As they finally reached the ceiling at the core of the tower, Adam's eyes shone. He stood upright—below him lay a vast kilometer of land: machines, buildings, and shattered infrastructure spread in a circular pattern, encased like a cube inside a bubble. Rooftiles, beams, broken wires—all ruined and crumbling.
He stretched his arms wide, embracing the howling wind. It was suddenly hot and humid. The sun gleamed low on the horizon. A rocket exploded in the distance. Trucks, tiny as ants, moved steadily down the stratum. The air carried the scent of rust—so strong it felt like he could smell every component of the city. The windmills scattered across the terrain looked like fine hairs on the skin of a giant.
Far away, a massive metallic cord pulsed with a blue light. It resembled a miniature sun, channeling energy throughout the city.
Yuri and Kineki watched, confused, as Adam spun slowly with his arms open, dangerously close to the cliff's edge.
"Adam?" Yuri called out.
He hadn't realized how far everything stretched—how small he was compared to the world around him.
"…Let's go," he whispered.
They began climbing again, winding through tiny cracks and hallways, crossing catwalks and bridges, pushing open metallic doors of small buildings. Crates lay everywhere, but most were filled only with explosives or wrappers, nothing useful.
Eventually, they arrived at a steep cliff. Their legs burned. Massive mechanical components twisted and turned around them—larger than any buildings Adam had known in the old world.
"Wait!" Kineki gasped, glancing down, holding Berto tightly in his arms.
Only one thought crossed Adam's mind: Why am I so weak? His legs dangled, trembling. He almost fell. But it wasn't just him. Everyone was exhausted. Had it been hours? Days?
Kineki panted heavily. "Adam… can we rest here for a bit?"
If we rest, our chances of survival might drop… We have no food. We can't waste time.Yet he saw it—the sadness, the grief, the weight in their eyes. And it troubled him deeply.
Will this be my fault?
"…Yeah," Adam nodded. "Let's rest."
Hours passed. Night fell. They trembled in the cold, stomachs empty. Their minds slipped further toward despair.
I hate this, someone thought. I hate this...
Kineki staggered, nearly collapsing.
Yuri cried out, "Adam! Is there really nothing in your backpack?"
They were huddled on the flat concrete tiles, broken. Adam felt like he would cry. He rifled through his bag once more—and there it was. A book. It was from Yoku.
He hesitated, torn. Should I burn this for warmth? Use it to light a fire? He didn't know.
He opened the book.
Inside were detailed notes, drawings of mechanical parts, and a diary. It was Yoku's journal.
[Today I first met this weird person. He wore short pants and an oversized shirt with some pixelated character on it. On a whim… I helped him.]
[Today was the day I realized Adam's ingenuity. He created an energy blueprint for the city. It made me feel… small. I thought I was the best. I wanted to be the one to help everyone. Maybe I was just selfish…]
[Even after losing a hand, he regretted nothing. He always helped me, every single time—creating a new hand. I don't think I could ever be more grateful.]
At the end of the book were sketches—mechanical hands, their faces as a group—and a small note labeled Emergency Fire Materials.
Adam burst into tears. Kineki held it in but looked like he wanted to cry. Yuri, confused, simply hugged him.
They lit a fire. A notebook had been tucked into the pack, along with a can and some old food wrappers.
[Sigh… Adam, if you find this, remember how you used to rummage through truck compartments in the lower stratum looking for food? I prepared this just in case. So eat it slow.]
As the fire flickered and they cooked the food, Adam remembered the texture, the taste. It brought back memories. Nostalgia washed over him. They shared it among themselves and let Berto have a small taste. It was scrumptious.
With what little strength remained, they pressed on. Day after day: waking, walking, sleeping. No vehicles. Just aching feet on steep hills, trying to reach the top of the tower.
Adam was starving.
But he never lost trust in them—not once. Even when hungry, no one stole. And for that, he was eternally grateful. Their survival was only possible because of this unspoken bond. Their muscles tore. Their bodies thinned.
But Yuri… Yuri remained unchanged, physically fine. Yet she was tormented, watching her friends slowly wither.
Finally, they reached a staircase and rested.
A thought passed through Adam: Have you ever thought of death?
