1

The day was not like any other day at the Elysium Research Complex for Miyuko Sadohara. For the lone researcher in the lab separate from the rest of the building, today was going to be a day to remember, and it was because she would be getting visitors.

"Aha! There we go!"

The young woman exclaimed before turning her full attention back to the data on her monitor. With her eyes struggling to keep up with the lines of code being generated by her hyperactive fingers, she continued muttering barely comprehensible noises to herself.

The lines of code being spawned coincided with several graphs appearing on screen. They each showed individual wavelengths and moving lines that regular people would never understand.

"They'll never believe this!"

After flipping her cell phone open, her excited expression turned into a frown. Seeing no notifications on her phone, she returned it on the table.

"Geez, what's taking them so long?"

In wait, she peered past the glass panels past her computer and admired the glorious creation of the Elysium Research Complex.

The IRIS.

A high-tech device that was the result of the efforts of four research moguls.

It was a miracle brought about by technology, being able to sense the changes in the air and convert them into readable data. It allowed scientists to predict precipitation, humidity, and even changes in air pressure.

It's the pinnacle of research involving several similar devices.

However, it showed its true value somewhere else, and the hint to that was the shape in which the device was made in.

It was crafted in the likeness of a coffin.

Its inside was filled to the brim with receptors, capable of latching themselves into people and responding to changes within. Those readings was represented in a multi-colored graph that corresponded to the various levels of responses.

Unfortunately, as great as the device sounded on paper, there were several things going against it.

It employed the technology of using magnetic stimulants through its receptors, which then emitted ultra-frequency waves to analyze the thing inside.

As dangerous as it sounded, it had modern safeguards to protect a living organism inside the coffin, but it only led to even more ethical concerns.

Likewise, there was the issue of consistency. How can you quantify a human emotional response in numbers? For a living organism, there were just too many valuables to equate data with a specific set of emotional triggers.

Thus, it was promptly decommissioned and set for reworking. Lacking an owner, it was scheduled to be taken down until someone took great interest in it, determined to make the device reach its full potential.

Someone who now proudly looked at it as her own child.

Miyuko's body still remembered how it tingled with excitement the day she signed all those waivers. Being the lone researcher involved in the special Elysium subdivision on metaphysics, she had zero hesitation in taking custody of the contraption.

Had it not been for her status as a prodigy and her insane contract terms she agreed on, she would not have been able to do such a thing.

And she did make the most out of her opportunities. By studying its structure, she had managed to develop a couple of devices that respond to human emotions.

Rings that respond to body stimuli, bio-feedback aids, and many more.

All of those had been decommissioned, and she had been relegated to her tiny lab, yet she kept one extra special creation: the precious handgun that remained inside her cabinet. She alone considered the gun that only contained slots for six shots her masterpiece.

Practical? Nope. Not at all.

Cool? She certainly thought so.

After spending enough time reminiscing the past and admiring the device that had become her family, she turned to the group of medals that hung on an open cabinet.

They were scattered and in disarray, as with the various lab coats that had undergone their share of wear and tear. Along with the tools for research and an empty bottle, the cabinet was a daunting sight to behold even from afar.

It was a messy arrangement that she felt never suited her occupation as a researcher. However, there was order in that chaos, and in the midst of the mess, she quickly locked her eyes onto a photo.

Approaching the photo still gave her the usual hint of nostalgia.

There she was, with shorter hair and a bright smile on her face. Holding onto a diploma, the girl on the picture winked, and her eyes reflected the naïve optimism of a child prodigy.

"How have you been doing up there in paradise?" she asked the smiling man beside her on the picture. Standing an entire head taller than her, her mentor had a likewise warm and happy look on his face.

She then looked at the other people posing in the picture, one of which was a youth with silver-hair.

Before she can continue reminiscing, the much awaited notification bell rang, and her ears perked up. Quickly snatching her phone from the table, she excitedly looked for the sender of the message.

She quickly tapped a button on her table, and the room was filled with the sound of multiple hatches opening. The high-security door at the end of the room slid open, and in stepped two people.

Miyuko dropped all thoughts and ran towards the door.

"Miyuko!"

Hearing the excited call of the woman about her age, Miyuko Sadohara leapt with open arms. Meeting her was the woman with a brown half-ponytail, a large ribbon on the left side.

She was lifted off her feet for a moment, much to her surprise.

Giving each other meaningful looks, the two adolescent women smiled. Miyuko planted a light kiss on the woman's forehead, exposed by the way the latter neatly brushed her bangs to the side.

"I missed you, Kiyone."

"Same for you, Miyuko."

Just like Miyuko did, Kiyone planted a soft kiss on her friend's forehead. Then, they opened their palms and performed an intricate special handshake.

