The morning was cold, and the whole house felt… weird. Like something wasn't right.
Keijo's family had gathered in the big hallway. No one was really talking, but you could feel the tension in the air. Everyone had that same worried look on their face. Something was clearly wrong.
Keijo was missing.
His dad, Taki Matsu Keimo, stood in the front. He looked strong and serious, but his eyes looked tired. He wasn't the kind of man to panic easily — he'd seen a lot in life. But this… this was his son.
His mom was standing near the window, arms folded tight around herself. Her face was pale, like she hadn't slept at all.
His brother, Yuma, kept walking back and forth across the floor. And his little sister, Rin, was sitting on the bench with her head down, biting her nails.
Then there was Araki — Keijo's fiancée. She looked calm, too calm maybe. She had a silk robe on, her hair tied loosely. Her face was still and quiet, like she was thinking too hard or trying to look sad. But it didn't seem like real sadness.
Suddenly, Keijo's father spoke up.
> "Keijo's been gone since last night. No call. No message. No nothing," he said, his voice low but sharp.
"This isn't just him stepping out for air. Something's wrong."
Everyone stood still.
> "The president has been contacted," he continued. "He's sending help. But from now on, no one leaves this house. Not until we know what's going on."
The butler stepped forward nervously.
> "Sir… we checked the security cameras. Everything was normal… except one thing."
> "Speak," his father said.
> "The backyard cameras… were turned off manually. Around 3:47 a.m."
The room went quiet.
Araki lowered her eyes. Her hands tightened slightly, but no one noticed.
> "Who would do that?" Rin asked, almost in a whisper.
> "Someone smart," Yuma replied, his tone serious.
Everyone just looked at each other. Suspicion was in the air.
That's when Araki stepped forward. She looked down, her voice shaky — like she was trying to sound hurt.
> "I… I don't know what happened," she said.
"He was there when I fell asleep. When I woke up… he was gone. I've been so scared."
People nodded slowly. Some believed her. Others weren't sure.
But Keijo's father wasn't moved. He just looked ahead, deep in thought.
> "Where are you, son…" he muttered.
The hallway stayed silent. But inside everyone's head, a thousand questions were screaming.
Like something was not right at all everybody seemed nervous and sad the suddenly the butler told them that he is not sure but he found a peice of gum at the lawn.
The whole vibe in the house felt off.
It wasn't just quiet — it was heavy. Like the air itself didn't want to move. Everyone had gathered in the hallway, standing around like they were waiting for someone to say something, anything. Faces looked tired. Eyes looked worried. Nobody was in the mood to talk.
Something was wrong. Really wrong.
Keijo was missing.
Then out of nowhere, the butler, Mr. Suda, cleared his throat. It was quiet, but loud enough to turn heads.
> "Um… I'm not sure if it means anything," he said nervously, holding something small between his fingers, "but I found this… on the lawn."
Everyone leaned in a little. It was a small piece of chewing gum, slightly squished, with a bit of grass stuck to it.
Rin wrinkled her nose.
> "Gum? That's it?"
Suda nodded slowly.
> "Yes, but… the thing is… no one in this family ever chews gum. Especially not Keijo. He hated the stuff. Said it made people look dumb chewing all day."
Everyone looked at each other. That might sound small, but in a house like this — where everything was always in order — even a piece of gum out of place felt like a big deal.
Yuma stepped forward, taking a closer look at it.
> "You're saying this could've been dropped last night?"
> "Maybe," the butler replied. "I found it near the side of the backyard. It wasn't there when I cleaned up yesterday."
Keijo's dad, Taki Matsu, clenched his jaw. He wasn't the type to panic, but you could see his mind working — fast, sharp, furious.
> "Whoever dropped that gum was not family," he said.
"Which means someone came in."
A cold chill ran through the room. Everyone felt it.
Even Araki's face shifted, just a little. Her lips tightened, but she quickly looked down, brushing her hair behind her ear like nothing happened.
She knew something. But no one could tell yet.
Suddenly!!! Everyone stood still. The weight of Taki Matsu's words sank deep.
