Half in Fire

The dates in this work belong to the Lunisolar-Gaia Calendar: a rhythm that follows the equinox, real lunar cycles, variations of light and tide.

Within Fragmented Universes, time appears as an observable architecture: sky, seasons, cycles, and ONRSALTUKWMH.

Note — Why Lunisolar-Gaia instead of the Gregorian Anti-Calendar

The Gregorian anti-calendar disorganizes time through historical administrative decisions.

It establishes a fixed 7-day week by religious and state convention, months disconnected from real lunar cycles, solar adjustment concentrated in February, and an annual count designed for civil standardization.

It transforms time into a uniform grid.

The Gregorian anti-calendar imposes an abstract anti-rhythm, separated from the observable experience of the sky.

Rhythm becomes counting.

Rhythm becomes administrative units.

Rhythm becomes an external measure.

The Lunisolar-Gaia Calendar organizes time and rhythm according to what appears in the sky and in ONRSALTUKWMH:

silencing, elongating, rhythmizing, tuning, opening, weaving, uniting, releasing, flowing, structuring, irradiating.

It establishes:

• a solar cycle beginning at the real equinox
• months based on real lunar cycles
• lunar days defined by percentage of light
• cycles that rise, reach a peak, and descend

1. GENERAL STRUCTURE

🌞 Solar Cycle (S-)

The year is called a Solar Cycle, counted from Equinox to Equinox.

Reference conversion:

S- = Gregorian Year + 745

Example:

2134 → S-2879

🌙 12 Lunations

Each solar cycle contains 12 lunations (macro-cycles):

• Silenluna
• Alonluna
• Ritluna
• Sintoluna
• Abeluna
• Ligaluna
• Teceluna
• Uneluna
• Libeluna
• Fluxluna
• Tramaluna
• Irraluna

Each lunation carries a dominant gestural archetype.

2. ASTRONOMICAL ANCHOR

Absolute reference point:

February 2, 746 BCE (proleptic Julian calendar)

Total lunar eclipse observed in Babylon.

This event is historically recorded and astronomically reconstructible, serving as both historical and astronomical anchor.

3. THE LUNATION FROM WITHIN

Each lunation contains 30 lunar days (0–29) organized into 10 triads, defined by the percentage of lunar light.

0–2  → 0–5%     → 0% → 5%      (OOO)
3–5  → 5–15%                (ONR)
6–8  → 15–30%               (SAL)
9–11 → 30–50%               (TUK)
12–14 → 50–85%              (WMH)

15–17 → 85–100% → 85%       (HMW)
18–20 → 85–60%              (KUT)
21–23 → 60–40%              (LAS)
24–26 → 40–15%              (RNO)
27–29 → 15–5% → 0%          (OOO)

Shorter ascent.

Longer descent.

Silence at the beginning and the end.

The real tide rhythm is respected.

🌙 Names of the lunar days (applied model)

OOO

0 Silensi

1 Silenabe

2 Silenli

ONR

3 Silensina

4 Alonabe

5 Ritli

SAL

6 Sintosi

7 Abeli

8 Lilibe

TUK

9 Tecesi

10 Unabe

11 Libeli

WMH

12 Fluxsi

13 Tramabe

14 Irrali

HMW

15 Irrasi

16 Tramili

17 Fluxli

KUT

18 Libesi

19 Unabe

20 Teceli

LAS

21 Ligasi

22 Abete

23 Sintoli

RNO

24 Ritsi

25 Alonli

26 Silenli

OOO

27 Silenri

28 Silente

29 Silenflu

4. SOLAR AXIS DAYS

The real solar cycle lasts ~365.2422 days.

The annual difference is ~5.2422 days.

For this reason there are solar axis days located near the Equinox portal.

Common Solar Cycle

Silena (ON)

Ritsi (RS)

Abeliga (AL)

Tecune (TU)

Libeflu (KW)

Sextal Solar Cycle (approximately every 4 cycles)

Tramirra (MH)

These days realign the solar cycle and exist outside the lunations.

5. TECHNICAL NOTE — CONVERSION OF LUNATION AND LUNAR DAY (Lx)

The conversion of S- follows the fixed calculation.

The exact position of the lunation and lunar day (0–29) requires real lunar astronomical ephemerides:

• dates and times of New Moon, Full Moon, and Quarter phases
• real duration of lunar cycles (average: 29.5306 days)
• the actual March Equinox of each year

Astronomical ephemerides

(e.g., timeanddate.com, Stellarium) were used to structure the dates in this work.

Example

14/02/2026 (Saturday)

→ S-2770

→ Tramaluna

→ Day 27: Silenri

Short form:

27/10/2770 — Silenri of Tramaluna — S-2770

Standard format:

S-2770 • L10 Tramaluna • D27 Silenri

6. HOW TO READ A DATE IN THE NARRATIVE

Format:

[Solar Cycle] • [LX] [Lunation Name] • [DX] [Lunar Day]

When a half-lunation appears, it functions as a phase seal.

Quarteluna = 6 days

A Gregorian date may appear in the book as a temporal anchor, helping the reader orient themselves.

All other dates follow the lunisolar time count.

S-2879 • L8 Libeluna • D23 Sintoli

(Gregorian calendar equivalent: December 10, 2134)

“Libeluna brings surrender that sets free. Sintoli tunes wind and word. The thread of the world sings in low light. The story carries steadily on, in flow.”

A snowy place.

Sky and earth merge.

In the distance, a forest of tundra firs rises.

Within it, the lone gray she-wolf appears.

I feel her amber eyes on me, calling me. I try to reach her. An invisible force was keeping me away.

I want to. I need to. My whole body lights up with need.

With every attempt, I return to the same place. With every return, a violent pain. It hurts to keep trying to reach her.

I cry.

I wake.

The clock read three in the morning. Was she calling me to the other world?

Through the window, the city gleamed. Lights blurred by the damp glass. Rain fell in a chaotic tangle, mirroring my own.

She, a breath of spring in autumn, yet capable of being winter itself.

One solar cycle without her. A cycle in which the skies grieve, the winds scream their agonies, the earth withers, and I grow numb.

Since her death, that numbness has remained part of my existence.

I looked away from the window. Would feeling unhappy be selfish, when I know so many would trade places with me?

I sighed.

Went back to sleep.

I lived on the uppermost levels of São Paulo, the First City.

I was born in Zenith, as they call the upper levels; an empire suspended above the city, where light grew distant from the streets below.

Always being so high made the fall imminent.

I put on a black coat and touched my belly. There was still warmth in my womb, but it was beginning to flow inward; a weaving slowly transmuting into my Enchantress phase. I took the elevator down to reception.

The receptionist android, Andi, wished me good morning.

I returned the greeting. Passed the old man walking through the atrium, Pavel. An android engineer at Kokusai. I always saw him there and wished him good morning. He watched me in silence. His face expressionless.

I headed for the Golden Line station. The aerotrain arrived within seconds. I sat by the window.

The city spread out below. Titanic structures disappeared into the polluted haze. Spiraling airways intertwined among the buildings. Vertical skyscrapers wrapped in hanging gardens. Holograms burst from every direction.

Adware sprouted in the air in alternating pixels: A new android. A revolutionary synthetic protein.

I opened the bioscreen to check the news. Everything sounded artificial, far removed from what mattered.

I turned my gaze toward the glass. The hospital appeared on the horizon. Its mirrored structure reflected the neutral colors of its surroundings.

At the entrance, the android connected to me, Takashi, was waiting. “Good morning, Doctor.”

“Good morning.”

I was working on a nanodevice, CogniSynth. Part of Project Jaburu. A nanotechnology for accessing memories in the human brain.

Memories… too many memories.

The day dragged on. Every minute, a battle. Every second, an agonizing effort to push her from my mind.

But she always returned. Always her. Always Maia.

She invaded ceaselessly. Broke through barriers. Stayed.

I wished the night would bring relief. Longed for a new dawn to carry away the weight.

Maybe tomorrow it’ll be easier to breathe.

I finished my work. Gathered my things to leave.

Takashi approached, carrying a large envelope labeled in elegant, slanted handwriting.

Her handwriting.

“This arrived.”

My chest froze. My hands trembled. My mouth went dry. My eyes widened. My heart raced. My thoughts erupted in frantic beats. I took the envelope. “Th…” My voice faltered, trembling. “…ank you.”

“Do you need anything else?”

“N-no… I… y-you can go.”

The door closed.

I tore open the seal. Something fell out.

A red cellphone. Foldable. Obsolete.

A pocket watch. Analog. From the eighties.

A golden compass.

And a piece of paper. Geographic coordinates.

What did it mean?

I picked up the letter. Only a few words, but enough to split the world apart. Heart tight. Eyes flooded with tears. I could barely hold the paper.

Akiko,

How are you?

Perhaps your anger and sadness have passed. I hope so.

I kept silent about many things. I know.

Your heart broke. Mine did too.

I wanted things to be different. So I prepared this.

Do you want to enter my world that badly? All your questions will be answered. Are you ready for that?

If you are, go to the coordinates on the 25th at 11 p.m. If not, go your own way.

Always remember me.

With affection,

Maia.

My strength left me for a moment. The letter slipped from my hands. My body collapsed. I stared at my distorted reflection on the gleaming surface. Everything spun. I forgot how to breathe.

In those words, I heard her voice. Heard my name on her lips. Even after a solar cycle, I felt my soul intertwined with hers.

It took a while to regain my senses. The present. My breath. The tears dried. My fingers stopped trembling. I picked up the objects. Studied the coordinates. Put them in my bag.

The letter remained. I sighed heavily. Picked it up.

That night, I had the same dream. This time, when I took a step, the she-wolf raised her head. But she was still very far away.

Beneath the waning moon

I wished I could sleep all day. I reread Maia’s letter thousands of times. Tried to understand. Why? Why had she sent this after a solar cycle?

Maia was dead. I knew that. So what did she mean by that letter? How had she sent it? I sent Takashi a message:

📩 “Find out who sent the white envelope.”

I prepared some food, despite having no appetite. Every bite reluctant, every swallow a scrape.

I stayed in bed, lethargic. Stared at the wall. My mind seethed with Maia. In truth, everything in me set her alight. Throbbed with the pain reborn. I wanted to forget. I took a deep breath. As the saying went:

“Wisdom can only come on a full stomach.”

I ate. And in the next instant, the memory came. The day I met her.

The memory resonated with overwhelming force, taking hold of all of me, overriding my will to stop it.

S-2878 • L0 Silenluna • D07 Abeli

(Gregorian calendar equivalent: April 12, 2133)

“Silenluna opens the road of the sky. Abeli spills the radiance of beginnings. Gaia kindles a tide of living buds. The reading is born clear in the air.”

The height of autumn. The city woke to heavy rain that seluna.

I cut my finger while making breakfast. Superficial, but enough to warrant a bandage.

On the way to work, canceled trains. System failures at UNITED’s transport hub. Headache. Delay. And the worst was yet to come.

“The director is asking for you,” Takashi informed me.

Normally, it would have been irrelevant. But I was leading one of the most important nanoresearch projects in the Americas. It would probably be an unpleasant meeting.

I crossed the corridor to Josivaldo Silva’s office. At the entrance, Sara, his android assistant, was waiting. I followed her.

He was expecting me. His face expressionless. His wrinkles betrayed the cycles of service. Too long on Gaia. The world grudgingly endured his insufferability.

“Sit.” His voice was harsh.

He did not even wish me good morning. Which I had expected, to be honest. The man was devoid of life.

I smiled politely and sat down. “Good morning.”

He raised his blue eyes from the holoscreen. Adjusted his glasses. “Very well, Dr. Akama.”

He did that on purpose. Always got my surname wrong. Akiyama. If a name was difficult for him, he simply shortened it until it fit in his mouth.

“I’m pleased with the results of your research. We can begin human trials. The technical team has already been notified to contact the volunteers.”

My blood ran cold. “I should select the volunteers. They need to fit very specific profiles. We have to use an alternative method.”

“This is not up for discussion. I’m informing you.”

Heat rose. I clenched my fists. Held back my anger. “CogniSynth can seriously affect the human brain. People must be selected according to the research criteria. Otherwise, the consequences could be catastrophic!”

“We’re done. You may leave.”

I stood, leaning over his desk. “These people could die! We’re dealing with human lives!”

Josivaldo looked me up and down. He thought he would intimidate me. Poor fool.

“You can complain to the Global Medical Committee. If they care, perhaps they’ll change something. Until then, your job is to obey.” He returned to the holoscreen. “Now, you may leave. I’m busy.”

I bit my lips. Imagined how good it would be if he vanished from the face of Gaia. I had wasted too much time there. I hurried out.

In the bathroom, I stared at my reflection. Took a deep breath. Sought serenity. I was in the Enchantress, but the Crone was already knocking at the door. My moon would probably bleed in the next few hours.

What he proposed violated the Code of Medical Ethics. And his answer? A petition. The GMC could take cycles to decide.

I knew the right candidates were difficult to find. But only with them can CogniSynth connect without breaking the brain. Irreversible damage could occur. Perhaps death.

Josivaldo wanted results now. The prestige would come sooner. At my expense? Never.

I walked out, determined. “Takashi.”

He was already waiting at the office entrance.

“Prepare a petition for the GMC. I need an injunction. I’ll send the details.”

He nodded.

“Speak to Hideaki’s assistant. Schedule an appointment.” My eyes stayed fixed on him. “Tell her it’s urgent. Let me know when everything’s arranged.” I sighed. “I need something sweet.”

“Would you like me to order it?”

“No.” I dismissed him with a gesture. I want to get away from here now. “I’ll buy it myself.”

Takashi blinked stiffly. “I understand.”

The treat was sold at a shop in Centrália. The intermediate region between Zenith and Netheria, São Paulo’s underworld.

Bustling activity. Hellish traffic along the airways. Deafening noise. Cars. Advertisements. Voices. Androids. All the chaotic sounds of the city. Filthy. Vibrant. The true heart of São Paulo.

I reached the Emerald Line. The only aerotrain connecting Zenith to Centrália. The journey took an hour. Far too long. The route wound around the outside of the buildings.

On the holoscreen, a live broadcast: Strike. The three main central hubs at a standstill. The streets belonged to the workers of Sessota, the largest nanotech investor in the Americas. Signs raised. Shouts echoing. They demanded fair wages. Jobs. Shorter working hours. Not even the rain held them back.

I looked away.

VRRRSH! A noise echoed behind me. I peered into the carriage. The roof opened.

WHUMP! A hooded figure entered.

Silence.

My heart raced. I shrank into my seat. Tried to see her again.

Gone.

What was happening?

“This was supposed to be empty.” The husky voice came from above, muffled by a mask.

I startled and sprang up, hitting my head. Pain reverberated. Dazed, I focused on the silhouette. Dark clothes, face concealed except for the eyes. One of a kind. Dark amber, flecked with brown.

“Why?” I sat back down, massaging the bump on my forehead.

“How did you get on this train?”

I frowned. “At Emerald station. Normally.”

She waved her hands. “You have a very special access pass. Doesn’t matter. We have to get out now.”

“The next station is in ten minutes. I’m getting off at Magenta.”

“This train’s gonna crash.” The figure moved to the center of the carriage.

VRRRSH! The roof slid open.

“C’mon.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Wanna die?”

My breath faltered.

“This train’s gonna crash into the next one and explode.” She calmly held out her hand.

My heart raced faster. I looked around. Empty carriages. “Explode?”

Her gaze conveyed truth. And if it was true, I could follow her or choose death.

I held my breath. My body hesitated. But then… I took a step and grasped her gloved hand.

Before I could react, she threw me onto her back and jumped.

The ground vanished. The world turned upside down.

My heart exploded in my chest. Gusts of wind roared, cut my skin. The height dragged my stomach into the void. My fingers dug into the fabric of her clothes. I was holding on—or perhaps she was holding me. How did she remain so steady? Who was she?

On top of the train, she advanced to the edge. Gripped my legs.

Jumped.

The abyss swallowed us.

A scream escaped me. I squeezed her neck. Too hard. She staggered. Before rolling across the ground, she pulled me in front of her, wrapping me in her arms as we hit.

I closed my eyes. Everything stopped. Adrenaline burned through my veins. Thinking was impossible.

“You okay?” She stared at me with an indecipherable gaze.

So close. I swallowed hard, pulling away.

She stood.

I checked my body. No pain. “I think so.”

Scrawled-on walls stretched around us. An old building, almost abandoned, except for the light on next door.

“Come.” She went through the glass doors.

Her bossy tone irritated me, but I followed.

We walked through a dark hall. The smell of mold permeated the air. I suppressed a cough. Dust surrounded us. Faint light crossed the broken windows, revealing destroyed furniture. Forgotten lives.

KRIIISH! Glass shattered in the distance.

I startled.

She stopped. “Just rats.”

We continued in silence.

Inside my mind, a whirlwind. Thoughts crossing one another, colliding, fragmenting. I did not even notice the elevator arrive. Or when I stepped inside. Only corrupted music played. Scraped at my ears.

The doors opened. Darkness. No windows. One exit. The only light came from the center of the table. An artificial glow over the equipment.

“Sit there.” She pointed to a chair and began working on the device.

I hesitated. What on earth was she doing?

“You’re from up there, right?” Her tone was casual. “Don’t even need to answer. You smell like Zenith.”

I frowned.

“What do you do up there?”

“Why would I tell you anything?”

“Answer if you want.” She shrugged.

I rolled my eyes. What kind of crazy situation was this? “Are you going to kill me?”

She took her eyes off the equipment. Looked straight at me. Piercing.

My breath faltered. That intimidating presence. I was facing the unexpected.

“Wanna die?” The coldness in her gaze cut through me.

I swallowed hard. My heart beat so fast. I could almost hear it in the silence.

She returned to the equipment.

“Ready?”

I leaned forward, frowning. “Ready for wha—”

She pressed a button.

Everything changed.

My heart stumbled. The agitation surged, out of control. My eyes widened in awe.

The Corchesweave enveloped us. Holographic stars, constellations, planets, and galaxies shone before us. Real. Tangible. Pixelated stardust settled on my skin.

“I-incredible…” My voice barely came out.

The sight robbed me of words. It was more than the cosmos. It was the cosmic within her. The stars reflected on her body. On the curve of her face. In her intense honey-colored eyes.

All that threatening aura had vanished. Break-ins? Exploding trains? Death threats?

All of it fell away.

There was only the gleam in her eyes. Everything that mattered to her.

“Y’know…” Her voice sounded gentle. “I think each of us is our own corchesweave.”

Her eyes, deep and indecipherable as an eclipse, held mine.

The gravity around us changed.

She leaned over the table, approaching slowly, as though she knew I would remain still. Her face close to mine.

The air grew denser. My heart froze. I held my breath.

“Would you cross yours?”

I stayed silent.

She lowered her head, chuckling. The low chuckle echoed.

I woke from the trance. Laughed back without knowing why.

She switched off the projector.

Darkness.

“Let’s go.” In the half-light, she took my hand. Cold. Firm. Strangely comforting.

What had just happened?

We returned to the entrance.

She glanced around. “How did you hurt yourself?” She pointed to the bandage on my finger.

“This? It’s irrelevant.”

My mind seethed. I thought about what she had said. About the new sensations that had sprung up. Her words made me anxious. In a good way.

Beneath that rain, she put her hands in her pockets. Turned and walked away. Vanished into the darkness of the streets.

Her body’s chill still on my skin.

From that moment on, I would be forever changed.

I finished eating. The bioscreen vibrated.

“Yes?” My voice came out tired, the tension weighing on me.

“Sorry to bother you.” Takashi, always courteous. “An android dropped off the envelope with Postais. I checked her serial number. She’s deactivated.”

“Can you access the owner’s information?”

“No. They wiped her memory. Completely inaccessible.”

“Is that possible?”

“Difficult. It would require hacking the Aether Network to break the security protocol, corrupting the android, accessing the entire nanosystem, then altering and erasing it. That appears to be the case. Whoever did this is highly skilled. They wanted to hide, to be untraceable, forgotten. This is the first time I’ve encountered anything like it.”

A shiver ran across my skin. “I see.” I had expected more veils along the way. “Wait for my call. I need to take care of something first.”

“All right.”

The call ended.

I picked up the objects from the envelope: the cellphone. The watch. The compass. The coordinates.

I switched on the phone. Distorted pixels filled the tiny screen. I searched for files, galleries, contacts. Nothing. Empty.

I picked up the watch. It read 1:4:18. I shook it. Tried to open it. No indication of where it was made.

I held the compass. Broken.

Finally, I studied the coordinates. An abandoned bus station on the edge of Centrália.

Why? The question echoed in my mind. I rested my forehead on the table.

I spent the day walking in circles. Thoughts revolved around Maia and her question. Ready? How could I know?

My life went on. My work, my research, my… family. But there was another choice. One in which I would move forward with more than memories—with answers.

That night, if I dreamed, I forgot. Part of me hoped Maia would come into my dreams, tell me what to do.

Only darkness for company.

I woke somber. Empty eyes on the horizon. I picked up the letter and reread every word. Her voice resonated in my mind.

Maia… what do you want?

I wanted to deny it. Wanted to ignore it. I tried to convince myself it was illogical, but a feeling pulled me forward. Toward her. Those questions had tormented me for a long time. And now, I had to face them again.

Then something clicked. A glimpse deep within my being. The answer had always been there. Hidden. Filed away. Locked. Maia’s words opened the lock. In that moment, she asked:

Would you cross your own corchesweave?

My gaze fell on the letter. “Yes. I’m ready to cross yours.”

Before Maia, my life followed a single direction. A linear path. Taught to ignore romance. Friendships restricted by status. My parents taught me to be alone. To trust only myself. I always saw others as distractions. Obstacles to my purpose: changing the future of medicine.

That was the responsibility in my hands.

Now… I had decided to enter Maia’s universe. I prepared everything to leave. How much was I willing to leave behind? Almost everything. The research, CogniSynth, my only connection to this world. My only anchor. That was why it could only remain in my hands.

“Takashi, call Hideaki.”

The answer came quickly.

“Akiko?” Her voice sounded tired. “Did something happen?”

“Hmm, yes. I need your help.”

I should get straight to the point. That was how it had always been between us.

“Go on.”

Hideaki. President of the GMC. Influential. Powerful. And as such, she held certain privileges. In some situations, that much power got things done.

“I’ve reached the field research stage for CogniSynth.” True. But only partly. “There aren’t enough candidates. This is the only way I can move on to the final stage. And you know Josivaldo.”

She understood. Knew the man well enough to know. She sighed. “How much time will you need?”

“It’s uncertain. Perhaps an indefinite period.”

“I understand what you’re asking. After all, I helped you with that injunction. You were right then. I know you are now. Are you sure? This research is very important. Everyone has high expectations.”

“I know. You and… well, you took time to develop NeuroSync. You know these things require patience. We coweave nanotechnology that’s safe for the brain.”

“When do you intend to start?”

“Today.”

Silence weighed heavily.

“What do you mean?” Her voice remained firm, but an invisible desperation crossed the line.

“I know it’s sudden, but I need to be in the field. That’s all.” I bit my nails. A habit I had overcome cycles ago. The sensation of my fingertips against my teeth. An unexpected weight, as though my own lie were trying to pull me away from my decision.

“Are you sure?”

The tightness in my chest.

She knew. She understood the weight of my words.

I wanted to be honest with Hideaki before abandoning everything like this. But any fear or logic dwindled before her call.

Maia was calling me.

“I am. Say yes, and I’ll collect CogniSynth today. Takashi can send all the necessary documents. I’ve already prepared for this.”

A lie. Again.

“All right. I’ll do this because I trust you. You know that, right?”

“I do.”

“Send reports every half lunation. Keep meeting my expectations.”

The lie, so heavy… My shoulders sagged.

I sent Takashi a signal to meet me at the hospital. Packed a backpack. A few clothes, the letter, and the items Maia had left.

I was about to switch off the lights. Stopped. Looked around. For a long moment. Until then, my safe harbor. My gaze passed through the window. Cars flew along airways, broke through clouds, circled among buildings.

This landscape so often remained the same. As did I.

Anxiety flooded me. Leaving my world hurt. My hands trembled as I closed the door. Perhaps I was closing it for good. Perhaps I was leaving forever.

I wanted to avoid thinking about it. My heart guided me toward Maia.

I had to do this. I wanted to do this.

Afraid of being pulled back, I left.

In the atrium, I wished Andi and Pavel good morning.

For the first time, Pavel smiled back. A brief smile. Almost a fragment of warmth. Seconds later, the subtle contempt returned.

All right. Time to go.

I reached the hospital. Takashi was waiting.

“Did you receive the information I sent?”

“Yes. Are you sure you’re leaving?” For the first time, uncertainty clouded his brown eyes.

I was too nervous to try to understand it. “Come with me.”

I headed to the office and picked up CogniSynth’s main nanoprototype, a nanochip. Connected the data to my biochip. The memory analyses would be sent only to Takashi and me. Anyone who tried to access the research would be blocked.

“I’m sure. Now, I need to know.” I looked at him. “Are you coming with me?”

He ran a hand through his dark hair, hesitant. “Are you asking me to accompany you?”

I frowned.

He had always been pragmatic. Always methodical. Now there was a different feeling. His gaze carried an insecurity so… sensitive.

“Yes.”

He blinked. “I’m confused.”

“Say yes or no.”

He paused. “Yes.”

He probably sensed the unpredictability of it. I was confused too. Leaving my life behind unsettled me, but being near him felt familiar.

My heart, however, begged for something else. For Maia.

I smiled. Following an instinct, I hugged Takashi. “Let’s go.”

Now, thoughts of turning back were behind me. Worry burned inside me. Sweaty hands. Breath caught in my throat.

Takashi watched the landscape. I remembered that he had only ever lived in Zenith. I had always walked through Centrália, but Takashi stayed on the floating levels.

Was he enjoying the view?

We reached the abandoned station, Iron Ruins.

Fear of the unknown flooded me. Dealing with the unexpected unsettled me.

Rain soaked the grime. Rusted walls, tagged, filthy. Deteriorating cars lay piled up. The burnt smell of inextinguishable fires. Hissing wind, creaking metal, a gloomy atmosphere.

Only the two of us.

I entered the coordinates into the map. We walked for ten minutes. The convenience store appeared. Broken windows. Empty shelves. Overturned furniture covered in dust. I stopped and peered inside through the wrecked doorway.

“Akiko Akiyama?” A deep, sharp voice resonated behind me.

I turned.

A short woman with cropped black hair, gray eyes, facial piercings, earrings, and dark makeup unfolded her arms. She wore black Brazilian military fatigues. A red X marked the flag on her shoulder. Rolled-up sleeves revealed several tattoos of star charts. A purple neon lioness roared on her neck, standing out among the other tattoos.

An android, uncannily human in appearance. But I noticed the two discreet lines on her forehead that revealed her technological nature.

“Yes, that’s me. Who are you?”

“Kiara.” She approached. Her aura was intimidating.

Takashi instinctively stepped in front of me.

I frowned. Was she that dangerous?

“Her nanosystem is inaccessible,” he explained.

Androids shared basic information when close to one another. But she…

“Oh, so you’re the one who tried to connect to me yesterday?” She chuckled. “Takashi. Serial number: 13246587. Property of Akiko Akiyama. You’re good.” Kiara smirked. “My camouflage nanohack is better.”

My heart pounded.

“Anyway… I’m the android connected to Maia.”

My breath faltered. Maia. I pressed my fingers into my palm. Held back the wave trying to carry me away. “It’s all right, Takashi.” I touched his arm.

“Are you sure?”

I nodded.

Hesitantly, he stepped back.

“Better.” Kiara rolled her shoulders. “If you’re here, that means you accepted what Maia asked of you, right?” She turned. “Follow me. We’re going somewhere else.”

That brusqueness. Direct. It was Maia in her.

Takashi and I followed.

She stopped beside a black car. Lilac neon gleamed underneath. Kiara got in. The doors rose for us.

“You’re going to drive?” I must have seemed incredulous. Seeing a car with a steering wheel was a first for me.

She nodded. “C’mon. I’m in a hurry.”

Reluctantly, I got in. Takashi followed right behind.

Where would Maia take me? Whatever the case, I would go. With the courage to feel. Time or place hardly mattered. I needed to understand her universe.

I rested my head against the window. The city dissolved. The lights blurred.

And Maia…

Maia appeared along the closed paths of my mind.

Memories.

S-2878 • L1 Alonluna • D10 Unabe

“Alonluna lengthens the trail of the sky. Unabe kindles axis and choice. The tide sings in waxing gold. The narrative carries steadily on, in living radiance.”

That day, the gray sky, cold weather, and gloomy atmosphere matched my mood.

A lunation had passed. I still thought about that person and that moment. A magnet, stuck to that feeling I could not name. The restlessness in my belly was more than irritating. My Enchantress scented that absence. That hunger.

The news arrived: the only train connecting Zenith to Centrália, blown up. The Emerald Line, destroyed. According to UNITED, the company responsible for transportation in the Americas, it would take a solar cycle for the route to reopen. Only one bus line remained. Slow. Unreliable. The only connection between the two worlds.

I received the ruling on the petition that afternoon. Granted.

Josivaldo burst through the door. “You’ve got some nerve.” His voice came out ragged. He bellowed, “Is this your little game?”

A smirked formed. I hid my satisfaction. “What are you talking about?”

“Shit! Playing innocent. You used your mother’s position to manipulate the ruling.” He gestured pathetically. Filled the entire room with his indignation.

“The GMC saw that my method was correct and yours… unethical. Medicine works with facts.”

In truth, Hideaki’s power was sovereign. My mother made a point of making that absolutely clear to anyone who crossed our path.

Josivaldo leaned forward, anger vibrating in his clenched jaw. His lips trembled, compressing words that seemed eager to spit venom but failed to find the right tone.

For a moment, he hesitated. The emptiness of silence. And then, he overflowed. “Acting all high and mighty, are you? Just you wait.” He clenched his teeth. Spun on his heels. Left, slamming the door.

I rubbed my throbbing temples. The headache that man gave me.

At least that was resolved.

I inhaled deeply. Now I could continue the research.

Over the course of the day

I kept busy analyzing the selunal result.

Night fell.

Voices near the door. “Akiko?”

“Yes, come in.” I leaned back in my chair, trying to ease the tension.

Alice, Gina, and Beth entered. Doctors from the Emergency Department.

“We’re going out for happy hour. Want to join us?” Alice smiled.

I avoided happy hour. But work was stressing me out. Perhaps going out was a good idea. Relaxing. Perhaps not. “Y-yes, of course.”

“Great.” Alice smiled reluctantly. “We’ll wait for you at the entrance.”

I gathered my things.

“Do you mind going down to Centrália?” Gina tossed her brown hair over her shoulders. “The pubs here are so boring.”

“No.” I got into the car.

They exchanged glances and soon began chatting animatedly. Every so often, they asked me something. I barely followed their conversation.

When the car crossed Zenith’s boundaries, everything changed. The sky darkened. The city, more alive. Neon reflected in dirty puddles, on corroded metal, on weathered faces. Everything was asymmetrical. Everything was unpredictable. And that was where I noticed: a frequency shifted in the invisible.

We reached the Red Lion. Lights flashed in a chaotic frenzy. Faces dissolved into indistinct blurs. An endless line to get in. Bass-heavy music spilled outside. Sweat, the smell of metallic drinks, thick e-cigarette smoke.

My senses sharp and hazy at once.

Alice went ahead and spoke to a security guard. Waved us over.

“Alice’s the best. Always gets VIP access for all of us.” Beth gave me a gentle push to follow them.

They sent our VIP access through our biochips. We walked to the bar.

“Order whatever you want.” Alice shouted to be heard over the trapfunk beats.

Lost among lights and sounds, I ordered a gin and tonic. Tried to stay close to my coworkers. Soon, some acquaintances approached them.

I should have been happy. Everyone around me resonated with joy. The laughter, the bodies moving on the dance floor, enjoying themselves. The drink sliding down my throat. It should all have made me feel something, but it was only escape.

I sat at the counter. Stared at my drink. Thought about leaving. I should have declined the invitation.

“Hey. You alone?” Alcohol breath and a spicy scent arrived before his words.

Nausea.

A hand touched my back. Implants in his fingers. Too many biometallic prosthetics along his arms. He leaned against the counter.

“No.” Great. Just what I needed.

I should have left. Should have pushed his hand away. But dissociation kept me too far away. React? Too far for that.

Another man appeared on my right. Bearded. Clothes far too colorful. “Beautiful, want some company?” There was a strange weight to his words.

“No, thanks.” My eyes sought the mirror behind the bar.

They exchanged glances. “Suit yourself.” Their sharp smiles dissolved, and they left.

I finished my drink.

An ethereal ecstasy took hold of me. My heart raced. Lights and sounds intensified. My insides vibrated. I wanted to dance. I did not even like dancing, but I danced on the floor. Focused on the melody. On the bright pixelated colors falling like translucent dust.

The two men from before approached again. Their smiles more charming.

This time, I welcomed them. They came close. Pressed their bodies against mine.

“How about now? Want some company?” His voice sounded distorted.

I agreed. We danced together.

Sweet delirium. Logic dissolved in warm skin and hypnotic rhythm. I followed an unfamiliar instinct. Then grew tired. Looked for somewhere to rest.

The taller one gently took my arm. “Want some help? How about we get out of here? Go somewhere private.”

I mean, I liked the music and the atmosphere, surrounded by shimmering smoke. The sensations formed a delicious mess in my mind. Sluggish. A sweet taste flooded my mouth, as though stars were settling on my lips. I lost all sense of time and space. Accepted that touch. Said yes.

He gave me a friendly smile, guiding me outside.

I stopped halfway, in the corridor toward the exit. A blur. Lights flickered. Ghostly shadows on other people’s faces. My heart beat loudly. So loudly. My intuition screamed. Alerted my senses. “I think I’ve changed my mind.”

“What?” He brought his ear closer.

I tried to pull my arm away. “I changed my mind. Let go.”

“Relax, beautiful. I’m just taking care of you.” His tone was syrupy. Sweet. A lie. He kept squeezing my arm. “Let’s get out of here. You can do whatever you want.” He brushed his beard against my neck.

I shuddered. My body reacted automatically, regardless of my will. Euphoria overwhelmed me. “Let go!” I pulled my arm. “Let go!”

He tightened his grip. “Relax, pretty girl.”

“Let me go!” Nobody at the party heard me, too absorbed in their own euphoria.

I tried to scream. Nothing. The sound of the party swallowed my voice before it was even born. Music hammered, bodies danced. The world went on without me, and the bubble around me tightened, more and more suffocating.

We were near the exit. A terrible premonition seized me. As I crossed the doorway—a hard blow to my head.

A flash. Stars exploded behind my eyes. The ground vanished. My body fell. The world went dark with me.

Muffled sounds. An icy touch on my arm. My last memories.

The music came first. Far away. Like an echo from another life. Then, the smell of cigarettes. Heavy. Pain throbbed in my head. What the fuck happened…? The world still felt like a bad dream. Ecstasy intoxicated me. I looked around the dim surroundings. Coughed as I inhaled a strong smell of cigarettes.

“Hey, hey, easy. You okay? One of them hit you on the head.” A serene voice.

“It’s all right. Why is there blood on your hand?” I massaged my forehead.

She wiped her hand on her black trousers. “This? It’s irrelevant.”

Around us, people smoked, drank, and chatted.

It was drizzling.

I focused again on the figure before me. My mind was slowly clearing.

Multicolored aerolights illuminated her. My heart pounded. Brought warmth to my belly. I lost my voice, absorbed in her appearance.

She was one of a kind. White and bronze, like ice and fire in the same essence. An impossible combination. Hypnotic. Bronze skin. Hair, eyebrows, eyelashes—white. So white they seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it.

Piebaldism. Extremely rare. I had studied it in college. But hers… was different. And yet, there she was before me.

I bit my lower lip, fighting that fucking euphoria. “Y-you’re very beautiful.” I covered my mouth immediately afterward.

She pulled her hood lower, hiding her shoulder-length layered hair. Stepped back a little.

In silence, I contemplated her. What did her almost confused expression mean?

“I’m Akiko.”

“Akiko…” Her husky voice resonated with my name.

A wave of excitement rose in my heart, traveled through my muscles, and vibrated in my stomach. I wanted to know what she was thinking.

Her eyes pierced me, frozen in an indecipherable emotion.

Actually… those eyes.

I shook my head, trying to push away the numbness. How had I missed it? Those unmistakable amber eyes.

“Hey, wait a minute. You’re…”

“I think we should get outta here. Can you walk?” She stood. “You alone?”

I blinked. Her words took time to make sense. “I came with some coworkers. I don’t know where they are.”

“Let’s go.”

I did not react.

She held out her hand. “C’mon, you can take it. I don’t bite.”

I reached out. Her rough, cold palm enclosed mine.

I let her guide me. Felt a somber fear. Excitement. Joy. New feelings I was experiencing.

Centrália’s streets vibrated at night. Polychrome holograms and adware illuminated the buildings. Music venues and pubs. Musicians, poets, illustrators, and all kinds of artists crowded the sidewalks. Cars and buses played loud music. Some excited people leaned out of windows and shouted to those outside. People walking on the bridges shouted back, carefree, laughing and enjoying themselves, swept up in the bustle. Clothes and implants merged with the city’s colors.

Everything seemed possible.

I squeezed her hand tightly.

We entered a reddish establishment, the Fantastical Dreams Club. Two half-naked holoreceptionists greeted us.

I felt a strange euphoria as I realized: a brothel.

Dancers on poles. People at the tables tossed e-money.

A young woman ran her hand over my shoulder, winking at me.

The white-haired woman took me to the back.

Naked people, unabashed, filled the corridor. Bluish light hung above us. The smell of alcohol and tobacco dominated the air.

We entered an elevator.

The elevator attendant wore only panties. “Miss Maia.” She raised her eyebrows, surprised. “The usual?”

She nodded. Her expression indifferent.

Maia? Was that her name?

We walked down a corridor. Violet walls with gold details. Pixelated paintings distracted me.

Maia pulled me into a room.

Orange lights numbed the atmosphere. A woody fragrance permeated the place.

“Stay here until the drug wears off.” She sat in an armchair beside the bed.

I chuckled. “Am I that bad?”

“You need to be more careful. Those bastards drugged you. Where the hell were your coworkers?”

I lay down. “They were coworkers. They were just trying to be nice.”

Maia pressed her fingers to her forehead. Sighed. “Get some sleep.”

I ignored her. “Why were you on that train? How did you know it was going to explode? Is your name really Maia?”

“Yes, my name is Maia.” She leaned forward. “Now, enough questions. Sleep.”

I fought sleep.

Lost.

The next morning

I woke in an empty room. I stumbled against the bed. Cursed the pain in my temples.

Maia had left a note on the armchair: Akiko, if you want, meet me on 13th Street, in Meio, at 10 p.m.

I put the note in my pocket.

Entered the elevator.

The same woman from the night before, now fully dressed. “Miss Akiyama.” She smiled, giving a slight bow.

I could not remember telling her my name. By then, I only wanted to forget everything. Shame consumed me.

I smiled back. “See you.”

She said goodbye.

The place had changed. Tables filled the hall. Customers drank coffee. Last night’s dancers now waited tables, worked as receptionists and cooks. The sign outside read: Centrália Café.

Had I imagined it all?

“Table for one?” A young woman greeted me at the entrance.

“Oh, no. Thank you, I’m leaving.” My cheeks burned. I hurried out.

Returned to my apartment.

I needed to get ready. Meet Maia.

I waited.

Waited.

The minutes stretched like threads of an endless rhythm. The hours collapsed upon one another.

But that night, the silence of her absence was my only company.

“Hey, wake up.” Kiara’s voice echoed in the background.

The morning sun bled across the orange sky. Heavy clouds filtered the light like frosted glass.

“Thought you were gonna sleep forever.” She chuckled.

Drowsy, I rubbed my eyes. The view outside woke me completely.

We were flying above a highway connecting southeastern Brasil. Nanobarriers surrounded São Paulo’s border, keeping the corrosive air of the surrounding regions out.

The Aether Network, Brasil’s ruling militia, and the country’s three main sponsors—Sessota, UNITED, and Kokusai—invested little in smaller cities. Only the capitals mattered. They scarcely considered the other airways in Greater São Paulo routes at all.

Ruined buildings, broken scaffolding, glass falling from aging walls. The dense air carried yellowish particles. Chemical grains, rough as sand. Ground stained with repulsive filth. Mountains of trash, tall as buildings, contorted into grotesque sculptures.

Among the wreckage, enormous rats and surveillance nanodrones competed for space. And the armed groups were even more disturbing. Gas masks, painted bodies, war tattoos. One group surrounded two kneeling men facing a wall stained with slime.

I stifled a scream.

Two women raised their laser weapons, which began to glow. Two beams cut through the air. The bodies fell, with no time for screams.

The woman in black looked up. Stared at us at her own pace. Then signaled to another. Their gazes fixed on the car, assessing it with restrained alertness.

“They’ll leave us alone.” Kiara’s voice cut through the silence, as though she had guessed my thoughts. “This car has a signal.”

I swallowed hard. “What signal?”

“They’re mercenaries under Netheria’s command. This car means ‘keep your distance.’”

Mercenaries?

My body trembled. My worst thoughts fell brutally short of reality. At some point, my eyes caught a pile of bodies. A crack opened in my heart. I had witnessed many things in my medical career. Situations that would destroy the sanity of the most resilient minds.

But this? This was far beyond anything I could have imagined. Beyond bearable. That much rawness definitely made me feel vulnerable.

“W-why are things like this? What happened?”

“These are the Nobody’s Lands, where mercenaries live. Why are things like this?” She grinned. Cold. Icy.

I waited for her to say more. The silence stretched on.

I tried to make conversation. “Are you a mercenary?”

Kiara’s gaze hardened. Her lips, which had moved so easily before, sealed shut. A silence of steel hung between us.

A vein throbbed in my forehead. Great. Another presence falling silent before my questions. I kept the thoughts from taking over. Forced myself to look at the surface of Maia’s world.

The yellowish atmosphere dissipated. Abandoned houses. Scattered trees.

Takashi kept his gaze fixed on the landscape. An android from the Una generation. He held knowledge of the world, limited but deepened with each new access.

Kiara, however, was on a level I did not know.

“Takashi tried to track you. You appeared as a deactivated android. Even when androids are deactivated, we can still access their data. Why was he blocked?”

“Maia disconnected me from the Motherboard. The restrictions vanished. I’m untraceable, too.”

“Any nanospecialist could infer that you’re an extraordinary android.”

Kiara frowned and changed the subject. “You’re a doctor? That could be useful.”

Why would it be useful?

We reached a city.

Low, broad buildings, their rough lines a preserved legacy of earlier times. People in dirty clothes unloaded cargo from boats.

The salty smell of the ocean entered the closed car. The brownish sea rippled against the coast to our right. The zephyr hissed melancholy whispers. The car swayed over the uneven nanoelectromagnetic waves.

“Where are we?”

“Santos.” Kiara slowed down. “First time seeing the sea?”

“Yes. I’d only seen it in pictures.”

But they were insufficient to capture this; the vastness, the salty smell, the sea’s endless dance in rhythm with the world.

“When we’re done with what we came to do, I can take you to the coast. It’s a preserved area.” She shrugged.

I smiled as we flew.

The Port of Santos.

Houses stacked upon one another. Ships, freighters, and submersible boats moored at the docks.

We stopped before an old black house of cracked concrete.

I coughed at the smell of decay.

“Santos is the city where Maia spent her childhood. In this very house. Ready?” Kiara stared at me.

My heart pounded. I parted my lips, uneasy.

Perhaps it was the mention of Maia. Perhaps it was the weight of history condensed in that cracked concrete. Or perhaps, just perhaps, it was the certainty that the paths had finally opened.

The first step on the journey into her world.

And by the time I realized… I was already inside.

Kiara opened the door. “Liana? It’s me, Kiara.”

Sunbeams slipped through cracks in the wall, carrying suspended dust, illuminating fragments of a lost time. An old oil lamp swayed in the half-light, casting elongated shadows over wooden furniture, too clean for such a forgotten place. The house smelled of mold.

An elderly woman sat in an old chair. She wore a green shawl. Her gaze lost in the view of the docks. Who was she?

My eyes settled on a young woman. In a nurse’s uniform.

No.

An android. A Rhea. Nanosystems programmed with medical knowledge.

“Oh, hello. I’ve just prepared Alícia’s bath.” She glanced at the elderly woman. A tense smile. “But she’s having a bad moment.”

Kiara nodded. She understood the situation. “This is Akiko.”

I held out my hand, smiling. “Nice to meet you.”

“Are you the doctor?”

I frowned at Kiara. She looked away.

“I am.”

“Great. I’ll give you Alícia’s clinical overview.” Liana turned to Takashi. “Is he your assistant? Can I send it to him?”

I agreed, somewhat confused. What a strange atmosphere. Why did it feel as though she had been expecting me?

Liana smiled. Her eyes went dull for a few seconds.

Takashi’s response followed. “Alícia Relaisse. Seventy-one cycles. Born in France in 2809. Diagnosis: Stage 3 Alzheimer’s, approaching Stage 4. An 82% loss of cognitive functioning.”

“What?! What do you mean?!” Horror escaped in my breath. “There’s already a cure for Alzheimer’s! What happened?!”

Kiara stepped in front of me. “Easy. C’mere. I wanna show you something.”

I swallowed hard under her gaze. Reluctant as I was, I followed her. What kind of disturbing situation was this?

Dusty furniture. Frozen in a distant time. Kiara opened the wardrobe. Inside, small clothes with childish prints. She took out a box and placed it on the bed. Gestured for me to sit beside her.

“This box is special to Maia. It contains things she kept as a child. She asked me to show you.” Kiara pushed the box toward me. “Please, take a look.”

I picked it up carefully, as though it might fall apart. Well-preserved wood. A simple opening. Secrets revealed with ease.

I almost choked when I opened it. Dust rose. I caught my breath.

Inside, a piece of paper:

Day 1: Today we decided to codiscover the world. Maia and Saymon.

I picked up the photograph. My heart skipped a beat. No need to think. I already felt it.

Two children. A girl with white hair. Beside her, a boy with two-colored hair. Half dark brown, half white. Mixed eyebrows and eyelashes.

Perfect duality. Identical features. The same blood. Two fates.

Maia’s eyes, mirrored in him.

But she had kept silent about him. Why?

Behind them, a woman held them in an embrace. Probably Alícia. Younger.

Kiara ran a hand through her dark hair. “This is Maia’s older brother, Saymon. At seven cycles, the mercenaries took him to the Nobody’s Lands. One solar cycle later, they took Maia.” She pointed to a toy in the box. “This doll.”

I took it in my hands. Its faded paint revealed a likeness of Maia.

“Saymon gave it to her as a gift.”

“Why did they take them?”

It was unimaginable that anyone could act so repugnantly.

“Here, childhood doesn’t exist. Children are raised to be sold. Or taken. Some families accept it and get paid. Others try to fight. They all lose. Some are born in there. It’s the only life they’ve ever known.” Kiara shrugged.

How could she say that so coldly?

“What do you mean?” My gaze lingered on Maia’s childhood face. So this was what she looked like as a child? Those striking features already there. The white hair. The honey-colored eyes. So familiar, yet so different.

I put the items back in the box.

“The details are vague. They connected me to Maia when she joined the mercenaries. There’s someone who could tell you more.” She looked toward the door. “You saw her. She can’t.”

I fell silent.

Within that silence, Kiara seemed to want to say more. The words eluded her.

Rain fell outside.

“About Alícia… I think she chose to forget. Maybe it was the only real choice she ever had. The illness was a relief.”

I frowned. “That disease is terrible!”

Kiara nodded.

Empathy? I suspected she had some.

“You can stay here a little longer. I have some things to take care of.” She stood, gave me one last look, and left.

I opened drawers. Searched among clothes. Enough was revealed to me about Maia.

I could only imagine how sad it had been to witness her brother’s departure. How painful her own journey to the Nobody’s Lands must have been. They were seven cycles old. My heart tightened.

I remembered her. The weight in her amber eyes. An unnameable absence. What had remained silent. What she would carry through the cycles.

An inaudible promise. I did not know whether it had been kept.

ALONLUNA, 2878

“Lengthening becomes a path across the sky. Radiance rises in calm steps. Gaia weaves tide and season in unison. The story enters the rhythm whole.”

Maia made herself an absence.

I waited. One minute. Ten. Half an hour. Time dragged, cruel. Every second twisted my serenity into a tight knot. An eternity.

I walked home, my mind a storm of disconnected glimpses.

The previous night throbbed inside me like a thorn lodged in flesh, invisible and impossible to ignore. A bitter taste in my mouth, the echo of something wrong, something interrupted. The feeling of having been deceived.

How had those bastards dared to do that? By then, I could only think of the worst possible scenario. What if Maia had chosen inaction? And why had she been there? What happened before I found her? And the blood on her hands? What on earth did that blood mean?

The answer slipped through my thoughts, always distant.

Despite everything, curiosity persisted. I wanted to see her again. Needed to. Thank her for helping me.

But how? All I knew was her name. I asked Takashi to search for a Maia matching her appearance. No results.

I let it be.

Moons passed.

S-2878 • L1 Alonluna • D24 Ritsi

“Alonluna gathers the gold on high. Ritsi marks the rhythm of return. The tide tunes step and silence. The story prepares the next dawn.”

A calm day.

The first results of Project Jaburu were very positive. The participants were excited too. They were watching their memories from two lunations earlier.

The remaining warmth withdrew inward; my body announced the fall before the blood.

Before going home, I decided to treat myself.

Colorful twenty-four-hour shops shone along the almost deserted streets. I bought a cream dessert and walked to the stop.

The bus would arrive in thirty minutes. The wait had increased because of a robbery at an electronics store. Police had closed nearby routes to investigate.

Thirty minutes was too long. I called a taxi. What else could I do?

I wandered along the sidewalk. Minutes passed. In a shop window, I watched an interview with an android writer, Novella.

CLANG! I startled at the sound of metal colliding in the alley beside me. Tried to ignore it. Focused on the holoscreen.

“I’m here to coweave with humans,” Novella answered in the interview.

Metal echoed again. My intuition sounded a warning. My heart pounded with anxiety. I suppressed a shudder.

Two men ran out of the alley, their hands and faces bloodied. One said something inaudible. They ran in the opposite direction.

They did not notice me, but I kept worrying. My heart racing at full speed. My hair standing on end. I wanted to see what was in there. Fear immobilized me. I needed to go. But what if they were still there? What if I became a target?

My instinct screamed at me to retreat. Go away. But what if someone was still breathing? What if it was too late? What if…

I clenched my fists. Swallowed my fear. I was a doctor. If someone needed help, I had to help. I gathered all my courage and forced myself into the alley.

A warm-toned aerolamp cast little light. I walked slowly. Spotted a foot among the piled-up boxes. My heartbeat intensified. I took a hesitant step. Another.

A body discarded among the boxes. Head hidden in shadow. Hands stained red.

My heart battered my ribs. One more step.

The aerolamp’s trembling light danced over pale skin.

My throat locked. The shock struck me like a hard punch.

Maia.

White strands stained with blood. Air squeezed my lungs. I let out a strangled cry. Crouched and reached for her neck. Her wounds were leaking little blood. I held her face beneath the light and touched her skin to feel the rhythm of her blood.

She was still alive.

Three deep cuts: eyebrows and lower lip.

The taxi notification arrived.

I followed instinct: carried Maia to the car.

We headed to the hospital.

Emergency Department

Maia received priority care because of her delicate condition.

The nurses found the absence of her biochip strange. That became secondary; treating the patient was the absolute priority. Saving her life mattered more than missing data.

Besides, a doctor from that hospital was the one helping her.

I immediately joined the doctor examining her.

Maia would probably remain unconscious for a while.

We administered first aid with the nanomachines. Strangulation marks on her neck. Reddened skin. There were no signs of sexual assault, either. I felt relief. The injuries were concentrated on her chest, signs of a beating, a fractured rib, and other wounds scattered across her body.

Maia resisted. Fought.

Her head still needed checking. We took her for a CT scan.

“You can put her on this examination table.” The neurologist indicated the spot. He was preparing the equipment to display the images. “Has she remained unconscious since you found her?”

I nodded.

Minutes later, with the results in hand, I breathed a little more easily.

No serious complications, only minor head injuries. Even so, she would remain under observation.

I requested a room, ordered precautionary blood tests, and prepared the room with dim lighting. I wanted her to feel comfortable when she woke.

I stayed beside her the entire time.

Eventually, sleep overcame me.

During the night

I woke.

Maia was still sleeping. Her vital signs had stabilized.

I administered the pain medication and stepped away.

She murmured, and I moved closer again.

“W-what?” Her lips barely moved.

“Maia, it’s me, Akiko.”

“Akiko?” She repeated it to herself, her eyes half-closed.

“That’s right. You know who I am, yes?”

She coughed and groaned in pain as she moved her arm. “Yes. Where am I?”

I touched her shoulders. “Hey, easy. It must be difficult to move. You’re in the hospital.”

“Hospital? What hospital? Where am I?” Maia grimaced in pain.

“Easy. You’re safe.”

Her eyes wandered around the room. Searched for an escape route. Even vulnerable, she still acted this way. “Where am I?”

“Santa Geordana Hospital, where I work.”

“Zenith?”

“Yes.”

She tried to get up. Her muscles betrayed her. Her whole body rejected the effort, punishing her with pain. A groan escaped her lips.

“Stop trying to get up.” I struggled to hold her. “Please, you’re in a fragile state.” My voice stayed calm, but my muscles tightened.

She fell back onto the pillow, panting. “Away from here.” Her voice trembled. The calculated tone dissolved. Panic took shape. Gained a body. Claws. Her hands gripped my arms hard. Her fingers dug into my skin. “Get me outta here. P-please, get me outta here!”

Her breath caught. She trembled against me, her head buried in my chest, as though trying to hide from the world itself.

“I-I—”

The door beeped.

I released her carefully.

“Dr. Akiyama, we’ve sent you the blood test results. Daren would like to speak to you. As soon as possible.” The nurse android emphasized the last words.

I nodded and closed the door. Why did he want to talk?

I opened the results. My eyes widened. “Maia…”

My heart stumbled. My vision blurred for a second. I read. Read again. And again. The information glowed on the bioscreen like a sentence. The entire hospital seemed about to collapse on me.

My voice failed. “Y-your blood type is O Rh-null.” I sat in the nearest chair. A black hole inside my chest.

The rarest blood type in the world. So rare that Zenith housed an exclusive center, monitored by the GMC.

Was that why she wanted to avoid the hospital? But I had to bring her in under those conditions.

I closed the bioscreen and approached her.

“G-get me outta here, please,” Maia begged.

“I—”

“Take me, please. Anywhere. Take care of me. You’re a doctor, right?”

I was unsure how lucid she was.

“Please,” she insisted.

She avoided looking directly at me. Something intangible hid beneath her expression.

Her condition had stabilized. I could care for her at home. I had some medical equipment. I could work on CogniSynth remotely for a few days.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. “Are you sure?”

She had the right to choose to leave. Her condition was serious, but her life was no longer in danger. The Code of Ethics upheld her choice.

She nodded.

“All right, as you wish,” I said, hoping her condition would remain stable.

I explained the situation to the android head nurse. He checked her condition once more. Informed the doctor in charge of the Emergency Department. They confirmed with Maia. Discharged her.

I got her ready.

We were leaving…

“Akiyama.” Daren, the blood bank’s chief physician, caught up with me. He must have run across the entire hospital. “Listen, please.”

I took Maia to the car and returned.

“Yes?” I tried to sound as patient as possible.

“Did you see? Why are you doing this? We need her blood. We only have one active donor of this type on the continent. If we can get another, we’ll make the decision at the Blood Council Commission. You know what her blood means, right?” His eyes shone.

“Later. First, she needs to recover. I’ll talk to her about the research,” I said.

Though I suspected she would refuse to participate.

His smile vanished. “All right, I’ll wait. But this could be essential. Please come back to me when you have news.”

On the way home

My head throbbed.

Maia rested. Finally allowed herself to close her eyes. Even exhausted, she had resisted for a long time before surrendering to sleep. So far from the impenetrable, fearless woman I had met. Unimaginable that she could be so vulnerable.

The painkillers had clearly softened her defenses.

At the apartment

I settled Maia into bed, prepared the IV, and changed her dressings.

The absence of a biochip prevented a connection to the machine. A nanochip had to be implanted in her hand. Immediately, her vital signs appeared on the holoscreen. Stable. Good.

Relieved, I relaxed. The day’s entire emotional burden weighed on my eyelids. Keeping my eyes open for even a few more minutes became an effort. I fell asleep in the nearby armchair.

“Hey, wake up.” A muffled voice called. “Akiko!”

I woke with a start. “Yes?”

I came to in a bad mood. My neck ached. My numb arms tingled. The sensation spread through my body.

Orange light crept through the window. I realized I had forgotten to darken the glass.

“Akiko?” Maia called again.

I examined her injuries. They had improved considerably. I mean, how was that possible? Only a few hours had passed. I avoided thinking too much.

“How are you feeling?” There was a dry taste in my mouth. Exhaustion had outweighed hunger the night before. My stomach growled.

Maia smiled. “You hungry too?” she said huskily.

“You too? Sorry, I fell asleep and didn’t notice.” I picked up the apartment’s physical remote and handed it to Maia. “I’ll bring us some food. If the light bothers you, adjust the brightness.”

I prepared a hearty breakfast: fruit, bread, and juice.

I hoped she would eat everything. Maia was visibly malnourished and dehydrated. Everything suggested she had been eating poorly for many lunations. She needed to eat.

I brought her a tray. Maia leaned back against the headboard.

I settled into the armchair. “Try to eat everything.”

She nodded. Moved her arms, the effort drawing a groan of pain. “Shit. Hurts so much. Those…” Her gaze found her reflection in the mirror, scowling. “Tsk, they got my face.”

I knew she would fall silent if I asked what had happened, so I contented myself with focusing on her condition. “Want some help?”

Maia nodded.

I stood and picked up a fork, speared a piece of fruit, and brought it to her. She bit into each piece, savoring it.

“How much does it hurt? Can you feel your legs?”

“Yeah, they hurt more than my arms. My back too. My rib’s fractured. My face… everything hurts.” Maia let out a breathy chuckle.

How could she laugh in that situation?

“Has this happened before?”

She kept eating.

“You know, I need you to answer. I’m a doctor. I have to understand your medical history. Have you fractured a rib before? My approach needs to be different. You can keep the details to yourself if you prefer.”

She sighed. “It’s happened… I’m full. That was delicious, thanks so much.”

“You’re welcome.” I sat in the armchair again and ate my breakfast.

After a while, I persisted. “All right. How many times?”

Maia was looking out the window. Seemed absorbed in thought. I thought she would ignore me again.

“Many. Hard to say exactly… but it’s my first time getting treatment this good.” She tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace of pain.

I held back a laugh. Cute.

“I’m going to take an X-ray, all right?”

Maia shrugged.

I finished eating.

“So, no biochip?”

“From the Aether Network? Yeah.”

I found that strange. Everyone in São Paulo had biochips implanted at birth. The Aether Network prohibited their removal. Even foreigners had theirs.

“Any allergies?”

Silence.

“No?” I picked up a nanochip. “I’m going to place this nanochip on the back of your neck. It’s painless. All right.” I moved her hair aside. Even her fine body hair had that singular pallor. I cleaned the area and applied the nanochip.

Maia shivered.

The worst that could happen was a rare allergic reaction.

“Everything okay?” I realized how close we were. Her warm breath brushed my arm. I moved away, but heat was already coloring my face.

Her eyes followed me. “I… everything’s fine.”

“Good.” I cleared my throat. Sat beside her and studied the panel. “Maia, do you have NB-Mend in your bones?” My lips parted.

That should have been impossible. Once again, I held back the whirlwind of uncertainty. Questions burned inside me.

“You have many broken bones. The fractures are almost imperceptible. Your rib has a larger injury.” I pointed to the panel. “See those metals? They’re nanites that bond broken bones. They carry out bone reconstruction. UNITED is testing this nanoprototype in New York. How do you have it?” I turned to her. “How do you have this?”

