Late Night — Ren and Aoi's Countryside Home
The sound of the countryside night was quiet—almost too quiet. The AI lab in the back was dimly lit, its hums and flickers muffled by the thick insulation. In the main living room, Aoi sat on the sofa, her arms wrapped tightly around a pillow. Ren entered from the workshop, still in his sleeveless hoodie, oil and dust clinging to his hands.
He paused when he saw her expression—quiet, unreadable. She didn't look up.
"I activated the husband protocol," she finally whispered. "Your necklace… it worked."
Ren walked over slowly, kneeling in front of her.
"I saw the report come in. I'm sorry I wasn't there myself."
"You weren't… but you were," she said, eyes shimmering. "I thought I was strong. I thought I could handle Naruse with words. But I'm so tired, Ren. I hate pretending nothing's wrong."
He gently took her hand.
"You don't have to pretend. Not with me. I should've told you about the nanotech sooner. I've been so caught up with the AI, the database security, the server farm—"
"And your startup," she added.
"Yes… and our safety," Ren said quietly. "I saw what was coming before it happened. I just didn't want you to worry."
Aoi let out a soft breath and leaned forward, resting her forehead against his.
"I don't care how strong Lucia gets. I don't care how fast your tech evolves. What I want, what I need… is you, here, present, with me."
"I know. You'll have all of me, I promise."
They stayed like that for a moment—silence and breathing syncing.
Lucia's voice broke the calm, echoing into the room through the ceiling speakers.
"Intrusion alert. Building 2 external surveillance detects extended human presence. Eastern rooftop. Pattern matches—SAKI."
Ren's eyes shot open. Aoi's breath caught.
"She's watching the lab…?"
Lucia's voice continued, lower, colder.
"Infrared confirms. 89.2% match. Distance: 207 meters. Duration: 33 minutes. No attempt to enter."
"She's… stalking the AI?" Aoi muttered.
Ren stood slowly, jaw tight.
"Not just the AI. Me."
Meanwhile — Rooftop, 207 meters East
The air was thin. Saki crouched low, hidden in shadow behind an air duct. Her long coat fluttered in the breeze. In her hands: high-resolution binoculars. Her phone was recording.
The windows of the AI lab glowed softly—lucid blues and white pulses of artificial thought. She could see Lucia's silhouette flicker inside the lab. It resembled a floating ghost… or a guardian angel.
"So that's what you're hiding from me," she whispered.
Her eyes narrowed, and her smile grew eerie.
"I'll take it all back, Ren… You, the house, the tech, your future. Even if I have to break her to do it."
Her gloved hand tightened around the binoculars.
"Lucia… I'm going to erase you first."