> "Which means someone came in."
Silence.
Even the chandelier above didn't sway. It was like the house itself was holding its breath.
Mrs. Keimo, Keijo's mom, gripped the edge of the chair beside her.
> "Are you saying… someone broke into our home?"
> "Or someone let them in," the butler muttered without meaning to.
All eyes slowly turned toward Araki.
She didn't flinch — just gave a weak smile and shrugged, like she was just as confused as everyone else.
> "I—I don't know. I was with Keijo last night. We… we talked, but when I woke up, he was gone. I thought maybe he had to go early…"
Her voice cracked a little, like she was about to cry.
Yuma crossed his arms, staring.
> "But the gates were locked all night. And the cameras didn't show anything strange," he said.
> "Did you check the side exit?" the butler asked. "The one near the greenhouse?"
They all paused.
That exit hadn't been used in months.
Taki Matsu nodded at one of the guards, who left the hallway immediately to check.
Meanwhile, Araki slowly backed away. Her heart was pounding, but she kept her face calm. Inside her head, though, it was chaos.
> They're starting to ask the right questions. But they'll never suspect me. Not with this family. Not with the way they trust me.
She let a single tear slide down her cheek, carefully timed, as she looked at Keimo.
> "I miss him too," she whispered.
Keimo reached out and hugged her tightly.
Araki closed her eyes.
She was winning.
On a silent boat floating outside Tokyo…
The night was cold. Waves hit the side of the boat with soft thuds, like the sea itself was holding its breath.
Inside the boat, under dull yellow lights, two scientists stood in silence.
Dr. Ryo stared at the metal table in front of him. Several plastic containers were stacked neatly — each sealed tight, each holding something dark and lifeless.
Parts of a human body.
He ran his hand through his messy hair and sighed, his voice low and filled with tension.
"She actually did it… She really cut him up and handed him over like it was nothing. Her own fiancé."
Dr. Ken stood near the wall, arms crossed, a cigarette between his fingers. He hadn't lit it yet. "She went too far," he said, calmly. "We just needed him brought in alive. Not like this."
Ryo clenched his fists. "Do I look like a magician to you? What the hell am I supposed to do with… this?" He gestured at the boxes. "A few fingers, a broken rib, half a liver? There's not even a full head!"
Ken didn't move. "You promised you could reconstruct."
"I said I might be able to. Not like this." Ryo's voice cracked a little, not from fear, but from pressure. "She rushed it. She didn't follow the plan."
Ken finally spoke after a pause, his tone colder this time. "Doesn't matter now. The contract is signed. We got what we asked for, technically. Now we either do the job… or we disappear."
Ryo looked down at the labels.
Name: Keijo Kemio. Status: Dead. Condition: Disassembled.
He whispered under his breath, almost like he was speaking to the body itself, "You weren't just some rich boy, were you?"
Ken finally lit the cigarette, blowing out the smoke slowly. "Do you really think he'll wake up? With… this?"
Ryo didn't answer right away. He was already walking over to the interface screen, bringing up code, running simulations.
"His brain stem might still carry enough memory. If we start with that, and sync it with Project K-9's neural net… we might just bring him back."
Ken stepped closer, staring at the screen. "And if he remembers?"
Ryo glanced at him. "He will. Maybe not today. Maybe not for a year. But one day, he'll remember who betrayed him."
Ken looked back at the body parts on the table.
"She's playing innocent. Fake tears, perfect lies. If only she knew…"
Ryo's voice was cold now. "She doesn't know what's coming."
And outside, the boat rocked gently under the stars, carrying the scattered pieces of something that once lived… and something that might rise again.
Deep Underground Lab, Midnight | Scientist Ryo & Scientist Ken
The silence in the underground lab was heavy. Only the mechanical beeping of their computers and the soft whirr of machines filled the air.
Dr. Ryo stood over a large operating table covered with surgical lights, wires, and biofluid containers. In front of him… the chopped remains of a young man.
Not just anyone — Keijo Kemio.
