The air around the eclipse site twisted like a mirage. The sky itself was bleeding silver and black, and even the sound of wind seemed muffled — like the world had been swallowed by a pulse of energy.
Guren stood near the barricades, his gloves faintly shimmering from the electromagnetic static. The research drones hovering above him had stopped transmitting ten minutes ago. He didn't even glance up at them. His eyes were fixed on one point — the boy in the crater, half-conscious, bleeding light.
> "Two and a half hours remaining…" he muttered, checking his wrist timer.
The reading flickered: 8:02 PM. The eclipse wasn't even halfway done.
Kaito — the so-called Eclipse boy — was no longer humanly glowing. The light was raw energy, shredding the air, sending spiral distortions that cracked the asphalt. Every time it pulsed, Guren felt it — like a hammer against his ribs.
Behind him, shouts echoed. Guards in black protective suits were forming a new perimeter. The barrier field generators had melted ten minutes ago.
The chaos around him looked like a war zone — except the war was against a single human being.
Then two figures landed behind him — not walking, but landing — claws scraping the concrete.
Regan 9 and 10.
Kiyara and Riley.
Kiyara's eyes gleamed orange, cat-like pupils narrowing in the glow. Her hands flexed — metallic claws extended, each one pulsing faintly blue. Riley followed, tall and calm, a glowing map-like tattoo moving across his skin like circuitry.
"Guren," Riley said, his tone even as always, "You still think we can contain him?"
Guren didn't answer immediately. His jaw was clenched tight. He looked toward the crater again. The boy was screaming silently — no sound, only waves of distortion rippling from him.
Kaito's power was rising again.
Then — a distant sound. Vehicles. Sirens.
When Guren turned, a convoy had arrived — officers, scientists, and even Kaito's parents rushing through the dust.
His father's face was pale, almost unrecognizable from the confident minister he'd once been. His mother was sobbing, whispering his name again and again.
The guards froze. No one dared step forward.
Guren exhaled through his teeth. "If we wait for the eclipse to end, he'll die before then — and maybe take half the city with him."
Kiyara tilted her head. "So what's your plan, boss? We can't suppress a phenomenon like that with tranquilizers."
Riley crossed his arms. "And we can't evacuate everyone in time either. The radiation level is climbing every second."
Guren's gaze hardened. "Then we use the Vantablack alloy."
That name drew silence.
Kiyara blinked. "You mean— the one sealed for void experiments? The one that can absorb energy fields completely?"
He nodded. "Exactly. And we'll coat it with Unbilium. That'll stabilize the resonance long enough for us to drag him out of range."
Riley frowned slightly. "That alloy hasn't been tested on living subjects."
"I know," Guren said. "But if we don't, the entire facility will collapse before the next hour."
He looked toward the other officers — dozens of them frozen in hesitation. "Get the Vantablack chains from Vault C. Layer them with Unbilium coating and bring every generator we have. We'll need full power output to anchor the drag line."
One officer stammered, "S-sir, you mean to chain him?"
"Yes." Guren's tone left no room for debate. "If he's still resonating with the eclipse light, we'll move him underground — into the old subway tunnel beneath Viace. It's shielded with magnetic concrete. Once he's below surface, the moonlight won't reach him."
He turned to Kiyara and Riley. "You two will lead the front lines."
Kiyara's grin sharpened. "Finally. Something fun."
Riley only sighed, adjusting the collar of his coat. "You call dragging an unstable human reactor 'fun'?"
Kiyara shrugged. "Depends on the reactor."
They both vanished into motion — one leaping across debris, the other phasing through smoke like a ghost. The guards hesitated only a moment before following Guren's command.
The sound of moving machinery began to echo — crates of black alloy, robotic loaders carrying chain spools glowing faint blue from the coating fluid.
Guren stood still for a moment, his coat swaying in the energy wind.
His earpiece crackled.
> "Chief Guren, are you sure you can handle this alone?"
He didn't answer. His gaze was still locked on Kaito — who was kneeling now, hands pressed to the ground, cracks forming beneath him. Light was leaking from his eyes.
"...You better survive, kid," Guren muttered under his breath. "You're too valuable to die here."
He turned and shouted, "Form the chain perimeter! Keep the magnetic locks ready!"
The soldiers moved. The plan was insane — but it was all they had.
