Nobody protested anymore.
Not after the cities disappeared.
Not after the sky turned white over Jakarta
Not after Dhaka went silent.
Not after Tokyo vanished in one morning.
People understood one thing now.
If they speak…
They die.
If they fight…
They die.
If they run…
They still die.
So they stayed quiet.
In Delhi people stopped gathering outside.
Schools were empty.
Markets half open.
Children stayed inside homes.
Parents spoke in whispers.
In Shanghai a man shouted in the street.
"WE CAN'T JUST WAIT!"
Nobody joined him.
Everyone looked down.
A woman pulled her child inside.
Doors closed.
Windows shut.
Fear was louder than anger.
In Guangzhou a radio played one message again and again:
**"Stay calm. Follow instructions. Selection will begin soon."**
Nobody knew what selection meant.
But nobody asked.
Because the last cities that asked…
Were gone.
Population once:
500 million.
After wipes:
409 million.
Still far from 10 million.
Still many cities left.
Still much work left.
Inside a dark meeting room.
Director Seren Vale sat at a long table.
Calm face.
Cold eyes.
Four Continuity Authority officers stood near the wall.
On a screen appeared Kael Virex.
President of Nox Aeterna.
His voice was smooth.
"Status report."
Seren spoke softly.
"Six major population zones removed."
Kael nodded slowly.
"Resistance?"
"Minimal."
"Public reaction?"
Seren answered:
"Fear is working better than force."
Kael smiled slightly.
"Good."
Seren continued.
"Population now 409 million."
Kael folded his hands.
"Still too many."
Seren agreed.
"Yes."
Seren asked:
"Project Void timeline?"
Kael answered:
"On schedule."
Seren leaned forward.
"Do you believe humanity will understand later?"
Kael did not answer fast.
Then he said:
"They don't need to understand."
"They need to survive."
Seren watched him carefully.
"And the cost?"
Kael answered without emotion.
"Necessary."
Seren finally said:
"History will call us monsters."
Kael replied:
"History is written by survivors."
Seren did not argue.
Meeting ended.
Screen went dark.
One officer asked quietly:
"Director… do you ever doubt?"
Seren looked at him.
"No."
"Why?"
Seren answered:
"Because doubt kills more people than decisions."
No one spoke after that.
Seren stood up.
"Prepare the aircraft."
The officers nodded.
"Target?"
Seren walked toward the exit.
"Cairo."
One officer swallowed.
"Population?"
"Ten million."
Nobody reacted.
Like they already knew.
Like numbers were just numbers now.
Inside the aircraft hangar.
Workers moved fast.
Silent.
Professional.
A nuclear bomb was rolled slowly.
Metal body.
Warning signs.
Nobody touched it carelessly.
Two engineers connected cables.
One asked quietly:
"How many now?"
The other answered:
"Lost count."
Another worker whispered:
"Do you think we are saving people?"
No answer came.
Seren entered.
Everyone stood straight.
"Report."
"Nuclear device ready."
"Navigation ready."
"Fuel ready."
Seren nodded.
"Attach it."
They did.
Heavy locks clicked.
Seren watched everything.
No emotion.
One young officer finally asked:
"Director… what if we are wrong?"
Seren looked at him.
"About what?"
"About all this."
Seren walked closer.
"If we are wrong…"
A pause.
"...then humanity dies anyway."
That ended the question.
The aircraft started.
Engines loud.
Seren entered the plane.
Four members joined him.
Same team as before.
One pilot spoke:
"Flight path set."
Seren sat down.
"Begin."
The plane moved.
Faster.
Faster.
Then sky.
Below them Earth looked quiet.
Too quiet.
Cities looked normal from above.
Lights still on.
Cars still moving.
People still living.
Like nothing was wrong.
One member looked down.
"Hard to believe."
Seren asked:
"What?"
"That down there…"
"...ten million lives are just a number."
Seren answered:
"They are not numbers."
The member looked surprised.
Seren finished:
"They are the future."
Another member asked:
"And the others?"
Seren answered:
"The past."
Nobody liked that answer.
Radio chatter came.
"Approaching Cairo air zone."
Seren stood up.
"Prepare deployment."
The young officer hesitated.
Then spoke.
"Director… is this really the only way?"
Seren did not get angry.
He just asked:
"What is the other way?"
"Maybe… more ships?"
"Maybe more time?"
Seren shook his head.
"We don't have either."
The officer said:
"Ten million people…"
Seren corrected him.
"Humanity."
The officer's voice broke.
"They are humans too."
Seren answered quietly:
"And that is why this hurts."
Silence again.
Seren continued:
"You think I don't feel this?"
Nobody answered.
Seren said:
"I remember every number."
"Every city."
"Every decision."
The officer asked:
"Then how do you continue?"
Seren answered:
"Because stopping now makes all previous deaths meaningless."
That hit harder than shouting.
Pilot voice:
"Target city visible."
Everyone looked forward.
Cairo.
Huge.
Alive.
Lights everywhere.
Traffic moving.
People unaware.
The officer whispered:
"They don't know…"
Seren answered:
"They know."
"What?"
"They just hope it won't be them."
That hurt more.
Bomb system activated.
A screen showed:
**Population estimate: 10,042,331**
One member asked:
"Do we wait for exact numbers?"
Seren answered:
"No delays."
"Every hour matters."
The officer asked:
"For what?"
Seren answered:
"Project Void launch window."
Nobody asked more.
Final checks.
"Wind stable."
"Altitude correct."
"Release ready."
The young officer's hands shook.
Seren noticed.
"First time?"
"Yes."
Seren said:
"Look away if needed."
The officer whispered:
"I don't want to become cold."
Seren answered:
"You won't."
"When does it happen?"
Seren replied:
"When you stop asking questions."
That scared him.
"Release in 10."
Nobody spoke.
"9."
Man breathing sounds only.
"8."
One officer closed eyes.
"7."
Seren watched the screen.
"6."
City lights blinking below.
"5."
The young officer whispered:
"I'm sorry."
"4."
Nobody knew to who.
"3."
Seren did not blink.
"2."
Silence.
"1."
Click.
The bomb dropped.
Nobody spoke.
They just watched.
Nuclear bomb.
Getting faster.
Getting closer.
The officer could not breathe.
Seren said quietly:
"Sit."
He didn't.
He watched.
The bomb reached the city.
Then—
White light.
Everything disappeared in brightness.
Even from the sky.
Shockwave came after.
Cloud rising.
Huge.
Silent from distance.
The officer fell to his knees.
Tears came.
"I… I can't…"
Seren put a hand on his shoulder.
"Look at me."
He didn't want to.
"LOOK."
He looked.
Seren said:
"Remember why."
The officer cried harder.
Seren continued:
"If we stop… billions die later."
"If we continue… millions die now."
The officer whispered:
"That choice is evil."
Seren answered:
"No."
"It is leadership."
Radio update came:
**Population update: 399 million.**
Still far.
Still long way.
Seren returned to his seat.
"Next target preparation begins."
No celebration.
No victory.
Just work.
Always work.
Back in the aircraft.
Seren looked at Earth again.
So many cities left.
So many decisions left.
One member asked:
"Director… when does it end?"
Seren answered:
"When 10 million remain."
"And then?"
Seren said quietly:
"Then Project Void begins."
The member asked:
"And peace?"
Seren did not answer.
Because he did not know.
The aircraft turned.
New course set.
Another city somewhere.
Another number.
Another decision.
Seren closed his eyes for one second.
Just one.
Then opened them again.
Cold again.
Strong again.
Necessary again.
Far below.
The cloud over Kheiron City was still rising.
And satellites were already marking…
**the next population zone.**