Mei Mei was running.
Fast.
The wind whipped past her ears as she moved through the dense jungle, feet hitting the forest floor like gunshots. Trees blurred, shadows stretched, and the air grew thick—like something was pulling reality down.
Above her, clouds gathered unnaturally—thick, gray, and low, as if the sky itself was holding its breath.
And then—
Boom.
Not a sound.
A sensation.
A violent explosion of cursed energy that made Mei Mei stumble mid-step. Her breath caught in her throat.
Her eyes went wide.
Her connection to her crows—her eyes in the forest—blinked out.
All of them.
Just before the link vanished, they had seen one thing.
A black orb.
Swallowing the air. Warping space.
And in a voice that shook more than her pride, Mei Mei whispered:
"...Domain?"
A chill ran down her spine.
Now she knew.
Now she understood.
Why Ren had kicked her away.
Why he hadn't let Jiro or Ogami follow.
'Did Ren know? Did he sense that man could use a Domain Expansion?'
No one did that. Not unless they were ready to die.
It took Mei Mei twenty minutes to reach the mansion, even at full speed. Sweat soaked her shirt. Her breath came in shallow gasps, and her heart hadn't slowed since the moment she saw that black sphere.
The second she slammed open the mansion's front door, she shouted, wild and raw:
"OGAMI!"
She didn't even take off her shoes.
She ran into the living room, chest heaving.
"Fast—start Project (Re)!" she gasped. "I don't know what that means, but Ren told me to tell you to start it!"
Ogami froze.
Her eyes snapped toward Mei Mei, and for the first time in a long while… she looked shaken.
'Start… Project (Re)?' Her mind went blank.
"Huh? Wait, what?"
Ogami's voice came sharp and confused. "Why?! How?! What happened? Weren't you two just doing reconnaissance or something like that?!"
She turned instantly. "Jiro! Come to the bedroom. Now!"
Ogami moved quickly, faster than she had in months, and Jiro followed close behind without hesitation.
In the hall, Mei Mei tried to explain, still catching her breath. "Uh… We were following someone—Miguel, I think—and we found this cave. And in the cave… there was a man. Inside a rock. Like a cocoon. And he came out of it."
Her voice cracked.
"And then Ren—Ren kicked me away. Just booted me out of the cave and told me to come here and tell you to start Project (Re). What even is that?!"
Ogami stopped.
She blinked once.
Her face changed. Hardened. Cold and calculating.
"You're hiding something from me," she said quietly.
Mei Mei shot back, "Well, you're also hiding something from me!"
They stared at each other for a moment—two women used to control, both off balance.
Ogami broke first. Her voice was low but firm:
"Don't be stubborn right now. If Ren said to start Project (Re), that means…"
Her throat tightened.
"...his life might be in danger."
Mei Mei's jaw dropped.
"I—I did see a Domain. Or at least, I think it was… But—what could possibly endanger Ren's life? He's one of the strongest special grades. Right? I mean—do you even know his track record?!"
Ogami nodded, slowly.
"Yes… I know."
She looked away, walking toward the bedroom door.
"But just stand outside the door, please. I swear, Ren will be fine."
Ogami turned to Mei Mei and added, her voice laced with quiet resolve:
"I won't let such a talent go to waste."
Mei Mei didn't understand what was happening.
Not really.
Not the weight in Ogami's voice.
Not the look in her eyes.
She just backed away and stepped outside the room. The door closed in her face with a dull click.
And that was it.
She had no idea what was happening behind that door.
Inside, Ogami moved fast.
Jiro lay flat on the bed, eyes half-lidded but focused, like he'd already accepted what was about to happen.
Ogami stood over him, hands already glowing with cursed energy, her mouth reciting half-formed chants.
But inside her mind, she was screaming.
'I can't believe I have to do this…'
Project (Re).
The unthinkable.
The forbidden... The idea Ren had forced into her hands two months ago.
It was absurd. Insane. Impossible.
'He's in danger. No… No. If he triggered the keyword—if he sent Mei Mei back—then he knows he's about to die.'
Ogami clenched her fists, cursed energy crackling around her palms.
"I won't let you disappear," she whispered to the empty room.
Then, without hesitation, she began the ritual.
And as the light dimmed and the energy bent in strange unnatural ways, Ogami remembered everything from two months ago…