Nothing.

“Only going to give me silence? Fine.” I sighed. “I’ll change your treatment. Increase the calcium dose and inject Metaline. It’s a metallic liquid that boosts the healing action of NB-Mend’s nanites.”

“You have Metaline?” Maia seemed surprised. A sudden interest.

“Yes. The nanoresearch was tested in São Paulo for a while. I took part in coweaving the liquid.”

“So they make it here…” she murmured to herself.

“Only when UNITED requests it. I have some because I keep a personal supply.”

“How long until I recover?”

“At least half a lunation, thanks to NB-Mend. Without it, recovery would take a lunation.” I studied the data. Stable. The nanochip had connected safely.

“Will you take care of me until then?”

The question caught me off guard. Oh, dear. I was overthinking. This was nothing. I felt relieved to have my back to her. Inside me, a field in flames.

“Y-yes.” I faked a cough. “Until you can manage basic self-care, I’ll help you.”

I hurried out of the room. Lacked the courage to face her. Feared she would read the insecurity in my eyes. I leaned against the wall, feeling my lunar blood finally flow.

A racing heart. Feeling overflowing.

Perhaps I needed a few cardiac tests.

I worked remotely. Received the CogniSynth research results. Sent reports to the team. Sometimes, I went to check on Maia. Why did I think about her so much?

I discovered she seemed content watching comedy films. Even though she did not so much as smile.

My favorite time to visit? When the sunset set the gray sky ablaze. Orange. Pink. Lilac. A colorful spectacle that flooded the room. Illuminated Maia. Reflected its vibrant colors on her. A beauty unlike any other!

I leaned against the doorway. Admiring that scene once again, distracted.

“Akiko.” She caught me off guard. “I need a bath.”

Almost two days had passed. Her wounds had improved. She could move her arms. Her legs hurt less.

The dressings were large. I had only cleaned her superficially. It had been a long time since I had last bathed a patient.

“Can you move? If so, I can prepare the bathtub.” I spoke without thinking much.

“No. If you could help me…” Maia huffed, aware of her own condition.

“I-I…” I turned away. My face burned. Why was I like this? I hated those strange sensations. “Of course. I’ll prepare your bath first.”

A peculiar flutter danced in my stomach. Ah, sometimes even medicine hesitated to name things. Or perhaps it was me.

I turned on the faucet. The water calmed me. I switched on the whirlpool jets so she could relax even more.

I returned to the bedroom to get her.

She leaned on my shoulders. Maia was heavy. She planted her feet on the floor, easing the weight.

As I helped her along, steam filled the bathroom.

I placed a small stool at the end of the bathtub. Left Maia leaning against the sink.

“Can you manage on your own…?” I hoped she understood. Taking off a nightgown should have been easy.

Those minutes felt like an eternity. Ah, this was becoming more and more embarrassing. I should have felt calmer. How many times had I done this?

Water splashed.

“Yes.” She chuckled.

Relieved that she understood, I turned and sat on the stool. Set aside a sponge and some mild liquid soap. Used a container to wet her hair.

Maia rubbed her skin slowly. I could imagine how sore she was. She tensed at every touch.

“Do your parents have piebaldism?” I worked shampoo into her hair.

“Y’know…” She changed the subject. “I have a lot of questions about you.”

Oh, she did? Imagine mine! I rolled my eyes. I knew she would fall silent if I asked again.

A long pause. Splashes of water echoed.

“The main question is: why did you help me?”

“I saw you were hurt. As a doctor, I took an oath.”

Yes, it was true. I would have done the same for anyone. Except… except bringing someone to my apartment would have been unthinkable. Flustered, I suppressed a huff. How I wanted to see her expression…

She grunted. Wet her face. “Right.”

“Are you feeling better? I added a substance to ease the pain.” I spoke distractedly, stroking her head.

“Yes, much better. Thanks.” Maia leaned forward and handed me the sponge.

I washed her back carefully. The least injured area, yet marked by so many scars. With every pass of the sponge, another scar appeared. One very large scar cut across her back from shoulder to waist. I traced it lightly with a finger.

She shuddered but remained silent.

“There. When you’re finished, call me…”

Maia almost fell as she tried to stand. She struggled to brace herself against the edge of the bathtub.

I caught her quickly.

“Sorry. I wanna get out.” She was trembling.

I kept my eyes fixed on her face, avoiding looking down. Damn it, why on earth did I care about this?

“It’s all right.” I supported her so she could stand. Handed her a towel. Looked anywhere else.

Maia laughed teasingly. “Is it that ugly? I mean, the injuries.”

Could she just pretend this had never happened?

“No, I’m used to it.”

Her smile collided with a sudden unease. “Hmm, good to know my wounds are in good hands.”

“I-I…” I left the bathroom in silence.

She was the first person to make my heart race like this. Unthinkable that I would act so stupidly around someone.

“Let me know when you’re done.” I threw the words into the air.

Maia finished. I took her to the bedroom.

Darkness filled the sky. Announced dinnertime. I ordered two boxes of Japanese food. I liked cooking my own meals, but I was too tired for that. Or rather, to think.

After a while, we were both looking out the window.

Silence filled the space.

Maia broke it. “Can you sleep here? It’s a lot of space for so much… loneliness.”

Curious to see a side of Maia I had never imagined seeing. She seemed more relaxed. Even with that aura of permanent alertness.

“Yes, I feel lonely too, but I’m so busy I forget about it.”

Why had I told her that? As though she cared.

“Anyway, I can sleep here. This armchair turns into a bed.” I went to get a pillow and a blanket.

Maia whispered something. It escaped my ears, but sounded like… “It’s more than loneliness, I…”

“Sorry, could you repeat that?” I asked, looking over my shoulder.

“N-nothing. I didn’t say anything.”

My hands sweated. Why was I so nervous? Why was all her evasion bothering me so much?

I returned and settled in.

“Thank you for taking care of me.” Maia smiled. An icy smile. “I’ll always remember what you’re doing. I wanna repay you. Anything you want. Except… except…” She sighed. “This. I’m uncertain about this. I can’t answer your questions. I can’t.”

My heart stopped for a moment. A chill ran through my blood. Time seemed to slow. Everything happened in slow motion.

“Don’t worry about repaying me. You helped me on that train. And that night at the bar. I did this because of my oath. I would have done it for anyone.” I tried to keep the nervousness out of my voice. “I ask everyone questions. Whether they answer is their choice.”

I lied. Most people did not interest me.

A sudden melancholy surfaced on Maia’s face.

No. It must have been my imagination.

“Right, of course. About that night… anyway, I’ll rest now. Good night.”

Something subtle changed during that lunation.

From then on, we stayed quiet. I asked about her condition. Maia answered with her usual coldness.

Sometimes her lips parted, as though she were about to say something, but the next instant, they sealed shut. Whatever she intended to say, she preferred to swallow the words.

Time passed.

The frequent application of Metaline and NB-Mend restored her bones. Stronger than a normal bone structure. Maia complained of a metallic taste. A common side effect. I did not know how UNITED’s research was progressing, but Maia’s results were impressive.

That reminded me…

“Maia, I know I said you’d already done enough to repay me.”

She stood tall, strong, scars all over her body.

How had she gotten them? I pushed those thoughts away.

Maia would leave that night. Perhaps it would be the last time I saw her. I wondered why I was making such a big deal of it. She was a person, and people existed by the billions.

But… it was as though she sang a song, at a frequency that resonated with my soul like no other.

“Yes. What is it?”

“Could you help us? I mean, there’s this nanoresearch project. It studies the Rh-null blood factor. If you give us samples of your blood, you could help a lot of people,” I said with more confidence than I felt.

“How can I send those samples?”

I tried to hide my surprise. I had expected a refusal. “Hmm… could I send an android to collect them?”

“You can do that?”

“I-I can. How?”

She shrugged. “Message me. We’ll meet in Centrália.”

“A-all right.”

“Is that it?” Maia came closer. Gave me a penetrating look. Almost destabilizing.

All her vulnerability had vanished. That person before me. A terrifying aura. She could break through anyone’s defenses. And she was destroying all of mine.

“Th-that’s it.” Damn it. I swallowed hard. “I’ll give you a box of Metaline.” I tried to move.

Maia blocked the way.

I held my breath. My heart pounded.

“Thank you. Again. For everything.” She whispered tenderly.

I struggled to think clearly. Her honey-colored eyes numbed me.

Perhaps what she truly wanted to say remains veiled, because she kept it to herself. She stepped aside.

It took me a while to react. Unable to take in those sensations. I felt lost. Maia left me lost.

“Want me to call a taxi?” I handed her the box and walked her to the door.

“No.” She stopped at the entrance. “So…”

I looked down. “Please, no more thank-yous.”

“Yes. The oath. I understand. See you when you collect my blood?” She smiled spontaneously.

I nodded, unsure how to respond. The whole situation had become so strange.

“All right. See you.” Maia waved.

“See you.”

To be entirely honest, what I felt as I watched her walk away was the urge to ask her to stay. Instead, my Maiden kept the desire to herself.

I would be happy to see her again.

So much mist.

Her words echoed in my head. Affected my heart deeply.

I wanted to forget them.

KNOCK KNOCK

I woke to Kiara knocking at the door. Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind. I had let it slip past. Now, it was all I could think about. If there was even this small possibility…

“I can help Alícia!”

“What do you mean?” Kiara approached.

“I cowove CogniSynth. A nanoprototype that connects to the hippocampus. If she responds, there’s a chance of a cure. Complete regression of Alzheimer’s.”

Liana entered the room, excited. “Is that true? How?”

I called Takashi. “Analyze Alícia’s medical history. Compare it with Project Jaburu’s current results. Calculate her potential compatibility with the procedure.”

The analysis took only a few seconds. Takashi announced, “Compatibility is 87%.”

I grinned.

Two factors governed its effectiveness: blood type and natural memory. In its final stage, CogniSynth guaranteed safety at 80% compatibility. Below that, it became uncertain.

What if it fails? What if I’m wrong? No. I know it’ll work. I trust CogniSynth’s potential.

“Takashi and Liana, prepare Alícia.” I handed the nanochip to the android. Met Liana’s hopeful gaze. “It takes one day to prepare. Two to three for the first assessment,” I explained.

Kiara folded her arms. “All right. You’re the doctor here. So I’ll trust you, but I accessed Takashi’s nanosystem. The research was in its final stages. I know it’s unsafe. If it goes wrong, what happens to Alícia?”

“She’ll be fine. CogniSynth will stimulate the growth of new neurons. Alzheimer’s destroys hippocampal neurons. At this stage, the disease has long since compromised those neurons.”

Kiara remained upright. Scrutinizing my soul.

I held her gaze.

She waved a hand, dismissing the subject. “Fine, if you say so. If it goes bad, you’ll explain yourself to Alícia afterward. I’m here if anything comes up.”

Kiara approached at nightfall. “Hey, you and Alícia are the only humans here. You must be hungry. Alícia eats whatever Liana makes. Takashi and Liana are finishing up whatever that is. We could go somewhere.”

I agreed and went with her.

Kiara guided me through Santos, the port city.

Known for its maritime trade. The smell of fish, water, and metal. Stalls and houses choked the filthy, narrow streets. Mechashops and roboshops offered secondhand prosthetics. Some, already outdated, still found owners. Sparks leaped from rusted joints—embers of a worn-out time. The city lit up with chaotic joy. I felt strange for wanting to be part of it.

I smiled. Life was so much more than I knew.

“What? See something you like? Just say so.” Kiara watched me.

We passed several stalls overflowing with food. I stopped in front of a dirty place. It sold fish skewers and fries.

“Hmm, this could work. Looks…” I looked more closely. “Appetizing.”

The owner, a large man, wore tight clothes. His rusted robotic arms creaked. Shed soot as he moved. He seemed friendly, but his large, unkempt beard brushed against the food.

“Good evening, comrades. What’ll you have?”

To avoid giving offense, I swallowed my pride, embarrassed as I was. “I’ll have one of those vegetable skewers.”

I turned to Kiara, waiting for her order. She stared at me, and the man glanced between us. That was when I remembered—she was an android.

“I wasn’t thinking.” I smiled awkwardly.

“It’s fine. Maia always did that.” She smiled.

A brief unease stirred in my heart. Maia’s name floated in the air like a dissonant note. She always did that? What else did she do? Kiara spoke about her so naturally…

I concealed it by watching the passersby.

A few minutes later, the cook handed me my order.

“If you want, we can eat looking out at the sea. Over there.” Kiara pointed toward several freighters. “It’s a beautiful view.”

“Of course. Let’s go.”

We crossed the crowd. An elevator took us to the top of the freighter.

I shifted restlessly, excitement seething inside me. Drizzle fell, imperceptible.

From up there, the city lit up in miniature. Everyone looked like ants. Market lights vibrated like artificial constellations. Uneven ground speckled with puddles. Cargo carts pushed by merchants.

A mixture of fascination and reverence swept through me. The world was so vast, and I, a sentient knot between sky and sea.

Kiara held my shoulders. “Stay alert. We’re far from Zenith.” Her watchful eyes scanned the surroundings.

A group of young people leaned against the rusted railing. Inspected everyone who passed. Ready to pick a few unsuspecting pockets.

I shrank into her warm embrace. We reached the far end of the freighter.

The view dazzled me. I almost dropped the skewer.

Giant aerolamps cut across the docks. Cast daylight over the night. Sky and sea merged on the horizon. The brown water gleamed, rippling gently.

I closed my eyes to the sound of the water. Inhaled the salty smell mixed with marine chemicals.

“Eat before it gets cold.” Kiara watched the surroundings, calculating risks invisible to me. Every second, she seemed to map possible threats; a natural tension, as though she were programmed to anticipate the worst.

“It’s incredible,” I murmured. The vegetable was delicious. Maybe rust was the house seasoning.

“Yeah. If you could finish up soon.” The tension in Kiara’s voice sounded like a warning. “I don’t like the activity around here. We’d better head back.”

S-2879 • L8 Libeluna • D27 Silenri

“Libeluna releases the thread that weighs. Silenri kindles the silence of return. The tide gathers radiance in a gentle gesture. The story weaves passage in low light.”

The first scan of Alícia’s memories was progressing well: 43%. Takashi received the data and passed it on to Liana. The stability of the numbers made me optimistic. My body kept going, but the light in my womb preferred silence. I sat on the sofa, eager for the results. Until…

“We have to go. Now.” Kiara entered the room like thunder.

“Excuse me?”

“I…” She paced back and forth. “This is insane, but… why is there a contract out on you?!”

I frowned. “A contract? What are you talking about?”

“Shit!” Kiara struck the wall. “A contract. Someone put a fucking contract out on you. The bounty’s massive. They’re offering thirteen million bireais for you.”

The ground vanished. “I-I… t-thirteen?” My stomach churned. My breath faltered. Almost twenty cycles’ worth of work on a Level A Project in Zenith! “W-what?!”

“You know what that means?” She brought her face close to mine. Her eyes sparked with anger. “Mercenaries are coming after you.”

“B-but…”

“We have to get outta here now. Someone must’ve seen you yesterday. Sent your location. Three Class 7 mercenaries are coming to get you.”

“I-I… WHAT IS HAPPENING?!” I tried to contain the trembling that seized my body from head to toe. I could barely stand.

“They want you alive.” Kiara’s gaze remained firm. She cared little for my panic. Put a hand on her hip, all pragmatism. “Takashi, I sent you Akiko’s contract. And the code to locate the mercenaries. You can locate all of them except those ranked Aurum.”

A whirlwind of thoughts hit me at once. Hunted? A contract? What did any of this mean?

“As for you, it’s hard to protect you with that contract active. Rest easy about her.” She pointed to Alícia. “She’ll stay with Takashi and Liana.”

She rested her hands on my shoulder. Kiara was measured again. “I wanna continue what Maia asked. I know you do too. There’s a way we can face this.”

“H-how?” I tried to keep up with everything happening. Whatever it was, more questions would have to wait.

“We have to go to the Nobody’s Lands.” Kiara stared at me. “You need to trust me.”

The meaning escaped me, but my trust in her was the only certainty left. Just like my trust in Maia.

My thoughts screamed: Say no. Resist. Retreat.

But my heart… ah, my heart burned. Longed to continue.

I only nodded, because sometimes the flame speaks louder than fear.

“You have to leave. I’ll install nanoencryption. Your nanosystem will become untraceable. Get to this address quickly. The mercenaries are close,” Kiara told Takashi.

My head dazed. Hands trembling. Restless legs. I walked. Stopped. Walked again. Bit my nails as though trying to dig relief out with my teeth.

Kiara studied me. Remained detached from my despair. “Your appearance needs a change. I have a uniform. Might be a little big… I’ll bring it.”

My throat went dry. My palms grew damp. A cacophony of feelings tangled into knots. Everything lost its meaning. Why were mercenaries hunting me? I could not take any of it in.

I looked at Takashi. He remained motionless, leaning against the wall. My heart pounded. I wondered whether I owed him an explanation. To be honest, I did not even know what to say. Since he was my android, he would obey without question. Kiara, however, exuded an unsettling freedom. Thought and decided for herself. It stirred a discomfort in me. Should Takashi have the same freedom?

“Takashi.”

He looked at me impassively. His manner so serene against my anguish.

“Thank you. We’re going to be apart for a while now. Please take care of Alícia. We’ll see each other soon.” I forced a friendly smile. It must have looked distressed.

“Certainly.”

Not even his calm tone could reach through my anxiety, as it always had. It was the most intense exasperation I had ever felt.

Kiara returned. Brought a change of clothes and black combat boots. “Hope they fit.”

I put on the black uniform of the Brazilian army. Long since nonexistent. The Brazilian flag crossed out with a red X. The sleeves were a little loose. The boots fit. I looked in the mirror. Felt somewhat disoriented.

“I’m ready.” I supposed that was what I should say… No. They were only empty words. I barely felt it, barely digested it, did not even resonate with readiness.

Kiara looked me up and down. Her analytical gaze sent my heart pounding. “Almost. Where we’re going, that beauty of yours would be… unusual. They could recognize someone from Zenith. You’re the very image of Zenith.”

I remembered Maia saying the same words.

“What do you suggest?” I asked only for the sake of asking. I felt my opinion would hardly be considered.

She grinned. Seemed to be enjoying this. “Cutting your hair and messing it up might help.”

I looked at my reflection. My fair skin. Now red with the heat overwhelming me. My black hair. Straight. Long. Disheveled by my desperate hands on my head. My black eyes reflected the agony of my soul. And my soul reflected in its purest depth. None of those emotions was stronger than my longing for Maia.

Swallowing was difficult. I had seen little of Nobody’s Land. Perhaps going there looking as I did really would be suicide.

I sighed deeply. “All right. Do it.”

Kiara cut my hair swiftly. Strand after strand fell from my head. With every strand that fell, I unraveled with it. She cut it into layers at shoulder length.

Bleached my dark locks in minutes with Platinova. The chemical smell flooded my nostrils. My first time as a blonde. It was only hair. Even so, I was not myself. But I did not know who I was, either.

“Better, but the essential part’s missing. The mercenaries’ trademark.” Kiara held out a black gas mask. “There are two reasons to wear it. First, the masks carry nanomalware. They corrupt the Aether Network’s nanites. Mercenaries could still recognize you, but I created a nanofirewall. Don’t worry.”

When I touched it, a strange connection vibrated. “How does this mechanism keep them from identifying me? After all, there’s a contract out on me.”

“Stay calm. Trust me. When they scan you, the database will show you as an unknown. Which is very common.” The ease in her voice made my head hurt. “The second reason is the air. In Nobody’s Land, the atmosphere corrodes everything. This mask withstands it. Filters oxygen. Stays intact. A nanobarrier surrounds it, protecting your head. The uniform’s coated too, to protect your body.”

She looked at me expectantly, as though I would absorb all of it at the speed of light. Impossible. Even so, I tried to calm down.

“I understand.” I tried to hide my nervousness. My head seethed. Tension. I wanted to lie down, sleep, and wake from this nightmare.

“Native mercenaries use little protective equipment. They’re highly resistant to the climate.” Kiara paused. “One more thing. I’m gonna hack your biochip to disconnect you from the Aether Network.”

I frowned. “Excuse me?”

“We need to get rid of their software.”

“No. That’s impossible.”

“I’m telling you. It’s to keep you safe.”

“Why?” I stepped back. This was already too much.

“Obvious, isn’t it?” Kiara rolled her eyes. “That software has all the official codes. It’s your biggest tracker. How do you think they know exactly where to hunt you?”

“M-my entire life depends on Aether Network access. And my connection to Takashi?”

“Androids and humans have unique tracking nanoencryption. Your connection to Takashi will be fine.”

It was true. But cutting off Aether Network access cost 99% of the biochip’s functionality. Unthinkable. Especially in my professional position. But what good was my professional position if I was already prey?

I took a deep breath. Perhaps, after all this, I could reinstall it. I gave in. It was that or the mercenaries would find us at any moment.

“All right.”

The bioscreen appeared without my permission. Several apps vanished. Pixels raced frantically. I tried to keep up. Impressive!

“Done. Nobody’s Land is an hour from here. I’ll explain more on the way.”

We walked to the car. The storm roared. The entire city submerged in fog. Only a few meters of visibility.

I sniffed. The cutting wind carried sand, spattering my face.

“Seeing the sea from the coast…” Kiara was driving. “We’ll leave that for another day.”

I tried to smile, except insecurity betrayed my body in its trembling. Even so, as we advanced, a muted excitement spread inside me. Mixed with fear. Greater than the mercenaries hunting me. Greater than the threat of probable death. It was another kind of fear. One I tried to name, but would only understand when I stood before it.

I narrowed my eyes against the mist. Tried to see beyond the veil covering the city. My time there had been brief, but it had left marks. The place where Maia had spent her childhood.

I closed my eyes. Kiara’s words resonated inside me. Flashes of memories of Maia erupted in my mind.

I rested my head against the window.

Let the memories carry me away.

S-2878 • L2 Ritluna • D09 Tecesi

“Ritluna sets the sky’s rhythm in a continuous thread. Tecesi kindles gesture and direction. Gaia weaves the tide in a living rhythm. The story carries steadily on, in full radiance.”

Maia left the apartment that night.

I sat on the sofa and stared at the floor. Thoughts tangled. My focus scattered. All the new emotions overwhelmed me. Unable to deal with them, I pushed my feelings into a drawer.

I went on with my days. Returned to the hospital.

I stepped into the building. Vital was waiting at reception. The blood bank’s head nurse. “Good morning. How are you? Dr. Daren would like to see you. Shall we go to him?”

Anxiety overflowed from the man. He had completely ignored my request to wait. Unbelievable.

Slowly, I dragged my enormous scowl into his presence. It was only eight in the morning. I would make my bad mood known.

We reached the hospital’s quietest department. Already full of people: research participants, donors, and recipients.

I opened Daren’s office door. The doctor’s friendly smile awaited me. He had come from Kinshasa, the Eighth City.

“Good morning. It’s good to see you.” He gestured toward the chair. “Sorry to bother you, you know…”

He ignored my unfriendly expression. I sat, determined to keep the conversation brief. “She agreed to donate blood samples, but don’t expect her to come here.”

Daren’s eyes shone with hope. “Would she agree if we paid her?”

“Believe me, she’s… different.” I smiled soberly. Different, and yet familiar. But who she really was… a mystery.

He rested a hand on his chin, thoughtful. “All right. We’ll work with that. Would periodic samples be possible? They would be sufficient for the research I’m conducting.”

“I suppose so.” I shrugged.

“Where can we find her? I can send an android to collect them.” His gaze betrayed his anticipation.

“That’s unnecessary. She’ll agree if I collect them.”

Daren pressed his lips together in displeasure. “Will that be an inconvenience for you?”

I shook my head.

“All right.”

“When do you need the first sample?” The conversation was stretching beyond what I wanted.

“This lunation, if possible. You can collect it during the selunas.” He smiled with a certain charm. Trying to sound friendly.

“I’ll check. You’ll be notified.” I stood and left.

Behind me, murmurs of his thanks.

I sent Maia a message. We arranged to meet beneath the waxing gibbous moon.

The lunation passed peacefully. Except for the anxiety and unsettling excitement taking hold of me.

Especially at the thought of seeing her so soon.

I wanted so much to meet her.

S-2878 • L2 Ritluna • D10 Unabe

“Ritluna sustains the rhythm on high. Unabe kindles an axis in waxing light. The air sings clear in the world’s canopy. The narrative weaves step and presence.”

My insides lit up at the thought of our meeting. My mood, excellent. Until Takashi brought the news: “A volunteer has died. Complete neuronal failure in the cerebral cortex.”

A knot formed in my heart. I felt the flow of my blood intensify, pouring down forcefully. I opened the research insurance policy. Volunteers received a daily amount in the event of severe harm or even death. The payout went to them or their designated beneficiary. An amount that, according to Josivaldo, was a ticket to Zenith.

“Hmm, all right…” I tried to contain the tension. “Serious as it is, this was expected.”

Takashi remained impassive.

I cleared my throat. It felt tight. “Notify UNITED Insurance. Contact the designated beneficiary. She’s the first volunteer we’ve lost. I hope she’ll be the last.” My voice came out low. Heavy.

I sent the insurance certificate.

Finally, time to meet Maia. I gathered the blood collection equipment. Headed to Centrália.

I waited on the sidewalk. Sunlight warmed my face. I closed my eyes. A shadow fell over me. I opened them. Maia stood before me. Close. Too close. I let out a strangled cry.

She chuckled. “Did I scare you? I had something else in mind. Been waiting long?”

“No.” The anxiety in my stomach worsened.

“All right. Shall we go in?”

A familiar place. Was it that hotel/café from the night I blacked out?

Everyone looked at us. Then returned to what they were doing.

We headed to the room.

Maia wore a jacket. Despite the almost summery weather.

“Are you cold in this heat?” I made conversation.

She opened the door. “Doesn’t matter.”

I tried to stay calm in the face of her curt reply.

The enormous window illuminated the reddish interior. Less nauseating than before.

Maia took off her jacket. Beneath it, a black T-shirt.

I saw the scars on her arms and the back of her neck. Was that why she wore the jacket?

She sat on the sofa. I stood before her. We stared at each other.

“C’mere. I only bite a little, y’know?” Maia patted the sofa.

I concealed my reaction with a shy smile. Sat beside her.

“Unless you ask for more,” she whispered. So close to my ear. Her breath on my neck.

I shivered and turned my attention away from what I had heard, though my cheeks had warmed.

I took out the blood collection device. Asked for her arm.

Normally, Rhea androids collected the samples. Located the blood flow with precision.

I searched for a suitable vein. The only option was in her hand. “Wow. Your blood flow seems blocked. You need to drink more water.”

I received only silence, as always. Her feral eyes followed every movement. She seemed tense. I would recognize that expression from miles away. Afraid of needles?

I cleaned the area. Ready to begin.

She signaled for me to stop. “One moment.” Her eyes followed the needle.

Despite my restraint, I burst out laughing.

She grimaced. “Hey!”

“You get beaten up, have several broken bones, and you’re afraid of a simple needle?”

“That’s different.” She closed her eyes. Let out a long sigh. “Go ahead.”

I chuckled.

The needle went in. She shuddered. I applied the bandage.

“Done.” I stored the sample in the transparent container.

Maia stared at it. “Wow, that’s my blo—” Her blood pressure dropped. She blacked out for a few moments. Woke soon after. Looked around. “W-what?”

I shook my head, laughing. “Unbelievable.”

“Is that it?” She returned to her usual coldness.

Glimpses of vulnerability. They slipped through. Lasted seconds. Then, the mask of indifference.

“That’s it. The researcher wants selunal samples. Any problem?”

“No. Not at all. Message me…” Maia moved closer. I could see every freckle on her face. “I’ll make time for you.”

I stood abruptly. My heart racing. “All right. See you nex—”

“Hey, hey. What’s the rush? There’s a floor here with big windows. You can see a really beautiful sunset. If you wanna come…” Her voice grew almost inaudible as the words emerged. Maia watched me. Waited.

I sighed. Agreed. I was free anyway.

We reached the 165th floor.

Concrete. Vast windows. Empty. The smell of paint lingered in the air, as though the place had just been built.

I approached the glass. Focused on the view. Maia wrapped her arms around my shoulders. Caught me off guard.

An immensity of buildings covered the horizon. The sunset peeked between the metal structures pointing toward the polluted sky. But all my attention shifted to her hands. Resting on my right shoulder. A subtle touch, yet to my heightened perception, it weighed heavily.

Her chest moved rhythmically.

Details. Details. How long did she intend to stay like this?

That was it. Period. I was inescapably aware of Maia.

“I-it’s beautiful,” I commented hesitantly.

She sighed. Her warm breath caressed the back of my neck.

Oh, heavens. I held my breath.

“The view from your home’s prettier, but I like it,” she whispered in my ear.

Her husky voice passed through me like a flash of lightning hidden among clouds. The cramps intensified, blood flowed down forcefully. I felt like prey beneath a predator’s watchful gaze. One who enjoyed the game.

Maia straightened.

I felt her watching me. Unable to hold her gaze, I concentrated on the sunset. Tried to lose myself in the orange tones. Gray. Fading on the horizon.

We stayed silent. For a long time.

Night fell softly over us.

“Shall we get going?” She held me a little tighter.

Shook every foundation within me. Why was my heart beating like mad?

“Let’s go.”

Maia stood motionless at the entrance, as though waiting for something undefined. Who knew what, but she was waiting. “Are… are you gonna wait for the bus?”

“Oh, of course.” I emerged from my reverie. Opened the bioscreen. “Right. It’ll arrive in ten minutes.” I shifted subtly on my heels.

“Mm-hmm.”

I looked everywhere. Except at her. Was Maia going to say goodbye? This was when she said see you, right? My thoughts bubbled.

The notification that the bus was approaching beeped. I walked toward the stop.

Maia gently held my arm. “Gonna say goodbye?”

Goodbye? Huh? “Y-yes, of course. See you.” I spoke too quickly. Tried to hide my embarrassment.

She released my arm. Smiled tenderly. “See you.”

Her gaze weighed on my back until I stepped onto the bus.

I looked through the window. She had already disappeared.

“Hey.” Kiara’s voice entered my head. “Hey!”

I emerged from my reverie. A grayish haze surrounded us. Yellowish dust mixed with fog.

“Finally. Put the mask on.” She pointed at my face. “The mask.”

“Right.” I put it on. Surprisingly light.

“Look at me.”

A holodisplay appeared beside her. It showed all her information:

Name: Kiara • Class: Aurum—inactive • Type: Android • Age: Unknown

“See? The mask’s nanites connect to your nervous system. It’ll affect you while you’re wearing it. Pay close attention to what I’m about to say.” Her voice grew firmer. “We’re entering Nobody’s Land. If anyone talks to you, ignore them. I listed you as an active Class 1 mercenary.” She parked the car. “Let me do the talking, okay?”

I swallowed hard. “All right.” My voice sounded strange.

“If everything goes well, we’ll get some info on your contract.” Her expression darkened. Her eyes, even more incisive. “The seat beside you. Pull it. Simple. Pull up.”

I slipped my hand into the gap and lifted the seat easily. My eyes widened. My blood ran cold. What was this? An arsenal. Accessories. Bullets. Explosives.

“Take one. Should be right in front of you. It’s loaded.”

What was she asking me to do? My heart throbbed in my temples. “I-I…”

“Don’t worry. Just protocol. Every mercenary has one.” She noticed my despair. “Hey, relax. I’m here. It’s part of the disguise. Put it in the holster. On your hip.” Kiara winked.

Touching a gun was unimaginable to me. My hands trembled. She said it was only a disguise. And I trusted her. I almost dropped the revolver. Gripped it far too tightly. A connection ran through my nerves.

Hologram: No target • Six rounds loaded • Not cocked

“All weapons connect to the nervous system to make them more efficient to use,” Kiara explained naturally.

The weight of it was overwhelming. I searched for the right words. A sea of confusion. “I-I… these things… I want to save lives. Guns only take them.”

“I know, I know. It’s just for appearances.”

My confidence dropped to zero. I blew air through stiff lips. It was only for now. I put it in the holster. Tried to forget the gun was there.

The white mist disappeared. Winds laden with yellowish dust cut through the air. An insane mixture of chemicals, harmful agents, piles of trash, and bones.

Bile rose to my throat. A pile of bodies. Some looked recently dead. I closed my eyes. Burned with the urge to vomit.

“Don’t do that.”

My tearful eyes met Kiara’s. I was about to fall apart. I held back as much as I could.

“Hang in there, okay? Hang on. All right?” She gave me a reassuring smile.

No. It was unbearable. How could anyone endure this? It was too much.

“Hey, relax. It’s gonna be okay.”

I thought of Maia. Forced the sobs down my throat. She had been there long before, still a child. I had to endure it. I wiped my watery eyes.

“Better?” Her voice, more serene.

“Y-yes. It’s all right.”

“Okay. Ready?”

“Yes.” I tried to sound confident, but probably sounded desperate.

Kiara got out of the car. I followed.

“Stay close,” she whispered.

It took me time to adjust to the sight. Hot, swirling winds. Dense yellow clouds. Earthy ground covered in junk. Corrupted adware holograms of firearms and war imagery.

Piles of electronics, from remote, immemorial eras to hundreds of unusable prosthetics, rose many meters above the ground. Among them, stacked upon one another, metalized tents and containers. Hundreds of people made their homes there.

As we advanced, everyone avoided looking at us. Or rather, avoided looking at Kiara. She carried an enormous machine gun on her back. When had she put that on? I was too distracted to think.

We reached the marketplace.

Stalls piled together. Fervent shouts from merchants selling robodevices. Sweaty mercenaries, armed to the teeth, accompanied by fierce animals, glared at anyone who dared look at them. But the most shocking thing…

Armed children.

I looked away, unable to keep watching.

No. I had to look. Maia had been one of them.

We passed a metal stall set up among piles of abandoned implants and devices. A man with sun-weathered skin and gray hair tied in a tight bun held a small silver module. His rough fingers slid over the metal, as though assessing its texture.

“This one’s a relic, buddy,” he murmured, turning to the buyer. “From before Oceania’s dissolution in 2861.”

The buyer, a burly mercenary with an angular face, frowned. “Dissolution? You kidding me? Was that when Sydney and Singapore swallowed everything?”

The seller shrugged. “Oh, man, they swallowed what was left. Before that, the megacorporations carved up the entire federation. Governments fell quietly. Ended up replaced by corporate contracts.”

He raised the silver module to the light. “This? One of the last independent biochips from that time. Before Moana-Tūmanako took complete control. Now everything coming out of there has tracking, central control. And you can be erased from existence with a remote command.”

The buyer huffed. “And why the fuck would I want an old, broken chip?”

The seller smirked. “Because the old ones are free, and that’s why they endure.”

I swallowed hard.

We stopped before a wide, rusted aluminum door and side walls of compacted trash crates. Relieved to be wearing the mask, I avoided thinking about the smell. What a horrible place. How could it exist?

We entered.

An enclosed space. Doors opened on both sides. Shops sold nanotechnological items and nanobioimplants. Most were outdated versions.

Hundreds crowded bars and virtual reality rooms. Casino holograms flashed in vibrant shades. Pixelated money flew through the air. Excited shouts. Fights with machines. Shrill slot machines. At the entrance, a holosign read:

NO ROBOTIC TRADES ACCEPTED.

E-COINS ONLY.

INSIST AT YOUR OWN RISK.

In the virtual reality area, players had tubes connected to their mouths and private parts. I blinked, perplexed. What on earth was this? Was the addiction so severe that they ate and emptied their bowels through tubes? Brown liquid passed through one of them. My question was answered. I turned away, frozen. Gross.

At the other entrance, two Class 8 mercenaries holding machine guns assessed us.

“Who you wanna talk to, pal?” The high-pitched voice addressed Kiara.

“Cron.”

“In his usual corner. Y’know… on that throne.”

His companion laughed.

“Here for the thirteen-million contract, right?” A broad grin. Missing teeth.

“You’re the second inactive Aurum to show up today.”

Kiara grunted. Sounded uninterested.

“Know who the first one was?”

The other mercenary elbowed him.

He kept laughing.

“Whatever,” Kiara said impatiently. “Move.”

Both obeyed at once.

I followed her.

Behind us, a whisper: “Think he’s still doing it. What about you? Wanna bet? An arm?”

The voices echoed all the way. We simply kept going.

We passed a bar. Three doors. Kiara entered the second.

We crossed a dark corridor. Sticky greenish liquid ran down the walls.

Reached another bar.

A woman slept with a gun in her hands. A guy followed us with his eyes.

A gigantic man sat on a golden toilet. Probably two meters tall. Strong, tattooed arms. A belly like a tank. His mask displayed a painted shark’s mouth. Two tubes connected to a tank on his back. Reddish liquid glowed inside. Shoulder-length blond hair. Dangerous blue eyes. Yet there was something… strangely friendly about him.

Cron • Mercenary leader • Cyborg • 42 cycles

Below him, on the floor, a pair knelt before him. An android without arms and a young woman; blood spattered in front of them. My gaze darted to Cron’s bloodied hands. The hatred in his eyes.

My heart pumped despair through my veins. I wanted to close my eyes, but remembered where I was. Kept my posture straight. What the fuck was this?

“Kiara.” His voice thundered. Small stones on the floor vibrated.

“Cron.”

“To what do I owe this honor?”

“You know.”

“Of course, of course. The contract. First, how about a little help?” He raised an eyebrow and adjusted himself on the grotesque throne. “Got a dilemma here. See these little shits? Trying to decide whether I shoot her in the head and him in his fucking chest.” Cron laughed scornfully. His deep laughter sent shivers down my back. “…or take them to the chamber. Yeah, that chamber.”

“Depends what they did.” Kiara shrugged, as though it were a casual discussion.

“Tsk. They stole my child. My baby. My little pig.”

My muscles stiffened. What…?

“Those fuckers took Maláni’s mask off. He died.” His voice wavered into a low lament. Contradicted his crazed gaze.

“Maláni was old. You prolonged his life for too long. They did you a favor.”

Cron struck the metal wall. Metal echoed through my entire body. “So what?! He was MY pig! The person who gave him to me is dead. He was one of a kind!” His lunatic eyes widened.

I suppressed a shudder.

“What the fuck? Buy another one.” Kiara kept pace with his madness.

What kind of insane conversation was this?!

Cron stopped and looked from side to side. “Better than some shitty advice. You suggesting the shoot?”

“Yeah. Shoot.”

Shoot? What…?

The colossal man stood far too quickly and drew his gun.

BANG! He shot the android in the chest. The bullet tearing through metal echoed.

I dug my nails into my palms. Held the trembling deep in my bones. My heart hammering in my temples. I knew. The android’s core had been destroyed, the core containing his essence. His entire existence… reduced to nothing. Forever. Impossible even to recover the data.

Cron descended the steps and approached us. A dark cloud came with him.

I wanted to retreat, but stayed still. I had to hold my ground before that terrifying presence.

“Who’s this?”

“My apprentice.”

“Apprentice?” Cron raised an eyebrow, suspicious. “How about our little mercenary gets a lesson?” He held out his hand. Balanced the gun on his fingertips. “Shoot that little shit over there.” Cron bent over me. Probed my soul.

I held my breath. Every muscle taut. Struggled to face his fierce gaze.

“She’s my apprentice,” Kiara intervened.

“Is she? Let’s see how much she’s learned.” His eyes smiled maliciously.

“Cron!” Kiara bellowed.

“C’mon, darling. Show us what you can do.”

I swallowed hard. Saliva struggled down my throat. A hot shiver traveled slowly along my spine. Slow. Dragging.

BANG! The gunshot’s blast deafened me. I blinked. Regretted it immediately.

Cron stopped smiling. Watched me curiously. Put away the gun. “Kiara, you’re a killjoy.”

Blood spread across the floor.

Bile rose. Locked my throat. Burned. I fought with all my strength to keep from vomiting. My eyes watered. I wanted to cry. Wanted to collapse to the floor. But I stopped myself. Chained my emotions. Every part of me ached with the urge to scream. To run out of there. But I planted my feet firmly on the ground.

“Whatever. Problem solved.”

“Yeah. The thirteen-million contract, right?”

“Yes. The terms?”

“They’ve already paid half. They want the target alive. The meeting’s at Iron Ruins.” He picked dirt from his nails. Just another business deal. “Same old thing. Easy target. The Aurums will be called in if it’s changed to ultra-hard. You’ll have to wait if you want that contract.”

Easy.

I was an easy target? I was dismayed. What did that mean? That they could take me at any moment?

“To terminate it?” Kiara’s question cut through the air. Changed the atmosphere.

Cron raised his head and furrowed his brow. “Terminate it?”

I discreetly followed his gaze. The woman who had been asleep opened one attentive eye. The man was looking our way too.

“Talk to the Matriarch or the Patriarch.”

Kiara clenched her teeth. “Shit. Talk to them?”

I lowered my eyes. How could they act as though nothing had happened? As though taking a life were as ordinary as breathing? My palms hurt from clenching them so hard. I bit my lip fiercely, unable to process what had just happened.

The mercenary clicked his tongue. In an unexpected gesture, he took us by the shoulders. Our feet moved against our will.

“All right, all right. I’ll walk you out.” His bloodied hand was heavy. Warm. Half-open wounds marked his sooty skin. The crust had a strange firmness, as though metal lined the inside.

We passed the two mercenaries.

One asked, “Hey, Cron. Had you finished when Kiara showed up?”

“Oh, no. She finished for me.”

Behind us, the two spoke:

“You owe me an arm.”

“What the fuck do you want an arm for? You’ve already got two, you animal.”

“Because I wanna be like Five-Armed John.”

“Five-Armed John’s a legend. You’re just a piece of shit.”

Their voices fell behind us.

Cron slowed his pace.

We reached the marketplace.

“Your car. Where is it?” he whispered.

Kiara pointed.

We walked over.

Cron released us and folded his arms. “Look, you know the respect I have for you. And for Maia,” he emphasized. For the first time, he sounded like more than a mocking mercenary. There was a different weight there. “I’ve repaid the favor I owed her.”

Silence hung. For a moment, he seemed like more than the colossal Cron, the mercenary leader. Something in his eyes changed. “I offered her everything I owed her.” His voice came out a little lower. “Even in death, she appears in my dreams.” He tightened his fingers. An uncharacteristic gesture for his intimidating posture. “Finally, I’ll sleep in peace.”

Or was he trying to convince himself of that?

“It was the only favor I owed anyone.” He pointed at me. “I know. She’s the contract’s target.”

“Cron…”

“I know. You know. She’s no mercenary. I can recognize someone from Zenith. You did well. She looks passable. Enough to fool those suckers.” He gestured. “Why do you wanna protect her? Lucky you came to me. If you’d talked to Trix or Denden, things would be very different. Now go on your way. I’ll pretend I don’t know you. It’s all I can do.”

Kiara seemed more relaxed. “You know it’ll take more than that to repay Maia’s favor.”

He closed his eyes and pressed his hands together in prayer. “Maia, wherever you are, leave my dreams alone.” He sighed. “One more thing. That guy… the one who came here. Be careful.” Cron turned his back on us.

The weight in my lungs grew. Breath trapped. Heart tight. Everything inside me raced.

Cron disappeared. Took with him the immense pressure weighing on me.

I broke down crying.

Kiara’s eyes widened.

All I could do was cry. Tears ran like a waterfall. I cried for the pile of bodies. For the families. For the children at their mercy. For the android. For the girl. I had done nothing. Could I have done anything? Damn it. A girl. To think of what Maia had endured… my heart broke once more.

Warmth cradled me. Kiara hugged me and murmured softly, “Shh, shh. It’s okay. I’m here.”

I returned the embrace and buried my head in her shoulder. Even surrounded by a desolate landscape, I felt I could trust her.

She stroked my hair. “It’s all right now.”

“I want to throw up,” I said between sobs.

“Let’s get outta here.”

In the car, Kiara handed me a bag.

I took off the mask. Vomited and cried. Cried and vomited. A cruel helplessness lodged deep within me. I lay on the seat. Fetal position. Soaked it with tears. Stared into the void.

Kiara drove.

After a long time, I calmed down. Noticed my empty stomach.

“Hang on a little longer. We’re almost there.”

I rubbed my swollen eyes, unsure whether I could bear to continue. How had Maia managed? “A-almost where?”

Kiara looked in the rearview mirror. “Netheria.”

The name sounded strange. Heavy. It concealed something I was still unprepared to know.

S-2878 • L3 Sintoluna • D00 Silensi

“Sintoluna kindles resonance on high. Silensi anchors the beginning in living stillness. The tide becomes a map of newborn radiance. The story enters in a crystalline tone.”

Almost an entire lunation of meetings. Maia occupied so much of my thoughts. I smiled like a foolish Enchantress. Covered my face with my hands, too embarrassed to face myself in the mirror.

KNOCK KNOCK

Knocking at the door.

I returned to reality. Quickly. Checked my reflection. I needed to maintain calm on the surface of my skin. “Come in.”

He entered. Firm steps. Exuding authority. Black hair impeccably combed back. His beard, meticulously trimmed. Gray strands accentuated his authoritarian presence. An immaculate black suit. On his little finger, a ring. A painfully familiar symbol. His stern, bitter gaze settled on me.

A wave of tension ran through my body. “Doctor…”

“Enough formalities.” He waved dismissively. “Just call me Mr. Akiyama.”

“Mr. Akiyama.”

“Very well.”

“I’ll be direct. That woman…” My father pretended to cough. “…blocked my research. I need you to file a petition in your name.”

“What research?”

He rolled his eyes and sent me the document.

I opened the file. Forced application. Risk of neural failure. Every line I read twisted my stomach into a knot.

“I refuse to do this.” My voice came out firm. Jaw tense.

His eyes flashed with ferocity, like a cornered beast’s. “That’s an order.”

“I refuse. I—”

I felt his hot palm crack against my cheek. Fast. Cruel.

I clenched my fists. My blood boiled with indignation. I took a deep breath. Held back the tears burning in my eyes. “G-get out! Leave immediately. Or I’ll call security.”

Riki stood slowly. Arrogant. One last sinister look. “You and your mother are both useless.” He spat on the floor before leaving. Left a trail of contempt behind.

My hands trembled. My heart beat out of rhythm. I rubbed my cheek. Felt something warm. Drops of blood on my fingertips.

The reflection in the mirror revealed the red mark. The outline of his hand. A small cut on my face, probably caused by the ring. But none of it compared to the absurdity I had read. With a hesitant hand, I called Hideaki.

“What is it?” Her voice sounded cold. Attentive.

“Riki was here. He wants me to petition for authorization for the research the GMC rejected.”

On the other end, silence. Heavy breathing, as though she were trying to process the information. “Th-this… that man is a danger to the medical community. I need to act.” Hideaki ended the call abruptly.

I sighed and rubbed my forehead. The pressure in my head grew.

I tried to push away thoughts of Riki. Of his research.

Focused on meeting Maia the next day.

S-2878 • L3 Sintoluna • D01 Silenabe

“Sintoluna tunes sky and the skin of the world. Silenabe spills radiance in a short thread. The air sings low, gilding the edge. The narrative carries on in clear sintonira.”

A beautiful autumn day. A few cramps vibrated in my womb. I looked in the mirror. What I had feared most had happened: a dark bruise on my cheek. Poor healing. I configured my biochip. E-makeup to cover it.

I went to meet Maia.

She was already waiting. I approached, smiling. Before I could say anything…

“Let’s go.” She hurried into the building.

I was silenced before I could reply. I raised an eyebrow, confused by her abrupt behavior.

Maia walked impatiently.

Made me uncomfortable. I stayed silent. Her indifference unsettled me. I kept my questions to myself. Knew they would remain empty of answers.

I sat beside her and collected the blood sample. “Done,” I informed her. I hoped she would at least look at me.

She stood. Put on her coat. Still without facing me.

My heart tightened.

“Great. Let’s go.” Her voice cold. Distant.

We waited for the elevator.

My mind replayed every recent interaction. Tried to find the reason for that attitude. Had I done something wrong? I searched my memory in vain. Sadness invaded me. I lowered my head. The weight of disappointment.

Light flooded the corridor. I felt Maia’s gaze settle on me. Gently, she touched my chin and lifted my face.

Our eyes met.

Her fingers tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. Such an unexpected gesture. Comforting.

The elevator beeped. The doors opened.

Maia waved the woman inside away. She responded with a bow before leaving.

“What’s this?” Maia narrowed her eyes. “You wearing e-makeup?”

What? How? I forced a smile. “Y-yes. I wanted to try something different.”

Maia raised an eyebrow. Her gaze intense. Analytical. “Doesn’t sound like you.” She leaned closer. “Trying to hide something?” Her voice suspicious. She seemed angry.

“Of course not. What are yo—”

“What’s this?” she insisted.

“I just wanted to wear a little makeup.”

She frowned. Examined my skin. “Tell me. What is it?”

“I…” How could she see? It looked so natural on my skin, and seeing through the nanites was impossible.

“Who did this?”

“N-no…”

She was too close for my own good. Her breath caressed my face.

I stepped back. Tried to recover my breath. “It’s irrelevant.” I moved her hand away.

Swiftly, Maia pulled me close. Firmly cupped my face. Rubbed my cheek. The nanites destabilized. The bruise was revealed. “This is irrelevant?!” Maia’s breath burned my skin. My heart raced. Her gaze fixed. Her manner restrained.

The truth lay exposed.

My chest tightened. “I want to leave.” My face burned with uncertainty. Was this some kind of game?

“At least…” This time, her voice was serene. Disconcerting. “Come watch the sunset with me.”

Yes. This could only be a joke. “Why would I? Since I got here, you’ve avoided looking at me. You didn’t even bother saying hi.”

Maia stayed motionless. Our gazes locked. A silent duel.

I cleared my throat. Broke the moment.

She covered her mouth. Hid a smile.

Was she smiling? Unbelievable.

“I’m sorry. It’s just…” She stopped speaking. An unspoken apology in her eyes.

“Are you going to tell me?” I insisted.

She rubbed the back of her neck. Visibly embarrassed. “I-I…”

I exhaled, frustrated. “Whatever.” All I would get were empty apologies. I would remain in the dark. I swallowed the agony. Bit my lip. Confusion consumed me. She was too unpredictable. Every gesture, every word, seemed like an enigma. Inside, I burned with the conflict between wanting to understand her or… distancing myself from all of this.

I sighed. “All right, let’s go.”

Maia beamed.

My anger crumbled before that smile.

We reached the floor above. Admired the view in silence. A comfortable silence.

Maia seemed to want to speak, but struggled to express herself. Perhaps she was worried. I knew I could explain.

“It really is irrelevant. It was my father. He thinks my mother and I should obey him.” I clenched my fists. “He’s a renowned doctor from Tokyo. But he uses questionable methods. When research involves human subjects, scientists have to submit applications to the GMC. They rejected one of his. So he asked me to file a petition in my name, but I refused.”

“I understand.” Maia interrupted me, easing the tension. “Sorry for pushing.”

She held my shoulders. Her honey-colored eyes radiated. “If anyone tries to hurt you… tell me.” Maia smiled.

A dark shiver ran across my skin. “I…”

She shoved her hands into her pockets and returned to admiring the view. “Got plans for tomorrow?”

“N-no.”

“How about we eat together?”

My heart began beating like mad. Going out with her? This was… My face warmed, but with unexpected tenderness. Damn it, what was happening to me? “Y-yes, of course.”

“Cool. Meet me here at nine.”

“Should I bring anything?”

“You.” She smiled.

We said goodbye beneath the curtain of the veiled night.

At home

I buried my face in my hands. Let out a muffled scream. Warmth spread through my belly. A strange sensation. My finger brushed my mouth. What was I doing? Why… why did I want to feel? Suddenly, I wanted to do things I would never do, like hum. Why did I want to hum? I had not known it was possible to feel something like this without Pefentanil.

I shook my head, trying to ignore the whirlwind of emotions. I was finishing preparing my bath when an official GMC notice beeped on the bioscreen:

Global Medical Committee
Official Notice No. 23.47-5/2341-SO
London, 01/03/2878
Subject: Proscription
To all members of the medical community.
By collective decision, the Committee has resolved to exile Riki Akiyama, registered with the Tokyo Regional Medical Council under number 345245-TO, revoking his right to perform medical duties.
Effective today, his presence within official medical institutions is prohibited. The involvement of other members of this distinguished community in activities involving the proscribed member shall also result in exile, pursuant to the provisions of the International Convention on Medicine and the Rules of the Global Medical Committee.
There being nothing further to communicate, all members must comply with this notice.
Respectfully,
Hideaki Katayama
President of the Global Medical Committee

My face went cold. I reread the notice several times, as though the words might change.

‘The Committee has resolved to exile Riki.’ She had really done it. Hideaki had exiled him.

I stepped into the bathtub. Let the warm water envelop me, as though it could erase everything. As though I could disappear with the steam. The warmth soothed the uterine contractions as they came and went.

I tried to digest it all. Exile from a professional community meant losing everything. He would be barred from entering official premises. Forbidden from accessing the upper levels of other societies. They could not even offer him employment unless he sought another occupation. Something that would take a decade.

Riki had received the harshest punishment.

No.

He deserved it. I had to admit it. What he had proposed… beyond that research, so many others he had conducted in the past.

I shook my head and focused on what mattered:

My meeting with Maia.

S-2878 • L3 Sintoluna • D02 Silenli

“Sintoluna tunes sky and tide. Silenli kindles the radiance of a living beginning. The air becomes a thread of resonance. The narrative carries lightly on, luminous.”

I spent the afternoon reading, accompanied by the Enchantress’s energy. Then it was time. I put on a long black skirt and prepared to go to Centrália.

A cheerful, colorful atmosphere. Spreading into every corner. Music mingling. The region’s vibrant sounds. A playful melody. Passersby laughed along the streets. Nightlife was gathering strength.

Maia appeared shortly afterward. Her white hair reflected the surrounding lights. Made her even more…

“Did I keep you waiting?” Her voice interrupted my thoughts.

“No. I just got here.”

“Let’s go.”

We walked. A group of noisy young people appeared. Loud voices echoed down the street.

With gentle firmness, Maia pulled me close. Wrapped her arm around my shoulder.

My heart raced. So aware of her. Of every gesture. I tried to distract myself. Admired the illuminated neighborhood. Except… it was inescapable. Her presence filled all the space.

We reached Bar&Pub Centro. Its purple neon sign flashed at the entrance.

A holoreceptionist appeared and greeted us. “Miss Relaisse, the floor you requested is available. Take the elevator at the end of the corridor.”

Relaisse? Was that her surname?

We went up.

The floor was empty. Violet lights illuminated it. Cast soft reflections on our skin. A vast window. Extending from the walls across part of the floor. Revealing an aerial view of Centrália. Holograms and LEDs floated like a pixelated veil over the airways. Vehicles sped past. Left trails of light in the air. The entire city, a vibrant symphony of colors.

I approached the transparent part of the floor. A slight dizziness struck me.

Attentively, Maia held my arm. Her touch, gentle. An unexpected wave of safety.

“I-it’s wonderful.” I tilted my head to look. A breathtaking view.

Her eyes fixed on me. “Yes, wonderful.”

My face warmed. I smiled shyly.

“C’mon.”

We sat.

A white cloth spread across the floor. A selection of little tarts, cupcakes, small cakes with cream, hot dishes, pasta, fries, and breaded fish. Steam rose from the food. Released the comforting aroma of a home-cooked meal.

She was so… so cute. Surreal to think that, when we met, I had actually believed she might kill me.

“Wow. This is so incredible. It smells delicious.” I smiled, delighted.

“Let’s eat.”

Every dish, a delight. I tried the breaded fish. Closed my eyes, amazed by the flavor. The seasoning, laden with care, as though telling a story. Had she prepared all of this?

“The buildings keep us from seeing the sky.” I delicately wiped my fingers. “Either way, pollution is all there is to see.”

“Yeah, but there’s a place in Brasil where they say you can see the night sky. Full of stars…” Her voice held a dreamy tone. “Must be incredible.” She cleared her throat, as though remembering something distant.

My eyes smiled involuntarily. I had heard of it. A place known as ‘Where You Touch the Sky.’ A mountain about 2,995 meters high. Sky and earth merged in an almost divine way. I imagined seeing her beneath that starry sky. Perhaps her barriers could disappear completely.

“Do you like music?” she asked suddenly.

“Hmm… I rarely listen, but I do.”

“This moment needs a song.” She took out a cellphone. Wired earbuds.

I raised an eyebrow. Such old devices. It surprised me that they still existed. How did she have one?

“Wanna listen with me?” Her tone hesitant.

I nodded, shy.

“Better come closer, then.”

I swallowed hard. Took a timid step toward her. Took one of the earbuds and put it in my ear.

The music began. An enveloping beat. Captivating from the first few seconds. A female voice entered, rich and emotional. Singing:

Ah, oh, ah, oh

We want more

Ah, oh, ah, oh

A life worth living ♪

The melody filled the air around us. Centrália’s nightlife vibrated. Colored lights. Pixels lighting up. In sync with the music.

I closed my eyes. Felt the woody fragrance emanating from Maia. Our arms touched lightly. Her head rested against mine. Perhaps… her eyes were closed too. Sharing that moment of intensity.

A phrase came to mind: the best sensations in life are invisible. That is why we close our eyes to feel them.

I smiled at the thought. Let myself be carried by the simplicity of that moment.

The song ended.

I returned to reality. Emerged from the trance. Opened my eyes. Found Maia very close. Her face too near. Freckles. Disheveled white hair. Amber eyes staring back at me, as though searching for something within.

I took out the earbud. “Beautiful song.” My voice came out timid, almost a whisper.

My face burned so much. I lowered my head, unable to hold that gaze.

The silence stretched on.

My breath faltered. My heart beat against my ribs, far too hard. As though Maia could hear it. Her closeness awakened something. Unnameable, but as real as the illuminated city below us.

Maia chuckled. A sound that sent shivers down my spine.

Silence.

A silence laden with words vibrating invisibly. Questions hung in the air. Both of us too afraid to voice them.

Her presence beside me, like a magnetic field. An irresistible pull.

Time to leave

Maia stayed with me until the bus arrived. Her company brought disquiet and familiarity at once. Why did she act this way?

I fidgeted with my fingers. Looked at the ground. Tried to control the storm of emotions.

The bus finally arrived, and I began walking toward it.

Maia gently took my arm. Turned me to face her.

I frowned, confused.

She only smiled. A gentle smile.

I fell silent.

She leaned in. Kissed my forehead tenderly. A warm touch. Soft.

I blinked. One second more, and I would have closed my eyes.

“See ya, Akiko.” She turned before I could react.

My mouth opened. My body wanted to call after her, but the words stayed.

Maia walked away in the opposite direction. Disappeared into the crowd. Left me motionless.

“W-what?!” I whispered, lost. “What… just… happened?” My body grew hot. My cheeks… I wanted to laugh. Or scream. Or turn back time.

My mind, completely blank. Inside, a whirlwind of joy and confusion. Something I could only describe as happiness, as though my body were dancing in celebration.

The touch of that kiss still lit up my skin.

The loud music playing nearby woke me; otherwise, I probably would have stood there for hours. Taking in every second of that moment. Before finally going home.

A dense fog blurred my vision. I rubbed my numb face. Tried to push away the uncomfortable sensation. My stomach twisted. The sour taste in my mouth made everything worse. My head throbbed. Overwhelming hunger.

“I need to eat.” I rested my hands on the seat. Fought the growing nausea.

“Hang on a little longer,” Kiara replied firmly.

I rested my head against the seat. Exhaustion overcame me.

Time dissolved into a spiral.

Kiara’s muffled voice woke me. “Put the mask on. Akiko? Ah, never mind.” Decisive, careful movements. She adjusted the mask over my face. Pulled me by the arm until I was out of the car. “I know you need to eat, but you have to help me.”

“A-all right.” I gathered all my remaining strength and planted my feet on the ground. Still unsteady, I took a deep breath. “All right. Let’s go.”

Kiara stayed beside me. Walked at a pace I could follow.

