August 18, 2023 | 9:45 AM
Tokyo Metropolitan Police Headquarters
Detective Hoshino Renji sat at his desk, sipping black coffee as he scrolled through the new reports on his tablet. His sharp eyes flicked from one article to the next—each one detailing the strange downfall of powerful men, all in rapid succession.
The pattern was undeniable now.
At first, it had seemed like a coincidence. Corrupt politicians, CEOs, and criminals all getting exposed one after another. But there was no leak, no whistleblower, no secret informant. It was as if history itself had changed.
Renji exhaled slowly.
And then, just as he was about to dive deeper, his phone buzzed.
[Internal Affairs Report: Hoshino Renji Under Investigation for Unauthorized Access to Confidential Files]
Renji's breath hitched. What?
He quickly clicked on the message, his fingers tightening around his phone as he read. The report accused him of illegally accessing restricted police databases. Worse—it claimed he had leaked sensitive case details to an unknown source.
His own name was now in the system. A case had been filed.
It was all happening too fast. Someone had set him up. Someone who wanted him off this case.
His mind raced. Who could have done this? How?
But then, a chilling realization settled in.
This wasn't just an ordinary setup. It wasn't bribery, hacking, or blackmail. It was something else.
Someone had changed reality itself.
And Renji was the target.
---
August 18, 2023 | 10:30 AM
Raito Kurogane's Apartment
Raito sat in his chair, watching the news play on his laptop.
"Breaking: Detective Hoshino Renji Faces Internal Investigation for Corruption Scandal."
He smirked, leaning back.
Checkmate.
The moment he had written Renji's name in the notebook, everything had changed. He had rewritten the date of an old, forgotten police case, linking Renji's name to a fabricated leak.
And now, just as planned, the detective was out of the picture.
But then—something unexpected happened.
His phone vibrated. A new email.
Unknown Sender: "You're not the only one playing this game."
Raito's smirk disappeared.
His fingers hovered over the keyboard. He quickly opened the email, his eyes narrowing.
Attached was a file.
He clicked it.
A video popped up.
The footage was grainy, taken from a security camera. It showed a woman sitting in front of multiple computer monitors, analyzing police data.
And on the screens—his name.
Raito's blood turned cold.
Someone had been watching him.
Someone knew.
And now, the hunter had become the hunted.
---
August 18, 2023 | 11:15 AM
Undisclosed Location | Yume Sazanami's Hideout
Yume smirked as she sipped her coffee, watching the live feed on her screen.
Raito Kurogane had just opened her email. His face had shifted, his confidence breaking for just a second.
"Oh, this is going to be fun," she muttered, stretching her arms.
She had known something was wrong with the world. Too many changes happening without explanation. But now, she had a suspect.
Raito Kurogane.
He thought he was untouchable, that no one could see what he was doing. But Yume wasn't just anyone.
She was the ghost in the system.
And she had just set her own trap.