The sound of wind hitting shattered glass was the only thing breaking the silence.
Kael didn't sleep.
The abandoned station smelled like rust and ash. Remnants of what used to be life lingered—broken benches, crushed cans, a faded timetable covered in illegible graffiti.
He sat on the floor, back against the wall. The wrapped sword rested beside him. And the blue book... closed. Still.
The governor's words still burned in his head:
"No deal. No thirty days."
"You could've been an ally."
"You're alone."
And Kael knew it was true. More alone than ever.
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In the San Boreal command center, the governor slammed a folder onto the table. Papers scattered across the polished surface.
"You know what pissed me off the most?" he said through clenched teeth. "Not his power. Not the threat. The way he looked at me… like he knew I couldn't touch him."
The agents said nothing.
"That bastard walked right past me—sword on his back, death in his eyes—and I let him walk out that door like I was his damn employee."
He paused, breathing hard.
"What do we have?"
One of the techs stepped forward with a tablet.
"The prototype is active. Titanus-01. Combat-grade humanoid with composite armor."
"And its programming?"
"One directive: eliminate Kael Grayson."
The governor turned to the monitors. On one screen, the black figure moved through industrial ruins. Each step made the concrete tremble.
"I want it public. I want people to see him fall. Let him know there's nowhere to run. And when the robot's done with him… bring me the body. No glory. No funeral."
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Kael opened the book for the tenth time that night.
8 of 100.
Nothing new.
He shut it with a snap.
Held it in his hands for a moment... then let it fall.
The echo of the cover hitting the ground thudded more in his chest than in his ears.
He wandered aimlessly through the station, as if searching for something.
But there was nothing.
Just ruin.
Just him.
He sat by a cracked concrete pillar, the sword still wrapped at his side.
He didn't move.
And then… he spoke.
"Luisa…"
The name slipped out like a breath. Like a bleeding wound.
"I'm sorry…" his lips trembled. "I couldn't save you. I promised myself. I swore I'd get you out of there…"
His voice cracked.
"And now you're dead… because of me. Everything I touch... it breaks. Everything."
He leaned forward, elbows on knees, hands covering his face.
"What am I now? A hero? A criminal? I don't even know why I'm still alive…"
He let out a dry laugh.
"All I've got is a sword, a book I don't understand… and a woman who still looks at me like I'm worth following…"
The tears came.
"Sara…" he whispered. "If something happens to you… if they hurt you because of me… I won't survive it."
The crying turned real. Raw. Uncontrolled.
"I don't even know if I want to fight anymore. I don't know if I want to go on. I've got no plan. No future. Just this damn guilt that won't go away…"
He looked up at the broken ceiling, cheeks soaked.
"Why give me this power if I don't know what to do with it...? What was the point? To watch everyone I love die?"
His voice dropped lower.
"I just want to disappear. Not die. Not yet… just rest. One day. One day where it doesn't hurt to exist."
He hugged himself.
"I'm tired of being the strong one. Of pretending it doesn't get to me. It does get to me! It breaks me! It burns inside!"
He collapsed sideways, curling up into a fetal position, face hidden in his arms.
"Sara, don't look at me if I lose myself. I don't want you to see this. I don't want you to see me like this…"
And he stayed that way.
Crying in silence.
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By morning, his body was frozen stiff.
He'd slept exposed. No food. No water. The sword his only companion.
But he stood.
Because he had no choice.
He looked east, toward the horizon.
Where Sara was.
Where there was still something worth fighting for.
He grabbed the sword, strapped it to his back, and walked.
Three steps.
Then he heard it.
A low hum. Metallic. Unrelenting.
He turned his head.
About a hundred meters away, on the hill across the tracks, a black figure approached.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"What the hell…?"
The robot had a human shape, but taller, broader, faceless. Just a black panel with glowing red sensors.
Its steps were slow.
But each one hit the ground like a hammer.
Kael stepped back.
His heart pounded.
Instinct screamed at him to run.
But he didn't.
Because this time… he couldn't run anymore.
He drew the sword.
The robot paused. Scanned.
Confirmed.
Then resumed its advance.
Kael gritted his teeth. Lowered his stance. Felt the wind curl around him.
"Come on, bastard. Let's see how tough you really are."