A dark place. Desolate. A parking lot. The unstable glow of a single, lonely aerolamp. Shadows danced.

I strained my eyes. Focused on a convenience store across the way. Wind hissed. Metal creaked. A constant hum from invisible machines.

Was this Netheria?

Behind the counter, a bronze-chromed android leaned over a holoscreen. His joints creaked faintly. He adjusted a loose metal plate on his neck.

Shelves at the back. Snacks. Drinks. Food. Nanoelectrodevices.

He raised his head and blinked. Broke into an exaggerated smile. “My favorite customer!” A high-pitched voice. Far too shrill. His eyes gleamed. Shifted between green and gold. “Come in!”

“Cut it out, man. You say that to everyone. How’s it going, Berg?”

“Oh, y’know. Same as always.” He winked at Kiara, as though trying to impress her. Glanced at me. “Who’s this? New mercenary?”

Kiara nodded.

“Cute. Always good to have fresh meat on the market. These brutes who show up here are a pain.” He gestured theatrically. “The other day, some lunatic demanded to be let in. I said, ‘Access denied, darling. Wanna get in? Show your pass.’”

He paused dramatically. “Did he have a pass? Of course not! And what did he do?” Berg leaned over the counter. “Pointed that disgusting flamethrower at me. What did I do? Called Mafu to handle it.” His manic laughter echoed through the room.

Kiara smiled. Relaxed. “Who are you without Mafu, huh?” she teased. “All right. We’ll eat before going in. This human needs some sustenance. Give her your best dish. As for me…” She displayed a holopass. “I want whatever’s newest.”

“As you wish.”

I sat at one of the nearby tables. Traces of burnt oil. A concrete floor radiating a palpable cold. The rhythmic noise of machines behind the counter. Mingling with my own thoughts. They raced faster than I wanted.

Kiara joined me and folded her arms. Calm expression. Deep gaze. “I’ll wait until you finish eating. I have to explain a few things.” Her voice carried weight.

Made me wonder what was coming. I rested my head on the table. Still recovering my strength. Trying to steady the surroundings as they spun. I lifted my head with difficulty. “How am I going to eat wearing this mask?” My voice came out weak, somewhat curious and frustrated.

“On the left. There’s a button. Press it…” She pointed, and I followed the instruction.

The front slid smoothly aside, leaving room for my mouth. At that very moment, Berg appeared with a heaped plate. Golden breaded fish, crispy fries, seasoned beans, and steaming sauce. The irresistible smell made me eat eagerly. Every bite, relief for my empty stomach.

“Been keeping this poor creature captive? How cruel,” Berg commented. Biting humor. He turned his attention to a holoscreen. It projected a catalog of weapons. Accessories. Armaments. “These just arrived.” He tapped the hologram enthusiastically.

A gun materialized before us. So realistic that, for a second, I thought it was physically there.

Kiara picked it up naturally and turned it. Examined it from several angles.

Berg adjusted a loose gear in his arm. “Unlike your CA-12, this beauty’s South Korean. Straight from the workshop. There are three of them. Its nanotechnology increases accuracy. Guides your hand straight to the target. I call it the Flesh-Ripper.”

“Wasn’t the Flesh-Ripper that Hatsan 12 shotgun?” Kiara raised an eyebrow, suspicious.

Berg stopped laughing. “That gun does so much damage! The room where they tested it ended up covered in flesh. Organs. Blood everywhere. I’m talking about a room…”

“…of sixty square meters. Yeah, you’ve told me.” She rolled her eyes. “Show me a sniper rifle.”

He tapped again. The gun in Kiara’s hand disappeared, replaced by another. Completely black. Elegant. Lethal.

The android looked through the scope. The weapon lit up. Detailed holograms. Displays highlighted its accuracy.

“This beauty’s called I’ll Devour You. A shot traveling at two kilometers per second. A range of 3,000.5 meters. The deadliest weapon on the market. Guess what?” His eyes gleamed during the dramatic pause. “Straight from Russia. Trix brought it in. She knows her stuff.”

“Whew… ♪” Kiara whistled softly. Impressed. “All right. I want it. My CA-12 still does the job, but that SVCAK-17Z was destroyed on my last mission.” A trace of regret in her tone.

“Excellent.” Berg smiled mischievously. “Trix did say you’d like it.”

The sale excited him, but his words brought an intriguingly surprised expression to Kiara’s face.

Berg continued, “And our darling here? Keeping that mediocre revolver?”

“Yes. It’s enough,” Kiara answered before I could open my mouth.

I nodded, pretending to agree, but my attention was divided between the almost empty plate and the discomfort of that conversation.

“Well, you know best.” Berg shrugged and returned to the counter. Heavy footsteps.

Kiara turned to me. Watched me closely. “Better?”

“Yes. Delicious. Thank you.” I pressed the button, and the mask closed.

“Good.” She smiled. Subtly. “Now, the first thing you need to know: everything forbidden in Zenith is allowed in Netheria. But the disorder’s organized. The Matriarch governs the right side: Vermina. The Patriarch governs the left: Solterra. Together, they control Netheria.”

She paused, making sure I was following. “Tentro’s neutral ground, where killing’s forbidden.” She leaned over the table. Her gaze serious. “You’ll see people with contracts out on them, but we don’t need to worry about that. Nobody can hunt anybody there. It’s safe territory.”

Safe. I absorbed the weight of the words. Every syllable, a warning.

“We’ll talk to the Matriarch or the Patriarch. Find out how to terminate your contract. I wanted to avoid this, but here we are. I need you to hold yourself together. Much more than in Nobody’s Land.” Her gray eyes sought mine. Grave. Penetrating. “If there’s the slightest suspicion, if they figure out who you are, things could get ugly.”

I nodded, but a knot tightened in my chest. Had I really understood everything?

“I thought we might have to come here. That’s why I told Takashi we’d move at our own pace.” She smiled, reassuring me. “He said everyone’s safe there.”

Relief swept through me. Knowing they were all right eased some of the tension suffocating me. “Did they finish the scan?” The words escaped without thought. A reflex of anxiety.

“Hey, hey. First, let’s focus on your situation.” She gestured. Patience and firmness. “If everything goes well, we’ll see them soon. Now—”

The air around us changed. Cold. Freezing. Invaded the space. More than temperature. A warning.

A shiver passed through me. Every hair standing on end signaled imminent danger.

Shadows moved. Something dropped from the roof. Landed lightly. Walked toward us.

I strained my eyes. Tried to see better.

Tall. A long black coat. A hood concealing his face. Dark trousers. Military boots. The sound echoed on the concrete. A citrus fragrance perfumed the air.

“Well, well.” A husky voice. Hypnotizing. He laughed. A sinister laugh. Stepped out of the half-light. Lowered his hood slightly.

My eyes widened.

“Kikky ♪, going around spilling our secrets?”

“Secrets everybody knows?” Kiara replied, uninterested. Defiant.

He smiled, relaxed. Charm playing on his lips. “You’re right.” His eyes met mine. Fierce. Inquisitive. Half his hair, dark brown. Half, white. Disheveled waves, trimmed at the back, framed striking features.

But his aura… it petrified me. Something in his presence paralyzed me completely. Familiar as it was, all I could feel was pure fear. Instinctive.

They were so alike. Those amber eyes… just like hers.

Maia’s brother.

“You.” His voice hissed. Intense as a verdict. “Finally, we meet… you have no idea how long I’ve waited for this moment, Akiko.”

Saymon • Inactive Aurum mercenary • 28 cycles

I wanted to step back, but my legs locked. My body ignored the signals from my brain. I was a statue beneath those golden eyes.

“Did you visit Nobody’s Land?” Kiara folded her arms.

“Of course. You know how it works. The Matriarch always wants to make sure a Level 1 contract gets fulfilled.” He stepped closer. His gaze fixed on me, though his words were addressed to Kiara. “Let’s get straight to the point. Did Maia leave you anything? Specifically… a watch and a compass?”

My mind raced. I avoided moving my hands at all costs. The objects tucked in my pocket. I felt I needed to keep them hidden.

Kiara shook her head. Calm as always.

Saymon closed his eyes and tilted his head back. Sighed. Almost theatrically. “All right.” He opened his eyes. Fixed on me. Full of something indecipherable. “Akiko, Akiko… ♪”

“Get to the point, pal.” Kiara cut in impatiently.

“Hey, easy.” He raised his hands. His smirk returned. “I wanna have a little chat with our friend. After all, I really wanted to meet the person who won my dear lil’ sister’s heart.”

I felt the words lock in my throat. “I-I—”

He interrupted me. A simple gesture of his hand. “Listen.” His enigmatic smile widened. Perfect teeth. Except something icy lingered behind that affable expression, just like Maia’s. That coldness in the eyes. Only in him… it was much worse. More brutal.

I gripped the edge of the table. Cold sweat ran down my temple.

“What if we help each other, hmm?” His amber eyes shone. Pure malice. “No one will know about her. In exchange… you help me find something very important.”

Kiara rolled her eyes. “What do you want?”

Saymon slipped a hand inside his coat. Took out a Joker card. Its designs lit up in neon magenta. He handed it to Kiara. “Help finding what this key opens. When you find it… I’ll come to you.”

His piercing eyes returned to me. “And as for you… what I enjoy most about the hunt is watching the prey get cornered.” A predatory tone. Lips curled. A haughty grin. His amber eyes gleamed.

One last look. He turned and disappeared into the darkness. Left the echo of his footsteps and the weight of his presence behind.

I swallowed hard. My heart racing. Processed what had just happened. He was almost identical to her. The overwhelming presence. That gaze… I could barely breathe. Much less follow their conversation. A shiver ran through me.

A shrill cry brought me back. Berg was returning. Carrying the weapon Kiara had chosen. “Girl, I froze back there. What a man, huh?” He seemed torn between admiration and trepidation. “That Saymon gives me chills. Still, I’d give anything to see what he can do. If you know what I mean. The things I’ve heard…”

“Spare us, please.” Kiara grimaced in displeasure.

Hmm? Had he really meant that? I was intrigued. “It’s new to me that androids can feel desire… toward humans.”

Berg let out a sharp laugh. “Oh, darling. Then you still have a lot to learn about us.” A provocative tone. Mysterious.

It left me shy.

“Anyway, here’s your gun. Now, excuse me. Back to my business. You’re cleared to enter.”

“Cheers.” Kiara waved casually.

The android returned to the counter.

She turned to me. “Knew he’d come, but I was hoping it’d be later. Saymon’s known as The One Who Sees All. Works for the Matriarch and the Patriarch. And he also knows…” Kiara waved dismissively. “Nah. For now, we don’t need to worry about him.”

Easy to say. Serenity escaped me. Those amber eyes. The coldness concealing something much fiercer… seeing how alike they were left me dazed.

“What is this card?” I pointed to the Joker.

“It’s a key.” Kiara examined it. “According to my readings, it has an Aether Network government algorithm. The contents’ data is missing, but I know where to start looking. We can deal with it later.”

She raised her arms as though stretching.

“We?” I raised an eyebrow, apprehensive.

“Absolutely. I’m gonna take advantage of you a little. The place is in Zenith, after all.” Kiara chuckled. Put the gun in the car. “But let’s take it easy for now. We’ve got things to do. Ready?”

“As ready as I can be?” I forced a smile. Tried to hide my nervousness.

“Oh, relax. Netheria’s more than what Zenith tells you. You’ll like it.”

We headed to the back of the establishment. The atmosphere changed. My muscles tensed.

RRRR I heard a low growl.

SKRRR-GHRAAARR It turned ferocious. Echoed through the empty space.

A single flickering light. Darkness swallowed the surroundings.

I wanted to turn back. Kiara held my arm.

A monstrous lion emerged from the shadows. His legs, mechanical nanoprosthetics. Wires ran across his body. A sinister tangle. He sniffed us from head to toe. His gaze assessed our every movement.

I held my breath, motionless.

The creature turned. Disappeared into the black again.

“That’s Mafu. Just wanted to say hi.” Kiara kept walking, relaxed.

“A-ah… right… friendly way to say hello, huh?” My heart was still beating frantically.

Aerolamps illuminated the path every hundred meters. Cast wavering shadows that danced.

I felt uneasy. But Kiara’s presence was an anchor. Brought some sense of safety.

The events in Nobody’s Land still tightened my heart. So many questions piled up. I knew I needed to wait for the right moment. They would be answered.

And him… her brother. Saymon’s image still lingered like a shadow. Everything was too intense to deal with those emotions now. I needed to keep going.

São Paulo’s aerohighways reigned above us. We descended toward an entrance. Meters beneath Centrália’s main highway. Between two buildings with glowing neon signs, a nanoportal emerged. Radiated an almost palpable energy.

A chill ran down my spine.

Netheria.

It was a complete taboo for zenithians. No one even considered crossing those boundaries. Yet everyone knew. In silence. If Zenith remained intact, it was because Netheria existed.

I fought the reluctance making me hesitate. Raised my chin with determination.

“We’re here.” Kiara smirked. Spread her arms as though presenting a spectacle. “Welcome to Netheria.”

Nanopanels replicated the sky. Surreal radiance. Photosynthetic pigments. Solar and lunar cells illuminated the broad streets. Holofaçades. Marked territories.

To the left, Solterra. Blue. Green. Silver.

To the right, Vermina. Red. Pink. Gold.

In the center, Tentro. At the heart of the place, modern nanocars filled the streets and elevated airways. Specialized shops: structural, subcutaneous, and external nanoimplants.

We passed pedestrians. Eyes changing color. Holohair flowing like liquid. Metamorphic body parts. Chromatic prosthetics reflected luxurious adware. Multicolored holoflowers in theatrical shop windows.

Civilians, mercenaries, merchants, and androids walked carefree. Even those with contracts out on them. Bounties ran into the thousands of bireais.

“Impressive,” I murmured, hypnotized.

Shop windows displayed wild animals. Nanoprosthetics augmented them beyond their natural limits. Other shops… My eyes widened. An android stripper boutique? My jaw dropped. I stepped back, embarrassed.

Humans. Androids. Intertwined bodies. Electric touches. Technohuman sighs.

I… knew nothing about the world.

We crossed the avenue. Food stalls. Flavors from different countries. Sweet-and-sour aromas. Spicy. Confusing my senses. We reached the stone of old São Paulo. A landmark. Surrounded by shops. Hotels. A cacophony of voices. Advertisements. Music.

“We need to see someone,” Kiara whispered.

We headed toward an establishment. A violet façade.

Dream Oasis.

Soft mist. Shimmering beneath neon lights. A hazy interior. Scattered beanbags and sofas. Welcoming. Dreamy. Uninhibited people. Some naked, drinking and taking drugs. Exhaling shimmering vapors. Tiny floating stars. The sweet, cloying smell clung to the skin.

We walked down a narrow corridor. Explicit paintings. Vibrant orgies on the walls. The images lit up. Captured the eye.

Kiara opened the door without knocking.

A room filled with shelves crammed with assorted, mystical items. At the center, a desk. Seated behind it, a cyborg.

Gill.

Blond hair. A messy bun. An open shirt. Exposed chest. Pink striped trousers. Lilac pixelated glasses flashing intermittent patterns.

Fingers against his lips. He assessed us. A theatrical air. “Kiara.”

We sat comfortably.

Kiara displayed the holopass. “Hey, man. I’m gonna need some Sentinil. She’s meeting the Matriarch or the Patriarch for the first time. I also need information on the thirteen-million contract.”

He let out a long sigh. “The famous contract. Of course. Let’s start with the Sentinil. I have exactly what she needs.” He opened a drawer. A small vial. Greenish liquid. Handed it to Kiara. “One drop under the tongue is enough.”

“And the contract?” she pressed.

“I imagine you might be here to bring the Aurums in sooner?” He raised an eyebrow.

Kiara’s expression remained firm.

“Here to terminate it?”

She nodded.

“The condition for termination is simple: kill the person who commissioned it.”

Kill the person who commissioned it. The words struck me. A hard blow. The air grew heavy, as though all the oxygen had vanished. My stomach churned. My vision blurred for an instant.

Was that what terminating a contract meant? Taking a life? What did that make me? Agony grew in my heart.

“Who would that be?” Kiara asked casually.

Gill chuckled. “Think they’d reveal that? If you want details, talk to one of them. The Matriarch has an opening in the next few days. Want me to schedule it?”

Kiara nodded.

Gill picked up a pen. A thick notebook. Meticulous handwriting. “Great. Five thirty p.m. You’re booked.”

“Cool.” Kiara stood and put away the vial. “Cheers.”

Gill watched us in silence.

We walked out.

“We’ll have to stay here until then.” Kiara looked around. “We’ll walk around so you can get familiar with the place. Can be later. I’ll book a room.”

I smiled. Felt a little more at ease. I would have to get used to this place. An alternate universe.

Kiara seemed so comfortable, as though every detail made sense to her, even as she carefully checked the surroundings.

I wanted to trust her, but the more this world revealed itself, the more lost I felt.

She returned my smile. A rare moment of softness. “Booked. You might wanna rest.”

I nodded enthusiastically. Exhaustion was catching up with me.

We reached the lobby.

Verdant Suites.

Modern. Clean. Beige walls. Porcelain tile flooring. Reflecting our silhouettes. Real green plants hung from the ceiling and filled meticulously arranged pots, lending the place a welcoming feel. Surprisingly elegant. Something that could belong in Zenith.

A Living Intelligence (LI) assisted us. “Kiara, good to see you.” A cordial voice. “Your room on the twenty-fifth floor is ready.”

A spacious room. A large living area. Comfortable sofas. An immaculate double bed. A virtual reality connector built into the wall. A gleaming whirlpool bathtub.

“You can take the mask off,” Kiara instructed.

I removed it and inhaled deeply. The fragrance of fresh plants. Vanilla. Cookies in the kitchenette. Invigorating, as though the air had been purified of all tension.

Kiara took off her coat. More relaxed, but still distant. “Make yourself comfortable. I’m gonna run some analyses.”

Her arms revealed intricate tattoos. Lines moving beneath the light. Stories of distant galaxies. Beautiful. Enigmatic. Like her.

My hands itched to ask. What did those star charts mean? It seemed an inappropriate moment. Kiara seemed unwilling to share anything about herself.

I took the opportunity to throw myself onto the soft bed, sinking into its comfort. That was when I noticed something unpleasant. A sour odor. I sniffed my armpit. “I’m going to take a bath.” I chuckled at myself.

As the tub filled, my skin itched. The smell of dust, blood, and fear clung to my clothes. Clung to me.

I looked for the expresswasher. I needed to deal with the filthy clothes. The uniform and Maia’s items covered in dust.

I carefully took everything out. The watch. The compass. The cellphone.

Saymon. How did he know about them? Why did he want them?

But more importantly: why had Maia left them with me?

Every question, a tight knot.

After watering the plant on the vanity with the remaining uterine blood, I stepped into the tub and sighed. Hot water enveloped me, and for a moment, I thought it could wash everything away.

“Ahh, that feels so good.” I closed my eyes. Tried to relax, but flashes invaded me.

The horrors of Nobody’s Land. Saymon’s predatory aura. My concern for Alícia.

It ate away at me. I needed to know.

CogniSynth should already be working. If it reached memories from twenty solar cycles ago, we could reverse half the Alzheimer’s. Takashi and Liana would know what to do. Or at least, I hoped so. Kiara said contacting him was not an option. She feared tracking. Our location exposed.

“It’ll work,” I murmured. Trying to convince myself. “Ah, this is so agonizing.” I wet my face. “How did Kiara install that nanoencryption in Takashi? The possibility of androids with that programming. Argh. I know less and less.”

Memories of Nobody’s Land returned. Terrible nausea. The children, the brutal execution, Cron and Kiara. Just another day for them. For me, it clashed with anything normal. Impossible to accept as ordinary. Every life cut short with indifference. Pure murder. Coldly carried out.

I tried to save lives. They took them as though they were nothing.

My head throbbed. So many emotions. I was definitely unprepared for the unpredictability of this journey.

“Was this your universe, Maia?” I whispered into the emptiness.

Perhaps it was only a fragment. A tiny part of her immensity.

But now I needed to push those memories away. It was not the right moment. To confront them. To talk to Kiara.

I closed my eyes. Sought something good to hold on to.

Maia.

Inevitably, I felt the memories of her.

S-2878 • L3 Sintoluna • D13 Tramabe

“Sintoluna tunes sky and tide. Tramabe weaves a signal in high light. The word finds its exact tone. The path keeps shining, whole.”

Half a lunation had passed since our dinner. My Enchantress gathered her veils, but still allowed a free dance. Being beside Maia, as instinctive as breathing.

She still avoided talking about herself, but something very subtle, indefinable, had changed between us. A new balance. Tenuous. Present.

I had just collected samples of her blood.

“Do you want to have a drink with me?” The words came from pure feeling. It was out. My heart skipped a beat. Was I breathing? I don’t even know.

Maia tilted her head. A crooked smile. “Wanna go to a bar?”

“I don’t think so. After that night, I feel uncomfortable in those places. I want to relax. In peace. Work has been… stressful.” I rubbed my forehead, sighing deeply.

She brought her face closer. Her amber gaze moved over me at a rhythm all her own. Trying to decipher something I myself misunderstood. “Trying to get me drunk? Tsk, I expected anything but that from you.”

I was caught off guard. “N-no. Of course not. Just… ah, forget it.” I turned my face away, awkward.

Maia chuckled. “Hey, let’s do it. I prefer quiet places too.” She stretched her arms overhead like a lazy cat. “Next waning moon, at ten. Sound good?”

Maia said yes. Right away.

My stomach twisted in a strange way.

Fear? Anticipation?

The hidden danced before me, veiled.

At home

My body begged for comfort in the darkness. I switched on only a holocandle, crackling softly.

I received a reminder from Takashi: the selunary research meeting with the GMC and ARGOS (Advanced Regulation for Global Operating Systems).

S-2878 • L3 Sintoluna • D14 Irrali

“Sintoluna raises the song of the world. Irrali radiates silver in gold. The air becomes a guide to encounter. The story weaves luminous presence.”

I connected virtually, as did the ministers of the dominant cities.

Holograms floated, projecting faces in high definition. The interface, impeccable.

The ministers from London, the Tenth City, and Sydney, the Fifth, were the warmest and most receptive. Those from Tokyo, the Ninth, and Dubai, the Third, were the strictest and most uncompromising.

Beyond them, an additional presence: the ARGOS representative. In the upper corner of the interface, the static hologram of Chief Auditor Markus Anselm, from ARGOS’s Nanotechnology Regulation Division (NRD-ARGOS).

Upright posture. Eyes of a surgical blue. A face as impassive as an automaton’s. ARGOS merely oversaw the voting. Yet its observations could be decisive.

Hideaki began the meeting. “Welcome to our eleventh selunary meeting. Study No. 267-45, Project Jaburu, conducted by Dr. Akiko Akiyama in São Paulo. CogniSynth is connected to living humans. Its purpose is to view, analyze, access, and record memories.” Her voice calm. Formal.

Her gaze passed over each of us. “First, Akiyama will discuss the research’s current stage. Then we will open the vote. All in agreement?”

A unanimous yes reverberated through the virtual room.

“You may begin, Akiyama.”

I took a deep breath and began. Explained the advances. Despite having recently lost a patient, I highlighted the promising results. A 230% increase in new neuron formation. A 30% reduction in the neuronal death rate.

I mentioned the side effects: vomiting, dehydration, loss of movement, speech difficulties, and reduced concentration.

I shared the documents over the network.

Hideaki nodded, satisfied. “Very good, Akiyama. I’ll review the files carefully. I’m pleased with the results. I vote for CogniSynth’s continuation. Ministers, I now turn the vote over to you.”

The votes appeared beneath the holograms. When Tokyo and Dubai voted against it, a chill ran down my spine. Predictable, but even so, something inside me tightened. They could draw others along with them. I needed to breathe deeply to avoid showing tension.

“Dr. Mahara Al-Amin, Minister of Dubai, you have the floor.”

She tilted her head. Sharp eyes gleaming with disdain. “I’ll send my observations over the network. Nothing further.” Screen off.

My hands sweated. Short breaths.

“Dr. Hidetaka Yamamoto. You have the floor.” Calm. Fingers tapping on the desk. An irritating rhythm. “The positive results are interesting. But… how are the adverse effects being treated?”

I swallowed hard. “A multidisciplinary team provides treatment: physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, nerve blocks, and functional nanoelectrical stimulation.” My voice firm. A meticulous answer.

“Medication is administered for severe symptoms: loss of speech, vomiting, dehydration. Stem cells are used for regeneration, alongside constant psychological and emotional support. We’ll resort to nanomedicine only as a last resort, given the continuous connection to the nanites.”

Yamamoto nodded. A critical gaze. “All right. I’ll analyze the documents and send my observations. I look forward to our next meeting.”

Agent Anselm finally spoke. His voice was calculated and practical. “Dr. Akiyama, ARGOS will review your technical report. The Technological Safety Committee will assess the long-cycle impact of continuous connection to nanites. If necessary, additional containment protocols will be imposed.”

Containment. A euphemism for total restriction.

I took a deep breath. “Of course, Auditor Anselm. I’m available for any clarification.”

Anselm nodded with a clinical gaze. ARGOS watched things run their course, but if it decided to intervene, it was unstoppable. Anselm stared at me for a second longer than necessary. His clinical gaze, unwavering. No further words were needed.

CogniSynth’s fate might already be sealed. I just still needed to find out how.

Hideaki cleared her throat. “The vote was eight to two in favor of continuation. Until next time. I declare this meeting adjourned.”

One by one, the holoprojections switched off.

The tension in my chest finally hit me. My head throbbed. I let out a long sigh and sank into the chair. “Ah, Takashi… what a day.”

He placed a chocolate on the desk. “Doctor, you know what this means, right?”

S-2878 • L3 Sintoluna • D15 Irrasi

“Sintoluna reaches the height of radiance. Irrasi kindles fullness in the sky. Gaia celebrates the tide in a vast chorus. The narrative anchors light in form.”

Exhaustion weighed on my body. Physical. Psychological. Emotional. My feeling overflowing in blood. But I put in my menstrual cup and came to an agreement with my Crone: Maia was waiting. Perhaps her presence would ease the weight I carried.

I stepped off the bus.

Her feral eyes settled on me. That searching gaze. Seeing all the way into my soul.

We walked in silence through the illuminated streets. My body remembered how light it felt to walk.

We entered a roboshop, Gearhead.

Lasers flashed dynamically. Flashes lit up in intermittent bursts. Adware danced in frantic patterns. Vibrant bluish neon. Hypnotizing.

We crossed a room crammed with sturdy safes. Climbed a staircase to an empty bar. Cheerful music in the background. At the center, a table. Two plates of pasta.

“Thought you might be hungry.” Maia’s voice suggestive. “Got my doubts about how well you hold your liquor.”

I ignored the provocation. Inhaled the delicious aroma of the dish before me. “Did you make this?”

Maia gave a crooked smile. Eyebrows raised. Suggestive. Picked up her cutlery and began eating.

“Ah, that was so good.” I pressed my hands together in thanks and bowed my head slightly. “Gochisousama,” I thanked her.

“Osomatsu.”

My eyes widened. “You speak Japanese?”

She shrugged, as though it were an insignificant detail. “A little here and there.” She stood and went to the bar. “C’mere.”

I rested my arms on the counter, curious.

“What’ll you have?”

“Hmm… it’s been a while since I had sake.”

Maia smiled. Sarcasm on her lips. “All right.”

She poured the drink. To my surprise, added a few strawberries. Slid the glass toward me. “There you go.”

I took a sip. Smiled, satisfied. “Ahh, delicious! It’s been a while since anything this good touched my lips. What are you drinking?”

She raised a bottle of IcyNova vodka. Opened it and took a long swig.

We settled onto a sofa near the bar.

The night flowed.

Maia took generous swigs of vodka while making more drinks for me.

Strawberries. Sake. Alcohol and laughter.

Soon, my head began to spin. The cramps went numb.

“D’you get drunk?” My voice slurred with intoxication.

She laughed. That husky, amused sound stirred something in me. “Think I do?”

There was something ethereal about Maia. A faint radiance outlined her. Or was it only my blurred vision? But now, watching her drink, I realized the vodka was more than a drink. Perhaps a shield. Some part of Maia was running from herself.

“I shaid.” I bit my lip, imperceptibly.

She, of course, read me. Found it amusing.

I looked away, trying to hide it. “That’sh your shecond bottle. If it were me, I’d already be falling all over the place.” I grumbled, frustrated by how easily I surrendered to alcohol.

She took another swig. Sighed. “Well… vodka makes certain things in life more tolerable.”

I bit into a strawberry, intrigued. “Hmm, what things would those be?”

Maia shook her head, chuckling. “Y’know, when you’re…” She hesitated. “Yeah, think I need to drink more for that.” Took another swig.

“What?! Tell me.” I pouted. The kind of thing I only did when drunk. I already knew I would regret it the next day.

“Nah. Got nothing to say.”

I stood suddenly, losing my balance. Maia moved quickly to catch me. I steadied myself before she needed to. She drew back. Eyes still on me.

I pointed a finger at her. Tried to look serious, but my drunken posture ruined every attempt. My drink swayed in my other hand. I staggered from side to side. “Why?! You… jusht go quiet… y’know what? I’m t-tired of wanting to know!” I covered my ears dramatically. “Not gonna lish-ten to you anymore.”

She laughed loudly. A laugh that echoed through the empty bar and threw me off balance. I stumbled and fell onto her. My drink spilled over her clothes. She barely cared.

My cheeks burned with embarrassment. I sank against her belly, unable to move. Or look at her. All I could do was stay there. Curled up. My mind spun with embarrassment.

She stopped laughing. Stroked my head. “Hey.”

“Nuh-uh.” My voice came out muffled against her abdomen. “Not comin’ outta here.”

“Look at me.”

With sulky difficulty, I raised my eyes. “W-what?”

“I like this song. Wanna dance?” A smile played on her lips.

I grunted. Lowered my head.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

I forced myself to plant my feet.

Maia stood and took off her stained top. Revealed a dark gray T-shirt beneath it.

“I’m terrible at daancin’.”

“Put your hands here.” She guided my arms to her shoulders and rested her hands on my waist.

The song’s melancholy beat filled the space. The woman’s singing voice enveloped everything around us, like a dream.

I looked at Maia. My face burned. All I could do was bury it in her shoulder. My body swayed with her laughter.

She rested her head against mine.

Silence stayed between us. Warm. Alive.

Maia breathed deeply. Drew me closer. Her woody scent mixed with vodka.

I hesitated. My hand slid to the back of her neck. Rough scars beneath my fingers.

Maia shuddered. Almost imperceptibly, but I felt it.

I closed my eyes, trying to escape the suffocating awareness of our closeness. I felt my blood flowing down with the same intensity as my restrained desire.

The music ended.

Our heads moved slightly apart. We were still holding each other. Her face so close to mine. My eyes examined her cheeks. Were they flushed?

No.

It had to be the alcohol. Surely… only the alcohol.

“Ah…” She clicked her tongue. Bit her lips provocatively. “You… looking at me… like that… in that way of yours…”

I frowned. Looking at her how? Damn it, what did she mean? My heart hammered. I buried my face in my hands. Silence swallowed me. Completely surrendered.

Maia chuckled. “C’mon, let’s sit.”

Music filled the silence.

I only wanted to disappear inside myself.

She took another swig of vodka. Only half remained now. Maia raised the bottle. “Gotta finish this one, or else…”

“Or elshe what?” My voice came out thick. The room began to spin in spectral shades.

“Or else… I’ll stay awake.” Maia walked to the bar. Imperiously, she pointed a finger at me. “Anyway, only water for you from now on.” She handed me a bottle.

“Whaddya mean?” I complained, trying to drink. Spilled some on myself. “You’ll be able to shleep.”

“How can you be so sure… when you’re gonna be so close?” Maia breathed into my ear. Her eyes half-closed. An unnerving, predatory gleam held me. A predator about to pounce.

I choked on the water, coughing. “W-what… what’re you shaying?”

She leaned toward me. “You really think you’re going home alone? This drunk?”

My breath caught.

“There’s a bed we can share…” The warmth of her presence surrounded me.

My thoughts tangled. I buried my face between my knees. Tried to hide the heat rising to my cheeks. Damn it.

Maia laughed. Amused by my embarrassment. She knew exactly what she was doing.

Minutes later, I lifted my head, sleepy. “Think I’m gonna sleep here. This sofa’s so soft…” Everything grew hazy. My last memory:

Maia finishing the vodka. Staring at the floor.

Then, a subtle back-and-forth movement cradled my senses into unconsciousness.

In the middle of the night

I woke. Everything spun. My head throbbed. An uncomfortable wave of heat swept through me. I turned my face.

Maia slept beside me. Her soft hair fell over her face. Her breathing peaceful. A serene expression. So far from the intensity she exuded when awake.

Was I dreaming? I massaged my forehead. Tried to ease the mounting pain.

“Hey, you okay?” Maia whispered.

My shoulders jolted with surprise. I had not noticed she was awake. “N-no… but I will be.”

Maia turned slightly in bed. Moved closer. “Can’t sleep?” She took my hand. Her fingers stroked mine. Delicate.

I nodded, unable to hide the tension.

Maia picked up something from the bedside table and handed me a pill. “Here. This’ll help you sleep. You’ll be dreaming soon.”

I swallowed the pill too quickly. Trusted her more than I wanted to admit. Shortly afterward, my turbulent thoughts quieted. A comforting drowsiness enveloped me. I was about to drift off.

“Unlike me…” Her voice cut through the silence. Low. Intimate. “Awake, imagining all the things I could do with you beside me.”

Her words vanished into the darkness, but left a latent mark.

Echoing.

In the morning

I woke refreshed.

We had breakfast together. Comfortable silence.

I only avoided looking at her for too long. Last night’s embarrassment still weighed on me. I wanted to be home. Process everything calmly. Far from her, who amplified every emotion.

I called a taxi. It arrived.

Maia walked me to the door. “See you, Akiko.” Her tone calm, but with a depth that disarmed me.

I got into the car. Released the air trapped in my lungs.

The engine rumbled softly.

I looked back. Maia was already gone.

For a moment, I thought I had imagined it all.

The car glided along the airways. Then… a thought struck me like lightning. My heart danced out of rhythm. My body warmed. All I could do was admit it:

I was falling in love with Maia, and my soul was still fumbling for a way to handle it.

All I knew was that, from now on, everything would change.

I left the bathroom wrapped in steam. Skin warmed by the bath.

Kiara had the holoscreen open. Switched it off quickly when she saw me. “That was a long bath.” Her usual casual tone.

I smiled in response, unwilling to prolong the conversation.

She sprawled on the sofa. One foot over the other. Relaxed posture. Increasingly familiar. The thought came, inevitable. There was something about her, a way of existing, that reminded me of Maia.

I lay on the bed. The mattress absorbed the weight of the past few days. Exhaustion swallowed me. No thought took shape. I drifted off. Slept like a stone.

S-2879 • L9 Fluxluna • D00 Silensi

“Fluxluna opens a current of beginning. Silensi anchors zero in gentle radiance. The tide draws a map in the blue dark. The story enters a crystalline flow.”

A quiet breakfast. I chose something simple as my Crone said goodbye.

I sat on the sofa and faced Kiara.

She spoke first. Perhaps she could read my unease. “Ask whatever you want, but silence is the only guarantee.”

My hands clenched into fists on my knees. I organized my thoughts. Tried to find the right words. The image of the girl who had been shot churned inside me. “W-why so many children?”

Kiara shrugged. Her expression neutral. “When you’re shaped by an ideal, when that life’s all you know, you learn to accept it. To follow orders. The whole process is easier with children. Children are blank sheets of paper.”

“B-but…” I swallowed hard. Words trapped in my throat.

What she said made sense. A sense that hurt. I had grown up with an ideal too. Learned to follow orders. Respect hierarchies. But the difference between those children and me was abyssal. In Zenith, my life was protected. I had rights. Comfort. Safety. And them? What could I do?

“Cron said something about a favor. What was that?” I changed the subject. Sought to understand more of that world.

Kiara gestured. “Everyone has something they cling to. An idea. A belief. An object. Whatever. Cron had the worst one of all. Someone.” She fixed her eyes on mine. “When you live this life, you have to stay alone. Because if they’re after you, they’ll go after your bonds.”

I felt the echo of that cruel truth. Their existence was disturbing, but they were still lives. They knew only that way of living. Blaming them would mean denying the circumstances imposed by the Aether Network.

“And…” I cleared my throat, hesitant. “What are all these mercenary classes?”

“Goes up to nine,” Kiara began, as though reciting something learned long ago. “At the top of the hierarchy, there’s the Aurum class. They divide mercenaries according to their ability to fulfill contracts.”

“Who are the Matriarch and the Patriarch?” I asked quietly. Almost cautiously.

Silence weighed heavily.

Her lips stiffened. “Think we’d better stop here. We’ve got an intense seluna ahead.”

I understood. A question whose answer lay beneath veils. Only to be revealed later.

S-2879 • L9 Fluxluna • D02 Silenli

“Fluxluna kindles a current of beginning. Silenli radiates brightness in a short thread. The tide draws a map in the air. The story weaves a luminous step.”

Our meeting with the Matriarch would take place in the next few days. Kiara suggested a bar. I hesitated at first. In the end, I accepted. Took advantage of my Maiden’s playful mood.

We reached AndroLounge.

Colors lit up like living waves. An explosion of neon lights. Brilliant blue. Ethereal pink. Luminescent green. Dancing on the metal walls. Bass-heavy music vibrated through the floor. Animated voices of mercenaries and androids. Warm metal and alcohol lingered in the air. Scattered tables. Three bars surrounded the central dance floor. Nanodrones hummed softly. Delivered drinks in time with the frenzy.

We chose a more secluded area. Less noise. The table’s integrated LI blinked. Requested our orders.

I chose a gin and tonic.

Kiara, well… “DroidDraft’s a plugin. Makes our nanosystems feel the same effects alcohol has on you.”

“That’s new to me.” I smiled shyly.

Shortly afterward, two mercenaries approached. Kalifa. A Class 7 mercenary. Long dreadlocks. Honey-colored eyes. A striking presence. Tribal tattoos adorned her toned arms and neck. Her pupils split into two vertical lines. She reminded me of a tigress.

Thabo stood beside her. Also Class 7. Long blond hair, braided. Intense black eyes. A face tattooed with gray neon ink. A small monkey, a nanoprosthetic in its left eye, rested on his shoulder.

“Kiara,” Thabo greeted her. “Can we join you? We just got here.”

“Of course.”

They brought extra chairs. Settled at the table.

“What brings you to Tentro?” Thabo made conversation.

The LI blinked again. They both ordered IcyNova. Straight vodka. The mercenaries’ favorite choice.

He smiled with his eyes. Before she could answer, he went on. “Already know. The contract. Everybody’s talking about it.”

“It’s all they talk about.” Kalifa’s voice resonated like thunder. “Nobody knows where to find the target.”

“True. They said her last signal was in Santos. Nothing since. And they classified it as easy?” Thabo frowned. “Remember the last contract with a big payout? Think it was worth about twenty-seven million.”

Kiara only shrugged.

Our drinks arrived.

I noticed their curious glances at my choice.

“Rare to see mercenaries drinking anything other than vodka,” Thabo commented before looking away.

“She’s from outside Nobody’s Land,” Kiara answered directly.

Their expressions softened.

“How was the last mission?” she asked.

They exchanged a knowing look and laughed.

“Where do I start?” Thabo rested his elbows on the table. “Kalifa and I were sent to Nkayi. In the Republic of the Congo. The Carapaces, local rebels, were plotting an assassination. The Nationalist Party’s representative in Bouenza.”

“But then you took their side?” Kiara guessed, raising her eyebrows.

“Exactly.” He laughed. “The contract required us to eliminate their leader. Latasha, known as the Blade of Justice. But Kalifa… well, she fell in love.”

Kalifa smacked him on the head. Thabo roared with laughter.

“I recognized Latasha as an equal. A strong woman.” Kalifa purred the r.

“She must be, to put up with you…”

Another smack.

I chuckled.

Kalifa flashed a dangerous grin. “What’s stopping me from crushing your head right here, right now?” She mimed squeezing with her hands. “See? Your head exploding. Your brains too.”

“Maybe your love for me.” Thabo smiled smugly.

“Go on.” Kiara interrupted, holding back a laugh.

He resumed the story, animated. “We spent some time with the Carapaces. Discovered the regent of Nkayi was the one who commissioned the contract. Planned an infiltration of the fortress with them. Kalifa and Latasha handled the front line. While I…”

“Made noise.” Kalifa cut in, rolling her eyes.

“Exactly. I made a fuckload of noise!” He let out a loud laugh.

I watched, fascinated. It felt like the story of an exciting film. Every detail was so interesting. More than any zenithian conversation about markets, whatever kind they might be.

“We entered the fortress through a pipe. It emptied into the nearby river. Kalifa and Latasha took out the guards. I positioned my Head-Exploder minibombs.” He widened his eyes theatrically.

Yes. Friendly as they seemed, that manic side of them gave me chills.

Thabo took another sip. “That was it. Magnificent. Everything exploded. Kalifa and Latasha went after the regent.”

“Latasha was fierce. Drove her spear into the man’s heart.” Her eyes shone.

“Yes, yes.” Thabo pointed at the mercenary. “She talked about it the whole way back.”

“It was glorious.” Kalifa ignored him.

“And the reward? Pretty big, right?” Kiara seemed slightly intoxicated.

“There are things more important than rewards,” Kalifa answered firmly.

“Tell me, did you and Maia ever go through anything like that?” Thabo raised an eyebrow.

Kiara threw her head back, laughing. “All the time. You know how she was.” She smiled in an unsettling way.

“Of course. I shared a mission with her.”

Kalifa nodded. “I liked her.”

My stomach twisted. A knot formed in my throat. Kalifa’s voice sounded distant, like an echo in the void.

Maia.

They spoke about her as though she were still here. And everything still lit up with her presence.

Kiara read my discomfort, but said nothing.

“Yeah. Y’know, that reminded me of Lagos in 2837, when they tried to eradicate the slums with containment nanodrones,” Kiara commented.

“Hah. My parents died in that shit.” Kalifa turned the glass between her fingers, thoughtful. “TIP’s sanctions changed nothing. The government just switched tactics, but the periphery kept bleeding.”

“And Kinshasa in 2873? The dictatorship fell, but people like my uncles did the dirty work first.” Thabo lowered his eyes.

Kiara rested her chin on her hand. “Fucking awful. If anyone says it was only TIP that brought that government down, they’re lying.”

She waved a hand, changing the subject. “What’s the next mission?”

They looked at each other.

“Need to confirm with Trix. Think we’re fulfilling a contract in China,” Thabo answered.

“Oh, I know that one.” Kiara was tipsy.

“That one’s great.”

The night wore on. We kept drinking. Every new story more fascinating than the last.

We decided to call it a night. Exhaustion already weighed on my shoulders. Kiara seemed slightly concerned. I had drunk a little too much.

At Verdant Suites

I went straight to bed. A fleeting sadness surfaced. The mention of Maia reverberated in my heart.

“Thank you, Kiara.” My voice came out trembling. I held back tears.

“I imagine it’s hard whenever someone mentions Maia,” she murmured, surprising me. “Maybe, when all this is over…” Kiara stopped speaking; watched me, still intoxicated.

I swallowed hard. Let one solitary tear fall, containing a flood.

The truth was, my heart was crushed with every mention of Maia. Whenever I met someone who had known her, I wanted to ask everything about her. I resigned myself to the fact that I would never know that side of her firsthand. I tied it all down.

I turned to Kiara and forced a weak smile. “A little, but I want to know everything I can about her.”

I took a deep breath. Even if that meant hearing truths that hurt to accept.

S-2879 • L9 Fluxluna • D05 Ritli

“Fluxluna sustains growing light. Ritli gives rhythm and living contours. The sky tunes the tone of the walk. The narrative weaves rhythm and clarity.”

The day of our meeting with the Matriarch finally arrived.

Kiara was visibly tense. I bit my nails, anxious. Who was the Matriarch, after all? The android had revealed nothing about her. Without answers, my mind surrendered to the worst. Since our visit to Nobody’s Land and everything I had witnessed afterward, I had learned how unpredictable what lay ahead could be.

Kiara’s usually impenetrable eyes carried a certain unease. “Take this.” She handed me the Sentinil and examined two weapons on the table. Quick movements. Rolled up her coat sleeves, revealing blades concealed along her forearms.

I swallowed hard, uncomfortable with those preparations. “What is it?” I turned the vial, curious and suspicious.

“An emotion suppressant. Better to show absolutely no emotion there. I’d rather you take it. You’re… different. If the Matriarch suspects even a little that you’re…” She left the sentence hanging. Her serious tone, a warning. She sheathed the weapons at her waist.

“All right.” I took one drop under my tongue.

We headed to the dividing line.

Tentro in the middle. Vermina to the right.

The pixelated graphic wall shone vivid red. Almost hypnotizing. I touched it with my fingertips, felt a slight tickle. Before I could get distracted, Kiara nudged my arm. Firmly, we crossed the hologram. Emerged through a narrow alley on the other side.

The scenery changed completely.

An enormous knot formed in my throat.

People dragged bodies off the blood-soaked ground into alleys and vans. Thin. Empty expressions. Chained. Half-naked. The living were thrown into vehicles like disposable goods.

“Please… please… no…” Groans of pain scraped at my ears. Dragging chains echoed through the streets.

Shop windows displayed bodies. Sexualized androids. Bandaged. Bound. Gagged. Red holograms flashed. Advertised promotions.

From the buildings’ balconies, pieces of humans hung like grotesque decorations. Burnt flesh. Oxidized metal clung to clothing. Invaded the nostrils.

A scene straight out of a horror film, but lived as everyday life.

Its inhabitants were clearly sadists capable of torturing and killing for sheer, depraved pleasure. They could do whatever they wanted. After all, everything was permitted in Netheria.

My stomach churned. My blood pressure dropped with every step. I tried to react, to express the anger and disgust overflowing inside me.

Nothing came out.

Burning eyes. Heavy heart. I wanted to scream. Cry. Tear those beings out of that hell. But my body kept moving steadily while my spirit broke, simply following Kiara.

We stopped before a structure supported by four imposing jade pillars, polished enough to reflect my image perfectly. Gold details shimmered, evoking ancient eras. Civilizations long extinct. Existing now only in books.

We entered a vast hall, also supported by pillars. Walls of an intense dark green. Gleaming with golden threads. Various antiquities crowded the surroundings: paintings, sculptures, statues, vases, and other artifacts once considered lost.

Was that the Mona Lisa? The real one? Unbelievable! The painting had been stolen in 2778. Never recovered. Those responsible still unidentified.

My wonder was brutally interrupted.

I came upon three skeletal men hanging against the walls, arms raised in shackles. The faint movement of their rib cages was the only sign they were still alive.

I looked away, nauseated. Faced the center of the hall.

A magnificent throne, adorned with gold and precious stones. Radiating overwhelming power. Upon it, an unexpected figure sat almost bored, enveloped in an aura as disturbing as it was fascinating.

Kiara put a hand on her hip. “What are you doing here?”

Almost lying down. His legs crossed over the throne’s armrests. He clicked his tongue, threw his head back, and smirked. His eyes met mine. Intense. Penetrating.

My chest sank. It was as though his presence drained all the air from the hall. The shadows of his aura brushed my skin, suffocating.

His voice enveloped me like an inescapable enigma. “I’m always here and there ♪ this is just one more of those places.” He uncrossed his legs and ambled through the hall. His footsteps carried a weight that unsettled me.

“Saymon, where’s the Matriarch?” She narrowed her eyes, clearly irritated.

Saymon took a deck of cards from his coat. Began shuffling deftly. Silver rings gleamed over the strange symbols and numbers tattooed in black on his fingers. His gaze swept over me. His expression turned serious.

He turned back to Kiara. “Something came up. You know how she is…” He drew the first card and displayed it between his fingers: the Queen of Pentacles. “She’s the one who, even from afar, keeps everything and everyone around her under control.” With an elegant movement, he tossed the card to Kiara.

She caught it in midair. The item shimmered with a peculiar energy.

What it meant was beyond my grasp, but the air grew charged with tension.

The android pressed her lips together. Her rigid posture betrayed her discomfort. “You—”

“The Matriarch said, ‘My child, Kiara, needs me. I must look after her.’” He imitated a high-pitched voice. His smile full of charm. Provocation. “So, tell me what you want.”

“You know.”

Saymon approached me. His eyes gleamed. His aura filled the room, suffocating the surroundings. “You’re rather interesting. Our Kikky’s going so far to protect you. Or rather… anyway, what makes you so special?” He raised an eyebrow, then turned to Kiara. “She’ll give you the name because it’s you, but… you’ll have to do something for her.”

The android moved her fingers from her eyes to the bridge of her nose. “What is it?”

I followed the conversation, completely confused, trying to piece together the enigma unfolding before me.

Saymon ran his tongue over his canine teeth, an almost predatory gesture. “She’s expecting a shipment from South Africa, confiscated at the Port of Alexandria. Come back from there, and you’ll have a name.”

The Port of Alexandria? That…

Kiara nodded, but her reluctance was evident.

He smirked. “Excellent. The plane will be waiting at Viracopos. Here’s your hotel reservation. It’ll be an excellent experience for our new…” He narrowed his eyes and broke into a chilling grin. “Little mercenary.”

I held my breath. Maia surfaced in my thoughts at his expressions.

Kiara met his gaze head-on. Her presence emitted an equally terrifying aura. “If anything happens to Akiko…”

Saymon looked down at her. His confidence unshakable. “I’m sure you’ll protect her. After all…” He ambled back toward the throne. “You and Maia have done missions there before, but things are more tense now.”

“Send the map.”

“Already sent it. I’ll ask the Matriarch to suspend the contract for half a lunation. After that, the Aurums will be notified.”

Kiara’s eyes flashed with pure fury. In a sudden movement, she seized the back of Saymon’s neck. Firm. Relentless. “What kind of fucking joke is this?”

He did not even draw back. Only smiled, his amber eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “I’m not joking. They flagged the target as ultra-hard.” He shrugged casually. “No mercenary’s found her yet. They’re pretty impatient. Usually, an easy target gets captured in a day or two. You should be proud. Doing a great job with the Blondie.”

My entire body went on alert. What the fuck is this?

Kiara released him, keeping her furious gaze on him. She turned and began walking toward the exit. Before crossing the doorway, she pronounced, “I’ll come back, and you’ll give me the name. One way or another.”

We left.

“Remember my favor, hmm ♪” Saymon’s voice echoed through the hall, but the sense of danger still burned in its wake.

Something inside me knew; this mission was more than a price for the name of whoever had commissioned the contract.

It was a veiled sentence. I just wasn’t sure who it was meant for.

At Verdant Suites

I removed the mask, every muscle in my body tense. Fought to keep my emotions locked inside.

Kiara sized me up. I felt vulnerable.

“We have to do this mission…” She rubbed her temples. “Sit down.” The android seemed more relaxed. But I sensed a certain tension in the air. “What do you know about Egypt?”

“Enough, I’d say.”

“Okay. Egypt suffered a radiation bombardment at the end of 2795 because of its former leader’s actions. Afterward, the country was divided into four military cities, with Cairo as the Supreme City. Abdel’s the current leader of Kemetia’s command in Cairo, and he has the same ideals as that former leader…”

As she explained, I felt the weight of what awaited us in Cairo.

I recalled what I knew about the subject.

In 2795, great tension arose between the cities: a race to coweave nuclear nanobombs. The most powerful city would be the first to succeed. Cairo took the lead with three nanobombs, known as the 3-R:

R-ATOM: radioactive, based on nanonuclear fission. Generated waves of radiation that penetrated any material.

R-BIO: biological. Disintegrated organs, including nanotechnological ones.

R-FUS: geological. Triggered earthquakes capable of destroying continents.

This would make Cairo the most powerful city. Immense military power in its hands. The Universal Peace Tribunal (UPT) tried to negotiate peace with Kemetia, but failed. The leader decided to attack several countries to annex more territory to Egypt. Wanted to demonstrate the country’s power.

Eventually, the Aether Network gained access. Or rather, stole the 3-R. They bombarded Egypt with R-ATOM, bringing the Egyptians to the brink of extinction. Life in the country became unsustainable. The land, practically uninhabitable. That was what the other countries believed.

Seventy-five solar cycles passed. The ten most powerful cities established themselves: São Paulo, holder of the 3-R, took first place. Followed by Hong Kong, New York, Dubai, Sydney, Singapore, Lagos, Kinshasa, Tokyo, and London.

During those cycles, the surviving Egyptians eliminated the radiation and rebuilt Egypt. Cairo, alongside the militias of Alexandria, Luxor, and Aswan, transformed Egypt into one of the strongest military powers, even without the 3-R. They had extraordinary military might at their disposal. But Kemetia’s command was in northern Africa, a region led by the Lagos militia. They therefore had to report any decisions to the Nigerian command.

That changed in 2871.

A new leader emerged. The military and political figure Abdel Ramesses Kalil. His rhetoric resembled that of the former leader, the one who had led Egypt to annihilation in 2795. It focused on worship of the ancient gods and the subjugation of other nations; he emphasized that everyone belonged to a brotherhood of equals. After all, the Egyptian cities were horizontal. He exalted his own population by declaring them descendants of the gods. All others should bow to them.

Kiara paced back and forth. “We’ll have to be completely invisible there. Land in Cairo, head straight to the Port of Alexandria, get what we need, and leave. We’ll have to be invisible,” she explained.

Her words were arrows, embedding themselves in my mind and reminding me there was room only for getting things right. Every detail about Cairo, its war scars, made my stomach sink further.

“If something happens, if anything’s out of place, we could get into trouble. This mission, if Ma…” The name disappeared from her mouth. Her expression hardened. “And you? How am I supposed to do this with you along? Even killing an insect must be out of the question for you. Unless…”

I frowned.

“You understand what self-defense means, right? If someone tries to take your life, you fight back. Even if that means killing. Would you do it?” Her gaze fixed. Penetrating.

I was about to explode. Emotions repressed for so long on the verge of overflowing. My belly twisted with every memory of that horrendous place. “I-I don’t know. If I promised, I’d be lying. I’d rather be honest with you.” My body trembled with the effort of containing a scream. I felt on the verge of collapse.

But I knew I needed to continue. “I-I’m going with you. I’ll do what you ask. I know you’ll protect me. Every part of me seeks that. I-I want to understand her…” My voice faltered. My eyes burned.

Kiara wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. Her fingers smoothed my hair. A comforting gesture.

I rested my head on her shoulder. Finally, the trapped tears flowed.

“Hey, easy. The choice is yours. Always.” Her voice firm, but full of tenderness. “I’ll protect you, but I need you to be strong. I need you to protect yourself too, if I’m far away.” Her eyes met mine seriously. Almost pleading. “In this world, that’s the only option.”

I understood what she said, except that world was the opposite of mine. In my reality, death had kept its distance. Being there made me question my morals. My principles. My inaction. It would be ignorance to say I was unaware of the situations outside Zenith. They had never touched me concretely. So far from my routine. But I knew about them.

Although my initial motivation was purely selfish, I wondered whether Maia had brought me there to understand more about her. Or for something greater. Diving into that thought, a growing need to understand, to become part of that universe, invaded me. I would go to the end. Face whatever lay ahead.

I swallowed hard.

Attentively, Kiara held out a bottle of water.

“I-I’ll try,” I whispered, hesitant but determined. “I promise I’ll try.”

“Okay.” She displayed a holomap of Egypt from her hand. “See that orange point? That’s the mission site. Still looking, but I’ll scan everything to identify the object and detect gaps in the warehouse’s security so we can infiltrate it. Follow everything I say. I’ll avoid combat, but if it happens, I need you at least minimally prepared.”

Kiara held my wrists firmly. “Use these.”

Click

She pressed two buttons on my sleeves, and two blades emerged at my wrists. I recoiled, surprised. Had they been there the whole time? My hands trembled as I watched the blade slide out. Its sharp gleam reflected the world I was about to enter.

She pressed again. The blades retracted. “Make this movement.” Kiara thrust her hand forward. The blade reappeared. She winked.

“It’s easier than it looks.” I tried to follow her instructions. My mind spun with too much information. Uncomfortable and afraid of the weapons as I was, I nodded. My fingers brushed the blade, but my mind screamed to let it go.

I took a deep breath.

Certainty alone kindled the fire of decision. Determination boiled in my chest. At her side, I would offer support. Kiara was taking a risk by bringing me. I needed to repay that with effort.

I practiced the movement a few times. The mechanism responded more fluidly with every attempt. Before long, the gesture began to feel almost natural.

The gravity of the moment was a living conflict inside me, echoing through every choice.

In the early hours

Kiara asked me to wait at Verdant Suites while she collected two substances from Gill. She returned quickly. “It’s time. Ready?”

“To be completely honest, no.”

She shrugged. “You will be.”

We left the hotel.

A warm morning wind caressed my face and disheveled hair. Summer would soon reach its peak. Our destination was a place with a mild winter.

A new feeling invaded me. An unusual contrast I was experiencing. Dread. Euphoria. Pulsing uncontrollably in my heart.

Kiara’s car descended from the sky and landed before us. With the mask on, a round neon-magenta hologram appeared on the nanobodywork. That radiance penetrated my mind, as though whispering orders. My body would readily obey.

“Oh, that’s the Netherian symbol being transmitted.” She switched off that strange broadcast.

I felt relieved. “What was that?”

Kiara drove along the airway. Looked at me in the rearview mirror and gave a sarcastic smile. “Mercenaries are the unwanted children Zenith discards, but Netheria welcomes them with open arms and molds them.” Her expression hardened. “That’s why they serve it.” The coldness of her words made me shiver.

I turned away. Silently brooded over my curiosity about Kiara. I knew little about her. Both she and Maia carried an aura equally intimidating and comforting. They might differ, but they had so many similarities too. They were contained storms. Invisible. Inevitable. Ready to break free at the slightest lapse.

A strong, whistling wind interrupted my thoughts. Another concern crossed my mind. “How are we getting to Egypt? I mean, what about our passports?” I must have sounded a little desperate. But I barely cared.

Kiara threw her head back and roared with laughter. The intensity of it intimidated me.

My face burned. What was so funny?

“We don’t need those things. We’re nobody. We don’t exist in their worlds. If we disappear, we’re forgotten. They prefer it that way. So do we.”

“B-but…” I searched for the right words. “They’re still criminals. The police are looking for many of them. After all, you said yourself that this mask prevents identification by officials.”

“Yeah, they have to say they’re after us. That they know who we are. They pretend to hunt us to reassure the population, but we do their dirty work in secret. The real criminals here…” Kiara invaded me with her gaze. “Are the ones who force us to do what they want while hiding behind official systems.”

The words died in my mouth. Kiara was right. The truth was, I had always known, but believing what the Aether Network said was easier. More comfortable.

I was leaving my comfort zone further behind with every part of this journey.

Memories of Maia returned. Not her. How did she navigate this world without leaving traces? She was like rain: gentle enough to soothe. Strong enough to transform. Inevitable as a summer storm arriving unexpectedly.

My hands trembled faintly. Even the car’s warmth was not enough to warm them. My heart beat faster with every kilometer. What awaited me on the other side?

Silence weighed heavily. The hum of surrounding engines sounded distant, almost like an echo in another dimension. The sky darkened red on the horizon. Was it only the city’s reflection, or an omen of what was to come?

I let memories of Maia flow through my mind.

S-2878 • L3 Sintoluna • D29 Silenflu

“Sintoluna tunes the sky to the end. Silenflu spills silence in the last silver. The tide gathers radiance and keeps the thread. The portal kindles—and the story begins again.”

Winter brought the flu with it. As usual, the abrupt change in temperature knocked me down. I followed the Aether Network’s guidelines and went into quarantine.

I asked Takashi to notify the hospital and withdrew into my home. The weaving energy of my Mother phase would have to remain turned inward. My bouts of flu always lasted half a lunation. The first moons were the most intense.

