Jiro woke to the hum of electricity and the sharp sting of restraints around his wrists.
The room was cold — too cold — illuminated only by a single blue light that flickered from above. Metallic walls reflected his image back at him: a pale boy with grey-blue eyes and veins that faintly glowed with Essentia threads.
The silence was broken by the rhythmic sound of boots.
From the shadows, two figures entered — one in a white military coat, the other in the black armor of the Central Authority. The first man spoke, his tone clipped and clinical.
"Subject Jiro Tensai. Age: fifteen. Orphan. Unregistered Essentia resonance detected. You've caused quite the disturbance, boy."
Jiro didn't respond. His eyes flicked between them, cold and calculating.
The second man — broader, older — stepped closer. His voice rumbled through the room.
"You accessed a restricted data-core belonging to the Ministry of Defense. Inside that core was a lost combat algorithm: Ryūshin-ken."
Jiro's heart pounded. So it really was military tech.
The man continued. "Here's the interesting part — we tried to extract it from your neural system. Every attempt failed."
The scientist spoke again, adjusting his glasses. "The chip has integrated with his Essentia flow. It's become… symbiotic. If we remove it, we destroy him. And the data along with it."
The soldier leaned forward, eyes hard. "You've bonded with something you weren't meant to touch. That makes you valuable — and dangerous."
Jiro finally spoke, his voice quiet but sharp.
"So what happens now? You kill me or cage me?"
The soldier smirked. "Neither. You're going to work for us."
Jiro's eyes narrowed.
"The government has chosen to sponsor your training. You'll be enrolled in Arclight Academy, the top military institute in the Fluxion. You'll learn to control your Essentia, master Ryūshin-ken, and serve the state that owns your body now."
Jiro clenched his fists, Essentia threads flickering beneath his skin. "I don't serve anyone."
The soldier's smirk faded. He pressed a button — a surge of electricity coursed through Jiro's restraints, forcing him to his knees.
"You don't have a choice," the soldier said flatly. "The world is built on power. You either learn to control yours, or it consumes you — and everyone around you."
As the current faded, Jiro struggled to his feet, breathing hard. In his mind, he felt the faint hum of the Ryūshin-ken algorithm — like a voice whispering from the depths of his soul. Endure. Adapt. Strike when ready.
The soldier turned to leave. "You'll leave for Arclight tomorrow. Consider this your second life, boy. Don't waste it."
The door hissed shut behind them, leaving Jiro alone once more.
He sat in silence, eyes glowing faintly blue as he stared at his reflection.
A weapon. A student. A prisoner.
He didn't know which one he'd become first.
But as the hum of the Ryūshin-ken chip resonated inside his skull, he made a silent vow —
"If they want to use me as their weapon… then I'll learn everything they teach. And when the time comes… I'll break free."
Outside the interrogation room, soldiers whispered as the crack in the sky pulsed faintly — as if the heavens themselves were watching the boy whose fate would change their world.
—--