Node 3 — Asakura Residence, Neko's Bedroom
"A-nnnd that's all!"
Neko stopped.
I stared at her in disbelief. I really didn't see that coming. For once, I thought she was a good storyteller.
I'm taking that back.
Yes, I'm definitely taking that back.
"Wait, th-that's all?" I uttered. "I thought we were getting to the good part!"
I was disappointed, but before I could complain any further, Neko explained that something strange had happened to her ever since she was a child.
"Well, I thought I could remember the whole story. I used to read the chronicle when I was a kid with my grandparents, until I lost my memories and couldn't remember what happened afterwards."
She paused, fidgeting with the necklace in her hand.
"Until I found out that this necklace was still with me."
I didn't know what to say.
Just listening to her talk about what had happened to her made me feel a strange pain in my chest.
How old were her grandparents?
Wait, that didn't matter right now.
What mattered was that I needed to comfort her and understand what she was going through.
Had she really lost her memories of her past? What had happened to her grandparents? And what about her parents? Had something similar happened to them?
"Neko, I'm sorry to hear tha—"
Before I could finish my sentence, Neko hugged me and broke into tears.
"Why must this happen to me? Why does this happen to my family? Why am I even here? I'm tired… I'm tired."
She repeated the words twice, the first time dramatically and the second time in a much softer voice.
A tear rolled down her cheek, passed over her flushed skin, and landed on my shoulder.
"I don't like it. I want to live a normal life. This world is not what I expected it to be."
Her voice trembled.
Even though some of her words were barely audible, I could understand what she was really trying to say.
She was hurting.
If losing memories was part of being reincarnated into this Cytus world, did that mean everyone living here had gone through the same thing?
What about Alex and Alice? What had happened to them after their story ended?
I wanted to know, so I carefully asked Neko while she was still sobbing.
"Neko, this might be a sensitive question, but… do you still remember your past?"
"No."
She paused.
"Until I turned seven, I still had my memories. But after that, I couldn't remember anything. Not until I found this necklace in my hands."
I looked at her and held her hands.
For once, I understood why I felt the need to comfort someone like this. I had learned it from Shinji-san, a mature woman with a kind heart.
"I might not have the right to say this, but this world must be unfair and cruel to you. No… to us. But don't worry. As long as I'm here, we'll go through it together, no matter what. We're partners, aren't we?"
I smiled as I tried to calm her down.
It was strange.
Yes, I was a girl in this world, but I had been a boy in reality. I thought a moment like this would have felt embarrassing, but when I looked at Neko, that embarrassment disappeared.
All I wanted was to make sure she was okay.
Yet the necklace continued to bother me.
It had survived whatever had happened to Neko. Somehow, despite her memories being lost, she had still managed to keep it.
Maybe it was simply a precious accessory.
Or perhaps there was something about the necklace that was connected to her lost memories.
Or am I overthinking this?
Neko eventually let go of me and looked into my eyes.
Her eyes were still covered with tears, making her look like a cute cat waiting to be patted.
Without thinking, I placed my hand on her head and gently patted her hair.
Somehow, my arm had moved on its own.
I hadn't even planned to do it.
"I want an ice cream," she whispered.
"Eh? Ice cream?" I blinked. "In this cold weather?"
Only then did I realize where I was.
I was still in Neko's bedroom at the Asakura residence, and I had completely forgotten that I was supposed to be resting.
I had been so absorbed in Neko's story that I had forgotten everything else.
Well, at least now I know one thing.
Neko is terrible at giving clues.
"I want an ice-creamm…"
Neko whined, returning to her usual self.
She tugged on my shirt, clearly expecting me to spoil her.
She repeated herself several times until I sighed and shook my head with a smile.
At least this was the Neko I knew.
"Okay. Where do we buy the ice cream?" I asked.
"We don't have to buy it! I still have some in the freezer!" she replied.
Apparently, it was leftover ice cream.
I got up, went to the freezer, and retrieved it before returning to the small dining table beside the window where we had been sitting earlier.
I handed Neko her chocolate-mint ice cream and sat across from her.
Outside the window, Node 3 was still alive despite the late hour.
Bright city lights shimmered across the wet roads while rain struck the glass panes like tiny bullets.
I stared at the city and began thinking about my own past again.
