The place I'm in feels like a giant metal box, with a few slits where light gets through.
It looks fancy and clean, but that doesn't mean I like being confined.
I know there's a door somewhere, even if I can't see it. And I know that even if I could, I wouldn't be able to get through it.
I'm tied to a chair, arms behind my back.
In front of me is someone whose name I still haven't figured out. He's sitting a few meters away, like he's trying to keep his distance.
"I already told you I had nothing to do with what happened! I don't even really know what happened!"
"Mr. Kaiki," he says, crossing his legs. "We've spent a few hours here, and so far, you haven't proven a single thing you've said."
He looks through the file in his hands while playing with a pen. "Why don't you make it easier and tell us how you got the Lightning Sphere?"
"I already told you! It was a delivery I made. The client never showed up, and I opened it because I thought it was food and I was starving. Then all that stuff happened! What else do you want to know?"
"Just a few more details you seem to be leaving out, Mr. Kaiki."
"Details? What details?"
"Every Lightning Sphere can only be activated with a code."
He stands up and starts circling me, glancing at the file and then ahead. "According to your statement, the Sphere identified you through a puncture in your finger and then called you 'King.'"
"That's right! I already told you that!" I say, stretching my neck toward him.
"Look, I'm just as confused as you are. But I'm telling the truth! I don't even know what a Lightning Sphere is or what this thing — this Channeling — even means. So could you please stop treating me like a criminal? I just want to go home."
He walks back to his chair. This time, he doesn't sit — he stays standing, staring down at me with a condescending look behind his glasses.
His slick black hair, triangular face, and a small scar on his eyebrow make him look sharper than he probably is.
"Mr. Kaiki," he says seriously. "There's no way for you to go back home. At least not after what you've done."
"And what exactly did I do?"
"You blew up one third of your city's commercial sector."
"One third?" I ask, stunned. "Did anyone die? Were people hurt?"
I see him raise an eyebrow and scan me from head to toe.
I don't like that look.
"Answer me!"
I lurch forward in the chair, but it's bolted to the floor.
"I was born there! I grew up with the people in that place! I have the right to—"
"Mr. Kaiki."
He raises his voice, though he isn't shouting.
"The Lightning Sphere gave you power. But in order for that to happen, an intense amount of energy had to be accumulated — a Channeling — which resulted in an explosion."
He steps forward.
"You activated that Lightning Sphere. You are responsible for the destruction of those buildings. Whether someone was injured or killed — whether you're innocent or not — it is still your fault."
"Then let me go back!" I shout, fired up. "I need to help them."
The man in front of me gives me a strange look. He doesn't look offended — just surprised. Genuinely surprised.
"Did you not hear what I said? You are the one responsible for what happened. How do you expect to help the people you've harmed?"
"I don't know!" I lose my patience. "But at least I'll be there to do something — anything. Unlike you!"
My wrists hurt from how hard I've been pulling against the cuffs, but I don't care.
"You spent half an hour going on and on about how this is my fault, but I bet you're not going to lift a finger to help those people!"
"The government will assist them," he replies, still with that note of disbelief in his voice.
"No, it won't!" I shout.
"You know what, you four-eyed bastard? I know exactly what it's like to be in a desperate situation."
"My name is Zero, Mr. Kaiki."
"And I couldn't care less! I know even better that those S-class suits you call a government don't do a damn thing for the people who actually need help."
"The first step is to arrest the one responsible."
"The one responsible? Congratulations, you caught the right person. And then what? You going to rebuild the homes you destroyed? Reopen the shops? Offer tax support to the workers? Give counseling to the families who lost someone? Yeah, right. Sure you are!"
"And you would do all that, Mr. Kaiki?"
I feel a strong urge to spit in his face. I glare at him with as much disgust as I can muster.
"Would I do all that?" I repeat, with a sour grimace. "I've been doing it since I was a kid. I work every damn day just to make people's lives a little less miserable. That part's not in your precious file, is it?"
Before he can answer, a door opens behind him.
Now I can tell it was hidden — it blended perfectly into the wall. No one comes through, but it stays open, revealing a long hallway of metal walls and bright lights.
The man in front of me keeps staring at me, but it's like he's not really focused anymore — like he's listening to something.
An earpiece I hadn't noticed before?
