Chapter 39: Sister's Last Wish
The city skyline bled crimson beneath a dying sun.
Ryo stood atop the broken spire of an abandoned cathedral in District 7, the wind whispering warnings through shattered stained glass. His cloak flared behind him, shadows dancing like smoke around his feet. The Bound Shade he'd tamed—now named Veyne—hovered silently beside him, its ethereal form half-visible, flickering like static in reality's code.
His HUD pulsed red.WARNING: Vital Signs – EMERGENCY STATUS [Target: Akari Kazen]
His heart dropped.
"Akari…" he whispered.
He blinked twice, activating the Private Core-Link, tapping into his home's surveillance node. The view stabilized inside his sister's room: pale light, a frail girl curled beneath blankets, her breath ragged. The Protocol readings danced erratically. Her corrupted aura was worse. The cursed dungeon infection—it was spreading faster than expected.
"Time left?" he asked the system coldly.
[Estimated Time: 72 Hours Before Irreversible Collapse.]
He gritted his teeth. "There has to be a way…"
Suddenly, Veyne hissed, turning its gaze to the east. Ryo followed the motion, his enhanced eyes narrowing at the flicker of movement: a cloaked figure darting across rooftops.
"Tracked?" he muttered.
"No. Observed," the system answered. "Unknown Operator — Signature Matches: [Reaver-Class Rogue: Zaira Vell]."
Ryo remembered the name. A former Reaper. Disappeared after betraying her guild and stealing a classified dungeon map—one said to lead to the Sanctum of Cradle Light, a place rumored to house old-world relics and forbidden cures.
And maybe… a key to Akari's survival.
Without hesitation, Ryo leapt from the spire, his form melting into shadows mid-air. Veyne followed, phasing through the air like a banshee.
Downtown Underground – Two Hours Later
The old subway lines were dark, humming faintly with old-world tech. Rusted tracks snaked through forgotten tunnels. Ryo's boots echoed with each step, silence pressing in around him.
Then—movement. Fast.
The blade came from the right. Ryo pivoted, parried with a flick of shadow-forged steel.
"Nice reflexes," said a voice. Female. Mocking. "You always stalk girls in the dark, or am I just special?"
Zaira Vell stepped into the flickering torchlight, twin daggers at her sides, her eyes a strange violet glow. Her aura pulsed with twisted code—Protocol energy.
"I need your map," Ryo said, voice flat.
Zaira cocked her head. "You're that Shadow kid… The one that shouldn't exist. The glitch."
"I'm also the one with a dying sister."
A moment of silence. Zaira's smirk faded. "Ah… that kind of story." She walked in slow circles around him, calculating. "I'll trade you. One favor for one map."
"What kind of favor?"
She leaned in, grinning. "Kill someone."
Ryo didn't flinch. "Who?"
Zaira tossed a hologram. A face flickered to life: Director Yurei, head of the Protocol Oversight Council. A monster in a man's skin. The one who ordered the Purge of District 13. And possibly… the man behind the experiments on Ryo's sister.
Ryo's hands clenched.
"Do we have a deal?" Zaira asked.
He stared into her eyes. The deal reeked of traps. But so did the world he lived in.
"Fine," he said. "But I get the map first."
Back at Home – Later That Night
Akari's condition had worsened. Ryo sat beside her, holding her thin hand.
"I… saw Mom again today," she murmured, eyes closed. "In a dream."
Ryo blinked. "Yeah?"
"She said I was brave," Akari whispered. "Said I had to… let go."
"No," Ryo said, his voice cracking. "You hold on. I'm going to fix this."
She smiled faintly. "You always say that."
"I mean it."
Her hand tightened slightly. "Ryo… promise me something?"
"Anything."
"If you ever have to choose between me and the world… choose the world."
Silence.
He looked at her—really looked. The girl who kept him human. His anchor. His reason.
"No," he said. "I'll find a way to save both."
Akari's eyes filled with tears. "Then you're still my big brother."
End of Chapter 39