"Sure makes you look like childhood friends who haven't seen each other in ages," commented a silver-haired man in business attire. He set his briefcase down and looked at the two women. "Even though we're just here a week ago, Kiyone."

"Are you just jealous, Guren?" teased Kiyone.

Letting go of her friend, she quickly placed her arm over Guren's shoulders before gazing at him with a mischievous expression.

"Don't worry. I won't leave you for her. I only have my heart for you."

Without warning, she aimed her lips towards Guren, teasing a kiss.

"Ermm... Miyuko's watching."

This time, it was Miyuko's turn to stare awkwardly.

"Go ahead, I'm not going to watch," the gray-haired woman said, turning her head around to a chorus of laughs from Kiyone.

Even though they had known each other for years, this was still a part of Kiyone that she couldn't get used to. Then again, given her charming looks and lively personality, it came as no surprise that she would adapt such an outgoing way of interacting with people.

"Ahahah! You're still in that no-romance thing, Miyuko? You can't only have these machines and us keeping you company. Eventually, you'll have to go out and broaden your horizons."

"Thanks."

It was always like this with the two lovers, much to Miyuko's bewilderment. How could the very lively and physical Kiyone last an entire year with that uptight lawyer in Guren Izaya? Like her, Guren was a prodigy of astounding stature. A genius who graduated ahead of schedule, he should have had a completely busy schedule.

Kiyone, in contrast, was a plain girl. Not a prodigy in the slightest, and she would have thought that someone like Guren could have had some prejudices.

Yet, judging from Kiyone's texts, it was the opposite. Guren was one of the sweetest men Kiyone had ever met, according to those texts. Besides the occasional ranting about the state of the world and people, he had been a match made in Heaven for her.

In Miyuko's time in the special association, the words "affectionate," "warm," and "sensitive" were never things she expected someone to describe the man with, but there they were.

Love will forever be a mystery.

Perhaps, she and Guren going separate ways did change him after all. During the couple's several trips here, Miyuko had slowly felt the warm and kind aura emanating from Guren developing.

"So, what's today's exciting project going to be? I'm going to sit inside that thing and get my mind read again?" Kiyone mentioned with excitement, moving past Miyuko and making a beeline towards the IRIS.

"You're acting quite a bit too enthusiastic, Kiyone," meekly commented Guren.

"Oh, come on. It's really fun, and it's done a lot to help our friend here. Right, Miyuko? You might be hiding it, but I just know that deep inside, you're as excited as I am."

Miyuko chortled. "There's no hiding anything from you, Kiyone. Actually, there's another thing that Guren and I had been wanting to talk to you about, but that will have to wait until we finish today's session. Save the best for last, as they say."

Kiyone clapped her hands once and beamed. "Of course!"

She then looked at the both of them with a mischievous expression. "I can't wait to see what you have cooked up for me."

2

Miyuko and Guren watched as Kiyone skipped down the stairs into the holding chamber. The whimsical woman quickly took off her coat, tossed it to the side, and started doing some stretches while prancing around the IRIS.

"She's having a lot of fun..."

Guren's voice trailed off while looking at his hyperactive girlfriend. His hands and body leaned against the glass that separated them from her and the machine.

Miyuko whistled as she saw her old time friend move around with excitement. With her tank top and tights, Kiyone resembled the gymnast that Miyuko remembered more from her youth.

"Must feel a bit lonely, huh? I bet part of you also wants to try using the device yourself," she said before walking away.

Guren chuckled in response to Miyuko's comment. "It does seem interesting, I give you that. Any breakthroughs led to you calling us up so quickly?"

"Remember how during her last session, Kiyone was able to give me these?" having returned to the front of her computer, the gray-haired woman smugly tapped her screen, bringing up the charts that showed fluctuating wavelengths.

"Really amazing, and after multiple sessions, I am starting to grasp the potential of the IRIS."

"Ohhh?"

"What if, hear me out, by using its receptors to manipulate a human being's mental and emotional state, one can affect phenomena around us? Luckily for us, the IRIS could be the perfect tool that allows us to magnify those emotional triggers and decipher them."

"Yeah, I really see why Elysium didn't want to promote the use of this device. Besides, what I first noticed, instead of the pseudoscience, is that what you're doing is veering towards questionable territory in terms of ethics."

"Of course the lawyer will be telling me that," Miyuko playfully rolled her eyes. "Well, if it weren't for the ability to interact with the human mind, the device will forever remain a crappy weather forecaster or something. A very, very expensive one."

Guren leaned forward and stared more intently at the monitor that continued rolling out graphs and data.

"I can't understand you scientist types and doing questionable things for the sake of science."

"Same," laughed Miyuko. "I guess that's what living in a completely opposite world from a man of legalities is. I won't expect a straight-laced lawyer to understand. But I just feel that there is so much more in the world out there. So many more secrets and codes for humanity to unlock, and the IRIS provides a brand-new window to a frontier that we have yet to touch."

