9:15 AM – Tokyo Metropolitan Kurohane High School
The Tokyo Metropolitan Kurohane High School stood as a perfect example of Japanese modernity: glass, steel, and elegant lines. A vertical structure, divided into pavilions connected by transparent aerial walkways, immersed in the pulsating flow of the capital.
Each entrance was monitored by smart cameras embedded in Saito Corporation advertisement panels, displaying happy students and scheduled motivational messages.
> "Saito Corp – Building your tomorrow. One memory at a time."
The inside was even more advanced. Whiteboards were holographic screens, controllable by hand movements. Desks adapted to the student's posture. Lockers opened with facial recognition. Every student was biometrically registered.
A school designed to be perfect. But Kairo knew well that perfection is fragile.
The group walked on.
The gym was large, polished, and dominated by a transparent ceiling that let in filtered sunlight through anti-glare windows. The wooden floor gleamed like new, and on the walls, two giant Saito screens displayed students' physical performance in real time: heart rate, calories burned, endurance levels.
> "HealthSync v2. – In collaboration with Saito Corporation."
While Riven and Kairo continued with their usual banter, Aenna and Lyra slowed down a bit, approached by Haruka—a short girl with twin buns and dreamy, romantic eyes.
"Lyra… sorry, can I ask you something?"
Lyra turned around, curious.
"Mh? Sure, go ahead."
Haruka leaned in, lowering her voice conspiratorially:
"You know him well… what kind of girls does Riven like?"
Lyra raised an eyebrow, a half-smile spreading across her lips.
"Riven? Girls who don't ask questions like that."
Haruka looked confused. "Ah…"
Aenna crossed her arms, amused.
"Uhuh, Lyra... you sure that wasn't just a touch of jealousy?"
Lyra took the jab with poise, then spun around with a teasing smile.
"Oh, coming from you? The girl who would have anyone arrested for staring at Kairo too long?"
Aenna huffed, folding her arms with a mock pout.
"I'm not jealous. I'm... observant. There's a difference."
"Sure, Officer Kaiaba."
The two exchanged a look that balanced between challenge and affection as Haruka walked off, flustered.
The class split up; boys and girls headed into their respective locker rooms.
Aenna paused for a moment, watching Lyra get changed.
"Oh, wow…"
Aenna froze as her eyes caught sight of a black tattoo delicately curving around Lyra's left forearm.
A treble clef.
Thin, elegant—impossible to miss once seen.
"Wait a second… that tattoo?!"
Lyra looked down as if just noticing it. Then she smiled, but it was a hesitant smile.
"This? I got it last summer… I told you I was thinking about it, right?"
Aenna squinted. "No, Lyra. You never told me anything. And you always tell me everything, especially stuff like that."
Lyra chuckled softly, almost defensive.
"Must've been a last-minute decision. I've always loved music… you know that."
Aenna nodded slowly. But she wasn't convinced. It felt… off. Like a crack had opened between them—one made of forgotten memories or ones that had never existed.
Then Lyra added, lowering her voice:
"I've been studying violin for two years. Nothing special. Just for me."
Aenna brushed it off—but it unsettled her. They had been friends for a while. Strange that she hadn't heard anything about a tattoo.
They strapped on their digital bracelets, which connected directly to HealthSync v2.8, the gym's high-tech holographic system, and headed toward the field.
Meanwhile, in the boys' locker room, Riven and Kairo continued their usual teasing. Lockers clanged, clothes rustled, overlapping voices filled the air.
Kairo was pulling on his jersey when a tennis ball hit him square on the back of the head.
"Strike!" shouted Riven, arms raised in triumph.
Kairo turned slowly, sighing. "You're an idiot."
"An idiot with perfect aim," Riven shot back, twirling the ball on his finger.
From the corner, Naoto—a sleepy-eyed classmate with thick glasses—chuckled,
"Kairo, it's your destiny. Late every morning, beaten at every sport by Riven. You need a blessing."
"See? Even science agrees," added Riven, flashing a toothpaste-commercial smile.
Kairo shrugged with a smirk.
"At least I don't lose every time something serious is at stake. Like that foosball match with Aenna."
A chorus of "Ooooh!!" echoed through the locker room.
Riven's eyes widened.
"That was an off day. My hand was stiff."
"Yeah, right."
Kairo patted him on the shoulder, then turned to grab his hoodie.
Jun, the jock with a towel around his neck, laughed at them:
"You two are like a live-action sitcom. When are you getting married?"
