Somewhere far beyond COMA’s reach, a cavernous underground lab pulsed with soft blue light. A single stasis pod stood at the center, frost feathering its curved glass. Inside — a tall, broad-shouldered figure, almost human in stillness.
Above the pod, a holoprojector flickered to life. Two ghostly figures appeared: Rokuro Korugane and Yuriko Hanabira. Not alive — just preserved recordings, triggered by a dormant program.
Rokuro’s hologram: “Subject-Ω replication complete. Neural graft finalized. Identity conditioning secure.”102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkroBIf4uNM
Yuriko’s hologram: “Golden pigmentation stable. Ocular luminescence at 87%. Proceed with Extraction Protocol.. Using luciano's blood.”
The recording looped once, then cut off, leaving only the soft hum of machines.
The pod hissed faintly. The silhouette inside shifted — almost like it heard them.
Miles away, inside COMA HQ, ARGUS quietly processed anomalies it wasn’t told to look for.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSI2uTtAQqc
Thermal spikes near the old Yashiro bioweapons plant.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN903wzUJRl
Unregistered bio-signatures moving in pairs.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGPXyoHmrk
One signature — 92% match to Luciano Moretti.
The AI locked the file under a clearance key tagged to Luce — even though Luce didn’t know it existed.
Meanwhile, in his private office, Howard Valgrave ended a secure call. The image of Elda’s furious face lingered in his mind. He poured a glass of whiskey and stared at the skyline.
“One month,” he muttered. “That boy will learn the truth… whether she wants it or not.”
And in a concrete holding cell, Gianluca Moretti sat slumped, his body bruised from Adrian Valgrave’s beating. His thoughts frayed at the edges.
A voice echoed in his mind — not his own:
He is not yours. He never was.
Gianluca began to laugh — quietly at first, then louder, until it spiraled into the hollow sound of a man unraveling.
In the dark, the echoes carried.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtT0IwaRpH0
Somewhere, Sleeping Gate stirred in its pod.102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTbm6lOOsy
And in COMA HQ, Luciano Moretti — Luce — looked into a mirror, unaware the face staring back might not be entirely his.
and then Add to home screen.