Kineki looked down and gently stroked Berto. The cat was growing weak.
"I just think of it… as separation from someone, you know" she said. "So I hate it with all my heart."
Yuri looked up. "I was afraid… Ahaha, yeah, me. A robot. Afraid of death. Because I never thought before I was created. I never experienced anything. Maybe… it's the lack of experience I fear."
"I don't remember anything," she added. "I just feel scared."
Adam's hands trembled.
"I just hope… someone will save me."
Yoku… Mino… Yuruki… Where are you?He collapsed and cried.
Kineki's expression darkened, but he forced a smile.
"You know, if Mino were here… she'd encourage us. So… it's my turn." He reached out his hand. "Adam...Yuri....It's okay. Everything is gonna be okay."
They all joined hands—Adam, Yuri, and Kineki—as Adam tucked Berto into his shirt, shielding him from the night.
They ascended the staircase.
It was dark now. Completely dark.
I'm scared.I feel like a child, scared of the dark.They climbed. Step by step.
It was weightless. Comforting in a strange way.
Kineki was huffing, terrified. Yuri clutched Adam tightly, afraid he might fall. They were all afraid.
But...
At least they weren't alone.
Adam smiled… even through the suffering.
He felt his heartbeat. His nerves trembled.
And then—he saw light.
He was still scared… but somehow, he knew:
He was not alone. And that brought him peace.
[
Adam, Yuri, Kineki, Mino, and the one-eyed cat climbed the endless staircase—limping, drained, hopeless.
The thought of returning to the city meant death. There was no purpose, no clear goal anymore. Just survival… or the illusion of it.
"I don't want my friends to die," Adam whispered to himself. "There has to be something at the top… there has to be."
The Kettenkrad had broken long ago. His arm hung limp, decayed from malnourishment. Yuri and Kineki shivered, their breaths visible in the frigid air. Even Yuri, a robot, was huffing—something she shouldn't do. A flickering red warning glowed dimly on her arm.
Adam clenched his jaw. Tears welled up, but he held them back. I can't lose them. I want to be with them—forever.
The air grew colder. Breathing became harder.
They reached the top.
Or so they thought.
There was no summit, no haven—only an endless flat expanse of gray concrete. Not even snow, or dirt, or wind. Just nothing. Lifeless, eternal.
Golden insects fluttered up from below, shimmering like hope, only to die as they reached this barren plane.
Adam's knees buckled. He laughed.
"Hahahahahaha…! There's nothing! I brought us all the way up here—for this?!"
He collapsed, face to the ground. I've doomed my friends. I've led them to death… and it's all my fault.
Then he saw it—a single black stone monolith with strange, carved inscriptions. The only object in this lifeless world.
Kineki stood beside him, trembling as he looked back down from the edge of the tower, seeing the layers of the megacity far below. "I'm sorry, Yoku," he whispered. "I wish you got to see this."
Yuri managed a small, tired smile. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" She gazed at the sky—the stars, the galaxies, the cosmic abyss stretching forever.
But they were all focused on Adam, whose eyes were tired and empty.
He staggered to the monolith and slammed his head against it... Blood poured on it
Kill me... kill me... please...
Suddenly—
(Owner detected. Activating tower...)
The stone cracked.
A dark sludge, glowing with violet veins, seeped out and began to engulf it.
The sky shimmered with heat. Adam collapsed. Yuri lacked the strength to move. Kineki could barely breathe. Berto, the cat, lay still on the ground beside Adam, only his fur trembling in the thick air.
A portal ripped open in the concrete.
It pulled Adam in.
Yuri screamed, "No!" She lunged weakly, but it was too late.
"No, no, no… Not Adam… not now…"
Kineki slumped down beside her, his voice barely a whisper. "Let's just… wait. I just wish I could…" His head tilted down, eyelids heavy.
Yuri tried to smile, even as her circuits faltered, her core nearing shutdown. Her synthetic voice trembled. "I'll rest with you… if I could… I'd choose this over and over. I can't imagine a world without all of you."
They sat in silence.
The sky above was vast and empty. The concrete below, cracked and glowing faintly from the portal.
The cat lay next to them, unmoving.
The heat was suffocating.
The world was ending.