The moment holds, suspended in time, as footsteps and voices draw closer outside the elevator. But neither Rael nor Jin seem to notice — too caught up in the heat of their kiss, the dizzying sensation of finally finding their place.
It's not until the sound of voices right outside makes Rael reluctantly pull back, his gaze still intense, but his expression now... protective, almost possessive.
> "Later," he breathes, fingers brushing over Jin's now flushed cheeks. "We'll finish this later."
Jin nods, still half-dazed, heart pounding in his ears. The voices outside seem to come into focus, a reminder that the world is still there, outside the confines of their stolen moment.
> "Promise?" he manages, the word a quiet plea as much as a question.
Rael's expression softens, the possessiveness in his eyes melting into something warmer. He leans down, pressing a gentle kiss to Jin's forehead.
> "I promise," he murmurs against his skin.
7:46
The elevator doors finally *ping* open — revealing two figures waiting outside:
**L**, Rael's commanding officer and a high-ranking Esper, tall and sharp-eyed, arms crossed. Beside him stands **Mina**, a Guide with cool silver eyes, her expression unreadable.
They've clearly been waiting.
L raises an eyebrow as he steps forward.
> "Rael. You're late."
His gaze flicks to Jin — assessing, calculating.
Then Mina speaks, voice smooth but probing:
> "And this is…?"
Rael doesn't let go of Jin's hand.
He shifts slightly — shielding him — and says one word with quiet defiance:
> "Mine."
Silence falls.
Because in the world of Veyra?
That kind of claim?
It changes everything.
For a moment, L looks almost surprised. But then he masks it, giving a slow, thoughtful nod. Beside him, Mina looks just as collected - but her eyes widen just slightly, as if something unspoken has shifted. Neither of them look away from Rael — or Jin.
Finally, L speaks again, voice measured, eyes still fixed on Rael:
> "We need to talk. Both of you."
Rael's grip tightens fractionally around Jin's hand, but he doesn't look away from L's gaze. There's a challenge there — an unspoken question. But he nods, his voice steady.
> "Lead the way."
L turns and begins walking down the long, sterile hallway of the HQ. Mina follows, casting a last lingering glance at Jin, her expression unreadable.
Beside him, Rael takes a deep breath, hand still tightly holding Jin's - then follows.
7:47
The hallway stretches before them, bright white lights flickering faintly above — sterile, cold. Jin feels exposed under their glow. Every step echoes like a countdown.
Rael stays close — almost *too* close — his shoulder brushing Jin's with each stride, grounding him. He leans in slightly, voice low enough that only Jin can hear:
> "Don't let them rattle you."
A pause.
> "You belong here now."
Jin swallows hard.
Belong?
He died in another world.
Woke up in an....
Rael squeezes his hand again, reassuring but also a promise. He doesn't speak, but his gaze says it all. As they walk, he brushes a thumb over Jin's wrist — a silent reminder that Jin isn't alone in this.
Finally, they reach a heavily reinforced door at the end of the hallway. L enters a code in the keypad — a soft beep, then a heavy *thud* as the door opens.
It reveals a secure conference room, all sharp angles and hard surfaces.
7:48
The conference room hums with low-level energy—suppression fields lining the walls to contain any unstable powers. Holographic displays float in the air, showing maps of Veyra's unstable zones and real-time Esper signatures.
L takes a seat at the head of the table. Mina stands beside him, arms folded, eyes sharp.
Rael doesn't sit.
He pulls Jin close—still gripping his hand—and stands like a shield between him and everyone else.
L studies them both in silence for a long moment… then speaks:
> "Rael. You were supposed to report *alone*. And you," he says, turning to Jin, "are unregistered. Untested."
His voice isn't cruel—but it's firm. Testing them both.
Jin opens his mouth—
But Rael cuts in first, voice calm but unyielding:
> "He stabilized a voidbeast with his bare hands."
A beat.
> "*Without training.*"
Another beat—then:
> **"And he answered my call from beyond death."**
The room goes still.
Mina's breath catches.
L's eyes narrow.
Because they know what that means—
No Guide has ever returned from true death.
And no bond has ever been strong enough…
To pull someone back through the veil.
Until now.
