The cold wind cut through my skin.
I opened my eyes with a jolt.
I was... standing.
My hands were shaking, and my entire body was covered in a light layer of sweat, as if I had just woken up from a nightmare, but a real nightmare, that left the taste of blood and despair in my mouth.
Around me, the courtyard of the NERV base. The buzz of voices, scientists walking back and forth, technicians working on consoles, and further back, the colossal silhouette of Eva 02, like a sleeping giant.
It was the starting point again.
Before Sirius.
Before the statue.
Before Anneliese tied up and crying.
Before the hypnotized audience.
I fell to my knees and choked on my own breath, trying to contain the tremor in my shoulders. My wide eyes analyzed everything, as if I needed to ensure that it was real. That there was still time.
"I'm back..." I whispered to myself, with a lump in my throat. "Sirius... that wretch..."
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. The feeling of helplessness consumed me, but it also fueled my fury. I saw everyone die, Kaji, Anneliese, people I didn't even know. And the most unbearable thing was seeing that no one wanted to resist. That Sirius's twisted "love" trapped them.
I stood up slowly, my knees still wobbly. I needed to think. "It all starts here..."
I knew I had little time. That sooner or later, Sirius would return. And this time, I didn't intend to watch with my arms crossed.
It didn't matter if he still didn't know how to face her.
It didn't matter how many times he had to die.
I would stop it.
And this time, with or without Evangelion, I wouldn't run away.
"The day before..." I muttered to myself, staring at my own reflection in a shop window.
My hands were shaking. I had been thrown back in time once again. And that meant...
"I'll have to deal with Kaji again..." I said in a low voice, my teeth almost chattering.
I knew what was coming. Kaji, with his carefree manner, his dubious words, his way of poking wounds with a smile. I had already faced it once. Now, I would have to face it all again. "There's no point in acting on impulse again... not this time. I need to stay calm."
With firm steps, but my heart pounding, I calmly headed to the same place as before: the statue of Eva-02.
It was the spot where my last death had occurred. The statue stood in the same place as always, imposing, like a sentinel of iron and war. The silvery colors shone in the pale sunlight of the day, and even though it was a replica, it still emanated an aura of quiet power.
I stood before it, looking up. The statue didn't respond, didn't move a muscle, but it was as if it was encouraging me not to falter.
The wind blew through my hair, cool and subtle, like a whisper of time running again.
I closed my eyes and took another deep breath.
I still had a chance.
I walked around the base of the Eva-02 statue, my eyes taking in every detail of the colossally detailed structure. At first glance, it seemed like just a monumental display, a memorial or a tribute to the EVA. But there was something unusual, a line of separation in the metal plates of the base, barely noticeable.
I walked closer. There, hidden under the shadow of the Eva's outstretched arm, was a half-open metal door, with a dim light flickering beside it.
"Has this always been here...?" I murmured, placing my hand on the cold surface of the door.
Without much hesitation, I pushed open the door. A soft creak echoed as the door swung open fully, revealing a narrow steel hallway, lit only by red emergency lights. The smell of dust and rust was evident, as if no one had been here in a long time.
I took the first step inside, and the door slowly closed behind me with a dull thud.
Ahead, a spiraling metal staircase stretched upward, climbing up the interior of the statue.
"Where does this lead...?" I asked myself, starting to climb.
The steps echoed beneath my feet, and the air seemed to grow drier and more muggy the higher I climbed. The lights flickered intermittently, casting disconcerting shadows across the curved walls. I felt the tension grow with each step.
I wasn't sure exactly what had drawn him in here, but it was probably where Sirius was.
After minutes that felt like hours, he reached a small landing. There was a reinforced door with the NERV symbol faded and rusted in the center.
I ran my hand over the surface and whispered, "NERV... of all places I could end up..."
I slowly turned the latch. The door creaked open, revealing a circular, seemingly observation room with large windows facing outward and, most surprising of all, a command chair in the center, facing a switched-off panel.
It was as if someone had planned this... or as if it were a forgotten refuge.
I entered, closing the door behind me, breathing in the absolute silence. It was as if time had stopped there.
"How did Sirius get here?" I thought, cold sweat running down my temple. "She must have already known this way... or maybe she had help."
I looked around. There was no one else there yet. The place seemed calm, but the metal floor was still stained with something dry, imperceptible to the distracted eye.
I crouched down, touching the surface.
"Blood..."
The memory of Anneliese's body crashing to the floor pierced him like a spear, and...
But now I had the advantage. I knew where Sirius would emerge from. I knew what his speech would be. I knew what I was capable of.
I sat on the corner of the platform, the wind blowing my hair, my heart pounding.
I needed a plan.
And I only had one day to find a way to save everyone.
I was examining the top of the statue, the cold wind still cutting through the air around it, when something caught my eye, a piece of paper stuck under a small abandoned toolbox.
I pulled it out carefully.
It was an old map of Germany, folded several times. The paper was already yellowed at the edges, but still legible. The city where I and the others were, Oldenburg, was circled in red pen. Next to it, an inscription: "NERV Central 04 - Eva Unit 02".
