The world woke to an atmospheric anomaly that defied all scientific explanation. A steady, unceasing downpour of black rain fell across every continent, painting cities in monochrome. The precipitation left oily streaks on windows and formed dark pools in streets, its chemical composition baffling experts. Meteorological stations worldwide reported identical phenomena, while news channels broadcast surreal images of famous landmarks shrouded in the unnatural deluge. In Tokyo, parents kept children indoors while emergency services struggled to maintain order. The rain smelled of ozone and something else, something ancient and alien.
In the oppressive silence of an abandoned subway maintenance tunnel, Ryo Tanaka's final hours played out. Water dripped from cracked pipes, the rhythmic plinking counting down his last moments. He sat huddled in a service alcove, the damp concrete leaching warmth from his body. In his trembling hands, he held a water-stained photograph of his daughter Yuko, her smile now blurred at the edges.
The approaching footsteps echoed with deliberate precision. Dimitri Orlov emerged from the shadows, his black tactical gear absorbing what little light penetrated the tunnel. His expression remained clinically detached.
"You chose a fitting place to die," Orlov remarked, his voice cutting through the dripping silence. "Dark, forgotten, and buried beneath the world you helped shape."
Tanaka's eyes lifted slowly. "Was any of it real? The treatments... the progress reports..."
"Does it matter now?" Orlov raised a customized pistol, its suppressor looking unnaturally long. "You were willing to believe the lie. That makes you complicit in your own deception."
The first shot struck Tanaka's shoulder, spinning him against the wall. The second found his abdomen, and he crumpled to the damp concrete. As life faded, his final vision was of Yuko's photograph floating in a growing puddle of water mixed with blood. Orlov watched dispassionately before turning to leave, the scene already being erased from official records.
High above the American Midwest, the celestial battle reached new intensities. Azar moved through the air like a living constellation, his star-marked skin blazing with cosmic energy. The void children swarmed around him like sentient black holes, their forms shifting between solid matter and pure gravitational distortion.
When the F-45 Excalibur fighters arrived, they found a warzone defying physics. Major Evans' squadron approached the combat zone, their instruments going haywire from gravitational interference.
"Command, we have visual on multiple hostiles," Evans reported, his voice tense. "The primary entity is engaged with... something else. Something dark."
"Priority target is the humanoid form," Command responded. "We need to establish dominance."
Evans locked onto Azar and released two hypersonic missiles. The projectiles streaked toward their target but suddenly veered off course, caught in a gravitational eddy. One missile spiraled into a void child, detonating harmlessly as the entity absorbed its energy. The other simply vanished into a temporary singularity.
"My God," Evans whispered, watching his radar screen show impossible readings. "We're not equipped for this."
Deep within the Nevada research facility, Naira floated in her cryo-chamber, her mind retreating into memory. She remembered the solid warmth of her father's embrace, the way his rough cheek felt against hers when he kissed her goodnight. She could almost hear his voice reading bedtime stories, the steady rhythm of his breathing as he carried her to bed.
Then the memory shifted to Azar. She recalled the first time she saw him in Elyra's apartment, how his strange appearance had initially frightened her until she saw the gentle curiosity in his eyes. She remembered the cool touch of his hand on her forehead, the way her pain had simply... stopped. In her dream, she reached for him, but her fingers passed through starlight.
In a Kyoto teahouse overlooking a rain-swept garden, Elyra faced General Zhang across a low lacquered table. The black rain streamed down the paper screens, creating moving shadows in the dimly lit room.
"Your government's offer of protection comes with expectations," Zhang stated, pouring tea with ceremonial precision. "But I understand your terms."
Elyra's hands remained folded in her lap. "This isn't negotiation, General. It's ultimatum. Naira comes first, before any research, before any political considerations."
"And when we have her?" Zhang asked, his eyes sharp.
"Then you'll have my full cooperation in understanding Azar and stopping whatever is happening to our world."
Zhang placed the teapot down carefully. "The Americans have moved her to a maximum security facility in Colorado. Extraction will be... complicated."
"Complicated isn't impossible," Elyra countered.
After a long silence, Zhang nodded. "We have assets in place. But we must move quickly."
Their departure from the teahouse was hurried, the plan set in motion. But as their convoy approached the private airfield, a single vehicle blocked the entrance. Detective Kaito Mori stood leaning against his car, the black rain soaking through his trench coat. He held up his badge as the vehicles stopped.
"Dr. Tanaka," he called out, his voice cutting through the rain's steady drumming. "We need to talk. Right now."