7:49
The room is so silent, Jin can almost hear the hum of suppressed energies. All eyes focus on L—and Rael, who still stands with his arm around Jin, refusing to let go.
Finally, L speaks—his voice a quiet, dangerous rumble.
> "Explain. Everything."
Rael tenses, but his grip on Jin's hand only tightens. He meets L's gaze, unflinching.
> "I found him."
L rolls his eyes; a sharp exhale.
> "Obviously."
Rael shakes his head.
> "I mean, *before*."
For a moment, no one moves. Then Mina speaks, her voice flat—not curious, but calculating.
> "And when was 'before?'"
7:50
Rael exhales—slow, deliberate. The air in the room thickens, like the storm before a breaking wave.
> "Three days ago," he says, voice low but clear. "Before Jin appeared in Veyra... I *dreamed* him."
L stiffens.
Mina's eyes narrow.
Because dreams don't work like that here.
Not for Espers.
Especially not for *unstable* ones like Rael.
> "I heard his voice," Rael continues. "In the silence between outbursts. Calling back."
He turns to Jin, just for a second—eyes softening with something raw and unguarded.
> "**He wasn't just brought here… I pulled him through. With my power—and my will.**"
Silence falls again.
Then L leans forward slowly—elbows on the table, fingers steepled.
> "That's impossible," he says quietly. "No Esper has ever summoned a soul across worlds."
A pause.
"Let alone one already dead."
But Mina isn't looking at L anymore.
She's staring at Jin—with something close to awe in her eyes.
And when she speaks—it's barely above a whisper:
> "Unless…"
She takes a step forward, studying Jin carefully—then points to his wrist where Rael still holds it tight.
"There was already a bond written into fate."
Another breathless pause:
> **"A Soulchain."**
The word lands like thunder in an empty sky—
Because Soulchains?
They're myths.
Legends told to new Guides as cautionary tales of bonds so deep they transcend death…
And now?
One stands right before them—
Breathing,
Alive,
Tangled hand-in-hand with chaos incarnate—
And glowing faintly at their joined wrists…
With light no one saw until this very moment.
---
7:50
For a moment, no one moves—the stillness of a predator that caught the scent of its prey.
Then, slowly—so slowly it could be a dream—L stands up.
He doesn't approach—not yet—but his gaze is almost fixated...
The closest thing to awe the old commander ever shows.
> "Let me see."
Slowly, Rael turns his fist over.
His hand falls away, revealing their wrists.
L leans forward—staring. His eyes are a hawk's gaze—sharp, cold... *curious
7:52
The conference room has fallen eerily silent. The tension is thicker than ever, the air charged with something powerful.
At the far end of the room, L stares at Rael and Jin's wrists—or rather, what's on them.
A thin, silver chain of light encircles their wrists.
The Soulchain.
The room is so quiet L's breath can be heard as he exhales—a deep, slow, almost disbelieving breath. Then he speaks...
> "I have never seen anything like this..."
7:53
The silver glow pulses faintly—like a heartbeat—wrapping around their wrists in delicate, luminous loops. It doesn't look forged. It looks *grown*. Alive.
L reaches out—but stops short, hand hovering just above the light.
> "It's not artificial," he murmurs, almost to himself. "No resonance with Veyra's tech… no trace of binding sigils."
He glances up at Rael, then Jin—eyes sharp.
> **"It's alive because you are."**
Mina steps forward now, her usual calm cracked by wonder.
> "Soulchains were said to only form when two souls were fated across lifetimes... and even then," she whispers, "they'd only appear *after* decades of bond stabilization."
Her gaze locks onto Jin.
> "But you just woke up in this world."
A beat.
> "**And already your chain is glowing on contact.**"
Rael smirks—just slightly—as if saying *I told you so* without words.
Jin stares down at the light coiled around his wrist... warm… pulsing with something deeper than magic.
Then L speaks again—voice low and grave:
> "If this is real…" He meets Rael's eyes directly. "You didn't just summon a Guide."
A pause that cuts through bone and breath alike.
> **"You rewrote the rules of Veyra itself."**
And outside?
Somewhere deep beneath the city...
A shadow stirs.
Something old wakes.
And listens closely…
Because fate has shifted—
—and it knows who turned its wheel.