Chapter 1 : The routine

The morning was quiet in the city of Prairie. Chrome rooftops caught the pale sun, reflecting a perfection almost too sharp to be real. The streets were orderly, as always. Citizens moved with precision—each step measured, each glance monitored. Everything in Prairie existed for efficiency, and the people knew it.Asahi Kurosawa checked the file for the day.

Three cases.

Each labeled with the same neat stamp: Ready for Replacement.He didn’t read the names aloud. He didn’t need to. Names, faces, files—it was all the same. Numbers on a schedule, marked for optimization.

He adjusted his uniform and left his apartment.The first building was pristine—white walls, glass doors reflecting the sterile morning light.

Apartment A1A.

A woman sat calmly in her living room, tea in hand.

Asahi rang the doorbell.

“Good morning,” he said formally once she opened the door.

“Good morning,” she replied.

He handed her the notice.

“You have been selected for optimization. Your replacement will be activated in seventy-two hours.”

She took the paper without trembling.

She read it once.

Twice.

Then she nodded.

“I see,” she said quietly. “I suppose it’s time.”

Asahi made no comment. He never needed to, words were unnecessary in this profession, explanation was irrelevant. Death—or replacement—was not negotiable.

It was improvement.

It was mercy.

He stepped inside the apartment and observed her carefully. The way her fingers lingered around the porcelain cup, the subtle tilt of her head, the precise way she folded her hands in her lap.

Every detail mattered.

The clone would need to replicate her mannerisms perfectly, any deviation could cause distress within the family.

He recorded everything.

Then he left.

Outside, the city continued undisturbed, children walked to school with identical backpacks, couples exchanged polite smiles, traffic lights shifted in flawless rhythm.

Efficiency in motion.

The second case was a man, he greeted Asahi with familiarity, almost warmth. He had been expecting him.

“I was wondering when it would be my turn,” the man said lightly.

He signed the acknowledgment form without hesitation. He even smiled at his children, who stood quietly beside him.

He, too, would be replaced, and he was fine with it.

Everyone was.

Routine,repetition, precision.

Asahi did not question it.

He never questioned it, that was not his job.