Elsewhere, deep within the stone walled palace of Alden Central, the research hall was quiet as three men hung around a wooden tabletop. A single guard stood near the entrance to the isolated room. Wall-hung lanterns lit the surroundings and gave the researchers enough light to observe their experiment.
One held a small metal tool with a speck of dried blood. He carefully scraped it into a Solena basin below. The blood hit the water and slowly dissolved. The researchers watched, looking, but unexpecting.
"If it's positive, it should glow right? The negatives normally only shimmer slightly," one asked.
Another, the middle man, wore a prestigious lab coat. His rank was clearly higher than the others. He responded after a moment of thought.
"Yes. It should. If the Solena output is high enough, it should become almost luminescent."
Their focus remained on the basin, but it remained unchanged.
"Damn it. Another bust," the third said. He turned his head away.
Just as he did, the higher-ranking man tapped his arm. The third man turned back to the basin, and his eyes grew wide. The water had turned into a glowing violet color.
The three men admired the results. The first man turned to the guard after seeing it for himself.
"Guard! Bolt to Lord Hoshuro. Tell him..." He paused for just a moment. A smile crossed his lips. "Tell him the results were positive. The Ghost is the Final Sephoran."
The guard turned instantly. He began running down the endless corridors of the palace. The stone quickly turned into a well-polished marble. Every step echoed through the chamber, until the guard encountered two large iron doors. The same that Tsuki once stood before. He slowly opened the right door and his body slipped through the gap. He rushed forward; Lord Hoshuro sat in his place among the other councilmen.
The chamber felt colder. Even the lantern flames seemed to shrink.
"What is the meaning of this?" called Hoshuro.
The guard quickly drooped to a knee in the heart of the chamber. His voice was quiet, but certain.
"Lord. I bring news from the research hall."
Hoshuro tapped his fingers on the mantle before him. His head laid within his other hand, clearly awaiting the news.
"Well? Go on."
The guard's voice rose. "They found him."
Hoshuro's eyes became doubtful. "You don't mean..."
"I do sir. The Final Sephoran. The Solena basin confirmed that it's the Ghost."
Hoshuro's eyes grew wide. A small silence followed, but a twisted grin formed as he next spoke. The other councilmen didn't dare speak; not while Hoshuro did.
"Yes. YES!" he shouted. "Perfect. Go inform our infiltrator. Our next steps must be well thought out. We know it's the Ghost..."
Another thoughtful moment passed as Hoshuro gathered words.
"Now we lure him out."
The guard nodded, and turned to leave. Hoshuro's voice interrupted him one more time.
"Oh, and guard? Get me Chaze would you?"
"Yes my lord," he replied, before churning his legs towards the doors.
As the guard's footsteps faded down the palace corridor, Hoshuro leaned back in his marble throne, fingers steepled beneath his chin. The councilmen murmured, fear and anticipation twisting their voices into a low storm.
Only one thought cut clear through the noise.
"The Final Sephoran... alive."
His grin sharpened. A man who knew he was closer to victory than ten minutes ago.
"He'll come. They always do."
The lantern flames swayed, casting long shadows across the council's faces—shadows that stretched and twisted like hungry hands reaching for a ghost.
Back in the barren wastelands of Jon, the sun hung low over the district, casting long shadows across the stone-lined paths. Dust clung to their boots as they wound through narrow alleys and crumbling streets. The town was unusually silent for the hour—an unnatural hush that only deepened the tension.
"Nothing," Geo muttered at last, shaking his head. "We've asked nearly every vendor and barkeep in this place. No sign of the district representative."
"Same here," Azumi said, arms crossed tightly. "Either these people are terrified… or someone told them to keep quiet."
Hatori stood a few paces ahead, still as a statue, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
"We need to figure something out quick," he said.
They stood next to an old stone building. It laid in the center of a decaying courtyard. The ground was cracked, grass forcing its way through, as if even the ground here resisted being crushed. Murmurs passed among them, frustration rising in their voices.
Just as Tsuki began to speak, a sound pierced the air.
A child's scream.
"Help! Somebody help me!"
All heads snapped toward the voice. Without hesitation, Tsuki bolted toward the source, her hand instinctively readying her shadow technique. The others followed in stride.
Tsuki maneuvered through the rundown town, dodging broken carts, loose crates and scattered tools in her path. Eventually the squad reached a dilapidated storage barn, tucked away from the main road. An APC soldier loomed over a small boy, gripping him by the hair with one hand and cocking his other arm back.
"Tell me where he is!" the soldier growled. "I know you're lying."
"I—I really don't know!" the boy cried out, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I swear!"
The guard didn't care. He drove his fist into the boy's gut, sending him to the ground with a pained wheeze. "Your pa owes the APC minerals. Best quit your lying or I may have to force him out."
"Hey!" Tsuki's voice rang like a gunshot. "Get away from him!"
The guard turned just in time to see a blur—Tsuki's knee crashing into his chest, knocking the wind from him. He stumbled back, gasping, but before he recovered, Tsuki struck again with a swift elbow to the temple. The man crumpled to the dirt, groaning but alive.
