Commencement

The chamber was vast, silent, and cold. Rows of delegates sat behind desks marked by small flags, their faces obscured by dim lighting. They had come from all corners of the world—summoned here, whether they liked it or not.

The room itself resembled a mini stadium, its closed ecosystem designed to trap sound and light. Above, faint machinery hummed in the dark ceiling.

Then, a single spotlight snapped on, illuminating the podium at the center. A man in a white lab coat stepped forward. His calm footsteps echoed through the hall.

"Welcome to the AMER headquarters. I apologize for the sudden invitation, but we could not wait any longer to inform you," he said.

"If you called everyone here, does that mean there's something so important?" One of the delegates asked

"Patience. First, let me introduce myself."

He took out a small device. A soft hum filled the air as laser projections formed his name above him.

"Call me The Professor. Of course, that's just a codename. I represent the AMER Project's science division. And tonight, I'm here to reveal what we've achieved… after decades of research."

The delegates shifted, suddenly paying closer attention.

"As you all know, humanity's greatest flaw… is curiosity. That curiosity has led us here. Standing on the edge of destruction. Seventeen years ago, an incident ruptured the boundary between dimensions. What was once hidden… began bleeding into our world."

Murmurs broke out. But the scientist continued his explanation.

"These so-called 'ghosts' are not folklore. They are physical phenomena, though not in forms we can normally perceive."

He tapped a control. From the stage, loud mechanical groans echoed as a circular platform opened. Rising from below was a towering glass tube, empty at first glance.

"For nearly twenty years, we studied them. And what we discovered, these beings were never meant to interact with our world. But something… an unknown particle…has changed them."

"You are the one who have changed them!" someone scoffed from the shadows.

The whispers are emerging again. This time they sound louder than before.

"This is too ridiculous," said someone from the darkness in his seat. "Why do we all have to share the blame?"

"Correct! Indonesia itself is creating problems. Why should the world share the burden?" added another.

Professor exhaled, almost bored. "Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that discussion has been outdated for years. In that case, shall we proceed with the demonstration? I'm confident this will change all of your perceptions."

The glass tube locked into place, towering over the delegates. Eyebrows raised. These people were actually becoming curious about the mysterious three-meter-high tube.

"Allow me to continue. An unknown particle has changed them. We call it UF—Unidentified Fragment. It infects both spirits and humans alike. It grants them the ability to cross over, to harm, to mutate. Become something that seems beyond reason."

At their tables, concealed compartments slid open, revealing sleek glasses within.

"Please see for yourselves. We have prepared special glasses that can see them." The professor added with a sinister smile.

As soon as the glasses were secured, the screaming began. One by one, delegates recoiled in terror. Some tearing off the glasses in panic, others frozen in place, unable to look away.

"Hwaa!!"

"What in the… What is that!?"

All eyes soon turned to the glass tube at the center. It was no longer empty. They could see something monstrous—an abomination of twisted arms, matted hair, and a blood-smeared face grinning from the darkness. Half its head was missing, with bulging eyes that almost spilled from their sockets.

"What in God's name…"

"WHAT IS THAT?!"

Before the hysteria could spiral further, the heavy main doors swung open.

A woman in black tactical gear strode in. Her hand resting casually on the compact submachine gun strapped at her side. She walked toward the podium. Calm, composed, deadly.

Professor's voice returned, as steady as ever. "Using reflective technology from several artificial sensors, the visualization of the unseen can finally become real. Slowly, just a collection of dots, then shadows, and finally… a visual form."

The professor finally lifted a strange chip that emitted a reddish aura. The object was then handed to a mysterious woman in military attire who had just arrived.

"This device allows us to convert mass into thermal energy, capable of harming astral entities. And instead of explaining, Lisa will immediately demonstrate it."

Fearlessly, this woman walked forward, stopping five meters from the glass tube. She retrieved a compact pair of black sunglasses—far sleeker than the bulky goggles worn by the others.

As soon as the tube opened, the creature ran towards one of the participants. It roared with a sound that was a combination of birds and bears. A hazard signal in the form of flashing lights suddenly appeared throughout the room.

'Groaaar!!'

*Brrrrrttt~~

Lisa unleashed a barrage of gunfire, her shots precise and unrelenting. The creature stumbled mid-charge, its body perforated by bullets that ignited bursts of strange light with every impact.

Screams filled the hall as delegates scrambled, some frozen in terror, others bolting for the exits.

"What the hell is going on?!"

"Oh God, it's real…"

Through the chaos, Professor's voice remained eerily calm. "The rifle uses sub-atomic density converters, channeling thermal energy to neutralize entities like this one. Combined with our extraction tools, we can now safely contain Unidentified Fragments."

Lisa approached the creature that was already lying down. When she pressed something on the left side of her backpack, two mysterious spray paint objects appear and sucked in the scattered strange particles. The room watched in stunned silence as the abomination disappeared completely.

"Professor, are you sure that this is the answer?" asked the representative from the United States.

"Yes! Without the need for approval from higher-ups, we have moved according to our promise. Starting next week, the eradication of UF against unseen creatures will be fully charged to AMER."

"Wait a minute! Isn't this too sudden?"

"Unfortunately, your opinion will not be valid. Everything has been arranged, even right before we held this meeting."

And again, the sound of protests from the crowd echoed once more.

"AMER should not make their own policy!!"

"How?!"

"This is too dangerous and ambiguous!"

The shouts of protest grew louder from various corners after Professor's explanation. Some were still confused, especially after witnessing the shooting incident which still seemed inexplicable. There were also those who argued with representatives from the neighboring country. They were still not accepting the decision which sounded unilateral and too hasty.

"I understand your concerns... ladies and gentleman"

The debate was about to heat up but stopped because of the words of one person. A middle-aged man walking with a cane joined the meeting. Accompanied by two guards who surrounded him, the invited guests fell silent and sat back in their seats.

Professor and Lisa slightly bowed as a sign of respect, indicating that this middle-aged man was not an ordinary person.

"Everything is under my control," the man added.

"But it's a military weapon, do you have any intention to use it on humans?" someone shouted

The sound of the cane hitting the floor echoed loudly throughout the room. With great confidence, the man stood in the middle of the meeting area, smiling calmly in response to the question thrown at him.

"Humans? It depends on how dangerous they are and whether our weaponry is adequate. But yes, we will also target espers. After all, we all know they're dangerous creatures too."

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