"We'll just have to agree to disagree."

Miyuko nodded. Then, she reached down and took out a small box.

"While waiting, care to tell me when you plan to propose to Kiyone?"

The question undeniably caught Guren off-guard, and for a moment, the surprised lawyer looked on with eyes wide. "D-did she tell you?"

"Hmm... She said she had a feeling. She was ticking some possible dates for you to do it. Christmas? Or sometime in April? She also had a suspicion that you were holding it out for next weekend. You know, her birthday."

Guren sighed. "I just can't hide anything from that woman."

"It's okay. Actually, I have a gift prepared for the both of you, and you'll just have to wait until the proposal to know what it is," she winked, holding the small box up. "I especially saved it up for you, so you better knock it out of the park when you propose."

"Now, I'm feeling even more nervous..."

Seeing the man scratch his head, Miyuko laughed. "Ah, so even the lawyer with nerves of steel and an iron resolve in the toughest of cases melts into a mush in the game of love. Such a world of mystery romance is."

The lawyer did not get a chance to retort when the sound of Kiyone clearing her through echoed throughout the room.

"Okay, all systems go! I'm inside, so do your thing."

In response to Kiyone's distorted voice, Miyuko put the box away and grabbed onto a microphone. "That's great. You excited for today's session?"

"Yeah! I can't wait for you to read my mind again while I drift off to a bizarre dream!"

"You know I can't do that. All I can do here is to know which parts of your body respond to the ticklish jolts and how they affect the area around the IRIS. So far, you have shown astounding progression. Who knows? We might be able to perform magic through your mind."

"That sounds... dangerous, Miyuko," commented a concerned Guren. "How come I've never heard of that end goal of yours before?"

"I did not quite get that, but okay! I know I can trust you, Miyuko. How's Guren doing, by the way?"

Miyuko glanced at her companion before talking into the microphone. "He's a bit worried for you."

"How lame. Tell him I'll be fine just like always."

Knowing that Guren heard everything from the loudspeakers, Miyuko just glanced at him and raised her eyebrows.

3

"How much longer is this going to take?"

Sensing Guren's increasingly-nervous mood, Miyuko offered him tea.

"A couple more minutes. I ran some new extensive tests on her this time around. I'm sorry it's taking a bit long. However, her vitals are all good, so there's nothing to worry about."

The graphs on the screen continued updating, while a silhouette of a person was being filled with various colors, all shifting hues by the second.

After Guren sipped down on the tea, he exhaled.

"Thanks, Miyuko."

"Tea has always been the magic ingredient to sooth your mind. Is that part of why you hit up with Kiyone so well?" she asked before unwrapping a lollipop she tucked inside her lab coat. "Time for a relaxant of my own."

"Mmm, strawberry."

She happily sucked on the candy like a little girl while gauging Guren's reaction.

"Hey, it's not as simple as that."

"I know, but isn't it amazing to think that something as superficial as food can help transcend boundaries? Kids these days say that video games do that job the best, but even something simpler like food does the trick. Sit down, do said activity, have some chit-chat, and you could find yourself staring at a bond that could last a lifetime."

"It's too bad that people treat those bonds like dirt. As quick as it is to form them, all it will take is just something like greed to throw it all away. The tragedy of life, turning friend against friend."

"Had a bad week at work, I suppose?"

"Kiyone keeps me sane. Otherwise, I would have gone mad from the clients' ranting. Then there are those colleagues who win flat out wrong cases for criminals. Our justice system is so unreliable, you know? Then you have people resolving everything with conflicts and violence."

Having done her part listening, Miyuko then went back to work with her computer. Checking the data and the graphs that continued updating, she entered a few lines of code with a smile.

"Looking good, Kiyone. Everything's stable. Just give it a few minutes, and we're done for the day."

No response.

Kiyone had always been extremely responsive. As soon as Myuko turned on the mic, she would be met with an enthusiastic voice coming from within the IRIS. That was the pattern in their multiple test runs before, and it stuck the same in the first phase of their test today.

She's taking a bit long.

"Kiyone, you okay there?" she asked, now with reservations in her voice.

She had barely leaned back against her chair when a bleeping sound only made her tense mood worse. Finding herself arched forward, she hurriedly ran her eyes through the lines of code and the graph.

Seeing the colored readings on Kiyone's silhouette turn bright orange one by one was enough to cause her to type five times faster than she previously did.

"Oh my god..."

It was not an excited look of discovery that accompanied those words. Instead, warmth slowly left Miyuko's body, and she felt as if her already fair complexion started turning paler with each second.

Her lollipop bobbed repeatedly inside her agape mouth, and even in the air-conditioned room, Miyuko felt cold sweat dripping from her body.

