ACT I18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNOeTL7gP0
CHAPTER 3: SHATTERED CALENDARS18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RCmIBkeWh
DATE: 05.24.201318Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRV4PnZv4C
LOCATION: UCS FIELD CLINIC, ZONE C3 — 1:32 AM
Kenji Tanaka’s shoulder throbbed with each hurried step as he burst through the sliding doors of the UCS Field Clinic. Aiko and Satoshi trailed behind him, faces pale under the harsh fluorescent lights. Between them, Haruto Yamada lay on a makeshift stretcher, drifting in and out of consciousness, crimson crusted at the corners of his mouth.
Satoshi (voice cracking): “We… we found him in the tunnel. He—he attacked us, but then…”
Aiko cut him off with a glare. “Save it, Satoshi—help me keep him steady.”
Kenji shouted down the corridor, “Medic! Over here!” Two UCS medics in white coats materialized, their masks obscuring any expression.
Medic #1: “Look alive, Tanaka—move aside!”
Kenji snapped back, “Get him to a containment bay, now!”
The medics exchanged a quick glance. Medic #2 jabbed a hypodermic into Haruto’s IV line. Minutes later, Haruto’s body slackened; the red glow in his eyes faded. They lifted him onto a narrow gurney and wheeled him toward a sealed door marked “C3 – HIGH‑RISK CONTAINMENT.”
A pair of UCS guards stepped forward, blocking Kenji’s path.
Guard: “Citizens aren’t permitted past this point.”
Kenji’s jaw tightened. “He’s my friend. Let me—”
The guard’s visor descended. “Do not impede UCS operations.”
Kenji’s shoulders slumped. Aiko placed a gentle hand on his arm — a small comfort in the sterile chaos.
Rooftop Terrace of Clinic — 2:15 AM
Stairs clanked beneath Kenji’s feet as he escaped the clinic’s lower levels. The night air hit him with a sudden, cold clarity. On the rooftop terrace, emergency floodlights cast long shadows across rows of satellite dishes and ventilation units. The city’s hum was distant here — softer, like a lullaby of neon and traffic.
Kenji moved to a small alcove where a polished steel plaque gleamed under the light. Titled “In Memoriam: UCS Fallen”, it listed dozens of names — operatives lost battling rogue Vestiges. At the bottom, in bold italics, he found the name Riku Amasaki with the date 07.03.2010.
He retrieved a pale cherry blossom petal from his pocket — pinched from the quad earlier that afternoon — and laid it gently on his father’s name. Tears pricked at his eyes.
Kenji (thought): He believed in saving people… but he never came home.
His reflection shimmered in the metal surface, fragmented by dozens of other names. He wanted answers — why the UCS kept secrets, why Haruto had to suffer, and what role his father’s mission played in all this.
Lecture Hall — 10:00 AM
By midmorning, Kenji returned to campus for his scheduled lab session. The lecture hall was empty, desks arranged in neat rows. Dr. Hirota sat at the front, adjusting a stack of slides on his laptop.
Dr. Hirota (without looking up): “Tanaka‑kun, right on time.”
Kenji paused at the threshold. “Professor, about last night…”
Hirota’s gaze finally settled on him, eyes sharp behind wire‑rimmed glasses. “I read the incident report,” he said. “You and your friends brought Haruto in. Quite the spectacle.”
Kenji bristled. “It wasn’t a show.”
Hirota stood and retrieved a small card from his pocket. He handed it to Kenji. On it was a holographic UCS emblem and the words “After‑Hours Lab Access: Zone B2 – Bio‑Research Wing.”
Dr. Hirota: “I’m putting you on a controlled‑feeding study. If you’re truly curious about Vestiges, come see me tonight. People like you, with firsthand experience, have a perspective most researchers lack.”
Kenji turned the card over in his hand. The temptation glittered — a chance to learn, perhaps uncover truths about his father. But a memory flared: Haruto’s hollow stare in that tunnel, the taste of rat blood on his tongue.
Kenji (quietly): “I’ll think about it.”
Hirota’s lips curved in a knowing half‑smile. “Think quickly. Doors don’t stay open forever.”
SHUTTERED BUILDING, SHINJUKU SECTOR — 11:47 PM
Through a cracked ceiling vent, a slender, inky arm slipped into the silence of a derelict office. Kage moved without sound, a symphony of liquid shadow. His red‑black eyes, slitted like a cat’s, scanned the floor below.
In broken cubicles and empty desks huddled a dozen shut‑in youths — drifted here for shelter, drawn by rumors of free water and no questions asked. Their faces were gaunt; hollow eyes held the weight of streets and hunger.
Kage inhaled, tasting their despair like a cocktail of salt and loneliness. He traced a path toward a young man sleeping against a filing cabinet — chest rising and falling in a steady pattern. The boy’s heart, strong and regular, sang in Kage’s mind: a perfect host candidate.
A slight rustle to the left snapped Kage’s attention. Through broken glass, he glimpsed a streetlamp’s flicker. He paused, instinct alert. Now was not the moment.
“Not yet,” Kage thought, voice echoing in the host’s dormant synapses.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvJFtF8GH6
“Patience.”
He receded into darkness, leaving the youths untouched for another night. The city breathed below — ignorant of the symbiote slipping through its veins.
University Quad — 7:05 PM
Lanterns swayed in the evening breeze as Kenji met Aiko at their usual spot near the fountain. Satoshi was waiting, cheeks still flushed from lunch embarrassment.
Aiko: “You okay? You look like you saw a ghost.”
Kenji held up Dr. Hirota’s card. “He wants me in his lab tonight.”
Satoshi’s eyes lit up. “That’s amazing! You’ll be a UCS research insider!”
Aiko placed a steadying hand on Kenji’s arm. “Be careful. UCS labs… they’re not just classrooms.”
Above them, a small surveillance drone hummed through the air, its single lens swiveling to scan faces. A notification buzzed in Kenji’s pocket. He pulled out his phone:
“Lab Pass Activated – Zone B2 Bio‑Research Wing. Valid: 05.24.2013 19:00–23:00.”
Kenji exhaled, heart thudding. The card in his hand might open doors… or cage him like Petri dish specimen.
Kenji (softly): “I don’t know if I can do this.”
Aiko stepped closer. “No matter what happens, you’ve got us. We’ll face it together.”
Satoshi nodded, brandishing a half‑eaten onigiri. “Yeah. And I’ll bring snacks—just in case you get hungry in the lab.”
Kenji managed a laugh. For a moment, the world felt steady again. Yet in the shadows beyond the cherry trees, something watched — slow, patient, waiting for the right host to emerge.
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