The large city of Evanguade continued to bloom brightly, its sleek, futuristic skyline glittering under the artificial sun. Land and flying vehicles moved in harmony — elegant machines darting between towering glass structures and through the floating highways that connected the upper layers of the metropolis. People went about their daily routines, heading to work, to home, or wherever their structured lives demanded.
But there was one area that stood in stark contrast.
Not a single vehicle passed through it. No drones, no patrols — nothing but silence.
This place had been devastated just weeks ago. Once a renowned hospital that symbolized progress, it now lay in ruins — a graveyard of metal, glass, and ash. The aftermath of a battle.
Through the debris walked two figures.
One wore a mecha-like suit, sleek and angular, with a matte gray surface streaked by lines of pulsing purple light that ran symmetrically across the armor's plates. Each step gave off a mechanical hum.
The other stood out in sharp contrast — dressed in refined fashion: a well-tailored gray turtleneck under a tan vest, a designer coat draped over his shoulders, and a half-face mask that covered the lower half of his face. Over his eyes were narrow, visor-like shades that glowed faintly with digital readouts.
"Helios said there was a sign of life detected here…" the armored one muttered, his voice distorted with an electronic undertone — likely from a voice modulator embedded within the suit.
"It sparked just a few hours ago," the fashionable man replied evenly. "The person should still be alive by now."
The mecha-clad figure scoffed. "Really? This fucking place looks like a damned graveyard. It'd be a miracle if they're still breathing."
The other gave a small, amused huff. "It certainly would be."
The two pressed on, navigating deeper into the wreckage, guided only by faint readings from their scanners.
Deep below the ruins, in a room untouched by time or chaos, a young man lay still on a pristine white bed. His appearance was otherworldly — the kind of beauty that blurred the line between human and divine.
His fingers twitched. His eyelids fluttered open. The room was pitch dark, and his senses were foggy.
"Where… am I?" he muttered faintly, his voice echoing through the empty chamber.
It's strange.
One moment, I saw my life flash before my eyes — the next, I'm here.
Wait… was I just reincarnated?
"Where… am I?" I repeated, though it was rhetorical. The darkness offered no response.
I couldn't see a damn thing. Still, the surface beneath me felt soft enough to be a bed, so I stayed put. Better that than tripping over something in the dark.
This didn't make sense. I was clearly not in the void — the bed alone was proof enough.
"Hmmm… what if there's, like, a system to this?"
Lying still, I decided to try something. After all, I'd seen enough reincarnation tropes to know how this usually went.
"System!"
Silence.
"Uhh… System Open!"
Still nothing.
I spent the next few minutes blurting out every command I could think of. Not even imagining the interface worked.
"Jeez…" I groaned. "I wonder if staring at nothing will magically make it appear…"
The young man eventually gave up and simply laid back down, frustration giving way to resignation.
Meanwhile, above his sealed chamber, movement stirred.
BVVVVVT!
Chunks of rubble began to shift and rise, pushed aside by immense force.
The mecha-clad figure gripped a massive piece of debris, his suit's arms whirring as an energy pulse surged from his elbow joints. With a mechanical grunt, he flipped the heavy slab away like it was weightless.
Beside him, the man in stylish clothing controlled several floating mechanical spheres, each glowing with vibrant blue light. They pulsed rhythmically before firing concentrated energy beams, vaporizing layers of rubble and clearing the area piece by piece.
For hours, the two worked tirelessly, tearing through the mountain of debris until they reached what lay beneath.
At last, they found it — a large, intact chamber sealed by a thick metallic door with no visible windows.
The mecha's visor flickered. "Would ya look at that. An Aethex-reinforced room? Whoever this survivor is might just be important~."
The well-dressed man merely nodded in silent agreement.
"Link comms," he ordered. "Atlas to Helios."
Elsewhere — in the beating heart of Evanguade — a vast control center thrummed with life.
Holographic displays and transparent glass walls functioned as interactive panels. Rows of operators sat at sleek terminals, their fingers flying across light-projected keyboards. Everything worked with flawless precision — no lag, no loading, no wasted motion.
This was the Operative & Heroic's Agency, the city's command hub and the core of all major field operations.
Amid the flurry of activity stood a man who immediately stood out from the rest. While most of the workers were far from unattractive — beauty was practically mandatory in this age — this man was on another level entirely.
Every time he passed by, heads turned. Some of the female staff tried not to stare too obviously, though the effort showed. His presence demanded attention.
He, however, remained entirely unfazed. It wasn't the first time.
Suddenly, a notice flashed across one of the main panels.
[Notice: Comms Link Request from Operative Atlas]
"Hm… Link."
[Comms Linked!]
A faint hum followed before a voice came through the line.
"Atlas, how was it?" the man asked, his tone calm but firm.
"Found it."
The man's eyes narrowed slightly. "Good. What did you find?"
This wasn't idle curiosity — it was urgency. A sign of life in the largest Pirate Invasion site in the city was not something to take lightly.
Atlas's voice crackled over the comms. "Noctus and I found an Aethex-reinforced room. All others were compromised, but this one remained sealed. Possibly active moments before the incident occurred — or even during it."
"Hm. Understood," the man replied. "Guard the area for now. We'll dispatch transport ships immediately."
"Affirmative."
The line went dead.
[Comms Unlinked]
The operator took a moment, staring silently at the empty panel. Then, turning sharply, he began walking toward the next room.
"Send in transport ships to Atlas's location," he commanded. "Ensure the area's fully secured!"
Every worker within earshot instantly shifted focus, dropping their current tasks to mobilize the operation. The air buzzed with urgency.
The man exhaled slowly, his expression darkening.
"This is the last clue we have to Void's whereabouts…" he muttered under his breath. "Don't be useless this time."
His hand tightened into a fist as he stared out at the city skyline through the glass wall.
It was now or never.