CHAPTER 1: MANIFESTO

Before light, there must be darkness. 

In the bowels of the night, a lost soul arrives at a crossroads. His eyes are withered and weary, having witnessed the cruelty that his world has to offer. His demeanor holds the somberness of a man who has had everything taken from him, and his posture reflects the true representation of defeat.

However, there is an easy way out—a brightly lit path that seemingly everyone takes, one that many have found to have been built throughout their lives. He gazes down this path, crafted with his best interests and abilities in mind, each brick laid with care. It is so straightforward that all he has to do is fall into place, and a burning temptation quickly floods his mind. It replaces every intention he had when he arrived. After enduring so much, why can't he find it in himself to take things easier for once?

Reluctantly, this broken and battered man turns his attention to the more treacherous path. It is a road that many have taken, but few have completed. He knows what awaits him once he takes his first steps down this path. Yet, the knowledge that he must step into the darkness excites him more than being complacent in the light. For once in a long time, the sadness that had consumed him vanishes.

At that very moment, an insatiable desire washes over the lone soul. Once more, he feels alive. Having already lost everything else, he allows this emotion to consume him. His eyes are invigorated with flare and excitement. His posture mimics that of an animal that has caught the scent of its prey. His demeanor transforms into a sinister scowl, stretching from ear to ear. He envisions lights brighter than the sun, made visible by the glory and success he will achieve through his own efforts. Refusing to let anybody, let alone anything, hinder his progress, he is determined to reach his goal, no matter the cost. The man, reborn, takes his first steps into the dark road, once lost but now found. He embodies the very emotion that has given him new life. In a quiet voice, he says to himself, "I am Kira," before building momentum and pushing forward.

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTERLUDE 1: ANNIVERSARY

Three hundred and sixty-five days, that's how long my journey has taken me. And what have I learned?

Each person is born with their own sea. Many will spend their lives on the safety of the beach, sheltered from the unpredictability of nature. But there are a few who choose to venture forth, admired by those on the shore. They'll feel so far away while being so close while radiating confidence that others wish they had.

Then there are the outliers, those so deeply immersed in their environment that none are around them. They live in their own world, fearless and exploratory.

and me?

Well, my sea is more treacherous than the rest; here, the harshness of the world is truly felt.

Yet, it will never deter me from pressing forward. In three hundred and sixty-five days, I have journeyed this far, and I can't wait to go even further.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER 2: VELOCITY

The problems of my past always held me down, so I ran.

 

I ran, and I kept running. Through the desolate forest, under the cold stare of distant stars, I ran. But something was different this time—a pulse of transformation beneath each stride. I was no longer the shadow of a man fleeing his past but someone reborn, driven by a dark determination to reach the end of his journey. Every step was a step toward freedom, fueled by a purpose that drowned out the weight of my failures.

 

With each surge forward, the fabric on my body began to strain, shifting with a life of its own. Threads twisted and pulled, transforming under the relentless force of my speed. I was moving so fast that my clothes were no longer mere fabric—they became a suit of armor, molded to my need, something forged by my journey itself.

 

This was not ordinary armor; it was like nothing I had ever seen. Its weight grounded me, warming me against the cold unknown, while its ashen hue mirrored the sorrow and resilience that had defined my path. My helmet, oversized and encompassing, offered more than protection; it was a sanctuary, shielding me from the outside world. In this suit, I felt an almost unfamiliar peace—a fleeting, powerful moment of calm that I had found only once before in my life.

 

In this era of transformation, as the forerunner of KIRA, I christen this armor *Velocity*.

 

With newfound speed, I break through the tree line and emerge into the backstreets of a city shrouded in shadows, its towering structures and flickering lights painting a scene straight out of a dystopian dream. Everything here feels strange, unfamiliar. I cannot recognize the time I have found myself in—was my mind so consumed that I had lost track of reality, or has KIRA shown me a way back to the surface?

 

Driven by instinct, I seek refuge in the nearest structure, a monolith of glass with panels that shimmer against the neon haze. Through the glass, I catch sight of people moving inside, dancing as though in a trance. They appear untouched by the world outside, lost in a rhythm that isolates them from reality. I wonder if they, too, need to hear KIRA’s call. Perhaps they do, but that’s a question for another time. My focus shifts to a familiar-looking sign engraved in stone by the entrance—a face I can almost recognize, and a name written below.

 

The sign reads: *The Seven Deadly Sins.*

 

I wonder what that means.