The night had already fallen.
The sky was covered in heavy gray clouds, and the sound of raindrops echoed across the wet stone streets.
Akira walked home slowly, quiet and lost in thought.
The voices inside his head overlapped, creating a chaos he couldn't silence.
He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't even notice how far he had walked.
After a few steps, he lifted his head, staring into the dark streets, and whispered:
— It took too long… Guess I've gone too far.
The rain was getting heavier.
By the time he reached the door, his clothes were completely soaked.
He knocked, and a moment later, his grandmother opened the door and hurriedly pulled him inside.
— Akira… you're drenched! Get in quickly, you'll catch a cold!
Akira, still buried in his thoughts, replied softly:
— Alright, grandma.
She noticed the distant look in his eyes and frowned.
— What are you thinking about so deeply? You look troubled.
Akira stepped into the house slowly.
— It's nothing…
At that moment, his grandfather put down his newspaper, turned toward him, and tried to smile.
He stood up and gave Akira a gentle hug.
— Akira, what happened to you? You're soaked. Don't tell me you're upset again?
Akira lowered his gaze.
— No… I'm fine.
He went straight to his room, closed the door, and sat at his desk.
Staring out the window, he picked up a piece of paper and began writing—listing everything he knew about his sister's death.
Then, suddenly, a memory flashed through his mind.
Mira, with her usual cheerful smile, was heading out.
— Akira, I'm leaving!
Akira asked curiously:
— Sis, where are you going again?
Mira replied:
— To the laboratory, of course. They called me in. Hey, what are you reading?
Akira lifted the newspaper in his hands.
— Just a paper…
On the front page were headlines about the laboratory and rumors of secret experiments.
Mira's expression changed instantly—her voice grew sharp.
— You shouldn't be reading nonsense like that. The lab doesn't do secret things.
Akira looked confused.
— But I heard someone say… that the lab experiments on people.
Mira suddenly got angry.
— No! That's not true!
She snatched the paper from his hands, but then, realizing how harsh she sounded, she softened.
She bent down, kissed Akira on the forehead, and left the house.
When Akira opened his eyes, it felt as if he had relived that moment all over again.
He whispered under his breath:
— The laboratory is hiding something…
He had made up his mind.
He would see the truth with his own eyes.
By the time that memory cleared in Akira's mind, his determination had solidified.
He understood now—there was a secret inside the lab, and he had to uncover it.
The next morning, he got up, changed clothes, and headed out.
His grandmother asked curiously:
— Akira, where are you going?
— To school.
She raised an eyebrow.
— I've never seen you so eager to go to school.
Akira smiled faintly.
— Me neither. But now I want to work hard.
He ran toward the city center.
His inner voice guided him:
— If I remember right, the laboratory is behind the castle walls… My sister took me there once.
Finally, he saw the lab's massive gate. Two soldiers stood guard.
Akira hid behind a bush, thinking up a plan.
Then he went to the city, bought a white lab coat, and returned.
He walked toward the entrance, but the guards stopped him immediately.
— We've never seen you before. Show your ID card.
Akira laughed nervously.
— My card? Hahaha… It's my first day. I must've left it at home.
The soldiers frowned.
Realizing he couldn't talk his way through, Akira retreated back into the bushes.
That's when he heard a mysterious voice behind him.
— There are shift changes… but you'll have to wait a little longer.
Akira jumped and shouted:
— Aaghh! Who the hell are you?!
A man slowly stepped out of the shadows.
There was a strange light in his eyes.
— You really are an idiot.
Akira gritted his teeth.
— Shut up! Who are you?
The man smiled faintly.
— Relax. I'm not going to tell anyone.
— I asked who you are!
— I work here. And I can help you. First, what's your name?
— Akira.
— Hmm… Last name?
— Valen.
The man's eyes widened slightly.
— Valen? Are you related to Mira Valen?
Akira's heart skipped.
— Yes! Did you know her?
A hint of sorrow crossed the man's face.
— Yes… I knew her. I was sorry to hear she died.
Akira's voice trembled with hope.
— What do you know about her?
— Not much. My father was a friend of hers.
But… I can tell you're investigating her death, aren't you?
Akira was taken aback.
— Yeah… how did you know?
The man chuckled softly.
— You're trying to sneak into the lab. But you won't find much in her room. They cleared everything out.
However… there's a sealed cabinet. We still haven't been able to open it.
Akira's eyes lit up.
— I need to see it! Can you get me inside?
The man shook his head.
— No. But the guards switch shifts soon. You'll have only five minutes. Use them wisely.
Akira nodded firmly.
— Thank you… What's your name?
— Hmm… Meto.
— Nice to meet you, Meto.
Meto's eyes gleamed, and suddenly he vanished.
A second later, he appeared at the lab gate, speaking with the guards.
Akira watched him quietly, hidden in the dark.
He spent the next few hours observing, taking notes of the shift times—
and when night fell, he went home.
When night fell, Akira returned to the bush where he had hidden, fifteen minutes before the shift change.
As the two soldiers split up and went their separate ways, he moved silently, opened the laboratory door, and slipped inside.
When he turned on the lights, he realized the lab wasn't as mysterious as he had imagined; ordinary research was being done here.
But as he followed the numbers on the paper in his hand, he found a hidden door.
Beyond it was a dark, old tunnel that resembled a sewer.
Following the numbers further, he found Mira's old office. The room seemed abandoned; no one had touched it for years.
He rummaged through the papers on the desk but found nothing useful.
After searching for a while, a locked cabinet caught his attention. The shape of the keyhole matched his pendant.
