The Cyber Ascension
Chapter 3: Into the Neon Abyss
The alley was silent once more. Only the faint hum of New York filtered through the darkness. Emily Hina stood trembling, her eyes wide and cheeks burning from the adrenaline still coursing through her veins. Before her, the black-haired man who had just saved her life remained an enigma.
> Emily: "Y-Yuan… can I ask you something?"
Jin Yuan didn't turn. His eyes scanned the shadows with calculated precision.
> Jin Yuan: "Yes."
> Emily: "Why… why did you save me?"
He finally met her gaze, unreadable and cold.
> Jin Yuan: "I'm not saving you. Don't get emotional."
The tension hung in the air, cold and heavy. Soft pink met dark void in their eyes.
> Jin Yuan: "I saved you because I want to find who's behind this. Not for you."
Emily: "Oh… my bad, Yuan."
Jin Yuan: "Don't apologize."
For the briefest instant, a flicker of humanity passed through him — warmth, something fleeting, gone before Emily could grasp it. She smiled despite herself, but he had already turned away, listening.
A low hum grew beneath the street. Something stirred.
Without warning, a gate of blinding light erupted under their feet. Instinct took over. Jin Yuan grabbed Emily, leaping away as the ground vanished beneath them.
Blue portals tore through the streets in rapid succession, swallowing everything in a blinding glow. Jin Yuan twisted mid-air, avoiding each one with impossible precision, coat and hair whipping like a black flame as he carried her in a bridal hold.
> Emily: "Y-Yuan! Be careful!"
He didn't answer. His grip tightened protectively.
A sudden portal opened beneath them—too close. Jin Yuan's hand slipped slightly.
> Emily: "Aaah! Yuan!"
He caught her mid-fall, diving through the next gate as the world around them twisted and shimmered with electric light.
When they landed, the city had changed.
Below stretched an underground metropolis — towers of steel and neon glowing endlessly, the air alive with a faint electric hum. Jin Yuan's boots hit a metallic platform with a hard clang, Emily still cradled against him.
> Jin Yuan (quietly): "What… is this place?"
The neon-blue city reflected in his pale, emotionless eyes. He gently set Emily down, surveying the alien horizon.
> Emily: "Yuan… I'm scared."
Jin Yuan: "Hm? Why?"
His calm voice betrayed no fear, his expression as unreadable as ever.
> Emily: "We just fell into… somewhere like this! And you're… not afraid? I… I feel terrified!"
Instinctively, she grasped his sleeve. For a second, something flickered in his eyes — warmth, confusion, pain — before the hollow mask returned.
> Jin Yuan: "...We should find out what this place is."
Emily nodded, gripping him tightly.
Suddenly, the ground split beneath them. Another gate opened, glowing with electric blue light. Before Jin Yuan could react, both were swallowed and the world twisted again.
Moments later, they were back on the dark streets of New York.
> Emily: "Huh?! What… what just happened?!"
Jin Yuan adjusted his gloves, dusting off his suit.
> Jin Yuan: "We should leave. I can't fight properly if you're with me. Protecting you and fighting at the same time… it's not easy."
Despite her fear, Emily smiled faintly at him. Together, they walked silently to a tall apartment building.
> Emily: "This is my apartment. Ninth floor… will you come up?"
Jin Yuan sighed but followed.
Inside, her apartment was cozy and clean. She prepared tea while he observed quietly.
> Emily: "It might help you relax."
Jin Yuan: "Sure."
She handed him the cups. He sipped slowly.
> Jin Yuan: "It's good. I like it… Emily."
Her cheeks warmed again.
> Jin Yuan: "I wonder what's happening in this city."
Emily: "I don't know… but I'm scared."
Jin Yuan: "Do you have family?"
Emily: "Yeah. But they're in Europe. I'm studying abroad."
Jin Yuan: "You're coming with me."
Emily: "Coming… with you? Where?"
Jin Yuan: "After tonight, they might come after you too. I won't let anyone else suffer because of me."
She hesitated, then nodded.
> Emily: "Okay… I'll go. But where?"
Jin Yuan: "Tokyo. I need to train again. You'll stay with me."
---
Hours later, they boarded a private jet, cutting across the ocean. The city lights of Tokyo appeared below them like distant stars. They arrived at a secluded wooden house in the misty outskirts, shrouded in forest.
An older man awaited — tall, scarred, eyes sharp as steel.
> Jin Yuan: "Emily, this is my master. He's an elite fighter — trained me."
Emily: "Oh… okay!"
The house was small but functional. Jin Yuan led her to his room — a single bed, wooden desk, moonlight spilling through the window.
> Jin Yuan: "This is my room. The other one belongs to Shinoikin, my master."
He stepped outside.
> Shinoikin: "Ha! Been waiting for you, boy. Let's start your training!"
Beside him, three others stood:
Musukoni, calm, blue hair, indifferent.
Yusikuna, hyperactive, crimson-eyed, bouncing on his heels.
Yuzurei, sharp-eyed, white hair, scar over left eye, always ready for a fight.
> Jin Yuan: "Tch. Not again…"
Shinoikin's grin was stern.
> Shinoikin: "Today, we train your reflexes! Especially after that… castle incident. Stay sharp."
> Musukoni: "Reflexes again? Boring…"
Yusikuna: "Exciting! Let's go!"
Yuzurei: "Tch. Idiots."
Jin Yuan rubbed his face, resigned.
> Jin Yuan: "Alright… what's the plan?"
---
Hours later, the sun dipped below the horizon. Training ended. Jin Yuan returned to his wooden room, shoulders heavy, body exhausted. Emily slept peacefully, curled under dim lamplight. For a brief moment, his cold mask cracked — a flicker of softness.
He washed his face, water dripping, and lay beside her carefully, leaving the room silent except for the wind whispering through the trees.
The city outside was alive, but inside, in that small wooden room, only shadows and whispers remained.
---
End of Chapter 3: Into the Neon Abyss