Nightmare. I

The panic sparked by those torturous seconds drove me straight to the office.

Despite it being Saturday and not having slept since Thursday, I threw myself at the hologram on my desk, searching for the list of pending cases.

Simultaneously, I downloaded the document I’d spent all night working on.

Something, Isayama, we need something!

I rummaged through every document I had. Folder after folder of data and reports, desperately searching for the faintest trace of the biological weapon. Even a single symptom to grab onto. A passing mention of drones outside the outer districts…

My frustration led me to the coffee machine, which I struck with my forehead until my umpteenth coffee was ready, echoes of my anguish that filled the room.

Seated once again, I banged my knuckles against the desk, hoping the pain would keep me awake as I continued typing with my other hand on the hologram.

Hold on, for the love of everything…

…

“This is BlackBrain Report. I need to think out loud…”

Later, I locked myself in the report recording room and spoke directly to the lens.

Yamaguchi-sensei’s blood-stained notebook trembled in my right hand.

“Damn it!” Another stretch of time passed without answers.

I took my frustration out on the chair, unable to find anything of value.

“I don’t know. The victims’ age pattern seems random…”

I spent the entire day locked in that room.

“There’s no promising demographic data. As for the weapon, it affects people with implants from all brands equally…”

Something, Isayama!

“I don’t know… I don’t know why anyone would do this…” I wept in front of the camera after hours of accumulated frustration. “The fight was supposed to be against the S-Flu… Who would want to kill people?!”

Paranoia and exhaustion pushed my body to the limit.

“How did they know where we were?! Who was controlling those drones?!” I shouted at the camera.

…

“Katy, I don’t know what I’ll do if you forget me…”

As twilight approached, I decided to change the subject. I was so tired I felt like I was about to die. Even so, I stayed locked in that room.

There were still things I needed to say.

“Do you remember the first time we met?” I fought against my tears. “What a chaotic protest that was…”

I completely lost track of time.

“I remember the day I took you to hear the piano for the first time… I thought we’d never get along, but that afternoon changed everything for me.”

My battle was against the clock.

“Please don’t forget me! Don’t forget our silly arguments or the cases we worked on together!”

…

How the hell am I going to fix this…?

I looked at myself in the elevator’s mirror.

I hated what I saw: lifeless eyes that had been crying all day; distant dark circles; the blood-stained white shirt and tie; the exhaustion in my posture…

Dad… I want to smile and help the world…

I held back my frustration as his face came to mind.

But it’s too hard…

I pressed the button for the residential floor using the trembling fingers of my implant.

I couldn’t save you… I couldn’t save the best contagion investigator I’d ever known…

The dismal machine began its ascent.

I couldn’t save the only one capable of solving this case… Even though I was holding him with my own hands…

How the hell am I going to save Katy?!