I kept my eyes open, running my finger along the lines that connected cities and bases. But then I saw something that for some reason, chilled my spine.
An "X" marked in black pen. A rough X, marked hard, as if whoever drew it was nervous or desperate. It wasn't too far from Oldenburg... it was on the north coast, over another mark on the map.
Wilhelmshaven.
The writing next to it read: "NERV Substation - Wilhelmshaven - Inactive?"
I frowned, looking back at the X. "Why mark an X here? And why so strongly... as if it were a warning?"
There was nothing else written. No explanation, no extra notes. Just the solitary X, a few arrows, and a theoretically abandoned place.
I looked around, then up at the cloudy sky. The wind picked up.
"Did Sirius... come from there? From the sea? Or was there something waiting for it there?"
It was impossible to know for sure. But it was clear that someone wanted this to be seen. And that someone might have information that I didn't yet have.
Maybe it was a trap.
If there was something in that base, something buried, something forgotten, maybe there was the key to stopping Sirius. Or to better understand what it really was or what it intended.
I held the map tightly, folded it carefully, and put it in my jacket. I took a deep breath and stared at the horizon, where the distant sea met the gray line of the sky. "I need allies. I can't go alone. But I also... I can't ignore this."
Wilhelmshaven.
The port city.
The "X" on the map.
My thoughts were immersed in the mystery of Wilhelmshaven. There's something in the North Sea... I can feel it... something is buried there. Sirius didn't appear out of nowhere.
But then I heard a dry metallic noise echoing down the stairs of the statue, a quick, rhythmic sound of firm footsteps. I reacted too late.
Before I could even turn around, an arm came from behind and pulled me hard.
"Stay still, kid."
It was Kaji.
The hoarse, firm voice whispered urgently. I barely had time to react, as Kaji pushed me into a maintenance closet built into the statue's metal wall, used by workers who were doing internal inspections at Eva Unit 02. The space was narrow, cramped, and smelled of old grease and dust.
Kaji closed the door slowly, leaving only a tiny crack so they could breathe and see the hallway.
I was about to explode with questions, Why did he help me? But before I could make a sound, Kaji raised a finger in front of his mouth.
"Listen..." he whispered, his eyes serious. "I saw you earlier today. I was about to approach you... but something bothered me."
I swallowed hard. The tension in the air was thick, almost suffocating.
Footsteps echoed at the base of the statue's staircase.
The rhythmic sound of chains, hitting against the metal of the statue as someone or something climbed. It was as if Eva 02 itself was being possessed by an unholy presence.
Then came the muffled voice.
"Aaaaaaaaaanneeelll..."
"...lieeeeseee... No need to cry, love... I will set you free..."
I felt my chest tighten. The same sweet, trembling voice, filled with a twisted love that I now recognized all too well: Sirius.
The sound of the chains grew louder, dragging closer. I tried to look through a crack.
It was then that I saw Anneliese.
She was there. Her eyes swollen from crying so much, her mouth gagged with dark fabric, her body being dragged by those disgusting chains. Her knees scraped the metal floor.
Sirius was right behind, her steps heavy, her bandages dirty, her hair disheveled, hee eyes completely filled with ecstasy. "Today you will show true love, my flower... Today everyone will understand...!"
I held my breath. Anneliese looked in my direction for a moment. Her eyes, even hurt, shone as if they had seen hope.
But she didn't scream. She didn't struggle.
She knew that if she did that... Sirius would notice.
Inside the closet, I was shaking. Kaji kept a hand on my shoulder, pressing me to stay crouched and silent. "If I move... she'll die now."
But also... if I don't do anything... she'll die later.
The chains disappeared up the stairs.
Silence finally returned.
But the weight of the scene still crushed my chest.
I wanted to respond, I wanted to spill it all, but I was still trying to figure out why Kaji wasn't shooting me. The same man who had killed me so many times... was now protecting me?
"You don't have to trust me..." Kaji continued. "But if you're seeing the same thing I am... then you know there's something very wrong here."
A crack echoed from downstairs. A dry sound, like wood breaking.
The footsteps stopped.
Kaji whispered in my ear, softer now: "We can't lose focus..."
I felt a chill. "Who... do you think it is?"
Kaji didn't answer right away. He peered through the crack carefully, then I looked at him with a more serious expression than ever.
The air inside the closet still felt tense, even after the sound of the chains had disappeared. I stared at the closed door, as if it might open at any moment. My heart was pounding not out of fear alone, but out of the urgency to do something. Anything.
That's when I whispered, my voice hoarse: "What are we going to do...?"
Kaji was leaning against the opposite wall, arms crossed, his expression too calm for the situation. He gave a slight smile, but his eyes remained serious.
"I'm going to face that woman."
My eyes widened. "You what?"
"I've seen this kind of thing before. Fanatics like that aren't usually rational. If I cause a direct distraction, she'll focus on me. You're going to take advantage of this moment to get the girl out of there."
