In 2066 — The Golden Age of Artificial Intelligence....
A boy ran.
"Catch him!"
"Don't let him go!"
"Don't let him escape!"
Despite the shouts echoing behind him, he didn't stop.
He squeezed through narrow alleys, slipped past tight corners—barely evading the adults chasing him.
"Don't let him escape!! If he gets away, I'll kill you all!"
He goes inside a large building...
Through maze-like corridors and endless rooms—
he finally lost them.
"…Haah…"
He exhaled sharply and stumbled into a restroom, locking himself inside.
Silence.
For a moment.
Creak.
"Oh my…? What's a child doing in the female restroom?"
A woman's voice.
"…Hm?"
Her gaze fell on him—
disheveled face, strange white attire, ragged breathing.
"Young boy… were you being chased?"
He nodded faintly.
"…Do you want me to get rid of them?"
He hesitated.
Then—
nodded again.
"Don't be so cautious," she smiled—something about it felt… off.
"I'm not your enemy."
Her lips curved into something darker.
"…If I help you, what are you willing to give in return? I'm quite expensive, you know."
"I… don't have anything."
"Don't worry. You can repay me later."
She turned toward the door.
"Stay here. I'll take care of it."
…
Ten minutes passed.
The door opened again.
"Let's go, boy. I've taken care of them."
They walked through the corridors—
stained with blood.
No bodies.
"…Now that I think about it," she said casually,
"I never asked your name. What is it?"
…
"You can say you don't—"
"Experiment-05.
…I was labeled as a failure recently."
"…That's not a name," she said sharply.
"…Then I don't have one."
"…Ugh. Kids these days."
She sighed, then smirked slightly.
"Alright, this big sister will name you.
Oh, right—my name is Sumeria. You can call me Susan."
She paused for a moment.
"…I'll call you—Raphael."
"How does that sound?"
He looked at her.
…Then nodded.
"Can I ask you something?" he said quietly.
She pulled out her phone and answered a call.
"Yeah, what is it?"
"What will happen to me now?"
"…Hm?"
She hung up and slipped the phone back into her pocket.
"If you mean from now on…"
She looked straight at him.
"…You're going to be my partner."
He made a face.
"…Why are you looking at me like that?" she frowned.
"Hey—by partner, I meant fighting partner, not that kind!"
"I'm not interested in brats like you, got it?! You brat!"
"…Oi… Oi…"
Ray's voice echoed—
pulling me back.
I opened my eyes.
"…Did you have a nightmare?" Ray asked.
"You were sweating a lot."
"…A nightmare?"I sat up slowly, reaching for a glass of water.
"…Probably not.
…Just memories from my past."
As I drank—
something felt… off.
"…Hm?"
"…Hm?"
Both of us spoke at the same time.
"Were your fingers always like that?" Ray asked.
"They look… stronger."
"…No."
I stared closely.
"…Not my fingers.
…My nails."
They had changed.
"…Ah. Is this because of [Poisoner]?" Ray said.
"Odes' entire body changed—but yours is just your nails?"
"…They're sharper…
…and harder…" I traced them slowly, fascinated.
"…They're growing fast too," Ray added.
I stayed silent—
watching them.