The dim streetlights reflected off Lila's car as it sped through the empty streets of Tokyo. The entire city seemed to be asleep, with only the dim lights flickering between the empty alleys, creating a hazy and silent atmosphere. But in Kaito's heart, this silence made him feel emptier than ever.
Kaito sat in the passenger seat, his eyes silently looking out the window, indifferently watching the rows of tall buildings and the dim night light. He felt a deep anxiety, like a shadow that kept growing in his mind. Vague memories of the past continued to swirl in his head, and with each passing second, the feeling of not being able to escape the vortex grew stronger.
Lila, who was sitting in the driver's seat, remained silent, her sharp eyes staring straight ahead. The space between them seemed suffocatingly quiet, filled only by the smooth engine and the wind blowing through the window. But just as Kaito was about to speak, he suddenly realized something strange. They were not only running away from the Nexus organization – they were also facing the ghosts of their own past.
"Do you think we're safe?" Kaito asked, his voice low and worried.
Lila didn't answer immediately, her hands still firmly on the wheel, not turning to look at him.
"We're only safe for now. Nexus won't give up that easily."
Kaito frowned, his eyes darting to the rearview mirror. It might have been the dim light from the cars behind, but he felt like someone was watching them. A cold, sharp feeling that followed every movement of the car.
"Surely we can't keep running like this," Kaito said, his expression pensive.
"Your shelter... is it safe?"
Lila did not reply in a hurry. She accelerated, the car rushing through the narrow streets, the streetlights shining long, creating darkness behind. She drove without hesitation, her eyes focused on the road ahead.
"We have to go there. Only there can I help you remember the important things."
Kaito looked out the window, a thought suddenly flashing through his mind. He couldn't just sit there like this. Not only was he on the run from a brutal organization, but he was also facing pieces of his lost memories, memories that he couldn't grasp.
The car stopped in front of an old warehouse, completely isolated from the hustle and bustle outside. This space was completely different, quiet and gloomy. The wooden gate closed after they entered, creating a space that seemed to have been forgotten in time. The faint rays of light from the street lamps shone through the windows, but it was not enough to dispel the darkness in this space.
Kaito stepped out of the car, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
"Are you sure this is a safe place?"
Lila stepped out after him, arms crossed, leaning against the car door, her eyes already accustomed to this space.
"This place isn't permanent, but it's safe enough for us to prepare to move on."
She led Kaito inside, where the dim light from electronic devices illuminated a large screen. Lines of complex code flew by, Lila began to work on the keyboard, but Kaito couldn't help but look at her. He realized she knew a lot about him so much that he felt lost.
"You know all this about me, right?" Kaito asked, unable to help but wonder.
Lila stopped, her eyes not averting.
"I only know a part. But what I know is just a piece of the big picture that you cannot understand."
Kaito felt a shiver run down his spine. Part of him couldn't understand why Lila was so determined to help him, but he couldn't help but feel like she was hiding something.
"So why help me? What's in it for you?"
Lila sighed, her eyes turning wistful, as if she was running away from a part of her past.
"Because I can't keep living with the sins Nexus has caused. And you are the key to breaking it all."
That statement made Kaito feel that something was wrong, but before he could ask further, a loud noise came from the main door. The sound of footsteps and banging made the space feel stuffy. Kaito quickly reached out and grabbed a nearby metal bar. Lila, with her usual calmness, quickly activated the security system.
"We've been found out," Lila said, her voice cold but determined.
Kaito had no time to think. Part of him began to act on his fighting instincts, though his memories of fighting were still hazy. The Nexus agents appeared, masks on, weapons in hand. They said nothing, just advanced towards Kaito and Lila.
"Don't let them get to the computer!" Lila shouted, hastily pulling Kaito away from the screen.
Kaito lunged at one of the agents, slamming the metal bar into his hand, disarming him. He then punched him in the chest, sending him falling backwards. The feeling of fighting was familiar, as if he had done this a thousand times before.
Lila didn't stop either. She fought another masked man while pointing at the back door.
"Hurry, we don't have much time left!"
Kaito felt that he couldn't keep running away forever, but he understood the urgency of the situation. If they didn't leave now, the danger would only grow greater.
"Staying or going, there are consequences," Lila replied, her expression serious.
Her words made him feel the pressure weighing on them both even more. Lila was trying to escape the trap she had unwittingly fallen into, while Kaito knew he faced a more difficult challenge: finding the truth buried in his chaotic memories. The two paths seemed different, but they both led to the same dead end-the impasse between the present and the past.
Lila led Kaito through the dark alleys, the light from the dim street lamps casting shadows that danced behind them. The air around them grew increasingly stifling, and a feeling of unease gradually rose within Kaito.
Suddenly, he stopped, feeling a cold gaze following him from behind. He turned his head, only to see the silhouette of a man standing in the darkness. He didn't move, just stood still, his cold eyes seemed to penetrate his mind, causing all of Kaito's senses to tense up to the extreme.
Kaito shivered involuntarily, feeling the obvious threat from the other party.
"Did you notice?" Kaito whispered, his voice tense.
"He's watching us."
Lila looked into the darkness, her eyes sharpening, as if she had realized something long ago.
"He's not alone," she whispered, then quickly urged Kaito.
"Hurry, get in the car. Nexus has found us."
Kaito looked back at that figure once more. He stood so still, only his cold eyes reflected the light from the street lamps. The long coat and the glasses that covered his eyes made him look like a ghost. Even though he didn't make any further moves, Kaito could clearly feel the danger from him.
As Kaito took one last look, he saw something familiar in the figure of the stalker. A vague feeling flashed through his mind. That figure, the black coat, the quiet movements, reminded him of images from the past. "No way... who is he?" Kaito wondered to himself, but couldn't connect the pieces of his memory.
The stalker's cold gaze seemed to say that he had found his target, and this time, there was no way to escape his pursuit.