Who the hell I am?

Where... am I?

Cold. My whole body feels like it's been dipped in ice water, frozen from the inside out. I can't move right. My limbs are stiff, sluggish. My vision's blurry. And worse... I don't remember anything.

Who am I?

Why am I here?

What the hell happened to me?

I know basic things—words, common sense, how to move—but anything beyond that? Blank.

Strangely enough, my senses are very sensitive, like it's probably above human capabilities.

The machine I'm in lets out a soft hiss. Faint warmth brushes my skin as I push myself up, stumbling slightly as I step forward. The chamber behind me is dead—no power, no lights, just a fading heat. It must have just shut down.

I take a breath, my surroundings finally coming into focus.

A dark room. Dust thick in the air. Webs in the corners, shattered glass on the floor. Rusted lab equipment scattered across metal desks, their monitors cracked and lifeless. A lab? An abandoned one?

I scanned it for a meantime. Apparently, this place is strangely familiar to me.

Upon walking for more, I stepped onto something..

Human skeleton, three of them. Just near the metal table.

What in the world is this place? The unusual darkness hints me that this place is underground.

Then I see it.

A faint glow on a table. Beside the broken computers.

I step closer. The light pulses softly, like a slow heartbeat. And when my eyes adjust—I see it.

A sword.

It rests there, untouched by dust, its surface shimmering faintly. And just beneath it... a letter. The paper is old, fragile, but the words are clear:

"I'm always here, waiting for your return."

My return?

A cold chill runs down my spine.

How long have I been asleep?

And if someone's been waiting for me all this time...

Who were they to me?

There are too much mystery bugging me, it's quite overwhelming for someone who just woke up.

I disregarded my thoughts and picked the sword.

For a second, a strange sensation engulfed my body.

My mind went blank for a second, and what I saw..

Is a total darkness.

And the moment of nothingness continued, embracing my entire body.

It seems that the world is watching me from afar.

[MAIN HEADQUARTERS, AETHER RESEARCH AND CONTROL ASSOCIATION (ARCA)]

"Unknown Aether pulse detected. Repeat. Unknown Aether pulse detected."

The alarms blared, red lights flashing in chaotic rhythm. The control room erupted into noise—staff members barking orders, frantic typing on holographic screens, the occasional curse when a monitor refused to cooperate.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Alright, everyone, calm down. What's the situation?"

A younger researcher nearly tripped over himself rushing to me. "Professor Kiriya! We've detected a sudden Aether surge near Yokohama! It's way above normal levels. Possibly an Aether anomaly!"

Across the room, another technician shouted, "The readings are unstable! This isn't normal—it's off the charts!"

I glanced at the massive screen displaying fluctuating energy waves. The surge had appeared out of nowhere—and then, just as suddenly, it stopped.

The alarms cut out. Silence settled over the room.

"See?" I exhaled. "It stopped. Probably just a false alarm."

"But, sir—!"

"Or a bug," I added.

The younger researcher scoffed. "We're not living in the 21st century anymore, Professor."

That got a laugh out of me. "Alright, fair point."

Just then, my secretary jogged over, holding out a hologram device. "Kiriya-sama, you have a call. It's from Shinsen Academy's head."

I frowned. "Did THEY leave a message?"

"Yes," she nodded. "THEY said to call them back when you're alone."

That meant one thing.

It was serious.

I walked into my private office, activating the vacuum barrier—a high-level security system designed to block out any form of eavesdropping. Only then did I accept the call.

A hologram flickered to life.

Silver hair. Sharp golden eyes. A cocky grin. And a young cute girl.

"Yo, Kiriya-kun!"

I sighed. "Yakumi-chan. Where are your three versions?"

"Oh, them? They're already investigating the anomaly site~" she replied casually. "But we have another guest here."

Before I could respond, another hologram flickered on.

The room's temperature felt like it dropped.

A woman appeared, composed and commanding. Tenka Ayase.

President of ARCA. The most powerful woman in Japan—possibly the world.

She's also my boss.

I straightened my posture. "Ayase-sama. An honor, as always."

She wasted no time. "I'll be direct. What we detected in Yokohama—it's not an Aether anomaly."

I felt a chill creep up my spine. "...Then what is it?"

"It's an Aether pulse. A unique one. And I know exactly who it belongs to."

My breath caught.

Yakumi's expression shifted from playful to serious. "Wait... What do you mean?"

"A treasure I've been keeping for a long time," Ayase said, her voice softer now. "A treasure I cherished and lost."

She exhaled.

"I'm going there myself."

Yakumi blinked. "Eh? But why?"

Ayase's eyes darkened.

"Because the one who just awakened…"

Her voice carried something deep something personal.

"Is someone I swore to protect."

"Even if you're the president of ARCA, you can't just do anything you want! Besides, I'm already investigating the site, so just stay put and let me handle this."

Wow. They're fighting. Well, its interesting to see them spar for a bit.

"Yakumi, stay out of here, besides it's dangerous for you to investigate there. I'll handle it."

"Oh, are you implying that I'm weaker than you? Ayase-chan?"

"Hmm, let's see. In a minute, I'll make your three versions unconscious. Is that alright?"

Damn it. Girls are really scary.

"Alright! Bring it on!"

The hologram faded and I went back to work.

Assuming that we need to take this meeting privately, I'm pretty sure it's a serious situation.

I should study the pulse earlier on my own.