Part 2: The Ghost Of Yesterday's Past

Later that same night came a call. Keito's wife had gone into premature labor. Dropping everything, he raced to the hospital. Bursting into the delivery room, his heart clenched at the sight. the baby - his child - let out a thin, quavering cry.

Keito's heart swelled with an overwhelming rush of emotions as he beheld the sight before him. Tears welled up in his eyes, spilling over in streams of pure joy and disbelief. "Is this truly my child?" he whispered to himself, a sense of awe enveloping his being.

The doctor's voice broke through his reverie, a simple statement that carried the weight of the world, "A boy."

In that moment, Keito's legs gave way beneath him, and he found himself on the floor, a physical manifestation of his emotional vulnerability. His wife, witnessing this raw display of emotion, couldn't help but smile and let out a gentle laugh.

 "Get up, you're making a fool of yourself," she teased, her eyes sparkling with affection and amusement. Yet, for Keito, rising was a feat far beyond his immediate capability. The floodgates of his emotions had been opened, and he could not stem the tide of tears that flowed freely.

The significance of this moment transcended the joy of new fatherhood; it was a profound reflection on his past actions. The experiments he had conducted on children in his pursuit of scientific discovery suddenly cast a dark shadow over his soul.

Holding his son for the first time, Keito was confronted with the fragility of life. This tiny, innocent being cradled in his arms was a testament to the miracle of existence.

Keito cradled the fragile life in his arms. So small, so vulnerable. The baby's unfocused eyes stared up at him, and something inside him shifted. Could something so tiny make him feel so immense?

The ruthless experiments, the lives he'd destroyed—images of pain and fear flashed through his mind. He had justified it all in the name of progress, but now, holding this innocent life, he felt a crack in his cold facade.

"Can I continue on this path?" His thoughts swirled. He had always believed in the necessity of his work, but now, his son—his own flesh and blood—made him question everything. "Do I want my child to grow up in a world tainted by my sins?"

"What am I doing?" His grip tightened. "Can I justify the suffering I've caused? For what? Data? Results?"

The baby cooed softly, oblivious to his turmoil. Was there still time to change? Could he atone for the lives he had shattered?

Keito's mind was a storm of conflicting emotions. The cold scientist in him fought against this newfound vulnerability. But as he looked into his son's eyes, he felt a glimmer of hope. "Maybe I can be better. Maybe I can give him a future unmarred by my past mistakes."

"I have to do better," he resolved silently. "For him. For us."

_______

A month and a half had passed. The relentless experiments continued, and so did Keito's internal torment. Since the birth of his child, sleep had become a stranger. Nights yielded little rest, and days blurred into a cycle of nausea and conscience-stricken work.

Part of him clung to the pursuit of scientific progress, driven by a need to complete his research and push the boundaries of knowledge.

But another part yearned to be with his family, to hold his child and find solace in their presence.

His colleagues, including Dr. Hideo Yamada, had noticed the pallor in his skin and how his hands sometimes shook uncontrollably, unaware of the war raging within him.

During one grueling session, as Yamada and he analyzed the effects of the latest serums on Kaze, Keito felt a familiar, unwelcome churning in his stomach.

Clutching the lab bench for support, Keito's body convulsed with a violent urge. 

He expelled his anguish in a fierce bout of vomiting, his senses overwhelmed. As he collapsed to the floor, the merging images of his child and Kaze spun a haunting image of grief within him.

"Are you okay, Dr. Shinsei?" Yamada's voice echoed distantly.

Ignoring his colleague's voice, Keito let the darkness take over.

When he came to, he found himself on a narrow bed in a different lab. He blinked, trying to remember how he got there.

"You fainted," Yamada said, standing nearby with a concerned expression. "You need to take care of yourself, Dr. Shinsei. This work... it's taking a toll on you."

Keito looked away, the weight of his actions pressing heavily on his chest. "I can't keep doing this," he murmured, more to himself than to Yamada.

Yamada sighed. "You need rest. Think about what's truly important."

As Keito lay there, the resolve solidified within him. He knew what he had to do next.

Quietly, he made a decision. He would leave the Agency for good.

____

Keito's hands trembled as he stood near Hiroto's office. He had spent the entire night tossing and turning, agonizing over what he was about to do.

But when the first rays of dawn crept through his window, his resolve was firm. He would not continue to torture that poor child for Kurosawa or Hiroto's ambitions anymore.

"Come in," Hiroto said in his usual brisk tone as Keito entered. Keito stood rigidly, gathering his courage.

"I cannot in good conscience continue experimenting on the boy," Keito began. "What we are doing is inhumane. I wish to terminate my contract, effective immediately."

Hiroto arched an eyebrow, his face otherwise impassive. "You seem to be forgetting yourself, Keito. You signed a binding contract with the Eclipse Agency. Your personal feelings are irrelevant."

