Afterglow: Promise

[December 24th, 19:15 JST]

Tokyo Prefecture - Tempesta Unit Quarters

Eighteen days had passed since the operation at Mount Fuji.

Team 02 was placed on a “recovery period” directly by Director Kurogane. Since then, the team no longer moved together. Some returned to the facility only when required, coming and going on staggered schedules. They rarely spent time in the same place together.

Training became their outlet.

Their simulation rooms were used more than anywhere else. The fight against Yuzuriha in the ruins never left their thoughts. It was where they released what they couldn’t say, repeating familiar sequences, trying new techniques and control for whatever might come next. None of them wanted to lose like that again.

Takeshi spent most of those days buried in the Foundation’s archives. Armed with authorization from Director Kurogane, he searched through old records and restricted data, both physical and digital. Anything that might link the Vice Director to what happened behind the scenes.

The connection to Saionji Kogetsu remained unreachable.

Requests went unanswered. Even with pressure from Kurogane himself, the board offered no response. It felt deliberate, as if something was being kept from him, something that didn’t align with what he was allowed to see.

By Christmas Eve, the team finally gathered again under Takeshi’s instruction. Dinner was simple, a hotpot shared in their quarters. No one brought up what was missing, but it was there all the same.

Takeshi cleared his throat.

“So... how has everyone been these past weeks? I hope you all managed to cool down a little.”

Reina glanced around the room, then smiled faintly at him before turning back to the others.

“You might not realize it, but I’ve been keeping an eye on everyone. Your skills have improved a lot. Some of you even came up with new attacks.”

“I can’t wait to try them on the real thing.” Nana said, laughing as she punched the air.

Misaki shook her head.

“That one only works if we’re together.” She glanced at Nana, teasing. “I’ve got something else prepared.”

“Hey, I do too.” Nana shot back, pouting playfully.

“Those two wouldn’t stop practicing.” Momoko said with a smile, stirring the pot as it simmered. “I finally got the chance to relax. Spa days, skincare shops—a girl needs to keep up appearances.”

Mika stayed quiet, watching the exchange with a small smile.

Emi smiled as she spoke.

“I stayed with Reina-chan a lot. We walked around Tokyo. There were places she never mentioned before.” She glanced around the room. “We should go together someday.”

“I... I spent time with my family,” Emiko said with a small smile. Then her voice shifted. “They’ve been very supportive since I told them what—”

She stopped.

The girls looked down. Some wounds didn’t close just because time passed.

Takeshi cleared his throat again.

“Haha... well. Before we get into everything I need to explain, let’s eat first. When was the last time we had hotpot together?”

Reina smiled and she looked at her team.

“The day Team 02 was officially formed.”

Emiko lifted her glass, doing her best to steady her hand. Her voice betrayed her anyway.

“F-For... our future. And for her sake. We’ll meet her again.”

The glass clinked softly.

Dinner passed in quiet murmurs.

By the time the pot was cleared, the room fell back into silence.

Then Takeshi exhaled slowly and set his tablet down on the table.

“...Before I say anything,” he said quietly. “What comes next stays in this room. What I accessed violates Foundation protocol.”

The girls nodded. Takeshi gave a small, tired smile.

“How much do you all know about Project Harmonia?” he asked.

No one answered.

Reina glanced at the others. They shook their heads, but their eyes stayed on her.

“...You figured it out,” Reina said.

Mika glanced up.

“It wasn’t hard. Senpai’s recovery rate. Your control over Coda Cantus. The Ibaraki incident.” She paused. “And the fact that you injured Yuzu-san”

Takeshi stayed silent as Reina drew a breath.

“I was eight,” she said. “When it happened.”

Her hands clenched slightly in her lap.

“My parents were part of the Foundation’s early research group. Something went wrong. I awakened my Cantus without control.”

Her eyes closed.

“I would’ve died,” she said quietly. “Project Harmonia saved me.”

The room felt heavy.

Takeshi tapped his tablet once, bringing up a waveform.

“During Mount Fuji,” he said, “I recorded Aikawa-san’s resonance.”

The screen shifted. The pattern displayed was fragmented.

“Even though she’s also a Harmonia subject,” Takeshi continued, “her resonance structure doesn’t match Reina.”

Emiko’s breath caught.

“It’s... forced,” Takeshi said, tapping the screen. “Held together artificially. Even after absorbing the ruin’s resonance, her frequency kept dropping.”

“...What does that mean?” Emiko asked, her voice shaken.

Takeshi didn’t answer right away.

“It means her body is rejecting the augmentation,” he said quietly.

“I’m sorry...”

He turned his gaze to Reina.

“Do you remember the strange resonance I mentioned after the Level 4 CODA fight?”

She nodded.

“It was confirmed to be Aikawa-san. She used Silentia to scramble her Imperium. That’s why we couldn’t decode it.”

Reina lifted her head.

“If I’m Subject Zero... and Yuzu-chan is Three,” she said slowly, “then who were One and Two?”

“There are no records,” Takeshi said, shaking his head. “Neither subject exists on file. It’s as if they were erased.”

He hesitated, then continued.

“There is one frequency that shows characteristics of a Diva who underwent the Project. She could be one of them.”

He swiped the screen. A new graph appeared.

“The leader of Team 01.”

The single spike dominated the display, high and abnormally stable.

“She’s able to maintain that level of resonance for an extended duration,” Takeshi said. “Even more consistent than Reina-san’s.”

He quickly added, “This information is highly classified, Director Kurogane is covering for me. If the wrong people find out, I won’t be here tomorrow.”

