Chapter 13 - Chapter 13: New Dawn, Old Shadows

The first light of dawn crept through the cracked windows of the precinct. Arata sat silently, the weight of the previous night's battle settling over him like a heavy fog. The puppeteer was subdued, yet the city's wounds remained raw, and the tangled web of lies was far from unravelled.Saki entered, hands clutching a stack of reports—the slow pulse of evidence pointing to an unseen cabal manipulating not just memories, but entire lives."There's more," she said quietly. "Networks of influence running through the city's veins—politics, corporations, even those sworn to protect."Arata's eyes narrowed. "So the puppeteer was a symptom, not the cause."Saki nodded grimly. "Exactly. If we want to heal this city, we need to dive deeper than ever before."Their gaze locked, an unspoken vow passing between them.Outside, the city awakened—a fragile promise of renewal, yet shadows lingered, waiting beneath the surface. The fight for truth was only just beginning.