Am I really going to play the role of a female musician until I find this one specific person?
Who is Ivy?
Why did he appear the moment I reincarnated?
What happened before I came here?
What did he do?
"When will I meet this Ivy in person…?"
The words slipped from my mouth before I could stop myself.
"Huh?"
Neko looked at me.
Shoot!
I shouldn't have said that out loud!
I had meant to keep those thoughts to myself. I didn't want to burden Neko with another problem, especially after everything she had just told me.
But when I looked at her, she was trying to feed me a spoonful of ice cream.
"Want some?" she asked.
I instinctively crawled backward and hit my head against the wall.
"Ouch!"
A sharp pain shot through my head, but thankfully it faded quickly.
"What are you doing?"
Neko burst into laughter.
I smiled sheepishly.
At least she was being herself again.
More importantly, I hoped she hadn't heard what I had muttered earlier.
I crawled forward again and reached for the spoon.
Neko happily fed me the ice cream.
"Delicious. Thank you, Neko-chan."
She didn't say anything.
She simply smiled gently.
Then she returned to the strange question I had asked about the man—or rather, the demon.
"Hmm… if you're looking for him, just call him using your phone."
I paused.
Does she actually know who he is?
Then another thought hit me.
Wait. Do I even have a phone?
So many things had happened since I arrived in this world that I didn't even know what belongings I was supposed to have.
"What's his name again? Harvy, wasn't it?" Neko asked cheerfully.
"Got a new friend, huh? That's awesome!"
I sighed.
I was almost relieved by how clueless she seemed.
However, something about her expression felt slightly off.
Maybe she knew what I was really talking about but simply didn't want to question me about it yet.
"Ahh! This ice cream is THE BEST!" Neko suddenly exclaimed, changing the subject.
"R-right…" I agreed, hoping she wouldn't dwell on the tragedy surrounding her great-grandparents.
Neko finished her last spoonful and then handed something to me.
Her phone.
"Oh, that?" she said. "I was planning to give it to you as a gift. Don't get the wrong idea, though! It's not like you achieved something huge or anything. It's just… just…"
She hesitated.
"Just say it," I said with a smile.
"It's ju-just a-a gift for being my friend!"
Neko's face turned bright red.
I couldn't help but giggle.
She was adorable when she got embarrassed.
"What about you?" I asked.
Neko pulled another phone from her pocket.
"TADA! I've got a spare, hehe!"
She unlocked the phone she had given me and taught me how to use it.
We went through her saved contacts together.
Neko-chan.
Shinji-san.
Nora-san.
Sagar.
Cherry.
Xenon.
Six contacts in total.
"If you need help with anything, just call any of us," Neko said. "Especially me, hehe!"
"Thank you."
I genuinely appreciated the gift.
Not that I didn't know how to use a phone—I had been using one when I was still alive—but having one here made this strange new world feel a little more real.
"So, uhh…"
Neko suddenly changed the subject again.
The moment I heard those words, I had a feeling something serious was coming.
"If you really have something you want to talk about, it's okay to share it with me. I'll be the first person to listen. I'll try my best to help you with whatever I can. I just don't want you hiding things from us. If we keep secrets from each other, we'll never be able to resolve anything."
Oh no.
She was getting worried.
I probably had to tell her something, but I didn't want whatever I said to affect her badly.
I took a small breath and pinched my thighs beneath the table.
Neko eventually wiped the remaining tears from her eyes.
I watched her quietly.
There were still so many questions running through my mind.
The necklace.
Alex and Alice.
Yami.
The mysterious Master.
And, most importantly…
How does all of this connect to the world I'm living in now?
I looked through the window again.
Node 3 stretched endlessly beyond the glass.
Buildings towered over the streets, countless lights reflected against the wet roads, and security drones moved silently through the night sky.
I had been so focused on Neko's story that I had almost forgotten something important.
I barely knew anything about this world.
"Neko?"
"Hm?"
"What exactly is Cytus like?"
She tilted her head.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean… this entire world."
I gestured toward the window.
"I know we're in Node 3, but I don't really understand what the Nodes are. Are there other cities like this?"
Neko's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Oh! You don't know?"
I shook my head.
"Nope."
Neko sat up straight.
"Then let me teach you!"
