Chapter 11: Escape to the Shadows

Kuru had never imagined she would find herself in the Neutral Zone. A place of lawless chaos, it was the refuge of those who had no place in Yūgensekai's divided world. But for Kuru, it had become the only sanctuary she could reach, and not by choice.It wasn't long ago that she was deep within the fold of the Essence Syndicate, forced to carry out their dark deeds, her hands stained by their ruthless pursuits of power.

She had once believed there was no escape from Raikou Saito's grasp, and for a long time, that belief was reality. But something inside her had shifted—a quiet rebellion had grown in her heart, born of desperation and fear.It all started months ago, when Kuru was first drawn into the Syndicate's clutches.

The memory burned sharp in her mind, each moment a reminder of the impossible situation she had found herself in.The night had been still, suffocating even, as she stood outside Raikou Saito's headquarters.

The towering structure loomed in front of her, cold and uninviting, casting long shadows that twisted through the alleyways. She had been sent there by her mentor, Akira Mori, one of Raikou's lieutenants. At the time, Akira had told her it was an initiation, a chance to prove herself to the Syndicate. But the reality was far more sinister.

Kuru had stood before Raikou himself that night, the weight of his gaze pressing down on her like an anchor. His reputation preceded him, a man whose cold brilliance could manipulate the very Essence of the world, bending it to his will.

He had tested her with questions, each one more invasive than the last, probing for weaknesses in her character. But it wasn't until he handed her the blade—a blade she would be required to use in her first mission—that she truly felt trapped.

"You are either with us or against us," Raikou had said, his voice smooth, almost hypnotic. "There is no middle ground in the Essence Syndicate.

"She had known then that failure to comply meant death. But even compliance offered no real future. It only meant more blood on her hands, more chains around her soul.For weeks, she carried out Raikou's orders alongside the Syndicate, pushing down the guilt, telling herself she had no choice.

It was either survival or annihilation. She would watch Raikou's lieutenants—Akira Mori, Hiroshi Kuroda, Sayuri Tanaka, and Yori—working effortlessly alongside their leader, each of them loyal, ruthless, and utterly without mercy. She realized, in her darkest moments, that she was becoming one of them, even if she couldn't admit it.

The missions varied—some involved gathering Essence from unsuspecting victims, others in destroying those who dared oppose the Syndicate's growth. Kuru followed orders with precision, knowing that one mistake could cost her life. But the more she delved into the Syndicate's operations, the more she realized there was no way out. Not unless she made one for herself.

Her turning point came during an Essence raid in a small village near the Neutral Zone. Kuru had been sent with Akira and Hiroshi to extract the dark Essence that had been harvested from the fear of the village's inhabitants.

They stormed through the quiet streets like shadows, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Kuru had followed, silent and swift, but her mind was somewhere else.

She had watched as Hiroshi, with his calm and calculating demeanor, approached a group of terrified villagers. He had offered them false promises of safety in exchange for their Essence, but once extracted, he left them broken and discarded, their emotional energy drained to feed the Syndicate's insatiable hunger. The sight made Kuru sick, but she knew she couldn't intervene—not yet.

Later that night, after the mission was complete, she lay in her small, cramped quarters within the Syndicate's compound. Her mind raced with the images of the village's broken faces, the hollow looks in their eyes. Was this her fate? To live as a puppet for Raikou and his lieutenants, to extract and destroy without question? She couldn't stomach the thought.

That was when she made her decision.

The following night, Kuru waited for the perfect moment. Raikou and his lieutenants were occupied with a council meeting, strategizing their next moves. She had only a small window to escape, but it was enough. She stole away into the night, taking nothing but the clothes on her back and the memories that haunted her every step.

Kuru moved swiftly through the streets, knowing the Syndicate's agents would be searching for her soon. She needed to get as far away from their influence as possible, and there was only one place that offered the kind of anonymity she required: the Neutral Zone.The journey to the Neutral Zone was treacherous.

Yūgensekai was divided into regions governed by emotional forces, and traversing them was no simple feat. She had passed through the fringes of Hikarikuni, the Realm of Light, where the oppressive sunshine burned her skin and sapped her strength. She had crossed the Neutral Border, where storms raged unpredictably, mirroring the chaotic emotions within her.

And finally, she had entered the heart of the Neutral Zone—a place where no one cared who you were, as long as you had something to offer.

It was here, in the Neutral Zone, that Kuru finally stopped running.

She had found herself standing amidst a sea of strangers, all of them caught in their own battles, their own desperate attempts to survive in a world that bent to the whims of emotion. The Zone was an amalgamation of everything—the dark and the light, the broken and the hopeful. It was a place where rules were rewritten every day, and allegiances shifted like the wind.

For the first time in weeks, Kuru allowed herself to breathe.

That had been several months ago. Now, Kuru found herself navigating the Neutral Zone like a seasoned wanderer. She had managed to keep her head low, making just enough connections to stay informed but not enough to draw attention. It was a fine balance, one she was forced to maintain if she wanted to stay alive.

But the threat of the Essence Syndicate never truly disappeared. She knew that Raikou wouldn't let her betrayal go unanswered. He had agents everywhere, and it was only a matter of time before one of them found her. The Neutral Zone might have been a refuge for the moment, but it wouldn't protect her forever.

On the night she first entered the Neutral Zone, the streets had been quiet, and the weight of the atmosphere was palpable. She had slipped into the alleyways, making sure to avoid any Syndicate patrols. Her mind was constantly racing, thinking of how she could evade capture and how long she had before they inevitably found her. She wasn't sure if she would ever be truly free.

The Neutral Zone was a far cry from the rigid control of the Syndicate's territories. It was a place where power was fragmented, with different factions constantly vying for control. Some operated in the shadows, while others held more open influence. But they all played by the same unspoken rule: survival at all costs.

Kuru quickly learned the lay of the land. The Wanderers, led by the elusive Elysia Vale, were the most prominent force in the Zone, though their power was far from absolute. Elysia ruled not through fear, but through a calculated balance of diplomacy and force. Her influence stretched through the hidden corridors of the Neutral Zone, keeping its fragile order intact.

Kuru hadn't yet crossed paths with Elysia directly, but she had heard enough to understand that getting on her bad side was as dangerous as crossing Raikou. If Kuru was going to survive here, she needed to stay on the sidelines, quietly gathering information while avoiding attention.

The last thing she needed was to draw the ire of yet another powerful figure.

And so, Kuru bided her time, living in the shadows of the Neutral Zone. But she knew this fragile peace wouldn't last forever. Raikou's influence was spreading, and it was only a matter of time before the Syndicate made its move into the Zone.

When that happened, Kuru would be forced to face the consequences of her past.

But for now, she was safe. Or as safe as one could be in a world where emotions could kill.