The sky rumbled again — a new wave of lunar light bathed the field in pale glow. The Eclipse intensified.
Guren's timer ticked down: 2 hours, 25 minutes remaining.
---
Scene Change — Samuel's Perspective
The world outside Viace city was pitch-dark except for one flickering highway lamp. The black car sped along the empty road, its wheels slicing through the fog.
Inside, the silence was heavy — until the voice of the driver broke it.
"Seatbelts. Now."
Kuro's voice, calm as ever.
Samuel, still handcuffed, glanced around. The car was too small for the number of people inside. How are six people supposed to fit here? he thought.
In the back seat beside him sat a girl holding a large wrench like it was a toy. She was tapping it against her leg, humming off-key.
"I'm Bilish!" she suddenly said, flashing a grin. "You look boring."
Samuel blinked. "I—uh, I'm a scientist."
"Of course you are," she said, tilting her head. "All the boring ones are."
The woman in the front passenger seat adjusted her black gloves without turning around. Her voice was low and calm, like wind over glass.
"Sinon," she said simply.
Samuel nodded awkwardly. "Nice to meet—"
"Don't talk too much," Sinon interrupted. "It wastes oxygen."
He fell silent immediately.
Behind her, two men occupied the last row. The one with a long sickle resting against his shoulder had his eyes half closed, like he was napping. "Andreo," he said when he felt Samuel's stare. "Don't touch the blade. It likes blood."
Samuel gulped.
The man next to him — older, clean-cut, holding a long staff with embedded circuits — gave a small smile. "Michel," he said. "Ignore him. He enjoys scaring people."
"Why… are we all here?" Samuel finally asked, glancing at Kuro.
Kuro didn't look back. His sunglasses reflected the dim road ahead. "Because," he said, "we're going to the heart of the Eclipse."
Samuel's stomach tightened. "You mean— Viace? You're insane. That entire zone's on lockdown!"
"Exactly," Kuro replied. "No one will expect us."
Sinon exhaled softly. "You're enjoying this too much."
Kuro's lips curved faintly — almost a smile. "Maybe."
The car hit a bump, and Bilish laughed, gripping the wrench tighter. "Wheee! I love when the road shakes! Feels like the world's about to explode!"
Samuel groaned. "You people are lunatics."
Michel tilted his head. "You built half the tech they're using out there, didn't you? Maybe you're one of us."
Samuel looked away. "I never wanted it used like this…"
Kuro's voice cut through the car again. "Dreams and guilt won't stop the moonlight, Doctor."
The car fell silent again — except for the hum of the engine and the faint static from Kuro's comms device.
Then a new voice came through the speaker — robotic, distorted.
> "Subject status: unstable. Energy rate— beyond containment. Chain deployment confirmed."
Kuro's fingers tightened on the steering wheel. "So they're already trying."
"Trying what?" Samuel asked.
"To bind him," Kuro replied.
Sinon turned her gaze slightly toward the window. "That's reckless. Even Guren can't control the resonance once it's active."
Bilish laughed again. "Oh, so we're betting lives now?"
Michel sighed. "We always were."
Andreo opened one eye. "So what's the plan, boss? We crash their little containment party?"
Kuro smirked. "Not yet. We observe first. Then we move."
Samuel frowned. "Move for what? Rescue? Or capture?"
Kuro didn't answer.
Instead, he slowed the car, turning sharply into an old maintenance road that disappeared beneath the overpass.
The world went darker still.
The headlights illuminated nothing but mist and dead grass — but Samuel felt it.
The energy in the air was thicker. The sky above the horizon glowed faintly blue — the edge of the eclipse zone.
Sinon suddenly opened the sunroof. The cold wind flooded in, carrying the metallic tang of ozone.
"What are you doing?" Samuel asked.
"Testing stability," she said flatly — and climbed halfway out of the moving car.
Samuel's jaw dropped. "She's going to—"
"Relax," Kuro said without even glancing up. "She's not human enough to fall."
And true enough, Sinon was now sitting on top of the car roof — legs crossed, calm, the moonlight washing over her silver hair like frost.
Her gloved fingers brushed the air, leaving faint trails of violet light.
"She's insane," Samuel whispered.
Bilish giggled. "No, she's fun."
Kuro's eyes narrowed. "Sinon can sense the field density. If Guren's really using Vantablack chains, the resonance will distort the moonlight flow. That's our cue."