I shook my head, hesitant. "But... what if it goes wrong? What if she kills you?"
Kaji shrugged, as if accepting this possibility naturally. "Then you try it alone. Or... be creative. If there's one thing you seem to have in abundance, kid."
I swallowed hard. I knew what Kaji didn't. If something went wrong, I would go back... But the lost time, the suffering, the pain, all of it would keep piling up inside me.
Still, I clenched my fists. "Okay... I'll get Anneliese out of there. But... are you sure you can distract her by yourself?"
Kaji cracked his neck, as if he was preparing for an inevitable fight. "You're not the first crazy woman I've faced."
He gave me an ironic wink. I didn't know if that was bravado or a way to calm him down, but it worked at least a little.
Kaji approached the door, put his ear to it, and whispered: "Wait for the signal. As soon as you hear the bang, run to her. Grab the girl and run. Don't stop for anything."
I took a deep breath. "Understood."
Kaji gave me a slight smile. "Good luck, kid."
And then he left, silent as a ghost, leaving me alone in that dark closet, the sound of my own heartbeat filling the void.
I closed my eyes. "Just one more time... Give me strength. Let me do this right."
I waited for the signal.
I waited for the bang.
I waited for the chance... to make a difference.
As Kaji walked toward Sirius, his steps were firm but measured. Apparently he had dealt with difficult women before, but something about Sirius exuded a different intensity. She stood with her back to him, watching the view from the top of the statue, the chains still clicking softly on the floor around her.
Kaji cleared her throat, forcing a neutral expression. "Hey... Do you make this kind of entrance often, or is today a special day?"
Sirius turned slowly. Her bandaged body, as if she were eternally wounded, contrasted with the bright, distraught look she gave Kaji. For a brief second, time seemed to slow down. "Ahh... a new face! Have you come to listen to me too? Or are you just another lost curious person, searching for meaning where there is only suffering?"
Kaji remained calm, putting one hand in his pants pocket. "Maybe a bit of both. I heard your... speech. Touching, in a way. But you know... using chains on tied-up girls isn't exactly the kind of love I usually support."
Sirius raised her head slowly, as if he was offended and amused at the same time. "Oh... you don't understand, yet. But that's okay. True love doesn't need immediate understanding. It just needs surrender."
Meanwhile, hidden in the shadows of the inner structure, I crept over to where Anneliese was. She was still lying there, the chains around her arms and ankles.
I put a finger to my lips and made the silent "shh" gesture. Anneliese's eyes were wide with fear and tears. She shook her head, as if she was about to scream, perhaps thinking that this was all one continuous nightmare, but I stared at her firmly. "It's me. It's okay now... Don't scream. I'm going to get you out of here."
Anneliese was shaking, but my calm and sincere tone made her nod slowly.
I began to unravel the chains. Her fingers were shaking a little, the metal was cold, and every sound I made seemed too loud, as if it could echo throughout the place.
Meanwhile, Sirius began to take slow steps towards Kaji, almost as if she were dancing in silence. She shook her head slightly, her hair hidden under the bandages, but her eyes sparkled with an unshakable faith. "You believe in love, don't you, sir...?"
Kaji smirked. "I do. But not in the way you preach. Love is... freedom. Not prison."
Sirius stopped. Her fingers snapped, and the sound of chains dragging echoed around. "Freedom? No... Love is eternal monogamous union. Love is merging. Love is being one until there is no more separation between flesh and soul."
"Merging, huh? Then I think we'll get along." Kaji saw the moment then. The fanatical gleam in her eyes grew.
And he drew his gun. "But you're not my type."
Down below, I finally freed Anneliese's wrists. She looked up at me with tears streaming down her face, still in disbelief. "S-Subaru... S-She..."
"It's going to be okay... Trust me."
In the distance, a gunshot echoed.
I widened my eyes.
That was the signal.
Now it was all or nothing.
The sound of the gunshot echoed like a sentence in the metallic air of the statue. The bullet flew straight, but Sirius was fast. Too fast.
Before the shot hit her, her body twisted in an unnatural movement, as if her bones didn't obey the laws of the human body. She moved like a ribbon loose in the wind, dodging with impossible fluidity. Her feet barely seemed to touch the ground.
Kaji's eyes widened, the second shot already ready in the chamber. But he didn't have time.
Sirius lunged forward with a brutal momentum and crashed into him with an uncanny force, as if he had the weight of a beast compressed into his human form. The impact threw Kaji against the wall of the statue's metal structure, crushing him with a dull crack. He fell, his body hanging on twisted pieces of scaffolding. Groaning, trying to stay conscious.
I felt the ground shake. I turned immediately, my eyes fixed on Anneliese, who was trembling beside me. There was no time. The plan had failed. The monster had sensed it. And now... she was coming.
A dull, muffled sound filled the room. Chains. Chains dragging, like hungry snakes.
I spun on my heel, pulling Anneliese with me.
"Run, run, run-!"
