The sound of distant gunfire echoed through the maze of skyscrapers, but you kept moving, weaving between the scattered debris on the rooftop. Your heart pounded in your chest, the weight of survival pressing heavy on your shoulders.

“Stop,” a sharp voice whispered from the shadows.

You froze, hand instinctively gripping the knife at your side. From behind a metal vent, Mayuko Nise stepped into view, her expression cool and calculating. The glint of her blade caught the fading sunlight, but she didn’t raise it. Instead, she gestured for you to follow her.

“This way,” she said simply, turning on her heel and walking toward a stairwell door.