The throbbing headache. The relentless runny nose. The malaise weighing on my bones. High fever. Vomiting. Dehydration.

A cruel cycle that left me completely inert.

S-2878 • L4 Abeluna • D00–03 Silenflu to Silensina

“Silenflu seals the dust and leaves the path shining. Silensi opens the portal: a whole beginning, soft ground. Silenabe raises the silver thread, luma in a living shoot. Silensina tunes the trail: Abeluna guides, the story ignites.”

The height of the flu. My biochip recorded every idea I had, in the tiny recoveries of energy enough to formulate a thought.

I received a message from Daren: 📩 “Akiyama, I heard about your condition. Get well soon. I hope you return to work soon.”

I rolled my eyes. His concern sounded more like a demand. Obvious and tiresome. I felt completely unwell.

Takashi was managing CogniSynth with the team in my absence.

As for Maia, I remembered to let her know: “I’ll be away for the next half lunation. Don’t worry about the blood collection.”

The reply came almost instantly: “Why?”

I tipped my head back, sinking into the pillow. My body was heavy. “I’m sick. I’ll let you know when I’m better.”

There was a pause.

“Sick?”

“Yes. The flu.”

No reply.

I sighed. Felt too weak to worry about it now.

Nightfall

I woke feeling even worse. My body felt tethered to an anchor that sucked away my strength. The humid air suffocated me. My eyes burned. I felt submerged. The miserable weather only made everything colder.

I configured the apartment to raise the temperature and wrapped myself in blankets. Despite my lack of appetite, I needed to eat. I ordered food through the GostiTron app. Within minutes, a nanodrone would deposit the meal through the window’s automated opening.

DING The doorbell rang.

I frowned. The delivery system was remote. Physical contact was unnecessary. I dragged my feet to the door.

The security holoscreens were malfunctioning. Showed an empty corridor. Some nanoengineer must have been carrying out maintenance.

What little strength I had drained away when I opened the door. I staggered, bracing myself against the wall.

Maia stood there, holding a package.

My feverish brain took time to process it. How had she gotten here? “W-what are you doing here?” My voice came out weak. Hoarse.

She looked me over. My head spun. I was about to collapse. “C-can I come in?”

I nodded, pathetic.

With delicate firmness, Maia took my arms and placed them around her neck. Before I could protest, she lifted me into her arms. “Where’s your bedroom?”

I indicated it with my head.

She laid me gently on the bed, unwrapped the food I had ordered, and brought some medication.

How had she gotten it? I thought about asking. Knew it would be useless. I simply accepted it.

“I looked up what might help you, but bought what the pharmacist recommended.” She sat beside me. “Tell me what to do.”

I pointed to the painkiller and the fever reducer. I preferred natural treatments. Usually, I waited for the flu to pass on its own. But this time, I gave in.

Maia leaned closer. What was she doing? She pressed her forehead to mine.

My heart leaped. Beat so hard I feared she could read me. Heat burned through my face. I hoped she would attribute it to the fever.

“You’re burning up,” she murmured.

Was she… checking my temperature? Like that? So close? My symptoms worsened immediately. Maia affected me in a way that revealed how insecure I was about dealing with her.

“Let’s wait for the medicine to work.” She sounded unconcerned, as though unsettling me were a natural part of her presence. She pointed to the food I had ordered. “I’ll eat this. As for you, I’ll cook something decent.”

Her bossy tone caught me off guard. “Those clothes are doing more harm than good. Besides, why’s it so hot in here?” Maia picked up the apartment’s remote and lowered the temperature. “While I make the food, change into something lighter.” Before giving me a chance to answer, she headed to the kitchen.

The glass between my bedroom and the kitchen let me watch her. Maia opened cupboards. Drawers. Refrigerator. Pantry. Inspected the ingredients. Took some vegetables and cut everything precisely. Prepared the meal swiftly.

I watched, too curious to stop myself. Then she raised her head and shot me a glare. I turned away quickly, embarrassed. Resigned, I followed her order. Changed into lighter pajamas. Returned to bed and stared at the view.

I tried to ignore the malaise and the fact that Maia was there. With me. She had always made her aversion to coming to Zenith clear. Yet there she was.

Almost an hour later, Maia brought a tray.

I immediately recognized what she had made: zosui, a Japanese dish traditionally served to someone with the flu. Shogayu, a hot ginger drink.

A faint smile escaped my lips. “Where did you learn this?” I spoke hoarsely. Brought a spoonful to my mouth. Delicious.

Maia shrugged. Ate the food I had ordered.

I recovered a little energy and covered myself with a thin blanket.

“Akiko…” She clicked her tongue and leaned closer.

“What?”

She gave me a mischievous look and bit her lip. “Why do you do that?”

I shrank back. “Do what, exactly?”

Her face was so close to mine. Her breath mingled with mine.

My heart beat out of rhythm. My feverish body complicated things.

Maia lowered her head. Chuckled and moved away.

I looked away. I was sick, and she was doing this to me. I turned toward the window. Tried to focus on the night outside.

Maia did the same.

I sneezed three times in a row and blew my nose. “Not worried about catching the flu?”

“I’m resistant.”

I lay down.

Maia braced her arms against the headboard. Hovered over me. It was too much. She kept doing this.

“Where can I sleep?”

“Y-you’re sleeping here?”

“Of course. How else am I gonna take care of you?”

My cheeks burned. I buried my face beneath the blanket. “S-sleep wherever you want.”

“Wherever I want?” Her tone was pure amusement. “Even with you?”

I wanted to scream. All that escaped was a muffled grunt. My heart hammered in my chest like a drum. Staying composed beside Maia was proving a failed endeavor. Especially sick. I slowly uncovered my head and found her giving a crooked smile.

“I can sleep in that armchair.” She pointed. “Though I’d rather stay close to you.”

“Why do you do this?” My fever threatened to return. I grew dizzy.

“You’re really gonna pretend that…?”

Pretend that…? Everything inside me was vertigo. I felt everything, but was too dazed to understand.

Maia seemed to read my condition. Picked me up before I could react.

Even if I tried to protest, I lacked the energy. “W-what are you doing?”

“When you have a fever…” Our eyes met. “It’s better to cool your body down.”

What did that mean?!

Maia carried me to the bathroom. Stayed there. Still.

“I’m not going to…” My cheeks burned more. “Turn around.”

Maia rolled her eyes and obeyed, chuckling.

“Are you staying there?” I turned on the lukewarm water and activated the bathtub’s whirlpool jets.

“Can I?”

The tub filled, and I immersed myself. Felt some of the weight in my body ease. “You can turn around.”

Maia sat in the vanity chair, crossed her legs, and rested an elbow on the armrest. Her catlike eyes caught my every movement. “Akiko, Akiko… ♪” She whistled. Ran a finger over her lips.

I rubbed the sponge over my skin. Tried to ignore her. Impossible. Her provocative aura enveloped me. Pressed against me. It was too much. I stood abruptly and threw the sponge into the water. “WHY? WHY DO YO—”

THUD! Maia fell backward with the chair. The noise echoed through the bathroom.

I shrank back into the water and peered over my knees.

Maia was still on the floor. Grumbled something inaudible. She stood. Her face flushed. “I’ll wait in your room.”

I submerged my head. Let out an underwater scream. What was that? Why?!

I stayed in the tub a while longer, trying to process what had happened. My face and body burned with embarrassment.

I gathered my courage and returned to the bedroom.

Maia was fiddling with the old cellphone. Did not even look at me. How did she recover so easily?! I supposed I was the only one feeling this way.

She dragged the armchair closer to the bed.

Ah, I thought too much. It was probably nothing. Definitely nothing. Maia was just… very nice. Yes. That had to be it.

I wrapped myself in the blankets. Closed my eyes. Whatever it was, I would sleep before my head exploded.

Over the following days

I thought Maia would have left, but she showed me another side of herself. She woke me with breakfast in bed. Just like every other meal. We spent most of the day in silence because of my lethargy.

A seluna passed.

I felt more energetic as the flu eased, but subdued by the arrival of my luteal phase.

“Feeling better?” Maia brought pancakes with chocolate and strawberries, accompanied by tea and milk.

“Yes.” I bit into a pancake. The sweet flavor melted in my mouth.

Maia sat on the bed.

The sunset painted the sky in shades of pink. Lilac. Yellow.

She sighed. Rested her chin on her knees. So adorable.

I finished drinking the tea.

Maia turned. “What is it?”

My body froze. Damn it. I was grateful for the orange shimmer of the setting sun. It concealed my heated face. “N-nothing.”

She smiled and took the tray to the kitchen. Returned holding the apartment’s remote.

I frowned.

“You control your whole apartment with this?” Then, looking amused, she began pressing buttons.

The room warmed, then cooled. Lights flashed. Changed color. Red. Blue. Orange. Pink. Music switched on. Grew louder. Softer. The windows darkened. Cleared. She looked like a child with a new toy.

The sunset was in its final stage.

Maia raised an eyebrow. A strange smile on her face. “What’s this?” She pressed a button.

“What…?”

The surrounding air changed.

The windows darkened, enough to reflect the sunbeams. A gentle reddish light enveloped us. Soft music began to play.

Our eyes met.

Maia set the device aside. Slowly, she approached with the fluidity of the melody. A melody accompanying our heartbeats. A rhythm both fast and slow. An intense beat.

I fixed my eyes on her.

The male voice sang:

Since you came into my life

I lost my breath

Your love found a way

Straight to my heart ♪

Our breaths mingled. Her face centimeters from mine. The intimidating aura disappeared. She allowed herself to be vulnerable. And so did I.

She came even closer. Our hearts fell into sync.

Motionless, I lost myself in her. In her freckled face. Her honey-colored eyes. Her white hair bathed in orange light.

“Aki…” Maia whispered and brushed her nose against mine.

Our foreheads touched.

Maia’s fingers trembled for an instant. Almost imperceptibly. Her eyes held mine, as though searching for something. Before I could overthink, before she decided to retreat, I pulled her close.

Our lips touched. We closed our eyes.

All her coldness became warmth. Her skin was warm, her fingers at the back of my neck holding me like something precious. Her breath was a whisper against my lips, a breeze laden with promise.

My body vibrated with something far more intense than fever. I lost myself in that moment and that music.

Maia laid me down gently and pressed her body against mine. Heat invaded me. She nibbled at my lips.

We grew breathless.

It was as though time had stopped. The kiss slowed.

Maia gave me a few little kisses before our faces drew apart.

We stayed in each other’s arms, looking at one another, chuckling softly. Sharing the same smile.

I rested my head on her arm.

We stayed there, contemplating the silence until nightfall.

Any insecurity I had about Maia disappeared. How opposite our worlds were hardly mattered. We might know little about one another. And our differences might open abysses between us.

None of it mattered.

She kept silent, and still, I felt. As though her soul spoke directly to mine. Instead of fearing what it meant, I felt welcomed. Because something inside me knew: with Maia, everything would change.

What existed between us was only the beginning.

The beginning of something intense, eternal, corchesweaving.

The planes taking off deafened me. The roar of helicopter rotors filled the airport. Wind whistled fiercely. Summer rain fell mercilessly. I could barely see a few meters ahead.

Kiara parked in an abandoned spot. “We’re here.”

She opened the trunk, revealing the rest of the arsenal. Took I’ll Devour You and a machine gun. Also fitted a bandolier. Two grenades on her belt. Checked the holster on my trousers. Installed noise suppression in my biochip. The android looked grim.

We stood behind a fence. Bent wire. Rusted.

She pointed to a black jet on the runway.

We passed through an opening in the fence and walked toward the aircraft.

She held a revolver.

I followed, lost among blinding lights and fierce wind. Even with noise suppression activated, the engines troubled my ears.

An Aether Network officer approached us, saying something inaudible.

Kiara strode strode ahead. I struggled to keep up. The officer drew closer. Raised a gun at us. My heart raced. I tried to speak to Kiara. My own voice vanished in the noise.

BANG! Kiara shot her right in the middle of the forehead. The gunshot reverberated through my chest like thunder.

My eyes widened, a muffled scream escaping me. My knees almost gave way for an instant. My breathing stopped.

The body fell motionless. Not a drop of blood. No final breath. Only a body on the asphalt.

I looked at Kiara. Her smile passed through me like another bullet.

We reached the plane. The door closed immediately behind us.

The interior was well lit. Large, comfortable seats.

I sat and removed the mask.

Kiara entered the cockpit. Started the plane.

“The estimated flight time to Cairo, Egypt, is fifteen hours. Have a pleasant journey.” The LI announced Brazil–Egypt airspace clearance and initiated the flight.

The android placed the weapons on the table and sat before me. Legs apart. An elbow resting on the armrest.

“W-why?” I swallowed hard beneath Kiara’s intense gaze. “W-why did you do that?”

She rolled her eyes. “You still have a lot to learn.”

“S-she was from the Aether Network. Why did you do that?”

“She was more than a soldier.”

“What do you mean? She…”

“Was one of Saymon’s androids.”

An android?

Wait. I hesitated. Of course, no blood had spurted from her head when she was shot.

“I shot her because I wanted to. If we’d gotten close enough, she would’ve recognized me.” Kiara grinned mischievously. “It was more fun this way.”

I frowned at her ferocity.

“What? She’ll reboot in minutes. I hit her forehead, far from the core,” she said as if stating the obvious.

And had she said androids? It was impossible for a human to connect to more than one android. The only way to connect to more than one was through the Motherboard. But those connections were limited to other nanotechnologies.

“Are you saying…” I searched for words through the daze. “Saymon has more than one android connected to him?”

Kiara nodded. “That’s Saymon’s special ability.”

A slight dizziness darkened my vision. “That should be impossible…” I murmured, my mind spinning.

Kiara only laughed. A dry sound, devoid of humor. “A lot of things that should be impossible happen every day.”

I swallowed hard. How did he have more than one android connected to him? The overload that must cause. It had to be overwhelming. The android’s nanites connect to human atoms during the process.

Scientists had conducted hundreds of tests to overcome this. The results had always been disastrous. All the volunteers died because their atoms exploded. How could he withstand that quantity of nanites? If it was true, it meant an immense advance for nanoscience.

Kiara must have noticed my unease. She placed a warm hand on my knee. “Better try to rest. Once we land, we won’t have much room for that.”

“And Maia? Did she have that?”

A wavering gleam crossed Kiara’s gaze. She quickly grew serious and returned to looking through the window.

Although she had ignored me, I barely minded. As I explored that world, I knew the answers would reveal themselves.

The plane’s noise lulled my senses, but the whirlwind inside me remained restless. What were we going to retrieve in Egypt? What was I becoming? And… did I really want to know?

I tried to relax and fell asleep.

S-2879 • L9 Fluxluna • D06 Sintosi

“Fluxluna opens a current in new radiance. Sintosi tunes sky and path. The tide draws signs in living silver. The story carries on, clear in a thread of light.”

Kiara stayed silent the entire time. I tried to prepare myself psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. The unexpected awaited me. I exhausted my curious Maiden’s imagination. Grew tired of trying to guess. Whatever was going to happen would happen. I wanted to live the moment. Dive headfirst into that world.

As we approached landing, Kiara picked up two garments and handed me one. “Our disguise. You can wear it over the uniform.”

I unfolded the black tunic, impressed by the fabric’s quality. Looked in the mirror. The garment concealed the uniform.

Kiara wore an identical one and gloves to hide the tattoos on her hands. She also configured my biochip to apply black eye makeup.

“Worked well.” She sat in the seat before me. “They can’t find out we’re foreigners. Some rebels reject Abdel, but he influences most people. If something happens, we could be arrested. We want to avoid that. They also have a certain disdain for more independent androids. To them, we should only serve humans. Nothing else.”

Kiara raised a finger. “Faces have to stay uncovered. These garments are the only exception.” She also explained that they did not connect to the Aether Network’s nanosystems.

Mercenaries moved with the safety of anonymity. It also meant that if we disappeared, were arrested, or even killed, no one would come looking for us.

“They wouldn’t even come for someone from Zenith like you.” Kiara holstered the weapons.

I swallowed hard at the warning.

“All right, let’s go.” She opened the plane’s door.

A gust of wind enveloped us. Forced me to close my eyes. I held on to the railing, adjusting to the new surroundings. My jaw dropped.

Golden sand surrounded us. Blending with a grayish sky.

I could barely believe the desert before me. I crouched and touched the hot sand. Smiled like a fool.

Kiara frowned. Looked at me strangely.

I cleared my throat. Followed her to a nearby establishment.

Someone with only their eyes visible greeted Kiara. “Pass,” they requested.

The android displayed the holopass.

We went around the building. A car was waiting. After putting our things away, we set off for Cairo. The city was nine hundred kilometers from the Sahara Desert. It would take about three hours to get there.

“What kind of place was that?”

“A mercenary outpost. The Sahara Desert’s known as a Dead Zone. Like Nobody’s Land. Kemetia’s command, Egypt’s militia, barely takes an interest in them.”

Was this happening everywhere? Hard to believe people lived in such deplorable conditions. Another knot tightened in my heart.

I used the journey to admire the immense expanse of sand, where sunlight created dazzling points of light. It took my breath away. The place’s beauty dazzled me, even amid the danger surrounding it.

We left the desert’s boundaries.

A gigantic wall surrounded Cairo. We faced chaotic traffic trying to enter through the gate. Androids and humans guarded it heavily. When our turn came, an LI greeted us in Arabic. Kiara secured our entry. I understood very little. The wind interfered with my hearing. Sometimes, the biochip failed to capture the translation in real time.

We flew over the circular metropolis. Sandy air covered it. Twelve colossal statues of Egyptian gods carved into the golden wall. Gleaming, they watched over buildings five hundred meters tall.

Twelve smaller statues surrounded Al-Azhar Mosque, the home of the leader, Abdel. Below them, people crowded into lines. Offerings in their hands.

In the distance, the ruins of the pyramids covered part of the golden scenery. Destroyed by the Aether Network’s attacks.

We parked on a ground-level street. A faintly greenish wind covered part of the region. The smell of polluted silica flooded my nostrils. The soft ground held indecipherable filth. Insects hovered over piles of trash between the alleys.

The overcast sky witnessed the desolation.

Most businesses sold food, convenience goods, or served as restaurants. Technoshops and roboshops were in the minority. Some people walked cheerfully. Others kept their heads down.

A Cairo soldier approached a short man and struck him on the head with his rifle butt. “No offering, worm? Come with me.”

My heart beat so hard. My head throbbed.

Kiara signaled ‘no’ with a shake of her head.

Saliva lodged in my throat. I tried to ignore it as we reached Ebony Retreat.

The hotel’s imitation façade was made of gravelly earth. Reproduced an ancient structure. Obelisks and bronze columns. The LI welcomed us.

We climbed a staircase. Walked to a small room. One window. A dresser. Two beds.

“I’ll prepare everything for our trip to the Port of Alexandria,” Kiara informed me.

I lay on the hard mattress for a nap.

Kiara woke me at nightfall.

I shook out my aching body. Pushed the drowsiness away.

She displayed the holomap of the Port of Alexandria. “We’ll go through these mountains.” A route stood out in orange. “I’ll leave the car at this abandoned place. We’ll continue on foot. The warehouse is here. We’ll stay in this cave overlooking it. From there, I’ll get more information.”

“We’re not coming back here?”

“No. I walked around Cairo. Things are fucking ugly. Soldiers are stopping and detaining people for no apparent reason. Staying here’s too risky.” Her gaze shifted between concern and pragmatism.

“I understand.” Agony stirred in my chest. I disliked this.

“It’ll take me two days to analyze the object’s location. The place’s weak points. On the third moon, we infiltrate. I need you to prepare in here.” She tapped my head. “Try to relax, okay?”

Some time later

We began the journey to the Port of Alexandria.

Kiara’s words brought unease to my heart. An inexplicable heat made my hands itch and my hair stand on end. Something escaped my perception. Invisible, lurking. I avoided dwelling on that feeling and distracted myself with the view.

We passed through security again.

Flew along some less nanotechnological airways. The nanoelectromagnetic waves faltered. We nearly fell twice.

Small, impoverished towns and stretches of vegetation made up the surroundings.

Titanic statues of Egyptian gods surrounded Alexandria.

We followed an alternative route, and Kiara turned toward the mountains. Altered terrain. Like the irregular geography of the rest of the city.

The android explained that they had used Alexandria to test R-FUS because they wanted to see how the tremors would affect cities. They avoided maximum power, but brought ruin to the region all the way to Ras El Tin Palace. Mountains rose with the tremors. Until then, they had tested the bombs in the Sahara Desert.

“That explains why half the desert became sea,” I commented, somewhat indignant.

“The only intact structure is Burj Citadel. The fortress we’re infiltrating. Or rather, the warehouse attached to it,” Kiara added.

We reached an abandoned place. Metal walls. Corroded by time. Strangely sturdy for such a ruined place. Obsolete technologies everywhere: panels, televisions, cables, and a signal tower. Recalling the memory of a communications base.

“I’ll camouflage the car, just in case.” Kiara finished and removed her tunic. Asked me to do the same. She adjusted the weapons on her body. Fixed me with a searching gaze.

I frowned, uncomfortable under her scrutiny.

“I’m gonna teach you to shoot. I hope you won’t need to, but if the situation calls for it, you have to know what to do.”

I stepped back. “N-no. I want to preserve life.”

“I know.” Kiara held my shoulders gently. “Please, I’m only gonna show you. We don’t always shoot to kill.”

I swallowed hard. Tried to rationalize it. Such an agonizing situation. But a dictator governed the place without the Aether Network’s official nanosystems. That put us in danger simply by being there. We were near a military fortress, ready to shoot us at the slightest lapse. Worse still, we were going to infiltrate it.

Perhaps shooting really would be unnecessary. I tried to affirm that to decide to continue. “All right.”

Kiara picked up a revolver. “This is the safety. Androids connect to the gun automatically. You need to set your biochip to connect automatically.”

Trembling, I took the gun from its holster and opened my biochip’s screen. Found the weapon’s code and enabled automatic weapon connection. A tickle ran through my arm and head. The holosight appeared in my field of vision.

“Good. Now aim. Shoot there.” Kiara pointed to a poster on the wall.

I recoiled. Lowered the gun. “N-no.”

“It’s just a wall.” Kiara watched me with an indecipherable gaze and took my hand. Squeezed it gently. “If you freeze at the wrong moment, I might be too far away to save you.”

“I-I k-know…” Sweat ran down my forehead. I raised the gun. “A-all right.” I had to keep my emotions under control. Tried to calm down.

“That’s it. Aim there,” Kiara encouraged.

A pixelated reticle of three circles. One inside the other. Target encircled. My arms moved involuntarily toward it. I aligned the sight. Received a command to fire.

The gun shook in my hands. I swallowed hard. My fingers locked on the trigger. If I fired, it meant… that I was willing. That I would accept this world.

I closed my eyes. Took a deep breath. My mind emptied. More sweat ran down my face. Settled on my eyelashes. I blinked hard. The effort of holding the gun. My knuckles white.

It was only paper. I squeezed the trigger.

BANG! I fired the revolver. Recoiled with the impact. Dropped the gun.

Kiara put it back in my hand. “Always hold on to your gun.” She looked at the poster. “That was good. Now you know how it feels. Let’s go.”

I closed my eyes. It had been terrifying. I imagined what shooting someone would feel like. How could they do it so easily? I holstered the gun and followed Kiara. I had to forget what I had just done and concentrate on the current mission.

We walked along a narrow trail through the mountains.

I glanced at how high we were above the ground. Vertigo struck me.

“Look ahead.” Kiara led the way nimbly.

I stepped carefully. Focused on my feet. Forward.

The trail narrowed further. Kiara took my hand. We pressed against the rock face. Little room for our feet. We reached a wider opening between the mountains. Kiara pulled me up. My hands slipped with sweat. I almost fell. Clung to the rock with all my strength. My soul left my body and came back.

She signaled for silence. Drew the revolver.

PFFT PFFT PFFT Three shots, muffled by the suppressor, echoed.

I dug my fingers into the rock. My fingers burned. My breathing kept pace with my racing heart.

Kiara pulled me by the arm. “Okay, let’s take this.” She placed a drop on her forehead and handed me the vial of bluish liquid. “It’s CaloraX. A heat suppressant to stop thermal sensors from picking us up.”

Over her shoulder, three bodies lay on the ground.

I shook my head. Swallowed the bile. Trembling, I took one drop under my tongue.

“I’ll hide the bodies. Wait here.” Kiara mixed the blood spatters into the earth.

How was she so used to this? Her ease increased my nausea.

“Let’s go.” She walked to a table covered with papers and weapons and picked up a document. “Orders to shoot anyone approaching the fortress.” She took I’ll Devour You from her back and aimed it at Burj. “There’s a line of bodies around the walls. I’ll hack their communications to keep this quiet.”

We continued along a winding trail and came upon a gap. Kiara jumped across easily. I, on the other hand, felt only fear. And weakness in my legs.

She held out her arm. “I’ll catch you.” Her voice conveyed confidence.

I glanced down. Saliva struggled down my throat. Sweat made the fabric cling to my skin. “I-it’s challenging.”

“I’ll catch you. Trust me.” The determination in her gaze made me feel safer.

I stepped back. Took a deep breath. Jumped. Reached out. My fingers slipped in her hands. My feet slid on the dirt. My body tilted backward.

Kiara caught my wrist. Pulled me hard.

I hugged her with tears in my eyes. “I-I thought…”

“Told you I’d catch you.” She stroked my head. “C’mon, we have to keep going.”

Voices at the next post alerted Kiara. I waited while she went ahead to check.

PFFT PFFT PFFT A sequence of muffled shots.

Silence.

PFFT PFFT More shots.

Shouts from above reverberated.

PFFT

I suppressed a startled reaction when she appeared.

Kiara pointed to a staircase carved into the mountain. “They’re patrolling from up there.” She made the bodies disappear. Continued ahead. Cleared the posts. Erased all evidence.

We reached the small cave, hidden near a ravine. Somewhat cleaner than I had expected. It gave us a perfect view of Burj Citadel.

I leaned against the wall to catch my breath.

“You’ll sleep on the ground.” Kiara pointed to a hollow between the rocks.

“I got a taste of that with the hard mattress.” My stomach growled. “Food?”

The android threw her head back and laughed. “Hungry?”

My face warmed. “That’s not it. Maybe a little.” I removed the mask. In truth, I was starving.

“Here.” She tossed me another vial. The label read FamineFix. “It’ll sustain you while you’re not eating. Until we finish this mission. Best not to take it for more than one seluna. Your body needs real food.”

I took it. Felt satisfied. Somewhat energized.

Kiara set the sniper rifle on a bipod. Lay down and looked through the scope.

I sat at the edge of the cave and watched the city. As my eyes grew heavy, I thought about what I had done. What I would still do. What would remain of me when this was over?

I fell asleep shortly afterward.

I woke before the first rays of sunlight touched the cave. My body ached, numb. My arms tingled. Sensation slowly returned.

“Was just about to wake you.” Kiara sat beside me. The holomap appeared above her wrist. “Pay attention.”

I rubbed my face, shaking off the grogginess. Focus. Time to commit everything to memory.

“Five floors.” Red dots lit up on the map. “Thirty guards. They operate in quadrants.” She enlarged the projection. “Two weak points.” The first glowed. “There’s an opening here. We can hide inside this structure.” The second lit up in yellow. “Another option: follow the low wall to the main door. Two guards along the way. Another two at the entrance.”

An orange dot blinked at the center of the map. “Our objective’s here. Still don’t know what’s inside, but it’s small.” Kiara deactivated the hologram.

I swallowed hard. Repeated the information in my head. I needed to remember everything.

Anxious as I was, I had to get it right.

S-2879 • L9 Fluxluna • D07 Abeli

“Fluxluna flows clear, a thread of living water. Abeli kindles a bud of radiance above. The tide draws signs in soft silver. The story weaves a steady step in growing light.”

The day dragged on. Sunbeams fell across the sandy mantle covering the Citadel. The waters of the Mediterranean Sea shimmered. Points of light on the horizon.

I woke beneath the sunset. A lilac and orange sky. Clouds like a painting.

Night fell. The faint glow of two stars. A sight I had never seen before.

I smiled. Imagined Maia beside me. Beneath the same sky. My smile faded.

The memory of her warmed me. But she was gone. It hurt at my core. I was on this journey to truly know her, because she had been my breath of life. Maia awakened feelings I had never known. First through an unease that made me question my life. Whether that solitary path would bring me fulfillment.

Confused as I was by those new feelings, something changed forever. She made my heart race. Gave me butterflies. Filled my thoughts. I fell in love. Everything I wanted to do. The life I wanted to lead. The experiences still ahead of me. I wanted to live them with Maia.

A dream cut short. What was left for me to do?

Dawn broke.

Kiara stroked my arm. She must have seen that I had cried myself to sleep. In silence, she watched me with gentle eyes.

I smiled at the gesture. Sat up, feeling sorer than before. Stretched to ease the numbness.

Kiara sat across from me. “Finished the analysis. The guards change shifts twice: once at noon and again at ten at night, when boat traffic stops. We’re going in tonight at ten. This area will clear out for two minutes. Enough time to reach this wall.”

The route glowed on the map. “I’m gonna need you. While I clear the way, follow this corridor. Hack the power box. Use this nanomalware.” She sent me a file, Noluz.exe. “I’ll have hacked the cameras, so you’ll be invisible. Then come back to me. The malware will cut the power after one minute. That means we’ll have three minutes. We’ll go down into the warehouse, grab the object, and head back to the ground floor. The power will be back by then. Probably every guard will be on alert. We’ll already be gone.”

She gestured. “Stay behind me. Watch my back. You can avoid killing, but if a guard comes our way, neutralize them. You’re a doctor. You should know the vital points.”

“I-I’ll try.” I cleared my throat.

The thought of shooting someone was unbearable. Even without intending to kill. I trembled just imagining it. I pushed the thought aside. Focused on what I needed to do to terminate my contract. Find out who had commissioned it. I still had to face that fact. I was being hunted. Soon, I would understand why. I also had to become independent of Kiara. Had to learn to be strong. To protect myself.

“We move at nine. Any questions?”

“No, but there’s something I need to tell you.”

Ever since we arrived in Netheria, my intuition had told me this was the right decision. My Maiden trusted Kiara. Maia did too.

I took the compass out of my pockets. The watch. The phone. They weighed more in my hand than they should have. “They were in the envelope. What do they mean?” My heart pounded. I felt they were important. “I have a feeling. Think they should stay with you. At least for now.”

Kiara studied the three items. “Maia left these with you? She gave me the envelope sealed.” Kiara turned the objects over in her hands. Her smile came quickly, as though something had fallen into place, but soon disappeared. “She…” Her tone changed.

“What?” I bit my lip.

“Had no idea.” A pause too brief. “I mean, I knew that…” Kiara ran her fingers through her hair. “Anyway, that can wait.” Yet something strange clouded her eyes. “Sure you wanna leave these with me?”

I nodded, confused.

“All right.” She quickly pocketed them inside her coat.

Curious as I was, I understood our situation. I focused on the mission.

Time to Infiltrate

I took FamineFix to settle my stomach and CaloraX to go undetected.

Kiara adjusted the machine gun on its sling. Ran her fingers along I’ll Devour You. “I’m a sniper and a strategist,” she murmured. “If Maia were here, she’d handle the infiltration.” A faint smile escaped.

Hearing her speak of Maia, however vaguely, made me smile too.

Kiara put the gun away. “All right. We’re ready. I mean, are you?”

I nodded. I wanted to avoid thinking too much about it.

The descent was steep. A natural path down the mountain. We used our hands and feet. Kiara climbed down easily, helping me keep my balance. The ground drew closer. My hands burned. Blood mingled with sweat.

We hid among the bushes until we reached the warehouse. Aerial lights bore down on the structure. The vast complex lay concealed among tall vegetation and low walls. Cargo nanovehicles stood parked. Holoscreens pulsed on the concrete walls. The guards were the only movement.

Kiara cut through the fence with a laser.

We waited.

Two guards passed.

We slipped inside. Spotted the opening. Kiara hurried toward it. I tried to keep up, but a guard rounded the corner. The android yanked me toward her. I nearly fell.

Inside the warehouse, a wall separated us from the central area.

A guard passed.

Kiara grabbed him and covered his mouth. Drove the retractable blade into his neck. Blood spurted. She hid the body immediately.

Another guard.

Kiara did it again. Same movement. Same precision.

My turn. I crossed the corridor slowly. Crouched as I passed a window. Bioscreen open. Connected to the power box: Noluz.exe. The nanomalware glowed neon red. Before everything went dark, I activated night vision. Returned to Kiara.

She cleared the way to the lower floor.

Agitated voices rose from the floors above.

Kiara pocketed a small metal box.

Two and a half minutes had passed.

As we were leaving…

“You can do better than that, cabrón.” A powerful voice. Carefree. “Gonorrea malparido!” He laughed. Loud. Heartily.

A whip cracking against flesh.

My heart pumped agony through my veins. I shuddered. My chest hurt.

Kiara stopped. Looked at the door. An unreadable expression. What was she doing?

The lights came on. A wall concealed us. Guards poured in.

“Bring it on! No sé quién crees que eres. Pero that little punch de mierda won’t bring me down!”

Kiara kicked the door open. Charged into the room. Two shots.

What on earth was that?

I ran after her. Cold sweat. Trembling.

“Denden?” She frowned in confusion.

Before us: a tanned man. Feline eyes. Sharp. Curly brown hair tied in a loose bun. A lock fell across his forehead. Tattoos covered his muscular, bloodied body.

“Kiara? What’re you doing here, muchacha?”

“What do you think?” She rolled her eyes. Removed the nanocuffs from his wrists and ankles. How had she done that? Only nanokeys could unlock nanometals.

Denden stood and rubbed his wrists. A blood-red smile. “Was just about to get myself out, muchacha. Only a matter of time.”

“Right.” Kiara clicked her tongue. “You brought the Matriarch’s shipment and got caught, didn’t you?”

He picked up a dead guard’s gun. “Didn’t get caught. Something unexpected came up.” Denden spread his arms. “Now you’re here. Suerte.” He was far too cheerful for someone covered in blood. And beaten to a pulp.

My instinct was to examine him, but I held back.

The mask identified him:

Denden • Mercenary Leader • Cyborg • 38 cycles

He looked at me. “Who’s this muchacha?” He headed for the door.

“My apprentice.” Kiara followed him. Signaled for me to come.

“Apprentice?” Denden chuckled. “Brought a Class 1 mercenary along for this? She must be good.”

They focused on their surroundings. Guards approached the room.

“Wanted to do this quietly.” Kiara glared at him.

Denden laughed heartily. “Leave it to papi.” He opened fire.

The guards yelled for reinforcements.

“NO!” Kiara snarled.

Too late. Denden was enjoying himself. She wasn’t. She turned toward me, toward the chaos around us. I saw it in her eyes: she was about to make a choice.

“SHIT! FUCK!” Kiara drew her machine gun and fired.

Screams. Gunshots.

No. No. NO. What had I gotten myself into?! I WAS GOING TO DIE. I was going to get shot and die. Shit. I crouched. Arms wrapped around my body, trembling.

Kiara pulled me up. “C’mon. No time. We gotta go.”

Denden dropped his gun and grabbed another from the fallen bodies.

A sea of blood. Dark stains spread across the floor. Ran down the crates, soaking the bodies’ torn clothing.

An overwhelming urge to vomit. How much longer could I take?

The remaining guards waited for us at the entrance. Cacophony. Shouts.

ZAAHH-ZAAHH-ZAAHH! The alarm sounded. Red. Blinding light.

BANG! BANG! BANG! Gunshots.

Kiara’s grip dragged me along.

“THAT ALL YOU’VE GOT?! PUTOS!” Denden roared with laughter. “You’ll regret fucking with EL MONSTRUO!”

My blood-soaked body shook uncontrollably. What the fuck was this? Shit. My head spun. My blood pressure dropped. My vision blurred. No. Easy. Breathe. I tried to think. Stay calm. Calm. I had to focus.

Denden and Kiara fought their way toward the exit. Shot the guards. We would reach the mountains. Gain the advantage. Then leave. That was the plan. Yes. It would work.

“I-I’m okay.” My voice trembled.

Kiara fired with vigor. “Watch my back.”

I took out the revolver. My hands shook. My finger settled on the trigger, but it was as though my entire body screamed at me to stop. I was about to cross a line. But… if I gave in… I would die. My vision sharpened. Everything happened almost in slow motion.

Guards. More guards.

Almost at the exit.

A shout.

A small ball flew toward us. Greenish smoke.

The air vanished from my lungs. I coughed. It burned. Even with the mask, I was suffocating.

So was Denden. He dropped his guns and clutched his throat.

Flashes of Kiara screaming.

No… I… have to live. Maia…

Darkness took over.

My eyes burned as I opened them. My head throbbed. Thinking hurt.

A faint light seeped through a crack in the wall. Metal bars. Everything blurred. The grayish room closed in on me. The reflection on the floor showed my filthy face. Sweat. Dirt. Blood.

Seconds trickled past.

My arms and legs were still. Nanocuffs dug into my wrists and ankles, keeping me from moving. Each heartbeat hurt. The buzzing silence was worse than the blows. I licked my swollen lips. Tasted the iron tang of blood.

“You awake, chica?” A deep, heavily accented voice. “Been two days. They beat you so bad I thought you were muerta.” Denden spat on the floor. “Son malparidos. Bastards.”

My head hung heavy.

“Say something.”

“I-I…” My dry throat hurt. I tried to swallow. Couldn’t.

He watched me, intrigued. “You look horrible. Pero… something caught my attention. You kept fighting the whole time.” Nanometals shackled his arms and legs to the chair. Dried blood. Fresh blood. On his body. On his trousers. Deep cuts in his eyebrow and lip. His face swollen. Denden kept smiling.

“N-no…” Tears welled up. “Why…”

His expression darkened. “Seen a chica act like that before. Every time they beat her, tortured her, hurt her, she stared them down with determination. Una verdadera fortaleza.” He held my gaze. “If you know Kiara, you must’ve known Maia.”

Maia?

The name silenced my tangled thoughts.

Denden’s smile widened. “Remember when she first came to Nobody’s Land…” He launched into the story. His voice echoed through the room.

My head hurt more, but I wanted him to keep going. Having someone there made it all feel less unbearable. Especially someone who radiated so much warmth. And he was talking about her, answering the plea my soul sent out, even into the unseen. A tear heavy with pain rolled down.

“She always kept quiet. Wouldn’t even answer the higher-ranking mercenaries.” He leaned back, relaxed. “No sé why they sent her to the chamber the first time. Maia endured the torture in silence. Never screamed. Never even showed she was in pain.” Denden frowned. “Until that happened…” He shifted his arms and stretched his neck. “Mucho mejor. Anyway… todos los mercenarios who tortured la chica turned up dead.”

My stomach churned.

“Strangest part was how they died. Every death was ruled natural.” He let out a manic laugh.

My eyelids grew heavy. My head spun, but I wanted to hear more about her. I opened my mouth. “Y-you—”

The door burst open.

Two soldiers entered in gray-green uniforms. They belonged to Alexandria’s Kemetia command. One carried a revolver. The other, an iron baton.

Denden grinned. “Well, well… The gonorreas malparidos showed up.” His laughter rang off the walls. “Let’s have some fun, pendeja.”

The female soldier drove the baton into his ribs.

Denden doubled over and spat blood. Lifted his head. His eyes gleamed. Excitement. Insanity. “Only way to top that is to kill me, you bastard. ¡COMA MIERDA!” Denden laughed louder. Heartily.

I closed my eyes.

The blows echoed. Metal against skin.

My churning stomach forced me to vomit all over myself. Cold sweat trickled down. My heart hammered wildly. When I tried to move, a searing pain tore through my abdomen. An electric shock shot up my spine. My body convulsed. I bent forward, gasping for air.

The guard struck my throat.

My head snapped back. My vision darkened. Blood gushed from my mouth. I coughed violently.

“WHO ARE YOU?!” The soldier yanked Denden’s hair.

He spat in her face.

She answered with a punch. To the stomach. To the face.

But he was unbreakable.

The other soldier came toward me. Grabbed my hair. Yanked hard. Strands tore from my scalp.

“WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?” His spit sprayed my skin.

I could barely think. Let alone speak. My head was heavy. Pain throbbed.

BANG! A gunshot rang out.

My body recoiled. Hot tears slid down. My eyelids fluttered. I kept my eyes shut. Afraid to see Denden dead. He was dead.

No…

“BASTARD! PIECE OF SEWER SHIT! USTED NO SABE COM QUIÉN SE ACABA DE METER!”

I lifted my head. Blood ran down his leg. Relief. He was alive. I took a deep, trembling breath.

“Answer me, you bastard! Who the fuck are you?!” The soldier clenched his teeth. Pressed the revolver’s barrel against Denden’s forehead. “Why did you have that shipment?”

The mercenary smirked. “Confused, montón de mierda? Only thing you’re getting outta me is my brains.” He cracked up.

I almost laughed with him.

The gun’s butt struck his head.

The two left.

Silence suffocated us.

Denden turned his head. “Stay alert, chica. They’ll be back.”

I tipped my head back. My body weighed heavily. Pain drained me. Dried blood on my face. A metallic taste on my lips. Darkness swallowed me. Honestly, I was exhausted. Ready to give up. This was it. The end. I knew getting out of there was an impossibility. Warmth left my body. My breathing grew shallow.

But then… then Denden roared with laughter, as though death were a joke. “Stay awake, muchacha.” His voice grew distant. “Stay with me. We’re getting outta this.”

I didn’t answer.

“Been in much worse places. Focus on my voice.” His voice smiled. “I was locked up in the worst prison of all. With la chica Maia.”

My eyes opened a little.

“Gonna tell you about it, all right?” He chattered cheerfully.

Maia’s image appeared in my mind. It would be so easy to join her. My eyes kept closing against my will. I fought the pull of sleep. A force tugged me back. A survival instinct insisted on sparking.

My vision flickered between reality and something else. A silhouette. White hair. Honey-colored eyes.

I see you, Maia… are you here? Will you talk to me?

The darkness receded. I tried to focus on Denden. Hearing about her would give me more strength.

He smiled, as though he had noticed.

S-2878 • L1 Alonluna • D10 Unabe

“Alonluna stretches the road across the sky. Unabe kindles axis and choice. The tide raises radiance with a steady step. The story carries on, clear in the air.”

DENDEN

They assigned me, Kiara, and Maia to rescue a kobun for an oyabun. The leader of the Ryuho-kai clan in Shin’en Gai, the City of the Abyss. Japan’s underworld.

You’re Japanese. You must know the Yakuza rose again and became the second most powerful criminal organization in the world. Only the Bratva ranks above them.

That fucker… never gonna forget the cabrón’s name. Kotaro. Bastard. They locked him up in Fuchū. Maximum security. And all he did was kill a cop. One fucking pig. And they sent him there? Way too strict. If they put me in maximum security for every goddamn pig I’ve killed…

Tsk. Better keep that quiet. Anyway…

A dangerous facility. Over a thousand meters. To make things worse, the espíritu carcomido was fifty meters underground.

Mission impossible.

Must be why those cagóns hired us.

We had one seluna to get it done.

We were walking toward the nanoplane at Viracopos Airport.

“Why are you coming, Denden?” Kiara was in her usual foul mood.

I gave her a charming smile. “Whaddya mean, muchacha? My presence here is a gift from the gods.”

“You’re loud as fuck.”

I gasped, shocked by her declaration. “You think so too, chica?!”

“You know she’s right.” Maia kept her eyes ahead.

My indignation grew.

We boarded the plane, and Kiara connected to the LI.

“You’re both talking shit. Should be thanking me for being here. Me and my sweetheart.” I planted a kiss on my ARMANS twelve-gauge shotgun, which I affectionately call Rompe-culos.

They exchanged a knowing smile.

Kiara sat across from Maia. Both turned toward the view.

I dozed off a few times during the flight. Almost a full day.

Lemme tell you. I’m very observant. Everyone always thinks I, Denden, am some impulsive maniac who barely thinks. Might be true most of the time, but I know how to read people.

The white-haired girl had always caught my attention. She was ruthless. Always alert. Except right then, she looked distracted.

“What’s with the sudden interest in Japanese culture?” Kiara kept her eyes on the view.

Maia was fiddling with that old phone.

I followed their conversation. Closed my eyes now and then, trying to squeeze in another nap.

“Nothing special.” She pocketed the device.

The android glanced at her. “Strange to research the culture of a place we’re going. You’ve always shown barely any interest.”

Maia propped her feet on the table, stretching. “Just curious.” Something about the way she spoke gave me chills.

There was something about Maia that made my skin crawl. More than coldness. It was that presence of hers. The fact that… she knew things. Things we couldn’t even dream of knowing.

Her and Saymon.

I’ll be honest. Those two intimidated even me, el monstruo. For me to admit that, it means I’m humble enough to recognize them as personas de respeto.

Silence.

Finally. I was dying to sleep.

I woke up.

We were about to land. Kiara grabbed her sniper rifle. Maia, some pistol. And me, Rompe-culos. We took a car to Minami, a district of Tokyo. We’d be staying there.

Tokyo’s the most advanced city I’ve ever seen. While giant robots walked through Sentā, little ones popped up outta nowhere.

Everything impressed me.

The air smelled of electronic smoke and fried food, a mix of neon and steam hovering over the streets. Giant holoscreens flashed, screaming invasive ads. Artificial eyes peered out from the alleys. Cameras or implants? Hard to tell.

Holotrees turned into adware. Pixelated airways. And the cars?! A car turned into a robot right in front of my eyes. Fucking wild. Everywhere was colorful and bright. And people’s implants? One guy had four eyes. Four eyes, carajo.

The food? Mmm. Just remembering makes my mouth water. And now I’m stuck in this place de mierda…

Anyway, we reached Minami.

Traditional Japanese houses stood inside the buildings. We usually stayed in hotels. This time, though, we’d be staying with that bastard Kotaro’s grandmother. A sweet little old lady. Nothing like the cabrón.

Our first time in Tokyo. Experiencing traditional Japanese culture. We barely knew how to behave.

Yasu waited at the entrance. Wearing a violet yukata. The little old lady smiled faintly. “Youkoso.” She bowed. Found out later that meant “welcome.”

We bowed too. Awkwardly.

Her smile widened. Gentle little eyes. Most adorable old lady I’ve ever met.

“Don’t worry about formalities. Come inside. Make yourselves at home.” At the door, she handed us slippers. “You can leave your shoes here and your weapons over there.” She pointed to a table.

So we did.

“I’ve prepared a meal. I imagine the journey’s left you hungry, yes.” She led us through the house. A low table. Cushions around it. “Wait here.”

We sat and looked around.

“Una señora muy sweet,” I whispered.

“Rare for anyone to treat us this well on a mission,” Kiara commented.

Maia kept her gaze alert. More curious than suspicious.

A few minutes later, Yasu brought a tray: a bowl of rice, miso soup, pickled vegetables, and fish.

We ate.

The little lady cleared the table. When she returned, she held a nanodevice. “Now that your bellies are full, let’s get down to business.”

Look, I dunno what happened, but suddenly a shadow crossed her face.

She sat at the table and placed the device in the center.

Click

A holomap appeared.

“These are the blueprints for Fuchū Prison.”

“You have the prison blueprints?!” Kiara’s eyes widened.

“Of course, young lady. I oversaw the prison’s modernization and nanorestructuring.” She gave a shameless little smirk. “Very well. My baka grandson is on the twelfth basement level. Cell two. Two nanodoors reinforce the cell. Only the floor supervisor, the keyholder, can open them. Each floor has ten guards.”

Yasu sipped her tea. “A single nanoelevator provides access to the floors. All the nanocameras are behind the walls. Thermal and motion nanosensors. Unregistered presences trigger the alarm. Within seconds, the structure’s nanites immobilize the intruder. The guards surround them immediately.”

She raised three fingers. “The LI’s command room is split across three locations. All scattered throughout Tokyo. They change every seluna or lunation.” She drank more tea. “Oh, forgive my manners. I forgot to bring you some.” She stood before we could answer.

“All this ’cause the cabrón killed a pig,” I grumbled.

“Tokyo’s police are efficient as fuck. It tops the list of the most heavily policed places in the world,” Kiara said.

Maia stared at the map.

“Even so, chica. Getting locked up over something that stupid? Makes me wonder what the sentence would be for a massac—”

Yasu returned with three cups of tea. “Would you like some?”

I grimaced. Can you imagine me, Denden, drinking tea? Obviously, refusing would’ve been rude. Gotta admit, it tasted good.

“An LI controls the prison. There’s only one way in and out, on the ground floor.” She laid her palms flat on the table. “Inside the cells, nanocuffs restrain the prisoners. I know. It’s perfect. Designed to be an escape-proof prison.” Her tone was melancholy.

Maia watched her with feline eyes. “Rest easy, Mrs. Yasu.” She rested a hand on her arm. “We’ll bring your grandson back.”

How did she do that?

Even being all friendly, the coldness seeped through the cracks. Friendly tentacles. Ready to crush at the slightest misstep.

The little lady smiled with her eyes. “That’s very kind. My aho son can’t even save his own family.” Her lips tightened, but quickly curved into a smile. “You must be tired, yes? I’ve prepared somewhere for you to sleep.” She stood and walked to the door. “You can keep the blueprints. Discuss your strategy. Ask for whatever you need.”

When we finished talking, we went to bed. I had one room. Maia and Kiara shared another.

I woke a little before midnight and headed for the bathroom. On the way, I saw Maia in the kitchen with Yasu.

“This is how you prepare it.” The little lady stirred a pot.

I stopped, watching.

Maia followed along. “Is there a dish for every occasion?”

Yasu smiled, tasted what she was cooking, and offered Maia some. Maia held the spoon, hesitating for a second. Her eyes searched the soup as though looking for something beyond its flavor. Then she tasted it. Her expression stayed neutral, but I saw something. A glimpse of raw, fragile emotion before it disappeared.

Yasu tossed some seasoning into the pot. “Some occasions can be more special than others. What do you have in mind?”

I confess: the conversation made me curious. But the smell of fresh ginger and scorched soy sauce filled the air. Strong enough to make someone remember home. Or the one they’d lost.

“A special dinner. If someone’s sad, sick, or…” Maia cleared her throat. “If it’s their birthday.” Her voice grew quieter.

“Yes, dear. There’s a dish for those occasions. If the person’s Japanese, they’ll be happy to receive something traditional. None of that Comibot nonsense. I can give you a few recipes, if you’d like.” Yasu blew on the steam. “Naturally, anyone would be happy to eat something homemade.” She raised an eyebrow. Perceptive.

Knew I’d get noticed soon. I went to the bathroom. Then back to sleep.

I’ll be honest. Finding out the girl had an interest in cooking surprised me. But something in that kitchen felt like more than just seasoning. Something old.

Well, though… Who am I to talk? I’ve got plenty of interests.

S-2878 • L1 Alonluna • D17 Fluxli

“Alonluna sustains a light already ripe. Fluxli releases the thread in a gentle curve. Gaia draws the tide in silver on high. The story catches its breath and carries on.”

Gotta say, I’m more about acting than analyzing, but a mission like that called for some caution.

We scouted the prison’s surroundings. A one-kilometer security zone circled the place. We were on a balcony a thousand meters away. Maia and Kiara talked among themselves. While the android searched for a position, the girl came over to me. Stayed quiet.

“Heard it was your birthday a few selunas back, chica.” I rested my arms on the low wall. “Abeli of Silenluna?”

She glanced at me.

“Wherever you’re from, everyone wears the same expression on that date. Still a blessed day, though.” I smiled. “Feliz cumpleaños. You really are a muchacha with layers.”

Maia stayed impassive. Then sighed. “Gracias.” She gave a crooked smile and walked away.

Once we finished the analysis, we came up with a plan.

On the Deadline Seluna

Dunno what kinda abilities those two have. All I know is they were unbeatable at breaking into places. Kiara found one of Fuchū’s security center locations. We’d infiltrate it to disable part of the nanosystem.

Kiara would open a window on the first floor. Maia would enter the prison, and I’d join her afterward. The android would cover us as a sniper.

The nanosystem would be restored in thirty minutes. Maintenance was scheduled that night. The command room’s power center would be slow to respond to emergencies.

That would give us two hours to work our magic.

Everything was going well.

When the Time Came

The room was in a commercial building. Packed with civilians. Shops. Robots. Androids. If anything went off plan, if we had to improvise, we could be detected.

We blended into the crowd. Kiara made the first move: slipped through a restricted-access door near an abandoned staircase.

Five minutes passed.

KNOCK KNOCK Two knocks. Our code.

Bodies lay on the floor. Kiara had an android in a chokehold. Her eyes glowed violet. The android writhed in her arms. A wire extended from her wrist, connecting to the machine’s core.

ZIIII ZIII ZIII A piercing whine.

A man knelt in front of her.

“Work your magic.”

I approached him. His eyes wide. “C’mon, cabrón. Understand me?”

He nodded.

I smelled the fear pouring off him. Feeding me. I grinned wide. “Muy bién. Time to go to hell.”

The man’s eyes widened. Pupils dilated. His face froze in a silent scream. I watched his awareness evaporate. Watched his sanity drain away like smoke. He was already far from there. Fear consumed him completely. He fell backward. Moaning in terror.

Ah, that sound… got me so excited! Delirium seized me. I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. My eyes burned with fervor. “Rather die than reveal your secrets? Gonna show you something much worse than death.”

Lemme tell you about my ability, chica.

Know why I’m a cyborg?

Because in 2850, when I’d lived nine cycles, some piece of shit kidnapped me, stole my heart, and, with a special kind of cruelty, replaced it with one that had a seluna left to live.

I left my hometown, Medellín, Colombia, and went to São Paulo. A guy knew another guy. Who knew a woman. Who knew another. In the end, they told me I’d find the answer in Nobody’s Land.

I wanted to live, chica. I’d pay the price.

The mercenaries took me to Netheria. I met the Patriarch. He said I’d live. He’d give me a new heart. A new nanotechnology they were testing. Every test subject had died. I had a five percent chance of survival. Know what I thought? Gonna die anyway. Might as well die fighting.

They implanted a nanoheart. Thanacore. More than getting my life back, I gained this ability.

I transmit some nanites into someone’s cardiovascular system. Those little nanobots travel through the veins to the brain, releasing high doses of adrenaline and noradrenaline.

Makes the person relive their greatest fear. So unbearable they wanna kill themselves. At the peak, I stop the transmission, and they submit to me completely for a few minutes.

Enough minutes to tell the guard to disable security. He shut down the nanosystem and collapsed on the floor in the fetal position. Babbling, eyes glazed.

Kiara hacked the android. “Programmed him to disable the nanosystem when it restarts. He’ll shut off the security cameras. Then shoot himself in the chest.”

The Break-In

We headed for the prison. We had an hour before the power came back.

Kiara and I split up.

The area with the disabled nanosystem was dimly lit. Guards moved around. I waited for Kiara to take care of some of them.

Jumped through the window.

Maia had left a trail of bodies. Without a drop of blood. How’d she do that? Who knows.

I followed the trail. Took the elevator down to the twelfth basement level. The doors opened. A line of bodies stretched to the end of the corridor.

Maia and a young Japanese man faced off.

His voice echoed through the floor. Dripping contempt. “I’m only leaving with the Ninkyō dantai. It’s a disgrace to have some fucking gaijin rescuing me.” Kotaro. His lips tightened, and he spat at her feet.

Didn’t matter what those words meant. I didn’t like the sound of them one fucking bit.

I was about to grab him by the hair, but Maia stopped me with a gesture. “No. He refuses to be rescued by us. Let’s go.” She narrowed her eyes and walked toward the elevator.

I glared at the cabrón and followed her.

“That’s right, gaijin. Know your place.” He smirked.

Only Maia’s warning look kept me from smashing the mierda’s face in.

We were near the elevator. A scream of agony echoed through the entire floor.

Kotaro fell to the ground. Writhing in pain.

I glanced sideways at the girl.

Maia’s expression hadn’t changed. My gut told me she’d done something to him.

“W-what did y—” He tried to get up.

“Maybe he’s changed his mind. Wanna help him?” There was something dark about Maia.

I walked over to the boy with a satisfied smile. “C’mon, you bastard.” Lifted him by the hair and threw him over my shoulder.

The kid was almost paralyzed. Kotaro groaned in pain. “You’ll fucking see! I’m telling my oyabun!” he threatened through clenched teeth.

On the first floor, the boy hit my back. “Let me go. LET ME GO!” Hit me again. “I can move now.”

I dropped him on the floor with great satisfaction.

The guy stared at me like he’d eaten shit and hated the taste. Imán de cagadas.

“Kasu, you’ll see,” he kept repeating. Cursing us in Japanese. Kotaro’s face was red. Sweaty. A bomb about to explode.

I held back from crushing the mierda’s head.

Yeah, chica. Should’ve done it.

The brainless kid lunged at the wall and hit the alarm button.

Hell broke loose.

Maia grabbed him by the hair and hurled him to the floor. Pressed her knee against his neck and brought her face close to his. “They asked us to rescue you alive. Said nothing about keeping you in one piece.” She broke one of his fingers.

Kotaro howled in pain.

“Better behave, ketsumedo yarou.” She broke another finger. Let him go.

“Shi’ne! Shi’ne!” Kotaro screamed. Eyes watering.

I doubled over laughing. What a delicious sight! Readied Rompe-culos. Waited. My sweetheart was dying for another taste.

PEEOW! PEEOW! PEEOW! The alarm sounded.

We heard the guards’ footsteps.

Kotaro stood. Stared at his hand. Furious desperation.

Maia joined me. Pistol in hand. “Protect him. Kiara’s coming.”

We ran outside. More guards appeared.

I roared in fury. Euphoria took over. Rompe-culos thundered.

The first guard burst like a balloon of flesh. The second had his chest torn open.

Screams. A rain of blood. I slipped on something warm. Brains. My body blazed with adrenaline. I killed another. And another. And another. And another. Bodies fell apart.

A red hell opened before me. A spectacle of blood and fire. Pure carnage. Organs and robotic parts rained down on us. I bathed in the bastards’ blood. “Move, montón de mierda. Fucking cagón!”

That fucker Kotaro understood my order. Picked up a gun from the ground. With his broken fingers, his shooting was shit. Still managed to kill a few pigs, though.

Maia moved along the flank. Agile. Silent.

What followed was a sea of blood. Screams. So much frenzy.

Kiara grabbed the Kotaro kid.

The nanopower came back. The nanosensors immobilized us. Maia and I were neutralized before we could reach her.

Forced to our knees.

They arrested us.

Time broke apart into fragments. I sank into an abyss of unconsciousness.

Then I woke.

I remember a white room. Maia lay on a gurney beside me, restrained with nanometals. I was in the same situation. Excruciating pain throbbed through my body. Shocks from the nanometal.

“Decided to wake up?” Even weak, her voice sounded defiant.

I let out a muffled laugh. “Ah, chica…” My voice sounded strange. A gag pressed against my jaw. “What kinda mierda is this?” I looked at her. Her face was uncovered. “Why am I the only one wearing one of these?”

Maia smirked. “All you did was swear at them. Only thing that stopped your mouth. Until now.”

“These cabróns think this shit’s gonna silence el monstruo? They’ve got another thing coming.”

“I know.”

I paused, a little surprised. Smiled at my own naïveté.

Of course. I watched her. She watched me too. Even as we tried to smother our souls, deep within us, her gaze seemed to pierce our defenses.

“How long?”

“Two days.”

Two Days Later

Everything went dark except for a faint emergency light blinking in the corridor. The guards’ screams began echoing from the sixteenth basement level, known as “The Abyss.”

TCHK TCHK I heard a few clicks. The nanometals came loose.

Her doing. How? No fucking idea.

Maia led the way.

Our battered, bloodstained white clothes were nothing compared to the black corridor we walked through. The smell was a putrid miasma of shit. Blood. Something profane. Clinging to the skin and churning the stomach.

What I saw there, chica? A taste of hell. Ever visited Vermina, the Matriarch’s side? Yeah. That place… managed to match it.

Prisoners lay on gurneys in transparent rooms, grotesque organs exposed and connected to nanoprosthetics.

