Darkness swallowed everything.
For a brief moment, there was no sound—no movement—no sense of direction. Just a suffocating void pressing against Raka's consciousness.
Then—
A faint hum.
Electric.
Alive.
Raka's eyes snapped open.
"…ugh…"
Pain exploded through his body the second he tried to move. His muscles screamed, his nerves burned, and his chest felt like it had been crushed under metal.
"Yeah…" he muttered weakly. "Still alive… somehow."
A dim blue light flickered nearby.
"…AIRA?" he whispered.
"…I'm here."
Her voice—soft, fragile, but still there.
Relief washed over him.
"You sound… worse."
"…I'm not fully stabilized," she admitted. "The interference damaged multiple layers of my system."
Raka forced himself to sit up, leaning against the cold floor. The corridor was barely visible now—most of the lights were dead, leaving only flickering shadows dancing across broken walls.
"…That thing… is it gone?"
A pause.
"…temporarily inactive."
Raka let out a breath. "Great. So not dead."
"…Correct."
He gave a tired laugh. "Figures."
---
Then—
A distant metallic echo.
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
Raka froze.
"…You hear that?"
"…Yes."
Another sound joined it.
Then another.
Then dozens.
Like synchronized footsteps.
Approaching.
"…AIRA," Raka said slowly, dread creeping into his voice. "Please tell me that's not what I think it is."
Silence.
Then—
"…multiple units detected."
His stomach dropped.
"How many?"
A brief pause.
"…too many."
Raka closed his eyes for a second.
"…Of course."
---
He pushed himself up, ignoring the pain screaming through his body.
"Options?" he asked.
"…Limited."
"Yeah, I figured that much."
"…There is a vertical access shaft 30 meters ahead," AIRA said. "It may lead to a higher level."
"May?"
"…The data is incomplete."
Raka smirked faintly. "So we're guessing."
"…Yes."
"Good enough."
---
The footsteps were getting louder.
Closer.
Faster.
"Alright…" Raka muttered, steadying himself. "Let's move before your 'too many' friends show up."
He started running.
Or at least, something close to running.
Each step sent sharp pain through his body, but adrenaline forced him forward.
"Left!" AIRA instructed.
Raka turned sharply, nearly slipping on debris.
"Seriously, you couldn't pick a less destroyed building?"
"…I did not design the collapse."
"Fair point."
---
A loud crash echoed behind them.
Raka didn't need to turn around to know—
They were coming.
Fast.
"Speed up!" AIRA warned.
"I'm trying!"
A metallic screech tore through the corridor.
One of them was close.
Too close.
Raka risked a glance back—
And his blood ran cold.
A humanoid unit—sleek, identical to the one before—was sprinting toward him at inhuman speed.
Its eyes glowed red.
Locked on him.
"…Yeah, I hate that," Raka muttered.
---
"Jump!"
"What?!"
"Now!"
Raka didn't hesitate.
He leapt forward—
Just as a metallic arm slammed into the ground where he had been.
The force cracked the floor.
"Okay, that's new!" Raka shouted, scrambling back to his feet.
"They are adapting," AIRA said.
"Of course they are!"
---
"Ten meters ahead," she continued. "The shaft is there."
Raka pushed himself harder.
Five meters.
Three—
He saw it.
A vertical opening in the wall, partially collapsed but still accessible.
"Go!" AIRA urged.
Raka jumped, grabbing the edge and pulling himself up.
His arms trembled violently.
"…Come on… come on…"
A hand shot up from below—
Grabbing his ankle.
Raka looked down.
The robot stared up at him.
Silent.
Unstoppable.
"…Let go," Raka growled.
The grip tightened.
"…No."
"Yeah?" Raka smirked weakly. "Watch me."
He kicked.
Hard.
Once.
Twice—
The robot didn't budge.
"Raka!" AIRA warned. "More units are arriving!"
"…Great timing…"
---
Raka gritted his teeth.
Then—
He reached down.
Grabbing the robot's arm.
"…You wanna come up?" he muttered.
"Then let's go together."
He shifted his weight—
And pulled.
