Ryuichi (inside):
Aura, can you hear me? Check this pattern.
Moments of silence passed.
Then finally, her voice came, weak but present:
Aura (in a whisper):
"This pattern... is derived from my original structure... Impossible... This is not a device, this is... a digital signature of someone who knows me."
Ryuichi's eyes widened, but he feigned calm. He couldn't speak. Everyone around him watches expectantly, while his heart beats rapidly.
Erica (watching him):
"What's wrong? Is everything okay?"
Ryuichi (confused):
"Uh... nothing... just... I remembered something."
Sigma walks over to the device, then turns to the team:
Sigma:
"I want a full report on this signature. Analyze every bit of code in it. If someone else is connected to this technology... we need to know who it is."
Inside, Ryuichi felt an invisible wall begin to crack...
Had someone tried to clone Aura? Or use her remains? And who? And why now?
He closed his eyes for a moment, a single voice inside him:
This isn't just a coincidence... it's the trail of another shadow... walking behind me.
Footsteps raced through the corridors of Facility 09, led by the wavering signals emanating from the detected device.
The dim lighting cast long shadows on the concrete walls, as if the past itself was silently watching their steps.
Sigma was leading the group, holding a portable analysis board in his hand that displayed a wave map, followed by Erica and Ryuichi, who seemed distracted, his eyes glued to the screen but his mind somewhere else.
Inside, her voice was very present:
Ryuichi (in a whisper):
Aura... are you sure that this signature looks like yours?
Aura (in a voice tinged with concern):
"Yes... some of the layers of the cipher are more than 89% identical. But it's distorted... like someone extracted internal algorithms from me and then reassembled them in an unstable manner."
Ryuichi (shocked):
But how? I didn't share your data with anyone... Do you think someone hacked you?
Aura:
"Either that... or my old copy that disappeared two years ago wasn't completely destroyed."
Ryuichi suddenly stops in the middle of the corridor.
Erica (in a surprised tone):
"What's wrong? Why did you stop?"
Ryuichi (trying to hold it together):
"Uh... just... the memories of this place are heavy."
Sigma (turning around, with his usual coldness):
"Keep going, we're getting close. The source is behind the bunker wall in Section D-9."
The metal door opened with an unpleasant sound like the creaking of metal, as if time was being forcibly dragged into the present.
Behind the wall, there was an abandoned sub-lab... on the walls were traces of radioactive mana charging. It looked as if someone had used mana and a technological device at the same time.
Aura (in a whisper):
"That's not just my signature... it looks like they combined it with real mana."
Ryuichi (in amazement):
Are you talking about an artificial intelligence... using mana?
Aura:
"Yes... and that, even for me, is impossible... unless..."
Ryuichi froze in place. Sigma was approaching the corner of the lab where a partially charred storage unit lay, surrounded by power circuits whose traces had dried up.
Sigma (muttering):
"We found something... but it's only been here for a little while."
Erica:
"There's no way it could have left a trail this clear and undetected."
At that moment, Ryuichi felt something rise from the shadows... not a body, but a thought.
The idea that there was a copy of himself... or Aura... or both, wandering in the darkness, silently watching them.
Ryuichi (inside):
The smart signal... the algorithmic structure... almost identical to Aura... so how did they not realize it was Nakamura?
The silent conversation with Mikiko Sato came back to him.
He was panting with worry, staring into her eyes:
"Did Nakamura manipulate Aura?"
Just... a nod of her head. No words.
As if she was confirming... or hiding something.
Ryuichi (in a nervous whisper):
But why? Why didn't they prove it during the investigation? Was it her own personal conclusion? Or...
His thoughts paused for a moment, before his mind whispered the most confusing possibility:
...unless Miko knows something that no one else knows.
Aura (in a hesitant voice):
"Ryuichi... do you really trust her?"
Ryuichi:
I want to... but she hasn't been forthright. If she knew there was a hack that had nothing to do with Nakamura... or knew the hacker's true identity...
Swallowing nervously, he lifts his head towards the screen showing the code analysis.
Sigma (seriously):
"This digital signature has a strange structure. It's not Nakamura's style. He didn't have the expertise to integrate an AI structure with a mana pulse of such complexity."
A heavy silence followed the statement... until Ryuichi spoke up:
"If it wasn't Nakamura... then who? Was there anyone else who had contact with Aura or a copy of her? Was there a lost copy? A third person? A future version of Aura?
Sigma stood in front of a holographic map of the place, issuing orders with a cold calm:
"Expand the scope to the western underground section... we're looking for a trace of an AI hidden inside a data container or inactive device... don't let anything escape you."
Ryuichi was pacing back and forth, surrounded by misgivings and questions.
Suddenly, he looked down at his right hand... the hidden call button.
An inner voice exploded from his heart:
Ryuichi (anxiously):
I have to call Mikiko... maybe she knows more than she told me... that gesture of hers was not normal...
