The first time Aiko hears Lunaris, she thinks she's losing her mind.
The voice doesn't echo in her ears—it blooms softly behind her thoughts, gentle and impossibly ancient. Hours earlier, a Starfall object tore through the Tokyo skyline, crashing into the abandoned harbor district. By nightfall, the military has sealed off the area. By midnight, something begins to move inside the crater.
Astra Wraiths spill into the city like living shadows, drawn to panic. Streets flood with sirens and screams. Aiko, separated from her family during the evacuation, runs straight into the chaos instead of away from it. Fear pounds in her chest—but so does something else. A pull. A warmth.
The Starfall core responds to her.
Metallic petals unfold from the crater, revealing Unit-07: Lunaris. Unlike the other Frames, it doesn't feel cold. It feels… aware. When Aiko reaches out, trembling, the cockpit opens as if welcoming her home.
The synchronization is imperfect—messy, emotional, overwhelming. She feels the Wraiths' hunger, the city's terror, her own doubt. But instead of breaking her, it sharpens her resolve.
For the first time, Lunaris moves.
And when its silver wings ignite against the burning skyline, Tokyo realizes it isn't completely alone.