"Never. My standards are too high," Kairo said deadpan.
"And I don't date people with broken alarms," Riven replied.
Another wave of laughter. The mood was light, alive.
But then… the overhead light flickered.
Once. Twice.
A soft bzzzzzt made Kairo look up.
The locker wall shimmered. Just for a second. As if the image glitched—like the world had suffered a video compression error. The lockers "doubled" for a split second, leaving a digital afterimage, like a corrupted frame.
Then everything returned to normal.
Jun didn't notice. Naoto was still laughing. Riven was tying his shoes.
Only Kairo stood still, breath held.
He had seen something. Again.
He touched his forehead—the same burning spot from that morning.
He whispered to himself:
"It's not over…"
They adjusted their wristbands and headed to the field.
"All right, you digital brats!" yelled Mr. Nagai in his raspy voice.
"Two laps and then circuit training!"
Kairo was still tying his shoes when Aenna's voice rang behind him.
"This time you didn't vanish. I thought you'd gotten lost in a locker—like this morning," she added, half-joking, half-worried.
Kairo chuckled. "So generous, Aen. Don't worry—if I vanish, I'll leave you my boken."
Lyra chimed in with a grin.
"Yesterday you were dueling the air in the yard. Sure you still know how to use it?"
Aenna raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, now the boken's a flirting topic too?"
Kairo pretended not to hear—but his ears turned slightly red.
As the class lined up, Riven approached, stretching like he'd just woken up.
"So, future samurai," he said to Kairo,
"Are we dueling today, or should I just let you win out of pity?"
Kairo eyed him.
"You'd still lose—even on one leg."
"There's the spirit!" Riven laughed, raising his hand toward the gym's digital board.
Their wristbands synced and lit up with the same color.
> "Duel Mode – Activated. Kairo Kaiaba vs. Riven Tetsuya. Countdown: 5…"
The gym's screens changed colors, signaling the challenge. A holographic simulation displayed the two figures running side by side.
They launched into action—push-ups, sprints, jumps. The competition was fierce, but friendly. Laughter and cheers echoed all around.
Aenna watched from the sidelines, arms crossed, clutching her necklace. Lyra stood beside her, smirking.
"You like seeing him like that, huh?"
Aenna blushed and snapped,
"Shut up. It's just… good for him to be distracted."
Lyra giggled. "Sure, sure. Distracted…"
Kairo and Riven collapsed at the edge of the court, exhausted and sweaty.
The display lit up in green and announced the winner:
> "Duel Mode Complete – Winner: Kairo Kaiaba. Push-up Score: 100 pts each – Total: 7,800."
Riven stared at his bracelet, stunned.
"Oh, damn it…"
Kairo stood and offered his hand.
"Better luck next time, swordsman."
"Cut it out, that line's mine—it's copyrighted."
Riven grabbed his hand and stood up.
Meanwhile, Mr. Nagai was yelling at them for starting a duel without permission.
And on the school's rooftop… the masked man was still watching.
As gym class ended, it was time for math.
Students got changed and headed into the corridor.
The school walls were lined with interactive displays. Notifications updated in real time. The corridors were spotless. Lights activated automatically with student movement.
But Kairo felt more and more out of sync.
Under his feet, for an instant, the floor vibrated. Lights flickered. The screen next to him flashed.
> [Error. Kaiaba Kairo – Sync Drift Detected]
A heartbeat. Then everything returned to normal.
"Kairo, hurry up! We'll leave you behind!"
Aenna's ever-watchful voice brought him back.
"I'm coming!"
He started walking again—unaware the screen behind him now displayed:
> [Error. Kaiaba Kairo – Memory Drift 12%]
Kairo and the others took their seats in Class 3B, where Professor Akira Toshi awaited… for the next lesson.
Math.
The lesson had started. The teacher explained functions and parabolas on a digital whiteboard, while students took notes on synced tablets.
Kairo stared at the board. The formulas began to twist. The numbers contorted into something that wasn't math anymore.
A message appeared:
> "Kairos – Missing Parameters. Access denied."
Kairo flinched. Blinked. The formulas returned to normal.
Riven nudged him from behind.
"Trying to contact aliens through quadratic functions?"
Kairo gave a faint smile—but inside… the nausea was real.
He opened his notebook.
A sentence had been written. In handwriting that wasn't his.
> "You're looking in the wrong place. And they won't believe you."
He snapped the notebook shut. Turned. Everything looked normal.
Too normal.
But something inside him…
was starting to break.