The boy still laid on his back, holding his abdomen, trying to regather his breath. Tsuki knelt beside him. "Are you okay?" she asked, gently placing a hand on his shoulder.
The boy nodded, wincing. "Y-Yeah. Thank you…"
Geo cuffed the downed soldier, while Azumi kept her blade near his throat.
"What the hell were you doing to him?" Hatori asked coldly. "I should end you here... Beating up on a child like that."
The guard hissed in pain. "Orders. I was told to find the leader's whereabouts. The higher-ups think he's planning something…"
Geo scoffed. "Of course he is."
Tsuki turned back to the boy, who was wiping tears from his dusty face. He had a tiny scar on his forehead. His short hair allowed his soulful blue eyes to glow. She couldn't help but notice he resembled the boy from back then. Nokosaki. The ticket to her life as it was. "What's your name?"
"Reji," he said, voice trembling. "My dad is the one you're looking for. He's the district head… or he was."
Azumi blinked. "Wait—your dad is the one reporting to the council?"
Reji nodded. "He doesn't anymore, though. Not really. He's been hiding. Ever since he started the revolt…"
"You mean he started it?" Hatori raised an eyebrow.
"I think so," Reji said. "He never told me details, but… I heard him talking about you. Memento. He said if you ever came, you might be the key to uniting the whole district."
Tsuki's brow furrowed. "Where is he now?"
"I don't know," Reji admitted, his shoulders sagging. "I really wasn't lying. He keeps moving… for safety, I guess. He said too many people were watching. Even some of the villagers here—some still believe the APC is protecting us."
"They're afraid," Azumi said quietly.
"Yeah," Reji nodded. "Most are too scared to act. And the ones who aren't scared… they're too angry. It's like the district is split in three. But my dad believes the people just need something to believe in. He said that when Memento arrives, hope will too."
Tsuki exchanged a glance with Geo, then looked back at Reji with softened eyes.
"Then let's make him right."
Reji walked alongside the squad, a bit too fast for his legs to comfortably keep up. His hands were shoved deep in his coat pockets, head low, but the occasional glance upward revealed awe in his eyes—he was traveling with Memento.
"So," Ringo said, sidling up beside the boy with a lazy grin, "you ever meet any rebels before us?"
Reji chuckled shyly. "Only stories. My dad used to say you were ghosts. Like shadows in the wind."
"Well," Knoxx muttered, tossing a small rock in the air, "he wasn't wrong about the 'ghost' part."
Tsuki looked back over her shoulder, her split black-and-white mask catching a flicker of sunlight. "You holding up okay, Reji?"
He nodded, gaze flicking between her and the others. "I just didn't think I'd ever be walking through town with people like you. I mean... you're the real deal."
"Try not to be too disappointed," Geo said dryly.
Reji laughed for the first time. "No, I'm not. Just feels weird, like I'm in a dream or something."
They rounded a bend, moving into a more quiet stretch of Jon's older district. The buildings here were cracked and crooked, with wooden supports propped against stone walls like makeshift crutches.
"There," Reji pointed abruptly. "That one with the red shutters—that's my house."
They climbed the narrow steps and pushed the creaky door open. The inside smelled faintly of old ash and earth, a home left behind in haste. Tsuki had seen homes like this long before. The inevitable grip of the APC left families in ruin, and homes lifeless. Dust floated through beams of filtered sunlight. A kettle lay sideways on the counter.
"Empty," Hatori muttered.
Tsuki began scanning the room, noting signs of a quick exit. Dishes were still on the table, a few boots missing from the rack.
Knoxx leaned down to Reji's level. "Hey kid… where's your mom?"
Reji's shoulders tensed. He stared at the floor.
"She was taken," he said softly. "By the APC. She's an ability user. They chained her up like a criminal and dragged her out of here. My dad and I… we just had to stand there and watch."
No one spoke; the silence said enough. Tsuki's chest tightened. She knew that feeling of hopelessness all too well.
Reji continued, voice growing shakier. "After that, my dad lost it. Started screaming at every guard he saw. Told them he'd burn down the council's damn palace if they didn't let her go."
Ringo's eyes widened. "Your dad said that out loud? Damn…"
"He did," Reji said. "And Gogi—the council member over Jon—he threatened to take everything from us. Said he'd revoke our status, cut our food rations, blacklist us from work. My dad stopped yelling. But he didn't stop fighting."
Reji looked up, this time with a flicker of pride.
"He just got smarter. He started planning behind the scenes. Using his position to manipulate shipments, trade reports, even fuel shortages. Father always said the mines were half the heart within Alden Central. Zimala and Riche, too. He found ways to reroute deliveries, delay shipments, undercut APC profits. Quiet rebellion."
Azumi crossed her arms. "That's clever. A slow bleed."
"He always said, 'The APC bleeds green. Cut the money, and you'll find the heart.'"
They filed out of the home, thoughtful, and continued down the uneven road that snaked deeper into Jon. As the squad walked, Ringo talked Reji's ear off about what life in Memento was really like—less glory, more sleepless nights and sore feet. Reji laughed, and even Hatori gave a small grin.