Tokyo, the city glows under the dazzling neon lights, but in Kamaji Kaito's small room, everything is strangely dark. He woke up with a strange feeling, as if he had just woken up from a dream that he could not remember clearly. Everything around him-the room, the bed, the old clock ticking-was familiar but not true, as if it belonged to someone and not him. A feeling of emptiness filled his mind, a wave of feelings of erased memories seemed to be wrapping around him from his mind, an inexplicable anxiety.
Kaito closed his eyes, trying to concentrate, but couldn't remember anything about him. The questions kept swirling in my head:
"Where is this? Who am I?"
Those were the only questions he could think of when he woke up, but they had no answers. Faint memories, like the shattered fragments of a painting, cannot be reconnected. What is my name? What do I do here? Kamaji Kaito sat up, his heart full of worry. Everything from the past seemed to be erased, as if an invisible hand had swept it all away. He wanted to know who he was, but each question only made him more desperate.
He searched for his phone, opened messages and notifications that he couldn't understand. A missed call from Ryu Gyokuryu – an old friend he didn't remember very well, kept making him feel strange. Appear among irrelevant notifications. In particular, a strange message from an unfamiliar email address scared him:
"Kaito, remember what you're reading. You can't hide forever."
It was not just a warning, but a summons, pulling him into a vortex from which he could not escape.
Unease overwhelmed Kaito when he decided to leave the room. The feeling of being watched made him unable to stand still. He didn't know what he was looking for, but a strong hunch urged him to keep going. Every step he takes in the crowded space of Tokyo makes him feel like he doesn't belong here, but he can't leave either.
By chance, Kaito finds a small coffee shop above the door with a wooden sign with the words "Familier" in the heart of Tokyo, Kaito walks into the shop where the dim yellow lights and cozy space make him feel strange but also light. This café was not like the places he frequented, and the atmosphere here was somewhat hazy, as if time was slowing down, waiting for someone. He sat down at a table near the window, where the crowded streets of Tokyo were out there, but it was strangely quiet inside.
A woman walked in, making the space more still. She has an indescribable beauty, not a sharp type, but a strange charm. Lila Aquotte, as her name is, looks like a stranger in a city full of strange faces. She wears a black jacket and naturally long hair, but what makes Kaito feel strange are her eyes. Those eyes seemed to see through the depths of his heart, making him feel like he was being scrutinized, but he couldn't get rid of it.
Lila walked over to Kaito's table, not in a hurry, but seemed to have clearly defined what she wanted to do. She sat down, her eyes did not leave him. Kaito felt a strong urge in his heart, as if he had known her before, even though he couldn't remember anything about her.
"You don't remember me, do you?"
Lila asked, her voice gentle but strangely cold. It was a question that Kaito couldn't answer right away. She seemed to know something he couldn't understand. He nodded, feeling the confusion rise in his heart.
"It's okay,"
Lila continued, her sharp eyes as if she understood his embarrassment.
"But your questions will be answered soon. Don't worry, Kaito. Everything will come back to you, as long as you are patient enough, your questions will be answered soon."
Kaito couldn't take his eyes off her. Lila was unlike anyone he had ever met. She is not only an ordinary woman, but also a part of a world that Kaito cannot explain. She knew him, knew too much about him, as if they had an untold relationship.
"Lila, why...?"
Kaito began, but his words were interrupted by the same questions that could not be uttered. Even though the memory was erased, some small fragments remained in his mind. His utterance of the name "Lila" may have been due to a faint memory of a previous relationship, though he has not been able to explain why he knew her name. She looked at him calmly, as if she was prepared for these questions.
"The answer will come to you when the time comes,"
Lila said, her lips smiling slightly. She stood up, as if this meeting was not accidental, but part of a plan that had been drawn up in advance. When she walked out of the restaurant, Kaito was left with only a vague feeling and unanswered questions.
Kaito looked at Lila intently, his eyes mixed with doubt and curiosity. Her words seemed to ignite a pile of ashes in his mind, but they were all just fragments of unknown shape.
"You don't believe me, do you?" said Lila, her pursed lips forming a leisurely smile.
"But you know, the truth doesn't need to be believed. It's still there, waiting to be found."
"So what is the truth? Who am I? And why am I here?" asked Kaito, his voice unable to hide his frustration.
Lila took a sip of her coffee, her eyes seemed to penetrate his heart.
"I'm Kaito Kamaji. He used to be one of the best people I know. But now you don't remember anything, do you? Nexus took everything that belonged to him – his memories, his identity, his reason for existing. What you have left is just an empty shell."
Kaito felt like the ground beneath his feet was shaking "Nexus". That name stuck in his mind, as if he had heard it somewhere, but now he couldn't remember it.
"So... how do you know me?" Kaito narrowed his eyes, trying to control the chaos in his head.
Lila put the cup of coffee on the table, leaning slightly towards him.
"Because I'm the only one in your old organization who survives to remember you. And I'm here to help you find yourself, Kaito."
The space seemed to stop. Lila emphasized every word, her voice cold but firm. Kaito stepped back in his chair, feeling a stream of cold air running down his spine. Fleeting, vague memories began to flash- gunshots, blurry faces, and a deep sense of loss that he couldn't explain.
"But... why did they do that? Why does Nexus want to erase my memories?" Kaito asked, his eyes now burning with determination.
"Because you know so much, and you're their biggest threat," Lila replied. She paused for a moment, her eyes staring.
"But you're not simply an amnesiac person, Kaito. He is the key to defeating the Nexus. And they know that, too."
A heavy silence enveloped them both. Lila glanced at the watch on her wrist, then stood up.
"If you want to know more, meet me at this address tonight."
She placed a small piece of paper on the table before leaving, leaving Kaito with hundreds of questions in her mind and the feeling that everything he knew about himself was about to be changed forever.