Ever since he could remember, the room was white. Too white. The sterile walls, the cold floors, the harsh fluorescent lights that buzzed faintly—all of it was a constant reminder of his existence as nothing more than "Subject 003." He didn't have a name, only a label, a number for the scientists to jot down on their clipboards.
They poked and prodded, drew his blood, and tested his limits. His days were measured in procedures and commands, meals delivered without words, and a rigid routine that left no room for humanity. He was an experiment, not a person.
Until him.
A junior scientist, barely older than a boy, arrived one day. His name tag read Kazuki. Unlike the others, he didn't look through 003 like he was invisible. Kazuki smiled. He whispered jokes under his breath, smuggled candies into 003's sterile meals, and treated him like... a child.
For the first time, 003 felt something unfamiliar—something warm.
The Escape
The warmth didn't last.
When 003 displayed heightened senses and strength during a test, he briefly became the subject of the researchers' praise. But his results didn't meet their lofty expectations. "Failure," they murmured in hushed voices. He overheard the verdict: disposal.
That night, the young scientist—Kazuki—unlocked his door. His hands were trembling, his face pale, but his voice was steady. "Run," he whispered urgently. "Run far away. Forget everything. Live your life."
003 hesitated, his instincts screaming at him to trust no one. But Kazuki pressed a lab ID and a few coins into his hands. "Go," he said, his voice cracking. "Please."
He slipped into the corridor, unnoticed in the chaos of a deliberate fire alarm, and ran. Hours turned into days as he wandered, his stomach growling and his feet aching. But he was free.
Freedom, however, was cold and unforgiving.
In an alley of the Shadow District, he stumbled upon a body—a young man in a bloodstained lab coat. Kazuki. His savior. His only lifeline.
For the first time, 003 cried. He knelt beside the body, his tears mixing with the grime of the alley, and removed the name tag. "Thank you," he whispered, clutching it tightly.
That night, the boy without a name became Kazuki.
Becoming Kazuki
By sixteen, the boy who had been 003 ruled the Shadow District. Ruthless, cunning, and methodical, he climbed the ranks of the underworld, taking over crumbling operations and outmaneuvering rivals.
When mercenaries Ivan and Petrov were hired to eliminate him, Kazuki challenged them directly. "If I win," he had said, his voice cold and steady, "you work for me. If I lose, I'm yours." The fight was brutal, but Kazuki emerged victorious, earning their respect and loyalty.
What he didn't realize was that many of the businesses he overtook had already been weakened by Venus' subtle ripples of chaos. Without knowing it, he had stepped into her game, unknowingly tying their fates together.
The Peeping Princess
The first time he noticed her, she was a shadow flitting through his mansion. She was good—silent, deliberate, careful. But not careful enough to escape his notice. Kazuki's sharp senses tracked her every move, and for the first time in years, he felt... intrigued.
She was beautiful, he realized. The thought startled him, but there it was, simple and pure. Amidst his life of power struggles, bloodlust, and calculated moves, she was a curiosity.
Kazuki let her roam, watching as she hid in cramped cabinets, behind curtains, and in unused guest rooms. Her small frame and quick reflexes made it possible. Sometimes, he would hear muffled shuffles and pause, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Small and reckless," he thought. "She thinks she's invisible."
When Ivan and Petrov brought up the "suspicious activity," Kazuki simply waved them off. "Ignore it," he said, much to their confusion. "I don't mind."
A Quiet Moment
One day, he didn't sense her. No soft footsteps, no faint whispers of motion. Unease crept into his chest as he searched the mansion. He finally found her in a cabinet, curled up and fast asleep. Her cheeks were pale, her small body shivering from the cold draft.
He paused, his sharp eyes studying her. She was frowning in her sleep, her brows furrowed as if locked in a bad dream. He wondered briefly what kind of horrors her small frame carried and how reckless it was to fall asleep in enemy territory.
But instead of waking her, Kazuki walked to the thermostat and raised the temperature. The warmth would reach her soon enough. As he walked away, he glanced back once more, a flicker of something soft crossing his features.
The Bedroom Encounter
That night, Kazuki felt her presence before he saw her. He entered his room quietly, closing the door without a sound, and watched as she moved with practiced precision, rifling through his desk with nimble fingers.
She was entirely unaware of him—until she wasn't.
Hime spun, her pulse surging—but it was already too late. Kazuki crossed the space in a single step, his hand shooting out to grip her wrist. He twisted her gently but firmly, backing her into the cold, unyielding wall. His other hand pressed flat against her shoulder, pinning her effortlessly.
"You've been quite the visitor," he said, his voice low and deliberate, like black silk stretched taut. "But you've overstayed your welcome."
Her sharp eyes snapped up to meet his, a flicker of fear breaking through her defiant expression. She was as striking as he had imagined up close, her features delicate yet fierce.
"Let go," she hissed, her voice steady despite the tension in her frame. She twisted against his grip, but he didn't budge.
His lips quirked upward in a slow, predatory smirk. "Is that how you thank a man for catching you?"
"I didn't ask to be caught," she shot back, her tone biting.
"You didn't need to," Kazuki countered smoothly. "I've been watching you for days."
Kazuki's smirk lingered, but his gaze faltered for a fleeting moment as he looked into her eyes—wide, sharp, yet hiding something fragile beneath their defiance. His grip loosened slightly, a hesitation he didn't fully understand.
Her presence in his bedroom, so bold and reckless, ignited something primal within him, a pull that teetered dangerously on the edge of control. For a moment, he considered crossing the boundary, closing the distance entirely—but something in her look stopped him.
Or perhaps, deep down, he realized he didn't want to hurt her. Not her.
A Calm Amidst the Storm
Kazuki never admitted it, but her presence brought an unexpected calm to his life. Amidst the chaos of Kagezan, the endless power struggles, and the blood on his hands, she was... different. Her antics, her boldness, her sharp mind—everything about her intrigued him.
And that's how it started.
Beneath his strength and cold demeanor, amidst the shadows of his ambition, Kazuki was still human. And for reasons he couldn't fully explain, Hime reminded him of that.