Revision 2

Overview

The main story of Neverness to Everness follows an amnesiac protagonist known as The Appraiser (Esper Zero) who is discovered at the ground zero of a catastrophic anomaly event and recruited to investigate supernatural disturbances plaguing the city of Hethereau. Working out of the Eibon Antique Shop, a barely solvent anomaly hunter crew, the protagonist uncovers a layered web of cause and effect behind the supernatural occurrences while confronting the growing shadow of the colossal Circle organization.

The narrative is structured as an episodic investigation series where each story arc unfolds like a supernatural case file. The tone alternates between lighthearted slice-of-life moments with the Eibon crew and genuinely dark, cosmic horror encounters during anomaly investigations. Reviewers have compared the storytelling approach to Persona's investigation structure, Lord of the Mysteries' supernatural case files, and the X-Files' blend of investigation and the unknown.

The Hypervortex

The story begins with the Hypervortex, a catastrophic Class VII anomaly that strikes the city of New Helios. At dusk, the citizens of New Helios were preparing for an incoming torrential downpour when the Hypervortex appeared in the sky, delivering a catastrophe described as "both magnificent and devastating." The event nearly destroyed all of New Helios.

The Hypervortex is one of the most dangerous anomaly classifications known. It draws bizarre lifeforms to Earth, transforms the environment, and has a uniquely dangerous property: looking directly at it infects the observer with a form of corruption. A mysterious rain associated with the phenomenon turns people into violent husks of themselves. Warnings spread through the city: "Remember, do NOT look at it."

The protagonist, Esper Zero, is found at the ground zero of the Hypervortex with no memories of their past. They possess a unique ability to perceive the true essence of anomalies, and after a period of observation and detention by the Bureau of Anomaly Control, they agree to participate in Code Zero containment operations and are assigned to join the Eibon Antique Shop as their new Appraiser.

Eibon Antique Shop

Eibon is an antique shop located in the Bridge Crossings district of Hethereau that doubles as an anomaly hunter crew headquarters. The shop is described as "barely solvent," sustaining itself by accepting anomaly commissions from the public rather than receiving adequate funding from the Bureau of Anomaly Control. It serves as the player's home base and the heart of daily operations.

The shop has a warm, chaotic domestic atmosphere. Sakiri posts quirky rules on sticky notes around the shop ("Don't feed random things to Kiroumaru!" and "Don't open the third shelf in the fridge!"), and the shop's official disclaimer reads: "Eibon Antique Shop is not liable for anything swallowed or for any bitten butts." Despite the comedic tone of daily life at Eibon, the crew handles serious and often dangerous anomaly cases.

The Eibon Crew

The Eibon crew functions as a found family. The cast breaks off into their own cliques and banters like relatives on a late-night stroll through town. Zero occupies the role of the newcomer learning the ropes alongside these established characters, each of whom has their own backstory, secrets, and motivations.

The Circle

The Circle is a colossal organization that casts an ever-growing shadow over events in Hethereau. It is positioned as the major antagonistic force in the game's narrative, though its specific goals, leadership, and full operational structure remain deliberately shrouded in mystery during the early chapters.

The official descriptions consistently pair the Circle with "Prophecies," noting that the organization's presence becomes "clearer in the fragmented echoes of 'Prophecies.'" This suggests the Circle has a deep connection to prophetic or fate-related elements within the lore. The endgame Circle Bounty activity involves tracking and eliminating targets connected to the organization, tying endgame combat content directly into the main narrative.

Oaths and Prophecies

Two recurring narrative concepts drive the long-term story: unbreakable Oaths and Prophecies. The official game description frames these alongside Anomalies and the Circle as the four pillars of the overarching mystery: "Stay tuned for mysterious Anomalies, unbreakable 'Oaths,' and the ever-growing shadow of the colossal 'Circle' organization, becoming clearer in the fragmented echoes of 'Prophecies.'"

The exact nature of Oaths (what they bind, who makes them, and their consequences) and the full content of the Prophecies have not been revealed in the early chapters available during beta testing. These elements are positioned as slow-burn mysteries that will unfold across the game's live-service narrative updates.