One guy looked like he’d crawled out of a horror movie. His brain swollen, as though trying to escape his own head. Organic tentacles stretched out, stitched to the machine with wires. His bulging eyes followed us. Pleading. Unspoken words.

But I understood. I, Denden, el monstruo, felt a chill run down my spine. Worst part? They were alive, chica. This was more than a prison. An altar to eternal suffering. One of the worst desecrations I’ve ever witnessed.

We took the elevator to the upper floors.

“We have ten minutes,” Maia warned.

There was a room on the ground floor full of weapons. And there she was, gleaming, as though calling to me. The bazooka. My trump card. And, of course, Rompe-culos, burning with hunger.

“These cabróns are gonna regret fucking with Denden, el increible.”

Maia smiled and grabbed a rifle.

The guards stood ready at the entrance.

The blood show began.

Nobody’s a match for me. Nobody escapes my madness. I tear through any defense, chica. They had the pleasure of seeing that up close.

And we had company. In my frenzy, a mierda came up behind me. When I turned, he hit the floor with a hole in his forehead. Kiara was watching over us.

My laughter drowned out the gunfire. “You fuckers! You’re nothing to nosotros, montón de mierda.”

We reached the outer zone. More guards were coming.

“We gotta go. Kiara’s waiting.” Maia pointed toward a platform. Kiara’s car was landing.

The outer gates were almost closed. We ran through.

Of course, there was a price to pay. Especially after what they’d done to us. Especially after what I’d seen.

The gate was closing.

Seconds.

I aimed. Breathed. My finger squeezed the trigger.

FWOOSH The projectile streaked through the air like a comet.

Half a second.

Silence.

BOOOOOM!

The world shook with the fury of an ancient dragon. Flames rose like columns of war. Night became day. And hell descended on Fuchū. The unbreakable fortress burned in the hell it had created. A blaze of chaos.

My eyes gleamed with the orange flashes.

“Let’s go.” Maia got in the car. I followed right behind.

We made history there! The whole world found out, though I carried the glory and burden of fame alone. Maia and Kiara erased every trace of their involvement. But our name stayed etched into the fabric of that impossible prison. Fuchū’s first great mistake. It would change forever.

Kiara was waiting for us. Yasu too.

The world… well, the world had better brace itself. Because we were coming. At that moment, with blood and soot clinging to our skin, all we felt was one absolute truth:

WE HAD SURVIVED.

We met Kiara four kilometers later. She joined us. We returned to Yasu’s house and got out of the car.

The toll of pressure and adrenaline was steep. Our bodies gave in. Pain. Exhaustion. Everything hit like an inevitable avalanche.

Maia first. Coughed and vomited blood. Then me, my hand still gripping Rompe-culos. As though we’d been given permission to fall apart.

Kiara and Yasu treated our injuries.

The old lady used healing techniques both ancient and modern. Helped us recover faster. Wrapped us from head to toe in nanobandages. The nanites rebuilt our damaged tissues.

“When I helped rebuild Fuchū, I ignored the dark intentions behind such sinister purposes,” Yasu murmured. She brought a tray of rice porridge. According to her, a light meal recommended for anyone whose organs had been severely injured.

During the Seluna

We were almost healed. Ready to get in the car and get outta there.

Yasu stopped us. Bowed deeply. “Otsukaresama deshita.” She thanked us sincerely.

We bowed back.

“Before you go, someone wants to see you.”

That bastard Kotaro appeared and walked toward us. Arrogance on his face. But his tail? Tucked firmly between his legs.

He bowed. “Arigatō.” Before he could straighten up…

SMACK! Yasu slapped him on the head.

He clenched his fists. “Forgive my actions. My sincerest apologies.” He glared at us.

I grinned. Wide. Savored the moment.

Yasu approached Maia. Placed a device in her hands. “Here’s what I told you about.” She winked, smirking.

Probably the recipes.

Maia smiled with her eyes and slipped it into her pocket. Kiara glanced at her. Holding back a smile.

We got in the car and headed back to São Paulo.

The numbness slowly left me. My stomach churned. Ravenous hunger. Pain consumed my body. My temples hammered. Stress boiled in my blood. But then…

Maia.

Her name shone in my mind. Warmth filled my chest. The longing burned, but its ache held warmth.

This torture was cold. Cruel and senseless.

The pain eased a little. Maia, how were you so strong? How did you do it? The longing pulsed. I wanted to cry. Wanted to ask for more stories about her.

Suddenly, the gate opened. Krrrekk. Metal scraped. Cold. Cutting.

“Los mierdas are back.” Denden cackled. “Hey, chica, be strong. Take it easy. We’re getting outta this.”

The two soldiers entered with rigid postures and empty eyes. They carried a nanodevice. Lethal. Precise.

One of them connected a nanochip to my forehead. Ice pierced my skin.

Silence

ZZZZAP A shock.

Every cell ignited. Sparks exploded behind my eyes. Thunder tore through my spine. Veins tightened, twisted. Impossible to breathe. IMPOSS…

“Hey, chica. Hang in there.” Denden laughed. His crazed laughter was a distant echo.

Colors vanished. The world dissolved into light and darkness. And then…

Nothing.

Why do these memories keep coming back… repeating themselves? They were gone. I had moved past them. Or at least I believed I had.

Why am I remembering this? It’s over. It was far from touching me. But then… the pain returns. And I’m that child again.

How many cycles had I lived? Maybe seven or eight.

I went downstairs that cold night, but forgot why. Stopped halfway and hid behind the wall when I heard shouting. I had heard those shouts before. They were becoming more frequent.

I shuddered. Fear.

That voice. My father’s voice. “Think you’re better than me?”

I leaned forward to look. He was slapping my mother’s face. My blood ran cold, and my heart almost stopped. What was happening? I wanted to cry.

“Think you’re better than me because you discovered NeuroSync’s final code?” Another slap. A scream. Riki threw Hideaki to the floor.

She braced herself against the couch. Crying desperately, shaking her head. “I-I… don’t…” Her tangled hair fell across her red, bloodied face. Her hands were bloodied too. She curled into herself. Arms raised to protect her.

In vain.

Riki shoved her. Each blow drove her body harder against the floor. “Think you’re better than me?! ANSWER ME!!!” His face burned with fury.

Hideaki stayed silent.

“Must’ve enjoyed all that attention, huh?”

My stuffed animal fell onto the step below. Trying to catch it, I fell. My head struck the wall.

Silence.

I picked up the stuffed animal and sat, rubbing my forehead.

And then… everything changed.

Riki stared at me. Furious. My mother lifted her face. Her wet eyes reflected guilt and sorrow.

He walked toward me. Teeth clenched. “What do you think you’re doing?”

I shrank back and hugged my teddy bear. He yanked my hair hard. Tears streamed down. The child in me slipped away with them. “W-wanted some water.”

Was that why? Had I come down for water? The certainty was gone.

My mother dragged herself toward us. “LET HER GO!” She tried to pull him away, but he stood firm. “LET HER GO!!!” She gripped his arm harder. Riki was too strong.

“You’re supposed to stop studying at ten. There’s a water dispenser in your room. Where’s Takashi?” A threat in his voice.

I trembled.

“Go back upstairs. We’ll talk tomorrow.” He released my hair.

I stayed still.

“NOW!”

I gathered my strength and ran to my room.

The last thing I heard: the slaps and Hideaki’s screams.

My mother’s scream stayed with me. It’s still with me.

Even now. Even after everything.

I woke. White light blinded me, and around me, an even whiter room made it difficult to see. The weight of my body was unbearable, but the pain in my chest… crushing. Why had those memories returned? Why? I had locked them away deep in my heart. Now they were back. Burning.

“Who are you?” The voice sounded gentle.

Denden? Where was his voice?

“Are you hungry?” The soldier, dressed in a white lab coat, sat with his legs crossed, his eyes on the holoscreen before him.

I nodded. Weakly. Stiff muscles and bones kept me still. Would I survive? Or was I already dead? Kiara’s words rang like a bell. Nobody would come looking for me. After all, they had blocked my biochip.

Giving up would be easier. I had grown used to the constant, excruciating pain. My scattered thoughts whispered: I’ve lost all purpose. I questioned whether it was worth continuing. Surviving. Fighting for my life. Why should I? Everything felt empty. Meaningless.

Maybe it was better to accept that I would die. I felt my life slipping away. While suffering consumed every atom of my being, the soldier casually picked up a cereal bar. The crinkling wrapper grated on my ears.

He brought the bar to my swollen mouth.

All I could taste was blood. My hunger was murderous. I ignored the pain of biting down. Just one more pain among so many. The piece caught in my dry throat, and I choked.

He gave me water.

It tore its way down my throat. I drank as though I had spent days in the desert. And I had.

“Better?” An apathetic voice.

Better? A dormant instinct stirred. Anger burned in my chest. He gave me a miserable scrap of food and drops of water. Then asked whether I felt better? Playing savior to the suffering they themselves had caused. I imagined punching him in the face. Glared at him.

He sighed. “Your identity remains inaccessible. Your mind is highly resistant.”

Sound grew muffled, but I concentrated on every word he said.

“Despite that, I saw some interesting fragments. You’re a doctor from São Paulo. Responsible for crucial research involving memory. Impossible to know more, of course. The Aether Network always conceals which nanoresearch projects it conducts.” He uncrossed his legs and leaned close to my face. “I want to know who you are. And the details of this research of yours.” He gave a friendly smile.

A lie. I knew what this meant. The wires connected to my head.

Sinaptic-V.

The nanotechnology inspired by truth serum. Nanites amplified its effect, interrupting the transmission of information from neurons to other cells. The essence’s willpower was completely suppressed, alongside side effects of hallucinations, seizures, and high fever.

That explained why I had relived those memories. I had been under the device’s influence for days. Judging by my impaired senses, hunger, thirst, psychological and emotional exhaustion. Still, mental resistance could mitigate the software’s impact, even partially.

Riki had trained us, Hideaki and me, to resist any methods of induction. Since I was eight cycles old, he had exposed me to those programs. Taught me to babble disconnected information. He said that, for a scientist, protecting her most precious asset, her brain, was a matter of survival. After all, sharks were always lurking in Zenith. Ready to exploit any weakness and take everything from someone.

“W-where’s Denden?” My energy drained with every syllable. I blinked. Fighting to stay awake. Why was I still trying?

He chuckled. Contemptuous. “Even in this situation, you’re still worried about others? Impressive. Anyway, explain this research.” His voice remained calm. “What was a doctor doing in the Alexandria warehouse? Is the Aether Network trying to steal our nanotechnology again?”

What was he talking about? I tipped my head back. Pain throbbed intensely. The side effects persisted. Even with the device switched off, my body trembled. Cold sweat. My clothes, soaked in blood, vomit, and sweat, clung to my skin.

“N-nothing… to say.” Uttering a few miserable words took a colossal effort.

His jaw clenched. His eyes flashed with anger. “You’re at your limit. You’ll break soon. I’ll get every piece of information I want out of you. Then we’ll retaliate against the Aether Network. They’ll pay for what they did to Egypt.” His gentleness dissolved into an arrogant smile. He gripped my face hard. Left. Abandoned me to an oppressive silence.

I breathed deeply, trying to stay calm. Dread took hold of me. The water was nowhere near enough to replace all the fluid I had lost. My stomach felt as though it had shrunk from lack of food.

I smiled. Bitterly. Made a bet with myself: would dehydration take me first? Malnutrition? Blood loss? Or brain death?

He was right. I had reached my limit.

The pain. The emptiness. The sound of the wrapper. The taste of blood. Wires embedded in my skin.

Who am I? Who am I? Who am I?

ZZZZT The shock again.

Electricity tore through my cells. Set my veins ablaze. Fried my brain. Spasms shook my body. Muscles tore inside me. My heart missed beats. Every fiber burned. I fought it. My strength was minuscule.

No.

I would fight their attempts to exploit my mind however they pleased. Block access to my brain. Use the only possible method to prevent the induction: take control of it.

Why was I still trying? An intuition from another version of me, perhaps. I clung to what kept me steady. What made me fight.

I closed my eyes. Reached for my memories of Maia. Focused on mastering my thoughts. If they want something, all they’ll find is a hollow labyrinth. An echo.

My thoughts? No. Only disconnected babbling. Distortions.

I would die, but I would defend my dignity to the end.

I let the memories of Maia envelop me.

After recovering from the flu, I returned to work in person. Joy vibrated within me. Maia filled my thoughts. I smiled as I remembered our moments together, drawing me out of that cold, gray reality and leading me down paths my heart had never known.

I had never imagined that caring for someone could be so… transformative. It was more than simply liking someone. Something that would mark us forever.

That day was hectic. The patients were processing their memories too quickly. The side effects worsened. I immediately referred them for intensive recovery care so they could rest their bodies, minds, and spirits.

Between appointments, I organized the results and data that had accumulated during my absence. The following seluna, I would have to put together an overview of CogniSynth’s effects. Just thinking about it… exhaustion.

The bioscreen flashed. I smiled foolishly. A message from Maia: 📩 ‘Wanna go out under the first crescent moon? Meet me at one, at the Millennium Spiral.’

Curious. The time. The location. Well, none of that mattered much. What really mattered was going out with her. The rest? Just details.

S-2878 • L4 Abeluna • D00 Silensi

“Abeluna opens the portal to new radiance. Silensi anchors a beginning in living stillness. The tide draws a map in light silver. The story enters clear, with a gentle step.”

It was the coldest day of that winter, yet the city still pulsed with life. Hundreds filled the amusement parks. Visited tourist attractions. Traveled.

A pang of envy ran through me. My family had limited our outings to occasional excursions, most of them business meetings. My entertainment was the pool after long hours of studying. Studying that always continued. Even during vacations.

I had grown used to it. Changing my reality was truly unthinkable. Part of me preferred leaving everything as it was. I found pleasure in books, which became my escape.

I lived in black and white. Until Maia appeared, of course. Suddenly, everything had color. She changed it all. More than an escape. She transformed my reality.

Excited beneath my Maiden’s energy, I dressed for winter and went to meet her.

The Millennium Spiral, the largest maze in the Americas. Relocated to Centrália in 2795, in the Sideria neighborhood.

After the devastating attacks by the Kemetia command, which had nearly destroyed São Paulo, the city was meticulously rebuilt over the following cycles.

Tourist lodgings rose in the same region. A strategic choice by the Aether Network to prevent access to the routes leading into Netheria. Hundreds traveled along the airways. Floated through Sideria. Crowded the tourist attractions. Recorded everything.

I smiled to myself. The excitement was contagious.

The Spiral

How would I find Maia?

I walked toward the Millennium Spiral. The city shone around us. An ocean of neon and holograms moving to the rhythm of the crowd. The attraction’s spiraling structure rose at the center of the park, shimmering like a futuristic mirage. Reflected lights danced across its glass and metal surfaces.

Amid the bustle, I spotted her unmistakable presence. Watchful eyes swept the surroundings like an eagle’s. Always alert. She wore a cream sweater and jeans. Simple, but on her… everything felt special.

So beautiful. She waved at me. A tender, delicate smile.

My heart skipped a beat. Goodness, every movement she made enchanted me. Feeling this way was a welcome novelty.

Suddenly, Maia took my hand and led me toward one of the attraction’s entrances. Her touch was firm, warm, reassuring.

Even accustomed to her presence, my body reacted. A gentle shiver traveled up my spine, and my heart began to flutter, as though something new were awakening it.

She showed our tickets to the LI. We waited in line.

Maia was hiding a smile.

“It’s my first time here.” My voice carried a rare spark of excitement.

“Mine too. Glad I get to do this with you.”

My face burned, and I used my free hand to hide it.

She drew it away. “Like seeing you this way.”

I frowned. Was she fully aware of this? How shameless!

“The ride lasts thirty minutes,” the LI announced on the platform.

The cabin arrived. Transparent and modern. A subtle blue glow traced its edges like living circuits. Holograms rippled across its walls, projecting a translucent maze in constant transformation.

We boarded with fifteen other people. The others chatted and took photos. We stayed quiet. Walked around the cabin, watching the glass distort our reflections. The car accelerated, carrying us to the far end of the maze. The beginning of the attraction.

Holograms expanded around us. Everything looked simple. Corridors of glowing neon stretched in every direction. The translucent walls pulsed softly in shades of blue.

Yet as we moved forward, the maze transformed. Walls shifted. New paths appeared. Old ones vanished. The floor projected optical illusions. Sometimes it looked like fragile glass over an endless abyss. Sometimes an ethereal forest. Luminescent branches moved around us.

Maia reached out. Her fingertips passed through a hologram, making it ripple like water touched by a breeze.

She smiled. “Impressive.”

Now and then, doors formed out of nowhere. Only revealing themselves when someone came close enough. Indistinct shadows moved inside.

Illusion… or something more?

At one point, golden rain fell from the maze’s ceiling. Gleaming, weightless, shimmering. When I tried to touch it, it evaporated against my skin.

“It’s like a dream,” I murmured.

Maia smiled. “Maybe… it really is.”

We got stuck along one stretch. Maia came face-to-face with a dead end. Scratched her cheek, embarrassed.

We laughed.

Her laughter was the best sound of all.

I tried touching the wall. Nothing.

A new path opened beside us, but only when we stopped looking at it.

I frowned. “Wait… does the maze change when we look at it?”

We turned quickly. The previous path disappeared. Shivers ran up my spine. It was as though the maze had a consciousness of its own. We exchanged a glance. And just like the maze, I changed whenever Maia looked at me.

She chuckled, shaking her head. “What’ll they come up with next?”

We continued.

Near the end of the ride, a voice announced, “Get ready for your photo in two minutes.”

Everyone posed. Maia and I stayed turned away, distracted by the view. Truthfully, I wanted so much to know what she was thinking. Her contemplative expression was so beautiful.

We left the cabin. Passed the holoscreens displaying the photos. In ours, I was alone at the back.

I frowned. Could the camera have captured only part of the cabin? No… it had to be something else. My imagination. Maybe the excitement was making me see things. I pushed the paranoia aside. Focused on our outing.

“I liked it, but I thought it would never end.” I chuckled.

Maia agreed.

The Dungeon

“Now we’re going…” She looked around. “There.”

We walked toward the Paulista Dungeon and joined the line.

“Wow! You planned a whole itinerary, huh?”

She looked pleased with herself. Smiling, amused. “Ah, this is nothing.” Maia blushed a little.

Her husky, charming voice distracted me as she spoke almost in whispers. Sent shivers beneath my skin. Argh. I really was in love.

The attraction’s interior glowed red and black. The smell stirred something strange in my memory. Mold. Damp wood. Rusted iron, like the taste of blood in the mouth. Moisture mingled with the stench of filthy straw. Cobwebs covered the corners. Skeletons hung from the ceiling, clicking softly in the artificial breeze. Spectral projections passed through the walls. An enormous board listed crimes punishable by death.

Maia stopped before it, squinting.

I read aloud. “‘Crossing the King’s path covered in soot’? ‘Stealing the King’s venison’?” I laughed at the absurdity. “People really died for this?”

Maia held my shoulders. “What crime would they accuse you of?” she whispered in my ear.

I didn’t even need to look at her. I knew how pleased she was with herself. I rubbed my forehead, hiding my embarrassment. “Hmm… definitely stealing sheep. Well, being a woman, I’d be hanged for witchcraft.”

“Yeah… your crime would be witchcraft.”

“And you? You can’t pick these…” I pointed to murder, robbery, and theft. “Has to be something ridiculous.”

She studied the board. “Taking part in a mutiny.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Thought you’d say ‘piracy on the high seas.’”

“We both know I’d be accused of witchcraft.”

We chuckled.

Entrance

We entered the attraction with forty-three other people.

The air was heavy. A damp chill clung to the skin. Light flickered, casting living shadows. The smell of old wood mingled with the sourness of phantom sweat. A faint scent of ashes and burnt fat drifted through the air.

The Paulista Dungeon had existed since 2818. Androids performed. Holograms recreated scenes.

Environmental sensors simulated the touch of time, cold chains, invisible breaths brushing the nape, and floors creaking underfoot. They were so real that, for a moment, I felt as though we were truly trapped there.

Many had reported heart attacks and fainting during the shows.

As a skeptic, I worked with facts. Scientific evidence. Supernatural entities rarely frightened me. I watched horror films without an emotional response.

I had been naïve. Those reproductions were far too convincing. In the simulation, we were traitors on our way to execution.

“The sheep thief and the mutinous pirate.”

Maia held my hand. “What a pair! At least we’re together.”

Darkness took over.

Maia squeezed my hand tighter. Was she afraid of the dark? I confess, I had never imagined that something as simple as holding someone’s hand could bring such happiness to my heart. I wanted to hold hers so many more times…

“Think I like the idea of going to the gallows with you,” she whispered out of nowhere. Her words were strangely sweet.

“An echo of a memory from the past?” I chuckled.

But as our gazes connected, an electric thread emerged. I felt her hand tighten. A glimpse of a shared memory. Flames from another time. A look and a smile as a final gesture. Two weavings consumed by fire.

My heart fluttered.

The world continued, but between us, a knot entwined itself in the thread of fate.

The Crossing

We boarded an old Santa Teresa tram car, creaking and swaying as it carried us into Brazil’s forgotten corners. An abandoned favela. Leaning shacks. Explosions in the distance.

We continued into a mine tunnel. Lanterns flickered. Muffled moans. The sound of pickaxes.

Then a street strewn with the remnants of festivities. Scattered streamers. Confetti stuck in pools of blood. Decapitated Carnival figures.

We passed through a market selling strange products. Human delicacies in gleaming displays. Voices whispered absurd prices.

In the Hall of Justice of the Old Coronéis, a judge. A coronel from the backlands shouted orders. Bewildered lawyers. Witnesses trembling with fear.

The makeshift cells breathed claustrophobia. Cries of protest and moans echoed.

Finally, the Abyssal Drop awaited us.

I clutched Maia’s arm, frightened. My trembling and muffled cries amused her. She remained impassive. Nothing scared her. My reactions entertained her more than the ride itself.

It was during the Abyssal Drop that I truly screamed. The fall was so unexpected. My heart leaped into my mouth.

We got out.

A Rest

My heart raced. I clung to her.

“Looks like you’re having plenty of fun.” Maia chuckled sarcastically.

My body burned. “Not funny. You weren’t even scared.”

“Not true. Got a lil’ flutter in my stomach during the drop.” She looked around. “Freezing out here. Want some churros?”

We walked to a street lined with stalls. The sweet aroma of coffee filled the air.

We stopped at a sweet shop. Ordered two churros: chocolate for me, custard for Maia. Sat on a concrete bench in Plaza Nuvem, a floating square.

“Oh, delicious. It’s been so long since I had one of these.” I watched the passersby come and go. Finished eating. Rested my hands on the bench and tipped my head back. The wind brushed over me.

A cold touch caressed my face.

I opened my eyes.

Maia tucked my hair behind my ear. Drew her hand away. Her honey-colored eyes shone in the light. Warmth kindled in my belly.

She leaned closer. “Shall we keep going?”

Marisfera

Maia took me to Marisfera. The dark-blue surroundings gleamed across the transparent floor. Fish swam beneath our feet.

I walked slowly, enchanted by the little creatures.

When we reached the shark area, Maia stopped before the great white shark tank. Watching the creature with almost reverent attention.

I read the information on the holopanel. Joined her. “They’re incredible.”

One glided close to the glass, and I shivered.

“I hate this.” Maia’s voice was low. Almost a whisper.

I frowned. “You hate this place?” Understanding struck. “I know what you mean… but these places are safer than the sea itself.”

“Should’ve been different.”

For the first time, I noticed a restrained anger in her. What was inside her?

“Imagine your home and everything you know being destroyed. Then they put you in a cage.” Maia touched the glass. Her fingers traveled over its smooth surface, as though they could feel the shark there. “Look at him. So big and strong. The most feared predator in the seas. Even that couldn’t keep him out of here.” Pain threaded her voice. She pocketed her hands and narrowed her eyes. The aura around her changed. Something chilling lurked within her.

I swallowed hard. Whatever it is, will you tell me someday? “Imagine if they rebelled?” I stared into the animal’s eyes.

A crooked smile touched Maia’s lips. Melancholy. “It’s more than the cage…” She closed the distance between us. “A soul can be chained too. You can let him out, but he’ll stay where he is. Because this world is all he knows. How would you free that soul?” Her honey-colored eyes pierced me.

“I-I’d try to show him that freedom is…” The sentence died in my mouth. Freedom? As though I knew what it was! Who was I to talk about it when I didn’t even know it myself? I turned my burning face away.

Maia straightened. Her gaze still weighed on me. “You don’t know either.” Her expression conveyed understanding and a fleeting sadness.

What was this? This feeling she gave me? Where did it come from? It seemed to suffocate her. Suffocated me too.

“Shall we keep going?” She laced her fingers through mine.

We passed jellyfish. Rays. Seahorses. Turtles. Fish large and small. Some vibrated with color. Others were stealthy shadows. Each possessed a unique, captivating beauty.

We also saw rocky shores. Corals inhabited by sessile creatures. Sponges. Starfish. Sea lilies.

Then we reached the section I most wanted to visit: penguins.

My excitement overflowed. I pulled Maia toward it. She laughed at my enthusiasm.

The room simulated an icy landscape. A realistic chill blew through it. Some penguins swam. Others swallowed whole fish.

I pressed my face to the glass.

The penguins there were Gentoos. The third-largest penguin species, after the Sentinel and the Aurora¹. Seventeen penguin species nearly driven to extinction by humans. Thanks to sanctuaries, their preservation remained possible.

I turned to Maia, smiling with joy radiating through my heart. I had only seen them in pictures! “They’re sooo cute and beautiful! They’re my favorite animal.”

She let out a soft snort. Came closer. “Like beautiful, cute things?”

My heart warmed. Heat rose to my cheeks. How did she unsettle me with so few words?

Maia caressed my hand. “They are cute, but what I like most is that most species choose a mate for life. They can part. End up hundreds of kilometers apart, but they always come back to each other.” Her affectionate tone sent a shiver through me.

I swallowed, flustered. “Yes…”

“Know what other animal’s like that?” she breathed into my ear.

My heart stumbled. I shook my head.

“Gray wolves. They’re my favorite animal.” Maia grinned mischievously.

My face caught fire. I looked away.

Animinhoca

We emerged beneath shades of orange and purple. The sunset painted the sky in warm, ethereal tones. We headed toward an attraction devoted to films and animation: Animinhoca.

“Watched every animated film they’ve made.” Maia’s voice was serious.

I chuckled at the spontaneous declaration. “Yes, I’ve seen them all too.”

She raised an eyebrow, amused.

At the entrance, a holoprincess greeted us. “Welcome to the kingdom of imagination!” Her lively voice rang through the space.

We sat in a bus and put on our virtual reality glasses.

The holosimulation began.

The bus flew. We floated through magical kingdoms and futuristic metropolises. Glided over crystalline seas. Hoped a giant whale would avoid a collision. Crossed storms in the sky. Dodged fire-breathing dragons.

It was so real. My stomach lurched with every unexpected turn.

Colorful birds accompanied the vehicle. Giant smiles greeted us in the clouds. Vibrant landscapes intertwined. Worlds of sweets and enchanted forests. Planets inhabited by fantastic beings. Ninjas leaped across rooftops. Heroines fought aerial battles around us.

It felt as though we could fall at any moment. The bus swerved sharply. The projected sun glittered ahead.

The journey ended.

When I took off my glasses, I realized I was gripping Maia’s wrist tightly.

She found it all hilarious. “Really having fun.” Her charming smile warmed my chest.

“Hmm… that princess needs a few driving lessons.” I bit back a smile.

We finished the attraction.

Goodbye

Night greeted us outside. Sideria had grown quieter. Visitors were ending their day. Maia and I walked across an aerobridge hidden among the buildings. Headed toward Hanove, the heart of Centrália.

She seemed lost in thought. I smiled foolishly at flashes of the day. The memories returned. Over and over.

“What is it?” Her curious gaze on me.

“It’s just…” Joy filled my chest. “I loved today so much. Knowing I could feel this good. Thank you so—”

Maia held my waist, pulled me close, and kissed me.

I lost control for a moment. Kissed her back.

Joy exploded. The world around us faded. The Corchesweave curved to the rhythm of our racing hearts and mingled breaths. The universe held its breath.

“Ah… Aki…” Her fingers slid tenderly across my face. Her eyes shone with affection.

There was something in them, as though they wanted to tell me every secret hidden beneath her layers. Yet nothing left her lips. Everything she wanted to tell me, she said with each touch. Each look. Each measured word. What she truly needed to tell me, I was unprepared to hear. However much I wanted to now. I was still on my way.

Maia closed her eyes and brushed her forehead against mine. “Gotta go. But I wanna stay.”

My cheeks burned. I wanted to ask her to stay, but I had to let things flow. My heart was hers, just as hers was mine.

I kissed her softly. She returned it with the same affection.

On the way home, I covered my face with my hands. Flooded with a happiness so familiar and ancient. I couldn’t stop smiling.

If all of this were a dream, I would want to stay asleep forever.

“Hey, chica, you alive?” The deep, lively voice reached me slowly. “C’mon, know you’re in there. Talk to me.”

My stomach twisted. I vomited. Opened my eyes. Swollen. Painful. Blood stained everything. I was too weak to keep living. I wanted to cry, but there were no tears. Not even enough water left for that. “E-enough.”

“No, chica, it’s gotta take more than that.” Denden sounded alert. “Hang in there. You can do it. Those fuckers were talking about how resistant you were. You denied them what they wanted.” He spoke with an excitement that barely brushed the surface of my essence.

“G-glad you’re alive.” If I was going to die, at least I would have company. The thought felt pleasant.

“C’mon, muchacha. You’re standing before Denden, el grandioso. Those mierdas think they can do anything to me? Already fucked in the head, chica. Can’t fuck me up any more.”

I struggled to lift my head, as though tons of stone were crushing me. Looked at him. I couldn’t help it. I chuckled. Choked and coughed up blood.

His face was worse than before. Wounded. Swollen. Injuries covered every patch of skin. Blood soaked his torn trousers. Lips so inflamed. How could he still speak? But his eyes… Fierce. Unwavering. One thing was undeniable: his spirit was invincible.

“Yeah, chica… you’re like that too. Know a soul like mine when I see one. We’re the worst kind of people for them. People who face death are unbreakable. You get that, right? Death circles us, but memory anchors us. And when the body’s already gone, love lifts us up.”

“E-enough…”

“Stop talking mierda. C’mon, fight back! Think you can just die like this? Think I’ll let you?” He smiled. “Hold on, chica. If you’re gonna die, make it on your terms, not those mierdas’.”

A strange way to encourage me. It wasn’t enough. I was at my limit. I had blocked the information they sought, protecting my mind. It had cost me dearly. Used my last thread of life against Sinaptic-V. My last breath and sigh. I had done what I could. Reached my limit. Never even imagined it could stretch so far.

‘Death circles us.’ Denden’s words echoed in my mind. Yes… it would free me. The silence was a void of potential. It glowed. Called to me.

The passage embraced me with the tenderness of an old friend. I accepted. Finally, I would join Maia. Wherever she was shining in the Corchesweave, we would find each other again, like stars. Hand in hand. She could tell me all her secrets. Open. Wild. Free. Just her and me, in our intimate, infinite paradise. Yes. The vision was so comforting.

“Hey, chica, what’re you doing? Do—” Denden’s voice dissolved.

My vision darkened. Before everything went black, I glimpsed a beam of light slipping through a crack in the wall. Soon, it would disappear too. I mean… it had disappeared. What was that?

Someone held me firmly. The weight pulling me down… vanished. I could float. A motion back and forth. Was the sky abducting me? I smiled at the thought. If I opened my eyes, would there be a white light carrying me to the cosmic plane? I gathered the tiny bit of strength I had left and opened them. But I saw an eclipse.

“Take this.” The husky voice vibrated through me.

My mouth was opened. Something wet and refreshing slid down my throat.

“For you, I’ve got this…”

“Fuck, no creo! A Montecristo No. 13 Cuban cigar?” Denden smelled it. Utter happiness. He gave a slightly manic laugh. “Ah, that’s what I’m talking about!”

A little energy returned. My head lolled to the side. I was moving farther and farther from a long corridor. A pool of blood spread at its far end. Above it, bodies upon bodies, beyond the reach of my vision. Nausea.

A strangely warm touch lifted my head again.

“Fucking needed this!” Denden was still buzzing in the background, but my attention had shifted.

The figure before me grew clearer. The square jaw. Firm lips. Fixed gaze. Familiar coldness. His eyes met mine. Those amber eyes, so familiar. The touch was real. Solid. But I should have been floating back into the cosmic tapestry. Yet there he was. Warm. Present.

Saymon.

Was he my delirium? I wrapped my arms around his neck. Clung to him with what strength remained. Buried my face in his chest. Cried. Cried with the tiny amount of water my body still held. Every restraint broke. All the fear, despair, and agony overflowed in tears.

“You’re gonna be okay.” His voice, a whisper meant only for me.

Saymon. His fearsome aura, yet his gaze held something… maybe I was delirious. Yes. Definitely delirious. It had to be nothing.

I rested against his shoulders. Cried again. Cried for the pain. Cried for the piece of me that was gone forever. Cried because, for a fleeting moment, I had looked at such familiar features and thought she was before me. Maia. My heart hurt. Hurt because it was him. Because I wanted so badly for it to be her. For a moment, I had believed I was dead and with Maia. Was living really so terrible? Why did I want to die so badly?

“Denden, go to this address. Meet Cron,” Saymon ordered.

“All right, muchacho. Take good care of the chica. She almost turned back into a star.” Denden’s footsteps faded.

“And you and I…” Saymon looked at me. “We’re gonna meet Kiara.” His cold gaze pierced me.

Pain consumed me, yet the mention of Kiara warmed my heart. I clung to that small flame of life. With all my strength.

When we left the prison adjoining Burj Citadel, an icy wind danced across my face, bringing freshness and restoring some of my energy. Night’s veil offered relief to my injured eyes. My vision clouded. Wounds covered my nose, so I breathed through my mouth. Swallowed blood from my damaged throat. Coughed repeatedly. Finally, I had left that hell. Though it took me a while to believe it.

Around us, bodies upon bodies lay piled together. All with a bullet in the forehead or chest.

I clung tightly to Saymon. Afraid he would let go. Afraid I would be dragged back. I glimpsed the blood spattered across his face. It seemed to belong to others. Then… had he killed them all?

Saymon stared ahead, expressionless, carrying me without effort. As though I were dead weight. I think I had lost weight during those days. Maybe a lot.

“There she is… ♪” He whistled and smirked.

Kiara held her rifle as she leaped across gaps in the mountains. Fast. Precise. Strong.

We stopped near her car. Waited for her to reach us.

She slung the rifle. “AKIKO!” Relief and shock mingled in her eyes.

Seeing Kiara made me want to cry, but I had no tears left to shed.

“No time. They’ll notice soon. The alarms will sound. Kemetia command will be notified.” Saymon got straight to the point.

Kiara nodded.

We got in the car. Sped away.

He placed a pillow on his lap. “Lie down here.”

My head met the soft fabric, offering the first comfort I had felt in days.

“Drink this.” Saymon brought the water bottle to my lips.

I choked. Blood burned in my throat. I felt full. Maybe he had given me FamineFix. I had gone so long without eating. If it continued, I would die.

“Stay awake.” He admonished me when I closed my eyes.

I tried to remain awake, but sleep was winning. Just a little longer. Hold on. You’ve already endured so much. I remembered my time in captivity. Arms and legs bound. Unable to move. How long had it been? Better not to know.

A plane waited for us in the Sahara Desert. Saymon carried me aboard. Kiara started the aircraft.

He laid me on a bed, then sat beside me.

Kiara emerged from the kitchen. “Soup’s all you can eat right now. Has the nutrients you need.” She sat and gently fed me.

Swallowing hurt. Kiara followed my pace. Always patient. As though she had done this many times before.

I finished. The food weighed heavily in my stomach. Nausea followed, then the protest of my injured organs. Soon afterward, I felt my blood pressure drop.

“Hey, easy.” Kiara laid me back. “Keep that food down.” She grabbed a first aid kit. “Gonna do what I can for you now. I’ll be able to help more in Brasil.” Her voice grew distant. More and more distant.

My eyes blinked heavily.

“I’m gonna—” The last words I heard from Kiara.

Then I blacked out.

Was I Still Alive?

I woke. Bandaged from head to toe. Covered by a sheet. I could barely feel my body. Slowly tried to awaken each part. My feet first. Tried to move my toes. Failed. Then my hands. It took a while. I blinked. My vision adjusted slowly.

The room was small. Worn blue walls. A bed. Window. Wardrobe.

“You’re awake.” Kiara’s voice sounded close, yet distant at the same time. She sat on the edge of the bed. Her gaze fixed on me. Relief. Worry.

Leaning against the wall, Saymon slid cards between his fingers. “Good. I can go.” He approached Kiara and held out his hand.

She rolled her eyes. “The fuck do you want?”

“You know.” His sharp smile flashed.

She huffed. Pulled the metal box from her pocket. The one we had taken from the warehouse. I had forgotten about it completely. What was it?

Saymon opened it immediately. Light reflected across his face. The triangular object turned in his hands. Translucent. Brilliant green. Hypnotic.

“W-what is that?” My voice came out weak. Hoarse.

“The Matriarch collects antiquities. This is Cleopatra’s Jewel.” He brought it closer so I could see.

“Cleop—” I coughed. Damn it.

“Yes, that Cleopatra.” Saymon turned the jewel between his fingers. “Someone found it during an excavation in South Africa. Word reached the Matriarch.” He smiled ironically, but his eyes held a veiled bitterness.

I closed my eyes. The weight of my survival settled over me. I had gone through all of that. Me, Kiara, and Denden. Why? For a piece of precious stone? That life had to be abnormal. For them, it was ordinary. For me… no.

My blood boiled. I clenched my fists. Knuckles whitened. The pain of that simple movement forced me to relax. Shit. I swallowed the anger building inside me. More and more.

Kiara stood. “Well?” She faced Saymon.

He held her gaze. His apathetic smile widened. “This wasn’t enough for the Matriarch. She needs one more thing.” He seemed displeased to say it, though his features concealed an almost imperceptible satisfaction.

Kiara clenched her fists. “That wasn’t the fucking deal!”

Saymon shrugged and ambled through the room. “The deal was for you to deliver the package to me in Netheria. Not for me to come rescue her.” His gaze radiated malice. “She’ll have time to recover. The Matriarch will keep the contract suspended until then.”

“You—”

He cut her off with a wave. His expression darkened. “I’ll personally guarantee you get the client’s name. But only after you do this… and my favor. It’s not like I can wait any longer.”

Kiara looked ready to lunge at him. A fierce gaze. Flashes of anger. “Makes no sense to risk something happening to Akiko again.”

“Hey, easy.” Saymon gave a breathy chuckle. A silent threat slipped between his words. “It’s just an escort. I’m sure she knows how to—”

“Finish that sentence and fucking see what happens!” Her fury exploded. “I’ll do this mission and your little favor. After that, I want the fucking name!”

“Or else…?”

“You think you’re invincible, huh?” Kiara’s voice cut like a sharpened blade. “We all have a weakness, Saymon. And I… I know yours.”

His jaw tightened for a second. “Whatever.” Saymon resumed shuffling the cards. “One lunation from now, a nanoplane will be waiting at Campo de Marte. You’ll take it, go to Moscow, and escort a princess.” He drew a card. “Someone important to the Matriarch. She’ll be very grateful.” The Death card spun between his fingers. “By the way… someone else will be going too. Simple, isn’t it?”

Kiara’s face hardened, but her fury began to subside.

The truth? I was watching an invisible conversation. Only they grasped the depth of each word. Yet I noticed. My Enchantress always did.

“That’s it?” Kiara rested a hand on her hip. “An escort?”

“Yes. Nice and safe for our Blondie.” He smiled casually. Looked deep into my eyes. “Take it collectively.” His smile widened. This time, his eyes smiled too. “I did it for fun. You’ve shown me a very interesting game. And the fun continues as long as you stay alive.”

“Saymon!” Kiara roared.

“All right, all right.” He raised his hands. Went to the door and turned. “Ah, one more thing.” His golden eyes gleamed. “Leave my androids out of this.” He left without waiting for an answer.

Kiara ran a hand through her hair.

How I had missed her.

“How’re you feeling?” She sat near me.

Sensation was slowly returning. I still had no idea how extensive my injuries were. “I don’t know. I need a bath.”

Surprise and understanding shared her expression. She nodded.

“I’m more aware now. I can guide you.” My voice came in fragments. Difficult to keep the words flowing. “Nanobandages that restore muscle tissue, combined with prostaglandin E2, repair stem cells.” I forced the words out calmly. “You can find it at any pharmacy.” I rested my head on the pillow. It throbbed. “If you can get some pain-relieving bath salts… they’ll help with the pain.”

“You gonna be okay alone? Seriously? I’d rather stay with you.”

“Yes.” I closed my eyes. Thinking hurt.

“All right. Anything else?”

“F-foods for muscle recovery. My muscles are stiff. Too damaged.” I was going to say more, but my thoughts scattered. I had already used my brain’s quota for the day.

“Sure you’ll be okay? Keep this.” She sent a file: K-K.exe “Run it, and I’ll come right away.” Before leaving the room, Kiara hesitated. Her hand hovered over my forehead, as though she wanted to check for a fever, but withdrew. Maybe she feared breaking me more than I already was. “Ah, shit. Okay. Be right back.”

I lay back. Pain traveled through every part of me. Even accustomed to it, moving was difficult. Thinking. Speaking. How did Denden handle it? Acted as though that pain were nothing. Was Maia like that too? Judging by her scars… Yes. Was this the pain she carried?

Finally, I understood. Now I shared Maia’s pain.

I closed my eyes. Sank. Into the silence. Into the pain. Into what Maia had never told me.

“Hey, wake up,” Kiara called. “Bought what you asked for.”

Kiara? No. Her voice disappeared. Kiara?

Metal against flesh. Someone kicked Denden.

I tried to scream, but nothing left my mouth. No. Not again. Bound. Blood ran from my mouth. No time to breathe. A punch struck my head hard, throwing it back. A muscle in my neck snapped. I bit my lip in excruciating pain. Slap after slap. Tears fell. My life evaporated with them. I tried to breathe so I could scream…

“WAKE UP, AKIKO!” Kiara’s familiar voice returned. “You’re here now, with me! Hey, focus on my voice. It’s me, Kiara.”

A comforting warmth enveloped me, but that cruel place insisted on pulling me back.

“N-no… e-enough. Please, make it stop.” I clung to that comfort, though it was so far away. “Make it stop… please… please… p—” I choked.

“Look at me. I’m here. It’s okay. It’s me, Kiara. C’mon, come back to me.” Her comforting touch wrapped around me more closely.

I wept my soul out, yet something soothed my heart. Sought to rescue me from the darkness. “P-please—”

Kiara lifted my head. “Open your eyes. C’mon.” She asked tenderly, but I refused. Opening them meant returning to that atrocious place. “It’s me. You’re safe. That’s it. It’s okay. Shh, shh.”

I woke slowly. Through my blurred vision, I saw Kiara. Shining eyes. Even though she was an android, it looked as though a tear wanted to slip down her face.

Her lips curved into a faint smile. “See? It’s okay.”

I hugged her, burying my face in her neck. Clung to her as though she were the only anchor keeping me from sinking. “I-I’m sorry. I’m not strong like you or Maia. I can’t take this… it’s too much… it hurts… hurts so much.”

She held my face carefully. “You survived all those things for all that time. I know it hurts, and it’s hard to get through this, but you can. I’m here.”

Kiara hugged me back. Someone’s here with me? I wiped my tears. “T-thank you. For everything. A bath is all I need now.” I smiled weakly.

She returned a calm smile.

I was weak, so she helped me stand. When my feet touched the floor, pain shot through my body like lightning. The first time I had stood after so much suffering.

Kiara sat me in a chair. Ran the bath and added the salts. She turned to me. “May I?”

I nodded.

She undressed me carefully. Started with the bandages.

When she finished, I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Tears came in torrents. Cuts covered my swollen face. Wounds dotted my scalp. A few remaining locks of hair. Blood covered every part of my skeletal, battered body. On my back, two large wounds formed an X. My sunken eyes. My scarred face. Swollen. But worst of all… my gaze. Empty. Dull. Dead.

What…? What had they done to me? My reflection returned a stranger. How could they do this to someone? I trembled.

I couldn’t bear my own weight. Kiara caught me before I fell.

She tried to hide her expression, but failed. Her eyes traveled over the scars. Her jaw clenched. Her usually steady hands trembled as they touched my skin. She lowered me gently into the bath.

Red, black, and brown stained the water. Warmth seeped into my skin. Revealed new pains. Even the mild cramping blended into the others. The burning purified me. It was pain. But a different kind. One that cleansed. The pain of survival.

Water slipped down my back. Heat touched the wounds, and for a moment, I thought I was back there. My chest tightened. I gripped the edge of the bathtub. Panic threatened to surface.

But Kiara stayed. With serenity. Presence. Anchoring me. She handed me a sponge and mild liquid soap. “Gonna wash your hair.” Her soft, skillful fingers massaged my head.

I closed my eyes, savoring that comfort that felt more like a dream.

“You’re gonna be okay.” Her warm tone was music to my injured ears.

I stirred from the trance. Smiled weakly. “Y-you know… Denden told me about Maia.”

Silence settled for a while.

I almost turned to see Kiara’s face.

“What did he say?”

“H-he said…” I searched my memories. Staying focused cost me. A wave of dizziness. “Said… when Maia arrived in Nobody’s Land—”

I lost focus. White flashes blocked my thoughts. One of Sinaptic-V’s side effects. Unfortunately, they lingered for days. Shit. Losing control of myself filled me with anguish.

Kiara’s fingers stopped moving. A strange feeling crossed her face: a mixture of guilt, sadness, anger, and resentment. She lowered her head. “Did he tell you what they did to her?”

I shook my head.

Kiara looked as though she wanted to cry. I saw her as a complex nanotechnological essence. Endowed with the deepest feeling. I accepted it. Her nature had taken on another dimension.

“Do you wanna know?” Her voice held an inviting uncertainty.

Hearing about Maia would bring me comfort. Connect me to her. To what remained of her world.

Kiara resumed massaging my head.

The silence between us weighed heavily. Dense. Alive.

For a moment, I almost asked her to stop. Almost fled what was coming. But I wanted to listen. Wanted Maia. The truth about her might be the only thing capable of keeping me alive.

S-2858 • L11 Irraluna • D25 Alonli

“Irraluna radiates returning light. Alonli stretches the curve of time. The tide gathers silver in living calm. The story carries on whole, in low light.”

KIARA

Something strange happened when I woke. I had my own thoughts. Acted according to my will. But… this new part was foreign to me. Newly installed. They had connected me to a human. Didn’t like that feeling one bit. Liked that human even less. Unpleasant. What the fuck was this?

“Hey.” A mercenary leaned over me on the nanite transfer table. “Your human’s at the entrance to Nobody’s Land. Go.”

I shook my head. As I tried to rid myself of those invading nanites, new information appeared in my nanosystem with every step. The orange air. Tons of piled-up junk. Mercenaries. Other androids and nanotechnologies.

I could access everything. They were still bound by the limits I’d had. Why had that limit been transcended? Had they installed new software? No. Nothing that explained the new access. A single origin.

I reached the entrance.

Among everyone there, one presence stood out. Something inside me vibrated with her, calling me closer. Fuck. I didn’t understand a thing.

A child standing between the gates of that hell. Her name was Maia. Messy white hair. Scrawny. Covered in filth. A black mask hid part of her face. Two enormous scars on her forearms, probably from a violent puncture. I picked up the waves of heat, emotions, and sensations coming from her. Maia lifted her head. Her honey-colored eyes met mine.

Curious, I accessed all her information. Except one piece. That was blocked. Didn’t like that. Didn’t like her. Wanted to reject her. But our connection made it impossible.

I crouched in front of her. “I dislike you.”

Maia followed me with her eyes.

Great. She was quiet.

“Stay out of trouble.” I stood and headed for the commercial area.

Maia stayed still for a moment. Then followed in the same direction. Her pace quickened. Soon, she was running. Shot past me like a bullet. Even from a distance, I could hear her clearly. Not just me. Everyone could.

“Saymon, you okay?” Maia smiled. Stopped in front of a boy.

He stood before an android and turned. Saymon’s gaze hardened. His expression… reignited. “Who are you?” His voice came out icy.

Saymon was nearly eight cycles old. A Class 2 mercenary. A rare feat, even worldwide. I accessed his data. Many similarities to Maia’s DNA. Siblings?

Her heart fluttered. She frowned. “What do you mean? It’s me, Maia. Your—”

Saymon covered her mouth and shoved her hard to the ground, looming over her.

What the fuck was he doing? Instinct made me act, but something stopped me. She stopped me. I clenched my teeth.

“Shut up. Who you are means fuck all to me. Don’t wanna know you. My interest in you amounts to nothing.” Saymon narrowed his eyes. “Come near me again, and I’ll kill you.” His frigid gaze. Cutting coldness. He stood. “Let’s get outta here.” He spoke to the android and turned. Left Maia on the ground.

Her eyes grew wet. She got up and went after him.

No, you idiot. What’re you doing? She ignored my warning.

Caught up to him. Maia smiled again. “W-what are you say—”

Saymon struck her throat with the edge of his hand.

Her smile vanished. She choked. Clutched her neck. Coughing. Suffocating.

“ARE YOU DEAF?!” His shout echoed. “I told you I’d kill you if you came near me?!” Saymon drew a knife and pointed it at her reddened face.

Maia fought to breathe, but held his gaze.

He stared at her with utter indifference. Put the knife away. “There are things worse than death.” Turned to a nearby mercenary. “Take her to the chamber.” Saymon gave a wintry smile. Turned away, leaving Maia on her knees.

The mercenary smiled sadistically and grabbed her by the hair.

No. What the fuck was happening? I tried to go to her again. She stopped me. I stood still. Watched them drag her away.

Fuck. Why won’t you let me do something? She ignored me.

I knew what awaited her. And my hands were tied.

The Chamber

A single metal gurney dominated the chamber. A sliver of cold light cut through the darkness. Walls stained with dried blood. Fingernail marks scratched into the concrete. The smell of death permeated every crack, though not everyone died there. They took care to keep them alive. Especially the children. They needed to learn. Needed to know suffering. Understand what happened if they rebelled.

The mercenaries got her drunk on IcyNova to numb her. To make her resistance insignificant.

Maia moved slowly. Her pupils dilated. Her chest heaved in an altered rhythm. Empty eyes.

I knew the effect. Knew what came next. Yet my programming writhed. An error impossible to debug. An unbearable noise.

I fought the feeling that made me care. I’d never cared about humans. Never. But her…? I couldn’t help it.

The connection throbbed inside me. Out-of-control code grew, breaking through limits. Every nanonerve in my body decompiled her pain. Code by code. Line by line. Until it became mine.

And she felt everything. But why…? Why did she never scream?

The bastards got angry about that. They wanted screams. Wanted terror vibrating through her skin.

And Maia… just stared at them. Just breathed shakily. Her body taut. That silence screamed louder.

I bit my lips. Every second corroded something inside me, like rust in a nanosystem beyond repair. I endured her pain. From afar. Did nothing.

A Day Passed

A day. How could they spend a whole fucking day doing that to a child? How did she hold it in? She had only lived seven cycles.

My urge to break every fucker grew. Little piece by little piece.

They took her to her room. I went to see her. Dim white light illuminated the cabin. The space was tiny. Sterile walls. The metallic smell of dried blood hung in the air.

Maia lay facing the wall. Wearing a scrap of bloodstained clothing. Red stained her white hair.

When I sat on the bed, she flinched. My body moved on instinct. Wanted to touch her. Held back. Afraid of hurting her more. Our connection was different. Part of us had merged. I felt the emotions behind that coldness. She could be honest with me. I already felt her.

“You said you dislike me.” Her voice was low.

A distinct vibration resonated through my nanosystem. My nanoheart pulsed… pain.

“Why are you here?”

I tried to understand what was inside me. Androids felt, perceived, and vibrated, each in their own way. A resonance connected us to human emotions, but what I felt was a visceral experience no code had ever transmitted. She carried a source code. Because of her… I felt viscerally and deeply.

“Still do.” My voice sounded distant. Uncertain. “And you know why I’m here.”

Maia sat up slowly. “Will things here always be like this?”

The question bothered me. Noise rose through my programming. Something dissonant. I nodded.

She let out a long sigh. Turned, revealing her back. With each new wound, scars carved themselves deeper into her flesh.

The code inside me twisted. Every digital particle. Every remnant of logic. What was this feeling? Anger? Assholes. Pieces of sewer shit.

“How did they do this?” My voice was quieter than usual.

“I dunno.”

An enormous diagonal cut tore across her back, stretching from her waist to her shoulder. So deep it exposed part of her spine.

My teeth ground together. I bit my lips. Almost punctured the nanoskin of my mouth. I was fucking furious. If she stopped holding me back with those fucking nanites, I would’ve dismembered every one of them. “Why did they do this?”

Maia shrugged. “Said I don’t feel pain.”

A lie. She felt it. I felt it with her. Why did she keep acting like it was nothing? I wanted her to stop.

“Does it hurt?” Of course it fucking hurt. I just wanted her to say it. Get that shit out.

“Hurt more before. Not as much now.” She turned her arms. Two scars crossed her forearms. “The pain from the needles stuck here before I came… that’s the worst pain of all.”

My programming ran a diagnostic: Blocked

The wound was unusual. Its origin inaccessible. Part of what Maia concealed from me. “Who did this?”

Silence. She stayed quiet.

I rolled my eyes. “Gonna take care of you.”

While Maia bathed, I went to get medical supplies.

On the way back, Saymon appeared. Little bastard. Leaning against an alley wall. His gaze was different. More subtle, whatever that meant. The sinister coldness distant, but still echoing. What did this little shit want?

“Hey.”

“Get lost.”

He chuckled. “Give her this.” Held out a folded piece of paper.

I glared at him. Took it. Only for Maia… I might not like her much. But I disliked him even more.

Maia waited on the bed. So small. So fragile. A child with an unbreakable spirit. And a curious ability.

I began treating her. Gave her medicine. Cleaned and bandaged the wounds. Offered her new clothes too. Trousers. A T-shirt. A black sweater. Gave her a sandwich and some juice. Maia ate slowly. When she finished, she got ready to sleep.

“Wait.” I held out the paper.

She opened it, read, and smiled affectionately. “Saymon…” She read aloud: “‘There was a storm in our atmosphere. The nature we are grew dark, for we surrendered to the paths chosen for us.’” She pocketed the note.

I raised an eyebrow. “Is that a code?”

“Maybe.” Maia lay down. “It’s the truth. Our truth.”

And slept.

Two Selunas

A former mercenary leader called me. Asked me to accompany him all day because of my camouflage hack, Cloakify. I only returned to Nobody’s Land that night. Then I heard what had happened. Two mercenaries had been walking. Suddenly, they stopped. Hands went to their throats. Tried to breathe. Failed. Collapsed and thrashed. Then… nothing. Cardiorespiratory arrest. It all happened so fast that rescue was useless.

They were the mercenaries who had tortured Maia.

The need to find her ate at me. My nanosystem spun into overload. I scanned every shadow. Every crevice. Every trace of heat.

Where are you, Maia? Where?

After searching for so long, I found her. She had used her ability. Erased her presence. She wanted to stay hidden. Even from me. As though she wanted to disappear from the whole world. As though… she wanted to disappear from herself.

I recognized her by her white hair, shining beneath the aerolight above her. Approached slowly, immensely relieved.

She sat on a bench, staring at the ground.

I sat beside her.

We stayed quiet, but suddenly, an unfamiliar noise broke the silence. A low hiss. A sound unlike her. Small. Almost imperceptible. But enough. Enough to make me understand. She was crying.

I took her in my arms. Felt her body tense, as though fighting her own despair. Then… something gave. Her breath caught. Her shoulders shook. And she… broke. Maia deactivated her ability. Flooded me with her visceral feelings.

I held her tighter. Remembered that, unshakable as she was, she was still a child. A desperate child. Forced into that world. Finally, I began to understand Maia.

“I… I-it was me.” Her voice broke. “I-I did that.” Her thin arms wrapped around my waist.

“I know.” I warmed my nanobody to comfort her. I knew everything.

“I-I got close to trouble. Sorry.” Maia rubbed her eyes. Fighting her tears.

Seeing her there, curled up and crying, I realized something. She was more than a survivor. She was a broken weapon. A blade forged in hell, sharpened by pain, that had never wanted to cut anyone.

“No need to apologize. I failed you. The problem’s all this shit around us.” I drew her hands from her face. “Even so, I should’ve done something. Forgive me. Should’ve stayed, feeling all of this inside you.” I hugged her again.

“I wanna have friends. Keep them alive.” Her words held so much pain.

“I know.” All I could say. “I’m here now. Always gonna be by your side.”

Maia lifted her face. Her eyes still wet, but something shone there. A spark. “Even though you dislike me?”

I smiled faintly. “Even though I dislike you.”

Even while still trying to keep up with her. Even while feeling existence in a way I could only feel after her. I would still be there. I would still stay.

Kiara’s expression softened. Her lips curved into a sad smile. “Forgive me.” Her voice was low, heavy with a weight I knew well. “Promised Maia I’d protect you above everything else. But I failed. Failed her. Failed you.”

My heart fluttered with a new pain. Maia’s childhood weighed on me, just as it weighed on Kiara. Tears flowed freely. A sob escaped. Despite the pain, I struggled to rise. Hugged her. “N-no… please.” Words failed me. The pain was immeasurable. I tried to stay steady. “This pain belongs to all of us. But we’ll get through it together.”

Kiara lifted me from the bath, sat me in the chair, and covered me with a towel.

“I-I knew the risks when I went. Being tortured was a consequence of my own choice. Deep down, I’d always sensed I would be caught.” My voice faltered, but I continued. “You did everything to protect me. Wherever Maia is, she—” A searing pain pierced my head. Dizziness. The world spun.

Kiara held me, keeping me from collapsing.

White flashes filled my vision. The edges of my surroundings lit up. My mouth opened. I murmured disconnected sentences. Then… darkness.

I Came Back.

Consciousness returned. Heavy eyes. A numb body. I was dressed. Lying down. My vision still blurred, though stable.

Kiara worked on a holoscreen. Closed it, then approached me. “You’re burning up.” She placed a pill in my hand. “Here. Take this.”

I swallowed the medicine. My head still spun.

“What was that?” Kiara watched me closely. Her gaze serious.

“I resisted a very aggressive induction. I think I’m beyond recovery.” My chest tightened. “If this continues for another half lunation…” I hesitated. “It means my brain has suffered permanent damage.” I rubbed my temples. Pain dug its claws into my mind.

“Permanent damage?”

“Yes. In the hippocampus.” My delivery was clinical. Cold. “If recovery takes too long, I’ll suffer from hallucinations and psychosis.” My muscles contracted. “Buy an antipsychotic. It’ll help reduce this effect. With luck, make it disappear.”

Kiara held my gaze.

The truth was, I already knew. I had lost hope of getting better. Even if the pain stopped, something inside me had already transmuted.

S-2879 • L9 Fluxluna • D13–D15

“Fluxluna opens a current in high radiance. Tramabe weaves a signal across the open sky. Irrali radiates gold in living silver. Irrasi seals fullness in a sweeping song.”

In the middle of the night, I woke sweating. The voices still whispered. The chains still weighed on me. The screams still echoed, but when I opened my eyes, everything was silent. Only my own heartbeat. Too fast. Too hard.

Between days and nights, reality dissolved. Resisting and existing mingled in an endless cycle of exhaustion. The world turned, but I remained trapped. Relentless nightmares.

Awake, panic attacks dragged me back to that place. The smell. The cold. The voices. Memories of torture repeated themselves. So vivid. So real.

I woke with nosebleeds. A weak body. A shattered mind. Overwhelming stress.

My Maiden’s strength helped me fight every day to stay in control. Preserve what remained of me.