"Please, Hiroto," Keito implored, wringing his hands. "He's just a child. I cannot see him suffering any longer."

"His suffering is necessary for the advancement of our research," Hiroto said coldly. "Or need I remind you that I know where your family lives? You owe it to the Agency to finish what you started."

Keito's shoulders slumped in defeat. Hiroto was right - he knew where his family lives. If he refused to continue, Hiroto would simply find another unscrupulous scientist to replace him. At least this way, he could try to minimize the damage.

Wordlessly, Keito turned and left the office, the weight of his guilt pressing heavily on his conscience.

Over the next few weeks, Keito worked alongside Dr. Yamada to complete the experiments on Kaze. With each procedure, each needle and scan, Keito tried to detach himself from the boy's silent anguish.

But those striking gray eyes never left him, boring into him with accusation and betrayal. Keito now understood the true meaning of "If looks could kill, he'd be dead right now."

At last, the experiments ended. Kaze's gravity manipulation abilities were honed to deadly precision.

He could now crush a man's bones or fling him through the air with a mere gesture. Like an animal, he paced within the confines of his cell, his power pulsing beneath his skin.

Keito approached Hiroto's office, each step feeling heavier than the last. He knocked and entered, finding Hiroto immersed in his work.

"General Hiroto, Kaze's transformation is complete," Keito announced, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Good. Turn over all your research."

Keito hesitated for a moment, the weight of his decision pressing down on him. "Of course, General," he said, pulling a folder from his briefcase. He handed it over, concealing the turmoil within him.

Hiroto took the folder, flipping through the pages. "Everything seems to be in order," he remarked. "You've done a great job, Dr. Shinsei."

Keito nodded, suppressing the urge to let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Director."

Hiroto closed the folder and looked at Keito, his expression unreadable. "Since you've finished this task so well, I will terminate your contract. But know this: you are never to step foot in the agency ever again."

Keito's heart pounded in his chest. "Understood," he said, keeping his voice steady despite the mixture of relief and anxiety swirling within him.

As he walked out of the office, Keito's mind raced. The folder contained only half of the Project K blueprints. He had kept the most dangerous details to himself, unable to bear the thought of causing more suffering.

Once outside, Keito paused, taking a deep breath. "This child has suffered enough," he muttered to himself. Determined, he walked away from the Eclipse Agency.

As he disappeared into the streets, Keito vowed never to return, carrying the burden of his secrets and the hope that he had done the right thing.

***

Present day, Keito found himself face to face with the adult Kaze. Those gray eyes still burned with hatred, now set in the hardened face of a man.

With a mere flick of his finger, Kaze crushed the bones in both of Keito's legs. Keito screamed and begged for mercy as Kaze loomed over him.

"Now I understand why you enjoyed torturing children so much, old man," Kaze said, an icy smile twisting his lips. "The rush of power is intoxicating."

Kaze raised his hand, and Keito knew he was about to die. Suddenly, a small voice cried out.

"Please don't hurt my uncle!" Keito's nephew, Usagi, stood in front of Kaze, tears streaming down his round cheeks. Kaze hesitated, momentarily distracted.

"Run, Usagi!" Keito cried. But the boy stood firm.

"Let him go!" Usagi yelled, balling his tiny hands into fists. Kaze only Kept staring at Keito.

Then Usagi screamed, a piercing wail that shook the forest "I said STOP!". A massive tornado exploded into being, crashing into Kaze and sending him flying through the air.

Keito stared in shock as Usagi floated in the air, his eyes glowing white as he commanded the winds.

Kaze used his gravity manipulation to land safely on the ground. But Keito seized the opportunity.

"We need to leave immediately!" Keito said, his tone conveying urgency despite the sharp pain from his broken legs.

Supported carefully by his family, he hobbled awkwardly—their progress slow and fraught with risk—each step a collaboration as they fled into the concealing darkness of the night.

Kaze now faced a choice. Should he pursue Keito, or stop the child's raging tornado from destroying the forest? Cursing, he rushed to calm the child.

But even his powerful Graviton Surge failed against the tornado's might.

_________

Back In the heart of The Eclipse Agency's command center, Hiroto Nagasaki's stern expression grew tense as he parsed the incoming emergency brief.

It detailed a destructive tornado, its signature chaos matching that of the renegade anomaly now under Kaze's wing.

His eyes flickered with concern before he turned decisively towards his aide.

"I need Sora Yamamoto on this, accompanied by two B-rank enforcers," he said.

"Make sure they're equipped with the latest non-lethal weaponry."

Sora gave his customized agency uniform a quick once-over, making minor adjustments to the fit.

"We're heading out," Sora said.

"Understood, Master Sora," the twin sisters responded in sync, as they stepped into the transport pod.

A barely noticeable grin at the edge of Sora's mouth was the only sign of his readiness for the mission ahead.