But before I could take two steps, something tore through the air. A lightning-fast crack. A metallic flash of silver and blood.
The chain was coming towards him, and at its tip, spinning with sacred fury, Sirius's scythe was cutting through space.
I barely had time to understand what I was seeing.
The blade pierced my head.
I felt no pain. Just a brief moment of cold, as if the world had been sucked from my senses, as if everything had frozen and gone out all at once.
Silence.
Darkness.
And then...
"...Hngh...!"
The air filled my lungs again as if i had been drowning for hours. I gasped. The ground beneath him was different. Cold. Familiar. My vision was shaking, blurred, but I soon recognized the details: the lighting, the ceiling, the smell of metal and dust.
I had returned.
"...Again."
The return.
The point had been reset.
I sat up, my breathing heavy, sweaty as if I had been running for hours.
I knew that feeling, my body invigorated, but my mind drowned in a despair that could not be explained.
Sirius. Kaji. Anneliese.
It had all come back.
But now I knew.
She was too fast. Too strong.
Ey would have to find another way.
A new chance.
Or die trying.
The pain throbbed in my head, like a cruel reminder of what had just happened or of what only I remembered happening. It was a phantom pain, as if the impact of the scythe still echoed in my skull, as if my brain struggled to understand that it was still whole.
I leaned against the cold wall of the nerve structure, taking a deep breath. The around the world was still normal, but for him everything was covered by a heavy shadow. It was no longer just the fear of dying... it was fatigue, the accumulation of defeats, deaths, errors.
But this time... I had an idea.
I hit my fingers, took a deep breath again and pulled away from the wall. It was not prudent to act impulsively, but if he was defensive, he would be condemned to repeat all over again.
I took a few steps toward the main courtyard of the base, where it was empty. And then I lifted my voice.
"Hey, Kaji! I know you're watching me!"
The echo of the phrase spread hard through the courtyard. "You heard me, don't you? I understand! I know you're after me from the beginning. But it's no use hiding anymore!"
The silence that came later was almost uncomfortable. Steps. Slow, safe, but with that rhythm that always seemed to hide something more.
I turned my head. And there he was.
Kaji emerged between two containers, hands in his pockets, cigarette in the corner of his mouth, and the same look loaded with indifference that almost always hid some provocation.
He didn't seem surprised, just slightly annoyed.
"... Screaming like this, it will end up drawing the attention of those who should not, Subaru-kun..." he said, walking calmly toward him. "But go there ... you called. I'm here."
The wind blown, slightly shaking Kaji's wretched hair.
The tension hovered in the air.
Kaji stopped a few steps from me. The half -circled eyes, the cigarette stuck between his fingers now, burning slowly, releasing a pale smoke that climbed against the light of the cloudy sky. The silence between us seemed heavier than any accusation.
I stared at him in front, without dodging. I was nervous, yes. But there was something stronger within me now, determination. That needed to end. And I couldn't do it alone.
"I know what you do, Kaji ..." I started talking with a firmer voice than before. "You act through the shadows, protect people without them knowing. It's always two steps ahead. I saw it. And honestly ... it's admirable."
Kaji raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised by the approach. But I said nothing. I continued, "If I was in your place, I would also be suspicious of someone like me. A guy who appeared out of nowhere, who lives getting where he shouldn't, and that no one knows very well. And who knows how to act."
Kaji's smile was almost imperceptible, but it was there. A silent recognition. "But ... this time, I didn't come to hide anything. I didn't come to fool anyone. I just want your help." I took a step forward, my face seriously.
"But I'm here to ask you for help, not to fight. There's a girl ... She's in danger. And even if you think I'm just another uncontrolled variable ... I can't turn my back to her."
Kaji was still silent, watching with that look that seemed to cross layers of lie. I knew I couldn't afford the mysterious too, otherwise Kaji would start to break me up with questions I couldn't answer. "I don't have all the answers, I won't even pretend I have. But if there's one thing I know, you care about people. And that ... That's reason enough to ask you to trust me.
I hesitated for a moment, slightly lowering the tone of the voice: "Help me to protect it. Please."
Kaji slowly dropped the air, as if he let part of the tension contained. Finally, he took the cigarette out of his mouth and crushed it with the sole of the boot.
"... You badly choose the words, Subaru-kun ..." he said, a slight tired smile forming. "Talking about protecting girls out of nowhere just raises more suspicions, you know?"
I opened my mouth to answer, but Kaji lifted his hand.
"But ... you don't seem to be lying either." He looked at the corner, as if he already suspected something. "Okay. I hear you. But only if you promise me something."
I nodded. "Speak everything you can. No riddles. If there's someone in danger, I need to know as much as you can tell me."
I took a deep breath.
It was not yet time to talk about Sirius.
But the first step had been taken.
Kaji crossed his arms when he heard the name. His expression changed subtly, it was no complete surprise, but a seriousness that was once asleep.
