Beginning in New York, a musician named Heronymous realizes the world has started to unravel when a party becomes a battleground for ancient Japanese warriors. When Hero rescues a cyborg panther, he learns that everything around him may be a carefully managed illusion, even the beautiful woman who haunts his memories. Realizing his enemy is capable of turning the city into a waking nightmare, Hero follows the cyborg through the Washington Arch, the city dissolving in his wake. Emerging in Paris, a child leads him through narrow streets to the ancient cemetery in the heart of the city where ghosts still walk.