Tokyo – Morning
Kazuki was already awake before his alarm rang.
He hadn't slept well.
Even with his eyes closed, his mind kept thinking. About what happened. About what might come next.
He fought strange enemies. Fast and dangerous. They came from something called Project Echoes.
Now, they were gone.
But Kazuki knew they would return.
And he was changing.
The suit inside him was quiet now. But it wasn't resting. It was waiting.
At School — Later That Day
Kazuki walked through the halls with his hoodie up.
He felt people's voices louder. His heart beat faster. His hands shook a little.
He passed by Aeva.
She didn't look scared.
She looked… sad.
They sat together during lunch. Quiet at first. Then she spoke softly.
"I searched online last night. About strange lights. Missing people. I found something weird."
Kazuki looked at her. "You shouldn't be doing that."
"Too late," she said.
He sighed. "I didn't choose this."
"I know. But you have it now. And those things… they came for you."
He didn't answer.
"Are they coming back?" she asked.
Kazuki shook his head slowly.
"I don't know."
Somewhere Else — Late Afternoon
A machine buzzed. Lights flickered.
People on the street stopped walking. Some stared into space. Others fainted.
A figure came out of the shadows.
It was Drexon.
His eyes were glowing white. His skin looked old and cracked. He had metal in his body.
But the scariest part?
No one could remember seeing him. Like he didn't belong in this world.
Night — Kazuki's Room
Kazuki sat at his desk, thinking about everything.
He wanted to write something down.
But he couldn't find the words.
Then his phone buzzed.
Aeva:
"Come to the roof. Now."
On the Roof
Kazuki ran up to the rooftop.
Aeva was waiting, holding something.
"I got this. It was in a box with my name."
She showed him a small projector.
It started playing a message.
An Echo appeared in the image.
It said only one thing:
"If you want to save her, run."
Then the screen turned to static.
Suddenly, the wind changed. The air felt cold.
And someone stepped onto the roof.
It was Drexon.
His eyes glowed. His face was calm. He didn't talk.
But the ground beneath him started to bend, like the world was breaking.
Kazuki stood in front of Aeva.
"Who are you?" he asked.
Drexon just raised his hand.
The rooftop folded upward — like paper.
Kazuki moved fast.
He grabbed Aeva and jumped away.
The suit reacted. It protected him. Helped him land safely.
But Drexon walked forward… slowly. Like time didn't matter to him.
Kazuki attacked — super speed, lightning, punches.
Nothing worked.
Drexon didn't move.
Then Drexon hit back.
One punch.
Kazuki flew into a wall. His body hurt everywhere.
But Drexon didn't finish him.
He spoke, finally:
"You are not supposed to exist."
"You are the broken future."
Kazuki stood up again.
The suit in his body whispered something in his mind:
"Run."
So he did.
He grabbed Aeva and ran.
Underground Room — Hidden Location
The two remaining Echoes were watching everything on a screen.
They saw Kazuki escape.
One Echo said, "He's growing too fast."
The other replied, "He is becoming a problem."
On another screen, a red spiral symbol appeared.
A warning.
A threat.
A sign of something worse.
Aeva's Apartment — Final Scene
Kazuki sat on the floor, holding his chest.
Aeva looked at him.
"That wasn't one of the Echoes, was it?"
Kazuki shook his head. "No. He was different."
"What did he say?"
Kazuki looked at the ground.
"He said… I carry the broken future."
Aeva was quiet.
Then she asked:
"What if he's right?"
Kazuki didn't know what to say.
Because he was afraid…
Maybe he was.
[To Be Continued…]