BANG!
I ducked as a shot nearly hit my face. I frowned as the bullet ricocheted off the edge of the wall, a luminous trail in its wake as it threw dust and fragments into my face.
I spat on the ground, wiping the dirt from my mouth, and pulled the bolt of my rifle, preparing the next shot. With my enhanced vision, I scanned the battlefield in less than a minute, spotting the various militiamen hiding in the distant vegetation.
The initial attack was composed of a small force, probably to test our defenses, but that didn't change the fact that they were too well-equipped and organized, proving that the rumors of an army being formed were true.
They didn't dare advance; the idiots who tried were riddled with holes in the barren space between the jungle and the walls.
Occasionally an explosive was thrown, the android's strength allowing it to close the distance impossible for a human arm, exploding against the walls or somewhere behind them.
Whether by luck, or simply an advantage thanks to preparation, we had no deaths on our side, only injuries, ranging from minor cases, with a few bullets in the torso, to serious ones, when someone was hit in the head, mainly in the eyes, or had the misfortune of being too close to an explosion.
I pushed those thoughts aside when I realized I was daydreaming, wasting time I didn't have. I muttered an insult, more to myself than to my enemies, and pulled the trigger.
The militiaman retreated behind a tree, his shoulder pierced the moment he left cover to fire.
A curse was directed at me, but I paid no attention, pulled the bolt, ejecting the empty casing, and loaded the next bullet, pushing the lever in the opposite direction, ready to fire again.
The bastard emerged from his hiding place, running to my left towards an area full of large rocks where more of his gang was hiding, opening fire on us.
I followed his movements, aiming a few meters ahead to match the speed of an android, then…
BANG!
I clicked my tongue as I hit his leg; he staggered and fell. I couldn't see his face, but his screams and the agitated way he struggled revealed his fear. A shot of that caliber to the leg wasn't enough to incapacitate an android, but his confusion seemed to prevent him from realizing that.
Anyway, as I prepared my next shot, one of his companions came to his rescue, dragging him towards the rocks. I didn't know how things were on the other parts of the walls, but the combat was dangerously slow here, as neither side had an efficient way to finish off the other.
An android near me prepared to throw a homemade explosive, something that looked more like a brick covered in wires. He stood up, his arm flying in an arc, only to tumble, almost falling off the walls as he was hit in the center of his chest.
I heard its scream, but my attention was on the bomb which, if not stopped, would fall at our feet. Time slowed and color faded from the world, a familiar sensation, not as painful as months ago.
This had become something I could almost do of my own volition, and before that cursed object got out of my reach and killed us, I conjured wind magic to send it to its true target.
Dark marks appeared on my skin; I didn't even have to aim at the explosive. A miniaturized whirlwind appeared beneath it, propelling it upwards, where air currents formed a corridor, carrying it to its true target.
The militiamen behind the rocks shouted, an incoherent cacophony of fear and rage.
BOOM!
A loud blast followed by a cloud of dust and smoke covered the rocky area. I spotted some pieces of androids flying away; those that survived and tried to run were quickly shot down by the defenders.
Then, the shooting continued for hours, but despite everything, the feeling wasn't one of victory, but apprehension; this was only a fraction of what was to come.
-XXXXXX-
It was probably night, in the sense of time, not because the sky was permanently dark. I remained on the walls during my watch, other androids doing the same, searching for signs of danger while the rest of the village rested.
I was used to noisy nights, because after a full day of work, the androids liked to relax in their own way, whether partying, going to the bar, spending time with friends, or an intimate moment with a loved one.
Now, everything was quiet, to the point of disturbing me, because it gave me a constant feeling that something could happen at any moment, be it an attack, or a monster jumping towards me; after all, I was in a village in the middle of a dense, dark jungle, and my mind created all sorts of scenarios worthy of a horror movie.
Looking over my shoulder for the umpteenth time, I spotted the other androids, and turning a little more to the side, I was disappointed to see the few lights shining in the village, a sign of the tension the population felt.
