First message
The lights dimmed.
Not by switch.
By will.
The blue veins in the walls pulsed brighter—then steadied.
And from the shadows above the stage—
A figure descended.
Dr. Sero Kade.
Tall. Precise. Immaculate.
His white coat was not stained—it was too clean, like something that had never allowed chaos to touch it. A mechanical lens glowed faintly over one eye, clicking softly as it adjusted, scanning the room with quiet calculation.
When he spoke—
The entire chamber fell silent.
“Esteemed guests,” he began, voice calm, measured, carrying effortlessly, “you have traveled far… paid dearly… and waited patiently.”
A faint smile.
“I assure you… your patience will be rewarded.”
He lifted a hand.
The stage beneath him shifted.
Panels slid open with a low, resonant hum. Machinery older than the city itself awakened—rings of metal, etched with glowing runes, rising slowly into view.
A containment system.
No—
A cage.