"And what then?" Michel asked quietly. "What if the containment fails?"
Kuro's expression didn't change. "Then the Eclipse will eat the city."
The car sped forward again, swallowed by the mist.
Sinon's silhouette remained steady above, hair fluttering in the wind — like a phantom riding the moonlight.
Samuel leaned back against the seat, his heart pounding.
He didn't understand why, but part of him felt that all of this — the boy, the chains, the people beside him — were pieces of something far bigger.
Something that had already begun.
> "Eclipse power… Vantablack alloy… dragging him underground…"
He whispered the words like equations, like he could somehow make sense of it.
But no equation could solve this.
Kuro's voice broke his thoughts again.
"Two hours, fifteen minutes until total phase. You better pray they finish before then."
Samuel stared out the window — at the edge of Viace City glowing under the cursed moon — and he finally understood.
The real war wasn't between nations or ministers.
It was between the light and the one who couldn't stop shining.
---
Alia grabbed Mina's hand, her own trembling slightly. "We need to get out—now!" she shouted over the roar of collapsing steel. Arthur followed, eyes darting to every direction, trying to anticipate the boy's destructive pulses.
They stumbled across a fractured sidewalk, narrowly avoiding a falling streetlight. Dust filled their lungs, burning their throats, and the air vibrated with Kaito's power. Mina tripped, and Arthur barely caught her before she tumbled into a crack that split the concrete.
Then, from the haze of smoke and chaos, a figure appeared.
Sui Hiroshi. Kaito's father. Standing alone amidst the destruction, his uniform torn, hands clenched into fists. His face was pale, etched with both fear and determination. He stepped forward, raising his voice, cutting through the cacophony.
"Alia! Arthur! Mina!" he shouted, relief and panic lacing his tone. "This way! Quick!"
Alia froze for a heartbeat, recognition hitting her. "Sir Hiroshi…" she whispered.
He extended his hand toward them, eyes never leaving the floating boy above. "We have to get out of here! The boy… he's unstable. Follow me!"
Arthur nodded sharply. "Right behind you!"
Mina clung to Alia, her voice small but steady. "We won't let him get hurt."
Hiroshi glanced upward at Kaito, then back at them, urgency radiating from his stance. "Then move! Every second counts!"
Together, the four of them ran through the crumbling streets, dodging falling debris, their path illuminated by the destructive glow of Kaito's suspended form. The city groaned around them, alive with the boy's uncontrolled power, as the trio followed Hiroshi into the chaos.
----
The night split apart.
Guren stood on the cracked asphalt, his hands trembling as he lifted the Vantablack alloy cylinder from the containment box. The alloy inside shimmered with impossible black — light itself bent away from it. Even the glow of the eclipse dimmed when it touched the air.
All around him, soldiers were yelling over the comms, trying to stabilize the energy readings. Sparks danced over the ground. The magnetic chains lay coiled, glowing faintly blue from the Unbilium coating.
> "Get ready!" Guren barked. "When I throw this— anchor it on my signal!"
He tightened his grip.
The crater before him burned white. Kaito's body was barely visible through the wave of distortion—kneeling, his skin splitting light, the eclipse reflecting in his half-open eyes. The air around him screamed.
And then—
A shadow crossed the sky.
Guren froze. The moonlight dimmed for half a second as something flew over his head—a black car, wheels spinning, engine roaring like thunder. The entire squad ducked.
> A car… flying?
Before Guren could even process it, the roof of the car opened. A silver-haired woman stood on top, wind whipping through her coat—Sinon.
Her eyes glowed a faint violet. She unlatched the massive suitcase beside her, kicked it open, and pulled out a coiled rope — no, it wasn't rope. It was a fiber cable pulsing with neon lines, humming with magnetic frequency.
> "Target acquired," Sinon's voice echoed.
Then she threw it.
The cable shot out like lightning, spiraling through the air — cutting straight across the field. The glowing tip wrapped around Kaito's chest in a perfect loop, clicking with an energy lock.
Guren's eyes widened.
"No—! Don't you—!"
It was too late.
The instant the cable tightened, a blast of energy erupted from Kaito's body.
A shockwave tore through the ground, flipping debris, shattering windows, and throwing Guren back several meters. His alloy case rolled from his hands, clattering against the concrete.