Even the animals were quiet, frightened by the earlier shooting.
"A beautiful night, isn't it?"
The little blonde girl who had tormented me so much appeared beside me, walking precariously along the edge of the walls, dancing like a ballerina.
Another person would recoil in a blink, but I guess you don't need to worry about falling when you're intangible.
"I'd say so, but the reason behind the silence ruined everything."
I kept walking, and to my frustration, she followed me.
"Hm… Humans kill each other for the silliest reasons, so it's natural that creations made in their image do the same. Why are you bothered? Because they look like you? Or since they are human's creations, do you see them as your children?"
"I don't like conflict, I don't like killing or risking being killed. Is that so hard to understand?"
"There's something more behind it, isn't there?"
Manah's smile was so wide that her face almost split open, and her red eyes, gleaming in the moonlight behind her, gave her the appearance of a demon in the darkness.
"You've become attached to the constructs, you see them as equals, even when you are not. The creator is above the creation, and the creation must obey the creator, but here you are, clinging, longing for companionship, friends, warmth, and perhaps something more?"
The tone at the end of the sentence made my heart sink. I felt something burning in my chest, but I sighed, trying to regain my composure.
"And what do you know about creations and creators? I don't know what you are, but don't you crave someone's company?"
"Oh, you can't imagine what I know, your simple mind is incapable of comprehending. And if I desire company? Well… I'm above something so useless, but I admit you entertain me, I like to see you strive to move forward in this ruined world, like a directionless ant fighting against the current."
I shook my head; her provocations had become something that no longer bothered me, simply because I no longer had the energy to deal with them.
"Well, I'm glad someone is enjoying my suffering."
We continued walking, this time with the little ghost girl humming along the way.
Meanwhile, I thought about what she said. Yes, I had become attached to the androids and was enjoying living here, but what should I do? Pretend to be one until the day I'm too old to continue? Or should I prove to everyone that I'm human?
I didn't know what to do; both options terrified me, but of one thing I was certain: I wouldn't back down from my objective.
Besides that, there was the matter of Manah and her goal. She appeared to me out of nowhere, knowing many things, offering me a pact and giving me powers in exchange for bringing her here, but why? What does she gain from this? Does she also want what's at the base? Was she connected to the dragon and the giant in some way? Did she know how I ended up here? Was she the one who brought me here?
"Manah, I know I've asked this before and you've always avoided answering, but I'll do it anyway: What are you?"
She stopped and looked at the ground in silence, her face contorting in deep thought, then she turned to me and answered without any emotion.
"An angel."
It was quick, but for less than a second, I saw something I couldn't describe. I almost fell from the walls, my eyes burning and my head threatening to explode. I couldn't hold back my screams as I conjured healing magic. When my vision returned, Manah was no longer there.
"Hey, are you okay?!"
Looking toward the source of the noise, I saw one of the androids running toward me with concern on his face.
"Yes, I think I need some repairs. Something broke during the fight."
He nodded, asking me to wait while he called someone to cover my shift. The android returned minutes later, accompanied, and after ensuring I could walk alone, I descended the stairs in the walls and walked through the village streets, heading toward my hut.
I spent some time checking my weapons and counting ammunition, then changed my clothes into a black outfit.
With that done, I pushed my bed aside, but didn't continue, pondering for a second if that was a good idea. In the end, I decided, I came all this way for a reason and I wasn't going to give up now.
The earth magic was something impressive to see and of wide use; the way the soil molded itself was similar to clay. With a gesture, the earth surged upward, slowly tearing away the floorboards and revealing a hole. With a bit of trial and error, I made it wide enough for me to move inside without much trouble.
Then I stepped into the center and the earth descended like an elevator, taking me underground. The process that followed was relatively slow, creating a straight tunnel to the outside of the village.
Wind and ice magic made the air flow, keeping the heat away and preventing me from suffocating, and by shaping the earth, I created rock pillars in the walls and floor to prevent everything from collapsing.
