For a while, Reiden simply stood at the observation window, watching his Spire scientists file past. Each greeted him with a respectful nod before disappearing into the adjoining chamber, the one where Siren was restrained.

Each time the door opened, a different scientist would emerge holding a fresh syringe. Each time the needle sank into Aria's arm, her muffled scream would carry faintly through the glass. The data they collected was meticulous, reactions to chemical compounds designed not to kill, but to subdue.

Subduing an Alberline wasn't Reiden's true aim.

It never was...

No, his goal was something far rarer, something he had promised himself and Velza long ago when they had first met.

He wanted what made an Alberline an Alberline. The essence itself. Something still unknown to the three great factions… But not to him. And after years of work, the moment to claim it was close.

"The Night-fract," Reiden murmured. "You'll soon be mine."

Velza, now changed back into her crisp work attire, raised a brow. "The Night-fract? Isn't that the stronger of the two?"

Reiden smirked, eyes fixed on Aria as more monitoring cables were clipped to her skin. "Yes. Between the Bloom Core and the Nightfract, the Nightfract is much stronger. Do you remember Ice-Breaker, when we corrupted her?"

Velza's lips curved faintly. "From the timid girl we first saw… She became something else entirely."

Reiden's smirk deepened. "Indeed. Our corruption devices can awaken the Nightfract from the bloom core, but not in its entirety, only to about seventy per cent of its potential."

"Sixty per cent…" Velza's eyes flicked wider as realisation hit. "You mean to tell me Ice-Breaker wasn't even at her full strength?"

Reiden let out a low, mocking chuckle. "My, that almost sounded like a woman afraid of an Alberline's strength."

She caught herself, straightened her posture, and returned her gaze to the glass. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of a retort.

"Sixty per cent was all we could manage before," Reiden continued. "But after the latest improvements, we can reach ninety. That is the optimal level for extraction."

Velza's brows drew together. "Ninety per cent… That's almost their full strength. Can we even control that?"

"It may prove… Challenging," Reiden admitted, stroking his chin as he turned from the glass. "Perhaps too much for even you, Velza. But the chamber we've built drains an Alberline's output from the moment they transform. She will be weaker instantly. I doubt the chair she's sitting on will survive the change… But you should be able to take her Night-fract regardless. And if not-" His expression softened slightly, almost teasing,

"I'd hate to see you upset."

Velza pouted briefly, a crack in her usual icy demeanour. "Don't underestimate me."

Reiden's chuckle was cut short by the pounding of boots in the hall. A Spire soldier burst into the room, saluted sharply, then stood catching his breath. Reiden's smile vanished instantly.

"Sir," the soldier said, voice tight. "We've detected a fracture bloom. It appeared just after Miss Velza left the scene. We believe… It's Ice-Breaker. And… We've also spotted a human boy and girl near the bloom."

Reiden narrowed his eyes, motioning for him to continue.

"We've identified the girl, Milly Kawakaza, from Cradle's Oshawa branch. Not sure why she's there but…" The soldier hesitated, swallowing. "Sir… The male near the bloom appears to be… Kentaro Takamiya."

Velza's eyes flared. She stepped forward, glaring at the soldier. "How stupid, there's no way Kentaro Takamiya could still be alive. I literally kill-"

Her words were silenced by Reiden's hand, raised calmly in front of her. His mouth curled into a smile. "Don't worry, Velza. This could work in our favour. Remember what we discussed?" He gave her a pointed glance, then turned back to the soldier. "Ready the surveillance team. I want to see exactly how a mere human without special equipment enters the bloom. And perhaps… We'll take his..."

"Yes, sir!" The soldier snapped another salute and hurried out.

Velza frowned. "From what you just implied… Are you saying that boy has Alberline powers?"

Reiden's grin widened. "To put it simply, he has the power of two Alberlines."

"Two?!"

"Indeed. How, I'm not entirely sure. But he can seal Bloom Cores inside himself. That's why I wanted him dead. But capturing him and taking those cores is another option. We can't forge a Nightfract from them, a body can only hold one, but they'd still be… Useful."

Velza blinked at the weight of what he was saying. "How do you know this?"

Reiden didn't look at her as he answered. "Do you remember the island mission? When we were conducting our experiment on the corruption devices, and when it finally worked."

She nodded slowly.

"And do you remember how Kentaro Takamiya was frozen solid by Ice-Breaker?"

"…Yes."

"Do you remember how he got out?"

Velza frowned. "No. I don't think I saw him break free."

A low laugh escaped Reiden. "You've forgotten, dear Velza. He shattered the ice using Ice-Breaker's own power. His will summoned the frost to his command because he holds her Bloom Core. And now, Dominance as well."

Velza absorbed the words in silence. "Then why not take Takamiya instead of Siren?"

