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In the shadows of danger, Emi Kurosawa, an undercover police officer, makes unimaginable sacrifices on the frontlines to protect her people and her country. 

Bearing the weight of her duty, she faces grave physical and emotional costs, keeping her identity and the truth of her actions hidden from the world. 

"The Unseen Shield" is a exploration of the unseen sacrifices made by those who serve in silence, offering a glimpse into the lives of heroes whose courage and commitment remain known only by the shadows they leave behind.

The Unseen Shield

Scene: Ayane's Family Home

The front gate creaked as Haruna, Ayane's daughter pulled into the driveway, returning from a two-day conference in Osaka. Her suit jacket was still draped over her bag in the backseat.

Then she froze the moment her eyes landed on the car in the driveway.

Emi's car. Bloodied. Smashed. Still.

The entire driver's side was drenched in dark, dried blood. The door left slightly ajar. The stone steps were cracked where the vehicle had hit them head-on. It looked like a scene out of a crime report.

Haruna dropped her bags, heart immediately pounding in her chest.

She called out, frantic, checking the car's interior.

No explanation—only blood, everywhere.

She ran toward the house, heart hammering.

"Mom! MOM!" she shouted, flinging open the front door. But no one answer.

With shaking fingers, she yanked out her phone and called her mother.

Scene: Kanagawa General Hospital – ICU Lobby

Ayane's phone buzzed in her hand as she sat stiff and silent on the hard plastic chair, her blazer still stained at the sleeves with Emi's blood. Her legs hadn't stopped shaking since she'd arrived.

She glanced at the screen. Haruna.

She quickly answered, voice thin and tired.

"Where are you?! Emi's car is covered in blood—Mom, what happened?!"

Ayane's voice cracked. "She's here. ICU. They just got her out of surgery… I didn't call sooner because I—Haruna, she almost didn't make it."

"I'm coming," Haruna said sharply. "Don't move."

Haruna ran into the hospital, past reception, eyes wild and hands still streaked with dried blood from inspecting Emi's car.

She spotted her mother immediately—sitting outside Room 314, back hunched, hands clenched, eyes on the window where the girl they both loved more than anything lay unconscious.

Ayane stood as her daughter approached. Haruna crashed into her arms.

"She's alive," Ayane whispered, barely able to breathe.

Haruna pulled back, her eyes glistening. "What happened to her?"

Ayane looked toward the window. "I don't know, ask your dad."

Ayane looked up, her eyes filled with a grief no mother should bear. "She made it through surgery. Barely."

Haruna turned slowly, pressing a hand to the glass, eyes filling as she saw Emi's frail figure on the bed. Her chest rose and fell faintly beneath the tangle of wires.

Haruna swallowed hard. "She always did go too far for other people…"

"She saved lives," Ayane said softly.

"I don't care," Haruna choked. "I just want her to live."

Ayane reached out and took her daughter's hand. "She's fighting. We have to believe she'll wake up."

Together, mother and daughter stood in silence—two women who had always been strong, now broken in the quiet moments of waiting. Outside the glass, Emi's breath continued in steady rhythm, fragile, but stubborn.

Still Breathing