Key Factions

Bureau of Anomaly Control (BAC)

The Bureau of Anomaly Control is the government organization responsible for anomaly and Esper management in Hethereau. The BAC deploys field teams to handle anomaly crises, processes resident permits for peaceful Oddities, and oversees the licensing of anomaly hunters. The protagonist is notably the first "unlicensed" anomaly hunter, operating through Eibon's commission system rather than through formal BAC credentials.

ETD-4

ETD-4 is an elite emergency response team within the BAC. Its members are feared by citizens, who react with alarm upon recognizing ETD agents. The team includes:

ETD-4 members appear in the opening Hypervortex sequence and are involved in the protagonist's journey from the outset. Fadia departs early in the story to handle a catastrophe in New Helios, creating narrative threads that connect to the Hypervortex's aftermath.

Sterry Express

Sterry Express is a courier service operating in Hethereau. Its members include Hathor (S-Rank Lakshana), an elite courier known for her flawless delivery record, and Haniel (A-Rank Psyche), a social media content creator who works deliveries. The story episode "Deal? Deal!" features the protagonist attending an anomaly auction alongside the Sterry Express crew.

The Coluccis Family

The Coluccis Family is the most renowned family in the Bridge Crossings district. Nanally is the Ichi-daime (first head) of the family and a star attraction at Eibon. The Coluccis' influence in Bridge Crossings provides a neighborhood-level power dynamic beneath the larger BAC and Circle organizations.

Story Structure

The main story uses an episodic narrative structure described as feeling like "a short anime show." Each episode develops the overarching mystery while providing self-contained, anime-styled narrative arcs. Investigations unfold like case files with genuine detective-style progression.

Known Story Content

The Chinese closed beta (November 2024) included three chapters of main storyline content alongside multiple side quests. The Co-Ex Test (February 2026) covered story content up through the "Deal? Deal!" episode.

Side Quests

Side quests in NTE go beyond simple fetch-and-deliver tasks. They are described as having "flavor, personality, and feel like standalone chapters that expand the city's culture." Known side quest styles include:

• Detective-style investigations (for example, investigating a photography shop experiencing strange happenings, culminating in a fight against a sentient roll of film)

• Perspective-shifting puzzles with 3D-to-2D transitions

• Musical performance scenarios resembling a rhythm game band experience

• Spacetime Projector missions where players rewind recordings to identify when anomalies appeared

• Environmental puzzle encounters where city blocks transform into cubes or towers form in real-time

Narrative Themes

The main story weaves together several recurring themes:

• Supernatural investigation: Each arc is structured as a case file where the Appraiser must investigate, analyze, and resolve anomalies. The detective work is the backbone of the gameplay-story integration.

• Cosmic horror: The Hypervortex and its effects carry distinctly Lovecraftian undertones, with corruption spreading through observation, rain transforming people, and entities defying comprehension.

• Found family: The Eibon crew forms a makeshift family around the amnesiac protagonist, providing warmth and humor between darker story beats.

• Urban coexistence: Hethereau is a city where humans, Espers, and Oddities share space. The tension between integration and threat mirrors real-world questions about coexistence with the unknown.

• Memory and identity: Zero's amnesia and connection to the Hypervortex raise questions about who they were, what they lost, and whether their past is something to recover or escape.

Narrative Style

The story is told through fully voiced cutscenes that reviewers describe as feeling "like watching an actual anime." The cinematic opening animation "Hypervortex Before the Storm" sets a darker tone than much of the gameplay, establishing the stakes before the lighter daily-life segments take over.

The tone oscillates deliberately. Daily interactions at Eibon are comedic and warm, while anomaly investigations grow increasingly unsettling. One reviewer noted the investigations have a "unique, almost horror feel" occasionally undercut by the characters' banter, creating a tonal balance that prevents either extreme from wearing thin.

Hethereau

The story takes place across Hethereau, a sprawling futuristic metropolis with four confirmed districts:

New Helios, the site of the Hypervortex disaster, is a separate location from Hethereau. ETD-4 members depart from Hethereau to respond to the New Helios catastrophe, and the protagonist's connection to this event drives the central mystery.