The weather was finally clear.
After several days of both light and heavy rainfall, the sky was finally visible again. But people had become somewhat cautious after the recent incident.
It was as if an old fear had awakened within them again.
The news channels were still constantly talking about the incident.
We see Kye and Arisa sitting together in a park, along with Hollow, Ren, and Luca.
Kye and Hollow's conditions still weren't the best, but after three or four days of recovery, they were at least able to walk around again.
After all, they weren't exactly normal humans who would need months of bed rest to recover.
Kye: "Huh...! You know, people were looking at us pretty strangely."
He pauses.
"Literally, some old lady even told me, 'Man, your family is so lovely.'"
Hollow: "What the hell? How does a handsome guy like me look like I'm part of your family?"
Arisa immediately smacks Hollow on the head.
Arisa: "Stop fighting and just sit quietly."
Hollow silently turns his head to the other side.
Arisa: "And even if someone did say that, what's the big deal?"
She pauses for a moment.
"Honestly... I haven't heard the word 'family' in a very long time."
Arisa seemed genuinely happy about it, perhaps even secretly.
Kye gently smiles as well.
But just then, his phone starts ringing.
Arisa: "Who's calling, Kye?"
Kye: "I'll be back in a moment. It's a call from home."
Arisa: "Oh, I see. Take your time. We'll be right here."
Kye answers the call.
Mira: "Kye, My-Son... you're alright, aren't you? You said you'd call me every few days. It's literally been a week!"
Kye: "Ah, Mom, I was just... busy with a fight—"
He immediately corrects himself.
"I mean, training. I was busy with training. And I got a few minor injuries, so things got a little hectic."
Mira: "You've made me so worried, Kye. I don't even have the words anymore. Forget it. Just tell me—when are you coming back home?"
Kye suddenly becomes serious.
Kye: "I don't know... but..."
He pauses.
"Let's leave it for now. I'll talk to you later, Mom. I'm sorry."
He ends the call.
On Mira's side, she quietly says to Daigo:
Mira: "I think the time has finally come, Daigo..."
She pauses.
"We just need to be ready now."
Kye returns to the group.
Arisa: "So? How did the conversation go?"
Kye: "Huh...! Nothing special. We didn't really talk much anyway. Just forget about it."
Arisa: "Kye, tell us about your past instead. What were your school and college years like? And don't even think about making excuses, understood?"
Kye reacts for a moment.
Kye: "Well... since you put it that way..."
We see countless memories flash before us—
From Kye's childhood all the way to the moment when he first received his powers.
Kye tells Arisa everything.
Ren and Luca are shocked as well after hearing Kye's story, especially realizing just how much Kye had changed by now.
Hollow: "Wow... your life was actually pretty good."
Hollow seems slightly disappointed.
Kye places a hand on Hollow's head.
Kye: "Hollow, your life is still very long. And for you, there's even more to experience. Enjoy yourself. Don't waste all your time chasing after this stuff, understood?"
Hollow simply stares at Kye.
Arisa: "Kye, why don't we go get something to eat? I'm hungry from sitting here."
She pauses.
"I even told Saito and Elena to come today, but they didn't. They had some important information to dig up. It's always work, work, work with them."
Kye: "You wouldn't understand, Arisa."
Arisa: "Oh, shut up. I understand everything perfectly well. I'm not a child, you know?"
Kye smiles.
Then all of them begin walking out of the park together.
And the scene shifts naturally.
They spent a considerable amount of time together that day.
We see chunks of their day passing by—
They went out to eat.
They visited an amusement park.
They even took Hollow around Ren and Luca's school.
Along with that, they spent time doing several other small activities together.
And finally, night had fallen.
Kye drops Arisa off at her house.
Arisa: "Next time, whenever you have some free time... can we go somewhere together? Just the two of us?"
Ren and Luca both stare at Arisa and Kye simultaneously.
Kye: "You two, go inside and sleep quietly."
He then looks toward Hollow.
"And yeah, Hollow. From now on, stay at my apartment. The condition of the base isn't exactly great right now, and it's difficult to stay there. Even I feel pretty suffocated whenever I'm there."
Hollow: "Seriously?"
He pauses.
