at Akos with a newfound clarity. "Akos... thank you."
Akos: "We can't afford to fall, and we can't afford to lose ourselves. Every second is vital now. If even one of us drops, it's the end for all of us. Stay strong, Ronika."
Ronika pulls him into one last embrace—a hug filled with depth, trust, and a silent promise of friendship. "Let's finish this," she whispers.
Akos: "We will. Whatever comes, that day is coming soon."
Ronika lets go and walks out of the room. For the first time, a simple, genuine smile rests on her face. Akos sits back on the bed, staring at his hands. "What else is missing that I don't know yet? I'm sure there's so much more to learn. I know my past before the Fake World hurts like hell... but I'm ready to face it all again."
He grabs his signature red jacket—the only color he truly feels like himself in—and steps out. He wanders through the ALPHA headquarters, looking out the large windows. Below, he sees the members of ALPHA working tirelessly, providing food and shelter to the homeless civilians displaced by the chaos.
Further out, the city of Sinish is a graveyard of glowing embers and rising black smoke. Akos's expression darkens. He knows that, technically, the Devil's End—the entity he hosts—is responsible for this devastation. The guilt sits in his stomach like lead.
"Stop right there, Akos."
The voice breaks his spiral of thoughts. He turns to see Jin standing in the hallway, his arms crossed.
Akos: "Eh? What do you want?"
Jin: "This isn't like last time. You won't be the only one carrying the weight. Last time, you took it all on your shoulders, but this time, I'm here. You aren't the Devil's End. You didn't choose to be a Vessel. You aren't to blame for any of this, Akos. I've recovered 50% of my true memories... I know the truth."
Akos (chuckling): "50%? You're counting it like a census report for a country with Black and white people, like America or something."
Jin: "I'm not 'counting' it. I can feel it. I mastered NATURE ENERGY before you did—that's why you lost the bet we made earlier."
Akos: "Are you serious right now? Fine, fine... if you want it that badly, I'll buy you some meat when we get to Tokyo."
Jin: "Eh? No, I don't want that."
Akos: "What do you mean you don't want it?"
Jin: "I'm not poor. You're saying it like... like I'm some homeless guy."
Akos: "But you are."
Jin: "WHAT?!"
Jin's face turns red with rage. He lunges forward, and Akos takes off down the hallway, laughing. The heavy atmosphere of the base is momentarily broken by the sound of two friends chasing each other through the corridors of a dying city.