Kamen Rider Byte (Kamen Rider OC)

Echoes of the Past

The digital world swirled around Kazuki, its pixelated landscapes and vibrant hues both familiar and alien. The moment they had been pulled into this place, he could feel it—the weight of memories pressing down on him, dragging him back to a time he had tried so hard to forget. Dracode hovered beside him, its form no longer translucent, but solid, its small wings flapping with an urgency that mirrored Kazuki's own unease.

"Kazuki," Dracode's voice broke the silence, laced with confusion, "what did you mean when you said it wasn't your first time here? How could that be?"

Kazuki hesitated, his eyes scanning the digital horizon. Everything felt too close, too raw, but he knew there was no avoiding the truth—not here, not now. With a deep breath, he began to speak.

"It was years ago... before any of this," Kazuki started, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him. "Back then, I was working on a major software project—a virtual reality platform called 'NeuroLink.' It was supposed to be revolutionary, something that would change the way people interacted with the digital world forever."

Dracode's confusion deepened. "NeuroLink? I've never heard of it."

Patch, who had been floating silently by Kazuki's side, suddenly chimed in, his tone filled with the knowledge he had accessed from his vast database. "NeuroLink was an ambitious project designed to create a fully immersive virtual reality experience by directly linking a user's mind with the digital world. The goal was to allow people to experience digital environments as if they were physically present within them."

Dracode's eyes widened. "That sounds... incredible. But if it was such a groundbreaking project, why have I never heard of it?"

Kazuki's grip on his Code Driver tightened, the memories flooding back with each word. "Because it all went wrong. We were pushing the boundaries of technology, experimenting with new ways to bridge the gap between the human mind and the digital world. But during one of the final tests, something happened... an accident. The system overloaded, causing a massive data breach."

Patch continued, his tone more somber now. "The breach destabilized digital infrastructures worldwide. Information was leaked, systems were compromised, and the digital rifts began to appear for the first time."

Kazuki nodded, his expression grim. "The first digital rift... it wasn't just some random event. It was the direct result of NeuroLink's failure. I was there when it happened. My colleagues and I... we were sucked into the digital world. At first, we thought we could find a way back, but then... they started to disappear. One by one, they vanished, or worse... they became the very monsters we're fighting now."

Dracode's wings stopped flapping, and it hovered still, absorbing the weight of Kazuki's words. "You were the only survivor?"

Kazuki's voice was quiet, almost hollow. "Yes. I don't know why I survived when the others didn't. Maybe I was just lucky. Or maybe it was something else... something darker. But when I finally made it back to the real world, I was blamed for the incident. NeuroLink was shut down, and I was fired. I lost everything—my career, my reputation... even my friends."

The digital landscape around them seemed to respond to Kazuki's emotions, the colors dimming and the environment growing colder. The memories of that time, of the fear and isolation he felt, came rushing back with a force that almost knocked the breath out of him.

"But that was the past," Kazuki said, shaking his head as if to clear the memories away. "I've moved on, or at least I thought I had. But being back here... it's like I'm reliving it all over again."

Dracode moved closer, its voice soft with concern. "Kazuki... you're not alone this time. We're here with you. And we'll find a way out of this, just like you did before."