I immediately regretted asking.
She looked far too excited.
"There are eight major Nodes in the Cytus world!"
"Eight?"
"Yep! Node 1 all the way to Node 8!"
She grabbed a piece of paper from the table and began drawing a rough map.
"Node 1 is the smallest city. Node 2 is right next to it, and we're currently here…"
She pointed toward the middle of her drawing.
"Node 3!"
I leaned closer.
"So we're basically in the center?"
"Exactly!"
Neko continued drawing.
"Node 4 and Node 5 are farther toward the east. Node 6 and Node 7 are toward the south."
She then drew another circle much farther away from the others.
"And this…"
She tapped the paper dramatically.
"Is Node 8."
"That's pretty far away."
"Very far."
Neko nodded.
"It's the largest and most technologically advanced Node in the entire Cytus world."
"So Node 8 is basically the biggest city?"
"Pretty much. It's incredibly busy too."
I stared at the map.
"What about Node 1?"
"Smallest."
"Node 2?"
"Also small."
"Node 3?"
"Safest!"
She proudly pointed at herself.
I laughed.
"Of course you'd say that."
"I'm serious!"
Neko puffed out her cheeks.
"Node 3 has some of the highest security systems in the Commonwealth. We have traffic surveillance, security drones, emergency response systems…"
She continued listing everything.
"Basically, nothing bad can happen here!"
I raised an eyebrow.
"Nothing?"
"Well…"
Her voice became quieter.
"Almost nothing."
I noticed the change in her expression.
"What?"
Neko looked down at Node 8 on the map.
"Node 8 is different."
"How?"
She hesitated.
"I've heard that their security is really advanced too."
"Then why isn't it safer than Node 3?"
Neko's cheerful expression disappeared.
"Because security isn't the problem."
I waited.
"The ruler is."
My expression hardened.
"What do you mean?"
Neko lowered her voice.
"She has almost complete authority over the Node."
"Complete authority?"
"From what I've heard, she promises protection to anyone who worships her."
I frowned.
"And the people who don't?"
Neko looked away.
"She hunts them down."
Silence filled the bedroom.
I stared at the map.
Node 8 suddenly didn't sound like the futuristic paradise I had imagined.
"How can people live like that?"
"I don't know."
Neko sighed.
"That's why I said Node 3 is safer."
I looked toward the window again.
Eight Nodes.
Eight different societies.
And somehow, I had ended up in Node 3.
I wondered what kind of secrets were hiding in the other seven.
Especially Node 8.
But before I could ask another question—
BANG!
The bedroom door slammed open.
"Neko, you little—!"
Both of us jumped.
I immediately recognized the voice.
"Shinji-san?!"
Shinji stood in the doorway.
Judging by the expression on her face, she was furious.
"Oh my, Aroma-chan, are you feeling better?" she asked, closing the door behind her.
She walked over and sat beside Neko, her expression still completely straight.
"Y-yes, thank you for asking. Is there anything I can help you with?" I asked politely.
"Come on, no need to be so polite. I guess that's just you being you."
No, I'm being polite because you're older than me, Shinji-san! My real personality isn't this formal!
Shinji glanced toward Neko.
"Whereas for this little punk…"
She smacked Neko lightly on the head.
That probably hurt, but judging by their relationship, I guessed this was simply how the sisters communicated.
I couldn't help but giggle.
"Okay, okay. I think I've seen enough sibling violence for one day."
Shinji sighed.
"Sorry, Aroma-chan. It's just that this little troublemaker has a habit of taking things without asking."
Neko puffed out her cheeks.
"I was going to give it back!"
"You said that yesterday."
"Yesterday was different!"
"How?"
"Because… because I forgot!"
Shinji stared at her.
Neko stared back.
For a few seconds, neither of them said anything.
Then Neko slowly looked away.
"…Hehe."
Shinji sighed again.
"You're hopeless."
I smiled.
Seeing them argue like this made me feel strangely comfortable.
It reminded me of the family bond I had witnessed the night before.
Their relationship was chaotic, but there was warmth behind it.
Then Shinji noticed something.
Her eyes shifted toward the table.
Toward the necklace.
Her expression immediately changed.
"Neko."
"Hm?"
"Where did you get that?"
Neko looked down at the necklace in her hand.
