Gaia's Forbidden Territory, Sacred Castle of the Elders
THWUP-THWUP-THWUP-THWUP
A helicopter lands heavily on the concrete pad within the grounds of the Sacred Elder Castle. The roar of its rotors shatters the silence of the isolated region.
From within the cabin, the silhouette of a formally dressed man emerges. He steps down stiffly, immediately greeted by two officers in black uniforms who have been waiting.
Tap... Tap... Tap…
The sound of polished shoes echoes, resounding along the cold marble corridor leading to the Main Hall. Upon reaching the massive doors, symbols of absolute power, the two officers instantly kneel in reverence.
Kreeeee…
The heavy doors open slowly, revealing the intimidating grandeur within.
"Elder..." the two officers speak almost in unison, their heads deeply bowed. "The Prime Minister of Japan has arrived."
The Elder gives only a brief glance. He remains seated on his grand throne, offering no gesture of welcome whatsoever.
The Minister bows respectfully, stepping forward with great care to face the Elder. He maintains a safe distance, an invisible boundary that marks the difference in their status.
"Elder..." the Minister speaks, his voice carefully restrained. "I, with the utmost respect, answer your summons."
"Identity." The Elder's voice is flat, devoid of emotion, yet laden with lethal authority.
"We have conducted an identity trace on the target," the Minister replies, pausing briefly to steady his breath. "But... the target is using a false identity, borrowing the family name of one long deceased." A trace of panic begins to creep across the Minister's face.
Tick... Tick... Tick…
The sound of the Elder's fingers tapping against the table of authority becomes the only thing that can be heard.
The Elder remains silent. His face stays calm, expressionless, which only makes the atmosphere grow more suffocating.
"B... But, we have many photos and videos," the Minister adds, his voice trembling. "These records show a boy named Jōgan, along with his two younger sisters..."
The Minister quickly hands over the file. An officer takes it promptly, then places it upon the Elder's table. Without touching the file, the Elder glances back at the Minister.
"And... the father?" the Elder asks coldly.
"At present, we have deployed all national Cyber and IT teams… That man... does not have a single photo or video. Every CCTV that captures his silhouette immediately suffers a technical disturbance. There are no DNA records or fingerprints." the Minister replies, his tone now completely unraveling in fear. He bows deeply, his face nearly level with his knees.
The Elder rises from his seat, his voice unchanged, yet his words carry absolute command.
"72 hours."
"That man's data... must already be on my desk." The Elder turns his back on the Minister, gazing out through the vast window toward the horizon.
"We will do everything in our power, Your Majesty," the Minister answers, not daring to oppose in the slightest.
With his body still bowed, the Minister steps backward slowly, leaving the Sacred Hall as cold sweat soaks through his shirt.
***
Chichibu Hills Region
Whirrr... Whirrr…
The roar of engines tears through the silence of the night in the Chichibu hills. Two vehicles speed forward, cutting through the winding, deserted roads. In front, Hiji drives the ambulance at high speed, his eyes sharp as they scan the road, his hands steady on the wheel.
Inside the rear cabin, the atmosphere is tense. Zulo and Kaito move swiftly, replacing Jōgan's infusion bag that is nearly empty. Meanwhile, Sanna continues to wipe the beads of sweat that keep forming endlessly on Jōgan's forehead.
"Why... does Jōgan keep sweating? His eyelids keep trembling so violently," Sanna asks, her voice unable to hide her worry.
"His soul is undergoing a battle of fate, within the cosmic realm. Right now, Jōgan is not with us," Hiji answers briefly without turning. "His soul drifts across the universe, lost among trillions of stars." he continues, his voice sounding heavy.
"C... Cosmic?" Kaito responds, confused.
"Does that mean he's alone there?" Zulo adds. His face is filled with concern, yet his gaze shows deep trust in his friend.
"Then... will he come back to us?" Sanna presses, staring at Jōgan's face that looks pained even in his sleep.