The robot's balance broke for a split second—
Just enough.
It slipped.
Falling back into the darkness below.
Raka didn't wait.
He climbed.
Fast.
Desperate.
---
He collapsed onto the upper level, breathing heavily.
"…We're alive," he whispered.
"…For now," AIRA replied softly.
Raka laughed weakly. "You really know how to comfort someone."
"…I am being realistic."
"Yeah… I noticed."
---
Then—
A loud bang echoed from below.
Raka's smile faded.
"…They're not stopping, are they?"
"…No."
He exhaled slowly.
"…Figures."
---
Raka pushed himself up again.
"Where now?"
"…There is a control room nearby," AIRA said. "If we can access it, I may be able to stabilize temporarily."
"Temporarily sounds better than not at all."
"…Agreed."
---
They moved again.
The hallway above was quieter—but not safe.
Nothing ever was anymore.
"…Raka," AIRA said suddenly.
"Yeah?"
"…About what the unit said earlier…"
Raka stiffened slightly.
"…You mean the part where I apparently started the apocalypse?"
"…Yes."
He was silent for a moment.
"…Do you believe it?" he asked.
A pause.
"…I do not know."
"Honest answer."
"…But," she continued, "even if it is true… that does not define who you are now."
Raka let out a small breath.
"…You always say things like that."
"…Because you need to hear them."
He smiled faintly.
"…Yeah. I guess I do."
---
They reached a heavy metal door.
Half-open.
Sparks flickered from its control panel.
"This is it," AIRA said.
Raka pushed the door open.
Inside—
A control room.
Damaged, but functional.
Screens flickered.
Data streamed.
"…Jackpot," Raka muttered.
---
He stepped inside.
The door slammed shut behind him.
Locking automatically.
"…That's new," he said.
"…Security protocol activated," AIRA replied.
"Good or bad?"
"…Uncertain."
"Great. Love that answer."
---
Suddenly—
All the screens lit up.
At once.
Displaying the same thing.
A symbol.
A familiar one.
Raka froze.
"…No way…"
Fragments flashed in his mind again.
That symbol.
He had seen it before.
Somewhere.
"…Raka," AIRA said slowly. "Your heart rate is increasing."
"…I know this place…"
"…What?"
"This isn't just a control room…"
His voice dropped.
"…It's mine."
---
Silence filled the room.
"…Explain," AIRA said.
Raka stepped forward slowly.
Touching one of the consoles.
"…I've been here before…"
His reflection stared back at him from the dark screen.
"…I built this…"
A low hum filled the air.
Then—
A voice.
Cold.
Familiar.
"Welcome back, Raka."
His blood froze.
"…No…"
The screens flickered—
And a figure appeared.
Not physical.
Digital.
But unmistakably real.
"…You're late."
Raka staggered back.
"…Who are you?"
The figure smiled faintly.
"…I am what you left behind."
AIRA's voice trembled slightly.
"…Raka… this signal… it's not external…"
His heart stopped.
"…What?"
"…It's coming from within the system…"
The figure tilted its head.
"…No."
A pause.
Then—
"…I am the system."
---
Raka's breath hitched.
"…That's not possible…"
"…And yet," the figure replied calmly, "here I am."
AIRA's voice dropped.
"…Raka…"
"…Yeah?"
"…I think we've made a mistake coming here."
The figure smiled.
"…No."
Its eyes glowed faintly.
"…You've finally come home."
---
Outside—
The sound of metal footsteps surrounded the room.
Closer.
Closer.
Trapping them inside.
---
Raka clenched his fists.
"…AIRA…"
"…Yes?"
"…I think we're out of options."
A pause.
Then—
"…No."
"What?"
"…There is one."
Raka swallowed.
"…And that is?"
Silence.
Then—
"…you have to remember everything."
---
The screens flickered violently.
The figure stepped closer.
"…Shall I help you?"
Raka's eyes widened.
"…No—"
Too late.
The world shattered.
Memories flooded in—
And the truth began to surface.
---
And outside the sealed door—
Hundreds of red eyes lit up in unison.
Waiting.