His eyes were fixed on the flesh and cells, stitched into pieces, as if they were trying to bring a broken soul back from another dimension.
Ken slowly walked in, gloved hands tucked into his lab coat.
"You realize who he was, right?" he asked, quietly.
Ryo didn't respond.
"A rich brat. Someone important. Someone the world will look for."
Ryo finally looked up. "Yeah. But now he's gone. Dead. Chopped up. Erased from his world."
Ken folded his arms, voice lowering. "So why are we risking everything?"
Ryo stared at the table. "Because we can do something no one else can… We can bring him back."
Ken raised an eyebrow. "How? He's not a memory card. He's a pile of meat."
Ryo moved over to the glowing blue chamber at the back — Project Rebirth: Code 3080.
"We reconstruct," he said firmly. "Cell by cell. Nerve by nerve. Atom by atom. We rebuild a new Keijo. But not for now. Not in this broken world."
Ken's eyes widened slightly. "You mean…"
Ryo nodded. "Yes. We recreate him… for the year 3080. A new life, in a new world."
"But we won't even live to see it."
Ryo gave a faint smile, sadness hidden beneath it.
"We don't have to. We're not gods, Ken. We're just the bridge."
Ken looked at the half-assembled chamber. Wires like vines wrapped around mechanical limbs. A heart monitor blinked, waiting for something to pump.
"…What happens if it works?" Ken asked, hesitating.
Ryo looked through the glass.
"Then the world will meet him again. Not as Keijo Kemio the rich heir…"
He turned and whispered:
"…but as the man reborn from death itself."
Ken took a deep breath, then finally nodded.
Underground Lab | Midnight | Conversation Between Dr. Ryo and Dr. Ken
The room was quiet except for the soft humming of machines. A dim blue light glowed from the chamber in the corner. The smell of antiseptic and metal filled the air.
Dr. Ken stood next to the table, staring at the body lying in front of him — or what was left of it.
He looked at Dr. Ryo, confused. "So how could we even do this?" he asked, his voice low.
Dr. Ryo didn't answer right away. He stared at the body, breathing slowly, eyes dark and focused.
"You know it well, Dr. Ken," Ryo finally said. "I've studied the process for years. We can do it. But we don't have everything we need right now. This…" — he motioned to the body — "this is just a pile of meat now."
Ken winced but didn't interrupt.
"If we want to create him again," Ryo continued, "we can't just use this full body. It's not safe. If we revive him exactly like this — heart, mind, soul — then he'll be back as a full human. But think about it... this is year 3080 we're talking about."
Ken's eyes narrowed. "So?"
"By then, everyone else will be robotic. Modified. Upgraded. Clothed in tech. But he… he'd be reborn naked, confused, weak. No protection, no armor. Just flesh in a world of machines."
Ken's face twisted in doubt. "So what do we do?"
"We have to build him differently," Ryo said. "Fifty percent human… fifty percent robot."
Ken took a step back, shaking his head. "Hell no. Are you out of your mind? What if he remembers everything? The killing, the pain, the people who betrayed him? You want to bring back that rage with robotic power? He could destroy everything."
Ryo looked at him with serious eyes. "I know. But if we don't take this risk, this whole project means nothing. We didn't come this far to stop now."
There was a long silence. Both men stared at the body.
"So… what's the plan then?" Ken finally asked.
"First," Ryo said, walking over to the table, "take out the whole body. Piece by piece."
Ken nodded.
"Second, take the heart out carefully. That's the only thing that still might hold his soul."
Ken grabbed gloves and tools, heart pounding.
"Third," Ryo said firmly, "we need to extract every nerve from his body. We'll need to reconnect it all to the robotic armor suit."
"The black one?" Ken asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yes," Ryo said, turning to the steel locker behind them. "The one built to survive anything. And it's not just armor…"
He paused.
"It's his new body."
"Let's begin."
Underground Secret Lab | 1:32 AM | Scene: The Escape
Dr. Ryo wiped the sweat off his forehead as he placed the final limb on the metal table.
"Legs, arms, torso, head… all in order," he muttered.