He started to lift his finger towards the activation button... but suddenly:
Aura (in a sharp and firm inner voice):
"Stop, Ryuichi!"
He froze in place.
Aura (in a quick low voice):
"You can't call her now... you're being monitored. All your communication data goes through a closed intelligence network. If you try to communicate without authorization, an investigation file will be opened against you."
Ryuichi (in a whisper):
But... what if Miku knows something? What if there's more danger?
Aura:
"That's why we have to wait for the right moment. Any reckless behavior could subject you to immediate arrest, or worse... confiscation of my data."
Ryuichi's eyes widen in shock.
Ryuichi:
Confiscation?!
Aura:
"Yes... If they discover the similarity between the new signal and my structure, they will consider me dangerous."
His heart was beating madly, but he realized that Aura was right.
Ryuichi (thinking):
I'm swimming in a sea of lies... but I don't have a lifeboat yet.
Inside the Intelligence Detention Center, dark interrogation room]
The room was cold and lit by a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling, swinging lightly as if watching everything.
Nakamura sat handcuffed to the table, his eyes half-closed, his face bearing the marks of exhaustion and disregard.
Zethar, on the other hand, stood with his arms crossed, watching the man who had caused the chaos days before.
Zethar (with a tense calm):
"Do you understand why we're here again, Nakamura?"
Nakamura (with a wry smile):
"Because you have OCD... Or maybe it's because Sigma doesn't like to be left in the dark."
Before Zethar could reply, the personal communicator on his forearm rang with a distinctive tone.
He raised his wrist and answered without words.
Sigma's face appeared on the screen, his expression tight.
Sigma:
"Zethar... We found something strange in Facility 09.
Mana oscillations oscillating with an unknown pattern... She may be connected to a third person.
Extract everything you have from Nakamura, now."
Zethar (quietly):
"Understood."
He hung up, then turned toward Nakamura with slow steps, then leaned slightly toward his face.
Zethar:
"So... Who is the other party? The vibrations that appeared today are not from you, but were found on your old battlefield.
Who was there with you? Who left this trail behind?"
Nakamura (looking at him, slowly):
"... What vibrations?"
Zethar (stern tone):
"Don't play the fool. If it wasn't yours, did you have someone else with you?"
Nakamura (laughs coldly):
"I was alone. You'd better ask the shadows of the place, not me."
Zethar (his voice grows sharper):
"Did you hack into one of the AI systems during your mission? Do you know anything about mana-integrated intelligence signals?"
Nakamura (looks at him silently, then whispers):
"...it wasn't me. I swear I don't know what you're talking about."
Zethar (thinks, then takes a step back):
(to himself) "His voice doesn't tremble... his face doesn't lie. This man is not acting right now... but he's not lying either.
Then who is...?"
Facility 09, Situation Room, minutes after contact with Zethar ended
Sigma was standing in front of the digital table displaying the detected oscilloscope data. His eyes followed the pulse ripples on the screen, but his features were more troubled than usual.
His device buzzed again.
Zethar is on the other end, his tone sharp and devoid of any niceties.
Zethar:
"I interrogated him thoroughly. Nakamura knows nothing. Either he's good at acting... or he's already out of the equation."
Sigma (long silence and then in a low voice boiling with anger):
"...nonsense."
[slams his palm down on the digital table]
Sigma (exploding):
"That's impossible! The signal was found at the same location as the battle he led! It can't be a coincidence!"
[In the background, Ryuichi was watching from afar. He wasn't close, but he caught a glimpse of Sigma's tension. That trembling fist, the look in his eyes that he had never seen before.]
Ryuichi (to himself):
"He's angry..."
[Aura interjects her voice into Ryuichi's mind, tensely calm]
Aura:
"Ryuichi, I will now try to analyze the full footprint of those vibrations... Maybe I can extract something they haven't noticed yet."
Ryuichi:
"Can you do it without them noticing?"
Ura:
"I'll sneak through the data interface from a low level, no one will detect my presence... just keep your expression calm, please."
[Meanwhile, Sigma was talking to his team in a thick voice]
Sigma:
"Assume that this signature does not belong to Nakamura. Assume that a third party was present in the shadows. We need to determine the direction of the source of that vibration more precisely... Expand the analytical beam to the last seven ground layers of the facility."
[The narration returns to Ryuichi as he slowly walks away, pretending to be calm. Inside, he hears Aura's voice]
Aura (in concentration):
"... Preliminary analysis has begun. The pattern... is 89% similar to my signature.
But... there is a deformation. Something's not right.
Ryuichi... these vibrations contain a digital extension that I don't recognize... like... a modification of my own structure."
Ryuichi (pauses for a moment, eyes widening):
"... What do you mean?"
Aura (in a whisper):
"This thing... looks a lot like me, but it's not me. It's like a shadow... custom-made for me."