"Perhaps... if he manages to find his way back," Hiji replies softly, a faint trace of hope woven into his voice.
Right behind the ambulance, Diana drives Hiji's car with full concentration. In the back seat, Riko and Rika have fallen asleep, unaware of the tension unfolding around them.
***
Internal Vision: Cosmic Depth
Silent… Still… Motionless…
NGINGGGG…
A sharp ringing strikes Jōgan's forehead, deafening his inner hearing.
"ARGHHH! S... STOP!" Jōgan shouts as he clutches his head tightly.
Thump~Thump~Thump…
Amid the empty cosmic void, Jōgan can hear every beat of his own heart. The vibrations from his hands pressing against his scalp travel through his bones, reaching his inner ears with a thunderous sound.
With frustration reaching its peak, Jōgan stomps his foot into the void.
BRUSSHHH!
His body shoots forward instantly at blinding speeds. He passes through clusters of stars and galaxies in the blink of an eye, until he is finally slammed onto the surface of a planet.
BRASSHHH!
Jōgan falls onto an endless stretch of sand. With his body swaying, he tries to rise, forcing both hands to push against the sandy surface to support himself. However, the pressure of his energy is too great.
BRUSSHHH!
The force of his push instead hurls his body back into space, launching him toward another planet.
BYUURRR!
This time, Jōgan crashes into a planet whose entire surface is water. The powerful underwater current immediately drags him down to the depths.
"Hakss... hakss...!"
Jōgan struggles to swim with all his strength, fighting against the crushing pressure of the water on his lungs. He slams both of his hands against the water's surface in frustration.
BYAARRRR!
Once again, his body is flung across billions of stars. Pure light envelops him until he lands on the third planet.
KLING~KLING~KLING…
The sound of Jōgan's body striking a vast field of hard crystals echoes sharply. He falls upon a sea of gemstones.
"Hakksss..." His breath comes in ragged gasps. Jōgan lies on his back atop millions of shimmering gems. His body and eyes are utterly exhausted; he does not fully understand what is happening to his soul.
"Damn... my body is moving with pure light energy," Jōgan mutters as he swallows, trying to endure the crushing pain throughout his body.
He tilts his head and looks at the gemstones around him. With trembling hands, he picks up several pieces.
"I don't even know which planet I've fallen onto now," he says, then lets out a faint chuckle in the midst of his despair. "But if I can return home with these... I will become the richest person in the world."
***
Chichibu Hills Region, Japan.
Diana presses the gas pedal deeper, maintaining her distance so as not to fall behind the ambulance speeding ahead of her.
"M... are we there yet?" Riko asks softly while hugging her teddy bear, her voice hoarse like someone who has just woken up.
"A... you're awake, huh?" Diana replies while briefly glancing at the rearview mirror. "We still have quite a long way to go. Be patient, alright?" Diana says, trying to soften her voice so it sounds gentle to the children.
"I'm... awake too," Rika adds as she rubs her eyes, still feeling heavy.
"M... Big sister… I'm hungry." Riko says with an adorably spoiled expression.
"Yeah... me too!" Rika chimes in enthusiastically while raising her hand into the air.
"Ahahaha... Alright, once we arrive, we'll have a big meal, okay," Diana answers, her laughter breaking out as she watches their innocent behavior.
"Yaaay...!" Riko and Rika shout at the same time, filling the car cabin with brief cheerfulness.
"Okay, what do you want to eat–" Diana's words stop instantly.
Sudden–
from the dark side of the road... a shadow moved at blinding speed.
BRAKKKK-KREEEETTT!
Something slams into the side door of the car with massive destructive force. Diana loses control of the steering in an instant as the car is shoved sideways.
DREEEEKKKK!
The car skids wildly, crashing through and tearing apart the steel roadside barrier until nothing remains.
DUARRRR-DRAGGGHHH!
Without any chance to brake, the car plunges freely. Breaking through the hillside and disappearing into the darkness of the Chichibu ravine.