Every road I’ve taken in this journey has felt like it was carved out of chaos, twists and turns I didn’t see coming, and more dead ends than I care to count. Somehow, here I am, but I can’t shake the feeling that this is just another pause before the next storm. For the first time since waking up in that godforsaken motel, I don’t feel completely adrift. But I’m not settled either—not even close.
I wouldn’t call it clarity, not yet. Maybe not ever. But there’s something there, a spark—small and flickering, like it could go out at any moment. I’ve been clawing at my own mind for weeks now, searching for pieces of myself. I still don’t know who I am, but I’ve found something to hold onto: purpose. It’s fragile, and it scares the hell out of me how easily it could slip away, but for now, it’s enough. It has to be.
Alice… her name lingers in my thoughts like an echo I can’t escape. She deserves answers. Her family deserves answers. Closure feels like such an empty word for what they’ve lost, but it’s all I can give them. I’ll find out the truth, even if it won’t undo what happened. I owe her that much—at least. I don’t know if it will mean anything to her, or if she’ll even look me in the eye when it’s over. But I have to try.
It’s strange, this feeling of stepping into something bigger. I’m not the guy with the answers, and I don’t know if I ever will be. But the past is still there, looming like a shadow, but it doesn’t get to rule me anymore. Not entirely. I’ve got something to fight for now, even if I don’t fully understand what that means yet.
I glance around the garage, Gelert sits in front of me, gleaming under the pale neon glow, every line and curve honed to perfection. Clova and Data… they’ve turned it into something extraordinary. The engine purrs softly, almost like it’s waiting for me. This bike… it’s been with me since the beginning. I’m not sure I’d still be here without it.
“Let’s see what you’ve got,” I mutter, sliding my helmet on. The heads-up display flickers to life, casting a faint glow inside the visor. It's a serious upgrade, but It’s nice how familiar it feels, like the bike and I share something unspoken. I swing my leg over and grip the handlebars, my fingers curling around the handles.
I’ve spent so much time running, but now the road feels like it’s calling me forward. I kick it into gear and tear out of the garage, the city unfolding before me in streaks of neon and shadow. The engine roars to life as I twist the throttle, the sound echoing off the walls like a challenge. The engine sounds beautiful, a symphony in and of itself, the perfect soundtrack to a nights drive.
Solai’s skyline looms ahead, jagged and glowing, a sharp contrast against the rain-slick streets.
The road ahead is long, I don’t know what waits for me at the end of it. But with Shadowtask at my back and Gelert beneath me, I’ll face it, whatever it is. One mile at a time.