Dr. Ken nodded while carefully picking up the bloodied heart, wrapping it gently in a cooling capsule.
"Alright, time to bring out the suit," Ken said.
He walked over to the back of the lab, tapped a code into a hidden vault, and the heavy steel door slid open with a cold hiss. Inside stood a tall, black robotic suit — sleek, powerful, and glowing with faint blue lines.
"This is it," Ryo whispered. "Project 3080's rebirth suit."
They began to position the parts into the robotic armor shell, piece by piece. The nerves were being threaded through titanium bone, the heart fitted into the center core.
Suddenly—
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
A red alarm flashed on their radar screen.
Ryo's eyes widened. "We've got movement on the scanner…"
Ken rushed to the screen. "Oh no... it's the police. They're scanning the area. Someone tipped them off."
"We need to leave. NOW!" Ryo shouted.
"No!" Ken said. "We're too close!"
Then, without hesitation, Ryo grabbed the unfinished suit — now holding Keijo's heart and brain. He tossed it inside the cryo-chamber on the left wall. Steam hissed out as it sealed with a hard CLANK.
"What are you doing!?" Ken yelled.
"Buying us time," Ryo replied. He set a timer.
Self-destruct in 40 seconds... 39... 38...
They both grabbed oxygen tanks, strapped them on fast, and sprinted to the emergency hatch below the floor.
"Let's move!" Ryo shouted, pulling Ken down the hatch ladder.
They dived into the cold underground river that ran below the lab. The water was freezing. Bubbles rushed up as they swam fast through the tunnel.
BOOM!!!
The lab exploded above them.
Flames burst through the surface. The whole lab was gone.
But underwater… in the darkness… two men swam silently into the unknown — carrying a secret that could change the future.
Keijo's Mansion | Main Hall | 9:45 AM
The air in the mansion felt heavier than usual.
The staff moved slowly. No music. No noise. Just the sound of whispering family members and footsteps echoing in long, quiet hallways.
Then — the front door creaked open.
It was the butler, old yet sharp-eyed, with grey slicked-back hair and a long dark coat. He had a brown envelope in one hand, and something in his other — a thin, half-finished chewing gum, wrapped in a plastic test cover.
He stepped in calmly, glancing at every worried face in the room.
Butler (smirking):
"Well, well, well… Look what we have here. Seems like someone left us a little gift in the garden."
He walked in slowly, his boots clicking against the marble floor. Everyone turned to him — Keijo's brother stood up, tense.
Brother:
"What do you mean…? What gift?"
The butler didn't answer. Instead, he walked over to the fireplace, set down the envelope, and pulled a matchbox from his coat. One flick. One flame.
He lit a cigar.
Took a deep drag.
Butler (blowing smoke):
"The chewing gum we found near the lawn last night. Just got the results back from the lab."
(pauses, smirking again)
"It was Keijo's DNA. He was the only one in this house who ever touched that brand."
Gasps filled the room.
Keijo's mother, who had been sitting with a shawl over her shoulders, suddenly stood up — her hands shaking.
Mother:
"Who did this!? WHO TOOK MY SON!? I swear to God, I'll bury him alive with my bare hands!!"
The butler calmly walked over, pulled a chair, and sat down — as if he owned the place.
Another drag of the cigar.
Butler:
"Before you make any more threats, madam… perhaps you'd like to know where his fiancée is."
Mother:
"She… she's in her room. Crying. She said she's been crying since yesterday…"
Butler (coldly):
"Then maybe it's time someone pays her a little visit."
He stared into the smoke curling from his cigar, then flicked the ash into the fireplace.
Butler (quietly):
"After all… killers cry too."
Keijo's Mansion | Main Hall | 10:08 AM
The door to the grand hall creaked open.
Keijo's mother, still pale and trembling from the butler's last words, walked slowly down the corridor toward the guest wing — where her future daughter-in-law was supposedly mourning.
She stopped in front of the room and knocked twice.
Mother (softly, but a little cold):
"Hey, little girl… what you doing?"
