Haruto returned to the workshop early the next morning, his thoughts still clouded by the conversation with Akira Fujimoto. The weight of responsibility pressed on him like never before. The stakes had grown far beyond what he had imagined when Aurora Dynamics was just a dream shared among friends. Now, the future of clean energy—and possibly his company's survival—was at stake.
---
A Shocking Revelation
As Haruto entered the workshop, he noticed Mina hunched over her laptop, her face pale and tense.
"Mina," he said, approaching her workstation. "What's going on?"
She glanced up, her expression grim. "You're not going to believe this," she said, turning the screen toward him.
Haruto leaned in and saw a series of logs detailing unauthorized access attempts into Aurora's systems. The timestamps showed the intrusions occurred late at night over the past week.
"I thought our systems were secure," Haruto said, frowning.
"They are," Mina replied. "Whoever did this is skilled. They didn't just try to steal data—they planted malware. If I hadn't caught it, it could have destroyed everything."
Aiko and Reiko, hearing the conversation, joined them.
"Mina," Reiko said, crossing her arms. "Can you trace where it came from?"
"I'm working on it," Mina replied, her fingers flying across the keyboard. "But I can tell you this: whoever's behind this has inside information. They knew exactly where to look."
Haruto exchanged a glance with Aiko. "A mole," he said, his voice heavy with disbelief.
---
The Search for the Mole
The revelation that someone within Aurora Dynamics might be betraying them sent shockwaves through the team. Haruto called an emergency meeting, gathering all staff members in the workshop's central space.
"I won't mince words," Haruto began, addressing the group. "Our systems were compromised. Someone has been feeding information to outside parties. This isn't just an attack on the company—it's an attack on all of us."
The room fell silent, the gravity of his words sinking in.
"We'll be conducting an internal investigation," Aiko added. "If you've seen or heard anything suspicious, now is the time to come forward. We'll ensure everyone's privacy is respected."
The team dispersed, their faces a mix of anger, fear, and determination.
---
A Dangerous Encounter
Later that night, Haruto stayed behind to work on Aether-2. The workshop was quiet, the hum of machinery the only sound. As he examined the latest prototype, he heard a faint noise—a soft shuffling, almost imperceptible.
"Who's there?" Haruto called out, his voice echoing in the empty space.
No response. He stood up, scanning the room. His eyes landed on a shadow moving near the back door.
"Stop!" he shouted, rushing toward the figure.
The shadow darted toward the exit, but Haruto was faster. He tackled the intruder, the two of them falling to the ground.
"Haruto?!" a familiar voice cried out.
Haruto froze. He rolled off the figure and stared in disbelief. "Kenji?"
Kenji Tanaka, one of their junior engineers, looked up at him with wide, fearful eyes.
"What are you doing here?" Haruto demanded.
Kenji stammered, his voice shaking. "I-I was just... I heard something and came to check it out."
Haruto didn't believe him. He noticed a flash drive clutched tightly in Kenji's hand.
"What's on that drive?" Haruto asked, his tone cold.
Kenji hesitated, then bolted for the door. Haruto grabbed him again, pinning him against the wall.
"Tell me the truth, Kenji," Haruto said, his voice low and dangerous. "Are you the one who leaked our data?"
Kenji's resolve crumbled. "It wasn't my idea!" he cried. "They approached me—they threatened me! They said they'd ruin my career if I didn't cooperate!"
"Who?" Haruto demanded.
"Tatsumaki," Kenji admitted, tears streaming down his face.
---
The Cost of Betrayal
Kenji's confession sent shockwaves through the team. The next morning, Haruto, Aiko, and Reiko confronted him in the conference room.
"I didn't want to do it," Kenji said, his voice trembling. "But they knew things about me—things I thought were buried. They said they'd expose me if I didn't help them."
"You betrayed us," Reiko said, her voice cold. "You put everything we've worked for at risk."
"I'm sorry," Kenji pleaded. "Please, give me a chance to make it right."
Haruto studied him for a long moment. "You'll have to answer for what you've done," he said finally. "But for now, we need your help. If Tatsumaki threatened you, they might come after others. Tell us everything you know."
Kenji nodded, relief washing over his face. "I'll tell you everything."
---
Turning the Tables
With Kenji's cooperation, Mina was able to trace the malware back to Tatsumaki's servers. Armed with this evidence, Haruto contacted Akira Fujimoto.
"You were right," Haruto said. "Tatsumaki is behind the attacks. We have proof."
Akira's voice was grim. "Good work. This will strengthen our case against them. But be careful—they won't take this lying down."
Haruto hung up, his mind racing. The fight with Tatsumaki was far from over, but for the first time, Aurora Dynamics had the upper hand.