When he lifted his head, the car had already landed — skidding sideways across the broken road. Kuro was at the wheel, one hand on the gearshift, the other gripping the steering wheel so tight it creaked.
The car accelerated, dragging the glowing cable behind it—and Kaito with it.
The boy's body slid across the cracked ground, trails of light exploding from his skin, painting the road in streaks of silver fire.
"KUROOO!" Guren roared, voice echoing through the chaos.
Inside the speeding car, Sinon stood half-out of the roof, gripping the cable with mechanical precision. The tension lines flashed red as Kaito's energy fought back, trying to break free.
Bilish was cheering from the back seat. "He's glowing! Look at him glow!"
"Shut up and stabilize the current!" Michel yelled, his staff glowing as he tried to balance the charge field. "His resonance is destroying the road!"
Andreo's eyes were narrowed. "He's resisting. If that cable snaps—"
"It won't," Sinon said calmly, though her gloves were smoking from the heat. "I reinforced it with eclipse filament."
Kuro's car roared louder, tires screaming against the ground. Energy flares burst behind them — fragments of lunar light chasing like comets.
Inside the rear-view mirror, Kuro's eyes gleamed faintly under the dim light.
"Hold tight. We're not losing him now."
Samuel, pressed against the seat, could barely breathe. "You're— you're dragging a living bomb through the city!"
"That's the idea," Kuro replied flatly.
---
Back at the Site
Guren's headset was screaming with overlapping signals.
"Sir! The car's leaving the perimeter—!"
"I can see that!" Guren yelled back, snatching the alloy case again. His pulse pounded in his ears. "All units—follow them! I want that boy back alive!"
He turned, sprinting past the scattered soldiers.
Riley and Kiyara were already waiting beside an armored transport.
Kiyara grinned, her claws gleaming. "Guess someone stole your toy."
Riley's map-marked skin flickered faintly. "That car's heading west — toward the outer highway."
Guren didn't slow. "Then we chase."
Kiyara cocked her head. "You're not taking a vehicle?"
"Don't need one."
He tore off his coat and leapt forward — and in an instant, he vanished into motion.
The air behind him imploded. His body blurred into streaks of black and blue — a silhouette darting across the terrain like shadow lightning.
Riley smirked. "Night-powered. Figures."
Kiyara jumped into the passenger seat. "Then let's catch up before he breaks the sound barrier!"
Riley slammed the accelerator. The pursuit began.
---
Inside the Police Convoy
Far behind the chaos, a line of police cars sped down the main road, lights flashing red and blue against the eclipse glow.
Inside the lead car, Kaito's father gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white. His face had gone ghost-pale as he watched the monitor — the live aerial feed showing his son's body being dragged across the ground, tethered to a glowing cable.
He couldn't even speak for several seconds.
Finally, his voice cracked. "What… what is this…"
Arthur, sitting in the back seat, looked stunned. "Sir, that's— that's impossible. They're dragging him—like a—"
"Don't say it," the father snapped, but his voice trembled. He swallowed hard, the light from the dashboard painting the exhaustion on his face. "How could Kuro be there…?"
In the seat beside him, Alia leaned forward, watching the sky. Her silver hair shimmered faintly with the reflected moonlight. "They're heading straight toward the western bypass. If they reach the tunnel system, you'll lose them."
Her tone was calm, but her eyes told another story — fear mixed with calculation.
"Mina," the father said, voice shaking, "are we tracking their signal?"
Mina, the young operator in the back, nodded rapidly. "Yes, sir, but the readings are unstable. The boy's power is interfering with all radar frequencies."
The car swerved around debris, sirens wailing.
"Do something, Alia!" he shouted, desperation breaking through. "You have that—what do you call it—Rimer ability, right? Use it!"
Alia shook her head. "Arthur doesn't have Rimer. Only I can. But even mine's limited at night."
"Then use what you can!"
Her fingers tightened against the door handle. She exhaled once, steadying her pulse. "I can summon Crimson Butterflies. Three at most."
Arthur blinked. "Crimson what?"
"Energy entities," Alia explained quickly. "They have two functions: tracking or detonation. I can send them to follow Kuro's car or explode if necessary."
"Then send them!" the father barked.
"Fine."
