Morning sunlight spilled through the sheer curtains, painting the floor in gentle strokes of gold. Yet the light did little to lift the weight in the air. It was the kind of silence that pressed against the skin—not peace, but prelude.
In the center of the room, Leo stood fully dressed in a sleek, matte-black tactical suit.
Every strap was secured with precision, every movement deliberate. He didn't look like someone preparing for a mission.
He looked like someone returning to one.
His fingers moved across a slim device on his wrist, syncing with something unseen. His face was calm.
Too calm.
Bare footsteps echoed down the hall.
Iris appeared in the doorway, hair tangled from sleep, loose pajamas hanging from her frame. Her eyes were heavy—but alert. She sensed the wrongness immediately.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
Leo paused, his hand hovering near the door. He turned slightly, golden eyes meeting hers. Something passed behind them—affection, restraint… regret.
"To KAS."
Her brow creased. "K-A… what?"
"I'm coming with you," she said at once, straighter now. Not a question.
Leo studied her for a moment longer than necessary. Then he nodded.
"Okay. Get dressed."
No argument. No explanation.
Just trust—the kind forged under pressure.
The city lay quiet in the early morning hush as they walked side by side. Wind brushed Iris's cheeks. A black sedan waited beneath the shadows.
Leo's phone buzzed as he reached for the handle. He answered without speaking.
Static. Silence.
"…Okay," he said, and ended the call.
Something had shifted.
Tokyo blurred past the windows. Inside the car, the tension thickened.
"You still haven't told me what KAS is," Iris said.
Leo didn't respond immediately. Then—
"K.A.S. doesn't officially exist," he said. "Even most governments don't know it does."
He kept his eyes forward.
"They call it Black Echo."
Iris stiffened. "And why're you going there?"
That earned her a glance.
"When reality breaks," Leo continued, "they're the ones sent to clean it up."
"Reality breaks how?"
He didn't answer.
The car stopped.
Two identical black vans emerged from the mist, doors opening in perfect sync.
"Stay close," Leo said.
The moment the doors sealed, the world disappeared.
Cloaking fields engaged.
The coastline rushed toward them.
Iris grabbed the wall. "Leo—"
The vehicle transformed mid-motion, slicing cleanly into the ocean.
Far below, ancient mechanical gates opened, etched with pulsing runes.
Beyond them—
A city beneath the Earth.
The docking bay glowed blue as they stepped out. Agents moved with machine precision. Technology hummed through the air.
A woman approached—commanding, composed.
"Mr. Leo," she said. "I'm Dr. Charolet. Director of K.A.S."
Her gaze shifted to Iris. "And you must be?"
"Iris. I couldn't leave her alone" Leo said.
A trace of confusion flickered across Dr. Charolet's face.
Iris didn't look away.
The briefing hall darkened.
Alien glyphs spiraled across the screen.
"Multiple high-tier threats," Dr. Charolet said. "Dimensional entities."
She tapped the display.
"A transmission," she continued. "Its effective velocity exceeds light-speed by an order of magnitude."
The symbols resolved into text:
ALL NON-HUMANS SHOULD MEET AT EARTIA
Silence crushed the room.
Leo stepped forward.
Before Dr. Charolet could continue—
The facility shook violently.
Sirens screamed.
Iris grabbed Leo's arm. "What was that?"
Leo's pupils flared gold as he looked upward, seeing far beyond steel and stone.
His voice was calm.
Grave.
"…They've already begun."