Eventually, I came face to face with a metal wall, forcing me to go deeper and then climb up the other side.
I sighed in relief at not finding anyone waiting for me, and before leaving, I closed the hole up to the beginning of the curve in the underground, placing enough dirt to prevent anyone from falling in and accidentally finding the tunnel.
With shotgun in hand, I made my way to the base, feeling a weight in my stomach as sweat dripped down my face. I felt many things: fear, apprehension, doubt, but I swallowed them and moved forward. After all, what choice did I have now?
-XXXXXX-
I hid behind a tree amidst the dense vegetation, holding back a curse as I saw lights and people moving around the once-abandoned base.
Those bastards are going to ruin everything!
I retreated and remained silent for a few minutes, trying to calm the anger in my chest, then I looked back, thinking about what to do.
My objective was deep underground, so I saw no problem in repeating my trick. I took a step back, shaping the earth and creating another hole. From there, I created a straight tunnel, heading towards the base.
It was difficult to stay calm this time, as my brain kept creating scenarios of what could go wrong.
For a second, I even considered turning back, but what if the androids found the doors? What if they destroyed or stole what was on the other side?
If that happened, all my efforts would have been in vain.
After several attempts where I went up and down like an elevator in the deep earth, I faced a gray concrete wall.
I couldn't help but smile, celebrating inwardly.
I touched the wall with both hands and used fire magic; the concrete began to melt at a steady pace, revealing beams, pipes, and wires that turned into a red paste, which I quickly cooled with ice before the temperature became unbearable.
A cloud of steam stood in my path as I created a passage large enough to pass through.
The magic of the wind cleared my vision, but if my heart were still beating, it would have stopped, because on the other side was a gangster staring at me with wide eyes and an open mouth, holding a cigarette between his index and middle fingers.
The curiosity that androids smoked and the thought of the cigarette's composition were funny for only a second. A strange noise came from the android's mouth, a kind of failed scream generated by the surprise and impossibility of the situation.
The instant he fumbled to drop the cigarette and reach for the machine gun resting against the wall was more than enough for me to close the distance and cover his mouth.
The force I used was enough to smash his head against the wall on the other side of the corridor, cracking the concrete with a snap that echoed through the walls.
He let out a muffled scream, drowned out by my hand, and before the punches could fly, I fried his circuits with a wave of electricity. His body went limp, but I didn't bother to carefully lower him, as our little conflict had already attracted unwanted attention.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!"
I almost bit my tongue to avoid uttering another curse word, and I ran in the opposite direction from the voices, trying to identify the part of the base where I was.
It didn't take me long; I had explored the place more than enough to memorize its map, and using the signs and rooms I had marked in previous explorations, I quickly found my way to the stairs to the deepest level.
Despite my efforts, the fact that the androids were fast remained unchanged. I could hear the footsteps and shouts approaching as more echoed in the distance.
I smiled, feeling a sense of victory as I caught sight of the familiar staircase through the exit at the end of the corridor.
BANG!
I yelled in surprise as I crossed the threshold, because a hand pushed my shotgun towards the floor, the sudden movement causing me to pull the trigger and waste a shot.
My surprise turned to pain, before I could even turn to understand what had happened, I received a punch to the side of the head. Everything went dark for less than a second, my vision doubled and blurred after receiving the equivalent of a hammer blow to the head.
The horrible sensation disappeared as quickly as it came, the dizziness and overwhelming headache, as well as the urge to vomit, gave way to anger when I was pulled by the arm and came face to face with a man whose face was partially hidden by a piece of cloth.
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?! HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?!"
His demands made my ears ring; it didn't help that he was shaking me with one hand and pointing a pistol at me with the other. He quickly shut up when the power of a lightning bolt passed through his body.
"YOU SHOULD HAVE SHOT WHEN YOU HAD THE CHANCE!"
I left his body behind, retrieved my shotgun, and sped down the stairs, quickening my pace as the gangsters finally caught up with me, descending the path like a furious swarm.
