Reiji Kageyama had always known that he would have to be the man of the house from a very young age. He grew up without a father, and his mother, with her health deteriorating after the events of 2015, could barely take care of herself, let alone work in the Astrostone extraction. His younger sister, Hikari, was his hope, a bright young student with the ambition to attend a good university and pull the family out of poverty. But Hikari's education wasn't cheap, and tuition fees were non-negotiable. His mother, besides being frail, depended on a minimal government aid from Japan that barely covered food expenses. More than half of the crops and livestock had been destroyed by the arrival of Kael, and what remained in the markets was inflated. It was hard to choose between buying medicine for the diseases that ravaged the survivors or food for the month.
Driven by anguish and the desire to give his family a better life, Reiji quickly found work at the Osaka Mining Company. The minimum wage barely covered monthly expenses, and he worked twelve hours a day, six days a week. At eighteen, he was already marked by life. His slouched posture and average height made him go unnoticed, but anyone who paid closer attention would see what set him apart. His dark brown hair fell over his forehead, the tips lightened by the sun, and his amber eyes glowed as if always on alert. A thin scar, a remnant of a more violent time, ran across his left cheek. He rarely spoke of it—actually, he rarely spoke about anything that truly involved him.
His uniform—a worn light blue sweatshirt jacket, sturdy sneakers, and dark cargo pants—was stained with sweat, dust, and wear. But what stood out most were his gestures, like the nervous habit of scratching his neck, something he did whenever he felt uncomfortable. When he wanted to go unnoticed, he shoved his hands in his pockets and tilted his head, smiling to himself as if trying to fool his own restlessness. Reiji wasn't the type of person who stood out, neither for strength nor speed. But no one really knew how he felt. His mind never stopped, always torn between fear and the desire to keep going.
Working in the space mines wasn't easy. Each strike of the pickaxe seemed to tear at his muscles and spirit. But the memory of his mother and sister's faces always pushed him forward. When the pain and fatigue threatened to overwhelm him, he would think of his family and swing the pickaxe harder against the rocks. He wasn't the best on the team, but his story and determination earned him the sympathy of some colleagues—almost all of them.
Astrostone was a highly valuable item, restricted to the population due to the danger it posed. It became a sought-after product on the black market, alongside the St. Anthony Gem, known as the Reliquary. The mine was infested with smugglers disguised as miners, stealing the stones and gems. The Japanese government then called upon the Awakened of the Aurora to contain the thefts. These individuals, enhanced with advanced technology, were authorized to use lethal force against intruders.
For this reason, there was a law limiting the workday in mining to twelve hours, with breaks for meals and rest, to avoid the virus contamination. Any company that disrespected this law would face heavy fines. But behind the scenes, some companies paid overtime to trusted miners secretly, in exchange for silence and bribes to the Awakened patrolling the areas. These overtime hours were secret, and Reiji never turned down an opportunity, even knowing it was illegal.
The shift-change bell rang, its harsh sound reverberating through the mine's corridors, as if the very structure was aware that the workers had survived another day.
Reiji walked in silence among the exhausted miners, their bodies covered in dust and sweat. Their uniforms were practically rags hardened by dirt, and the metallic smell of the dug-up rocks mixed with the scent of the rusted machines.
- Hey, Reiji! How was the digging today? - shouted Shoma, a burly man with calloused hands and scars all over. He was always ready to mock others' suffering.
- Nothing out of the ordinary… Some rocks tougher than expected, - Reiji replied, looking away to avoid eye contact.
- Same old, huh? Be careful not to get buried with the Reliquaries! - Shoma laughed, giving Reiji a hard slap on the back, nearly making him stumble.
Reiji forced a smile, ignoring the pain, and kept walking. But before he could reach the end of the corridor, a familiar figure blocked his path.
Daiki.
He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, a smug smile on his lips. Behind him, his two followers were waiting like guard dogs. Reiji had never bothered to memorize their names. They weren't worth it.
- Well, well… if it isn't the weak little boy. How was your day playing miner? - Daiki asked, tilting his head with a malicious grin.
Reiji sighed, his instinct telling him to ignore him and move on. But Daiki wasn't the type to accept being ignored.
Before Reiji could take a step, Daiki extended an arm in front of him, blocking his way.
- Relax, I'm just curious, - Daiki continued, his tone dripping with sarcasm. - How is someone like you still sticking with this job? Everyone here has changed after the disaster in 2015… except you. You're the only one who stays the same. Strange, don't you think?
Those words squeezed Reiji's stomach like a fist. He knew his body hadn't transformed like the others, but hearing that from Daiki always made him feel uneasy.
- I just do my job, - Reiji replied, his voice tense but keeping his calm.
Daiki's henchmen laughed, their mocking laughter echoing down the corridor, as if ridiculing him in unison. But Daiki wasn't satisfied with that.
- You think you're going to stay like this? Humble, quiet, waiting for the world to pass by? - Daiki stepped closer, his eyes burning with cruelty. He whispered, almost as a warning, - The problem with people like you, Reiji, is that you'll always get trampled. You just haven't realized it yet.
Fear tightened in Reiji's chest, but he didn't let it show. He tried to move, but Daiki blocked him, stepping in closer.
Just as the situation seemed ready to escalate, a voice cut through the air, firm and authoritative.
- Enough, Daiki.
The atmosphere fell silent immediately. Daiki looked up, his smile fading slightly as he saw who was approaching.
Mr. Chan.
The mine supervisor was not someone who tolerated this kind of nonsense. His presence commanded respect, and even the toughest miners would back down in front of him.
- If you have so much free time to waste on taunting others, Daiki, maybe I should suggest to the boss that you be put on another shift in the mine,- Mr. Chan said, his voice cold and firm.
Daiki seemed to try to swallow his pride, but he knew better than to challenge the supervisor.
- Tsk… Let's go, - Daiki muttered, walking away with his followers.
Reiji let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. But before he could move on, Mr. Chan turned to him.
- Reiji, come with me.
Without questioning, Reiji followed him down a more isolated corridor.
- You still want to work more, right?
- Yes, sir,- Reiji replied without hesitation, though he could feel the tension hanging in the air.
- Good. I need someone for an extra shift tonight. Think you can handle it?
Reiji knew it was illegal, but the need for money outweighed everything else.
- Yes, sir.
- At eight o'clock tonight, come by the mine's atrium without hesitation. I'll take care of the oversight.
Reiji nodded, aware that these overtime hours were a well-guarded secret. No one but the trusted employees knew about them. And Reiji never turned them down.
On the other side of the mine, Daiki and his thugs were in a corner, speaking in hushed voices.
- The boss gave the green light. It's tonight, - one of them murmured.
Daiki grinned, his eyes gleaming with malice. He knew this was the opportunity he'd been waiting for.
- Then we'd better not mess this up. Once things get going, there's no turning back.
They dispersed, each heading to a different corner of the mine, acting as though nothing unusual was happening.
Outside Kael, night descended like a heavy cloak over the barren land. The biting wind kicked up dust, obscuring the horizon, when a sudden explosion lit up the sky. It was a signal that chaos was about to begin.
Awakened and Cyberpsychos were in confrontation. The violent clash echoed through the mine, with bursts of energy and blades slicing through the air.
Inside the mine, the tremors were felt through the subterranean structures.
- External attack! Awakened and Cyberpsychos! - someone shouted.
Panic quickly set in. Miners rushed to take cover, while others readied themselves to fight with whatever they had.
Reiji felt his heart race. He wasn't a fighter, didn't have the skills or strength of the others. But still, there was the extra shift. And at that moment, everything could change.