-CONTROL ROOM-
-1:37 PM, MARCH 10, 2017-
The system strained.
The air felt tighter.
Heavier.
Rikuu's fingers didn't stop moving.
Ichika matched his pace.
Both focused.
Both pushing.
The crack in the system widened.
Just a little more.
A fragile opening.
Rikuu's voice was low.
"…This is it."
Ichika nodded.
"…If we push through now—"
"…we reach the core."
The system resisted.
Hard.
But unevenly now.
Unstable.
The man finally moved.
"…You've forced it to this state."
A pause.
"…Which means it's time to end this phase."
Rikuu glanced at him briefly.
"…You're losing control."
The man's expression remained calm.
"…No."
A pause.
"…I'm transitioning."
Ichika frowned slightly.
"…Transitioning to what?"
The man didn't answer.
Suddenly—
The system changed.
Not resisting.
Not pushing.
But shifting.
The interface flickered.
Then—
A new structure appeared.
Something deeper.
More complex.
Rikuu's eyes widened slightly.
"…This isn't the same system."
Ichika stepped closer.
"…It's… layered."
The man spoke calmly.
"…You've been interacting with an outer layer."
A pause.
"…Now you've reached the threshold of the core."
The system reacted again.
Stronger.
Faster.
More aggressive.
Rikuu tried to stabilize the connection.
But—
The system pushed back violently.
A warning flashed.
"CRITICAL SYSTEM STABILITY BREACH"
Ichika's eyes widened.
"…Rikuu—"
The system surged.
And then—
It pushed them out.
The screens went dark for a split second.
Connection—
Broken.
Silence.
Rikuu stepped back slightly.
"…Damn it."
Ichika exhaled slowly.
"…We were close."
Rikuu shook his head slightly.
"…We still are."
The man smiled faintly.
"…Closer than you think."
Rikuu looked at him.
"…We'll get back in."
A pause.
"…And next time, we don't fail."
The man met his gaze.
"…Then I'll be waiting."