A cacophony of screams and gunfire echoed through the deep shaft, the elevator structure at its center serving as a partial barrier that shimmered with sparks, but I soon had to use ice magic to create the equivalent of a riot shield when a bullet pierced my shoulder.
I kept my shield raised to my left, blocking the shots, each one sending shards flying after a sound of shattering glass, and clenched my teeth, holding back the pain as I conjured healing magic, ejecting the bullet.
With four floors to go, I jumped over the railing and dove towards the ground. The wind magic gathered and whistled in my palm, forming a small tornado that expanded into a powerful downward blast, enough to slow my fall.
I grunted as I landed, ignoring the protests of my knees, and as soon as I was near my makeshift camp, I swung my arm, releasing another blast and knocking down the androids present who were rummaging through my belongings.
I ran past them and through the hole I'd opened in the first large door, sealing the passage behind me with a wall of ice. Then I crossed the opening in the second door, blocking it as well. With that done, I faced the third as if it were a giant I had to overcome.
At that moment, when I finally stopped running, the exhaustion from everything I'd done hit me like a train. I leaned against a wall, breathing heavily as I sweat like a pig. The air going in and out of my lungs was the only sound at that moment.
I don't know how much time passed, but I could hear the androids screaming, which gave me strength, whether natural or just disguised despair, to continue. With fire in one hand and ice in the other, I began my work.
I prayed that this was the last door, because if there was another one on the other side, I didn't know if I could continue. Facing an army of androids would be an almost preferable option, because whatever material that part of the base was made of, not even earth magic could penetrate it.
Tremors ran through my body, like a leaf in the wind; whether it was my exhaustion or the constantly changing temperature of the room, I couldn't tell.
The metal creaked and screamed, breaking layer by layer, glowing the fiery orange of fire and the cold blue of ice. For a brief instant, the torrent of magic faltered, as did my legs, but I regained my balance, remaining steady and continuing the process.
The noises behind me were louder; I could hear the thumping of the ice. I screamed from the effort, using everything I had, a level of power I had only reached in the most desperate situations.
The magic returned with full force; the sounds of the door giving way sounded like the death cries of a monster.
CRASH!
With a bang, a passage opened. I dissipated the scalding steam with a gale and sealed the path with ice after crossing it.
For the second time, my eyes were assaulted, this time by the difference in lighting, despite wearing sunglasses. I was in a white room, a white so pure I couldn't see the walls or the ceiling, just an endless vastness.
The only things that stood out were the door, the ice, the rubble, and me. The second thing I noticed was the silence; I was the only source of noise, despite having broken a hole in the chamber.
I frowned, postponing my surprise, already feeling the anger and frustration returning.
"An empty room?! I did all this for an empty room?!"
My voice echoed to the point of sounding like several people talking simultaneously. I tried to regain my composure, but that proved difficult given my likely failure.
I picked up a piece of metal from the floor and threw it away, trying to determine the size of the room, only to raise an eyebrow in curiosity when the object collided with something that rippled like the surface of a lake.
I took a step forward, a thin layer of ice rising and spreading across the area, except for a perfect circle at its center.
I approached cautiously, each crack beneath my feet sounding like thunder. I wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible, because I didn't want to be alone with my thoughts.
I extended my knife forward, watching it sink in as it touched something. The ripples continued as I circled the mysterious object, dragging the blunt end across its surface.
The artifact wasn't invisible, but rather a pure white like the rest of the place. A kind of giant egg.
What was this thing? Why was it locked here? Would it bring Novi back? I hated not knowing something. How much had happened during my time jump?
I sheathed my knife and extended a trembling hand, touching the egg with my index finger, then…
"Alan?"
I turned around immediately when I heard a voice behind me, raising a hand to the revolver on my hip, but I caught only air.
There was nothing there, no holster or weapon, none of them. My clothes, backpack, and equipment had vanished, replaced by casual clothes, sneakers, jeans, and a black shirt.