"To be honest, I've never really lived anywhere outside the training facility. Missions and training areas were basically my entire life."
Kye: "I understand. Don't worry. Everything will be fine at my place."
The two begin walking toward Kye's apartment together.
---
A few hours later—
We see the basement beneath Saito and Elena's place.
They were desperately working on several pieces of information.
Something suddenly clicks in Saito and Elena's minds.
Saito immediately calls Kye.
Kye answers the phone.
Saito: "Kye, do you remember the day we first met? I gave you an address back then.
"Can you come there with us? It's a very important location. Our siblings left it behind for us. They literally wrote that if we ever started getting stuck or ran out of options, we should go there. They said we'd definitely find something important there."
Kye remains completely silent throughout the entire conversation, as if he already knew what Saito was going to say.
Kye: "Alright. I was going to go there sooner or later anyway."
His expression becomes completely serious.
"I'll come to your base around 9 AM tomorrow. We'll leave from there together."
Elena takes the phone.
Elena: "It would be better if Hollow comes with us too. Who knows? Something bad could happen, and we can't afford to lose him."
Kye's expression remains calm and serious.
Kye: "Yeah. I understand. Then I'll see you tomorrow."
Kye ends the call.
He thinks to himself:
"So... who could possibly be inside my dad's personal emergency treatment room?"
"And as for everything else... who knows? Anything could be waiting for us there, right?"
"Maybe I'm thinking too much. I should get some sleep."
---
The next morning
Kye and the entire team were ready.
Kye: "The location is a little outside the city. People I knew rarely went there, which is why it'll take us some time to reach it."
Saito brings his car around, and everyone gets inside.
The weather was quite sunny, and the temperature felt a little higher than it had on previous days.
The sound of the engine fills the air.
And then—
The team sets off toward their destination.
Inside the car, Hollow asks:
Hollow: "Where are we actually going?"
Saito: "It's an important location."
He pauses before asking:
"Anyway, tell me something, Hollow. After everything you've done and everything you knew about the organization... what do you think now? Do you think what they were doing was right? Or do you think you were right for taking the lives of innocent people?"
Hollow lowers his head.
Hollow: "I only did what I was told to do. I never did anything beyond my orders, so..."
He pauses.
"I don't know."
His voice becomes quieter.
"But... yeah. Maybe everything I did was wrong."
Elena: "Forget it. What's done is done. You can't change any of it now, can you? It's better to pay for what you've done by doing something good from now on."
Hollow: "How am I supposed to do that?"
Kye answers without hesitation.
Kye: "Help people. Understood?"
Hollow doesn't say anything.
He simply nods.
But just then, they finally arrive at their destination.
Almost two hours had passed, and they had finally reached the area.
The location was on the outskirts of the city. There wasn't much around—just a small neighborhood and a basic market for everyday necessities.
Kye looks around, thinking:
"Why...? Why did my dad used to come here?"
"What connection could he possibly have with this area?"
They finally arrive at the exact location Kye had described.
It was a small hospital—only around three floors tall, nothing more.
Kye looks at the building, thinking:
"What connection could my dad possibly have with a hospital this small?"
"And on top of that, it doesn't even look particularly active."
Saito approaches a stranger nearby and asks about the hospital.
Saito: "What's the deal with this hospital?"
Stranger: "Honestly, we don't know either. It was still operating until about two or three weeks ago. But after that, the hospital was suddenly shut down."
He pauses.
"Some people came here and closed the whole place down. Ever since then, we've had to travel quite far just to get medical assistance."
Saito: "Thank you for your help."
The stranger leaves.
Elena looks toward the hospital.
Elena: "Something is definitely going on here too. So, are you ready to go inside?"
Kye: "I've always been ready."
He looks toward Hollow.
"Hollow, you're alright, right?"
Hollow: "Yeah, absolutely. Now I'm curious about this too."
And finally—
They enter the abandoned hospital.
---
Meanwhile...
The scene shifts to a weather forecast.
Reporter: "According to the latest reports, everyone should try to stay indoors and remain safe over the next few days, as the weather is expected to worsen."
"There is a possibility of storms and strong winds, along with a high chance of heavy rainfall. So please remain safe."
And with that—
Chapter 22 ends.