"Anneliese, huh?" He muttered, looking at the floor for a brief second, as if fitting pieces into his mind. "She is Asuka's half sister, right? It was never much talked about here ... But I knew she existed. I never imagined she was involved in something like that."
I nodded firmly.
"She's in real danger. I don't know exactly the reason yet, but there's someone ... Someone extremely dangerous behind her. I don't know why, but she's going to be captured ..." His voice has faltered for a moment.
Kaji closed his eyes, the countenance becoming darker. "And you want to escort it as far as? Where do you think it will be safe for her?"
I hesitated. It was hard to answer. Nerv was full of agents, but it was not completely reliable and I had already witnessed what Sirius could do with an entire crowd, manipulating his emotions as if he were a heart of hearts. "I'm still trying to decide this ... But the important thing now is to get her out of that bandaged woman."
Kaji lit another cigarette, swallowing hard this time. The silence between us was dense, but I knew I couldn't retreat now.
"Did you see something?" Kaji asked, the fixed look at me. "Do you have any proof of what you are saying?"
I bit my lips, looking away for a second. "Nothing I can prove now. But ... trust me, if she does something, no one here will come out alive."
Kaji let out the smoke slowly, the look lost at some point beyond the courtyard, as if they were already tracing evacuation, containment, emotional containment, perhaps.
"You don't seem to be lying, Subaru. And what scares me is that. Because if it's true ..." He erased the cigarette with his fingers, throwing him to the floor. "So we're about to face a problem that goes far beyond what anyone here can handle."
My throat was tight. "That's why I came to you."
Kaji took a deep breath once more.
He looked at me, the most serious countenance than before. "Do you know where she is?"
I hesitated. The memory of the interior of the statue of Eva 02, the staircase, the makeshift arrest, everything was fresh in my mind. "I have an idea. But I can't guarantee it is still in the same place. If we are fast, we may have a chance."
Kaji remained silent for a few seconds, so he took a small communicator out of his pocket and turned it off. I observed the gesture, curious. "What are you doing?"
"Deactivating tracking. If someone is monitoring, I don't want them to know what we're going to do." He put the device back and looked at me with a firmer look. "I will trust you. But if I feel for a second you are lying ..."
"You can kill me ..." I completed, without smiling, but with a certain glow in my eyes.
Kaji raised an eyebrow, as if he didn't expect such a direct answer. "You say this with an uncomfortable naturalness, Subaru-kun ..."
"You have no idea."
Kaji let out a slight breath and began walking toward the side of the courtyard, waving me to accompany him. "Come on. If you really want to protect Asuka's sister, we don't have time to waste."
While we both crossed the courtyard toward the entrance to the big statue, I followed Kaji through the base passages from the base to the outer parking lot, where the afternoon sun reflected softly on a classic sports car: a Lotus Elan 1600 S1 Convertible, gleaming in a deep wine tone, with chrome details and the light leather interior.
I was gaping for a few seconds. "W-WOW ... is this yours?"
Kaji smiled with singing, with that relaxed and proud expression ever. "Of course it is. A good agent needs a good escape. And a good style too."
I mumbled jokingly, and soon the two entered the vehicle. Kaji turned the key, and the engine responded with a soft, well -tuned roar. The wind hit my face, as we got out of the boundaries of the nerve and follow the streets of Oldemburg, the scenario mixing the modern with the old, with stone facades, organized bike lanes, small cafes and families walking.
The car cut the city with elegance as I tried to keep calm, thinking about what I would say to Anneliese. Kaji, with one hand on the steering wheel and one resting on the glass, gave me a quick look. "So when to find the girl, what are you going to do?"
"Take her to a safe place. Talking to her ... maybe ask questions I never had the courage to ask."
Kaji nodded. He said nothing more for a while.
Then, when we turned a narrow street near a busy square, I saw it: Anneliese, leaving a small local market. He carried a simple bag with some shopping, breads, fruits, and what appeared to be a tea box. She wore a light coat over the school uniform, with her hair stuck aside, and seemed distracted by the ambient sound and the flow of people.
"It's her!" I murmured leaning forward.
Kaji slowly reduced the car to the opposite side of the sidewalk. Anneliese looked at a glance toward us, as if he felt something, but did not recognize them immediately.
"So ... are you going there?" Kaji asked.
"I go..."
I swallowed. My heart was accelerated. Time seemed to push me on all sides, as if something was about to happen again.
"Okay." Kaji said, stopping the car discreetly. "The chance is now. Go to her. Talk carefully."
I nodded feeling the tension in my chest. I opened the door and went down calmly, taking a few steps toward Anneliese.
She had not yet noticed me.
But when I got a little closer and called softly, "Anneliese..." she stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, her eyes slowly widening.
She recognized me.
And there was fear in her eyes.
Anneliese frowned when she saw me approaching in a hurry, holding her wrist firmly but not aggressively.
"Subaru? What happened?" she asked.
"Anneliese, I swear I'll explain it to you later, but we don't have time right now..." I said in a low but firm voice. "Can you trust me?"