"Two reasons," Reiden replied flatly. "First, he's still gathering Bloom Cores. Unlike me, he doesn't want to use their powers; he wants to save them, and because of that, that leads me to the second reason: he's not working alone. Only one company, and two unhinged, delusional women, would help someone like him. They have their own secret agenda."

Velza straightened. "Who?"

"I can't imagine any other group but Halcyon."

"Halcyon?"

"Yes. Two women I've worked with in the past. We had… Disagreements. Went our separate ways. They're on the side of saving the beasts. If they've taken in Takamiya, it's because they know of his sealing ability."

Velza's tone sharpened. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Honestly, I thought they were dead. But recent events prove otherwise. I apologise for the delay."

Before she could answer, the door opened again. The same soldier entered. "Sir, the camera feeds are ready."

Reiden glanced at the lead scientist. "How long until the corruption is complete?"

"At most forty minutes, sir. The new models have some time-related issues, but we'll proceed as quickly as possible."

Reiden smiled thinly. "I've waited this long. What's forty more minutes?" He motioned for the officer to lead the way.

Velza lingered a step behind, processing what she'd learned. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Kentaro Takamiya… You will be ours."

*

"We need to talk, Kentaro Takamiya," Milly announced, her voice sharp but steady as she stepped forward, closing the gap between them. To their right, the massive, swirling mass of the dark-blue Bloom loomed like a living storm, its alien hum vibrating in the air. To their left, Tokyo sprawled outward in muted silence, its streets still, its towers dim, the city holding its breath.

"Sure," Kentaro answered, calm, almost casual. He didn't recognise her, but the suit she wore caught his attention; it bore the Cradle insignia, though it was an older model than any he'd seen.

"Ken, heads up," Tenka's voice crackled through his comm. "That's Milly Kawakaza. Cradle operator. I don't know why she's here, but she's unarmed. Still… Be on your guard."

"Yeah. Don't worry," Kentaro muttered back under his breath.

Milly's eyes narrowed, her tone shifting into something personal. "What's your relationship to Kira Mizuno?"

Kentaro tilted his head slightly. "Kira… She's my friend," he said, his voice carrying a quiet conviction that didn't waver.

"A friend?" Milly repeated under her breath, as though testing the word. Then her voice hardened, tinged with something deeper, a sadness she hadn't meant to reveal. "Then tell me why?! Why are you helping the Alberlines? Why are you going out of your way to make Kira worry herself sick about you?"

"Kira… Worried?" Kentaro murmured, his eyes widening. He glanced down at the rooftop beneath them, silent for a moment, then looked back toward the Bloom.

"Because in that Bloom," he said, voice rising with each word, "there isn't some monster waiting. My friend is in there, struggling, drowning in the sorrow she's carrying. Kira knows that too, deep down… But she's stuck in the old belief that Alberlines are nothing but threats. They're not. They're people. Just like you and me. And I'm going to save them. But that doesn't mean I'll do nothing about Kira. I'll save her too, from her past, from her despair!" His last words hit the air like a strike, sharp and unshakable.

Milly's eyes widened at the sheer absurdity, no, the alien nature, of what she was hearing. The words didn't fit with anything she knew, anything she'd been taught. "Save Alberlines… They're humans like us?" she echoed, almost mechanically, as if her brain needed to process it piece by piece. "Are you insane? Alberlines are creatures that have terrorised humans for generations. And you're standing here telling me they're like us? Tch… Yeah, right. Kentaro, I think your brain's been twisted or corrupted or something. You need help. Please." She extended her arm toward him. "Come with me. I'll take you back to Cradle. You can see Kira. And we can help you..."

The only sound was the unearthly resonance of the Bloom behind them, a pulsing, layered hum that filled the air between their words. Kentaro's lips curled into a small, almost apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry. I can't. My friend. Serica. She's in there. She needs me. And after that, I have to save Aria, too. So… Once again, I'm sorry."

Milly's eyes widened as she withdrew her arm, confusion swirling in her thoughts. "He's serious… But why?" she wondered. Before she could say anything, Kentaro moved swiftly, turning in one fluid motion and sprinting toward the building's edge.

"Kentaro!" She screamed.

He leapt without hesitation, his body dropping out of sight before plunging straight into the Bloom. The blue aura swallowed him whole, erasing him from view.

Milly stood frozen, her mouth half open in shock. The words he'd said… The look in his eyes… They gnawed at her mind. Why did he think of Alberlines as friends? What had they done to make him believe that?

She had no answer. She doubted she'd find one anytime soon. With a long, quiet exhale, she turned away from the rooftop and began the lonely trek back toward Cradle HQ.

Behind her, the sound of the Bloom pulsed on, steady, alien, endless.

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