THE NX CAFETERIA
The morning sun filtered through the cracked, grime-streaked windows of the NX Cafeteria, casting long, golden shadows across the scarred wooden tables. The smell of burnt coffee and ozone from the city's lingering energy hung heavy in the air. Akos sat slumped in a metal chair, nursing a tall glass of fruit juice, the ice clinking softly against the glass. Beside him, Reino leaned back, his eyes fixed on the horizon of ruins visible through the door.
Reino: "You know, Akos... I wanted to go to Tokyo with you guys. More than anything. To see the heart of the world again, to stand with the alliance. But I can't. I can't leave this city in this state. Not like this."
Akos: "I get it, Reino. Sinish is home. We'll be waiting for you when the dust finally settles."
Reino: "You've earned my respect, kid. Not many people could have carried the burden you did. You saved more than just streets; you saved the soul of a city. But Sinish... it's not just a city. It's a nation within a nation. It sounds crazy to outsiders, but this place has its own laws, its own gravity."
Akos: "Your city? You sound like you own the place."
Reino looked at him, a curious glint in his eyes.
Akos (shrugging): "Sorry to break it to you, but I grew up here too. This is my backyard."
Reino (surprised): "Are you serious? You're a local?"
Akos: "Up on Mount Hiragana. I lived there with my grandfather. Sinish is full of beautiful spots, or at least it used to be. But I guess you'd know the history better than me, being the big ALPHA leader and all."
Reino leaned forward, his voice dropping to a somber, historical tone. A faint smile played on his lips, though it carried the weight of a century.
Reino: "Historically, Sinish is a masterpiece of secrets. It was built on blood, violence, and the desperate need for peace.
Three men founded this place back in 1923. Back then, it was nothing—just empty fields, ancient trees, and wild plants. They wanted to create a sanctuary specifically for Sorcerers—a place far away from the "system."
Akos paused, his straw halfway to his mouth.
Reino: "They were running from the Private High for Ninjitsu Education. That organization has no mercy.
They don't care if you're a child, an old man, or an unborn infant. They view humans as tools and sorcerers as weapons.
My clan, the SHINO, couldn't stomach the cruelty anymore. We broke away from the system to find silence, to find a place where a man could breathe without a blade at his throat."
Akos finished his juice in one long, aggressive gulp, the straw making a loud vacuum sound as he hit the bottom of the glass. He slammed it on the counter and looked over at Anna, who was scrubbing the bar with a look of pure exhaustion.
Akos: "Anna! Hit me again. Another juice, please!"
Anna stopped scrubbing. She looked at the glass, then at Akos, her eyes twitching with the suppressed urge to throw the rag at his head.
Anna: "Are you kidding me right now? Are you all trying to drive me into a mental asylum? I've got one guy addicted to alcohol, another who can't survive five minutes without tea, a third who is vibrating from too much coffee, and a fourth who eats enough food to bankrupt a small country!"
She slammed a fresh carton of juice onto the counter, glaring at Akos with the fire of a thousand suns.
Anna: "And now? Now I have a new breed of freak: a juice addict. Go to hell, you idiots! All of you! I'm a sorcerer, not a waitress for the socially stunted!"
Akos just blinked, slowly pulling the fresh glass toward him. "So... is that a 'yes' on the refill?"
Akos looked at Anna with a straight face, his voice calm but playful. "Don't blame us, Anna. It's your fault. Your food and your drinks... they create the addiction. It's all too delicious."
Anna huffed, grabbing his glass and filling it with the last of the orange juice. "Hmph. Fine. But this is the absolute last one, got it?
The markets and the warehouses in the city have been leveled. We have to ration what's left. We can't survive on vitamin C alone while the city is in ruins."
Akos: "Thanks, Anna." He turned back to Reino, his expression turning serious. "Ronika mentioned something before... she said that ALPHA, DELTA, and ECHO aren't just street gangs."
Reino smiled, leaning his elbows on the counter. "She's right. I'll explain. ALPHA, DELTA, and ECHO are actually independent Ninjitsu and Nature Energy Academies. Unlike the Private High for Ninjitsu Education, we don't have suffocating missions or orders that drown your soul.
We teach everyone the true flow of energy. That's why the higher-ups in the Ninjitsu Society see us as such a massive threat. We represent freedom they can't control."
Akos drained the glass in one go, setting it firmly on the wooden table. A dark shadow passed over his eyes. "The Ninjitsu system... it needs a complete cleansing."
Reino stared at him, stunned by the cold authority in the boy's voice.
Akos: "Nobody in this world has the power to stand in front of them and survive. Except me."
Reino (raising his voice): "I won't let you do that, Akos! I won't let you take that entire burden on your own shoulders again! We are all here. We are going to do this together!"
