After some time, Quinn finally reached the dormitory building. The environment was unfamiliar, and every step carried the weight of uncertainty. He could only hope things would go smoothly.
Room 112. His new home. His new partner.
Quinn hesitated at the door, Rin's warning echoing faintly in his mind. He didn't know what kind of person his roommate would be, only that he was younger—and already infamous.
He reached for the knob, fingers trembling slightly, and pushed the door open.
A chill washed over him. Not like Rin's earlier cold—hers had been sharp, physical, almost refreshing. This one was heavier. Darker. It wasn't a touch against the skin, but an oppressive aura that slowed his very movements. Whoever was inside was strong. Unnaturally strong.
The door creaked wider.
Inside stood Shinra—"The Prodigy." Even without the title, Quinn would have known. His presence filled the room. He was mid-change, tugging a shirt over his head, when his sharp eyes snapped toward the intruder.
Quinn opened his mouth, but Shinra cut him off without hesitation.
"Who the fuck are you?"
Quinn froze, startled, but managed to gather his voice.
"I… I'm your new partner. Rin assigned me." He straightened, forcing confidence into his tone. "My name is Quinn Sinclair. Nice to meet you."
Shinra narrowed his eyes at Quinn. "I can usually tell if someone's strong or weak… but you're neither. What's your ability?"
Quinn hesitated, thinking to himself.
I guess I should name it… but what would I even call it? My ability just lets me summon that girl. I'll figure it out later.
He raised his head. "I don't really know yet. What about you?"
A faint smile tugged at Shinra's lips as he stepped forward. Quinn instinctively backed up, but Shinra closed the distance and placed a hand on his shoulder.
In an instant, Quinn collapsed to his knees. His body felt crushed under a weight beyond comprehension, like the will of God pressing down on him—no, heavier, as if millions of tons bore down on every bone and muscle.
He grit his teeth, gasping, powerless to resist.
Then, as suddenly as it came, the force vanished. Shinra removed his hand, and Quinn's body was free again.
Once Shinra removed his hand, he started to walk away, eventually plopping down onto his bed.
Looking at Quinn, he asked, "So… how much did they tell you?"
Quinn, confused, frowned. "What do you mean?"
Shinra leaned back slightly. "About how we operate. What the 'Republic' does. I'm assuming you got some kind of overview, but it probably didn't cover even ten percent of the truth. And I'm almost certain they didn't explain much about resonances. I'm no expert, so take what I say with a grain of salt, but… we're permitted to do what we do by the government. They know about it all—our actions, our powers, everything. Some civilians who were former members or close to one also know."
"A member of the Republic is called an enforcer… until you reach Rank A. Once you hit that, you can go by any title you want. Some still stick with 'enforcer'… pretty lame if you ask me. I'm telling you all this because you're my partner now—I don't want you to weigh me down or complain about being left in the dark."
"We aren't the only group out there. Other organizations exist, though we're the main ones. And, of course, we don't really get along with them. One of the bigger ones is called 'Moonveil.' They're discreet. Supposedly, they have members who could rival our S ranks. We bump heads a lot, and… well, death in this field is common. That's part of why you're my new partner."
Quinn's throat tightened.
"I've only been here for less than a month," Shinra continued, "and I've already gone through five partners. Enemies range from remnants to other resonators. Different squads handle different tasks—assassinations, exterminations, intel, protection—you name it. Our squad? Mainly exterminations and assassinations. So when the time comes, don't hold us back.
"Speaking of which, a few members should be returning to Tokyo in a few days. They were down in Kyoto for a mission."
Shinra locked eyes with Quinn. "Did they tell you about awakenings?"
Quinn hesitated. "Like… when you first unlock your resonance?"
"No," Shinra said. "Every resonance in history has had three awakenings. The higher the awakening, the more you can do—and obviously, the stronger it becomes."
"The first is just unlocking your resonance—the basic tier. Nothing special. The second is called Transcendence. Almost no one reaches it. Honestly, I'm almost there. I'd say one in a thousand resonators even gets that far."
"And finally… Ascension. Almost impossible. Each awakening requires you to be worthy. To unlock the first, you must be worthy enough and die—but not by your own hands. To unlock the second, you must be on the brink of death, and worthy. And the third… the final one… your resonance has to kill you."
Quinn panicked. "W-What? Your resonance… has to kill you?"
Shinra shrugged. "Don't ask me how it works. I don't know. Less than forty people in history have reached Ascension. Right now, four of them, immortalized in history, are members of the Republic: Ash Reid of Darkness, Itsuki Takahara of Life, Kairo Mitsuda the Thunderbolt, and Renji Akashi—referred to as 'God's Strongest Soldier.' All of them have insanely powerful abilities. And… I'm going to surpass them. I'm going to take the title of the strongest."