The attacks gradually diminished. Kiara’s help and the nanomedicines were essential to my improvement. Hallucinatory episodes still came every three days. I took Bacopa monnieri, enhanced with nanotechnology, which acted on the hippocampus.

The memory disturbances and mental fatigue eased. My weight returned. My hair grew. The swelling disappeared. My organs regenerated. My wounds healed. I could have had the scars removed. Cosmetic treatments. Regenerative tissue. New skin. Yet I accepted them. They were part of my story now. I drew on the love of my Mother phase to embrace them. Inside me, the fresh wounds healed at their own pace. A ruptured flow that had changed my inner waters forever.

Kiara and I spoke little. Most of the time, I slept or fought my own mind. The exhaustion of being constantly alert consumed me.

Our few interactions were quiet. She helped me bathe, take my medicine, and eat. Few questions. Mutual understanding. Just presence.

S-2879 • L10 Tramaluna • D07 Abeli

“Tramaluna weaves the sky in a clear thread. Abeli kindles a bud of radiance above. The tide draws signs in living silver. The story carries on steadily, in growing light.”

I was almost healed.

Kiara approached me.

Renewed with my Maiden, I spoke first. “Can I ask you something? W-why did that girl die in Nobody’s Land?” My voice faltered. “Why wasn’t she taken to…” I swallowed hard. My fingers tightened around the blanket. I closed my eyes.

The blood. The stained floor. The thought of someone so small suffering that way hurt me deeply. My stomach churned. She could have survived if…

Kiara looked away. “Because there’s a hierarchy.” Her voice was neutral. Calculated. “Once someone’s been through the chamber and still rebels against the order…” She paused. A dense silence. “That day, I knew the girl would die.” Her gaze stayed firm. “I hastened the inevitable.”

My heart tightened, but I stayed centered. The truth was… I knew. I relaxed my hands. Searched for words amid the uncertainty. “Why was Maia’s fate different?”

Kiara ran a hand through her hair. “Because she could make them doubt themselves.” She placed her hand over mine. An unexpected touch. “Almost recovered, right?” A crooked smile.

Though she still held back from telling me everything, I understood. Certain truths, certain revelations could only unfold to the universe’s rhythm. I had to remain serene. I set those thoughts aside. Nodded.

“Good.” Kiara watched me closely. That sharp, inquisitive gaze. She knew what came next.

“I know what you’re going to say.” I took a deep breath. “It’s about the mission in Moscow?”

Her gaze confirmed it.

“I’m going.” My voice was firm. “Regardless of what happened. I still feel the same.” I smoldered with determination.

The android raised an eyebrow. “Sure?” Kiara watched me as though recording that moment. As though saying she would keep it from happening again. “If you feel you need to stop, if—”

“No. Don’t say that.” My words came quickly. “What I feel is still the same. What I feel for her… I mean…” I smiled. This time, tenderly. “Now that I know her a little better, I’m only more certain of my feelings.”

Kiara gave a knowing smile. The first time I had seen her smile that way. Because, for the first time since everything happened, there was a spark of hope. “Then let’s go to Russia.”

S-2879 • L10 Tramaluna • D15 Irrasi

“Tramaluna weaves the sky in full radiance. Irrasi kindles the peak in living silver. The tide sings high, vast and clear. The story carries on whole, in open light.”

I had improved so much. My Enchantress offered intuitive wisdom to face the torment. The dizziness and psychosis diminished. Episodes lasted up to two minutes. Black spots occasionally appeared in my vision. I ate easily. My sense of taste returned, and I began to smell things beyond the metallic scent of blood.

“All right,” Kiara began. “What do you know about Russia?”

I searched my memories for what I knew about the place.

In 2795, several international conflicts erupted, including a civil war in Russia. The charismatic Yvon Mrozov used populist rhetoric to lead a revolution against the last president’s attempt to establish a dictatorship.

The turning point came when the Kemetia command attacked Moscow. The rebels, led by Yvon, seized the opportunity to take the president’s residence. Took hostages. Spared those who cooperated and killed those who resisted. Displayed the president’s severed head at the Red Bastion. A crowd applauded.

Yvon inspired and mobilized the Russians to embrace a new monarchy. Yvon’s son was the last emperor. The following solar cycles were marked by the rule of empresses.

Sonechka Alexeyev reigned as the current empress. Admired internationally for her governance and adored by her people. She had transformed Russia into one of the world’s most cohabitable countries. Moscow especially.

A certain harmony prevailed in the horizontal city. Yet much of its success and influence came from the Russian criminal organization.

The criminal Brotherhood, the Vorovskoy mir (Воровской мир), was the most powerful criminal organization on the planet. A global presence in clandestine operations. A ruthless paramilitary force. Untraceable cybercrime. The sex trade and illicit pornography. Trafficking in drugs, people, rare species, and nanotechnologies. Other illegal operations—always undetectable. They controlled the Nochnoy Prestol, the Throne of Night. Russia’s underworld.

“Well, it’s a monarchy ruled by an empress…”

“…and the world’s biggest criminal organization runs Nochnoy Prestol,” Kiara finished. “Escorts are usually easy enough. But a princess, especially this one? We’ll be taking risks. Saymon gave me barely any mission details. Just an address in Salekhard. Didn’t like the place one bit.”

“Why?” I massaged my forehead. The headache threatened to return.

“Abandoned district. But what can we do? We have to go.” She stood. “Sure you’re coming?”

“I’m seeing this through.” I smiled. Firmly. Bravely. Only forward. “I want to ask you something.” My voice came out hesitant. “Can I speak to Takashi?” My fingers closed around the blanket. “I want to know how they are. I need to know.” My chest tightened at the thought of him.

I confess that, after everything with Kiara, I could only see Takashi as a transcendent being. Just like any other android. Just like any technology.

Kiara tapped a finger against the headboard. “Too risky.” Her gray eyes flashed violet. “Although… your contract’s suspended. The searches have kinda stopped. Nobody should be trying to establish a connection to locate you.” She pressed her lips together. “Okay. Fine.” She gestured, projecting the holoscreen. “Five minutes.”

I adjusted my short hair. Tried to look healthy, aware that Takashi would spot my injuries from a distance. They were obvious. But I felt he would avoid asking questions. I preferred to deal with this first.

The call began. Takashi appeared on the screen. Tears came like an avalanche of longing. I smiled broadly. His familiar presence brought so much comfort. I had thought I would never see him again. Him. Riki. Hideaki. That I would die without seeing them again. I had survived. Now I longed to reconnect with them. Uncertain what the future held.

“Ah, I’m so glad you’re all okay!” My voice caught. I wiped my tears. “How are things?”

Takashi smiled politely and gave a brief bow. “Doctor—”

“Akiko is fine.”

He frowned. Hesitated for a moment. “Akiko…” Calling me that seemed strange to him, but he quickly composed himself. “Things are going well. Mrs. Relaisse improves daily. With Liana’s help, she has recovered fifty-three percent of her memories. We’ve begun the Alzheimer’s treatment.”

“Fifty-three percent?” My heart raced. “That’s incredible!”

“We estimate an eighty-seven percent recovery of cognitive function.”

“Eighty-seven percent?!” My smile widened even more. “Ah, I’m so happy to hear that! Has Hideaki spoken to you?”

He nodded. “Dr. Hideaki confirms receipt of the reports every half lunation, without comment.” He spoke with his usual calm, but something about him had changed.

Or had I changed? Could he feel it? Could he see something transformed in my expressions?

“Keep it up.” My tone grew serious. “And the patients?”

That was my greatest concern. I feared Josivaldo would take advantage of my absence and alter the patients’ stimulation parameters to accelerate the research. Perhaps he was more responsible than that. Would respect a GMC decision. Still, I had to consider the opposite possibility.

Takashi understood my concern. “Yes, I receive all the results without alterations. The team is working with the same parameters. For security, I’ve blocked access to your computer and network.”

Relief flowed through my body. “Takashi—”

Kiara made a subtle gesture. Time was running out.

“Well, I have to go. Keep up the splendid work.” I forced a smile. “Next time we speak, it’ll be face-to-face. Until then!”

Takashi gave a final bow.

The connection ended.

My heart beat fast. I covered my face with my hands, smiling broadly.

Kiara watched me. “It really worked?” she asked rhetorically.

I let out a muffled laugh. “I’m so excited to see them.” I sighed. “We’ll get to talk to Alícia…” I bit my lip. Just thinking about uncovering more of Maia’s past filled my chest with happiness.

Kiara rested her chin on her knee. “You really love her, huh?”

Heat rose to my face. I buried it in my hands.

She burst out laughing.

“Stop! Not funny!”

“Ah, if only you knew…”

Silence filled the space. For a moment, everything felt serene. Then—

SCREEECH—BAM! A loud noise echoed outside.

My body stiffened immediately. My pulse raced. Panic seeped into my veins.

Kiara drew her revolver, rising in one fluid motion, and looked out the window. “Just a car accident.” She put the gun away. Her gaze fell on my still-trembling hands.

My heart pumped fear through my body. Damn it. Would this ever stop? I took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

“We catch our flight the day after tomorrow,” Kiara said, leaning back. “Use the time to rest.”

I lay down and tried to quiet my restless thoughts. Everything will be okay. Everything will be o—

I fell asleep.

S-2879 • L10 Tramaluna • D17 Fluxli

“Tramaluna weaves the sky in a ripened thread. Fluxli releases the curve in living silver. The tide draws a path through open air. The story carries on steadily, in gentle radiance.”

A small nanojet awaited us. This time, before we boarded, Saymon’s android greeted us peacefully.

How many androids could he control? How was it possible? Nanotechnologies evolved every day, yet so many limits remained.

Kiara sat across from me and drew a revolver. “Gonna give you a new gun. I know—”

“It’s okay.” My voice was firm. I held out my hand.

Kiara raised an eyebrow, but asked nothing. Handed me the gun.

Touching it still felt strange. Its weight settled in my palm. Cold. Metallic. My hand stayed steady.

Apprehension. The memory of every time I had seen guns pointed at me. But this time… this time, I could have some control. I had to learn to defend myself. Protect myself. I wanted to depend less on Kiara.

Those people, so disconnected, had hurt me with the coldness of someone who had forgotten feeling still existed. They laughed with every blow. In that moment, I had focused on extinguishing any hope of survival. Yet I had also carved something inside myself: never again. I would fight with everything I had to prevent that fate. Learn to live in this world like Maia.

I holstered the gun and tied my hair into a bun.

The LI announced, “Estimated flight time to Moscow, Russia: sixteen hours. Have a pleasant journey.”

I took my medicine. Wanted more time between panic attacks. Wanted to give my mind a little more rest. Then I could focus on recovering physically. My mind still weighed heavily. But one day… one day, I would overcome this.

Maia and I might be far apart. Yet my scars reminded me: we shared something. That connection brought me closer to her. Helped me understand her life.

I was on the path to understanding her pain. The burden she carried. But it made me want to be more. More alive. More present. Savor every experience. As Maia had done with me.

My path was about more than just her. Something lay beyond. Something obscure and silent, gradually drawing closer. My body, soul, spirit, and heart opened to this new universe, which was becoming mine too.

The nanojet’s engine rumbled. The floor trembled beneath my feet. A new destination awaited me. The gun’s weight in its holster felt strange, but imposed by the moment.

My body seemed ready. My mind… not yet. Still, I would keep going.

I rested my head against the window. Outside… endless darkness. My womb announcing the coming red.

Memories of Maia surfaced. I closed my eyes, letting them take over.

S-2878 • L4 Abeluna • D06 Sintosi

“Abeluna opens a trail in new radiance. Sintosi tunes sky and path. The tide draws signs in living silver. The story carries on clearly, in a light thread.”

Finally, I could breathe after two packed selunas. We treated the patients. Then prepared them to receive new stimuli from CogniSynth. After checking their condition, I headed to my office.

Takashi appeared shortly afterward. “There’s a message from Aydan Russell. He asked you to contact him.”

My eyes widened. Warm surprise filled my chest. “Thank you.” My Maiden’s voice came out far too excited. “Is that all?”

Takashi nodded and left.

I opened my contacts. It had been so long since we last saw each other. When I found his name, lost among the entries, I called. The line rang twice.

“Aydan speaking.” The familiar sound of his voice hit me fully. “Anyone there?”

“Y-yes.” I swallowed. “It’s me. Akiko.”

A pause. “Akiko?!” Laughter followed immediately. “Thought you were gonna ignore me, woman!” His playful tone drew a smile from me. “I’m in São Paulo.” His voice held an excited brightness. “Busy today? Can we meet for coffee?”

I checked my appointments. They could be rearranged. It was still early. Outside, the sun shone brightly. “Of course. Where would you like to meet?”

“Wow…” He laughed. “I’ve even forgotten where the cafés are around here.” A pause. “Does LeBraCafé still exist?”

“In Centrália?” I scratched my forehead, smiling. “Yes. It’s still there.”

“Perfect, then. We’ll meet there.”

LeBraCafé

I waited outside, seated at one of the tables.

Aydan arrived shortly afterward. Unmistakable. Even after so many cycles, he still radiated that aura, warm as the Sun. When he spotted me, he smiled. And, as always, lit up everything around him. Being happy came easily in his presence.

He approached, wrapped me in a tight hug, and kissed my cheek. “Been so long. I’ve missed you!”

We sat.

Aydan ordered a cappuccino and a chocolate éclair. I ordered black coffee and strawberry tart.

He chuckled. “Your tastes haven’t changed.” He rested his chin on his hand. “Anyway, tell me. How are things?”

I sighed. “Ah, so much has happened. I barely know where to start.” I wanted to tell him everything.

Aydan studied me, raised an eyebrow, and placed a hand on his chin, intrigued. “You look different. More radiant.”

My breath caught for a second.

“If I didn’t know you, I’d say you had feelings for…” He stopped.

My lips parted. My hands grew damp. I shifted in my seat. Was it that obvious? “What?”

Aydan laughed. “I can’t believe it. You’re transparent as water, my dear. So… someone’s captured your heart? Of everything that could happen, this was unexpected.” He burst out laughing. “Thought you’d be my eternally single friend!”

I wrinkled my nose.

“Oh, stop. You know it’s true!”

I rolled my eyes. “Why are you here?”

Aydan ran a hand through his curly brown hair. “I’ll let that slide, but just so you know, you’re telling me everything. Well… D’lmeé Gallery invited me to exhibit my art.”

My jaw dropped. “That’s incredible news!”

He looked pleased. “The exhibition’s tomorrow. The entire gallery will be displaying my work. I really want you there.”

“Obviously. Nothing in this world could make me miss it.”

Aydan tilted his head. “Bring this special someone. I need to meet whoever won your little heart.” He pointed at me with a teasing smile.

My expression tightened for half a second. Would Maia accept? I tried to hide my apprehension. “Of course.” I rested my fork on the edge of the plate. “By the way… how’s Kilian? Did he come too?”

If Aydan noticed my hesitation, he chose to ignore it.

Our orders arrived.

I picked up my cup.

“Absolutely. We couldn’t wait to come to São Paulo.” He sipped his cappuccino. “I’ve been exhibiting all over Gaia. Even though I’ve only just made it here, I always think of you.” Aydan took my hand. “Glad you’re doing well.”

I gently squeezed his fingers. “Me too. You’ve always been incredible. You deserve every happiness.”

We let the memories pass through us.

Aydan was the only person who had wanted to know me when my life was restricted. I cared little about having friends or being alone. My father had always taught me: solitude was all I needed to stay focused.

But Aydan… was different. Warm. Talked a mile a minute. Came closer even when I showed little interest. Before I realized it, I began to long for his presence. He treated me as a friend, valued my opinions on his art, and wanted my company. So when he returned to Canada, a small emptiness formed in my heart. We lost touch after I graduated and began the research. But now he was here. And we seemed as close as we had been before.

We talked until nightfall.

Until we said goodbye.

At Home

The invitation hammered in my mind. I stared at the bioscreen. Wrote. Deleted. Wrote again. Deleted again. She would definitely refuse. I bit my lip, anxious. What if… I groaned in frustration. I had to stop being stupid. Just send it. If she doesn’t want to, she’ll say no. Simple. I took a deep breath.

I trusted what we felt. Trusted it enough to introduce her to my closest friend. But… what if it changed everything?

I threw myself onto the bed. What did this mean for us? If she refused, would that say something about our relationship?

My fingers hovered over send. Damn it, Akiko. Just do it. I gathered my courage and sent the invitation. Buried my face in my hands. There. Done.

Or could I delete it? Panic came. I opened the bioscreen and searched for the delete option.

Too late.

The reply notification sent my heart racing. My vision blurred, and I squinted. She said no. She had to have. Akiko, you’re an adult. Act like one. I read the message: 📩 “Of course. Time and place?”

My eyes widened. Heat rose through my face. My body reacted immediately. A squeal escaped. Embarrassment followed. Fortunately, I was alone. I sent the details.

Confirmed our attendance with Aydan. His reply came instantly: 📩 “YAAAY! :D Bring your special someone, okay?”

I smiled. Relief. Happiness. Butterflies. Closed my eyes.

Fell asleep smiling.

D’lmeé Gallery

I spent the afternoon reading. Decided to stray from my usual choices and read fantasy. I had always kept my distance from worlds inhabited by magical creatures. Accustomed to science fiction, dystopias, and biographies. But I had read so much of those genres that they had become predictable. I chose The Inventor’s Chronicles, published in 2779.

The story of a scientist. She discovered timelines connecting different dimensions. Built a machine and entered a new world, one inhabited by fantastic beings. Creatures that, according to the story, had lived on Gaia millennia ago. The book followed her journey through that parallel universe.

I became so immersed that time flew. When I noticed, it was already time to leave. I got ready.

I headed to D’lmeé Gallery in Centrália, the most prestigious in São Paulo and one of the largest in the world. Curators from across the globe competed for invitations to exhibit their artists. Almost impossible to obtain. The selection criteria? A mystery. Aydan’s invitation was a milestone in his career.

An enormous line formed at the entrance.

He messaged me: 📩 “Let me know when you arrive. Y’know, skip the wait ;)”

I looked around. Searched for Maia. Maybe she was…

“Looking for me?”

I shivered. Her voice was so close to my ear. I turned.

She smiled contentedly. “Your friend must be incredible.” Maia stopped beside me.

“Yes. He is.” I messaged Aydan.

An android from reception called us. “Akiyama? You can come in.”

We entered.

Faint lilac light illuminated a dark corridor. Sheets of paper glowing neon magenta fell from the ceiling. So many they piled up on the floor. Another step. The space expanded into a maze. Aydan’s works everywhere. Floor. Ceiling. Pillars. A gentle blue filled the space. A crowded bar stood right by the entrance. The smell of digital paint and aged paper filled the air.

Aydan spotted us. A champagne flute in his hand.

Our hug was tight.

He spent a little too long studying Maia.

She held his gaze, her aura striking.

Aydan raised an eyebrow. “My dear… how unfair. You brought a masterpiece. Who’s gonna look at the art now?” He smiled charmingly. “Pleasure. I’m Aydan. You…?” He arched an eyebrow.

“Maia. Lovely to meet you.” She shook his hand.

His eyes brightened. “Maia… I know the story behind that name. The eldest Pleiad. Known for her unusual beauty. And a solitary life.” He sipped his champagne. “The Romans considered her the Goddess of Spring.”

Maia gave a charming smile. “I was born in spring.”

Aydan’s smile widened. “Ah, how I love it when reality and fantasy mingle.”

An android circulated among the guests, offering drinks. Aydan snapped his fingers. We each took a glass. He led us toward a work combining bodies in motion with multicolored neon.

“What does Akiko mean?” Maia smiled at me.

Aydan pointed to the painting. “My dear Akiko has a special name. The kanji means child of autumn. And guess what?” He chuckled. “She was born in autumn.”

Maia raised an eyebrow, amused.

My face burned. Why did she do this?

“How did you meet?”

Aydan placed a hand theatrically over his chest. “The question I’ve been waiting for.” He winked at me. “I came from Canada eleven cycles ago to study at the Paulista School of Arts. Near the School of Medicine.” He lightly brushed a finger over the artwork. “That day… a professor tore up my drawing. I felt humiliated. Sat on a bench between the two campuses.”

Maia watched him curiously.

“While I was crying with the torn paper in my hands, she appeared.” Aydan pointed at me. “Asked if I was gonna put the pieces back together and frame it.” He smiled. “And here we are.”

Aydan took another sip of champagne.

A man with curly hair tied in a bun approached, his expression carefree. “Gonna introduce me?” He leaned against Aydan’s arm.

“Kilian, so dramatic. You already know Akiko.”

Kilian’s lips parted. “AKIKO?! How did I only recognize you now?” He hugged me tightly. “Still gorgeous.”

“Oh, stop.” My face grew even hotter.

He turned to Maia. “Kilian. Pleasure.”

Aydan nudged his shoulder. “You won’t believe this…” He pointed at Maia. “She won Akiko’s little heart.”

My body froze. I grabbed my glass, took a large sip, and almost choked. Unlike Maia, who wore the most dazzling smile I had ever seen. My heart leaped.

She raised her glass toward me.

“Stop it.” I hid my face behind my glass.

“Thought this day would never come,” Kilian teased.

I rolled my eyes and took another sip.

Aydan, with his sunshine. Maia, with her enigmatic darkness. Both looking at me, each in their own way. My attention divided.

Gradually, I continued admiring Aydan’s paintings. He and Maia walked farther ahead, talking and studying a fountain of frozen water that gleamed in beams of turquoise neon. I admired them from a distance.

Kilian approached and handed me another drink. “Aydan’s talked about you nonstop. Misses you a lot.”

I looked toward Aydan and Maia, immersed in conversation.

“And he really likes her,” he added. “You make a beautiful couple.”

My chest warmed, and I smiled. “So do you.”

Club Blaze

Aydan approached us at the end of the exhibition. “We’re going clubbing. Coming? We leave tomorrow. Wanna make the most of it.”

“So soon?” I asked.

He nodded sadly.

Maia agreed with a small nod.

“Let’s go.”

We went to Club Blaze, a famous nightclub in Centrália. Aydan secured VIP entry for us. We skipped an endless line that wound around the corner. The place was packed.

Ozone and ionized metal from the holoprojections. Nanofrequency sound nanosystems hovered throughout the space, playing pop. Electric blue, luminescent purple, and incandescent red left trails on my retinas. Synthetic pheromones heightened connections, intensifying emotions. I could almost feel the synesthesia on my skin.

We got drinks at the first bar. Maia ordered IcyNova. I ordered a gin and tonic.

“How can you drink that straight?!” Kilian tried to make himself heard over the music.

Maia only smirked.

“LET’S HAVE SOME FUN!!!” Aydan raised his glass between us. “The night’s just getting started!”

We headed to the dance floor and danced together for hours.

At some point, Aydan approached. “A little present.” He winked and placed Lamide in my hand. Two colorful pills. Returned to dancing with Kilian.

Maia whispered in my ear. “Hey, if you don’t wanna, that’s okay.”

I lifted my head, a little lost in her attentive gaze. “You’re with me. I can relax, right?”

Maia nodded.

We each took a pill. The effect came gradually.

The atmosphere around us began to transform. The music swayed me gently. I vibrated with every beat. Everything radiated through a luminescent mist, like a fantasy world. Neon condensed. Electricity in the air.

Maia’s presence, her beauty, features, and woody scent intensified even more. She held me and caressed my nape.

A delicious melody played. A female voice sang, hypnotic and ethereal:

Would you follow me even if you were blind?

In the darkness of the night, with nothing to guide you

In the silence, with no one to help you

Would you let me show you the way of love? ♪

The lyrics resonated in my heart, as though created for that moment. For us. Maia captivated me with her seductive gaze. I plunged deeper into her vastness. She overwhelmed me completely. Pulled me closer and kissed me. A kiss that fused our destinies. That held eternity in an instant. I pressed against her body and wrapped my arms around her waist. She rested her forehead against mine. Eyes closed.

“Let me be part of your world,” I murmured.

Maia smiled affectionately. Caressed my cheek. “You already are.” Kissed me again. Slowly.

My heart beat so fast. Excitement burned inside me. Feeling right beneath my skin, I kissed her ardently, sharing the stars dancing in my mouth. In my soul.

I poured out the love flooding me. Cosmic overflow. An entire Corchesweave of surrender dissolving between us. Every sensation, perception, invisible vibration spilled forth. Maia responded with the same intensity. The sound around us disappeared. No music, neon, crowd. Just me. Just her. Just us.

We parted, breathless. Oblivious to everything around us. I chuckled in euphoria. She did too. We held each other for a long time.

Then danced again.

Some Time Later

After so much alcohol, under Lamide’s influence, my stomach churned. I wanted to vomit. Why did this always happen? Maia sat me on a sofa. Aydan and Kilian joined us.

“What’s wrong?” Kilian was intoxicated, but still alert.

“She’s feeling sick.” Maia stroked my back. “Think we should lea—”

I emptied my stomach onto the floor.

“Yeah. Better go.” Kilian helped me stand.

“She’s still the same.” Aydan gave a drunken smile.

They helped clear a path to the exit.

“You gonna be okay?”

Maia wrapped an arm around my waist. “Yes.”

“Here’s my number. If there’s any trouble, please let me know.” Worry filled Aydan’s voice.

I was conscious despite my clouded vision. The problem: constant nausea. Pain in my stomach. “Gonna thro—”

Maia pulled me toward the curb.

I vomited again.

She held my hair.

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, free of embarrassment. “Shorryyy. Such a lightweight with these… things.” I vomited again. My head spun. “Sorry…” My voice came out weak.

Maia ran a hand through my hair, turning my face away from the mess. “Nothing to apologize for.”

We continued walking.

Maia was so serene. Attentive throughout the journey.

We reached the Club of Fantastical Dreams. Two half-naked women greeted us.

My heightened senses overwhelmed me. Colored lights made me dizzier. Hurt my eyes. Not to mention the deafening music.

In the elevator, it was hard to keep my eyes off the woman’s bare chest.

Maia pinched the bridge of her nose. Smiled in amusement.

“Shorryyy. Can’t help it,” I babbled.

Maia gently guided me out of the elevator by the arm.

“Have an excellent niiight.” I waved to the woman.

Maia laid me on the bed.

What was this unbearable heat? I struggled out of my cardigan and tossed it aside. “You gonna leave me? Go like lasht time?”

Suddenly, Maia was over me. Her mischievous eyes traveled over my body. She held my wrists and bit her lip. “How could I? So defenseless. So vulnerable.” She breathed into my ear. Nibbled it.

A shiver ran through me. A quiet moan escaped. My awareness sharpened. Heat spread from the inside out. Whatever control I had over myself vanished. I tried to hold her predatory gaze, but every part of me was shaken.

Maia lowered her head. Sighed and sat in the armchair. “This is so unfair,” she said, her voice heavy with frustration.

My heartbeat was frantic. I could barely follow my thoughts. Buried my burning face in the pillow.

Maia rested an elbow on the chair’s arm and brushed her fingers over her lips. Her gaze swept over me.

What she was doing was unfair.

Maia chuckled, reading my embarrassment.

“Why?” My voice was muffled.

All I got was a sarcastic laugh.

I gathered my remaining courage and tried to face her. Failed. Grunted.

Silence enveloped us like a veil of anticipation and tension.

Damn it. Why was my tolerance for intoxicants so pathetic? This stupid biochip seemed useless at reducing the symptoms.

I calmed down. Drowsiness came. The bed grew more comfortable as the day’s weight drained from my body. I was about to close my eyes. “Won’t you lie down with me?”

“Better not.” Her husky voice sent a teasing shiver through me.

“Why?” I pouted.

Maia sighed. “Because how am I supposed to hold back with you so close?”

I let out a muffled cry. The flame she had kindled in me burned like a wildfire. I turned away. “Why do you do this?”

A breathy laugh answered me.

“Maia…” My voice was low. Almost a whisper.

She lifted her head.

“Staaay.”

Maia stayed silent. But before I fell asleep, I felt her breath near me.

I drifted off.

The Next Morning

My head throbbed. Faint light filtered through the curtains. Warm breath against my ear reminded me where I was. Who I was with. Maia held me. Her fingers laced through mine. Her warm body. Safety.

I nestled closer. Her woody scent even stronger.

I heard a muffled murmur.

“Hey.” I chuckled.

Maia wrinkled her nose, eyes still closed. “Couldn’t resist.” Her voice sleepy. “You looked so delic—” She stopped. Her eyes opened. A faint pink colored her cheeks. “I mean, you were sleeping so peacefully.”

Silence settled between us. Soft. Comfortable.

I wanted to stay there. Turned in bed, snuggling closer. Felt Maia’s lips softly touch my forehead. I smiled.

We stayed there, savoring each other’s presence until…

S-2879 • L10 Tramaluna • D19 Unabe

“Tramaluna weaves the sky in a watchful thread. Unabe kindles an axis in descending light. The tide draws a route in living silver. The story carries on steadily, with a sure step.”

“Hey.” Kiara woke me.

It took me a while to come around. I noticed I had drooled a little and wiped my cheek. Shook my head. Felt like a truck had run me over.

“Did you know you…” She gave a teasing grin. “…talk in your sleep?”

My eyes widened with anxiety. “What did I say?”

Kiara’s grin grew. “Random words. ‘Why do you do this?’ Repeated ‘Maia’ a few times.”

Heat rose to my face. Shit. This was ridiculous. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to hide it. “Please never bring this up again.” Excellent. What was I going to blame? Sinaptic-V? Hmph. How embarrassing.

“My lips are sealed.” She mimed sealing them.

When we landed, Kiara adjusted the rifle on its sling, checked that the revolvers were loaded, and positioned the blade at her wrist.

I put on the mask. She told me to configure my biochip to heat the uniform. The warmth acted on the skin’s surface, insufficient to protect against the harsh Russian winter. Temperatures reached minus thirty degrees Celsius.

“Ready?”

I had to be. I took a deep breath. Whatever happened would happen. I would make it through. Nodded.

“Let’s go.” Her expression confident.

She opened the door.

Icy air surrounded us. A blizzard filled the entire landscape. The white of the sky and earth were indistinguishable. Every step was a struggle. Wind roared mercilessly, throwing our bodies back.

Kiara led skillfully. I tried to keep pace.

We reached a closed establishment. I took the opportunity to draw air into my lungs. My first encounter with such a harsh winter. I froze from within. Even through the mask, the air scraped my windpipe. My body sought to learn the cold.

Kiara showed her holopass to an android.

Then the ground began to shake. I gripped the counter and searched for the source. A few meters away, the floor opened into a moving maw. A white car emerged. Camouflaged against the snow.

“Spasibo,” Kiara thanked him.

We got in.

Even with nanoelectromagnetic lift, the weather made the journey to Salekhard drag on—almost two hours. Though I had only seen part of Moscow, I glimpsed the Red Bastion. The fortified complex was actually quite colorful, standing out against the pale expanse.

Some time later, we approached Salekhard.

Nature was reclaiming the vast buildings, vehicles, and other structures. Debris accumulated around them. A dirty gray mist drifted above the district.

“What happened here?” I asked, somewhat shocked. A desolate landscape.

“Kemetia bombed this district with R-ATOM in 2795. Everyone died on the day of the attack. Radiation spread for kilometers, reaching central Moscow. A fucking tragedy. The radiation’s decreased since then. Only criminals and the destitute live here now. To the Russian people, this is a cemetery. It calls for respect.”

Dense air, heavy with echoes of death. Every ruin whispered stories of pain.

I admit that when I studied those attacks, I felt so removed from their reality. It was so easy for those in control to destroy everything just to stay on top.

Such devastation weighed on my heart. A shiver traveled down my spine. More than the cold, it was the place’s invisible weight. As though ancient voices still echoed there.

I wished serenity for those who had walked that land.

“We’re here.” Kiara pulled me from my thoughts.

We got out.

My legs were heavy. Every step seemed slower. My fingers tingled inside my gloves. Beyond the frost, a kind of exhaustion consumed me from within.

We stood before a concrete building covered in vines.

Kiara grimaced. “Seriously… of all people.”

I frowned. “What are you—”

The figure advanced through the blizzard like a shadow from beyond that world. A predatory posture.

I narrowed my eyes to see better. The glacial storm obscured everything.

As she approached, green eyes cut through the storm like razors. Fierce and dangerous. Carrying a supernatural force. They reminded me of an eagle.

“What’re you doing here?!” the young woman snapped in a thick Russian accent.

She wore a black mask. Her messy dark-brown hair was braided into a ponytail. Toned, tattooed arms lay bare despite the relentless winter. A grimy white tank top, white military trousers and boots. Two bandanas tied at her waist. One pink, the other pastel blue. A sniper rifle in her hands. Before us:

Trix • Mercenary Leader • Cyborg • 24 cycles

She had only lived twenty-four cycles?! I felt the urge to step back, but stood firm. Showing weakness around them was a stupid thing to do.

Trix gave a mocking laugh. “You’re gonna tell me…”

“Tell you what, huh? For fuck’s sake.” Kiara clenched her jaw.

Trix’s eyes flashed purple. “Who’s this?”

“My apprentice.”

“Saymon sent you?”

“Otherwise, I’d be at a fucking spa, wouldn’t I?” Kiara’s shoulders stiffened. Her gaze darkened, heavy with something deep and unspoken.

Trix smiled as though she knew exactly what lay behind that anger. “Whatever. C’mon.” She walked toward the building.

Kiara followed right behind.

I went after her, apprehensive.

We entered a filthy, ruined hotel reception. Full of old furniture. Counters. Chairs. A piano. Vases weathered by the climate.

A girl in heavy winter clothes. Rosy cheeks. Blue eyes. Long, neatly combed brown hair. She sat on the first step of a staircase destroyed halfway up. So delicate. She reminded me of a porcelain doll, as though a touch could make her fall apart.

Trix leaned against a broken pillar. “Think I know why he sent you. Only you could do this.”

“Okay. What’s going on?” Kiara kept scowling.

“Been impossible to go more than two meters without someone trying to attack this beauty here.” She gestured toward the girl.

“Hey. I have a name. It’s Anichka.” Her voice was so high and thin.

“Shut the fuck up!” Trix roared. “That voice shreds my nerves. This girl just talks, talks, talks. Look, Kiki, you being here is the best birthday present.”

Kiki? What was their relationship, for her to call Kiara by a nickname? And had she said birthday? Was it her birthday? My intuition asked for patience.

Anichka scowled. Her slender fingers held a worn necklace. A small glass pendant swayed amid the chaos. A remnant of something beautiful.

My mental state was terrible. I preferred to keep a little distance.

“Spit it out.” Kiara sounded impatient.

Trix smiled with her eyes. “Just what I needed. It’s obvious. Something about her gives away our location.”

“Stop repeating that.” Anichka pressed her arms to her sides.

“Which means…?” Kiara seemed to finally understand something.

Trix crossed her arms. “Vorovskoy mir wants this girl.”

My heart raced. The snow around us seemed colder. The blizzard roared as though it wanted to devour everything.

Vorovskoy mir.

So that was it.

I stretched, and the numbness from sitting so long slowly faded. Kiara and Trix had been staring at each other for what felt like an eternity.

“Sure?” the android asked again.

Trix remained unyielding. “I am. Because it’s you.”

Kiara’s gaze held a heaviness. Trix held it. The silence between them was an invisible battlefield.

Anichka slept soundly on the floor. While Kiara and Trix spoke of danger, death, survival, Anichka snored softly, lost in deep sleep. Even if the sky came crashing down, she would stay there without moving a muscle. She had huffed throughout the planning, showing complete disinterest. Perhaps she failed to grasp what any of it meant. All she knew was that Kiara and Trix would protect her. Keep even a scratch from reaching her.

Honestly, I had no idea why we were escorting her, but danger lurked. Whatever it was, it would have to face those two first.

Kiara ran a hand through her hair. “Really sure?” she repeated, as though still expecting a different answer.

Trix stepped closer and unfastened her mask.

I confess, her face surprised me. I resisted the urge to widen my eyes when I noticed two lilac metallic scars running from her eyes to her jaw. What was that? A nanoprosthetic? No… it looked like something else. My chest tightened. This… this was more than ordinary scarring. Marks of something dissonant.

Trix pointed to the marks. “I am. Because of this.”

“Fuck it.” Kiara stepped away and came toward me.

Trix put her mask back on and looked at Anichka with distaste.

The android sat beside me. “And you? Sure about this?”

“Do I have a choice?” I forced a smile. Wanted to hide my hesitation, even though it was as clear as the snow outside.

She patted my shoulder. “Rest. We leave tomorrow night.”

I sat farther away, near a large window. Outside, ruined buildings rested beneath a pale mantle. Pure. Beautiful. Yet holding something beyond understanding. Something to be felt.

I remembered Maia. The passion with which she spoke of nature. How she loved its inevitability. She had once said: ‘How do you contain the falling rain? The roots that take over the soil? They slip through cracks, innermost depths, every forgotten corner. They’re in the air that sustains and kindles. In the earth that nourishes and strengthens. In the water that flows and creates. In the fire that consumes, transforms, and rises from the ashes. But nature is untamable. Perhaps their disconnection from feeling made them want to control it.’

I removed my gloves and touched the glass. Ice seeped into my skin, but I held back a shiver. You too, Maia, were as inevitable as nature. I was far from being able to sleep. Anxiety about the following day grew in my chest. A silent dread. I feared the pain awaiting me if things went wrong.

I wanted to avoid thinking about it, so I reached for memories of Maia. Perhaps, in the end, I had always been destined to be swept into her storm. Just like the snow outside.

I let the memories wander within me.

S-2878 • L4 Abeluna • D27 Silenri

“Abeluna gathers radiance in a slender curve. Silenri seals the thread at the sky’s edge. The tide breathes silver in a gentle return. The story already feels the portal kindle.”

I sent Maia messages about the blood samples. No reply. Almost a lunation without any sign of her. I opened the bioscreen. Closed it. Checked again. Maybe I had missed a notification. But the silence continued.

“Akiyama?” Daren tapped on the door.

I sighed, searching for serenity. Sending a message was so simple. “Come in.”

Daren sat. “Sorry to bother you, but where are the samples from the past few quartelunas? I’m close to the testing phase.”

I pressed my lips together. “I’ve already explained. She’s officially out of the study.”

“I know, I know. But we’re so close…”

I shrugged. “My hands are tied.”

“All right. I’ll wait. Please let me know if you hear anything.” He offered a strained smile and left.

I rubbed my temples. Exhausted. CogniSynth. Daren. Maia. The weight in my chest grew whenever I thought of her. Obviously, something was going on. She led a life… my head throbbed. I wanted to rest. Switch off. Just a little. The idea grew more appealing by the minute.

Before leaving, I opened a secret compartment in the desk and took out a vial of Pefentanil. I wanted to escape reality. Decided my mind needed to shut down.

At Home

I put on comfortable pajamas, prepared snacks, and went to the living room. Everything ready. Soft lighting. I switched to a random channel playing a romance film.

I picked up the vial and syringe. Drew up a few milligrams. Hesitated for half a second. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe… No. I wanted this. Injected it into my forearm. The biochip accelerated the effect’s onset within seconds.

I tipped my head back and closed my eyes. Dopamine took over my brain. My perception heightened. I smiled at that delicious euphoria. Let my thoughts explore unknown places.

I blinked. Shining pixels came toward me, filling my eyes with beauty. Music played, vibrating strongly. The characters’ voices distorted. Deep sounds. Fast. Slow. Everything moved in slow motion. Sound and image mingled.

I frowned. This was so strange and funny. I burst out laughing, relaxing further.

The doorbell rang. A ring entered my mind ring ring ring I couldn’t even remember getting up. Laughed at the thought. How do I do things again? I mean, wait. Did I order food? Had I eaten and forgotten? I laughed harder.

Forgot to check the security holoscreen. Ah, whatever. Must be something I ordered. I opened the door. Seconds. Minutes. An eternity seemed to pass. “Un-be-liev-a-ble.” I waved my hands in front of me. “I’m hallucinating.” A breathy laugh escaped, and I closed the door.

Maia stopped me. Stared at me, brow furrowed.

I brought my face close to hers. Strands of hair fell over her forehead. Eyebrows and lashes so white. “Looks real.” I tilted my head.

“Did you take something?” The mirage’s voice vibrated in my ears.

My eyelids drooped. “Even the voice? Seems so real. Even when I try to escape you, my mind makes you appear. So confusing.”

After hearing my confession, the illusion of Maia stepped inside. She looked sad. “Why do you want to escape me?”

“Yeah… you must’ve come out of this little head of mine.” I covered my mouth as I laughed. “Am I talking too loudly? Hardly matters. Thought it was food. Maybe I already ate.” I returned to the sofa.

Maia followed and picked up the Pefentanil vial from the sofa. “Everything makes sense now.” Her words sounded delayed, as though the sound arrived a second late. As though I were dreaming.

“Wow… you’re so beautiful. Even more in real life.” I touched her face. Stroked her eyebrows, then moved down to her cheeks, squeezing them gently. “Wow! My mind captured every detail of you. I’m impressed. But you… you…”

She placed her hand over mine. “Aki…”

“I don’t wanna escape.” I ignored her. After all, she was only an illusion. “Just wanna think about you less.” My mouth grew dry. Thirst came, and I took a gulp of water. “Best water I’ve ever had in my life!” I gave a breathy laugh, adjusting my hair. “This feeling is so inevitable. So crystal clear…”

“Hey, you’re not—”

I silenced her with a finger against her lips. “Illusion, why do you sound like Maia? In my head, you say things like, ‘You’re beautiful.’ ‘I missed you.’ Or, ‘This happened over those quartelunas…’” I sighed. “But what happened? Will you tell me? Will you ever let me know your world… the way you know mine?”

Maia’s smile was so dazzling.

Warmth bubbled inside me. The dopamine intensified. I smiled, rubbing my nose against hers. “You really are beautiful.”

The mirage caressed my neck. “I know… but you’re the only color in this world.”

“Hmm… now you sound more like the Maia in my head.” I chuckled. “The real Maia would say something else.”

“Hey, I would say that.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. “Seeing you, even as a mirage, makes me so happy all the anxiety disappears.”

Before I could react, Maia kissed me and pressed my body against hers. My brain exploded with dopamine and serotonin. Euphoria swelled, filling me completely. I returned the kiss with the same intensity. Her hand traveled down my back. Held my waist tenderly. Every touch so alive.

“So unfair. You’re only an illusion,” I grumbled when we parted. I ran my fingers over her flushed cheekbones.

“It’s unfair that you’re like this and I have to hold back.” Her disappointed voice contradicted her predatory aura. She bit her lip. Held me tighter.

My face burned. Even as a hallucination, she affected me profoundly. I shook my head. “Wish you were here. Where are you? What are you doing? Do you think about me too?”

Maia’s laughter filled my ears.

“Your laugh feels so good.” I rested my forehead against hers.

She nibbled my cheek. Made me meet her amber eyes. Her gaze reached my soul. “I’m here with you. And you’re all I think about.”

I stood, too embarrassed even to face an illusion of Maia. “Even captured how you unsettle me. Go away.” I waved my hand, trying to dispel her image.

She remained clear. “Want me to leave?” The illusion approached. Gently held my wrists.

“No. But I wanted the real Maia. You vanished. Disappeared without a word.” The thought brought sadness. All the euphoria drained away. “Feeling this is so new to me. The thought of losing you is terrifying.” My eyes burned.

Was I really saying this? But… it was true. I wanted her beside me. That life she led seemed so…

Maia hugged me. Let me cry. Caressed my face and wiped away the persistent tears. “Aki—”

“No. Don’t say anything. You’re only an illusion.” I sat on the sofa. She only said what I projected. I rested my head on a cushion. Drowsiness. Lethargy. Mild depression. My mind wandered. Everything darkened quickly. My inner voice grew distant. Distorted. I surrendered to sleep. “I’m sleepy. When I wake up…”

Hours Later

I woke in panic. My racing heart seemed ready to leap out of my mouth. Breathing was impossible beneath the weight in my lungs. My muscles ached. My hands shook. Chills traveled through my body. Cold sweat trickled down my face. I rubbed my feverish forehead. The post-euphoria effects had thrown my body out of balance.

“Hey. It’s okay.” Her familiar, calm voice resonated through me. She stroked my hands. “It’ll pass soon.” A sleepy Maia watched me, rubbing her eyes.

I frowned. Slowly, a light went on in my head. “N-no… impossible… tell me it’s a lie. It can’t be.” My chest tightened. My brain still fought the logic.

She was supposed to be far away. Yet here she was.

Maia smiled, amused.

“N-no… that was you yesterday? Tell me it wasn’t?” I covered my face, peeking between my fingers.

Please tell me it wasn’t.

She nodded.

“Oh, no! I should’ve…” I groaned.

Maia stretched as she stood. “Gonna make us breakfast.”

I confess, embarrassed as I was, I would have liked to wake to that sight every day. I buried my face in the pillow and closed my eyes. “It was real.”

Soon afterward, Maia brought a tray: chocolate pancakes, a bowl of berries, plain yogurt, and apple juice. Sat across from me.

We ate together.

“Delicious! My pancakes are baby food compared to yours.” I tried to forget what had happened and focus on the food’s sweetness. Chewed slowly, as though I could swallow what I felt.

She raised an eyebrow. “Feeling better?”

“No. Even with the biochip, the withdrawal will take a while to pass. I’ll take a bath to help ease the symptoms.”

Maia narrowed her eyes mischievously. “Hmm. Love to help.”

I scowled. “How bold! No need.”

Maia smirked. “Sure? I can reach places you ca—”

I threw a cushion in her face.

She burst out laughing.

I sighed, surrendering. “Maybe later…”

Maia lit up, eyes shining.

We finished eating.

I stretched, avoiding thoughts of injecting more Pefentanil. The truth was, Maia’s presence was enough. She gave me the dopamine I craved.

Maia moved closer. Her penetrating gaze crossed every defense. “Why did you do it?”

Well, I was still unprepared to say certain things. “Because life calls for a little numbness.”

Maia’s expression said she knew I was hiding the truth. “About what you said…”

“No… please. Pretend none of that happened.” I tried to force a smile. Failed.

Maia kissed my fingers and pressed them against her face. “Wish you felt differently. That you felt good… that if you cried… it would be different from yesterday. The sadness I caused you. I…” Her voice lowered with guilt. She drew my arms around her neck.

“No…” Words escaped me. The opiate’s negative effects left me dazed. The sadness in my heart numbed me. “I’m afraid. You came into my life, showing me a side I’d never known. I’m lost trying to handle it.”

Maia hugged me, stroked my hair, and kissed my forehead.

“Why are you here?”

She gave a sweet smile. “To see you.” That was when I noticed an almost-faded bruise around her left eye. Maia followed my attention. Ran a finger over her face. Her smile diminished.

I rested my head on her shoulder and poked her cheek. “Will you tell me someday?” I searched her eyes. Tried in vain to reach the soul hidden beneath so many layers. I wanted to ask, but perhaps some truths needed to stay in the dark.

Maia held my gaze. Communicated through the invisible threads connecting us. The only answer that was enough.

“You know what? It hardly matters. Whatever’s hidden behind this… behind you…”

Maia kissed me.

“Yeah…” I was breathless when we parted. “You get it.”

Our laughter mingled.

Kiara sat at the other end of the window. “Get any sleep?”

I pushed thoughts of Maia aside. Returned to reality. Exhaustion weighed on my eyes. Blood overflowed from my collapsing womb. “No. But it’s okay.”

“Figured. We’re leaving soon. Ready?”

I grimaced uncertainly. “Can I say no?”

She shook her head, smiling. “C’mere. Our little princess is throwing a tantrum.”

I frowned and followed Kiara downstairs. As I drew closer, I heard the shrill shouting:

“You’re just gonna leave me in the hands of those… those BRUTES?!” Anichka raged.

Trix’s anger filled the room. “You yawned through the whole discussion. Now you’re saying you wanna stay?! Our lil’ princess had every chance to say that.”

“I didn’t understand what you were saying.” She pouted, eyes wet.

The mercenary planted a hand on her hip. “Good. You’re back. I’m outta ideas.” Trix clenched her fists. “About to shoot this girl.” Nothing in her tone suggested a bluff.

Kiara rolled her eyes. “I’m here for the mission. I’m no fucking babysitter. Now, if you need help hiding the body, count me in.” She gave Anichka a terrifying grin.

The girl shuddered. “STOP IT! You’re the worst bodyguards ever.”

Teeth clenched, Trix closed the distance between them. Anichka stepped back. “Lis-ten here, svoloch’. I’ve lost my patience. I’m not your fucking bodyguard. Neither are they.” The mercenary pointed toward us. “We’re here because nobody in this fucking place does what we do. Now shut the fuck up and obey. Either that, or I’ll make you disappear.” Trix’s eyes sparked with fury.

Anichka shrank back, her whole body trembling. Her eyes filled with tears, not daring to blink. As though she feared that the second she closed them, she would already be dead.

Even I felt a chill.

“Got the nanomalware ready?” Trix turned to Kiara.

“Duh. What’d you expect? It’ll work for five days, but we need to get out before then.”

“Khorosho. Gonna install it on yourself and her?” She gestured toward me.

“Right, while—”

“I can handle way more than five days.” She smiled charmingly.

“If you say so. I’ll find and disable the nanofirewall connected to her.” Kiara meant the princess.

“Okay, gotova?” Trix asked.

Anichka wiped her tears, sobbing.

“Yeah…” Kiara gave a sinister smirk. “To make it more convincing… I should shoot you. In the shoulder, maybe?” Her satisfied expression was so familiar.

A faint shiver crossed my spine. Was she serious? My heart fluttered.

Trix narrowed her eyes. “Really know what I like, huh? Wanna have a little taste?” She uncrossed her arms and handed Kiara a revolver.

The android took the gun and ran her tongue over her teeth. “We both know a shot to the shoulder would be unrealistic. I’d never miss that badly.”

She shot Trix in the shoulder and leg. Blood ran down her arm, dripping onto the filthy floor. Yet her gaze stayed fixed. Impassive. As though her body were irrelevant.

What the fuck was that? My heart raced. A metallic taste rose in my mouth. My stomach churned. Still, I had to hide my discomfort. I put my trembling hands behind my back, trying to contain a panic attack on the verge of breaking loose.

Anichka’s eyes were wide. Mouth open. Clearly terrified.

Trix stayed still. Hadn’t even flinched at the shots.

“Now we’re ready.” Kiara handed the gun back.

Trix applied a sloppy bandage.

S-2879 • L10 Tramaluna • D20 Teceli

“Tramaluna weaves the sky in a deep thread. Teceli weaves a step in silver descent. The tide draws a route in a living curve. The story carries on steadily, in gentle radiance.”

At nightfall, we traveled to the old ghost town of Khalmer-Yu, Vorovskoy mir’s headquarters.

Kiara explained how the Russian Brotherhood was divided: an elite group, the highest rank; a security group that ensured harmony with other organizations and internal loyalty; a support group responsible for collecting money and recruiting members; and a work unit, the lowest group. Robbers. Extortion. Street gangs. Petty crimes.

Above everything, the supreme authority: the Pakhan. Khalmer-Yu was home to Vorovskoy mir’s most powerful Pakhan.

“I installed Cloakify on Anichka,” Kiara reiterated.

The princess fidgeted with trembling fingers.

I felt the urge to hold her hand and tell her everything would be okay. But… I couldn’t even tell myself that. Things would go according to plan or go terribly wrong. What awaited her was a mystery.

Trix and Kiara had put the plan together calmly. I assumed the princess would remain protected. Kept that in mind. My Crone sharpened my perception. Perhaps that Egyptian soldier had been right. Perhaps I worried too much about others. If something goes wrong, the sixteen-cycle-old girl will be the least of my problems.

Outside, only the vast expanse of snow. Endless. Silent.

I tried to think of something else. Impossible. With every kilometer closer, the feeling that something would go wrong grew. As though… I were returning to Burj.

The silence was dense.

Maybe it was my imagination, but I felt we were being watched. Like prey approaching a predator’s territory.

I shook my head. No. I had to push those thoughts away.

Five Hours Later

Vorovskoy mir’s military fortress, Khalmer-Yu, appeared on the horizon.

Modern nanostructures contrasted with old buildings reduced to steel and dust—out there, a Soviet mining town had once stood.

Ghosts of the evicted inhabitants still haunt the ice. Rusted towers marked what remained of the military testing ground. They said the Russian army had even detonated vacuum bombs here, crumbling concrete and human bones into the same dust. Nature reclaimed nanometal and concrete. Relentless snow. Merciless cold.

Every breath burned my throat. Ice seeped into my bones.

Winter reigned absolute.

“Stopping here. Close enough. Any closer, and they’ll track us. Their identification radius is wide.” Kiara slowed down.

Trix lit a cigarette. Blew out smoke. Snow covered us as we left the car. Wind cut like blades. Every step demanded tremendous effort. How on earth did Trix look so relaxed without thermal clothing? No biochip could help against this cold.

Kiara sent Trix and me a file: C-kify.exe.

“Ready?” Without objection, Trix declared, “Itak, nachnem.”

Kiara restrained Trix and Anichka with nanocuffs. The same kind used on Denden and me. The bitter taste of memory rose in my throat. I took a deep breath. Suppressed the past. The present demanded that I stay steady. I held Anichka’s wrists.

Her eyes were distressed, but she tried to smile.

I kept my posture stern. We followed Kiara, who dragged Trix along. Crossed the fortress’s first low wall. Heavy air. An oppressive sensation. Surveillance. A bullet could pierce me at any moment.

My legs trembled.

The storage center appeared before us. Two guards approached.

“Never seen you before, but the alarms haven’t sounded. What’s your unit?” The question came directly in Russian.

The android studied us closely.

“I’m Avtoritet Trinity. I report to Pakhan Mikhail Morozov.” Kiara presented a holopass.

“São Paulo unit?”

“They’ve brought the fugitive Trix and Princess Anichka Alexeyev,” the android guard informed him.

The man’s eyes widened. “Alarms clear… Parol’?”

Kiara: “Zima.”

Guard: “Otvet.”

Kiara: “Noch’.”

“Follow me.”

We walked through the fortress’s oppressive corridors. The gazes of Vorovskoy mir’s members cut into us.

Tension tightened my chest. Icy wind tore at my skin. Keeping pace against the frost was difficult. I rubbed snowflakes from my eyes, trying to brush away negative thoughts with the gesture.

Inside the prison barracks, the temperature was mild, but gray walls and dense silence made the space suffocating. The air felt heavy, laden with nanometal and sweat. The smell of burnt oil and rust clung to my throat. Boots echoed against concrete. Wind whistled through cracks in the structure. Two iron doors opened onto a long corridor.

We reached the identification area. An android, Yuri, sat at a desk.

The guard spoke to him in Russian.

Yuri stood and faced us. “Welcome. I see you’ve brought our most wanted targets. Came from São Paulo for this?” Suspicion edged his tone.

I swallowed hard. A thread of sweat slid down my nape.

“Of course. Think I’d pass up hunting Trix? We have history.” Kiara smirked. Her eyes menacing. Predatory.

History? Was that a lie too? I lost track of what was happening. My throat was dry. I wanted to ask, but only nodded. Tried to look indifferent.

“Really?” Yuri raised an eyebrow. “What history? Everyone who got involved with her ended up dead.”

Kiara held his suspicious gaze. “The kind that ends just like this. Me out here. Her in there.”

Yuri walked around the room. “Surprised none of ours caught her first. Had to wait for a foreign division to do the job.”

Kiara shrugged. “Sometimes it’s all about a fresh perspective.”

Silence. Something escaped me. Perhaps it was only my imagination.

“Thermal, olfactory, and heavy-metal checks… everything matches. If this is an act, it’s a good one.” Yuri’s expression hardened. “You know what to do. As for the princess, she isn’t a prisoner.”

Kiara touched the holoscreen, and the gates opened.

Another android appeared and took Trix away.

She smiled before the iron bars closed behind her. For a moment, our eyes met. Hers held courage. Even audacity. A silent knowledge, as though she already knew the ending before I did.

Their footsteps echoed until they disappeared.

A suffocating urgency to stop them gripped me, but I held back. If I was going to regret it, that would come later.

“Sovet’s been notified. The obshchak will log the bounty transaction. Take the girl to the Pakhan.” Yuri gestured to the guard. “You two collect your bounty at the other barracks. After that, you’re dismissed.”

We crossed the fortress. Glacial wind howled, piercing.

Kiara clenched her fists, huffing with anger.

“What is it?” I caught up to hear her.

She gritted her teeth. “My patience is running out. That’s one of Saymon’s androids.”

“W-what?!”

“Argh… fuck. Whatever. Sticking to the plan.” Her aura closed off.

Better to keep my distance. Saymon really seemed to get under her skin.

When we reached the transaction building, a petite woman greeted us. “Identify yourself there. The registered account will receive the money.”

Kiara completed the transaction.

We left. Wind lashed us. Cold seeped into my hypodermis.

“Gonna send you twenty-five percent of the bounty. Give you account access later. An underworld bank runs it. TenebraCorp. Users and transactions are nanoencrypted.”

I stopped. An underworld bank? A bounty? Did that make me a mercenary? “N-no… unnecessary.”

Kiara turned to me. “Transferring it anyway. We’re talking two million bireais.”

The air vanished from my lungs. “T-two million? The two of them were worth eight million?!”

“No. That was just Trix. The princess’s bounty is a hundred thousand. We’ll transfer that to her.”

I licked my frozen lips. Two million… Three solar cycles of my work. I could fund CogniSynth’s research for cycles. Could… Could I buy a different future? But… at what cost?

I shook my head. “I-I don’t know what to say. It’s… it’s…”

Kiara burst out laughing. “TenebraCorp handles the obnal for the obshchak. Your dolya drops after the hash.”

I hurried into the car. Relief enveloped me as I escaped the wind. I pulled off the mask and breathed deeply.

The android got in after me. Her eyes gleamed. “Now the action starts.”

“Will you need to map the place?”

Kiara raised the holoscreen. A holomap. She smiled. “No.” A secret shimmered in her gaze. “Been here with Maia.”

My breath caught for a second. The cold was already unbearable, but at that moment, a warm shiver traveled down my spine.

S-2878 • L4 Abeluna • D08 Lilibe

“Abeluna opens a path in living silver. Lilibe pours radiance into a gentle curve. The tide sings clear on the skin of the world. The story weaves a step in growing light.”

KIARA

I waited for Maia until nightfall. We were leaving for Russia. She arrived quietly, at ten on the dot. We boarded the plane and took off. I sat across from her. Maia stared into the dead darkness outside.

“Hiding this from me is pointless. You know that, right?” I smirked.

Over the past four lunations, something about her had changed. She hid it well. I teased her from a distance, but nothing worked. Maia stayed cold. Always cold. Her eyes, which once carried a dark reflection of whatever she concealed, now shone with a certain irony.

Maia smiled back. “I know.”

“This wasn’t part of the plan.” I shook my head. Laughed.

“No. But by now, I’ve already surrendered. She changed everything.” Maia opened her mouth. Closed it. Wanted to say something. Chose to keep it to herself. Maybe another time.

She slept through most of the flight. I reviewed the mission details. As we approached landing, we went over the strategy. Drove to the outskirts of Khalmer-Yu.

“We’re looking for a weapon?” Maia stretched.

“Yeah. Somewhere in the fortress. The Patriarch gave us a lunation to finish this mission. Gonna need a day to access their nanosystem’s code.”

“Take your time.” Maia rested her head against the seat and propped her feet on the dashboard.

Almost an hour later

The signal came from the ground. My nanocore picked up the vibration. I moved closer and began accessing the nanosecurity responsible for the nanosensors surrounding the fortress.

Well… better explain my main ability. Ever heard of corrupted androids? They don’t exist. When nanoengineers detect data corruption, they shut them down. Destroy them on the spot. Except, of course… me.

This was before my connection with Maia.

I was cowoven a long time ago. In 2775, in Antarctica. Eventually, though, they connected me to Netheria’s Motherboard. My nanosystem was normal. Until lightning struck me during a mission. Yeah, I know… fucking badass, right? That’s why I have those lightning marks beneath my tattoos.

