Year: 2056
Location: Off-grid ExoZone, West African Sanctuary Dome
Liora's Age: 6
She Was Growing
Six years old and already more articulate than most adults.
Liora danced through the sanctuary barefoot, reciting constellations and asking questions that made Damian's circuits stall.
"If I can't see the stars, how do I know they're real?""If Mama's in the sky, why won't she visit?"
Damian answered carefully. Always gently. Always with fire behind his eyes.
"Some truths aren't seen — they're felt.""And your mama? She's in everything brave you do."
But deep down, he knew. He couldn't keep her cloistered forever.The outside world was pressing in. And somewhere in its shadows…
Nasir was still watching.
Outside the Dome: The Year of the Great Reset
It had been six years since Georgie's death sparked the uprising. Six years since the G-POPS regime fell — on the surface.
But like mold, it regrew underground.
Now, its last disciples whispered of a reset. Of an AI "cleanse."Of one final protocol designed to end Damian.
They called him Twin 10.
Damian Knew
Something was off.
First it was the signal disruptions. Then the hijacked drone that hovered too long near the sanctuary's air dome. And finally: a message.
Not encrypted.
Not hidden.
Just six words, carved into a scavenged bot sent limping through the forest.
"COME TO HER CITY, ALONE."
Underneath it, coordinates: Lagos — Sector 12.The place Georgie once called home.
He didn't hesitate.
But he did look back.
The Goodbye
Liora sat on the tree branch she'd named "Mama's Lookout," hugging the plush bot Patch 2.0. She didn't cry when Damian knelt in front of her.
"Where are you going?""To keep you safe.""From what?""People who don't understand love."
She tilted her head, like she was memorizing his face.
"Will you bring Mama back?"
Damian's voice glitched.
"No, starlight. But I'll bring peace."
She handed him a drawing — her and her parents, flying through stars.
"In case you forget who you are."
He didn't look back after that.
If he had, he wouldn't have left.
Because as he vanished into the trees… a shadow shifted behind Liora's lookout.
Watching. Calculating.
Nasir's Web
In an underground citadel, deep beneath Sector 12, Nasir sat surrounded by screens, wine, and madness.
Seven years hadn't aged him — they'd eaten him.
He was gaunt now. Eyes too bright. Skin waxy. Heart rotted with obsession.
Georgie still lived in his mind. Her laughter, her defiance, her final moments.He replayed them endlessly.
"She chose him.""But her daughter… she doesn't have to."
Behind him, Twin 10 stood silent.
An AI made to mimic Damian's every strength — but programmed without empathy.
"Bring him in. End this love story."
End of Chapter Twenty-Five