"The conversation was enlightening, Mr. Kaiki," he says at last, meeting my eyes for real this time. Then he turns around and walks toward the door.
"Hey! You're leaving me here? Hey! Hey, Zero. Zero! Ugh… damn it."
The door closes behind him.
Now I can see the outline clearly. I know it's there.
Now I just need to figure out how to get out of this chair.
I look to one side, then the other.
I try to force my arms and legs, but there's not much progress.
"This is going to be tricky," I mutter to myself.
DISTRICT 1 – SECTOR SS
BEFORE THE ESCAPE
The only illumination in the Meeting Room came from the glow of various holographic screens.
At the center stood an oval table, and each powerful figure had taken their place at one of its edges.
Commander Negra sat at the head, while Captain Vega was to her side — in the same way a dog waits for orders to lunge at anyone in the room.
Everything was silent.
And that silence was unsettling, casting a tense atmosphere over everyone present.
Even the captain had begun to snort in frustration.
Only Negra remained completely unaffected by the wait, unmoving, like a statue, patiently anticipating the arrival of the highly relevant information.
A humanoid robot named Remi, with clearly limited mobility, approached the table carrying a tray.
Some murmured thanks, others didn't bother — including Vega, who had little patience for the machine.
Noticing how silent the room had become, Remi made a remark:
"Quite dark in here. Do you all enjoy speaking blind?"
Though it was a machine built by those in District 6 — the ones responsible for technology — and merely followed its programming, it had a talent for poorly timed comments.
Receiving no response, and only Vega's increasingly louder huffing, Remi quietly withdrew.
Moments later, the room's door slid open, and Zero entered.
Negra got straight to the point.
"Well? What were you able to extract from him?"
"Nothing particularly relevant," he replied.
"Ha!" Vega laughed. "Of course you didn't. No way you'd get anything out of that kid. If you'd just let me—"
He fell silent the moment Negra raised her hand — though not before releasing a growl of frustration and casting a deeply annoyed glare.
He already knew from experience where that look led.
"What exactly are you saying, Zero?"
The man gave a slight smile, pulled a cable from the oval table, and connected it to the underside of his clipboard.
When he placed the device on the table, a large hologram projected into the air for all to see in detail.
It displayed a map of District 2 — specifically, Hydro City — and the profile of one resident: Kaiki, son of Wattson.
Without haste, Zero began flipping through the subject's entire life, highlighting every document he deemed worth discussing.
"As you can see," he began, "there are several witnesses who attest to the suspect's supposed good character."
"He's a criminal," Vega muttered, eyes fixed on Kaiki's criminal record.
"Correct, but even his crimes are, to a certain extent, justifiable."
Zero slid his hand across the interface, shifting the hologram through various data screens.
"He's been caught for illegal hunting, yes, but there's evidence showing he sold what he caught to help underprivileged families who needed food — not for personal profit."
"And the undocumented crossings between city sectors?"
"There are also records of those, but no evidence of him engaging in illegal trade."
"And how can you be so sure?"
"The first clue," Zero said, "is that this boy's file is almost as messy — or even messier — than the top traffickers in District 4. And yet, he has no money. Doesn't live in luxury. Quite the opposite."
"Are you suggesting he has some kind of money laundering operation, Zero?" asked Negra.
"If that were the case, we'd have found something by now — we are Class S, after all. But everything we've gathered so far only reinforces one thing: that despite breaking a number of laws, he used what he earned for donations."
"A saint? Oh, please," Vega mocked, shaking his head and crossing his arms.
"A thief who steals for the poor. How thrilling!" chimed in Remi, returning with the tray of food.
Everyone turned to look at him, but the AI didn't bother to notice.
"Are you suggesting this criminal is innocent?" the commander asked.
"I'm saying it makes no sense for a Channeler to have a record like this."
He adjusted his glasses and met his commander's gaze with conviction.
"What's going on?" Vega suddenly stood up. "Why is the alarm sounding? Are we being invaded? Remi! You rust bucket!"
"Sir," the robot replied, approaching while covering what would have been his ears — had he had any.
"The prisoner's cell system has been triggered."
"What?"
"Apparently, the prisoner somehow escaped his cell, sir."
The bearded captain stomped to a corner of the room, grabbed his shotgun, and headed for the exit. As he passed Zero, he glared at him with disdain and muttered:
"Of course he did."
And cocked his weapon.