Not even in the heart of Echelon, the capital of the Dominion, a city of towering skyscrapers rising like colossal data pillars piercing the clouds.
On normal nights, neon lights would reflect across the glass windows of residential homes, making the city glow as if it were alive.
Tonight was not normal.
The rain crashed down in sheets so heavy that even the brightest towers in central Echelon blurred into vague silhouettes, veiled behind a wall of water. The downpour hammered the composite streets, scattering reflections of red–blue patrol drones gliding low through the storm.
Ryu Alverion walked fast along the drenched sidewalk. His umbrella had snapped at two joints, useless against the wind. His black hair clung to his face, dripping water. He hugged his bag tightly against the cold that seeped through his thin uniform.
Above him, the city's air corridors lit up with streaks of blue and white, magline trains cutting through their transparent rails hundreds of meters in the air, leaving shimmering trails across the skyline.
Ryu passed through the commercial district of Arcadia-6.
Street-cleaning bots attempted to dry the flooding pavement, but the rain was overwhelming them. A number of shops had closed early. Digital signboards flickered violently as raindrops slammed into their screens.
His home stood in the western block of the district, an area reserved for Dominion officials. Houses were large, symmetrical, surrounded by automated fences. Every corner was monitored by military-grade cameras.
Ryu exhaled softly when he saw the fence lights glowing blue, meaning the home security system was still active.
But the atmosphere was wrong.
Every lamp in the house was off.
The homes on both sides were lit brightly, but Ryu's house was pitch-black. He stopped.
His breath shortened. His father never turned off all the lights. Never.
From the house next door, Mrs. Ratri appeared holding a soaked doormat. The warm glow from her doorway stretched across the rain, casting her long shadow on the street. "Ryu? Oh goodness, you're soaked." Her voice was gentle and worried.
Ryu bowed slightly. "Yes, ma'am, the rain won't stop." "Go on, get inside. Your father must be waiting for you." Ryu nodded politely, though an uneasy feeling was already tightening in hbrightly, omething he couldn't explain.
A little further away, Mr. Mawan parked his electric motorbike under a tall lamp buzzing softly. When he noticed Ryu, he clicked his tongue. "Late again? Your father must be tired of waiting."
Ryu bowed again without responding. His quiet demeanor split opinions among the residents, some found him polite, others whispered that he was a "too-cold genius."
From the second floor of another house, a teenage girl shouted to her younger brother, who was still flying a small drone. "Davin! Inside! This storm isn't normal! Move!"
Davin stopped, glanced at Ryu, and flashed a mischievous grin. "Careful, Ryu. Your house is super dark. Maybe there's a." "Davin!"
His sister yanked him inside. The drone nearly fell.
The door slammed shut. The joke evaporated instantly. Ryu stared at his unlit home. The door sensor blinked weakly, unresponsive.
He tapped his identity card twice.
A soft click echoed, and the door slid open.
Darkness swallowed the interior. No sound.
No movement. Ryu inhaled slowly, fingers cold. He stepped inside.
The door closed behind him with a quiet thud, sealing him in with nothing but the noise of the rain outside. He waited for the automatic lights to flicker on. They didn't. He pressed the wall panel.
A faint beep responded, followed by a dim glow from the living room lights. They powered up slowly, as if the house itself were hesitating. When the lights stabilized, Ryu saw him.
Varian Alverion. His father. Lying sideways on the floor beside his overturned worktable.
Blood pooled from his abdomen across the wooden floor, forming a thin, expanding stain.
Ryu froze. No sound escaped him. His chest locked up; his lungs forgot how to breathe.
His legs buckled, and he dropped to his knees beside the body. His trembling hands reached for Varian's arm. "Dad,"
The word cracked apart, short and fragile.
His father's skin was still warm. This had happened moments ago. Ryu pressed two shaking fingers against Varian's neck. No pulse. Only fading warmth.
He forced himself to breathe, but each inhale felt shallow, like his chest refused to expand. His thoughts scattered, refusing to align.
He wiped his eyes and scanned the room.
The living area was messy, papers scattered, table flipped, but nothing was stolen. No signs of forced entry. No broken locks. Not even missing drawers. Someone hadn't come to rob. Someone had come looking.
His father's hand was curled around a small note. Ryu hesitated, then gently pulled it free.
Half of it was smeared with blood. A strange symbol was etched at the top,a perfect circle, fractured by a single precise broken line.
He stared at it, trying to think, but his mind was spinning, fogged, refusing to make sense of anything. His knee bumped the overturned table.
