The night air of Kuroto City was alive with lights and movement, but Riku felt none of its usual rhythm. Every car horn, every chatter, every flickering neon sign seemed distant, filtered through the pounding of his heart. In his mind, all that existed was Haru. Alive. Somewhere in the hands of Hollow Veil. And it was up to him to bring him back.
He sprinted down the narrow alleyways, dragging a barely conscious Haru in his arms. The black energy still lingered around his wrists, faintly glowing, as if guiding him. He didn't know how it worked, didn't know why it reacted to his emotions—but it had saved him once, and he hoped it would save him again.
Every shadow along the walls made him flinch. Every distant siren made him pause. He had been in the lab long enough to understand that Hollow Veil wasn't just a rural threat. Their operations extended into the city. Somewhere above him, somewhere below him, this organization thrived, hidden in plain sight.
THE CHASE
It didn't take long for the masked operatives to realize someone had escaped. The sound of footsteps, synchronized and precise, echoed behind him. Riku ducked into a narrow passage between two buildings. He paused, listening. One of the operatives was closing in, their pace relentless.
He clenched his fists. The black lines along his wrists flared again. Energy surged outward, almost instinctively. When the operative rounded the corner, Riku was ready. A shockwave of shadow burst forward, knocking the operative off their feet and into a stack of crates.
Riku gritted his teeth. He didn't have time to understand this power fully. He had to move. He had to get Haru to safety.
THE SAFE HOUSE
Riku finally reached a rundown building on the outskirts of the city, a place where he had spent hours as a child exploring with Haru. The front door creaked as he pushed it open, dust rising in the stale air. He laid Haru on an old couch, unstrapping the table restraints from the lab as best he could. His younger brother stirred weakly, eyes fluttering open.
"Haru… it's me… Riku," he whispered, voice cracking. "You're safe. I promise. I've got you."
Haru's eyes filled with confusion and fear, but he nodded faintly. Riku noticed the faint black lines on his arms—the energy the lab had awakened inside him.
Riku realized something terrifying: whatever Hollow Veil had done to Haru, it had started changing him. Slowly. Irrevocably.
AIKA – THE MYSTERIOUS ALLY
As he tended to Haru, a sound came from the rooftop—a soft tapping of footsteps. Riku turned, tension rising, only to see a young woman step into the dim light of the broken window.
Her hair was dark, streaked with silver. Her eyes were sharp, alert, and seemed to flicker with a strange energy of their own.
"You're Riku Takahara," she said, voice calm but firm. "I've been following you since the lab."
Riku's hand tightened around an old pipe he had grabbed for defense. "Who are you?"
She smiled faintly, stepping closer. "Call me Aika. I know what you are… what you can do. And if you want to save your brother, you'll need help. My help."
Riku's brow furrowed. "Why should I trust you?"
Aika tilted her head. "Because I've been where you are. I've seen what Hollow Veil can do to people. And I've survived."
Something in her eyes was undeniable—experience, determination, and a quiet power. Riku realized she wasn't just a bystander. She had fought, and she had won.
TRAINING AND DISCOVERY
Aika guided Riku to a small hidden room within the safe house. Old mats, mirrors, and scattered journals littered the space. She explained what she knew about Trace Energy—the black force he had seen manifest.
"You have potential," she said. "Stronger than most. But raw power is dangerous. It reacts to emotion, to fear, to anger. If you lose control, it can consume you… or worse, it can harm Haru."
Riku clenched his fists. "I don't care. I'll control it. I'll save Haru, no matter what it takes."
Aika nodded. "Good. But to fight Hollow Veil, you need more than brute force. You need strategy, awareness, and discipline. That's what I can teach you."
As Riku trained, he noticed subtle things about the energy—the way it pulsed with his heartbeat, how it responded to his fear, how it could extend and push objects with force. It was like a shadow with a mind of its own, linked directly to his emotions.
Hours passed. Sweat dripped down his face. Haru slept fitfully, murmuring in his dreams. Riku's resolve hardened. He had to master this power, and fast. Hollow Veil wouldn't wait, and neither could he.
A MESSAGE FROM THE ENEMY
Suddenly, a faint beep came from one of the safe house's hacked monitors. A recorded message flickered to life. A masked figure—tall, white-cracked mask, voice distorted—appeared on the screen.
"Riku Takahara," the figure said. "We have something you want… and something you fear. Trace Energy is awakening in you… and in him. Do not underestimate it. Or the consequences will be… catastrophic."
The screen went black. Silence.
Riku's eyes narrowed. Fear clawed at his chest, but it was quickly replaced by determination. Haru was awake now, murmuring, and he reached for Riku's hand weakly.
"I won't let them take you again," Riku whispered.
And with Aika's guidance, Riku began to understand the true scale of the fight ahead. Hollow Veil wasn't just a shadow in the forest anymore—it was everywhere, reaching into the city, into the lives of anyone with Trace Energy. And now, Riku was their target.
But he wasn't alone.
He had Aika, his resolve, and the mysterious power that had chosen him.
The hunt for Haru—and the fight against Hollow Veil—was only beginning.