She closed her eyes. The air in the car cooled instantly. Red sparks began to gather around her hands — glowing threads weaving from her palms into the air. The sound of wings filled the silence.
Three butterflies emerged — translucent, crimson, each leaving a faint burning trail. They fluttered around her head once, then shot out through the open window.
They rose into the night, tracing arcs of red light above the moving vehicles.
Mina stared, wide-eyed. "You can control them?"
Alia's eyes opened — bright and sharp. "I can guide them. For now."
Arthur watched the glowing insects vanish into the clouds, his voice low. "So… tracking or detonation?"
Alia didn't answer. Her expression was unreadable.
---
Back to the Chase
The rope burned white-hot as Kaito's body slid across the fractured highway. His clothes were in tatters, his skin flickering between human and energy. Every pulse from his body made the asphalt crack, the metal guardrails bend like paper.
Sinon's gloves smoked. "His output is increasing! The moonlight's feeding him!"
Michel was sweating. "If this continues, he'll melt through the cable!"
Kuro didn't flinch. "Then we go faster."
The car's engine howled. The speedometer needle broke past its limit. Wind roared through the shattered side windows.
Samuel clung to the seat, eyes wide in disbelief. "We can't— he'll die if you keep dragging him!"
Kuro's voice was calm, cold. "If we stop now, everyone dies."
A new sound cut through the night — a howl of pressure.
Guren.
He was running parallel to the road, feet barely touching the ground, a dark blur slicing through the moonlight. Each step cracked the pavement, shockwaves bursting behind him.
Sinon looked down. "He's catching up."
"Let him," Kuro said.
Guren's voice echoed faintly through the comms, carried by the wind.
> "KURO! Stop the damn car!"
Kuro smirked. "He still thinks he's in charge."
The car swerved sharply, dragging Kaito's body through a side slope, scattering chunks of concrete like glass. Sparks exploded everywhere.
Behind them, Kiyara and Riley's vehicle appeared — engine roaring.
Kiyara leaned out the window, claws gleaming. "Boss says stop! So stop!"
"Try and make me," Bilish shouted back, waving her wrench like a flag.
"Child," Kiyara hissed, jumping up from the car roof — and leapt, claws slicing through the air.
Her landing sent a shockwave across the road as she chased on foot beside Guren.
Riley sighed from the driver's seat. "This is getting ridiculous."
He tapped a holographic map on his wrist. "Multiple pursuers, red energy signatures detected. Wait—what's that?"
In the distant sky, three red lights appeared — faint at first, then growing brighter, trailing smoke.
Riley's eyes narrowed. "That's not aircraft. That's… magic."
---
Sideway Observation
On the far side of the bypass, half-hidden behind an abandoned bus, Arthur, Mina, and Alia watched the chase unfold.
Wind howled, carrying dust and lunar light across the field. The sound of engines and roaring energy filled the air.
Arthur gritted his teeth. "They haven't noticed us yet."
Mina was trembling, clutching her comm tablet. "Do we—do we shoot?"
"No," Alia said softly, her gaze fixed on the horizon. The butterflies she'd released were now circling high above Kuro's car, faint crimson trails weaving patterns through the darkness.
Arthur followed her gaze. "You really think they'll help?"
Alia's expression was calm, but there was a faint sadness in her tone. "They'll find him… or they'll end him. That's all I can promise."
The crimson lights flared brighter — reflecting in her eyes.
---
On the Road
Guren caught up at last, running beside Kuro's speeding car. The wind tore at his hair, his voice rough and furious.
"KURO! What the hell do you think you're doing!?"
Kuro looked sideways briefly, sunglasses reflecting the eclipse light. "Saving him. In my way."
"You're going to kill him before you do!"
"Then we'll both die trying."
The ground between them cracked — energy waves colliding as Kaito's body surged again, the cable sparking under the strain. The light grew unbearable, swallowing the road.
In the sky above, the three crimson butterflies descended — their wings flaring like dying stars.
Alia's voice whispered through the wind, unheard by most but carried by instinct itself:
> "Crimson Butterfly… Function: Locate."
The butterflies scattered, trailing scarlet light over the scene — marking everything in radiant lines.
And for a single moment, the whole battlefield froze under their glow — cars, shadows, energy, light, and the screaming power of the Eclipse.
Then the light burst again—
and the chase continued into the burning horizon.