The Halcyon van skidded around another tight Tokyo backstreet, its tyres screeching against damp asphalt. The alley was so narrow that the side mirrors nearly scraped the walls, but they had no choice; they were seconds from catching Rin and Aria.
Kentaro's hands gripped the back of the driver's seat, his breath uneven. He could feel them, Rin's familiar, distant presence that had haunted him since the first time they met, and Aria's faint emotional pulse, flickering like a dying ember.
He was close… painfully close.
Yumi slammed the brakes. The van jolted to a stop.
"Everyone out, go!" She barked.
The doors burst open. Kentaro, Shogo, Serica, and Yura leapt into the night, boots splashing into rain puddles as their breath turned to mist.
"RIN! ARIA!" Kentaro's shout echoed through the alleyways as he bolted forward. His chest tightened, heart hammering. They were right there, just above him, across the rooftops.