I also looked smaller, younger, as if I'd just stepped out of adolescence. A weight settled in my stomach and my heart raced. I was unarmed in an unknown place; I needed to get out of here.
"What the hell is going on?!"
"Alan? Are you okay?"
I was snapped out of my stupor by the voice again. I stood paralyzed like a statue, overcome with disbelief at seeing its owner.
And there she was, with long white hair and bright yellow eyes.
I felt tears welling up and the corners of my lips curling in happiness.
"I couldn't be better, Novi."
-XXXXXX-
"Well, who would have thought, he actually succeeded."
"Manah" observed with a satisfied smile, arms clasped behind her back, rocking back and forth on her feet as the giant egg pulsed with power.
Dark letters of an ancient language traced its surface, and in flashes as quick as lightning, the outline of a man emerged from within, his form transforming into something monstrous.
"Now we will finish what we started."
An adult man's voice left the little girl's lips, her head turning as if someone had taken control of her body.
"Then I believe it's time we leave behind the form of that abandoned child."
An adult woman's voice replied, her head turning in the opposite direction.
Like clay, "Manah's" body molded into something new, growing into that of an adult. When the process was complete, there was a man there, young, tall, and thin, with stern features, long white hair, gray skin, and bright red eyes.
He wore a masterfully tailored black suit, with a white handkerchief peeking out of his breast pocket while a white flower sat on the opposite side.
Underneath, he wore a gray vest with buttons the same color as his suit, topped with a long tie adorned with roses.
"And return to Midgard."
Although it was a man speaking, his form shifted to a more feminine one, with soft features, slightly shorter height , with more curves and a voluptuous body.
Then the being observed the ongoing transformation, feeling what humans called anticipation? Nervousness? Joy? Anxiety? Fear? In the end, it didn't matter; he, she, it or was it they?, were beyond that.
Eventually, the power reached its peak, and an overwhelming roar shook the base's structure.
-XXXXXX-
In a distant archipelago that was once a prosperous nation, now ruined by the arrival of two beings from another world and a divine disease, a strange being stared into nothingness as it felt a surge of power.
It was a bizarre, smiling white sphere, with a skeletal body and four arms, one of which wielded a staff.
Before departing, he bid farewell to the grave in the underground of a place the ancient humans called a shopping mall, and took flight, traversing the ruins and heading towards the horizon at high speed.
-XXXXXX-
In the depths of what was once a center of worship created by a vile cult, the body of a red dragon rested.
Its corpse, impaled by the tower, was moved, stolen, and studied by various organizations until its mysterious disappearance, but now, a spark of magic burned in its chest, and with it, life.
Its bloodshot eyes opened and a roar of fury and pain escaped its mouth, for it knew the power pulsing from the other side of the world.
The building exploded in flames, and from the fire and smoke, its figure rose, its cries and flapping wings audible to all, and soon it departed, flying over endless ruins to its objective.
-XXXXXX-
Unlike the Kingdom of Night, certain parts of the world were not overtaken by ruins and vegetation; one of them was Europe, in what was once Madrid, now the center of what the androids ruled.
The city was what ancient humans would call futuristic with a touch of brutalism, although its inhabitants considered it normal. Massive constructions with sharp angles and blocks, adorned with glass that concealed their technologically advanced interiors.
At the center of it all was a building so tall it seemed to touch the sky. On the top floor, in the most protected room, the council of ten androids who governed what remained of the world observed the report given by one of their subordinates behind a holographic screen.
Men and women wearing suits in imitation of their creators remained in their seats, still like statues. The situation was worrying; the city's equipment detected an energy signature similar to the one that left the world in its current state.
With few options left, orders were given: the forces in South America, mostly close to the event site, were to halt operations and investigate what had happened.
Simultaneously, reinforcements would cross the ocean from the base in Portugal.
With that done, they could only observe and prepare, waiting for a report. Some would pray, but with the humans dead, there was no one to answer.
END OF CHAPTER