"This?"
She hesitated.
"I found it in my drawer."
Shinji didn't respond.
She stared at the necklace for several seconds.
Her face had become unusually serious.
"That necklace…"
She slowly reached toward it but stopped before touching it.
"Where exactly did you find it?"
"I told you. In my drawer."
"No."
Her voice became quieter.
"I mean… where did it originally come from?"
Neko tilted her head.
"I don't know."
Shinji's eyes narrowed.
I looked between the two sisters.
Something was wrong.
"Shinji-san?"
She didn't answer.
Instead, she looked at Neko.
"Have you told Aroma about the story?"
Neko froze.
"Uh…"
Shinji's eyes widened.
"You did."
Neko scratched the back of her head.
"Maybe?"
"Neko."
"Okay! Yes!"
Shinji sighed.
"What exactly did you tell her?"
"The story about Alex and Alice."
Shinji went silent.
The room suddenly felt colder.
I noticed it immediately.
It was the same feeling I had experienced before.
The same feeling from my dream.
The same feeling I had when I saw Ivy.
I swallowed.
"Shinji-san…"
She looked at me.
"Who is Ivy?"
Silence.
Neko's smile disappeared.
Shinji's expression became completely still.
I immediately knew I had said something I wasn't supposed to.
"What?"
Shinji's voice was barely audible.
"I said… who is Ivy?"
"Where did you hear that name?"
"I…"
I hesitated.
Should I tell her about the dream?
About Ivy attacking me?
About him nearly killing Shinji?
About the gemstone?
I didn't know if I could trust anyone with that information yet.
But Neko had already told me to stop hiding things.
So I took a breath.
"I saw him."
Shinji's eyes widened.
"Where?"
"In my dream."
Neko immediately moved closer.
"Aroma-chan…"
"I don't know if it was really a dream."
I touched the gemstone attached to my body.
"But he was there."
Shinji's eyes immediately went toward the gemstone.
Her expression changed.
She stood up.
"Where did you get that?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"It just appeared."
Shinji walked closer.
She stared at the gemstone without touching it.
For the first time since I had met her, I could see genuine fear in her eyes.
"Neko…"
she whispered.
"What?"
"Did you see this before?"
Neko shook her head.
"No. It appeared while Aroma-chan was unconscious."
Shinji took a step backward.
"This can't be…"
"What?" I asked.
Shinji didn't answer.
Instead, she looked toward the necklace.
Then toward the gemstone.
Then back at me.
"The necklace…"
Her voice trembled.
"The gemstone…"
She swallowed.
"They're connected."
My heart skipped a beat.
"What do you mean?"
Before Shinji could answer, someone knocked on the bedroom door.
Three times.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Everyone froze.
Neko looked toward the door.
"Who is it?"
No answer.
Another three knocks echoed through the bedroom.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Shinji immediately moved in front of me.
"Neko. Stay behind me."
Her cheerful expression from earlier was completely gone.
I felt the same fear crawling up my spine.
It was familiar.
Too familiar.
Then a voice came from the other side.
"It's me."
Shinji's eyes widened.
She slowly lowered her guard.
"Nora?"
The bedroom door opened.
Nora stood outside.
Her expression was unusually serious.
She looked directly at me.
"Aroma."
I sat upright.
"Yes?"
"We need to talk."
She stepped inside and closed the door behind her.
Neko looked confused.
"About what?"
Nora didn't answer her.
Her eyes remained fixed on me.
"About the man with the tattoo."
My heart stopped.
The tattoo.
The same symbol that had appeared in Neko's family story.
The same mystery that had somehow followed me into this world.
And now…
Nora knew about it too.
I looked at Neko.
She looked at Shinji.
Shinji looked at Nora.
Nobody spoke.
Then Nora finally said,
"Xenon and Cherry found something at the CCI Mall."
My breathing became heavier.
"What did they find?"
Nora's expression darkened.
"A person."
She paused.
"A person with the exact same symbol."
I clenched my fists.
"So…" I whispered. "The culprit is here?"
Nora shook her head.
"No."
She looked toward the window.
"He's not just here."
Her eyes returned to mine.
"He's looking for someone."
"Who?"
Nora's gaze fell upon the gemstone attached to my body.
"You."