He slowly inserted the pendant into the lock, turned it, and the cabinet clicked open.
Inside was a small bundle of papers—just a few pages. On the top page, only one word was written:
"Ares."
A sound echoed through the dark corridor.
It was a voice so familiar it made Akira's heart nearly stop.
— Akira… Akira…
He froze instantly. That voice—no, it couldn't be. It was impossible. But his ears weren't lying.
— Sister… Mira…!
He placed the document back on the desk, his heart pounding faster and faster, and began walking toward the direction of the voice. With every step, his eyes filled more and more with tears.
— Akira, come here…
Akira's legs began to move on their own. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he choked out,
— I'm coming… sister, I'm coming!
— Akira… come to me… Akira…
The voice was so real, so full of longing, that Akira could no longer hold himself back.
His tears flowed freely now, a lump forming in his throat. Every ounce of longing, every moment of grief returned all at once.
He began to run.
He dashed through corridors, throwing open doors one after another—until finally, before his eyes, a vast, pure white room appeared.
And in the center, behind a pane of glass… sat Mira.
Akira's tears wouldn't stop.
He rushed toward the glass, trembling hands typing desperately at the keypad beside the door.
— Sister… I'm coming! I'm coming to you! I knew you hadn't left me!
— Of course I didn't leave you… I've been waiting for you here every day.
Mira's voice was warm—so warm, so full of comfort.
When the door opened, Akira lunged forward and embraced her tightly.
His trembling hands clutched at her as he buried his face in her shoulder, sobbing.
— Sister… I missed you so much…
Mira's hands gently touched his back. In a soft whisper, she spoke:
— I know… I missed you too… I'm your sister… after all…
Then suddenly, her voice shifted.
The words seemed to catch in her throat, her final ones dripping with an icy cruelty:
— I wish… I could say that.
Akira's eyes widened. His body froze. His breath caught.
The warmth he had just felt on his back turned slowly to ice.
The pure white room began to crack apart.
The walls' brightness faded, the lush greenery vanished, replaced by rotting wood, broken stone, and rusted chains.
The "Mira" in his arms began to change shape.
Her hair turned white, her features distorted, her eyes glowed like crimson flames.
From her lips came a wicked, echoing laugh.
Akira stumbled backward, his knees shaking, his heart thundering in his chest.
— No… you're not Mira!
The shifting creature laughed, its voice echoing through the entire room:
— Hahaha… I knew it. Show humans what they desire most, and none of them can resist… You humans… are so foolish.
Akira's tears turned to fury. His breathing grew heavy.
— Get away from me!!!
The creature stepped closer, one slow stride at a time.
— It's too late now… I'll take over your body… human!
Its eyes flared bright red, blazing like the fires of hell.
Then its shadowy form surged forward toward Akira.
He tried to back away, but his legs grew heavy—like invisible chains were pinning him to the ground.
— No… no, stay away!!
The creature spoke with a voice that rattled the air itself.
— There's no escape now…
Then it burst apart into smoke—a crimson mist—and hurled itself straight at Akira's chest.
Akira's eyes widened in horror.
He tried one last time to move, but the mist had already entered his body.
— AAAHHHHHHHHHH!
The first thing he felt was that all his veins were being set on fire simultaneously. It was as if red-hot iron had been poured into his blood. Akira threw himself to the ground and began to writhe.
The veins in his arms and neck glowed bright red, swollen as if they were about to burst. His screams echoed off the dark walls of the laboratory.
— AAHHHH! This… this pain… I can't stand it!!
He pressed his hands to his chest, but nothing changed. The pain was sinking deeper. As if every cell in his body was being torn apart.
Blood flowed from his lips as his vision blurred. Parts of his skin cracked, and red liquid began to leak out. Akira slammed his hands against the walls like a madman, but the pain only grew worse.
— Why… why me!?
A sharp pain shot through his right eye, shooting straight into his brain. Akira's eyes widened; they were bloodshot.
And then… as he fell to the ground, he saw his right eye on the ground. His own.
— T-this… That… It can't be… is this… my… eye…?
At that moment, he screamed in true terror. His vision blurred; he could barely see out of one eye.
— AAHHHHHHHHH! Enough!!!
When the pain became unbearable, he squeezed his eyes shut and screamed with all his might.
But after a while, as if his body had adjusted, the pain began to subside. He was still struggling to breathe, blood was seeping from everywhere, but he could move.
Just then, soldiers' voices echoed outside:
— HEY! What's going on in there!? What's all that noise!?
Akira turned his head with the last of his strength. To his right was a half-open exit door.
He crawled toward the door with trembling arms.
— No… I can't stay here… I-I have to get out of here…
Every step was torture. He left blood trails on the floor.
Finally, he threw himself out the door. He leaned back against the cold wall, gasping for breath from his chest.
— Ahhh… damn it… this… this pain… it won't end… AHHH!
He fell to his knees. For a few minutes, he rolled on the floor, writhing as if he were about to lose control.
But then the pain slowly began to subside. It was as if the entity within him had settled into his body and taken control. Akira struggled to his feet. His face was covered in blood, one eye an empty socket.
He began to walk home with shaky steps.
Every step felt like death. But finally, he reached the door and knocked with his bloody hand.
His grandmother opened the door and screamed at the sight before him:
— Akira!? You… what are you doing!? This… th-this blood…!?
Akira whispered weakly:
— Grandmother… help…
Then his body gave out. He collapsed like a sack, losing consciousness as he fell into his grandmother's arms.