CHAPTER -1 A SUMMER TO REMEMBER
The sun hung low over the quiet suburbs of New Jersey, casting warm golden light through the windows of Olivia’s home. It was the kind of afternoon that made everything feel peaceful, like time itself was stretching lazily, unwilling to rush forward.
The air buzzed with excitement—suitcases lined the hallway, passports tucked neatly into her mom’s bag, and plane tickets sitting on the kitchen counter like a promise of adventure.
Olivia twirled her phone in her fingers as she lounged on the couch, staring at pictures of Tokyo, imagining the bustling streets, the neon signs, the cherry blossoms that still lingered this late into the season.
“Grandma’s going to spoil us like crazy,” her younger sister, Lily, giggled as she stuffed her backpack with coloring books and snacks.
“She always does,” Olivia said with a grin.
Her parents were moving through the house like clockwork, ticking off every last travel checklist. Her dad, meticulous as ever, ran through their flight details one more time. Her mom was ensuring they had enough clothes—probably too many.
Grandpa had called earlier, saying how excited he was to show them around the city. How much had changed since Olivia’s last visit.
Everything was perfect.
And yet, miles away, across the ocean, something wasn’t.
Inside a dim-lit laboratory in Tokyo, Professor Tsukiko adjusted her glasses with trembling hands, staring at the small vial in front of her—the final piece of her experiment. A vial filled with something deadly, something that would change the city forever.
Outside, students laughed, teachers prepared their lessons, and Tokyo itself pulsed with life.
None of them knew what was coming.
Not yet.