She hesitated. Her gaze shifted from his face to the car parked on the corner. Kaji was waving one hand, as if he didn't want to draw attention to himself, but he was observing everything with surgical precision.
"What...? Why is Mr. Kaji here?" she asked, still resisting a little. "What's going on? Is this something from NERV? Does this have to do with my sister?"
"It has to do with you..." I replied, pausing for a second. "And with something... dangerous. But we'll protect you, I promise. Just get in the car with us. Once inside, I swear I'll tell you everything you want to know."
She swallowed hard. Her face seemed torn between insecurity and the need to believe.
"Subaru... w-what happened?"
"Everything's going to be fine..." I replied without hesitation. "But that's exactly why I'm here."
Anneliese nodded slowly, her eyes still wide and full of confusion. I led her to the car and opened the back door. Kaji, with the engine already running, glanced briefly in the rearview mirror.
"Did you get it?" he asked.
I just nodded as Anneliese settled into the backseat, hugging the shopping bag like a shield.
Kaji put the car in drive. "We're taking you to a safe ward at NERV. It's not exactly a shelter, but it'll do."
"Am I in any way in danger?" Anneliese asked, not taking her eyes off me.
I replied quietly. "If everything goes well, you won't even realize you're in danger."
Anneliese, still not understanding, just stared at me in the rearview mirror, trying to find an explanation in my eyes. But I looked away. I didn't have any easy answers.
The car headed toward NERV base, while the sky slowly began to cloud over.
The car sped along the narrow city streets. The late afternoon lights reflected off the surrounding buildings, and the tension inside the Lotus Elan was palpable. Kaji gripped the steering wheel tightly, I kept my eyes on it, and Anneliese didn't let go of the bag for a second.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in the middle of the street.
"Watch out!" I shouted.
Kaji turned the steering wheel with precision, avoiding the hooded figure by mere centimeters. The car almost flipped, skidding violently until it stopped on its side, smoke rising from the burned tires against the asphalt.
It was Sirius.
She was there, imposing, standing, wrapped in flaming bandages that writhed in the wind like living snakes. Her expression was a mix of joy and uncontrolled adoration. Her presence made the air tremble. A sepulchral silence hung over her. "I-It's her!" Anneliese screamed.
"Damn it..." Kaji muttered, grabbing the gun from the glove compartment. "Who is this woman?"
"Kaji, listen... Long story short, going head-on with her won't work. She's got superhuman strength. You have no idea!" I warned, already getting out of the car with my heart racing.
Kaji looked at me with a mix of frustration and pragmatism, but nodded. He had faced unusual things before, but there was something about Sirius's aura that made even him hesitate.
I stared at the woman from afar. I tried... I tried to activate it. The authority of the invisible hand. The power I felt sometimes when despair tightened my chest, but nothing happened. No heat, no flow of energy. Just emptiness.
"Why now? Why doesn't this work now of all times?" I thought, clenching my fists.
Sirius approached with slow steps, but each one of them seemed to vibrate on the ground as if dozens of people were marching together. Her face, still partially hidden by the banners, seemed to contort into a strange smile as she looked at me.
She tilted her head slightly.
"That smell..." she said in a hoarse, almost melodic voice. "That wonderful smell... you..." she took a few steps forward. "Are you my love? My Petelgeuse?"
I froze. "Wh... what?"
Sirius laughed softly, as if hearing a delicious joke.
"I knew he would come back...! But you are different. New? Fragile... but still... wonderful. The distortion, the pain, the despair... all of it is pulsing through you. Oh, how beautiful!" she raised her arms, as if in a cult.
I swallowed hard, feeling the sweat running down my back. "God forbid... I am not-"
"DON'T LIE!" she shouted, the sound making the car windows vibrate.
Kaji was already outside, gun drawn, but not firing. I realized that any false move could be the end.
Anneliese, still inside the car, trembled, huddled, looking out the window.
Sirius took a deep breath, calming himself abruptly. Then he opened his arms like someone welcoming a lost child. "Don't be afraid of me... Petelgeuse. Love doesn't hurt. Love is the only salvation."
I took a step back. My mind was spinning.
She's confusing me with Petelgeuse... is it because of the authority of laziness? Maybe... did she love him? Or worship him?
And I knew that one mistake now, one wrong word, could trigger yet another tragedy.
I ran back to the car with my heart beating wildly, my hands shaking. I looked at Kaji with wide eyes and said without thinking twice: "STEP ON IT! Go on, step on the gas, NOW!"
Kaji, even under pressure, obeyed without hesitation. The Lotus Elan's engine roared like an enraged beast, the tires skidding as the car sped down the narrow street.
But we didn't make it very far.
A sharp, metallic sound cut through the air. Like whips cracking at the same time. Suddenly, thick, black chains shot into the air, intertwining in an almost living pattern, like snakes that acted with a will of their own.
- CLANG!
- THUD!
The chains dug into the ground and the sides of the car with brutal force, holding the vehicle in place violently, making the car shudder. The hood bent a little with the impact, and the rear tires spun in vain, roaring, trying to overcome the impossible.
