The cold bit at Saro's skin as he stepped deeper into the darkened lab. Everything felt unnatural—metallic walls humming faintly, towers of strange machines flickering with unreadable data. The floor echoed slightly with every cautious step.
This place didn't belong to any timeline he knew.
His eyes scanned the towering consoles and dim lights overhead. This is nothing like what we have back home… he thought, stepping past a suspended coil that buzzed faintly. The very air felt sharp, like it had been filtered too many times or not at all.
Then—movement.
There, not far ahead—a familiar silhouette. The same trench coat. The same man from before, now hunched over a glowing workbench. Floating holographic panels hovered around him, shifting symbols blinking and vanishing in bursts of blue light.
Saro's breath hitched.
The man turned—suddenly, violently—eyes locking onto Saro like twin gun barrels.
"What the—?!" he shouted. "Hey! How did you get in here?!"
He pointed again.
"Come here!"
Saro didn't think—he ran.
"No—Nooo! Stay away!"
His footsteps exploded through the silence, echoing across the wide metal floor.
THUD. THUD. THUD.
He ducked past strange crates and glowing tubes, sprinting as fast as his legs could carry him—until he hit a dead end. A wall of cold steel and servers. No vents. No doors. No escape.
He slammed into it, then slid down to the floor, panting.
Pant… pant…
Behind him, footsteps approached—slow, deliberate. Boots clacked sharply against the floor, closing in like a clock counting down.
Saro curled tighter into the corner, arms shielding his head.
"How did you get here?!" the man barked, voice rough with something between panic and fury.
Saro looked up, face pale, body trembling.
"It's… that gate you opened," he whispered.
The man froze, eyes narrowing.
"I told you to go home…" he said, voice low and hard. "Now you're in trouble."
Saro swallowed hard—but then, something in him pushed back.
"Y-you can't do anything to me!" he snapped, standing slightly taller.
The words came out sharp, but his fists were trembling.
The man stared for a long second. Then turned away.
He walked back to the workbench.
Saro blinked, confused, but slowly pushed himself to his feet. He didn't run this time. He followed—at a distance, cautious.
"…Who… who are you?" he asked.
The man didn't look back.
"Why do you want to know?"
Saro took a breath, trying to find steadiness in his own voice.
"That's what I came here for."
That made the man pause.
He didn't move for a beat. Then, finally, he turned his head just enough to glance over his shoulder.
"…Who are you, then, kid?"
Saro crossed his arms, mimicking confidence even if it didn't quite reach his legs.
"Only if you promise not to do anything to me."
A sigh escaped the man's lips.
"Fine," he muttered. "I won't do anything."
Saro hesitated, then finally said it.
"M-my name is… Saro Kurozawa. I'm—"
The man raised a hand.
"Okay. Name's enough," he interrupted. "I don't want to know the rest."
Saro frowned.
"Now you," he said. "Who are you?"
There was a long silence.
Then, the man turned—just slightly, revealing a part of his face in the dim lab glow. His jaw was sharp. His glasses reflected the faint red light of the equipment.
"I can't tell you anything."
Saro threw up his hands in frustration.
"What do you mean!? I introduced myself!" he shouted. "Let me guess… some mad scientist or something?"
The man froze.
Then turned slowly.
His eyes narrowed.
"…Did you just call me mad?" His voice was cold now, laced with a quiet menace. "You think I'm crazy? You think I'm the bad guy?"
Saro gave an exaggerated shrug, trying to play it off.
"Well… yeah. Judging by how you screamed at me and pointed a gun? Kinda fits."
A flicker crossed the man's face—tension… then something else. Maybe regret. Maybe recognition. Whatever it was, it softened just slightly.
He exhaled through his nose and turned away again.
This kid's seen too much, he thought.
Guess telling him won't hurt now.