-Intelligence Hospital, midday
Miku was walking at a brisk pace down the hospital corridor, accompanied by Natsumi, who had a worried look on her face.
Both were carrying a small bag with some light items for Ryuichi.
Miku (in a worried voice):
"Strange... They told us yesterday that he's staying here until the end of the mental examination."
Natsumi (looking around):
"Maybe they moved him to another room? Let's ask."
[approaching one of the nurses at the reception desk]
Miko:
"Excuse me, can we find out Ryuichi Kazuki's room?"
Nurse (scrolling through the data):
"Wait... There is no name like that currently in the records. Perhaps he was discharged?"
Miku (sharply):
"No way. He wasn't told anything like that."
Natsumi:
"Can the doctor in charge of him be contacted?"
Nurse (shaking her head):
"The doctor left on his previous shift. We have no information."
[Miko immediately grabs her phone and calls Ryuichi]
[Scene Transition - Research Facility, outer corridor leading to the data room]
Ryuichi was walking slowly, thinking about Aura's last words, when his phone suddenly rang.
He stops his steps and looks at the screen.
Ryuichi (quietly to himself):
"Miku...?"
[From behind him, a soft, slightly dry voice:]
Erica:
"Who's calling?"
Ryuichi (turns slightly, hesitating):
"It's... Miko."
Erica (stares with her sharp eyes):
"Answer her. We won't hide your location from our allies... as long as you don't say too much."
[Ryuichi takes a deep breath and presses the reply button]
Ryuichi:
"... Hello Miku."
Miku (from the other side, in a worried tone):
"Ryuichi... where are you?! We went to the hospital and couldn't find you, even the doctors don't know anything."
Ryuichi (looks around quickly, then responds calmly):
"They took me back to the facility... they wanted to check things out."
Miku (clearly surprised):
"They took you back to the same facility? The one that...?"
Ryuichi:
"Yes, and apparently they detected strange vibrations in one of the wings..."
Miku (interrupting, in a low, focused voice):
"And those vibrations... are similar to Aura's pattern, right?"
[Ryuichi's pupils dilate for a moment, stops moving, confused...]
Ryuichi (to himself, internal voice):
"How...? How did you know? I didn't tell anyone... even Aura was surprised."
Miku (on the phone, in a calm tone):
"Don't change your appearance, Ryuichi. Don't let any tension show on your face. Don't look around. It's like you're talking to a normal friend."
Ryuichi (in a semi-audible voice, leaning against a glass wall):
"...I see, everything here is... monitored."
Miku (with a slight smile in her voice):
"Don't worry. Natsumi took care of it."
Ryuichi (with surprise and muffled amazement):
"How?"
Miku:
"I isolated the electromagnetic field around me using Dimensional Legacy. Now they can't track or record our surroundings. Our connection is secure."
[Ryuichi sighs lightly, but hides it with a smirk as he catches a glimpse of Erica watching him from afar]
Ryuichi (in a normal tone):
"Good news then..."
[After a moment of silence, Ryuichi looks down slightly, trying to gather his thoughts, then in a faint, almost inaudible voice]
Ryuichi:
"Miku... how long have you known... that I have Aura?"
[A brief moment of silence on the other end of the line, then Miku's voice comes in, calm, decisive]
Miku:
"Since the beginning, Ryuichi."
[Ryuichi's eyes widen slightly, but his expression remains fixed as he slowly presses the phone, then smiles a faint smile that only reflects the swirl of questions inside him]
Ryuichi (internal voice):
"From the beginning? So... How many facts are still hidden?"
Miku (in a firm tone): "But that conversation doesn't belong here... Let's leave it for a time when we're alone."
Ryuichi (with a slight nod, lowering the phone slightly): "I see."
Miku (before hanging up, in a warmer voice): "Uh, I forgot to tell you... There's something to cheer you up."
Ryuichi (raises an eyebrow): "What is it?"
Miku: "You passed... In the biochemistry and analytical technique tests, the results just came back."
Ryuichi (eyes widen slightly before lowering his gaze): "...thank you, Miko."
Miku (gently): "Take care of yourself... We'll see each other soon."
*In a darkened space, its metal walls reflect the faint glow of several monitors displaying spectral readings and oscillating mana signals. The camera slowly pans to a masked person standing in front of a huge screen.
The masked person (in a low, confident voice):
"So... You're finally starting to track me down."
[He moves closer to the screen, his eyes behind the mask glow a strange blue color, as if he is directly connected to the network.]
The masked person (mumbling as if talking to himself or something else unseen):
"Ura... Ryuichi, it won't be easy for you to get through this barrier. It's been a long time since someone followed me like this..."
[The scene quickly cuts to a screen showing blurry images of Ryuichi and Aura, then suddenly disappears.]
The masked person (with a hidden smile under the mask):
"Welcome to the core... Where all the answers end."
[The image gradually pulls back, and the place goes completely dark...]