I turned around, seeing the figure of Sirius with his arms raised, the links pulsing with a sickening energy.
"She's holding the car with that?! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT STRENGTH!?" I screamed in shock.
Kaji gritted his teeth and said: "It's going to have to be the hard way."
He quickly pulled out his pistol and, with practiced aim, aimed it at the chains attached to the side of the car.
- BANG! BANG! BANG!
The shots echoed down the street. Each bullet ricocheted off the chains, but two of them hit the right spots, where the links met. A chain snapped, the crack sounding like metallic thunder. The car shuddered once more, moving forward a few inches.
Sirius, arms still raised, turned his head with a mechanical, almost animalistic movement. The eyes behind the straps flashed with fury and disappointment.
"That... hurts, Petelgeuse..." she said, as if betrayed.
More chains rose behind her, writhing like snakes ready to strike.
"KAJI, HURRY!" I screamed.
Kaji took aim again and fired three more times-BANG! BANG! BANG! - and the second chain snapped with a sharp snap. The car finally broke free, accelerating again like an arrow released from a bow.
- VRRRROOOOOM!
The car sped through the streets of Oldenburg, leaving behind the surreal image of Sirius standing in the middle of the road, hugging the broken chains, muttering something to himself.
I looked back, my heart in my throat. I knew this was far from over. But for now... we had managed to escape.
And the time we had gained might be all they needed to come up with a new plan.
The wind cut my face as the car roared through the winding roads. The smell of burning rubber still hung in the air, and my heart was still racing, not only from the speed, but from the desperate feeling that everything was still hanging by a thread.
I looked at Kaji, who kept his eyes fixed on the road, his expression harder than usual.
"Kaji..." I broke the silence, my voice still trembling, "...the Wilhelmshaven substation...is it still active?"
Kaji remained silent for a moment. The sound of the engine filled the emptiness in the car.
"Why ask this now? And how do you know that?" he replied, without taking his eyes off the road.
"I saw something on a map inside the Eva 02 statue...there was an 'X' marked near that base. It seems important. If it's active, it could be a critical point...or a trap."
Kaji frowned, and for a brief moment, his lips pursed. He hesitated.
"...Fortunately, no. It's not inactive." he finally answered.
I widened my eyes. "What do you mean? I thought only the Oldenburg base was operational..."
Kaji finally glanced at me. "Wilhelmshaven is still operating in contingency mode. The main systems are down, but the infrastructure... is still there. Generators, power lines, and... other stuff you don't need to know about."
I swallowed hard. "Like weapons? Or... something that could be used by someone like Sirius?"
"Possibly." Kaji answered dryly. "But that's not all. The substation also serves as a repository for discontinued technologies. Old stuff. Some... shouldn't be around anymore."
I fell silent. I remembered Sirius's absurd strength, the mental influence it had on everyone, the way it twisted human feelings to the point of turning love into madness.
"Maybe she had already gone there..." I muttered to myself.
Kaji didn't answer. He just pressed the accelerator a little harder. "If that's the case, we have to get to NERV before it does."
I nodded. But deep down, a chill ran down my spine.
Something much bigger was about to happen.
And Wilhelmshaven... maybe this was the beginning of it all.
Kaji's grip on the steering wheel was tight, but what I said made him take his eyes off the road for a second, a second filled with tension.
"The Wilhelmshaven base is a tracking center..." Kaji said, more serious than ever. "There we can pick up energy patterns, vibrations from A.T. Fields, and gravitational variations. If something approaches the coast, something like an Angel, we're the first to know."
My eyes widened. My heart pounded, as if a key piece had finally fallen into place.
"Then it makes sense..." I muttered. "If Sirius is really an Angel... or something close to it... she could have simply infiltrated Wilhelmshaven's base and manipulated everyone. Maybe even used that strange power."
Kaji didn't answer right away, but the tightness in his jaw made it clear that that theory wasn't so absurd.
I continued now with more confidence: "She could have mentally dominated the Wilhelmshaven team. Made everyone believe there was no danger. Maybe she used that to hide... or worse, to prepare something."
Kaji let out a heavy sigh. "You're saying that woman is an angel who can create puppets?"
"Probably." I answered without thinking. "In a way that can't be explained."
Kaji glanced at me, as if trying to decipher me.
"Even if what you're saying is just intuition, it's more than we have right now. When we get there, we need to know if they're hypnotized..." he said finally. "If this thing is an Angel... or if it's connected to them in some way, we can't let it get to the base. Or let it keep control over Wilhelmshaven."
"It doesn't just control actions... it changes what people feel. They think they're happy. That it's love."
Kaji stepped harder on the accelerator. "This is worse than any Angel we've faced before."
And I, looking out the window at the distant sea to the north, knew they were running out of time. If Sirius was there...
then the world didn't have much time left before it would be "embraced" by her love.
Anneliese spoke softly, barely audible. "So she's an Angel?"