What could have gone wrong? She did not input any new catalysts and triggers, nor did she substantially increase the intensity of the magnetic waves that shot out of the device's receptors.

They had been doing this for several times, but never did they trip any red flag that can cause this unprecedented disaster.

There's no denying it now, and the louder beeps and the siren triggering all but confirmed her fears.

Quickly interpreting the data, Miyuko had come to a conclusion.

Kiyone's emotional responses had overloaded the IRIS, and its receptors had gone haywire as a result of overcompensating for the strength of the neural link.

But she came in just like she did all the time. She did not have any heightened emotions or anything that can trigger such a reaction... Or did she?

Perhaps he had sensed her frantic typing, but Guren now stood over her. She did not look at him, but she assumed that the silver-haired man had a worried look on his face.

It did little to help calm Miyuko down.

"Miyu—"

"Shut up and let me focus!" she snapped, eliciting a surprised reaction from the man.

"What's going on, Miyuko?" he repeated, more firm with his words this time.

Before she can answer, a second siren blasted in full volume from inside the IRIS chamber. If the resounding alarm had not put Guren on edge, the red lights that filled the chamber should do the job.

Meanwhile, Miyuko finally slammed her hands on her keyboard.

"Shit!"

She stared as the data and graphs began updating at breakneck speed, with lines of letters and numbers hurriedly filling windows of her screen.

At this point, the colored readings on Kiyone's silhouette had all begun the transition to bright red, and warning dialog boxes began spawning en masse. Her clicks started failing to keep up with the alert boxes that the computer generated.

Going back to typing, she battled the waves of scary-looking windows that began flooding her screen.

There's no way she's going to give up now. Not when a dear friend's in danger. Not when her boyfriend's right beside her.

Before she can figure out what to do with Guren, she heard another awful sound blending with the sirens.

The banging on glass.

"Guren, what are you doing?!" shouted her, getting off her chair.

"Open up! Get Kiyone out of there!"

"The chamber's pretty much a radioactive disaster at this point! Stay calm and let me trigger the emergency shutdown procedure!"

"Isn't that what you're trying to do a while ago? Kiyone's in danger, and every precious second we waste is an extra second she's inside that place!"

"I..."

Miyuko failed to offer a retort in time. The gravity of the situation and the surprisingly physical and upfront actions of the normally-calm Guren had taken her out.

Her mind threatened to blank out as she stood there, staring.

"I-I'll alert security. Then, I'll give the shutdown procedures one more go!"

"We don't have time, dammit!"

Without as much as a second thought, she pressed the button that corresponded to the emergency call. She went back to her now even more chaotic monitor to try to initialization the shutdown procedure for the IRIS when the sound of a jammed object sent a wave of fear down her body.

"Guren!"

Her lollipop fell to the ground as her eyes and mouth gaped open at what she saw.

All she did was take her eyes off Guren for a few seconds, and it really happened.

The glass door leading to the stairs down the chamber was frayed open, bringing with it a third set of blaring alarms.

There was only one way to force the door open, and he just had to luck into hitting or kicking that part of the door.

Miyuko wasted no time opening a drawer. Picking up a pistol, she concealed it under her coat and stormed towards the chamber.

Almost slipping in her way, Miyuko chased after the silver-haired lawyer who had run into the now-repugnant chamber. She hurried down the steps, thanking her muscle memory in helping her avoid slipping and ending everything in one big fall.

"Guren! Guren!"

She screamed into the smoke-filled void that was filled with the sound of sparks and the smell of leakage.

She clung to the ever fading hope in her heart only for it to shatter when she reached the base of the tower.

She saw the emotional wreck of a man slumped against her most prized possession and partner.

Her heart gripped her with sorrow that she had never been able to experience before, and the heavy feeling continued to weigh her down.

Her legs refused to move amidst the strong emotions, and all she could do was hopelessly reach out to both Guren and indirectly to her longtime friend trapped inside the IRIS.

What could be going through Kiyone's mind at this moment? How could she ever apologize if they get out of this alive? Was this all her fault?

Those thoughts shuffled in Miyuko's mind amidst the hell that surrounded her. Blaring alarms, the wails of the lawyer, the sound of sparks and discharges being released by the coffin.

All of those blurred into one chaotic concoction that overclocked her systems.

Wide-eyed, she stood paralyzed. Frozen in the pits of never before seen despair and regret before a particularly powerful wave of energy burst out of the IRIS, sending Guren and her flying.

A concentrated sphere of darkness emerged from the outside of coffin, engulfing it and expanding continuously.

However, with Guren laying lifeless by her side and Kiyone somewhere inside that expanding ball, inevitably gone, Miyuko had lost her will to live.

With nothing left to do, she let herself get taken in by the expanding darkness.