The streets were quieter than usual, the rain having slowed to a fine drizzle. Broken neon signs flickered along the ruined avenues, casting fractured pools of red, blue, and green light across puddles and jagged debris. Jin-hee and Min-ah moved like shadows, crouched low, scanning every corner, every doorway, every broken vehicle.
"This way," Jin-hee whispered, leading her through a narrow alley between two collapsed buildings. The air smelled of wet concrete and burnt circuitry, and the faint hum of distant machines reminded them that at any moment, a patrol could appear.
Min-ah's grip tightened on the rebar she had picked up, her knuckles white. "How do we know we won't run into another one?"
"We don't," Jin-hee said, his voice calm but firm. "We stay quiet, stay fast, and stay smart. That's our only chance."
They crept past a shattered storefront. Inside, a small robot carcass lay in the corner, blackened and smoking. Sparks flickered faintly from its exposed circuits. Jin-hee knelt, inspecting it briefly. "One of ours," he muttered. "Humans probably didn't make it out."
Min-ah shivered but didn't speak. She trusted him—more than anyone else in this city—but the fear was still there, coiled tight like a spring.
As they rounded a corner, movement caught Jin-hee's eye. Two patrol bots, their red sensors sweeping the street ahead, glided in synchronized rhythm. He froze, crouching lower. Min-ah mirrored his movements, her breath shallow.
"Wait for my signal," he whispered. "We go left, stick to the shadows. Don't let them see us."
They slipped along the side of a collapsed wall, every step measured. Sparks rained from a broken neon tube above them, and for a moment, one bot's sensor swiveled in their direction. Jin-hee froze, holding his breath. The bot paused, then moved on.
"That was too close," Min-ah murmured.
"Every time will be close," Jin-hee said. "We just have to survive this one."
Finally, they reached a small intersection. Jin-hee pointed toward a narrow service tunnel that ran beneath the street. "This'll get us closer to the industrial sector. Fewer patrols there. If we're careful, we can grab supplies… or maybe find something useful for the fight ahead."
Min-ah nodded, following him into the dark tunnel. The walls were damp, graffiti peeling, pipes dripping steadily onto the floor. Every sound echoed, every movement magnified.
As they moved deeper, Jin-hee whispered, "Remember, one slip and they'll catch us. We need to think, act, and trust each other."
She glanced at him, eyes wide. "I do. I trust you."
A faint mechanical hum grew louder ahead, and Jin-hee froze again. Patrol bots—too many to fight straight on. He pressed a finger to his lips, signaling Min-ah to stay low. They slipped into a shadowed corner, waiting. The bots passed, oblivious to the two humans crouched just behind a pile of rubble.
Once the bots were gone, Jin-hee exhaled slowly. "We made it. First step. And this is just the beginning."
Min-ah nodded, gripping the rebar tighter, her eyes reflecting the flickering neon light. The city was ruthless, the machines relentless—but for the first time in days, they felt a flicker of possibility.
Two humans, alone but moving with purpose, venturing deeper into the machine-run streets. They were small. They were fragile. But they were alive.
And alive meant fighting.