Morning light filtered through the thin curtains of Kaito's apartment. It was grey and weak. It matched the color of the sky over Neo Ashford. Kaito woke up without an alarm. His body knew the time.
He sat on the edge of the bed. He picked up his phone from the nightstand. The screen lit up with news notifications. One headline sat at the top of the feed.
News Alert: Gas Explosion Rocks Grey District. No Casualties Reported.
Kaito stared at the text. His thumb hovered over the screen. He knew the Grey District. He knew every block. There were no gas lines in the old sector. The infrastructure had been stripped ten years ago. The buildings ran on electricity or nothing at all.
He opened the article. The photos showed a collapsed structure. Dust plumes rose into the air. Emergency vehicles surrounded the site. The caption said structural failure due to leakage.
Kuro said: "They are lying."
Kaito said: "There is no gas."
Kuro said: "Then what blew up?"