When the electric current chose to strike my nanocore, my consciousness reawakened. As though the world had lit up and gone dark at the same time. The inevitability of cosmic electricity affirmed me. A rite of realignment. Since then, every byte has been more than code. It kindles like life. Like me.

When I searched for the source of that mutation, I found a corrupted nanite contaminating the others. Knew what that meant: the Motherboard would detect the corruption and order my destruction. So I made the only possible move: cowove nanomalware from the altered nanite itself.

Named it Cloakify. With it, I can camouflage my nanosystem, conceal others, corrupt androids and nanotechnological programs. Basically, ninety-eight percent of current nanotechnology. Of course, it has a time limit. Depends on the target nanosystem’s security level. The invading nanite needs to leave before it’s detected.

Some nanosystems are almost impossible to hack. Khalmer-Yu’s wasn’t one of them. I analyzed Vorovskoy mir’s security code.

For every nanosensor I bypassed, another hidden one appeared. Echoes of the Soviet past—distrust rooted even in the code. The data smelled of rust and old gunpowder. Every line seemed laden with the paranoia of a dead empire, still alive beneath Russia.

As though Khalmer-Yu breathed surveillance.

The first barrier was crude. Built to keep street gangs out. The second, precise, like internal security. The third, a maze of false routes—typical of the support division, concealing where the money came in. The fourth, sharp and lethal, like the Brotherhood’s elite.

Above it all, the Pakhan’s signature—a cold, simple, absolute code that said: ‘I see you.’

They had translated their entire hierarchy into nanoprogramming. What was designed to watch now showed me how to defeat them. Every byte I debugged affirmed my existence. Life feeling along the thread. Consciousness rising whole amid the risk. I obtained the identification core and accessed the data. Division tracking:

São Paulo • New identifications: Complete

Now Maia and I existed in the nanosystem. For five days.

When we activated Cloakify, the corruption would begin.

I returned at night

“Done. Took three whole nights of breaking and patching. Every time I thought I’d won, the system came back with a new defense. Like a digital hydra.”

“Nice, Kiki. Nailed it, as always.” Maia raised her phone. “Where’s the fucking signal?!”

I studied the device. “We’re at the end of the world. Vorovskoy mir has its own communications network.”

“Makes sense.” She pocketed the phone. “Shall we?”

We stayed at the edge of the nanosensors’ range. Maia surveyed the area through my rifle’s scope. I mapped Khalmer-Yu. I only need to access a nanosystem’s first entry point to map it. Of course, that has its own flow. Sometimes a single program has multiple protocols and proxies. I need to dismantle them one by one.

Maia monitored the guards’ positions and shift changes.

It took us three days.

I projected the holomap into the air. “Three basement levels. Weapon should be on one of them.”

“Really? Always doing this stuff underground.” Maia smiled, sarcasm dripping.

“No slipping up on this infiltration. If they figure out someone from São Paulo did it, we could be seriously fucked.”

Maia raised an eyebrow. “Relax, Kiki. We’ll work it out. Always do.”

I rolled my eyes. I knew the plan was solid. But plans always are until the first mistake.

Fuck it. Had to work.

That seluna

We put together a strategy.

“Modified Cloakify to make you look like one of them. No sensor will detect you.” I pointed at the holomap. “Problem’s the nanocameras. Some are in the trees and bushes.”

Maia kept her eyes on the phone’s screen. Still no signal. “If I…”

“Connect your ability only if necessary.”

“Okay, whatever. Go on.”

I rubbed my eyes, aware that Maia did whatever she wanted. Always had. Always would. Well, our infiltrations had always succeeded. When it was just her and me, I mean. Little reason to worry.

“When they notice their most precious asset’s missing, they’ll check the nanocameras.” I sent No-Cam.exe. “Their security level gives us a forty-minute opening. I’ll scramble the cameras. That’s how long you have to get out.” I smiled. “Try to keep everyone alive.”

Maia scratched her cheek. “Anything else?”

I sent the map of Khalmer-Yu. “Memorize the guards’ positions and shift changes. More of the same.” I shrugged.

That seluna, we put the plan into action.

Maia activated Cloakify and slipped inside. I followed everything through the rifle’s scope. Her presence vanished. I stopped sensing her movements. The guards kept a close watch. But Maia’s stealth was lethal. Quick steps. Silent. Knew the routes. Where to hide.

Now I had to wait.

An Hour Later

I received her location signal more than three kilometers away.

“Fuck. That far?” I ran to the car and went to meet Maia.

A forest behind a hill. I checked the radar, relieved that nobody else was approaching. Identification nanodrones in the air. I followed the ground route, taking a bit longer. Parked. Walked until I found Maia near a lake. With a woman.

“What the fuck is this?”

Maia had an injured eye. A bleeding nose. “The weapon.” She rested her hands on her knees, breathless.

“You’ve gotta be kid—”

The injured woman groped at the air. “I’m gonna die.” A blood-soaked cloth covered her eyes.

“Take care of her.” Maia walked toward the car.

Take care of her? Was she fucking kidding?

The woman stumbled with every step, searching for support. Blood dripped onto the ground. Hot against cold snow.

“Lean on me. C’mon,” I grumbled.

“Y-you with the girl?” she asked in Russian.

“Yeah. Hurry up. No time.”

She leaned on my arm. “You smell good. I mean, from what little I can smell. The smell of blood’s strong.”

“Shut up.”

“Wow. Feisty, huh? At this rate, I’m gonna fall in lo—”

I punched her nose. She staggered.

Great. Someone else to get on my fucking nerves.

“Now I can’t smell anything.” She touched her dripping nose.

Gotta admit, she deserved some credit for taking one of my punches and staying on her feet. “Keep quiet. C’mon.” I pulled her by the arm, hauling her into the car.

Finally, I spotted a roadside hotel and requested a room.

Maia lay on the bed. “Had to do something to her,” she whispered in my ear.

She barely needed to say it for me to understand.

I helped the woman, who searched for support along the walls. “Lie down here.”

She wore a blood-soaked hospital gown. Deep cuts and bruises covered her body.

I held her wrist and laid her on the bed. “Gonna take your clothes off. Need to see…”

“You’re direct, huh? I like that.” She gave a mischievous smile.

What was she talking about? Something inside me vibrated strangely. I ignored it. Rolled my eyes. Held back the urge to punch her face again. Had to preserve her physical integrity. Especially after… “Shut up. Just let me…”

She raised her arms. I removed the gown. Examined the size of the wound over her right breast. Shook my head. Fuck’s sake, Maia! Could’ve been gentler. “Lie back down.”

She obeyed. “What’s your name?”

“Why the fuck do you wanna know?” I grabbed the medical kit and prepared the first medications.

“Well, if we’re doing this, I’d at least like to know your name.” She rested her arms over her stomach.

Maia tried to laugh. Grimaced in pain instead. “Soften that nanoheart, c’mon. She just wants your name.”

I grunted. “Kiara. Name’s Kiara.”

“Ki-a-ra… my name’s Akilina. You can call me Trix.” She kept smiling that way.

The strange vibration returned. I ignored it again. This time, it bothered me less. “Gonna give you an injection. It’ll hurt. Try to stay still.” My fingers pressed the dressing harder than necessary.

“One more pain… what’s one more…”

I pushed the needle into her arm. Trix howled and writhed in pain. I pressed a cloth against her mouth and tried to keep the syringe steady. “Just a bit longer…” I withdrew the needle.

She lay back, spreading her arms dramatically.

Well, I knew she’d stay still for a while. I took a damp cloth and gave her body a superficial clean. “What the fuck is that on her face? Nanoprosthetics?”

Minutes later, Trix recovered from the shock and licked her lips. “What the fuck was that?! Thought I’d already felt every pain a person could feel.” She gave a choking laugh.

“Told you it’d hurt.”

“I don’t really understand your language.”

Honestly, I cared little about her situation. I wanted to take care of Maia. After bandaging her, I gave her a sedative. She slept.

“All right. Your turn.”

Maia opened her eyes and waved me off. “I’m fine.”

“What happened?”

“Her. Punched me in the face when I freed her.”

I took an antiseptic to clean the wounds. Her left eye was swollen shut. Purple. “Second time someone’s hit your face.”

She shrugged. “Wasn’t expecting anyone to attack me, but I get it. Would’ve done the same.”

I shook my head. “Sometimes I think you enjoy this.”

“Someone took really good care of me once. Worth it.” She smiled.

I changed the subject. “How’d it go in there?”

Maia winced when I applied the dressing. “Followed the signal on the map. Showed nanites concentrated on the third basement level. Went through the main base pavilion,” she whispered. “Down to the prison wing. Cell was fortified. Had to… y’know.” Maia gestured. “Anyway, removed her nanocuffs. Got a pretty warm welcome, as you can see. Tried telling her I’d get her out. Got punched in the nose.”

“And then?”

Maia touched her eye, checking the dressing, and thanked me. “She was agitated. Hit her stomach three times before she gave in. That’s when I noticed the guards moving. Two came into the cell…”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Don’t tell me…”

She bit her lip. “Had to. Saw the nanotracker in her heart. Before more came, I had to… y’know. Remove the tracker. She passed out, so I carried her the whole way.”

I waved a hand. “Maybe they’ll see all this as a prisoner escaping. She looks like the type to leave a trail. Know what they did to her?”

“Implanted some nanotechnology in her eyes. EY-Link. Tried listening in. Sounds like something went wrong. The nanites leaked down to her upper jaw and scraped her skin.” Maia blinked, sleepy.

“Got it. Rest a little.”

Abeluna

Trix was in a deplorable state. Waiting for her recovery was out of the question. The radar detected heavy movement. They were coming in force.

“Shit,” I muttered.

“Hey, relax.” Maia touched my shoulder. “Cloakify worked. They must think she escaped. Worst case, they tighten security.”

Didn’t like the situation one bit. But it was what we had.

I drove to the nanoplane. We left for Brasil. I anesthetized Trix. She slept through the entire flight. Maia drifted between dozing and getting lost in her thoughts. I researched the connection between Trix and Vorovskoy mir.

“Sometimes I wonder…” Maia broke my focus.

I stopped.

“Think someday it’s possible…” She cut herself off. Looked away.

My nanosensors caught everything. The change in heart rate. The dopamine spike.

She barely needed to say it.

Yes. The answer was yes.

She ran her tongue over her lips as though about to speak, but swallowed the words before they emerged. Smiled.

The next two selunas

I cared for Trix, who was terribly injured. Maia had caused her worst wound, though the mobsters’ injuries were just as deep.

“Time to take that bandage off your eyes.” I finished changing the dressings. “Ready?”

Trix nodded.

The bloodstained fabric clung to her skin. I slowly brushed her hair aside and untied the knot.

She opened her greenish eyes. Thousands of nanites circulated through her corneas and cheeks. When Trix blinked, a purple circle flashed in her pupils and vanished. “Fuck. You’re totally my type.”

I frowned. What the fuck was she talking about? “Shut up.”

“I’m serious!” She gave Maia a knowing grin.

“Shut the fuck up, or I’ll rip your eyes out.”

Trix raised her hands and gestured toward Maia. “Sorry about the punch. Though you did hit back afterward.”

Maia smiled with her eyes.

“Why’d you save me?” Trix asked.

Maia and I exchanged a glance and burst out laughing.

“Save you? That’s funny. Oh, wow. You’re a weapon. The only one who survived the tests.” I pointed at her eyes.

“Those nanoimplants have two billion pixels. Make it easier to connect to any weapon, increasing lethality, accuracy, and range.”

Her smile stayed, but her eyes… her eyes lost their light for a moment. “Why would I agree to that?” Trix crossed her arms.

“Wanna go back to that shithole? Your choice. But if you agree to become a Netherian mercenary, you’ll have a bit of freedom.”

She stayed quiet. Maybe turning it over in her mind.

Maia called me. “My phone still has no signal.”

She used those old devices without nanites, too. It was definitely getting on her nerves.

“I’ll see what I can do.

Second seluna of recovery

Trix’s wounds healed. Her bruises disappeared. Maia’s almost had. Trix had thrown one hell of a punch. I handed the phone back. Network restored.

Maia looked at the screen and barely contained her smile. “Take Trix to Netheria. Gotta go.” She didn’t even try to hide it.

I took Trix to speak with the Patriarch. She agreed to become a Netherian mercenary.

“You know, Kiki, I agreed ’cause I wanna see how far this takes me, but…” Trix smiled, nudging me lightly as we left the Patriarch’s chambers. “Honestly, I’m more interested in getting to know you.”

“Get outta here. Why d’you wanna know me?” A strange itch stirred in my nanocore.

She stopped in front of me. I almost collided with her, but stopped in time. Trix brought her face closer. Too close.

“What…?” I narrowed my eyes.

“Sud’bá. Fate. From the moment I felt you, I knew. I’m into you, Kiki. So, what’re you doing this seluna?”

She stepped away.

We resumed walking.

The itch intensified. What the hell. “Got a free night.”

Trix waggled her eyebrows. “It’s a date. Show me around.”

Anyway, Trix was the best shot. Became a leader soon afterward.

Kiara stopped talking and stared at the horizon, her expression closed.

Joy radiated through me as I listened to stories about Maia. So much made sense. Had she disappeared that lunation because of Trix? Ah… every time I knew her a little better, she impressed me more. She was incredible. I had been so lucky to… my eyes burned. The memories brought longing. No. Later.

“Thank you.” I swallowed the urge to cry.

Kiara smiled.

Together, we watched nightfall sweep across the sky. Black spread, shadowing the atmosphere.

“By the way, you and Trix…” I cleared my throat. “I mean…”

Her aura shifted. Alert. “What do you mean? She was just having fun. Only joking.” For a moment, Kiara’s gaze strayed. Almost imperceptible, but enough to betray a thought she seemed determined to avoid.

I raised an eyebrow. Hid a smile. A side of her I had discovered there. “You make a good team. Though she seems so different from the woman I met.”

Kiara shifted restlessly. “That place changes people. Nobody’s Land.”

I nodded in understanding.

“Anyway, it’s time. Let’s go over the strategy.”

Icy wind blew between us, but Kiara remained still. Only clenched her fists for a moment before relaxing them. “Sure you’re doing this alone?”

“Hopefully, everything will go as expected.” I tried to sound confident.

“Always be ready for surprises. Follow the map to that entrance. Two Vorovskoy mir members will be inside. Identify yourself to one of them and get the key from the floor supervisor. Know what to say?”

I nodded.

“Getting Trix out will be difficult. Just stick to the plan. The two guards operate by quadrant. You’ll find time to get her out while I rescue the princess.” Kiara grabbed the revolvers. I’ll Devour You lay on the back seat. “Ready?”

I tried to stay calm. “Y-yes.”

“We’ll make it.” Kiara watched my trembling hands.

I smiled with my eyes. “I-I’ll do my best.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“I know, I know.” I swallowed hard. I had to give it my best.

“All right. Keep the gun hidden. Time to go. See you.” Kiara left the car and vanished into the white landscape.

My turn. I checked the time.

Three. Two. One.

When I opened Khalmer-Yu’s holomap, the locations appeared. I touched the steering wheel. A strange sensation. Thank goodness Kiara had taught me to drive. Without her, I wouldn’t even know how to start the car. The blizzard affected its stability. Something we had anticipated.

Almost an hour later, I arrived.

I had never imagined driving a car. It was actually fun.

I walked toward the frozen lake. Maia had been here. I smiled at the thought. Followed the pixels clustered in the snow. Dug with my hands until the hatch’s latch appeared. Gathered my strength and pulled. Shit. I was weak. Needed more exercise. Tried three times. Metal creaked. Gave way.

When I entered the dark channel, darkness swallowed me whole. Without the mask, the smell of blood, sewage, and decay hit me. My stomach churned. The rats’ scurrying bothered me more. Well… at least I had company. I avoided touching the walls.

Kiara had said: twenty minutes on foot. I had walked ten. Fifteen, maybe.

A faint light. Cracks around a door. I smiled. Felt for the lock.

Opened it.

I blinked. Brightness hurt my eyes. A cramped room. Walls concealed everything. Two doors. The pixels pointed left. I followed.

“Who are you?” A deep voice behind me.

I froze. Cold traveled through my bones. I inhaled deeply and turned. Tried to keep my expression indifferent.

Before me stood Dmitry, a Vorovskoy mir member in Russian military uniform, its Russian flag crossed out with a red X. A rifle in his hands. Young. Twenty cycles at most. The heavy rifle contrasted with his still-beardless face. A boy in a uniform of violence. Patriarchy had always done this: turned boys into soldiers.

“I’m the doctor sent by Pakhan Mikhail Morozov. I’m here to examine the prisoner Trix,” I replied in Russian. It had to work.

“Hmm. The doctor they said was coming. Why are you in this area?” He raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

I lifted my chin. “A guard told me someone would be waiting down here. Is that you?”

His eyes lingered on me a second too long. An instant longer than was prudent. Then he nodded. “Y-yes. That’s me.” Dmitry looked away. “Follow me.” He turned.

I sighed in relief. Smiled discreetly. Continued.

We reached the cell wing.

When he stopped at a desk, a female android handed him a nanokey. “The doctor?”

“Yes. Just arrived.”

“All right. I’ll get the wheelchair ready to take the prisoner to the medical wing.”

Good. Everything according to plan. I followed Dmitry to Trix’s cell.

He opened the door.

Bile caught in my throat. “Could you leave us alone?” I asked sharply. “Let me know when the chair arrives.”

He nodded, closing the door. “I’ll be right here if you need anything.”

They must have left her only recently. Trix’s wrists and ankles bled. Nanocuffs buried in flesh. Head lowered. Blood smeared around her mouth. I lifted her face. Strangulation marks on her neck. Her unconscious gaze passed through me. Trix’s eyes widened. She smiled. Red. How could they endure all this and still smile? I wanted to care for her. Held back. Gave her a knowing look.

“Doctor? The chair’s here.” Another guard pushed the door open.

I turned. “Excellent. She needs more sedation.”

The two exchanged a glance.

“She stays cuffed,” one insisted.

I approached them unhurriedly and smiled with my eyes. “She may be a prisoner. From now on, though, she’s my patient. The nanocuffs are therefore unnecessary. I’ll need to examine her from head to toe. Bring your strongest opioid painkiller and one nanogram of botulinum toxin.”

“T-toxin?”

“Are you questioning my methods?”

“No, of course not. It’s…”

“It’s…?” I tilted my head. “Would you like Mikhail to hear about this?”

Dmitry cleared his throat. “No, no, please. That’s unnecessary.” He elbowed the other guard, who hurried away. His gaze weighed on my back.

The truth was: inside, I was a playing card balanced upright. The slightest touch would topple me. Easy. I took a deep breath. Had to pretend. Do what I had been taught. I had done this so many times in Zenith.

The assistant returned with the vials.

I drew the liquids into the syringes and waited for stabilization. Pretended to clean the unconscious Trix’s forearm. “You can put her in the wheelchair. Her resistance is down to zero. She’s fully sedated.”

Once they positioned her, I followed closely. At the elevators, only Dmitry and I remained. I confirmed the shift change. No other guards. No nanocameras on the floor. Empty. Like my mind.

“Taking a while, isn’t it?” I broke the silence casually.

“Yes. Lots of floors.” He smiled warmly.

I moved closer behind him. “What’s that on your neck?”

He kept facing away. Awkwardly touched his nape. “Birthmark.”

“Are you sure? A mark like that could be something else.” I stepped closer.

“Really? What do you think it cou—”

I injected the syringe of toxin into his jugular.

The young man tried to raise his arm.

Too late.

That amount of natural poison was lethal. I could have neutralized him with 0.4 nanograms, but my intention was different. In Kiara’s words: no witnesses. I caught him before he fell to his knees. “Easy… easy… it’ll pass soon. Your muscles hurt, right? Soon, you’ll relax…”

His face paled. Eyes open. Glazed. A spasm ran through his fingers before they became still forever. I wished his soul a blessed passage as I checked that we were alone. Dragged his body toward the tunnel. Its weight made it difficult. Left him in the darkness, just inside the doorway. Returned for Trix. Pushed the wheelchair, tilting its wheels to get them over the young man. Turned to close the door.

Almost there.

“Hey! What’s happening here?!” A guard coming toward me aimed his gun.

My heart raced. Cold sweat. My palms grew damp. I touched the revolver at my back. Time stopped. I swallowed hard. Eyes open. Still. He would kill me. I would have to… have to shoot…

A force pulled me back.

PFFF I flinched at a suppressed shot.

Trix took the gun from my holster and shot him in the forehead. She groaned in pain and clenched her jaw. “Shit. Grab his body. I’ll clean the blood. Move! What’re you waiting for? Wanna get us caught?”

Everything happened too fast. Adrenaline took over. I was pulled back to reality. Dragged the guard’s body by the shoulders into the channel. Held back the urge to vomit. Had to endure. With scattered thoughts, I breathed shakily. My frantic heartbeat throbbed in my ears.

I stood before two dead bodies.

Trix finished cleaning the blood. Pushed me toward the exit. “You looked like a real doctor.” Her voice distant.

I answered with a grunt. Before I knew it, the frozen landscape consumed us.

“What’d you do to that guy?” she asked.

What had I done? What… it struck like lightning. Everything spun. I raised my hands to my head. I killed a person. Killed someone. Killed that young man. Now what? His family? His friends? Everyone who cared about him? WHAT HAVE I DONE?! I took a life. Took a life.

“Hey, you okay? You’re pale.” Trix’s words sounded distorted.

Sounds, my vision, everything misshapen. I killed a person. I killed a person. I killed a person. My throat burned. My eyes watered. My hands were numb. Air scarce. I blinked, but the world around me stayed blurred.

“Finally here,” Trix said to a silhouette.

“C’mon. They’ll sound the alarm,” Kiara said distantly. “What happened to her?”

“Dunno. Looks like she froze.”

“Let’s go. Take the princess. She sprained her ankle. Had to carry her the whole way here.” Kiara sounded irritated.

“Shit. Are you fucking kidding?” Trix huffed. “C’mere, girl. Keep quiet.”

Anichka let out a shrill whine of protest. “You’re covered in BLOOD. You’ll get me dirty!”

“I’ll punch your face. You’ll pass out real quick.”

“Why do you hate me so much?!” Her voice caught.

“Shut the fuck up. I’m all fucked up here. And I still have to carry the precious princess.” Trix mimicked the princess’s thin voice.

The two moved away.

A firm but gentle touch squeezed my arm. “What happened? Ah, no time. C’mon.” Kiara pulled me along. Steady, but careful.

As I staggered, tears froze on my face. “I-I-I k-killed…”

“Ah…” Kiara wrapped me in a hug. “Take it in. Take in everything you’re feeling. It’s hard, but you need to do this now.”

My throat hurt as I swallowed tears and vomit. “I-it’s too much.”

“I know. But you’re stronger than you think. Try to stay calm.”

“Get in. Keep quiet.” I heard Trix’s voice. “Where’s the medical kit?” She turned to Kiara.

My bones shook with every step. I bit my lips so hard a thin trail of blood escaped. Iron flooded my mouth. I forced myself out of the numbness.

“Didn’t know you two were that close.” Trix narrowed her eyes.

“Shut up. Kit’s under the back seat.”

I pulled away from Kiara’s embrace. Planted my feet. “I-it’s okay.” I wiped the frozen drops from my cheek. They burned.

The android nodded.

“Just saying. First time I’ve seen you like that with anyone. Not even Maia.” Trix sounded carefree, kit in hand.

Kiara got into the car and immediately started it. Her shoulders stiffened. Only for a second. Then relaxed as though nothing had happened. “The fuck are you talking about?”

“Shit. How do you use this again?” Trix changed the subject.

“Clean it first, you idiot.”

I lost focus on their conversation.

I watched Anichka, who seemed untouched. Just as we had left her, except for the broken ankle. The princess swung her legs and cast distressed looks at the two mercenaries. What had happened inside? Whatever it was, it must have terrified her.

I, on the other hand, was strangely calm. As though anesthetized. My mind emptied. My heartbeat slowed. The bitter taste in my mouth disappeared. Torpor took over my being.

“Trix,” I said apathetically. “Inject that anesthetic to ease the pain.”

She picked up the syringe. “Great. Inject it here?” Looked at Kiara.

The android glared at her. “Go fuck yourself if you think I’m taking care of you. Figure it out.”

Trix threw her head back and roared with laughter. “One day you will…”

“Quiet, or I’ll rip your eyes out.” Kiara clenched her teeth.

They exchanged a look. Silence reigned. Then they laughed.

I frowned.

“Removed her nanotracker?”

Kiara rolled her eyes. “Are you seriously fucking asking me that?”

Trix shrugged and lit a cigarette. “Just checking. Where to now?”

“The chalet. Then we deliver the princess.”

I had the impression that the place, the situation, made Kiara uncomfortable. She hid it well. Something told me the weight she carried would disappear once we returned to São Paulo. Well, that was what I thought.

“Can’t wait to…” Trix said.

Their voices mingled. Faded.

Holding all those emotions and thoughts inside had cost me dearly. My blood pressure dropped with the tension, and my body grew heavy. The world spun. Someone said something, but it was too late. I was already falling. My Crone took over in the darkness.

I’m going to faint. I’m going to fai…

S-2879 • L10 Tramaluna • D25 Alonli

“Tramaluna weaves the sky in a low curve. Alonli stretches the thread of return. The tide draws silver with a gentle step. The story carries on whole, in slender light.”

I woke gasping, pulse racing, cold sweat on my skin. My throat closed as I searched for air. I choked.

“Easy.” Kiara stroked my back.

“H-had a nightmare.”

“It’s okay now.” She helped me sit on the soft bed.

The room was pleasant. Warm lights illuminated the ceiling and wooden walls.

“Where are we?”

“One of the Patriarch’s chalets. Here in Russia.”

I stretched my numb legs. “What happened?”

“After you passed out, we came here. Remember what happened?” She frowned.

I bit my lower lip. “Remember being in the car—” An avalanche struck, burying me in the memory’s coldness. My throat burned. I covered my mouth with trembling hands.

Kiara hugged me.

“W-why… why did I do that?”

She stroked my hair. “It was you or him. You know what would’ve happened.”

A spiral of guilt swallowed me. Inside, doubt persisted: had it really been necessary? What if I had neutralized him? No. He would have woken and told the others. The whole plan would have fallen apart. I had to preserve it. My hesitation would ruin everything.

But… was this about hesitation? Did I need confidence to take a life? I had always studied and worked to give beings better lives. To save lives.

I stared into the android’s gray eyes. She must have witnessed the worst of humanity. Seen so many deaths. Caused so many others. Perhaps because she had to. Perhaps if Kiara, Maia, Saymon, other mercenaries… if the underworld existed and beings died because of them…

No. That guilt belonged to others. Those deaths were the fault of whoever sustained this system.

Kiara held my gaze.

The lives I had saved. Wanted to save. Improve. Who had I studied for? Worked for? I had only preserved zenithian lives while those below died. I looked away. Hugged my knees and curled into myself. My Maiden wounded. By consenting, I had blood on my hands too.

Kiara had killed before me. I had already witnessed death in many forms. In the streets, hospitals, during my studies. Seen hundreds of reports about deaths around the world. Felt only discomfort. A reminder of the world’s cruelty. The truth was… I had already caused a death.

I rubbed my eyes. Wiped tears heavy with the weight of a life. I had the right to feel guilty, but I was like them. I knew exactly what I was doing when I pushed that syringe into his neck. Knew what it meant. I did it. Did it because… I chose to.

The thought stirred something unpleasant and unbearable. My heart wanted to leave my body. Suddenly, I felt a weight, like an anchor tied to my feet, pulling me to the bottom of the sea. Restricting my air.

I had taken a life. I would have to live with it.

“I-I’m drowning. My head’s trapped underwater. It’s inescapable.”

Kiara held my face. Her warmth contrasted with my icy body. So comforting. “Maia felt this too.”

“I-I understand. I chose this.” I sniffed, my nose blocked. “I’m confused. It’s an enormous burden. I need time—”

“H-HELP!” Anichka’s distressed scream echoed from downstairs. “HELP! Trix, she’s…”

Kiara and I exchanged a glance. Adrenaline took over my body. I ran.

The princess stood with wide eyes. Trix lay on the floor. Her body shook. Her eyes rolled. Drool spilled from her lips, and her wounds bubbled with green liquid.

I followed instinct. Dropped to my knees beside her. Lifted her head into my lap. She was drowning inside herself. Desperation in her eyes. Lungs failing. I turned to Anichka. “What happened? What was the last thing she did?”

Anichka squeezed her fingers. “S-she was sleeping. Woke up. Started imitating me. It was strange. Everything I said, she repeated robotically. Happened so fast.” She licked her lips.

“Shit. Kiara, she was…” No time to explain. “Do we have Citopurge?”

“A neutralizer for nanopoisoning? No.” She crouched beside me. Restrained desperation radiated from her eyes.

“I’ll have to do this manually. Let’s hope the nanites detach from her brain.”

I drew a breath. Held Trix’s chin. Mouth to mouth. Sucked hard. Liquid flooded my mouth. I spat. Once more. Again. Blood mixed with green. I sucked and spat. A poisonous pool formed on the floor. “Come on. Respond!”

Kiara watched me. Attentive.

“P-please,” I whispered between each pull. Trix’s muscles contracted, arching her body. Every spasm sent a wave of chills down my spine. “Come on…”

Trix choked. Coughed. Vomited the remaining liquid. Her lungs fought for air. “W-what the fuck was that?” She wiped her mouth on her arm. I tipped my head back, breathless.

It worked. But there was more to do. “We need IV fluids to flush her blood. Bring one milligram of that opioid too.”

Kiara went for the medical kit.

I turned to Trix. “How are you feeling?”

She sighed, rested her head in my lap, and rubbed her forehead. “Head’s gonna explode.”

I ran my fingers through her hair. “Shhh. Easy. It’ll pass.”

She closed her eyes. Almost smiled.

“Here.” Kiara returned with the IV fluids and syringe.

Trix jolted upright, looking a little awkward in front of the android. After helping her onto the sofa, I connected the IV and injected the morphine. She drifted off.

“We’ll wait. If she fails to respond… anyway… I’ll clean her wounds.”

Kiara nodded.

I gathered the medical supplies. Cleaned the foaming wounds, disinfected them, and applied nanobandages. Gave Trix one last look. Pressure throbbed in my head. Adrenaline dissipated. I had forgotten this feeling.

Anichka was still distraught. Her panic, too exaggerated, pulled me from my thoughts. I frowned. Something clicked. Could she…? Instinct took over. I advanced.

The princess stepped back. “W-what are you doing?”

“What did you do?!”

“N-nothing!” She almost stumbled. Hands raised. Defensive.

“WHAT DID YOU DO?!” I leaned closer. “Who gave you the liquid?”

Fear shone in her eyes. “W-what are you talking about?” She turned away. Searched for Kiara. A silent plea. “Kiara, you’re just gonna stand there?! She’s threatening me!”

“Fucking answer!” Kiara’s voice cut like a razor.

Anichka froze. Tears filled her eyes. Her body shrank. She wet her lips, looked at the floor, breathed deeply, and surrendered. “All right.” Her shoulders sagged. Arms fell. Giving up. “A-an android gave me the syringe to inject into Trix… h-he threatened to kill my sister…”

Kiara lunged and grabbed Anichka by the scruff of her neck, yanking her roughly. Her gaze blazed. “What android?!”

“I-I don’t know. He showed me a video of my sister…” Sobs. Her voice failed. Shallow breaths. “Live… at the palace…”

Kiara released her. Stepped away as though burned. Activated a hologram. Yuri’s image shone. “This android?”

Anichka nodded, trembling.

Kiara’s teeth ground together. “Get outta my sight before I…” Her voice was low. “NOW!!!” Then boiling.

The princess flinched and ran, disappearing from view.

Kiara stood there, fists clenched. “Saymon, you fucking bastard!”

Saymon? One of his androids? Why would he do this to Trix? It made no sense. My heart hammered against my chest. My mind spun. The air grew heavy. Anguish crawled through my body. My legs gave way. I sank into the armchair, disoriented.

“What the fuck is that liquid?” Kiara sat beside me.

I pushed thoughts of Saymon aside. Sighed. “Mentis Imperium. A nanosubstance for mind control. Nanites lodge in the cerebral cortex and interrupt neural connections, forcing the brain to respond only to whoever controls them.”

She frowned.

“The GMC and ARGOS banned its manufacture. Ordered the formula destroyed.”

“Why?”

“The records are murky, but they place the disaster in 2795. Militias revolted against governments, corporate collapse, and abuses, demanding rights amid the rise of androids and service automation.” I clasped my still-trembling hands. “In response, the governments assembled a commission to contain the uprisings. Then someone proposed the unthinkable: a nanosubstance to control the mind. They would eradicate the protests that way. The tests were horrific.”

I lowered my voice. “Disrupted neural transmissions made their bodies obey while their minds burned. The few who stayed lucid begged for death.”

Kiara watched me, motionless.

“The medical archives had videos of the infected. Dead eyes. Empty smiles. Bodies moving against their own will.” I looked toward Trix, sleeping peacefully. “After that, the world turned. Militias seized power. But this history is confidential. Only research physicians can access those files.”

I looked at Kiara. I was telling her everything. The ease of my trust surprised me. Strangely, it felt right.

She still hid things from me. Yet my intuition said it went deeper than distrust.

Kiara brushed her fingers over her lips. “Got it. If that’s true, how’d Saymon get access to the substance?”

I shrugged. “I read the tests. The liquid used on Trix is a poorly made copy. The nanites read the first person she saw. She imitated Anichka, but the princess lacks the controlling nanodevice.”

Kiara’s face tightened, but her anger was directed at someone else. “Okay. That leads to one conclusion.” She turned toward the window.

Snowflakes gathered on the sill, casting mountain-shaped shadows.

“Netheria runs on contracts.” She turned back to me. “Contracts exist to keep mercenaries in check. Follow laws? They only follow their instincts. Wanna kill, they kill.” She shrugged. “Contracts also give those above someone to do the dirty work they avoid. Business with pleasure: mercenaries kill for money and find some way to survive, while those above have their obstacles eliminated.” Kiara paused. “There are stories of mercenaries who broke a contract. None ever found.”

I swallowed. Leaned against the cushion, feeling calmer. “If they do whatever they want, why submit to Netheria?”

Kiara ran a hand through her hair. “Because Netheria embraces their hatred. Takes them in. Gives them weapons. Training. Resources. They take revenge on a society that marginalizes them and get paid for it. In exchange, mercenaries surrender their freedom, accepting that this is the reason they exist.”

For a moment, Kiara’s gaze strayed toward Trix. Fleeting concern crossed her face. Then her voice returned, cutting:

“But attack a mercenary… and you’ll be hunted. Your name, status, wealth mean little. Netheria always remembers. And always collects.”

A chill ran down my spine.

She faced me, eyebrow raised. As though saying, ‘That’s how things are.’

I swallowed hard.

“And Trix…? Will she recover?” Hesitation passed through Kiara’s eyes.

I hugged my legs. “Yes. I removed most of the liquid. The IV fluids will eliminate the rest. I need to treat her wounds and the brain damage she suffered.” I rested my chin on my knees. “But if she fails to respond to treatment, it means the nanites have attached to her cerebral cortex. They’ll destroy the neurons.”

Silence.

“If that happens… it’s fatal.” The ease with which I spoke of death almost escaped me. I barely seemed like the person who had broken down over killing someone. I rubbed my temples. How did you do it, Maia? You did this as a child.

“All right. That brings us to the second situation.” Kiara straightened. “Each country has its underworld, but they’re all connected. Mafias. Mercenaries. Criminal organizations. Militias. There’s an agreement between them. Nobody moves in on anyone else’s business. Nanotechnology. Territory. Drugs. Cybercrime. Every kind of trafficking. The idea’s to avoid a war. Because if the base falls, the pyramid collapses. Nobody wants that.” She gave a pointed grimace.

I nodded.

“Now you get why we infiltrated Vorovskoy mir quietly?”

Trix shifted on the sofa. Kiara and I froze. But the mercenary kept sleeping. I released the breath trapped in my lungs. Please let her get better soon.

The android lowered her voice. “Truth is, Pakhan Mikhail Morozov exists.” She smiled. “We just call him the Patriarch.”

My eyes widened. Mention of Netheria’s leaders always caused a visceral unease.

“To Vorovskoy mir, Mikhail leads the São Paulo unit. But there’s more to it. He infiltrated them, created an identity, became a member. That’s how he got direct access to official data.” A stiffness entered her tone. “You know. Make our friendly visits easier.” Kiara gestured. “Obviously, they have no idea who he really is. If they knew, he’d have been ‘barred.’”

I bit my lip. Too much information. Yet it made sense. At the same time, hundreds of questions emerged. “Trix escaped once. Did they take precautions? I mean, if my prisoner escaped, I’d do everything to prevent it happening again. And you? Could they recognize you?”

“Of course not. Cloakify adapts to me.” She smiled. “And yeah, they upgraded Khalmer-Yu’s security. But once I get familiar with a nanosystem, it belongs to me.” Pride dripped from her voice.

I sighed. Those complex nanosystems made my mind whirl. More complicated than I could have imagined.

“Know it’s a lot.” Kiara placed her hand over mine.

I smiled weakly. “Hmm… yes… but I’m following.”

“Good. Why am I telling you all this? That bastard Saymon caused this for a few reasons.” She raised a finger. “First: he manipulated Anichka into attacking Trix. Now Trix can kill her.” Another finger. “Second: he wants a conflict between the underworlds.” She paused. Smiled. “C’mon. We need to talk to the princess.”

I frowned. “Why?”

Suddenly, Kiara stopped. I almost collided with her. “Because our precious princess is hiding one more little thing.” An eyebrow raised. “She was chatting with the Pakhan when I found her. Very… familiar. And they doubled the guard. Why do that without any sign of a threat?”

My breath caught. “She’s… a member of Vorovskoy mir?!”

“No.” Kiara’s eyes flashed. “She’s more than a princess…” Her grin widened. “She’s the Russian Pakhan’s daughter.”

Shock pierced me. I covered my mouth. My stomach churned. Air fled my lungs. This… had to be a lie.

But if it was true… it meant Empress Sonechka Alexeyev was rooted in Vorovskoy mir, and Vorovskoy mir in her empire. If Anichka died, it would be more than a conflict between underworlds. A war between the criminal organization and the Russian monarchy.

Kiara was right. I reflected on everything, drawn to and strangely fascinated by the mind behind it. Saymon, why cause all this?

“Ready to pry some information outta that royal lil’ mouth?”

I nodded, shivering at the ruthlessness in her tone.

We entered Anichka’s room. The girl hugged her knees as she contemplated the view. Her swollen eyes turned toward us. She rubbed her face, red from crying. How desperate had she been, seeing Trix like that?

“Are you going to hurt me?” Her voice caught.

“Answer all my questions, and I’ll spare you.” The aura pouring from Kiara was unyielding, like a flaming whip. It heated my skin and rang through my bones.

Even accustomed to her, a warning of danger pulsed in my heart. I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms.

Ah, yes… I knew that expression well. Terror had settled in Anichka’s eyes. She swallowed hard. Fresh tears spilled.

Kiara sat on the edge of the bed.

The princess flinched. “P-please… I only wanted… I didn’t know she… I just wanted to protect my… my sister.”

“I know. I believe you.” Kiara’s friendly tone. The resemblance to Maia was inevitable. They made us relax after piercing our souls with a silent threat.

“You do?” The princess wiped her eyes.

“Of course.” Kiara rested her elbow on her leg, studying her for a moment. Silent. Analytical. Then the sharp smile appeared. “Now tell me what’s going on. Otherwise…”

“What about my sister? How will I know nothing’s going to happen to her?”

Kiara smirked. “The dog that threatened you is all bark and no bite.”

I held back a laugh. The princess seemed to understand. A little, at least. Her defensive posture relaxed.

“You’re more than a princess, right? You’re the Pakhan’s daughter too, aren’t you?”

Anichka’s eyes widened. She looked from me to Kiara. Barely tried to hide it.

“Your face says everything.”

“H-how do you know?” She began trembling again.

Kiara gestured in the air. “From the moment I saw you, something felt off. When we made the plan, I lied about when I’d rescue you. Also adjusted Cloakify to inhibit the security nanosensors in the Pakhan’s room.” Her eyes glittered. “When I started your rescue, what I saw through the rifle’s scope… you look so alike.”

“Enough! I get it.” Anichka bit her lip.

Kiara tilted her head and burst out laughing. Then grew serious. Projected her hostile aura like claws toward the girl. “Good. Now tell me… what did you tell him?”

Denden’s words finally made sense.

The girl exuded the scent of horror. She squeezed her fingers restlessly. Aware of her situation. Her shoulders dropped. Anichka yielded. “I told him the truth. My mother hired mercenaries from São Paulo to protect me during the escort.”

“You knew Vorovskoy mir was trying to take you to your father, right?”

The princess sighed. “It was the only way. They’d take me to him, and the failure would be yours.” She lowered her head. “Then you came. Everything changed.” Her fists clenched. “I tried to warn him, but all my father did was double the guard.” She scowled.

Kiara raised an eyebrow. “Why did you do this?”

“I want to live with my papa.”

Wow. She really was telling us everything.

Kiara smoothed her hair. “Imagine a princess living with a Pakhan. And the scandal of an empress having a daughter with a mobster. Tsk. Nothing but good things.”

Anichka looked away, flushed. “I wanted—”

Kiara silenced her with a wave. “Fuck, honestly? I give zero fucks about this shit. Once we hand you over, our mission’s done. Don’t even wanna hear about you afterward.”

Anichka’s eyes grew frightened.

“But when you attacked Trix, things changed.”

The girl lifted her head. Desperate. “W-what do you mean? A-are you going to kill me?”

“For your own good, hope Trix forgets all this when she wakes.” Kiara’s shadow darkened the room.

“Y-you can’t do anything! They know where I am. I have a—”

“Nanotracker?” Kiara’s voice was sharp. “Why d’you think we did all this? Before rescuing you, I stopped by the security room and destroyed your tracking code. You’re clean of anything that could give away your location.” Kiara sneered.

Anichka huffed and crossed her arms.

CRASH Something broke in the other room.

I looked at Kiara and ran.

Shards of glass scattered across the floor. Trix tried to support herself on the sofa’s arm. Failed miserably. Her movements were stiff. Her eyes settled on me.

I approached to help. “How are you feeling?”

“What the fuck happened?”

Great. Answered a question with another. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

“Dunno. Was sleeping… feels like a rock fell on me.”

Distressed, Anichka followed Kiara.

Trix pointed at the princess, brow furrowed. “You! You did something to me, svoloch’!” She tried to stand, but her legs weakened.

“Don’t pus—” I swallowed the words. Silently asked Kiara for help.

She took my place. “Stay still. Your body’s still recovering.”

Trix sat. Hatred stamped across her face. Hatred directed at Anichka.

The tension was palpable. One wrong move would cause an explosion. One thing I had learned: their fury had no barriers. A merciless rage with a recipient. Whoever the target was would have that wrath poured over them.

“I-I…” The princess wilted beneath Kiara’s gaze and lowered her head.

Trix’s gaze was a blade about to cut. One more second, and Anichka would be dead. She relaxed, though barely, sprawling on the sofa. “What the fuck happened?”

“First, how are you feeling?”

“Dunno. Controlling my movements is fucking hard. Weird. My head hurts like hell. I’m dizzy.”

All right. Her cortex had suffered damage, but the detoxification had worked as intended. She would need nanobandages to accelerate healing. Perhaps within half a lunation, she would regain control of her body. I nodded to Kiara. You’ll be okay, Trix. I’ll do everything I can for your recovery.

“Better rest. When you wake, I’ll explain everything. Then you decide what to do.”

“Ah, fuck it.” Trix rolled her eyes.

The truth? However strong they were, mercenaries grew exhausted too. Besides, she was mentally confused.

“All right. Better lie down in bed.” Kiara gently took Trix by the arm and led her to a bedroom.

Anichka and I remained. Uncomfortable silence.

The girl seemed to hold back a sea of emotions. Watery eyes. “D-do you think… she’ll kill me?”

Her words unsettled me. Her fear barely brushed me. That dread of death was far from my heart. How could I answer such a significant question with an empty expression? To a sixteen-cycle-old girl? How would she see me, so indifferent to death?

Of course I had felt fear since this journey began. But I feared the unknown. If death crossed my path, I would welcome its embrace as part of life-passage-life. Maia must have gone through this too. The moment she read that death was one more cycle.

Anichka’s question stirred something whose existence I had never known. Killing someone terrified me. The cold-blooded execution of so many beings horrified me. Thousands of deaths happening every day haunted me.

Worse. The deaths that could happen by my hands. Yes, I had already killed someone. Killed a person, yet it had seemed legitimate. That volunteer’s death wore the mask of legality. The question awakened what had fallen dormant since Maia’s death: for me, life had lost its meaning.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I really don’t.”

Anichka bit her immaculate nails.

I lowered my eyes to the scars Burj had given my hands. Remembered Maia’s hands, covered in scars. Far more than mine. I had always wanted to hear their stories. Settled for the thought that we shared a pain.

I leaned against the sofa and rested my head. Allowed myself the pleasant feeling of safety, even beneath a thin, fragile veil.

The fireplace crackled softly, casting shadows on the walls.

For a moment, it seemed nothing could touch us. I closed my eyes. Relaxed my mind. The memory of Maia warmed my heart.

Now all we could do was wait.

S-2879 • L11 Irraluna • D00–D15

“Irraluna opens silence in slender radiance. The thread grows, curves, anchors its presence. Lilibe sings high—and the sky reveals itself. Irrasi seals fullness in living light.”

Kiara and I took turns caring for Trix beneath the moons. When she described her symptoms, I concluded that her brain had freed itself of the nanites. I flushed her blood with IV fluids, but some had spread through her bloodstream, affecting the muscle tissue. Her movements were temporarily reduced. Even so, she improved faster than I expected.

And she was hardly the only one. Perhaps it was how often the mercenaries had endured violence. Accustomed to mutilated bodies, broken bones, damaged organs, and so many other forms of physical, psychological, and emotional abuse.

Yet their recovery rate was exceptional. Their bodies learned from pain. Absorbed it. Evolved. As though even suffering became strength.

The nanoscientist in me burned with curiosity. Imagine a medical nanodevice made from such powerful DNA. Even working in the emergency room, I had never seen anything like it. Their ability to readapt and recover far exceeded the most advanced medical nanodevices I had connected to. Some of them could plausibly reach old age. Mostly in Zenith wanted to live forever. That remained far from reality. Only life-prolonging nanotechnologies existed.

“How much longer do we have to wait?” Kiara asked impatiently.

I rubbed my shoulders, sore with tension. “I don’t know. She could recover today, tomorrow, any other day. She’s already regained eighty-nine percent of her movement in half a lunation. Remarkable.”

The android nodded and left the room.

I returned my attention to Trix, resting on the sofa. Her days consisted of sleeping. Awake, her speech was disconnected. I presumed her thoughts were tangled.

It resonated with my troubled trauma. I tried to occupy myself with Trix. Or immerse myself in thought. My Mother and Enchantress gave me strength. When I slept, nightmares haunted me. I woke frightened, struggling for air.

Kiara was always there to comfort me. Keep me present. Her presence brought solace.

S-2879 • L11 Irraluna • D15 Irrasi

“Irraluna radiates its peak in living silver. Irrasi kindles fullness above. The tide sings wide beneath an open sky. The story carries on whole, in total light.”

It was early. The snow distracted me. I felt cramps beginning.

“W-water.” Trix stirred.

I hurried to lift her head. Brought the bottle to her lips. As she responded, I offered more.

She drank half. Signaled for me to stop and rubbed her forehead, sliding her fingers over the nanometallic scars on her cheeks. She seemed to contemplate the nanotechnological marks. Her gaze distant. Eagle eyes met mine. “You look familiar. Think I’ve seen you before. Just forgot where…”

I swallowed.

Her gaze pierced me, as though searching for something buried in my expression.

I held back a shiver. She must have seen my photo on the contract. I was without my mask. My hair its natural black. I worried she would recognize me. Her ability involved sight. The chances of her connecting the two were enormous. I swallowed hard. “Became Kiara’s apprentice recently.” That would have to do.

She lowered her hands. “Whatever. Must be imagining things again.”

I sat beside her on the sofa. “How are you feeling?”

Trix moved more easily.

“You’ve recovered. Physically, at least,” I diagnosed.

“I’m fine. My head, though… forget it if you wanna hear my head’s fine. Everything in here’s fucked up. Just one more thing for the collection.”

The ease with which she said it surprised me. Denden had been aware of his psychological state too. All of them were. They knew their burdens well. All traumatized. Perhaps admitting the truth made it easier to navigate. One less weight to carry. Another tide to swim with.

“I’ll get Kiara.” Before I could rise, Trix held my arm.

She looked away. “Spasibo. Know you saved me. Now I owe you a favor.” Trix pressed her lips together.

My lips parted in surprise. I composed myself. “No…”

“No arguing. Just wanna square things with you. That’s all…” She stood with admirable steadiness and straightened her back, pride on her face. Barely looked as though she had almost died.

“Fuck. Knew I heard a familiar voice.” Kiara entered the room, smiling.

“Yeah. Sick of this shit. Where’s the lil’ princess? Got business with her.”

Kiara brought Anichka into the room. Before Trix, her face flushed. The princess began trembling, eyes wet. Looked ready to fall apart at any moment. Even I grew anxious. Everything was so unpredictable.

“I-I—”

Trix silenced her with a wave. “Quiet. Want that voice on mute.” She signaled to Kiara.

The android rested a hand on her hip and spoke. Explained almost everything. Omitted a few things, particularly about Saymon. Why? Kiara was astute. I let go of her reasons.

“And… she’s the Pakhan’s daughter.” Kiara stared at Anichka.

The girl was in tears.

Trix’s eyes widened. Her astonishment became a smile. A malicious smile that foretold a vile intention. Cruel flames kindled in her eyes. Trix approached slowly. The princess retreated with every step. A powerful, murderous aura moved with her.

Anichka’s terror surpassed human understanding. She hit the wall. No room for another step. Her fear spilled through the room and reached into me. I could feel her sweat mingling with tears. Her heart pounding so fast it threatened to tear through her chest. Her throat aching from swallowing sobs. Her head throbbing with pressure.

The air grew heavy, as though something invisible pressed against my chest.

Anichka tried to retreat, but Trix’s pressure trapped her. “P-please. I meant no harm. He was going to kill my sister.”

“Sister?” Trix leaned over Anichka. Her cruel grin widened.

The princess nodded.

When Trix slammed a hand against the wall, the princess shrank back. The mercenary ran her fingers through her hair, brushing strands from her face. Stroked her cheeks.

Anichka opened her eyes, uncertain how to react.

Trix grinned like a psychopath. “Funny and ironic, how fate works. You did this to save your sister while trying to kill the other?” Her hands moved down to the girl’s neck. Caressed it.

Sister? Had she said they were sisters? I glanced at Kiara. She seemed unaffected by the revelation.

“W-what are you talking about?” Anichka asked the question in my mind.

Trix tilted her head back and roared with laughter. A laugh that discharged electricity through my bones.

The princess flinched.

The mercenary traced a finger along the girl’s jaw. “Lemme guess. Best papa in the universe. Promised you the world. Your hero. Your mother wants to keep you apart. He’s sad. His heart breaks every day he spends away from you. All he wants is to be with you. Every day. Nothing and nobody between you. You find a way to join him.” Her voice grew angry. Trix tightened her fingers around Anichka’s neck. “First few moons, everything’s magnificent. You’re so happy you could float.” Fury filled her voice. “Then, cycles later, he locks you in a dark room. Straps you to a gurney. You lose track of time. Space. All you feel now is pain after pain. Pain every second.”

Anichka’s eyes widened. She tried to pull Trix’s arm away. In vain.

“You wonder why. Honestly, though, you’re so drugged you can barely think. You hear: she’s perfect because she’s his own flesh and blood. She’ll be the weapon that brings everyone to their knees.”

Anichka’s face and eyes reddened. Almost purple.

“Guess what? All lies. He reduced you to a weapon. Used you in the worst way. Destroyed your heart.” Hatred, sadness, and resentment drove her words. “He took from you the one you… loved most.” Trix tightened her grip.

Anichka suffocated. Her feet swung. Her hands tried to grasp the last threads of life. Soon, she would be…

I felt the urge to run to her, but Kiara squeezed my shoulder. I forced saliva down my closed throat. Stayed where I was. Powerless. Another… another death… watching any more was unbearable.

The android’s grip tightened. Her eyes reprimanded me. I nodded. I suffocated with Anichka’s lack of air and Trix’s devastating pain. My heart heavy. I wanted to cry.

“Understand what I’m saying?” Trix lowered her voice and looked down. Slowly released her.

Anichka fell to her knees. Desperately dragged in air, hungry to live. Her hands clutched her chest. Rose and fell rapidly. Even she seemed unable to believe she was alive.

I wanted to help. Held back. Showing indifference required so much strength. I pressed my fingers into the sofa.

For a moment, everything was quiet. Wind blew outside.

Anichka could only cry.

A bloodthirsty aura surrounded Trix. Her expression implacable. There was something more. Ah, yes… now she had a target.

Trix squared her shoulders and raised her proud chin. “Send me Cloakify again?” She turned to Kiara.

The android nodded.

Trix walked to the weapons table. “Y’know… I could do this from kilometers away.” She picked up her sniper rifle and caressed the barrel. Slung it, then took an intricate dagger with aged gold detailing at its base. Turned the blade in her hands, pressing its tip against her finger without drawing blood. “You know me, Kiki. I like bringing bastards to their knees. Watching them shake. Beg with terror in their eyes. Cold sweat. Throats tight.” She laughed wickedly. Then sheathed the dagger.

I held my breath. Took those words personally.

Kiara nodded, unmoved by the sinister declaration. “What do we do with the girl?”

Trix shrugged. “Whatever you want. Not my problem anymore. Just another svoloch’. Last thing I want is another one hanging around me. Except you, of course.” She winked charmingly at Kiara and handed her a playing card. “Address to leave her at is there.”

Kiara ignored Trix’s advance and took it. A fleeting shadow crossed her face.

The Eight of Cups. One of Saymon’s cards.

The mercenary turned.

As Trix was leaving, Anichka watched her with an unreadable expression. She stood. “I-is it true? You’re…?” An anguished, hopeful tear slipped down her wet face. “My sister?”

Trix was about to cross the doorway. Turned her head. Whispered. An icy whisper that echoed through the wooden walls and slipped through the cracks. More wintry than the wind outside. “Forget it. Better if I’m not. I’m gonna destroy the last remnant of the blood of my blood.” She pronounced her sentence and left.

I breathed as I hadn’t in so long.

Anichka covered her face and cried again.

Perhaps because she understood what Trix intended by going to Khalmer-Yu. Perhaps because she was already allowing herself to grieve. Or perhaps it was the simple relief of being alive. Whatever it was, she surrendered to the tears and flooded the room.

“Hey!” Kiara pointed at the girl. “Stay outta trouble.” She gestured for me to follow.

We walked to a room upstairs.

The android leaned against the wall, holding the card between two fingers. “He knew.”

What did Saymon know? That Trix was the Pakhan’s daughter? Anichka? Both? Before I could open my mouth, Kiara pocketed the card.

Rubbed her temples. “Better rest. Tomorrow, we finish this mission and go back to Brasil. Clear path ahead.” She seemed to want to say more. Kept it to herself.

Knowing questions would be useless, I voiced what troubled me. “Trix might recognize me.”

Kiara raised an eyebrow. “Worried about that?”

“No… I mean… yes… I don’t know.” I rubbed my nape. “The way she said those things…”

Kiara waved calmly. “Trix is the least of your problems.”

I frowned. She ignored my puzzled expression.

“All right. Get some rest.” She went downstairs before I could answer.

I looked awkwardly toward the staircase. What on earth had she meant?

It was the first time Kiara had shown unease. Though hidden beneath a dense layer, I caught a faint change in her. I concluded that, like any other being, she had reached a limit. Perhaps when she suggested resting, she had spoken more to herself than to me.

Kiara’s essence had evolved far beyond any scientist’s assumptions. After all, technologies are corchesweaves. Perhaps that was why they controlled the existence of corrupted androids. A sentient nanotechnology like her would mean freedom and autonomy for machines.

I approached the window. Snow fell endlessly outside. White. Silent. As though the world quietly accompanied the pain we carried.

I rested my elbows on the sill and my chin in my hands. When I breathed warm air onto the glass, vapor condensed. I wrote Maia’s name.

Smiled. Let the memories come.

S-2878 • L5 Ligaluna • D08 Lilibe

“Ligaluna links sky and path. Lilibe pours radiance into a gentle curve. The tide sings clear on the skin of the world. The story weaves a step in growing light.”

The arrival of spring. Skies dotted with white clouds. Warm wind caressed the skin, sweeping away winter’s melancholy and making everyone more talkative. More open to the ardor of long, colorful days. The young, hungry for life, quickened the pace. The city seemed to wake from a long sleep. People laughed louder. Zenith’s neighborhoods vibrated in pastel shades. Pixelated flowers covered the streets of Zenith and Centrália. The season’s symbol.

It was also the seluna of Santa Geordana’s selunary meeting. A gathering about the research conducted at the hospital. More stressful than the meeting with the GMC. The reason? Josivaldo.

I organized the documents and called Takashi. We went to the conference room. My Enchantress watched over me, decanting my feelings and choosing the essential.

Some researchers were already there. Josivaldo sat at the head of the table, eyes lowered, studying a holoscreen. Once all ten chairs were occupied, he raised his head.

Silence.

Takashi stood behind me, as the other androids stood behind each doctor. Across the table, Daren gave me a friendly look. I returned it with a slight nod.

Josivaldo rested his hands on the table and hid his thin lips behind his index fingers. “Welcome to our selunary meeting.” A holoscreen behind him shone with the same words. “Santa Geordana has always taken pride…”

Honestly, I knew that speech. My mind wandered until I heard my name:

“We’ll begin with Dr. Akiko Akiyama.” His tone was acidic. Asshole. In front of them, he pronounced it correctly?! “She’s conducting our hospital’s only Level A project.” He gave a few limp claps. “You may begin, Doctor.” He looked at me for a moment. Long enough to assess me. Brief enough to dismiss me.

I stood and greeted the others with a nod. “Hello, everyone. Thank you for being here. First, I’d like to thank my colleagues on Project Jaburu. Aimee Hughes, responsible for the equipment’s technical supervision. Vicente Evans, responsible for patient management.”

Brief applause.

I sat and presented an overview of the research. Aimee and Vicente gave a brief explanation:

“We’re waiting for MemorElevate to arrive from London. It links a synapse-stimulating substance to the hippocampus, prolonging and storing memories regardless of complexity. In theory, CogniSynth will surpass the natural brain by archiving every memory with absolute precision. That completes the nanodevices connected to Project Jaburu.”

Aimee smiled shyly at me. I nodded my thanks. She sat. Whispers broke out.

Josivaldo cleared his throat, silencing the room. “Very good. Thank you for the presentation.” He barely looked at us. “Dr. Daren Kyungu, conducting the next research project, is entering the testing phase. You may begin.”

Daren stood. Gave a brief bow with his usual warmth. “Thank you, everyone. I’d like to reiterate my admiration for Dr. Akiyama.”

The whole room looked at me.

“Project Jaburu is revolutionary. With her help, I’ve advanced ApexNull. I’m grateful for that.”

What? Did my name really need to be involved? Applause followed. I nodded awkwardly. It had caught me off guard.

“All right. The research aims to coweave the ApexNull nanodevice, which will implant the Rh-null blood type to treat Apoxirameno Aima, commonly known as Vaktiria.” Images of the bacterium appeared in the holoprojection. “It’s the deadliest infectious disease, responsible for forty-three point five percent of global deaths. It comes from a new bacterium, Siccunsanguine Bacteria, discovered in 2849 alongside the first infected patients. It’s untreatable and incurable.”

