The group had walked for hours.Finally, there was light—faint, distant, but real. The rare sound of engines whirring echoed across the city stratum, strange and unfamiliar in this dead, quiet place. Adam's stomach grumbled—loudly. Whatever leftover food they had brought was long gone, used up during the journey.
Everyone was starving.He sighed, feeling the ache of hunger gnawing at his insides. Thankfully, there was still that one bag of ice candy Yuruki had given him when they first left. It had melted into a sticky syrup on his mouth by now, but it was something. The backpack on his shoulders felt heavier with every step—its straps cutting into his skin, his legs screaming for rest.
Then, something caught his eye.Machines. Robots. Movement.His eyes lit up with awe and confusion. There were caretaking droids scattered throughout the ruins—hammering, fixing broken pipes, patching leaks, and plastering over shattered walls with heat guns or cement. They moved efficiently, mechanically. Purposefully.He didn't even understand half of what they were doing, but it was mesmerizing.
A young girl appeared amidst them.She had black hair, porcelain-pale skin, and numbers etched on her hand: 0-04. Adam's heart pounded. Was this it? Was this the end of running, the end of suffering? Had they finally found a place to rest?
But the light in his eyes dimmed.They weren't human.They were robots.
"Hello there," the girl-android said, scanning them from head to toe. "We are the caretakers of the Tower's core. It's been so long since we've encountered a post-human."
Post-human?
Adam's fists clenched, confusion storming in his mind. What did she mean by that?Was the war with the automatons... some kind of mistake?Was it all a result of misguided superiority? Some cruel act of extermination?
But he couldn't overthink what he didn't understand.
He stepped forward."Did you do it?"His jaw was tight. His voice low. "Are you the reason the automatons went haywire?"
The black-haired android paused. Her voice lacked emotion."What do you mean? Our only job is maintenance—thanks to the Great Creator. Now, what brings you here? What is your purpose?"
Adam sighed, the fatigue of it all weighing down his spirit. Before he could respond, Yuri stepped forward."We're looking for a lift... one that can take us to the highest ceiling."
The androids murmured among themselves, then spoke as one."We apologize. It is currently under construction. We cannot allow any living organisms to ascend without proper awareness. For your safety, you must return to where you came from."
Kineki, her voice tired and bitter, muttered,"The city's already destroyed. There's nothing left. Thanks to those robots..."
One of the androids turned to her."We're sorry, but there are no functioning robots outside the Tower Core currently active. You must be mistaken. However..."A pause."If your claim is true, we can escort you."
The black-haired android turned and walked deeper into the corridors. Lights flickered above as they followed her, revealing sections of the tower that had collapsed, leaking from age and neglect.
Adam's voice came quietly."Can't we just live here...?"
"I'm sorry."The android's voice remained cold and flat."Our duty is only to maintain. There are no operational production facilities here. Unlike the outside, you humans cannot survive in this section."
Adam frowned. "Then... how are you still functioning?"His words felt clumsy. He hadn't read or studied in so long. Was his literacy fading too, in this desolate world?
"We don't—" the android replied."But as long as the city's backup-backup-backup battery continues functioning, we will persist. And if any of us cease, a hologram will replace us to conserve power and ensure proper tower management."
They arrived at a hallway that led into a circular room.The chamber was adorned with exquisite, ancient objects. A large monitor flickered, capturing the group's image in real time. The android stood to the side, waving them goodbye.
Then the platform shook.They began to float—ascending slowly, silently—toward the sky.
FIVER'S POV
Fiver limped toward the control center, pain shooting through every step.His face was scarred. His hands, bleeding and raw, stung with each motion. The wounds burned like fire.All he wanted was to survive.
But he knew he wouldn't.So, he focused on the promise.He had to keep it.
"Where is it...?"He scanned the control panels, searching, eyes bloodshot and unfocused. The inner systems were locked, but he managed to access the outer city's droid controls. Sector by sector, he tapped through, rerouting everything he could.
He ran a trembling hand through his burnt hair. The exhaustion was unbearable, but his mind—his sanity—remained intact.Barely.
"There must be a way..." he muttered, coughing. Blood speckled the ground.
Then—A gunshot.
A woman appeared. Her head was riddled with a bullet hole, yet she stood, twisted by madness."There you are," she said, eyes scanning him with wild paranoia. "It's not you... sigh."
Before Fiver could react, another crazed woman figure lunged at her from behind—screaming, tearing, brutal. The bullet-ridden woman shrieked and fired blindly, but the attacker was relentless—shredding her body like a monster until both collapsed in a pool of blood and metal ground.
Fiver lay still.Silent.
He watched the two bodies with a mix of horror and relief. A strange warmth spread in his chest—a nostalgic ache... Before the town was destroyedA memory.
Of the girl.The one he never had the courage to confess to.The one he lost.
At the end...Neither of them ever married.He laughed bitterly at the irony. "I really am stupid..."
With what little strength remained, his fingers danced across the panel—eyes burning red, veins pulsing.He had to finish this.
Alarms blared. Automatons stormed the gate—but he pressed on, deactivating every last robot outside the city.All except those not listed in the system.
The screen flashed.Then... nothing.
Fiver collapsed.
Kineki rested peacefully on Yuri's lap, like a child cradled in safety.
Adam sat nearby, slouched, tugging at his torn pants.His body was aching, hunger biting into him like a cold wind. He popped the bit of ice candy into his mouth.It wasn't much—but the sweetness soothed him.Lessened the pain.Even if only a little.
"I just want to rest," he muttered.
Yuri smiled warmly."Then come on. Rest here. You've earned it."
Adam chuckled tiredly as she added playfully, "I'm a machine. I'm always generating heat, remember? You're always warm when you're near me."
He leaned against her, letting himself drift for a moment.There was no true shelter.No real comfort.But for now—this moment?
It was enough.