Inside, Araki sat on the edge of the bed, mascara smudged, tissues scattered across the floor — though not a single tear had touched her cheek in hours.
Araki (sniffling, putting on a fake broken voice):
"Nothing… just praying he comes back."
Mother (calmly):
"The butler's calling you."
Araki (suspicious):
"Why… what did I do?"
Mother (shrugging):
"I don't know, honey. Maybe he's just got some more of his strange old jokes. Come on."
The Main Hall – Moments Later
Araki stepped into the room.
Everyone was there — Keijo's entire family, seated like judges in a courtroom. Taki Matsu (the father) standing tall, arms crossed, eyes locked on her. The siblings sitting tense. Silence thick in the air.
The butler turned, his cigar still burning in his fingers.
Then… he burst into laughter.
Not the kind of laugh you give for a joke — but the kind of laugh that says, "I know something you don't."
Butler (mocking, grinning):
"Well, look who finally decided to join us. Come in, sweetheart. We've been waiting."
Araki (nervously):
"What's going on…?"
At that moment, the door opened again — a doctor walked in, glasses low on his nose, carrying a file under one arm and a sealed chewing gum container in the other.
Behind him, a projector was wheeled in.
He nodded at the butler and faced the family.
Doctor (calmly):
"I've analyzed the gum found on the north lawn last night. The DNA extraction was successful."
He flicked on the projector.
A DNA sequence lit up the white wall behind him.
Then — two names appeared in red on screen:
> 🔬 Chewing Gum Sample:
DNA Match: 98.7% — Keijo Matsu Keimo
The room exploded in reactions.
Sister (gasping):
"No… that's not possible! He never chewed gum!"
Brother (whispers):
"He hated gum… he used to say it was 'low-class trash'…"
Mother (choked voice):
"Then… then why was it on the grass…?"
Father (Taki Matsu, slowly turning to Araki):
"Tell me something, Araki. Why did his DNA show up in that gum?"
Araki (shaking, voice cracking on purpose):
"I… I don't know! I swear, I don't know! Maybe he—maybe someone planted it!"
Butler (interrupts, ice-cold):
"Funny thing is… nobody in this family has touched gum in over ten years. And we all know that, don't we?"
Everyone nodded silently.
He stood up. Walked toward Araki.
Butler (low tone, straight to her face):
"That chewing gum was fresh. Dropped not more than two hours before we found it. You two were the only ones in that garden."
Araki:
"You can't prove I did anything!"
Butler (smirks):
"Not yet."
He turned to the doctor.
Butler:
"Doctor, would you kindly explain what else you found on that gum?"
Doctor:
"There was… a second trace. Female DNA. In saliva form."
Silence again.
Everyone stared at Araki.
She stood frozen. Her throat tightened. Eyes darted across the room.
And for the first time since Keijo went missing…
her fake sadness cracked.
Keijo's Mansion | Main Hall | The Confrontation
The projector's light flickered softly behind them. The gum, the DNA, the tension — it all lingered in the air like smoke.
Araki, standing alone now, her voice quivering but her mask still on, spoke up loudly to the room.
Araki (snapping):
"You're all acting like I've done something wrong! That doesn't prove anything! DNA on gum? That could've been there for weeks! I—I didn't kill anyone!"
The butler, slowly clapping, stepped forward — calm but sharp like a dagger.
Butler (quietly):
"Well, well, well. Madam Fiancé is playing innocent."
He reached into his coat and pulled out a folded paper.
Butler (voice rising):
"But let me tell you something, ma'am."
He turned to everyone.
Butler:
"We told you about the gum. Yes. But we didn't mention the three other things we found."
He walked over to the center of the hall, facing everyone like a man about to unveil a truth bomb.
Butler (firmly):
"Number one: Keijo had a habit. Ever since he was a child, he never went outside without his favorite sneakers. White, with a red stripe. His lucky ones. He even joked once he'd wear them to his own wedding. Well… guess where we found those sneakers?"
He points to the projector.
A picture flashes — the sneakers lying inside the garden. Untouched.
