Akira walked for a while from the wreckage of her car before she dialled the number Kaito had made her memorise. Even though she was a little apprehensive about the things Ayumi said and the new information she had, she was still choosing to trust Kaito.

If things did not work out, well, she would return as a vengeful ghost and pull Kaito to the grave.

​​

The thought made her smile a little as she heard the dial tone indicating that the call was engaged. In the depths of her heart, she knew that Kaito would not betray her. Her concerns came from her logical mind which was used to analysing things stably and calmly.

When the call connected, no one spoke. Instead, the other end started playing circus-style music. Akira removed the phone from her ear and looked at the screen. She confirmed that she had dialled the correct number. She placed the phone back to her ear and listened to the bizarre music.

She wondered if she should have tried the given number earlier to confirm the validity. However, Kaito had made her promise that she would never call it unless she were at the end of the rope. He said that once the number was dialled, one could not turn back without consequences.

The memory made her a little apprehensive.

"Welcome to Luna Adventures, where the fun never stops." An automated voice spoke up with an upbeat tone. "Please enter your personal identification number and begin the best escapade of your life."

Akira was a little freaked out by the progress of things, but she once again decided to trust Kaito. She pulled up the keypad and keyed in the PIN Kaito had given her after making her memorise the phone number.

"Your request is being processed. Thank you for choosing Luna Adventures for your escapades." The automated voice chimed.

The circus music continued, irritating Akira to no end. She had always thought that the number would connect to a specific person who would give her helpful information. Who knew that she was connected to a kooky service that said 'scam'?

But again, she was not as familiar with the dark underworld as Kaito. Even though she was experienced in certain aspects of that life, she always dealt with everything from the side of the law. It was inevitable that she had some knowledge gaps about how the underworld worked.

If the dark life were as clear-cut as most people believed, all criminals would have been eliminated a long time ago. The fact that crime was a core part of the world despite the best efforts made by heroes of justice meant that they had even better resources.

As a mostly retired officer of the law, Akira should have been scandalised by her current involvement in the darker aspects of the world. However, in reality, she was a little excited to find out more about how the world Kaito thrived in worked.

"Your evacuation request has been approved." The automated voice spoke up. "Your transportation will arrive at your location in twenty minutes. Please remain on Valley Road for the indicated time for efficiency and convenience."

There was a pause before the original cheerful automated voice changed to a different more sombre one.

"Welcome to Luna Adventures. Your safety is our priority. While using our services, remember to adhere to the terms and conditions of use. A failure to comply with the rules will result in a fine, a lifetime ban and immediate termination of services."

"When your transportation arrives, please step in and rest in our proprietary life capsule. The life capsule is an advanced pod that ensures comfort and safety through the evacuation process. The life capsule will have no adverse effect on your health."

"For your privacy and protection, you and your removalist will not come in direct contact during the evacuation. At your drop-off point, an alarm will sound, and the life capsule will open. At this point, please exit with your belongings."

"If you would like to hear the instructions again, press one. This call will end in five, four, three, two, one." The call disconnected.

Akira was exhausted, and the strange call did not give her comfort. She felt like she was Alice in Wonderland. However, she did not know what to do. She could only hope that her drop-off point would give her a better opportunity to find Kaito.

She squatted on the side of the road and looked at her phone. Could it be that Luna Adventures was tracking her location using her signal? It was highly likely. While their tracking was not a problem because she had called them, it reminded her that she was under attack by an unknown group.

Naturally, she had taken precautions to secure her phone against trackers, but she knew there were countless loopholes for real experts to find anyone with an electronic device. She was quite attached to the phone because it was a special personalised model.

However, it was not worthwhile if she could be tracked. It did not matter anyway. She did not need a phone. It was merely an interface. Everything she needed, she could access through a new phone. Without wasting time, she dismantled the device and hacked the pieces with her sword.

Then, she buried them at the side of the road.

Twenty minutes later, a black van appeared from the corner of the road. As soon as it was within her sight, the driver turned the vehicle to face forward and reversed with high precision, stopping some distance from her.

Akira's lips twitched. It seemed that Luna Adventures went to some trouble to comfort their clients. However, it was obvious that they would have a log of the people using their services. Total privacy was an illusion.

The back door of the van opened. Akira stood up from her squat with her bag and sword. The Lune Adventure bot had not said anything about carrying weapons. She would feel more reassured if she had some means to defend herself.

Like an ignorant child lured by sweets, she entered into the nondescript van. The doors closed, and an overhead bulb lit up. The additional light made the item occupying most of the space in the vehicle clearer.

It was the life capsule.

The unit was a white oval pod. The designer had gone to some effort to ensure that it did not look like a coffin. Unfortunately, the success was minimal. The large capsule opened, revealing a cushioned bed-like space.

Akira hesitated for a moment before gritting her teeth. She took off her shoes and entered the capsule with her bag and sword. She took a deep breath as she lay down. When the pod was closing, she almost sat up again in panic.

After all, no one wanted to be locked in a small unfamiliar space.

However, she resisted the urge and clasped her sword hilt like a security blanket. Strangely, when the capsule closed, she did not feel as strong claustrophobia as she thought she would. There was a cool breeze sweeping over her body.

Also, the space in the capsule was not too small. Akira could move freely, considering her petite size. Furthermore, the entire pod was lighted with a soft glow. The clincher was the soothing nature sounds emanating from somewhere.

Akira did not notice when the sensation of the vehicle moving.

And before long, she fell asleep.