Tokyo, Japan – 11:47 PM
The city never truly sleeps. Neon signs buzzed softly against the dark sky. Tokyo's heartbeat echoed in the narrow alleys, fast-paced and restless. Somewhere between the chaos and silence stood a man with eyes that had seen too much.
Arata leaned against a cold brick wall in the back alley of Shinjuku, cigarette between his lips — unlit. He never smoked it. He just needed to feel like something burned slower than he did.
His black trench coat fluttered slightly with the cold summer breeze. In his earpiece, a voice whispered.
> "Target's on the move. Building C. West exit. Alone."
Arata didn't answer. He never did unless necessary. Silence had become a habit—no, a weapon.
He moved, melting into the crowd like a shadow. Smooth, calculated steps. One hand always near the hidden blade in his sleeve. Eyes scanning. Mind blank yet focused.
He wasn't just a man.
He was a ghost raised by an agency the world never knew—NOKRA.
No files. No history. No future. Only missions.
---
12:04 AM – Tokyo Underground
But that night, something changed.
The target—a small-time tech smuggler—wasn't alone.
As Arata reached the drop-point, his steps halted. There, in the middle of the dark alley, stood a girl.
She couldn't have been older than twenty.
Long chestnut hair, pale skin, eyes wide like she'd seen death and refused to blink.
She looked straight at Arata.
> "You're late," she said, her voice calm... too calm.
Arata frowned. She wasn't part of the mission. He should've walked away. Eliminated her even. But something in her voice—like she'd heard him coming long before he arrived—made him freeze.
> "Who are you?" he asked.
She smiled faintly. "Does it matter? You're here for answers, right? I have them."
And just like that, the target ran. Arata didn't move.
He didn't care.
For the first time in years, a mission didn't matter.
The girl did.
---
01:21 AM – Arata's Apartment
He brought her to his safehouse. Not because he trusted her. But because the way she looked at him—it felt like she knew him.
> "So?" Arata asked, standing by the window.
She sat on the edge of the couch, fingers clutching the hem of her skirt.
> "My name's Yuiri. And I think... you knew my father."
Arata's heart skipped. He didn't react outwardly, but inside, something cracked.
> "Your father?" he echoed.
> "His name was Dr. Renji Aisaka. He used to work for NOKRA. Before... he vanished."
That name. Like a ghost from a past Arata had buried under blood and silence.
He remembered the night clearly — the screams, the fire, and the experiment that went wrong.
> "Your father's dead," he said coldly.
Yuiri shook her head.
> "No. He's not. He's alive. And NOKRA is lying to you."
---
01:48 AM – Flashback: 8 Years Ago
The cold room smelled of metal and medicine.
Inside, a 17-year-old Arata screamed as needles pierced his veins.
A man stood behind the glass — white coat, calm eyes.
Dr. Renji Aisaka.
> "He can survive this," the doctor had whispered. "He's special. We made sure of it."
Back then, Arata didn't understand what those words meant.
Now he did.
They turned him into something that felt human but wasn't.
A weapon. A memoryless puppet.
---
02:09 AM – Back to Present
> "Why tell me this?" Arata asked, staring at her.
> "Because I need your help," she whispered. "And because... I think you were the one who saved me when I was a child. I remember your eyes."
For a second, time stopped.
Those eyes—Arata had never heard someone say that before.
He turned away.
> "Sleep. We talk in the morning."
Yuiri didn't argue. But as she laid on the couch, Arata knew this wasn't the end. It was the beginning.
The air was colder than usual that night.
And somewhere far away… someone from NOKRA whispered:
> "He's found her. Prepare to eliminate them both."
---
Chapter 1 ends.