BRRAKK!
The loud crash echoed sharply. The front door vibrated. Outside, Mrs. Ratri turned her head sharply, eyes widening. Through her small side window, she glimpsed the blood on the floor. Her face went pale. "Oh Lord…"
Then she screamed.
"VARIAN?! THERE'S BLOOD! THERE'S BLOOD IN THE ALVERION HOUSE!"
Her scream tore through Arcadia-6.
Doors flew open. Residents rushed out, some carrying towels, others wearing raincoats, some simply staring with panic. "What happened?!" "Why is it dark?!" "I saw blood! There's blood!" "Is Ryu inside?
Is he alone?!" ome called district security. Others called the police. Within two minutes, sirens approached. Three district police vehicles slid to a stop outside. Blue lights flashed, scattering across the storm.
"DISTRICT POLICE! STEPimagine
Officers rushed in, two wearing gloves, one scanning the surroundings. "Who reported it?" "I did! I saw blood!" "The victim is still inside!" They entered quickly. The door was half-open. The moment they saw the living room, they froze.
Ryu was kneeling beside Varian's body, his knees stained red. His hands clutched his father's clothes. His eyes held no tears, only shock so deep it hollowed him out. Lieutenant Harven stepped forward cautiously.
"Young man, step away from the victim."
Ryu turned slowly. "My dad… he…"
"Step back," Harven repeated firmly. Ryu obeyed, not out of fear, but because his limbs felt numb.
Officers examined the body. "No pulse. Estimated death: minutes ago." Another checked the windows. "No forced entry. Security system wasn't hacked."
Another scanned the room. "No weapon. No extra fingerprints." Harven eyed Ryu sharply.
"What time did you get home?" "Just now."
"You're the only one here?"
Ryu said nothing. Rain dripped from his hair onto the floor. "Answer me!" Harven barked.
"Yes." Outside, the neighbors erupted.
"ASK HIM! HE WAS ALONE!"
"That kid's a genius but creepy!" "What if he,"
Before the accusations could escalate, all three police tablets beeped sharply.
BLIP! BLIP! BLIP!
Red text flashed across the screens:
[VICTIM IDENTIFIED: VARIAN ALVERION - O-5 GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL]
[PROTOCOL 9-B TRIGGERED - NATIONAL UNIT DEPLOYED]
Silence swallowed tALVERION O-5 was among the highest ranks in the Dominion.
This case had just escalated beyond district authority. Three black, unmarked vehicles arrived. Five agents in black suits stepped out. Their leader spoke coldly:
"From this moment on, jurisdiction transfers to the National Unit." The district police retreated instantly. Ryu stood still, shaking. His hands couldn't stop trembling.
The National Unit leader approached.
"Ryu Alverion. You're coming with us, under protection and for further investigation."
Ryu opened his mouth, maybe to ask, maybe to deny, but the front door opened again.
A man stepped inside. He wore no police emblem. No government insignia. Only a black badge with a single vertical silver line.
The entire neighborhood recoiled.
"Vasena," "That's Vasena's mark…"
"Why would they come?!"The National Unit agents stiffened. "Why is the Evaluative Division here?" their leader demanded.
The newcomer lifted his ID.
[VASENA – EVALUATIVE DIVISION – CLASS-1 AUTHORITY]
The entire National Unit fell silent. His name: Arvis. Arvis walked toward Ryu with measured steps. His stare was sharp, not warm, not cold, simply dissecting. "Ryu Alverion," he said calmly. "Your father contacted us moments before he died."
Ryu's breath hitched. "What, what did he say?" Arvis glanced at Varian's body, then back at the boy. "Only one sentence."
His voice dropped. "He said, 'He is ready."
Ryu's thoughts shattered. Nothing made sense. Nothing connected. Arvis didn't wait.
He turned toward the rain-soaked doorway. Beyond the gate of Arcadia-6, a hooded figure stood under the storm, motionless.
Lightning flashed. The figure vanished.
Arvis refocused on Ryu. "From tonight onward," he said quietly, "your life falls under state protocol." Ryu didn't respbung His face was blank, devoid of tears. Too much. Too fast. Too overwhelming for his mind to process.
Arvis rested a hand on Ryu's shoulder and signaled the agents. "Take him." Under the ceaseless rain, Ryu was escorted out of the only home he'd ever known.
The house, dark, cold, stained with blood, faded behind him. And without realizing it, that storm-lashed night became the beginning of something far larger than he could ever imagine.