Evangelion World

The air inside NERV's base was different… too clean, too cold. It wasn't just the temperature; it was that constant feeling that everything was under control, even the people.

Asuka Langley Soryu's footsteps echoed firmly through the metal corridor. She didn't hesitate. She didn't look back.

He had arrived earlier than expected.

"So this is the place..." he murmured, taking in the scale of the facility with a slight smile. "I was expecting something more impressive."

A few meters further on, standing next to a window overlooking the lower levels, was Rei Ayanami.

Motionless. Silent.

Asuka watched her for a few seconds.

—You must be the first one, right? The chosen one to pilot EVA-01.

Rei did not respond immediately.

The silence became heavier than the atmosphere itself.

-…Yeah.

Asuka let out a small laugh through her nose.

—Hm. You don't seem like much.

Rei did not react.

That, rather than bothering her, made her uncomfortable.

Before she could say anything else, a presence made itself known behind them.

Firm steps. Measured.

Gendo Ikari.

—You arrived ahead of schedule.

Asuka turned her head slightly, without losing her posture.

—I don't like to make people wait… especially when it's something important.

A pause.

—I am the chosen earth. Asuka Langley Soryu.

Gendo observed her silently, as if evaluating every detail.

-I know.

The cold in the place seemed to intensify.

—The order… has changed slightly.

Silence.

A deliberate one. Uncomfortable.

"The second chosen one…" he continued, "will probably arrive as the last one."

Asuka raised an eyebrow, barely interested.

—Oh, really?

—It's on its way.

Nothing else.

No explanation. No interest.

Asuka crossed her arms.

—Tch… I hope he's not useless.

Rei remained in her place, oblivious to the tension.

Somewhere far from the base, a soft alarm began to sound, almost imperceptible.

The beginning of something.

And although nobody said it out loud…

Everyone knew it.

None of this was normal.