“And the tablet?” Momoko asked quietly.

“It’s real.” Takeshi said. His tone softened slightly. “The translation isn’t complete, but the function is confirmed. You were lucky to get photos before it was taken.”

No one looked relieved.

They still remembered the roar that shook Sim-Room Alpha-01.

“...The Vice Director?” Emi asked.

“No response,” Takeshi said. “From him or Team 01. Director Kurogane can’t force the board to move.”

His voice hardened again.

“The Director asked me to keep this from you until tonight. But the Foundation is currently at Alert level 4. All available units have been deployed to major prefectures.”

His gaze moved across the table, settling on them.

“Being the strongest unit still available,” he said, “Tempesta Unit’s designation is Tokyo.”

Silence settled over the table once more.

Nana let out a quiet sigh.

“...Tomorrow’s Christmas,” she said. “We should leave the heavy stuff for tonight.”

Momoko nodded, her gaze shifting briefly to Takeshi before moving to Reina.

“P-kun’s been carrying us for a long time,” she said calmly. “He deserves one night off. You both do.”

The attention shifted naturally.

“Wait...” Reina blinked. “Since when did you all—”

“We’re not blind,” Emi said, puffing her cheeks for just a second before smiling. “You didn’t exactly hide it.”

Emiko giggled softly.

Takeshi looked away, rubbing the back of his neck.

“...You’re all more observant than I thought.”

Emi stood and took Reina’s hand, tugging her gently toward him.

“Go,” she said. “We’ll be fine.”

Then she looked at Takeshi.

“Consider it our Christmas gift, P-kun. Make sure Reina-chan enjoys tonight.”

Takeshi hesitated, then nodded.

They left the quarters together.

The night was calm. Both of them sat quietly in Takeshi’s car, the tension from earlier easing just a little. He already had a destination in mind.

He parked at Tokyo Midtown and stepped out first, offering his hand. Reina took it without hesitation, her fingers curling around his as they walked past the softly lit shops.

They wandered without any plan. A small souvenir store here, a street musician playing a familiar Christmas tune there. Reina lingered over trinkets she didn’t need, smiling to herself.

While she was distracted, Takeshi slipped into a small accessory shop with warm glow behind its glass display. He was gone only a minute before returning to her side, his expression unchanged.

They kept walking until the path opened up.

The Starlight Garden spread out before them, the ground washed in blue light. It stretched quietly into the distance, calm and unreal.

Takeshi slowed to a stop. Reina stayed close, their hands linked.

Reina leaned her head against his shoulder.

“Do you remember,” she said softly, “the day the Foundation let me hold a D-Mic?”

He nodded.

“The resonance came back,” she continued. “The same one I felt before.”

“They said it was a waste,” Takeshi replied. “The strongest elemental Cantus, given to a fragile girl.”

He shifted, turning toward her, his hands settling at her waist. Reina looked up at him, surprised by the sudden closeness.

“But I knew what they didn’t.”

Her breath caught.

“I read the report,” he said quietly. “The CODA incident in the ruin. Your parents.”

His grip tightened, just slightly.

“You resonated without knowing what you were doing. You destroyed the CODA.” His voice lowered. “But the Cantus burned your body apart.”

Reina didn’t pull away. She leaned into his chest instead.

“You spent years in the medical bay,” Takeshi continued. “Machines keeping you alive. Waiting for something that didn’t exist yet.”

He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes.

“Project Harmonia saved you,” he said. “But it wasn’t your first awakening.”

Reina’s fingers curled into his coat.

“You forgot parts of it,” Takeshi said quietly. “But I didn’t. I was there.”

His hands rose, cupping her cheeks with a gentle touch. She leaned into it without thinking.

“That light I saw back then,” he whispered. “It never disappeared.”

Her breath hitched.

Takeshi reached into his pocket and took out a small paper bag. From it, he drew a thin plastic ring, its surface tinted red, a blue swirl suspended inside the resin.

He took her left hand.

“This... ring,” he said, sliding it onto her finger, “is a promise.”

Reina stared at it, then up at him.

“When this is over,” Takeshi continued, “when the CODA threat is gone, I’ll give you a proper one. And I’ll ask you then. No matter how long it takes.”

Her vision blurred.

She stepped forward, closing the last bit of space between them, and pressed her lips to his. Takeshi’s arms wrapped around her back, holding her as she held him just as tightly.

The kiss was warm, full of promises. When it finally broke, they didn’t move far — still close enough to feel each other’s breath, foreheads resting together.

Neither of them spoke. A small, embarrassed laugh slipped out instead.

After a while, Takeshi brushed his thumb lightly against her ring finger. Reina glanced down at it, then smiled to herself.

They turned back toward the car, hands held tightly together.

By the time Reina reached the quarters, everyone was already asleep.

She smiled and slipped quietly into Emi’s bed, hugging her from behind.

As if she’d known, Emi turned to face her. Their faces were close now.

“Welcome back, Reina-chan.” Emi whispered, smiling.

“I’m back.” Reina replied, her hand drifting through Emi’s hair.

Emi’s eyes caught the ring on Reina’s finger. She snuggled closer, smiling.

“...Why did you recruit me personally?” Emi whispered. “Not like the others?”

Reina’s hand paused for a moment before resuming its gentle motion.

“Because...” she answered softly, even quieter than before. “I saw myself in you.”

That was enough.

Emi closed her eyes. Reina followed soon after.

Unbeknownst to them, Emiko’s phone vibrated.

A single message lit the screen.

Please... save me.