Butler:
"Number two: His phone. Still on the table beside his bed. No fingerprint after midnight. And Keijo… always checked his notifications first thing in the morning. He was excited. It was his wedding day. You're telling me he just forgot? Didn't touch it at all? Left it unlocked? C'mon."
Butler:
"Number three: No camera footage. Nothing at all. The mansion's entire security system got mysteriously blacked out between 3:42 AM and 4:01 AM. The exact time we think he vanished."
He paused. Looked directly into Araki's eyes.
Butler (low and sharp):
"You see, Araki… we never said you killed him."
Everyone in the room turned toward her now — tension peaking.
Butler (leaning forward):
"But your face… your reactions… they're telling us more than your words ever could."
Mother (grabbing her chest):
"Dear God… my son… was right there… and we all slept through it…"
Sister (whispering):
"She said she didn't hear anything…"
Brother (clenching fists):
"Where is he, Araki? Tell us where he is!"
Araki (shouting back):
"I didn't do anything! You're twisting everything! You're all—"
Butler (cutting her off, voice rising):
"Then tell us, madam. If you didn't… then who did?"
Silence.
The entire room froze, breathing heavy, every eye on her.
Keijo's Mansion | Same Morning | Tension at Its Peak
The air felt heavier than ever. Everyone stood still in the room. The projector light faded, but the truth was just beginning to glow.
Brother (firmly, voice cracking):
"Tell us what you did."
Sister (crying quietly):
"You were the last one with him, weren't you?"
Mother (desperate):
"Where is my son?! What did you do to Keijo?!"
Fiancée (Araki, backing away, panicking):
"I didn't do anything! In a crime world, people always blame the innocent! He's lying! The butler's lying!"
Butler (chuckling, low):
"Oh, most probably… I forgot to mention something, didn't I?"
He turned toward the family with a calm but cruel smile.
Butler:
"Do you all remember how Keijo, no matter where he went, miles away or next door, he never missed asking me for his warm glass of water every morning?"
Everyone nodded silently, remembering. It was his odd little habit. His comfort.
Butler (serious now):
"That day… he didn't ask. He didn't even come to me. You know why?"
He pointed at Araki.
Butler:
"Because he was with you. At our luxurious Apartment F. And now… nothing. No trace of him. No sign. No glass of water. No goodbye."
Fiancée (shaking her head, tears streaming):
"No! That's not true! I—I don't know anything, I swear!"
Brother (angrily stepping forward):
"You know something! You have to!"
Araki (crying louder):
"Why would I do anything?! Why would I hurt him?! He loved me!"
Butler (clenching his jaw):
"You think love covers up lies?"
He took a step forward.
Butler (voice low and cold):
"Yes, you know. You know everything. So tell us—RIGHT NOW."
Father (shouting):
"ANSWER HIM!"
Araki (sobbing):
"I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to—!"
SMACK!
The sound echoed through the room. The whole hall fell silent.
Keijo's father had slapped her.
Father (breathing heavily):
"You really did this to me? To us? To Keijo?"
Araki's legs shook. She fell to her knees, covering her face with both hands.
Araki (mumbling, crying):
"I never meant to... I never meant to... I didn't want this... I'm sorry..."
Everyone stared. The once-perfect fiancée, now broken, in the middle of the hall.
And yet... no one still had the answer they wanted most.
Where... was Keijo?
Inside the Grand Hall | Same Day | All Eyes on Araki
Araki sat frozen on the cold floor, her eyes red, cheeks soaked. Her hands trembled. She looked small in front of everyone — the once-proud bride-to-be, now broken.
Araki (barely able to speak):
"I… I slept beside him that night. I swear. We were in that apartment… I even remember him saying, 'I'll always be with you,' before we turned the lights off…"
She sniffled hard, clutching the corner of her dress.
Mother (soft, conflicted):
"You're saying… he was with you when you slept?"
Araki (nodding quickly):
"Yes! I didn't hear anything! I just... I just woke up and he was gone!"
Suddenly, the tense silence was broken.