Akos remained silent for a long moment, the air in the cafeteria growing heavy. "I've heard that sentence from many people, Reino. In the end... they either betrayed me or they died. I don't want to lose anyone else I care about."
Reino: "Eh...?"
Akos stood up, his red jacket swaying as he turned toward the exit. "See you later, Reino."
He walked out of the cafeteria, leaving the leader of ALPHA frozen in shock. Akos stepped into the gray light of the ruined street.
Akos walks down the deserted street, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his red jacket. The silence of the ruined city is heavy, broken only by the crunch of glass under his boots.
As he walks, he hears the faint cry of a cat. He doesn't stop at first, his gaze fixed forward, but then the sound changes—a pained, raspy mewing, as if the animal is suffering.
He stops. He turns his head slightly and spots a small ginger kitten huddled in the shadow of a collapsed wall. It looks frail, its ribs showing through its fur.
Akos sighs, his expression softening for a fraction of a second. "Looks like you haven't eaten in a long time, little one." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a biscuit he had swiped from the cafeteria. He kneels down, crumbling it into small pieces for the kitten.
Suddenly, a voice echoes from the end of the street. "Akos!"
It's Jack. He's running toward him, waving his arms.
Akos doesn't even look up. "Goddammit, you brainless freak..."
Jack reaches him, panting. "Akos! What are you doing? We have to leave! We need to get moving!"
Akos slowly stands up, his shadow falling over the smaller man. He turns his head slowly. "Say that again."
Jack: "Eh? I said... we have to leave."
POW!
Without warning, Akos's fist connects squarely with Jack's face, sending him sprawling onto the cracked pavement.
Akos: "I will leave. Not 'we.' You aren't coming with me, you moron. How many times do I have to tell you to stay away from me? You won't like what I'll do to you next time if you keep following me like a lost dog."
He looks down at the kitten, gently picks it up, and tucks it into the warmth of his jacket. Without glancing back at Jack, who is clutching his bruised jaw on the ground, Akos walks away from Jack.
SINISH METRO STATION
The underground station is a scene of absolute pandemonium. Thousands of citizens are packed onto the platforms, their faces etched with terror and exhaustion.
Police officers and station guards are shouting, struggling to maintain order as people scramble to flee the city following the devastating attacks by the Devils and the catastrophic fallout from Sakura's awakening.
Akos moves through the crowd like a ghost, untouched by the panic. He stops at a small kiosk, buying two juices, a bottle of water, and some food.
He finds a quiet bench away from the main surge of people and sits down. He pours a little water into his palm and holds it out for the kitten.
The small animal laps up the water eagerly.
Akos: "You want more, huh?"
The kitten licks his finger in response. Akos lets out a soft, tired laugh.
Akos: "What are you saying? You want to be my assistant?"
The kitten stares at him with wide, curious eyes.
Akos: "Just so you know, it's a dangerous job.
You might die. Hahaha..." He looks toward the tracks, his smile fading into a self-deprecating smirk. "Look at me. I've reached the point where I'm talking to animals and refusing help from humans. Hahahah!"
The kitten rubs its head against Akos's leg, purring.
Akos: "What is it? You need a name, don't you? Hmm... let me think. How about... Nora? What do you think of that? Nora."
The kitten looks up at him, seemingly approving.
Ronika (from behind): "You've finally lost it, haven't you? Talking to animals now?"
Akos (without turning): "What else is there to do in this world?"
Ronika: "Forget that for a second. Tell me why this idiot is coming with us."
Akos turns his head and sees Yuzana standing awkwardly nearby. Akos: "I have no idea."
Jin walks up, checking his watch. "When is this train supposed to get here?"
In the background, Riko is already arguing with Yuzana. Yuzana is struggling with several heavy bags, looking like he's moving houses.
Riko: "Why did you bring all this junk?! Look at us! Ronika only has her katanas, the same for Akos and the rest of us. We travel light! You brought half a warehouse with you!"
Yuzana: "I need all of this! My PC, my laptop, my backup drives... I can't hack the System with my bare hands!"
Riko (mocking him): "Oh, 'my PC, my laptop, blablabla.' Shut up, you piece of trash! You're slowing us down!"
Jin: "Akos, just so we're clear, Yuzana is coming. We need his hacking skills to get through the Tokyo security grids."
Akos: "Fine, Jin. I just don't want any drama. I want this to be over quickly. Right, Ronika?"
Ronika gives him a cold, deadpan stare, as if to say, "Look who's talking about being serious."
The screech of metal on metal echoes through the tunnel. The train finally pulls into the station, its headlights cutting through the gloom. The doors hiss open, and the group boards, pushing through the last of the crowd.
Once inside, Akos finds a seat by the window, tucking Nora into his lap. He leans his head back against the glass and closes his eyes, letting the vibration of the train soothe his aching body as Sinish begins to fade into the distance.