Akira jerked awake as a sharp needle-like sting lanced through his shoulder. The system alert didn't make a sound; it simply appeared, overlaid across his bedroom's room ceiling like text projected onto smoke, glowing faintly at the edges.
[GATE MANIFESTATION: ACTIVE]
[LOCATION: HARBOR DISTRICT — SECTOR 4 DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE]
[CLASSIFICATION: BETA-CLASS]
[ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNATURE: AQUATIC — PRESSURIZED]
[RECOMMEND IMMEDIATE RESPONSE]
Akira sat up. Checking his bedside table, the time was 5:47 AM. Outside, the city was still in that brief state of quiet it only managed for about thirty minutes before the first trains began to run.
He stared at the notification for a moment, then dismissed it with a blink.
"Good morning, darling," Ai greeted in a warm, unhurried voice, like she'd been awake for hours waiting for this. "Beta-class gate. Water environment. And you have a Domain Battle in approximately sixteen hours. Fantastic scheduling."
"Not now, Ai."