Voice (nervous):
"Umm… sorry to interrupt, madam…"
Everyone turned. Standing at the edge of the hall was a short man in a plain blue uniform. He held a mop, his eyes shifting awkwardly.
It was Reza, one of the old cleaners of the mansion.
Reza (scratching his head):
"I—I wasn't gonna say anything… but this is serious. And maybe what I saw matters now."
Father (eyes sharp):
"Speak, Reza. What did you see?"
Reza (gulping):
"Last night… I was near the garden. Couldn't sleep. Went out for air. Then... I heard a van near the back. Real quiet. No headlights. I thought it was some delivery… but something felt off."
He paused. Everyone's faces froze.
Reza:
"I heard two men, whispering. Their voices were low… like they were hiding. And then I heard a girl's voice too. Muffled… like she was being held or something…"
Gasps.
Brother (stepping forward):
"You saw their faces?!"
Reza (shaking his head):
"No, sir… it was too dark. I didn't want trouble… but now I regret not saying anything sooner."
Butler (eyes narrowing):
"A van. Two men. And a girl. At the exact night he went missing."
Everyone turned their heads back toward Araki.
She was staring at Reza like she had seen a ghost. Tears still streamed, but her lips didn't move.
Araki (softly):
"I don't know anything about a van… I swear I don't…"
But the seed of doubt had been planted — not just toward her, but toward a bigger mystery.
Secret Lab – Somewhere Deep Underground, Unknown Location
The ocean waves still echoed in their heads. The lab they once built with care was gone — exploded to dust, swallowed by fire and water. Now, the two scientists sat in dim lighting, breathing heavy in their new hideout — a metallic bunker dug under the ruins of an old observatory.
Dr. Ken, still drenched in seawater, paced back and forth while drying his hands with a torn lab coat.
Dr. Ken (frustrated):
"What now, Ryu? What do we do now? We barely made it out… and they'll come for us eventually."
Dr. Ryu didn't flinch. He leaned against the metal desk, staring at what remained of the boy's body — wrapped tightly in surgical sheets, preserved in emergency stasis.
Dr. Ryu (calmly):
"Ken, we don't have a choice. We finish what we started."
Dr. Ken (snapping):
"Finish what?! We're criminals now! You know that, right? This is smuggling… kidnapping… possibly worse! You heard them — we're facing the death sentence!"
Ryu finally turned, locking eyes with Ken.
Dr. Ryu (firmly):
"And what if I told you… we still have time to rewrite history? What if this boy is not the end — but the beginning?"
Ken looked at him, eyes wide, torn between panic and disbelief.
Dr. Ken:
"You're serious…"
Dr. Ryu:
"Dead serious. This corpse… this pile of destroyed nerves and broken bones… He's more than just a body. If we reconstruct him, if we bring him back right — even part human, part machine — then maybe… just maybe… they won't kill us. Maybe they'll see our work… and understand."
Dr. Ken (quietly):
"…Or maybe they'll kill us faster for playing God."
Silence filled the lab. A thick pause. Then — both men looked at each other.
No words.
Only understanding.
They had no choice.
They turned back to the table. Ken wheeled over the containment capsule. Ryu began recalibrating the nervous implant systems. Their hands, though shaky, moved fast.
Dr. Ryu (to himself):
"We start with the spine… then the braincase… then slowly add armor to the limbs. We'll reconstruct him. Piece by piece."
Dr. Ken:
"And his heart?"
Dr. Ryu:
"His heart is human. Let's keep it that way."
The lights flickered as the generator kicked in. The project — once just an idea — had become their final hope.
Project Rebirth had begun
Inside the dimly lit secret lab, hidden deep beneath the ruins of an old military bunker, Dr. Ryu and Dr. Ken stood over the scattered remains of the body they smuggled.
It was quiet, just the low hum of machines and the distant sound of water dripping through concrete cracks.
The body lay cold on a steel table — parts still soaked, wires tangled like veins, and metallic limbs not yet fused to flesh.
Dr. Ryu wiped the sweat off his brow, looked at Ken, and said, "We need to give this body a proper structure… something that can move. Something that can live."