Kaji's car finally rolled through the main gates of NERV with the sound of tires burning on wet asphalt. Sitting in the backseat, I stared out the window as his thoughts consumed him with dangerous thoughts.
"If the Bishops of Sin only exist because of the influence of the Angels... then maybe..."
I closed my eyes for a second, trying to organize the pieces on the invisible board before him. Petelgeuse... Apparently all the Bishops of Sin came from some unnatural force. And now, Sirius, a new figure, appeared just as I saw in this world of Evas and Angels.
"Kaji..." I murmured, still staring out the window. "Have you ever heard of an Angel that influences people's minds? That alters emotions?"
Kaji looked at me through the rearview mirror, without answering immediately. Then he parked the car with a sharp jerk in front of one of the side entrances to the NERV underground complex. Two agents came to greet them, but Kaji raised his hand to dismiss them. "Look kid, apparently the angels arrived this year, so I know as much as you do."
I nodded, getting out of the car with Anneliese. She was still scared, but she obeyed silently, holding onto my arm like an anchor.
As we descended the elevator into NERV, I muttered to myself: "They appear where the Angels touch. The Bishops are like... fragments of the absurd."
Kaji heard.
"Do you think she... this thing is like a reflection of some Angel that is hidden in the North Sea?"
"Or maybe the Angel is the heart... and she, the body." I answered seriously. "If that's the case... Sirius compromised Wilhelmshaven so that the information about a possible Angel on the northern coast wouldn't be revealed! And if she did all that in just one day, then..."
The elevator doors opened with a muffled metallic sound. Kaji, Anneliese and I were greeted by cold, technical and impersonal corridors. Monitors glowed on the walls, and scientists hurried past, busy with reports they didn't even know yet how urgent they were.
I turned to Kaji. "We need to know what's at the bottom of the northern sea. And fast."
Kaji nodded, leading them straight to NERV's surveillance room.
Anneliese and I were now in one of NERV's observation rooms, isolated from the technical chaos and urgent meetings in the other wings. It was a small room, with soft lights and a large glass window that looked out onto the Eva hangar. Outside, engineers were passing by, but inside... the silence was heavy.
I crossed my arms, looking at Anneliese, who remained sitting on the couch, her eyes downcast, her fingers intertwined in her lap. She looked younger than she really was, or maybe she was just too tired to pretend to be mature.
"Are you okay?" I asked, trying to keep my voice light.
It took her a while to answer. When she did, it was almost a whisper: "I know her... this Sirius."
I widened my eyes, moving a little closer. "What? What do you mean?"
Anneliese still wouldn't look him in the eye. Instead, she stared at the floor, as if she was remembering something she didn't want to bring up. "She appeared to me... long before all this. When I was in a bad place. She wouldn't say her name, but I remember the feeling."
Those words carried the weight of an omen. "She knew there was something inside me. She said I 'didn't have to hide it'. That true love... comes with pain. That I should embrace it."
"Embrace... the pain?" I repeated, confused. "Are you saying she tried to manipulate you before?"
"No. She didn't have to try." Anneliese finally looked up. There was a restrained glow in them, a silent anger. "Because she was right. I've always felt... this thing inside me. An anger that I try to hide. For everything. For Asuka. For the way everyone looks at me. Like I'm just a faded copy of her."
I remained silent. "She said that real love is cruel. That it demands everything. And that those who reject it... are weak."
"But you didn't believe that... did you?"
Anneliese hesitated. "I wanted to believe. For a while... I just wanted to disappear. And she made me feel... understood."
The silence between us lasted a few seconds, weighing more than any words. I sat down next to her, taking a deep breath.
"You don't have to be a copy of anyone. And if she used your weakness against you... Believe me, she doesn't understand anything about love. She only knows how to control."
Anneliese looked at me. Her eyes were red, but she wasn't crying. She just nodded, slowly. "I just don't want to feel that anger... to feel that way again."
I put a hand on her shoulder, firm but gentle. "You won't."
In that moment, I understood. Sirius hadn't chosen Anneliese for nothing. She knew exactly what to look for: cracks. Fragilities. Pain.
And I knew those cracks too, because I'd been shaped by them.
At dusk...
Night was falling over the NERV base, and the sky above Oldenburg. The outdoor lighting cast long shadows across the hallways, and the air had that eerie silence, the kind of silence that comes when something hasn't been resolved.
I was sitting on a concrete bench near the courtyard, watching the base's floodlights slowly turn. The night breeze gently ruffled my hair and made her jacket ripple. In my mind, the memory was clear: in this loop, I still hadn't managed to reconcile with Asuka. The moment they'd had together... the cuddles, the understanding, all of that simply hadn't happened. Not in this line. And that left a weight on my chest.
I sighed, throwing my head back, looking up at the dark sky as if waiting for the answer to come from there.
"I wonder if she still..." I began to think out loud.
"Still what?"
The voice came from behind her like a gunshot. Familiar. Unmistakable. I turned around slowly, and there she was.
Asuka Langley Soryu.
End of Chapter 12