Ken hesitated but nodded. They pulled out blueprints of the artificial exo-skeleton — thin metal bones designed to connect perfectly with what was left of Keijo's body.
They began the process slowly. One by one, they fitted the metal spine, the limbs, the joints — aligning them with nerves and tissue like puzzle pieces. Bit by bit, Keijo's form returned, a hybrid of man and machine.
"It's just the beginning of his rebirth…" Dr. Ryu whispered, staring at the half-completed frame.
Dr. Ken sat down, exhausted.
"How much time do you think this will take?" he asked quietly.
"Three… maybe six years," Ryu replied. "If we're lucky."
He didn't look up. He already knew luck wasn't on their side.
Ken's voice cracked. "We need to stay alive until then. Or else... this all goes to waste."
Ryu finally looked at him — dead serious.
"You know what we did. Kidnapping. Illegal body reconstruction. Smuggling. If the Japanese government finds us, we're done. Death penalty. You think they'll go easy on us?"
Ken backed away, shaking his head. "No, no, no... I didn't sign up for this. I'm not dying for your experiment."
"You have no choice," Ryu said firmly. "We're in this together now. This body… this project… it's the only thing keeping us alive."
The lab fell silent again. Only the flickering lights above reminded them that time was moving — and so was their fate.
The Rebirth Lab, Somewhere Beneath Tokyo
The lab was glowing in a soft blue light, full of wires, machines, and screens flickering with data. Steam hissed from one of the vents as Dr. Ryu tightened the last joint on the body they had spent months building.
He and Dr. Ken were tired, really tired. They had barely eaten some days. Their eyes had dark circles, and their hands had little burns from soldering wires every day. But they were getting closer.
The body now looked complete. Strong metal bones covered in a new synthetic skin. Half-man, half-machine. A soul waiting to be reborn.
As Dr. Ken stepped back, wiping the sweat off his forehead, something strange happened.
For just a second, a finger twitched.
Just a little.
Too small for the eyes to notice.
But if they had… oh, if they had just seen that… maybe the whole story would've changed.
But they didn't.
The body stayed still again, lifeless, like a sculpture made by gods who were too scared to breathe life into it.
"Now comes the hard part," Dr. Ryu muttered, looking at a small black container in his hand. Inside was a tiny glowing blue chip—the Life Drive.
Dr. Ken looked at it too. "So, this is it?"
"Yeah," Ryu nodded. "Everything we have—his memories, his voice patterns, even a fake heartbeat code... it's all inside this chip."
Ken sighed. "But this won't make him truly alive, right?"
"No," Ryu said softly. "But it will make him believe he is. And maybe that's enough."
They both went silent for a second. The sound of wires sparking, the slow beep of their machines, filled the room.
Ken sat down on a stool and stared at the body.
"Bro," he said quietly, breaking the silence, "I don't know if we're doing the right thing."
Dr. Ryu looked at him seriously.
"Ken, you want to survive, right? You want to escape death? Then this is our only way. This project... Project 3080... it's our only hope."
Ken nodded slowly. "Then let's do it."
Ryu stood up, placed the Life Drive into a slot in the body's neck. It clicked.
They both stared. Waiting. Hoping.
The screen flashed:
"Initialization in progress…"
Outside, it started raining. Thunder cracked.
And inside that lab, something more powerful than thunder was starting to awaken.
After that The lab was dim, lit only by the blue flicker of old screens and the glow of the chamber's core. The body now stood tall — silent, still, complete.
Dr. Ryu stepped back, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"It's done," he whispered. "We actually did it..."
Dr. Ken looked at the figure. Half machine. Half flesh. But somehow… still him.
"This body," he muttered, "it holds more than just metal. It holds a second chance."
They stared at it for a long second. No words. Just the quiet sound of fans spinning, tools clinking, and hearts beating too fast.
Dr. Ryu finally broke the silence.
"Now we seal it."
Dr. Ken nodded.
And together, they lowered the body into the cryo-chamber, locking it down, one bolt at a time.
No one spoke. They just stood there… knowing what they created might change the world.
Or destroy it.