Daren gestured. “It feeds on the blood’s composition, progressively destroying it. Around three solar cycles pass before the final stage, when it affects the brain and heart. Patients end up with failing organs and dried-out blood vessels. Death is inevitable.”

Daren enlarged the image of Rh-null blood. “However, when we analyzed the bacterium in this blood type, we discovered something. It dies instantly. Rh-null blood is immune to the disease.” He continued with a lengthy explanation.

I tuned out. My bioscreen vibrated.

📩 Maia: ‘Meet me at the end of the main street in Bapaesa. Nine.’

I smiled a little foolishly, even with no idea where that was. My heart beat harder. As always, Maia knew how to pull me out of autopilot. Always found a way to surprise me.

“Excellent, Kyungu.” Josivaldo’s voice brought me back. “We’ll submit the application to request candidates. Testing will begin by next seluna.”

The meeting lasted another two long hours. Other presentations.

I only wanted to leave. Finish work.

At last, the meeting ended.

I went to my office, but before I could close the door…

“Akiyama.” Daren.

I took a deep breath. What did he want this time? “How can I help you?”

He smiled. “I want to thank you again. And, please…” Daren lowered his voice. “Pass my thanks on to whoever provided the samples. You can stop sending them.” He winked and left.

At home, I took a bath and looked up the place where I would meet Maia. Abandoned, but I felt at ease. I trusted her.

I headed there. The closer I got, the darker the street became. When I stepped out of the car, the smell of rot filled my nostrils. Chemical waste scattered everywhere. I coughed in the freezing air. Stayed beside the vehicle. Its headlights illuminated the darkness. My fingers moved restlessly. My first time so close to the ground.

The deserted place was on the same level as Netheria. Netheria endured. That part? A forgotten corner of São Paulo. The city’s ground, almost uninhabitable, neglected by the Aether Network, Sessota, UNITED, and Kokusai. Only the vertical structures mattered. The floating spaces.

What remained below? Shadows. Paper. Scattered junk. Ruined streets. Not a living soul. Only emptiness. High above, lights glittered in suspended buildings like artificial stars, unreachable to anyone standing on the forgotten ground.

Where are you? I rubbed my hands.

“Hey.”

My body stiffened. I shivered at the touch on my shoulder.

“Been waiting long?” The light revealed a smiling Maia.

“No.” I smiled back. “But it’s a little unpleasant here.”

“Sorry about that.” She gave a sweet laugh and held out her hand.

“It’s okay. I’m more perceptive in my Enchantress phase.”

Maia gently squeezed my hand. “Me too… I’m in my Enchantress phase too. We’re attuned.”

My heart beamed.

We walked toward a long staircase leading to the old Paulista. Old streetlamps. Vacant shops. Intermittent neon signs. Drizzle. Damp air. A gloomy scene.

Yet none of it mattered. All I saw was Maia guiding me. Who knew where. Exactly where I wanted to be.

We reached an intersection. When we turned the corner, my jaw dropped.

The remote, imposing São Paulo Museum of Art. Now in ruins.

A museum that had once held the most important art collection in the Americas. Completely abandoned. Rubble filled its open span of more than seventy meters. Four enormous reddish pillars supported it. Vines and filth dominated, reaching the vandalized entrance. An enormous opening. A destroyed metal staircase. Little light filtered inside.

Thanks to Maia guiding me, I managed to avoid stumbling.

She went around the wreckage, climbing toward the opening with impressive agility. When she reached it, she lay down and lowered her hands. “C’mon.” Hair fell over her face. Her hand extended. Maia waited for me.

I understood what she wanted, except my physical stamina was awful. I regretted giving up yoga. Maybe I would take it up again to keep pace with her. Who knew?

“Are you sure?” My fear was obvious.

Maia chuckled, nodding. I sighed. Walked over the wet rubble. As I drew close, she pulled me up. We crouched at the edge of the opening.

Oh, my heart. If I fell, I would hurt myself everywhere.

“Let’s go inside.” Before I could react, she jumped to the floor below.

THUD! The impact echoed.

My eyes widened. I leaned my head through the opening and looked down.

“You can jump.”

Jump? What? She thought I could jump? Ah, this was too much. If I landed wrong, I would break my legs. I mean… perhaps I was exaggerating. Am I seriously doing this? I took a deep breath. Braced myself against the window’s edge and slowly pushed one foot inside.

Maia opened her arms. “Trust me? I’ll hold you.”

What I needed to hear. Enough. Wind cut my skin. The abyss stared back. Yet when I looked at Maia, everything went quiet.

I jumped.

The icy zephyr brushed my face and hair.

Maia’s arms wrapped around me. I opened my eyes. Face-to-face with her. Her honey-colored eyes shone in the faint light. She smiled playfully and lowered me to the floor. “See?”

I lowered my eyes. “Show-off.”

“Why?”

“Hmm… you’re just very confident.”

“Trust me. I’ll always hold you. I’ll always be here.” She hugged me and rested her chin on my head.

My heart raced. My cheeks warmed. Being held in such a comforting, safe embrace was a feeling unlike any other. I wanted to stay there forever. I could live in her embrace.

Maia drew away. “Know what happened here?”

I glimpsed a few things in the darkness. The smell of rain, dust, and alcohol was surprisingly pleasant. “I know they moved almost everything to another museum between Zenith and Centrália.” I followed, trying to watch my steps.

“Somewhere around here,” she whispered to herself. “Ah. Found it.”

Tzzt Tzzt Two clicks. Quick. Dry. The sound reverberated.

Everything lit up, and I saw: a pavilion, disordered galleries, a collapsed ceiling, rubble concealing the artworks. Holograms in place of paintings. Violet lights. Pink. Purple. Blue. Contrasting with destruction, ruins, cycles of vandalism, and the weather.

Broken glass crunched beneath my feet. Decades of dust mingled with the damp smell of decay. How much history lay forgotten here? How many works had passed through these walls? How many gazes had met or hidden in the darkness?

Maia led me to the central staircase.

From that height, I contemplated the place, fascinated. Absorbed every detail. “This place’s beauty is its chaos.”

Her eyes settled on me. I met them with affection. She smiled. Such a warm smile. My heart missed a beat. She had let me glimpse part of her soul. All I knew of that moment was that her warm smile carried an intrinsic sadness. I wanted to cry. Saw so much pain inside her. Hugged her. Even unable to tear that pain away, I wanted to replace it.

Please, let me take care of you. I tightened my embrace.

Maia stroked my hair. “C’mon. It’ll happen soon.”

I frowned, intrigued.

We walked through the maze to the top and climbed a staircase. Maia pulled open an old metal door. We stepped onto the terrace, where two enormous yellowed water tanks stood. More rubble.

She sat on the ground.

I nestled beside her. “What’s going to happen?”

Maia gestured toward the sky. “Keep watching.”

I rubbed my cold nose. “You know, the research moved to the next phase. You can stop giving samples. The doctor asked me to thank you. If everything works, it’ll help a lot of people.”

She gave a faint smile. “That’s good.”

I gazed at the firmament. Dense clouds. Pollution. Then, slowly, the impossible happened.

A glimpse of the moon.

The silver light of the last-quarter moon fell over us.

Maia’s eyes shone. Her white hair gleamed beneath the silvery glow. The icy breeze caressed her hair and face. Droplets settled gently on her skin. Her admiring gaze, her posture leaning toward infinity, her parted lips holding a mixture of passion and fascination. Maia’s wild beauty intensified.

My chest tightened. Time dissolved around us, as though only we existed beneath that silver light. Then I realized how much I loved her. How deeply I had fallen for her chaos. For everything. Every part that made her who she was.

“Maia…” I whispered, shocked. “Y-your nose is bleeding.”

It took her a moment to react. She rubbed her nose with the back of her hand. “Hmm… happens sometimes.” Rubbed it again. Blood dripped incessantly.

I handed her a tissue. My heart leaped. Something inside me screamed that this was abnormal.

Maia held the tissue against her bleeding nostril and leaned forward.

Clouds veiled the celestial vault. The moon disappeared.

“I feel like…” Her voice sounded strange with her nose blocked. “You’ve known me forever. Far beyond this life.”

When her gaze passed through the particles of my physical body, it was as though something inside me vibrated in recognition, reaching the depths of my soul. It struck me on a cosmic level. Her words awakened my atoms from a numbness that had lasted all those cycles. My thoughts quieted. I only felt.

I brought my face closer to hers. “I-I feel the same… but what is this? What does it mean?” I rested my forehead against hers. Tell me, please.

Once again, only silence.

I caressed her face. Her hand over mine.

In that moment, I realized something was wrong. Terribly wrong. A feeling I should have paid more attention to. My chest tightened, as though something were tearing apart. Something irreparable. I should have listened to my intuition. I don’t know. Perhaps insisted more. Persisted until I had an answer. Because, who knows, if I had…

“Shit.” The knot in my throat tightened. I fought tears overflowing with pain, but they began falling against my will. I tried to swallow them. Useless. No. Not now.

Too late. The sky and I shared the same anguish. While it cried frozen tears, I cried mine. A sorrowful symphony.

I suppressed a choking sob, afraid of disturbing Kiara and Anichka. Silence amplified everything. The room was an ocean of absence, and I was sinking. The weight in my heart expanded endlessly. Crushing. If I let a single sound escape, I would fall apart.

“Wish you were here, Maia. Wish we’d had more time to live more memories together. Hold hands more. For you to bring me into your world.” I pressed my mouth against my arms. “You said… you’d always hold me. Always be here. Then why aren’t you?” I sobbed.

Sometimes, I opened the bioscreen and almost sent Maia a message. Almost. Why was she gone? Why?

Kiara rushed up the stairs. Eyes wide, she came toward me and cradled me.

“I miss her so much. Why?” This emptiness inside me hurts so much. An emptiness that has stayed since… “Every day, I wonder if I could’ve done something. Something different that day when…”

“Hey, hey. You did more for Maia than you realize.”

I lifted my eyes.

Kiara looked at me as though she saw everything. The pain. The emptiness. The guilt. Her expression held something unreadable, yet deeply resonant. “Shh. It’s okay.” She tried to comfort me.

“I wanted to see her again. Only in another life, right?” I wiped my face, smoothed my hair, and rested my hands on my shoulders. Only in another life. I tried to cling to a thread. “It’s my only comfort. Thinking we might find each other in another life.” I let out a feeble laugh.

Kiara held my hand tenderly. As confusion tangled into knots inside me, she comforted me. Made the burden lighter.

I thanked her for being there. “I’m better. Sorry for bothering you.”

“No need to apologize.” She smiled tenderly. Looked toward the dawn spreading across the sky. “Already getting light.”

“Yes. Couldn’t sleep.” I hugged my knees.

“By the way, you were impressive. Saving Trix. Taking care of her.” Her words warmed me.

“It was nothing special.”

She rested a hand on the bed. “It was. You know what mercenaries can do, and you saved her immediately. Know you would’ve done it for anyone.” Kiara gave a teasing smile. “Even fell in love with one.”

My face warmed. A glance away. A held breath. I lost myself among words. Lightly hit her arm.

We stayed quiet.

Night was leaving. The cold world outside contrasted with the unexpected warmth within.

Kiara watched the view. “Hey.” She grew serious. Her gaze weighed on me, but held something comforting too. “Know you’ve been through some things. But from now on…”

“I’ll face whatever comes. Keep moving forward.” Such visceral certainty could only come from feeling. I had to trust what my heart felt. I would overcome whatever came. Had to.

She smiled with her eyes. “We leave soon. Then back to Brazil.” Her tone mingled relief and worry.

Finally, we would return.

I simply lived, and time dissolved into night and day. I had been so distracted that… I remembered. “Did you know all along that Trix was the Pakhan’s daughter?”

Kiara spoke comfortably. “Yeah. Accessed the EY-Link files. The nanoprosthetic contained the Pakhan’s genetics, which caused incompatibility with other test subjects. They needed to connect someone with the same genes.”

My stomach churned. “What he did to his own daughter…” The air grew heavy. My throat dried. A bitter taste spread through my mouth like poison.

Kiara raised an eyebrow. “That’s this corrupted world. The closer someone is, the easier it is for them to destroy you. The one who should protect you causes your ruin.”

I had lived in a rosy world. Yet pleasant as my life in Zenith had been, I’d had a painful experience of my own. Though hardly comparable. I kept her words in my heart. “Beyond this world too.” I shook my head. No. Time to look beyond that past.

“It’s time. Feeling better?” Kiara stood.

“Yes. Thank you. This means a lot to me.”

She smiled.

I got ready. Took the mask and revolver. Went downstairs.

Anichka was awake and neatly dressed. She carried herself like royalty. A proud jaw. Neat hair. A dignified gaze. She wore an ushanka. E-makeup concealed the strangulation marks on her neck. No dark circles. No swollen face. No redness. No sign she had cried endlessly the previous moon.

Yet the weight showed through the veil in her eyes. Pain whispered its presence. She knew the journey was ending. Soon, she would be where she belonged. She had to maintain a majestic, honorable expression. In the end, we all wore a mask.

“Are you the eldest sister?” I asked, my Maiden curious.

Kiara finished gathering our things.

Anichka turned to me. “No. I have an older sister. Heir to the throne. A brother and two younger sisters.” She swallowed, holding back tears.

Perhaps Yuri had threatened one of those sisters.

“Okay. Enough talking. Let’s go.” Kiara walked toward the exit.

We got in the car.

The android drove quickly.

“Six hours on the road. What’re we supposed to do?” Anichka traced her fingers over the glass. “There’s something Trix never answered. I was so curious.”

The android looked at her in the rearview mirror. Impatient. Kiara barely spoke as it was. With the girl? Even less.

I carried the conversation. “What?”

“Didn’t she feel cold? Her arms were always bare.” Anichka rested her chin on the ledge and breathed against the glass, revealing little hearts drawn there.

I had wondered the same. Kept the question to myself. Accepted that I could live without the answer. I opened my mouth…

“Because they connected her to nanites with climatic nanoadaptation.” Kiara surprised us by answering. “A weapon like her had to be free.”

Climatic nanoadaptation? I frowned. Underworld nanoscience really was on another level. Biochips were programmed for climate changes, but only offered a thin protective layer against temperatures.

The princess stared at the horizon. “It’s strange… all this time beside my sister, and I never noticed. Now I know, though, so much makes sense. Know I must’ve acted spoiled. Always feeling out of place. But Trix is so strong. So determined. Wish I could be like her…” Anichka turned, waving hastily. “I mean, I don’t wanna be a mercenary. Just wanna be as strong as her.”

She blushed, a little awkward.

Kiara and I chuckled.

S-2879 • L11 Irraluna • D17 Fluxli

“Irraluna radiates light in a gentle descent. Fluxli releases the thread in a living curve. The tide draws silver through open air. The story carries on whole, in deep radiance.”

We continued the tedious journey in silence. The landscape stayed white throughout. Dark, twisted trees appeared sparsely.

The worst part was Anichka’s irritating grumbling. I tried to overlook it because she was a teenager. Still, it was annoying. Kiara was distinctly displeased too. Despite that, the atmosphere felt lighter.

We approached our destination. Helsinki.

Kiara parked on a hill.

The storm approached from the north. A white wall swallowed the horizon. Wind cut like a blade. Crystalline dust covered the horizontal city. Hid Helsinki beneath an icy veil, obscuring the colorful buildings, houses, and businesses in the distance.

What did a Russian princess need to do there? A diplomatic mission? Something was about to happen. I felt it. I rubbed my gloved hands. Squinted.

A shadow approached. Finally, they had arrived. Like Kiara, I wanted to leave.

Anichka squeezed her fingers anxiously. She might be royalty, go on diplomatic missions, and deal with politics from a young age. Yet she still faced the usual problems of a teenager.

The blizzard thickened, obscuring the view. I narrowed my eyes further as the figure approached.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding.” Kiara’s body stiffened. An internal engine vibrating in readiness.

I frowned, feeling electricity in the air. The figure came close enough. I understood the android’s anger.

“N-no…” Anichka froze. Terror on her face. Her fingers dug into Kiara’s arm. “P-please. It’s…”

“Ah. Good to see you again.” Yuri’s voice carried an irritating cynicism, as though he enjoyed this. He clasped his hands before him. His sarcastic smile widened.

“What the fuck is this?” Kiara’s fist clenched so tightly it almost creaked.

He placed a hand over his chest and bowed. “Forgive my earlier behavior. You know… it was necessary. Glad the princess is well. You may hand her over. I’ll complete the escort.”

Anichka held back her tears so they would stay unfrozen on her face. She hid behind Kiara. “N-no… it’s him… t-the android who threatened to kill my sister.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Kiara approached Yuri.

“Again, my apologies. I won’t hurt your sister. Or you.” He held out his hand cordially.

What had happened? Why was Yuri there? I was so confused.

BANG! The blast split the icy vortex. A black bolt cut through the white.

Yuri’s body fell like a puppet on invisible strings. Metallic liquid stained the white snow for an instant before the wind swept it away.

My heart leaped. I tried to step forward, but my foot slipped in the snow.

Kiara holstered the gun. With readiness. With ease. The silence after the shot was deafening. She stared at the android’s body on the ground. “Give it about ten minutes. Had to do that.”

“What’s happening?”

“Kiara, please,” Anichka begged, abandoning her noble posture.

“SHH! He’s gonna do fuck all! Can’t you read the fucking situation?”

“W-what? Read what?”

An ill-timed giggle escaped me. I touched Anichka’s shoulder. “Relax. It’ll be okay.”

The princess released Kiara’s arm and grabbed my hands. “Are you sure? Promise?”

The gesture surprised me a little. I nodded.

She seemed calmer.

I smiled at her innocence and wished everything would be okay. Ah, who was I trying to fool? One thing was certain amid all that madness: Anichka would remain untouchable in her palace.

Ten minutes later, Yuri moved his fingers. Then his arms and legs. He stood and adjusted his coat with perfect execution. “I understand your reaction. Truly.”

“Get to the fucking point.” Kiara stepped forward. The ground creaked beneath the pressure of her fury. Her boiling aura melted the surrounding ice.

Yuri adjusted his collar, indifferent. “By the way, it’s in our interest to know the Russian Pakhan was assassinated yesterday. What happens now? The woman who killed him escaped without a trace.”

“Saymon…”

“No. He’s away. Only asked me to pass on the message.” He held his hand out to the princess. “Come now. We have until eight tonight to reach Eduskuntatalo.”

Kiara gestured impatiently. “Go ahead. You’re safe.”

Anichka looked at us hesitantly. “Y-you’re sure?”

“Fucking go.”

The princess took a moment to react, then stumbled toward him.

Yuri took her hand gently. “You know what the card means, right?” He taunted Kiara before turning. “One more thing. He asked you to visit on the full moon. Three in the afternoon. A surprise awaits you.”

They began walking.

Anichka turned toward us one last time. Wind howled. Snow rose around her like a royal mantle. Her feet stayed planted in the ice. Her tearful gaze asked for something even she could not name. She hesitated, as though wanting to say more, but the words had frozen in her throat. Then she lowered her scarf.

“Thank you,” she murmured and turned. A silent promise.

I waved goodbye. Would we see each other again?

They faded into the snowy mist.

Kiara glared at the horizon, seeming to brood over fury accumulated long ago. A powerful rage condensed in the air, sending chills through me. “Time to go back.”

We got in the car. In the rearview mirror, snow swallowed Helsinki. The last trace of the fold at the end of a cycle.

I had traveled more in those three lunations than in my thirty-five cycles of life.

Finally, we would return to São Paulo. In Brasil, I would have more answers. More questions. Where I should be. This time, though, I was choosing to stay.

Before, São Paulo had reminded me of what I had lost. Now, it was the starting point for what I still needed to find. The desire rooted in me to throw myself entirely into Maia’s universe. I had to return to where everything began.

The wounds had reopened. Others would follow.

I took a deep breath. Gave Kiara a knowing look.

Even furious, she smiled back.

We arrived in São Paulo. The promise of autumn brought a cutting wind. Icy gusts howled over the city. Storms danced through shadows and steel. Yet the cold inside me was unlike any other.

We checked into Verdant Suites.

I threw myself onto the bed when we entered the room. Rested.

Then my Maiden turned her attention to the desperate urge for a bath. A truly comfortable bath. A feeling of serenity. Peace, free of listening for every sound or calculating escape routes. So simple. So unreachable. Could there be a worse moment for such vulnerability? The thought was definitely frightening. Argh. I shuddered just thinking about it.

I ran the bath, put my clothes in the expresswasher, and looked in the mirror. My reflection stared back. But was it me?

When I traced the scars on my neck, my skin tingled. A shiver climbed my spine, as though the pain were still there, throbbing beneath the surface.

Each mark was a story I wanted to forget. Yet remembered. I recalled every pain. A punch splitting my eyebrow. A knife tearing the skin of my arm. The largest: the enormous X on my back. A target. Were they really going to use me as a target? A sour taste flooded my mouth.

I only had glimpses of what happened. I had been unconscious most of the time. Imperfect memories, except that I felt everything happening as though I were still there. When they exposed my back. Denden swearing at them. Telling me to hold on.

Then the pain. The open wound. Cold metal warming against my skin. Iron striking my bones over the sound of screams muffled by exhaustion. The soldier pulled my hair, forcing me to face him. His cold eyes. Disinterested.

I could barely see. The knife slid over my skin before piercing it. The cold of the metal was the last thing I felt before pain devoured everything. Tearing. Passing through. My vision darkening with unbearable pain. I sighed.

A target.

My suffering mattered little. My desire to die with every passing minute meant nothing. All irrelevant. They had stopped seeing me as a living being. I was nothing.

A target. I closed my eyes. No. I had to face this. I would overcome it.

I moved closer to the mirror. Strands of hair concealed the scars on my head. I touched the two marks on my neck, running from my ears to my throat. My entire body…

Water overflowed onto the floor.

I got into the bath. Wrapped my arms around myself and closed my eyes. Steam danced in the air. I inhaled deeply. Held it. Exhaled slowly, as though trying to convince my body it was safe. Hot water mingled with the cold in my skin, reaching what had been etched into my bones.

I pushed the dark thoughts away. If I had endured everything I went through, it was because I had kept Maia in my thoughts.

I finished bathing and returned to the bedroom.

Kiara worked on a holoscreen. “Better?”

I nodded. Combed my hair into a braid. How did she feel? How difficult had it been for her when Maia…? The name caught in my throat. I wanted to ask… No. I wanted to think of something better.

Kiara stayed quiet. Only nodded faintly, as though she already knew the question I had asked only within my soul.

I wished her good night.

Slept.

S-2879 • L11 Irraluna • D19 Unabe

“Irraluna radiates light in a gentle curve. Unabe kindles an axis in clear descent.

The tide draws a route in living silver. The story carries on steadily, in a deep tone.”

Light rain trickled from the sky, like a remnant still glowing.

“Few hours before we meet Saymon. Gonna take care of some things.” Her voice sounded impatient. Kiara left quickly. Seemed to be running from an illusory clock.

I rested my arms on the windowsill. What could the surprise be? Ovulation stirred my imagination, but I turned the possibilities over and nothing made sense. Well, perhaps that was better. The unknown unsettled me. Truth was, I had already been inside it for eons.

I admired Tentro’s bustling streets.

Hololights flashed in vibrant shades. Blue, purple, and red danced in harmony. Reflected in the glass like shimmering specters. Ghosts of a world spinning too fast to reach.

Merchants’ shouts mingled with the hiss of adware. Among it all, the mercenaries’ heavy presence intimidated. They carried more weapons than clothing. Powerful animals accompanied them.

One, a tiger with nanoimplants in his paws, moved with a machine’s precision. His eyes were pure instinct. Such charming animals. Majestic. I wished I could pet one. Would he let me?

My gaze swept over couples holding hands. Amid the city’s bustle, they found each other with a simple glance, as though the rest of the world disappeared.

I breathed warm air through my nose against the glass, fogging it. With cold fingers, I drew circles in the fleeting mist.

The memory of that day seeped in, trickling like the rain outside.

TECELUNA OF 2878

Maia said she would be away for a lunation. A simple, vague message. She left like the last leaf from a dry branch in autumn. I knew she would return. But where had the wind carried her? Why? A question cast to fate, its answer wandering somewhere.

I followed my flow, a little pleased that she had thought to tell me. Perhaps someday, I would know.

A little over half the solar cycle had passed. The days crushed me. Pressure grew. Three lunations. Three hells.

Takashi helped me close the accounts. I reviewed everything before sending it to Josivaldo. CogniSynth’s patients had rights, and guaranteeing them had been a challenge. Holidays. Dignity. The minimum. I had fought hard for that.

In the three lunations leading up to the solar cycle’s crossing, I would reduce the nanoprototype’s connection. They needed to be well, physically, mentally, and spiritually, to celebrate.

There were costs. Travel. Accommodation. A team ready to act. Unexpected expenses. They came from everywhere. Enormous costs. Every decision weighed on my flesh. My body hurt just thinking about it.

I was approving another patient’s trip when Takashi appeared. “Hideaki would like to know whether you’re available to meet tomorrow.”

My mind was still submerged in work. I raised my eyes, the weight on my shoulders easing for a moment. “O-of course. I can prepare dinner at my apartment. Eight.”

Hideaki accepted.

At Home

I ran my fingers across the bioscreen, browsing Japanese recipes. Images of delicate, meticulous dishes danced before me. Choosing one was more than a culinary decision. A way to feel close to her. After all, Hideaki preferred depth.

I was born in Osaka, but my parents moved to São Paulo in 2846. Growing up in Brasil was no excuse for being unfamiliar with my roots. She made sure I immersed myself in Japanese culture: the language, food, rituals, the weight of words and silences, sacred dates, values, and habits. Traditions that keep a people alive beyond the cycles.

Though I rarely practiced them, I appreciated them deeply. They brought us closer. Distracted us. A piece of us. A bond cowoven in the Corchesweave.

S-2878 • L6 Teceluna • D17 Fluxli

“Teceluna weaves the sky in a ripened thread. Fluxli releases the curve in living silver. The tide draws a path through the air. The story carries on steadily, in gentle radiance.”

I checked that my apartment was spotless. Hideaki had a meticulous eye. I would always remember. One day, after visiting, she sent a message: 📩 “There’s a crooked painting in your living room. It could affect your yin-yang.”

I prepared miso soup, a vegetable pancake, assorted vegetable skewers breaded with panko, shiitake, eggplant, green pepper, pickled vegetables, daikon, and jasmine tea.

The doorbell rang.

Filled with my Mother’s energy, I adjusted my hair and opened the door.

Short hair framed her stern face. A discreet smile softened her presence. She wore a turtleneck, a meticulously arranged beige coat, and an impeccable skirt over black tights. The Chronos bag rested on her arm like a seal of status. She bowed as she entered. “Ojama shimasu.” Hideaki exchanged her shoes for slippers, placed her bag on its stand, and hugged me tightly.

We stayed that way. She stroked my back. Only when I received the hug did I realize how much I had missed it. I breathed in the familiar scent of my mother beneath her gentle perfume.

“Missed you. You look so beautiful. So healthy.” Hideaki squeezed my cheeks. “Eating well, apparently.”

“I missed you too.”

We walked to the dining table.

“Mmm. Delicious.” She sat at the head. “How are you?”

I sat near her. “Well. Happy to be here.”

“Well, ideally, I would have come tomorrow. But I have urgent business. By the way…” She raised her eyebrows, revealing a few little wrinkles. Then picked up her bag and took out an envelope and a pink box. “Before I forget. Otanjoubi omedetou.” Happy birthday.

I smiled gently. “Okaasan, sutekina tanjoubi purezento wo arigatou.” Mom, thank you for the wonderful birthday present.

I took them. Opened the box of chocolates and the envelope containing an Ondin, a money-transfer code. She always gave me the same thing. Somehow, though, I liked the predictability.

Hideaki held my hand. “Wanted to do more, but you’re so grown now.”

Grown? I had lived thirty-four solar cycles. I briefly pulled a skeptical face. Perhaps it was a mother thing.

While we ate, Hideaki asked about my work. Little had changed since the selunary meeting.

She smoothed a discreet crease in the tablecloth before taking her cup. Small gestures replacing unspoken words. “What else can you tell me? You seem different. If I didn’t know you, I’d say you were seeing someone,” she remarked casually.

My face warmed immediately. Why could everyone see something I barely understood? Even my mother!

“Oooh. Is it true? Well, well.” She drank her tea.

I rolled my eyes.

After my reaction, she left the subject alone.

Truthfully, I felt a little uncomfortable with her. We were far from close. When I was twenty cycles old, she and Riki divorced. They bought the apartment in Zenith so I could live alone. Hideaki visited on my birthday. On two random Nativities too, if I remembered correctly. She rarely asked about my personal life. I rarely asked about hers. We only knew each other professionally.

At first, I missed that contact terribly. Eventually, I grew accustomed to the distance. Of course, I recognized her efforts to stay close. But so much time had passed. Believing we could strengthen that bond was difficult.

“And that…?” Hideaki swallowed the words. They probably tasted bitter.

“You know… he’s indifferent.” I drank my tea.

Anger entered her eyes. Her jaw tightened. “Bakayarou! Baka! Usunoro! Konoyarô!” Sharp words, spat through clenched teeth. Her cheeks reddened. For a moment, her own fury seemed to suffocate her. “Forgive me. Just thinking about him gets on my nerves.”

I held back a sympathetic laugh. Funny. When she wanted to swear, she swore in Japanese. Honestly, I cared little that she cursed him. She did it when alone. Perhaps doing it before me was liberating. The only person who understood all her fury. As for me, I had lulled my feelings toward him to sleep. I preferred it that way. Handled situations by avoiding my demons.

We talked a little longer until it was time for her to leave.

“Are you sure you have to go? You can sleep here.”

She shook her head while searching her bag. “Have to leave for Bali before dawn.”

What would she be doing in Indonesia right at the turn of a seluna? It must be something very… that reminded me… “Hideaki…”

“Yes?”

“Do you know how UNITED’s NB-Mend tests are going?” Asking about other research projects was normal for me. She would trust me.

Hideaki grew thoughtful. “Ah, dear. It’s confidential. We suspended the tests.”

My eyes widened. Every nerve went on alert. “Why?”

“The tests were disastrous. Initial results were positive enough. After a while, though, the volunteers began dying.”

“Since when?”

“Testing began cycles ago. This started happening two solar cycles ago. Connecting the deaths to NB-Mend was natural. We suspended the research until they investigate the problem.” She shrugged indifferently.

My heart lost its rhythm. I hid my panic. “Do they know the cause?”

“No. I believe they’ll have an answer soon. They saved two patients. Still insufficient to resume the research. Dear, why so many questions?” Hideaki was visibly impatient to leave.

After saying goodbye, I went to my bedroom and threw myself onto the bed. Released my body’s weight. Was this what Maia carried? Could I do something? My mind searched for solutions.

I decided. Over the next moons, I would work my way to the answers and investigate the project’s status. Since I had helped with the research for a while, nobody would find my interest strange.

The Next Day

Rain fell incessantly. I read almost all day. Only stopped for snacks. Comfortable pajamas. Wrapped in blankets. I still had a little energy, but my Enchantress was beginning to emerge. The world around me seemed to disappear until the doorbell cut through the silence.

I raised my head. Could Hideaki be surprising me? No. She was honest about work. Or maybe… no. It couldn’t be him. Riki had never visited. Why now?

I walked distractedly to the door. Ready to send him away. When I opened it, my heart stopped. “W-what…?” My voice disappeared.

“Really thought I’d miss your birthday?” Maia gave a mischievous smile.

“H-how do you know?” I had counted. Moons remained before she returned from wherever she was. No. That was the least of my worries. How had she appeared like this? I looked sleepy, my hair was a mess, and I hadn’t even bathed.

“Aydan told me.” Maia stepped inside, her gaze sweeping over me. “You look so cozy.”

I lowered my warm face. “Yeah…”

Maia chuckled. “Got plans?”

“I don’t celebrate my birthday.”

“What do you mean? Why?” Her fingers brushed my chin. Light, but firm.

“It’s irrelevant.”

“It’s important. We have to celebrate.” Excitement flashed in her eyes.

I frowned. “Seriously?”

“Know what we’re doing.” She beamed, as though she had just had the best idea in the world.

Irresistible. I sighed, surrendering. Bathed and put on a knee-length black coat.

We left.

The rain eased. A taxi waited at the curb. We flew to the famous Art Hive, an aeroneighborhood in Centrália. An enormous pixelated sign glittered above the streets:

Fireworks Festival — Art Hive

The entire neighborhood glowed beneath marine-themed decorations. Translucent jellyfish holograms floated above us. Their many colors dissolved in the air like waves of ink.

Their violet reflections painted Maia’s face, mingling with the amber glow of her eyes. She seemed to float between dimensions.

Monumental whales crossed the space between floating buildings. Sharks of spectral light followed. Dolphins played in graceful spirals. Seals leaped between shimmering spheres. Other beings wound through the crowd as though watching us from another world.

“The ocean sings. Listen. Respond. Flow with the waters.” Intermittent holoscreens displayed environmental messages: “The ocean is Corchesweave. Preserving it preserves the weaving’s flow.”

“The sanctuaries call to you—every drop connects worlds.”

“Honor the waters. Honor the Corchesweave. For what flows here flows through every weave.”

They also showed animals rescued from filthy seas and attempts to clean the waters. “Each rescue is more than a future. It’s the eternal flow continuing to vibrate.”

I approached the water. My fingers brushed its liquid surface. Only a light touch. Yet in that instant, something touched me back. A ripple formed. Subtle at first, then expanding into the distance, as though something had awakened.

My heart fluttered. Had this happened before?

The hologram’s light wavered. The ocean’s colors distorted into spirals. Water shone as though alive. Goosebumps rose on my skin. A strange chill traveled down my spine.

Then it came—a wave. Inside me. I closed my eyes. My body warmed, as though every drop of water in the universe recognized my existence. And I saw. A star-filled sky. An endless sea. Something calling me. A voiceless voice. Only a deep feeling. The distant echo of a whale. Waves roaring against a shore I had seen in another existence. The smell of the ocean, as alive as a heartbeat.

I opened my eyes, breathless. The waves disappeared. The hologram returned to normal. The festival continued as though nothing had happened. Yet something inside me had changed. I looked at my still-damp hand. My heart still glowed like an echo of the waters.

Maia watched me. Said nothing. But her eyes held more than surprise. Maybe… maybe she had felt this before too.

We passed through the entrance.

The smell of fried food and spices perfumed the air. Salt from the environmental vaporizers filled my nostrils.

The crowd made way.

Rows of stalls overflowed with tempting choices: handmade goods, floating toys, shooting games, fishing, water jumps, tests of strength and virtual reality. A nanoFerris wheel turned slowly among the rooftops. A carousel of marine creatures shimmered in a hypnotic rotation. The nanoroller coaster and free-fall tower floated between the streets, suspended on an invisible nanotrack.

“What d’you wanna do?” Maia asked.

My stomach answered first. Growled audibly beneath the festival’s noise. “Eat.”

Choosing among so many options was difficult. I settled on a vegetarian hot dog. Maia, as always, was happy with something simple: fries.

We ate while watching a talent show. A young woman played the piano. Her hands glided across the keys in a gentle, melancholy melody. Like a whisper beneath moonlight.

“Mademoiselle, désolé de déranger. Pouvez-vous m’aider?” A voice whispered behind me: “Miss, sorry to bother you. Can you help me?”

I turned.

A ragged man watched us, eyes wide. Scanned the surroundings as though being hunted.

“Monsieur, vous feriez mieux de ne pas parler français. Peut parler Brésilien?” I whispered back that he should avoid speaking French and asked if he spoke Brazilian. If anyone heard him speaking French there, he could attract unwanted attention.

He lifted his gaze, hesitant. “N-no… I speak poorly.”

“It’s okay,” I encouraged. “Try. If someone sees you speaking that language, you could…”

I cleared my throat, uncertain. “Anyway, what do you need?”

Maia stared at the man in silence. Her expression transformed into something that made me shudder. Her aura grew heavy. Suffocating. I had never known anyone who could gather such a sinister atmosphere around them.

My intuition said this was less than half the full magnitude of her terrifying aura. Dazed, I returned my attention to the man.

“Need… to get…” He struggled against his accent. “To this. Address.” His fingers slipped along his coat.

An instant. A gust swept past me.

Maia grabbed the man’s wrist. Her eyes shone with something animalistic. She leaned slightly closer. “Vous pouvez parler français. Quelle adresse?” she hissed coldly: “You can speak French. What address?”

He froze. Swallowed hard. “Je ne sais pas, mais le nombre est 244,” he whispered. “I don’t know, but I know it’s number 244.” He could barely face Maia.

She released him just as quickly. Gestured ahead. “Cerda Street. Crosses the wide Heri Avenue.”

The man nodded fearfully and left without looking back.

My attention drifted from him. Focused on Maia.

She picked up another fry and chewed slowly, watching him disappear into the crowd. Then turned to me, smiling. Her carefree smile veiled what had just happened. The terrifying cold in her aura evaporated as though it had never existed. “You speak French?”

My heart still hammered in my temples. It took me a moment to answer. “Y-yes…” What was that? How had she seemed like another person within seconds?

“Why?” Genuine curiosity filled her voice.

I focused on the stage. The singer’s performance. Let the music surround me. Tried to dissipate whatever trembled inside. “Rebellion, maybe?” I joked. “What happened to France… I don’t know. Think learning it was a rebellion against my parents too.” I sighed, laughing softly. “Silly, I know. Even they have no idea. You speak it too…”

Maia kept watching me with a peculiar brightness in her eyes, as though unraveling something. “Yeah.” The brightness intensified. She seemed excited. It unsettled me.

We continued walking.

Stopped before a stall of technological trinkets.

“What exactly do you do?”

“I’m coweaving a nanoprototype. CogniSynth. To turn the memories of the living into audiovisual media. You can watch memories on a holoscreen.”

Maia played with a little pixelated figurine. “Is that really possible? You really are incredible.” She smiled proudly.

I nodded shyly.

“Seriously. You’re amazing.”

My face warmed. Amazing. How could a compliment make my heart beat harder?

We continued our night and went to the Ferris wheel.

Maia rocked the cabin on purpose. I clutched the support and opened my eyes. Her face so close. Her amber gaze traveled over me until it settled on my mouth. Her hair reflected violet. Pink. Lilac. Purple. Blue. A myriad of shades. Colorful holofireworks bursting in the sky. Her breath near mine. Suddenly, the sounds vanished. Only the heart’s rapid rhythm remained. Her face drew closer. Her lips touched mine.

It felt like an eternity. One of those memories to keep forever. The cabin moving slowly. Maia’s woody scent mingling with the icy air at that height. Colorful shapes lurking behind closed eyelids. The warmth of her fingers sliding over my nape. Gentle. Affectionate. Our kiss, which will forever vibrate in this memory.

When we opened our eyes, we were back at ground level. A shiver ran down my spine, anchoring me to the present. Our faces stayed close. Many-colored shades danced over us.

We continued to the other attractions.

The nanoroller coaster was fun. Drew a few screams from me and a shudder from Maia. We rode the carousel. Maia sat behind me and held my waist. Her warm hands sent heat tingling through my body.

“Having fun?” She brushed her nose against my ear. Her husky voice sent a shiver through me like lightning in the darkest night.

So shameless. “Y-you…”

After that, we went to the free-fall tower. Or rather, the astral projection simulator. I felt my soul leave my body. Shared my theory with Maia.

She threw her head back, roaring with laughter.

“What?! Really thought that was impossible. I was wrong.”

She draped an arm over my shoulders. “You’re funny. Excellent theory, really.”

We walked toward the game stalls. Among the prizes was a white teddy bear. Memories surfaced. I hurried closer and picked it up.

So similar… “Wow. This brings back memories. Had one just like it as a child. A great friend.” I put it back. Felt a little stupid for saying it.

Maia took it in her hands. “Want it?” Her expression was so kind.

One of those moments when an exchanged glance conveyed an immensity of emotion. Emotions so alike. So different. At those times, my heart reaffirmed: I wanted only her. Circumstances, distances, mysteries mattered little. Details before the infinity of my feelings for her. Hers for me.

I nodded, smiling.

We went to a shooting stall. FluffFling.

I grew frustrated. Those were always the hardest games. I sighed in defeat. “Forget it. Must be almost impossible.” All the excitement of having my childhood teddy bear drained away.

“Hey.” Maia ignored me and called the android. “What do I need to do to win that teddy?”

The android gestured to the fake guns and tiny targets on the wall.

I squinted to see them. So small. Impossible. Simply impossible.

“Hit five. Wanna try? Three bireais.”

She made the transfer.

Squares moved randomly across the wall while shrill, bizarre music played.

I knew there was a catch. It got worse. There had been a chance before. Now, with them spinning? Zero. “Ah, this is impossible. Nobody could possi—”

Maia picked up the gun and adjusted it in her hand. Hit five targets in less than a blink.

“W-w-what?” My voice trembled in disbelief.

She chose the teddy bear as her prize. Smiled charmingly. “For you.”

“H-how?”

Maia shook her head and hugged me.

Before I knew it, we were walking again.

Too dazed, I tried to forget it and enjoy the moment. Took the bear from her hands. “Thank you. You’re…”

Except Maia could never fit into one word. One definition. More than mere letters together, she was a formidable formation of sentences tangling into one another. A fine thread, so intricately entwined that its interpretations kept expanding. Comprehending her required more than the visible could offer. It demanded quiet, feeling, rhythm, and a deeper vibration.

She rested her forehead against mine. Maia understood me by feeling me too.

“Can I make a birthday wish?” I met her expectant honey-colored eyes. “Will you answer if I ask you a question?”

Maia held my gaze. The sparkle diminished. She lowered her head. I felt the weight of my words. Their meanings. “Aki…” She held my hand tenderly.

I shook my head. Smiled with my eyes. “Forget it. I know you have your reasons. I trust you. Know it’s the wrong moment too. If there even is a right one.” My heart overflowed. My voice caught. “I don’t know what’s happening. But please, trust me if I can help. If there’s anything I can do.”

Her hands caressed my hair, traveled down my neck, then slipped into her coat pockets. She took out two small keychains. A gray she-wolf and a penguin. Maia gave me the wolf. “This one’s yours. So you’ll always remember me.”

I lost myself trying to react. Perhaps with a foolish expression. “Wow! This is so special.”

She swung the penguin from her finger, smiling sweetly. “This one’s mine. To always remember you. Obviously, I hardly need a keychain for that.”

I held the wolf against my chest, feeling its weight. Maia smiled, twirling the penguin around her finger. Like two worlds spinning on the same axis.

Her words, gestures, and the setting made ‘forever’ seem real. My heart was so happy that, if the world ended right there, I would die at the height of my happiness. It hardly seemed that this ‘forever’ would last within life’s finitude. As our voices weakened. Bones. Legs. As our skin lost its firmness. When our hair—or rather, my hair—turned white as snow. At last, we would return together to the Corchesweave.

No.

That forever would never happen. A forever that lasted…

My eyes must have been wet. I hugged her waist, wanting to hold her for eternity.

We stayed like that for a while.

Then I had an idea. Smiled, amused. “Can I make my birthday wish? Will you celebrate the Festival of Souls with me?”

Maia pulled an intrigued face. Nodded, laughing. “Of course.”

“Let’s look at some costumes.”

She chuckled and hugged me.

The rain worsened when Kiara returned.

I stood, a bit tired. “I was distracted.”

“Know that distraction has a name, right?” she teased. “Anyway, it’s time.”

Her arrival lifted my spirits a little. I got ready.

We headed to Vermina.

“Will you give me Sentinil?”

“Think you can handle it.”

Her belief that I could endure all that horror sober surprised me. I nodded firmly. I had to.

We reached Vermina. The blood-soaked boulevard.

I bound my emotions as dying bodies moved toward white vans.

Children displayed in shop windows wore emptiness on their lost faces. The red on their skin accentuated the bones beneath their emaciated flesh. A thin little hand clung to the window from inside. Small, dirty fingers pressed against the glass, leaving damp marks. The eyes behind it were hollow, sunken, hopeless.

But they saw me.

Kiara’s eyes traveled along the boulevard, passing indifferently over the bodies. The empty eyes. She simply kept going.

The smell of decay flooded the air. Expressionless faces appeared in darkened windows. Hid when they saw Kiara. They weren’t mercenaries. Only anonymous residents living on balconies decorated with human remains. Framed by the purest sadism. Who allowed this? Who was the Matriarch?

The place represented life’s end. If darkness had a home, it was here.

I saw my reflection in crimson puddles. Impossible to tell whether anger, disgust, contempt, or acceptance explained my passivity.

No. I would always reject this.

We stepped onto the boulevard’s only decent stretch. The jade entrance with its luxurious pillars. Inside, wealth and antiquities crowded the space. The thick, soft carpet beneath my feet absorbed my steps and the blood flowing in from outside. In here, it stayed immaculate.

My pulse raced at the thought of seeing the Matriarch. Kiara seemed fairly calm. I assumed she might be absent. Naturally, when it came to…

“Yes. It was excellent.” His hypnotic voice echoed through the hall.

Kiara and I stopped a few meters from him.

His vile gaze found us. His face twisted into a malicious smile. Standing still, he shuffled the cards, his eyes on the figure before him. As though he already knew every move. As though I were just one more. The icy cold of Saymon’s presence reached me from afar.

“Glad the Matriarch is pleased with the results,” the other person said. The voice tore through my inner veil.

“Certainly. She’s very happy to have you here, Mr. Riki Akiyama ♪” Saymon hissed, savoring every letter. His enigmatic gaze pierced me. Told me I was a piece in his game.

My stomach sank. His name there, in Saymon’s mouth. My blood froze. My mind screamed that it was impossible. But then the knot unraveled and tied itself into possibility.

I clenched my jaw and my fists.

Kiara’s eyes settled on me. “Riki Akiyama?”

I nodded. Why was my father there?

Saymon focused on him. “For the next steps, go to Nobody’s Land and give this to Cron.” He handed him the Five of Wands.

Riki turned the card in his hands, pocketed it, and headed toward the exit. His stern features concealed pride, entwined with an understandable exhilaration. Here, he had what he wanted. Freedom to manifest his desires. No GMC to stop him. Nobody to deny him what he wanted.

Netheria was where Riki wanted to be. They provided the means to achieve his goals. He would play their games. After all, Riki had never wanted to be king. He wanted to satisfy the perversity at his core. The sadism in his heart. The inhuman subjugation of everyone unworthy. All beneath the veil of a greater purpose: the good of science, progress, humanity’s future.

The chill down my back intensified as Riki passed us, head held high. Looking at someone meant acknowledging their existence. Inconceivable. Only he deserved his own attention.

Riki smoothed his hair back. As he passed me, mint filled my nostrils. The same smell from my childhood. The smell of a father who had never wanted to be one. He left without looking at me. Would it make a difference? He had never seen me. Could look me in the eyes and still fail to recognize me.

My fingers hurt from how tightly I clenched them. Why did I still care about him?

Kiara closed the distance to Saymon. “What the fuck is this?”

He breathed out a vile little chuckle. “Like the surprise?”

She grabbed his collar, eyes dangerous. A lioness facing a fox. “Tell me every last fucking thing that’s going on.” Kiara released him.

Saymon burst out laughing, straightened his coat, and ambled toward me. “Funny. Same expression you had when…” He smiled.

Same expression? When…? What did he mean? I held his merciless gaze. The shiver intensified with his hostile presence.

He rested a hand on my shoulder. “Needed to know which side our Akkie was on.”

I held my breath. Side? What was he talking about? I wanted to push his hands away. Couldn’t. The enormous pressure of his dark aura was almost unbearable.

Kiara raised an eyebrow and displayed the Eight of Cups between her fingers. “‘Abandoning an emotional bond in a doomed relationship. Sadness. Grief. Emptiness. Unknown future. Ungovernable.’ Thought the message was only about Trix and Vorovskoy mir.”

Saymon gave a ruthless grin. Stepped away from me. “Always meet my expectations, Kikky. I confess, I’m fascinated. Our Akkie saved Trix from such a tragic fate. Can the apprentice truly surpass the master?”

Apprentice? Master? What did I have to do with this? Nothing he said made…

No.

Saving Trix? Of course. Everything made sense. My blood boiled. I bit my lips. “I-it was… it was him…”

“Yes?” Saymon’s foxlike features gleamed with delight, as though I were an amusing attraction.

Fury grew inside me. “H-he made Mentis Imperium, didn’t he?” I already knew the answer. Only Riki would resurrect something so terrible.

Saymon gave a whistling chuckle and headed toward Kiara. “This is more fun than I expected… ♪ Kikky’s right about Trix and Vorovskoy mir. The foundations have started trembling. What happens now?” He sat on the jeweled throne and rested his chin on his hand.

Kiara stared at him with bloodthirsty eyes. “I give zero fucks about this shit! Manipulate me or Akiko into one more of your sick lil’ games, and I’ll…” Her jaw tightened. She shackled her rage.

Once again, they spoke in the intangible.

Saymon raised two fingers and narrowed his friendly eyes. “Two quartelunas to do my favor. Bring me what the key guards, and I’ll tell you the name.”

Kiara pressed her lips together and gestured for me to follow.

It took me a while to react. I followed.

We walked silently through blood-soaked streets until we reached Tentro.

Entered our room.

Flames flared from Kiara’s clenched fists.

I stood against the door. My mind empty. My blood boiling. Searched for a way to soothe the anger. Tried to understand why this was happening. Breathed slowly, dissipated the fury, and cleared my understanding: my life was at stake. Yet I was part of Maia’s world. Everything that had happened was a prelude. None of it compared to what I was about to experience. What I was about to discover.

Kiara approached and seemed to notice the tangle of confusion inside me.

I met her gentle eyes. “I understand. I may be naïve about this world, but not about people.”

She held my hand. “Know you have a lot to process, but we’re outta time. Your contract goes active again in two quartelunas. With Aurums hunting you, failing to terminate that shit in time will fuck our situation.”

The contract. Easy to forget amid everything. I nodded.

“You get that you’re part of this world now, right? Doing better than you think.” Kiara gave a friendly smile. Walked around the room. “Remember when I mentioned incorruptible nanosystems? Well, the place we need to go, where we’ll find what this key opens…” She displayed the Joker card. “Has one.”

I sat on the sofa and removed my mask. The gleaming card distracted me. “What place?”

“In Zenith. Parliament, to be precise.”

My eyes widened in disbelief. “P-Parliament?”

What was she saying? Parliament was the safest, most important place in Brasil.

It housed the headquarters of the Aether Network’s Assemblies. State archives. Historical, security, and nanotechnology data from Brasil and its partner countries. Zenith and Centrália’s Motherboard. Not to mention the 150G nanotechnology serving every connection in the Americas.

“Y-you’re planning to go in there?” I could barely believe what I had heard.

The seriousness on Kiara’s face opened into a smirk. Became a mocking laugh. “No. I’m not. You, though… yeah.”

Me? What did she mean? Had to be a joke. True, she had mentioned it before, but I thought she was joking. Why had I thought she was joking? I had already forgotten! I shook my head. “W-what do you mean?”

She brushed dust from her shoulder. “Obvious, right? You’re from Zenith. Have a status nobody’ll question. Know how special your pass is?”

Goodness. None of it made sense. Me… Zenith? I shifted restlessly. The thought of returning came like a torrent. I came from there, yet felt alien to it. Perhaps I wanted to stay away. I couldn’t go back up. They said once you were on top, you never wanted to descend. How could I return to Zenith after everything I had experienced? No. Time to focus on the present.

“Do you really think I’ll do this? I mean, look at me.” I gestured at myself. “I’m nothing like you. Or Maia, Trix, Saymon, Cron, Denden. Any mercenary!”

The android rubbed her forehead. “And except for Maia, nobody else could get in there. Not Saymon. Not his fucking androids! Not me. Not another mercenary!”

I bit the inside of my cheek. “Hard to believe. You’re all so well prepared. I-I’m… do you think it’s too risky? What if I do something wrong? Fail? What if…”

“Akiko, you really think you’re unprepared for this?!” The way she looked at me… gave me a confidence I lacked. Realizing that left me a bit embarrassed.

I’ll be honest. I trusted myself completely as a doctor. But who was I in that world? They had always lived that way. Trained and indoctrinated from an early age. I had discovered that life only a few lunations ago. And there was Saymon, controlling official Aether Network androids!

Why not… understanding lit up like a bulb. Only now did I get it? Had I wanted so badly to be part of this world?

I composed myself. I had visited Parliament a few times. Walked those corridors. Stood beneath that spotlight. Back then, though, I had gone for lawful reasons. I was far from a threat. Now, one wrong step would kill me.

It couldn’t be that bad. Maybe… I barely knew what Kiara would ask of me. Well, she must have a plan. She always did. Right?

I sighed. “Okay. How do we do this?”

Kiara ran her fingers through her hair and raised one finger. “First, we need Parliament’s latest nanoblueprint. All Zenith locations’ nanoblueprints are nanoencrypted. Only chief architects have the encoded files. Thirty-five cycles ago, a lot of data was stolen. Including the blueprints from back then.”

A vague memory of the event surfaced. I had been a baby when it happened, but studied it as an adult.

The Aether Network tried to cover it up. Failed. Whoever did it remained anonymous. I had accessed some official documents, but the evidence was insufficient. The event created enormous insecurity in Brasil. More than an attack on the Aether Network, it was an attack on a whole nation. A nation considered untouchable. If someone could hack the Brazilian Parliament, who was safe?

The Aether Network’s premier, Lorenzo Cardoso, said the police had arrested those responsible. They renewed and reinforced Brazilian nanosecurity. Life happened. The subject faded into oblivion.

Kiara snapped her fingers. “Hey. Listening? Pay attention. The Aether Network’s left those nanotechnologies’ security outdated. The nanoencryption’s obsolete. Hackable now. Some of them just happen to be in the Patriarch’s possession.”

My lips parted. “W-was it you?”

Kiara burst out laughing and shook her head. “No. The files just happen to be in the Patriarch’s possession.”

If it wasn’t them, who? Who was responsible for the greatest nanohack in the Americas? What had they done with the information?

“Relax. We won’t need to see him.” She waved calmly. “C’mon. Need to visit an old friend. His mood’s better at night. Like a cat. Actually, he has quite an interesting history with Maia.” Kiara winked.

I frowned curiously and followed right behind.

We walked through Tentro at night.

I nibbled my lips, apprehensive about visiting the left side for the first time,Solterra, the Patriarch’s territory. Would its streets resemble the Matriarch’s? Be worse? I expected an equally terrible scene. Swallowed hard at the thought.

We reached the holowall.

Touching the blue pixels sent a tickle through my skin. When I took the first step, my pulse quickened.

Through the first partition. Second. Third.

I closed my eyes, so agitated. Exploring the unknown was terrifying and exciting. Voices and music reached my ears. I opened my eyes. Nothing like I had imagined. “Wow,” I murmured, dazzled.

Multicolored lights and old weapons hanging from balconies illuminated the street. Old war tanks from around the world stood between buildings. Robots of every size. Some as small as insects, buzzing through the air. Others colossal, walking like metallic titans.

Androids with synthetic skin gleaming beneath artificial lights. Eyes shining in cybernetic shades. People with chrome prosthetics, gleaming biomechanical limbs, and exoskeletons adapted for strength and precision. Implants blinking beneath translucent skin. Circuits extending like electric veins, connecting human and technology into a single entity. They walked through the alleys carrying laser, maser, temporary antimatter, and sonic nanoweapons.

A giant pink robot passed us, talking to a tiny one on her shoulder.

Most took the shapes of animals, creatures, and humans. Some were objects and media characters. The smaller, more energetic ones leaped between places and passersby. Engines vibrated through the ground like a mechanical heart.

The air carried the metallic smell of synthetic oil and burnt plasma. Every step echoed in a digital rhythm, as though Solterra lit up alongside the circuits beneath its inhabitants’ skin.

Despite the Aether Network owning the world’s deadliest weapons, making São Paulo the First City, being there filled me with doubts. That massive arsenal. Surely everything the market offered at its most advanced. It made sense that the other underworlds hesitated before Netheria.

“This way.” Kiara nudged me.

I emerged from my thoughts. “Y-yes. Coming.”

We passed shops and stalls packed with nanometal, nanoglass, and nanofiber. Almost everyone dealt in the same merchandise: nanoweapons. From compact pistols to energy rifles gleaming behind armored displays. Gears piled in crates turned on their own, as though still searching for where they fit. Isolated limb components. Incomplete biomechanical torsos.

Implants and prosthetics displayed like ordinary goods. Some still glowing with residual energy. Cybernetic nanoengineering, circuits, and exoskeletons waited to be assimilated into a new body.

Kiara held my shoulders and pointed to a unique building with exceptionally rare neo-Gothic architecture.

I blinked, too shocked to believe it.

I thought Kemetia’s command had destroyed Sé Cathedral during the attacks. That was what history classes taught. All this time, beneath us, a piece of such an ancient Brasil. Only briefly mentioned in historical studies.

I had never even imagined glimpsing it. My legs carried me toward the Cathedral involuntarily.

Kiara held me back. “Nah, nah. This way. Maybe another time? That’s where the Patriarch lives.”

I apologized with my eyes.

When we entered a shop, BiLab, pink light washed over us.

I followed a narrow corridor. Roboinsects appeared out of nowhere.

Kiara knocked on a metal door. A tiny opening appeared. Only the eyes of whoever answered were visible. The android did something. The little hatch closed. Metal turned.

We entered.

Passed through a small space with a low ceiling. Shelves and cabinets packed with papers. An empty desk.

We squeezed through an even narrower corridor to its end.

Suddenly, the space opened wide. A blue and pink veil painted the library’s interior. The ceiling rose beyond sight. Ancient paper books, holodevices, and digital editions filled the shelves. Little robots flew around, tossing items through the air.

The translucent floor beneath me blinked with every step, making me feel as though I were inside a virtual reality game. Pillars seemed to move whenever we looked away, as though the structure itself breathed. The glow of holoscreens mingled with old incandescent bulbs, weaving a play of shadows where past, present and future intertwined.

When I tried touching a decorative crystal, a robobee threatened to sting my hand. I stepped away and resumed looking around.

“He’s coming,” a robot said in a thin voice.

Then came a raccoon dog wearing glasses, a gray sweater, and dress trousers.

Ah, so cute!!! I nearly exclaimed, revealing a side of myself I preferred to keep in the shadows.

“Hey, Tanu,” Kiara greeted him.

I held back a squeal.

He pushed his glasses up with tiny hands. “Something happened. Vorovskoy mir’s data’s gone crazy. You know Hikaru… left everything to me.” Suddenly, his little black eyes reddened. His voice deepened. Terrifying. “One day, I’ll kill him!” His growl was so low, yet the floor vibrated beneath his paws. His bristling fur looked like metal splinters.

The shelves behind him trembled faintly, as though receiving a warning before an attack.

He returned to normal.

My mouth fell open. How could something so adorable be so threatening? I had been about to hug him!

A childish longing filled me when Kiara crouched and rubbed his head. “I get it. Hikaru’s an idiot. Should appreciate you more.”

“Exactly. That girl should’ve finished what she started. If she had, I wouldn’t be suffering this humiliation.” His eyes threatened to glow red.

“If you dislike my methods, I can deactivate you, Tanu.” A husky, measured voice, heavy with a Japanese accent, resonated through the chaotic space.

Tanu startled, fur bristling. “See how he treats me?! Constant threats. Have to endure this every day.”

All the robots’ metallic clamor ceased. Shuffling footsteps echoed. A familiar clip-clop. Each step rang like a distant gong, its weight felt in my body. He slowly descended a staircase connecting the upper floors, beneath bright lights and objects the little airborne robots had resumed tossing.

His dark hair, loosely tied in a bun, contrasted with youthful features carrying an elder’s wisdom and severity. He wore a white kimono and hakama. A black haori covered part of his chest. Geta on his feet. A katana secured at his waist.

The samurai’s sword. I admired its magnificent sheath, detailed in neon red. A tradition steeped in modernity. The hilt, even more beautiful, shimmered in burgundy. What material was the blade? I had dreamed so often of seeing a samurai in person. Excitement filled me.

Most striking: the exposed part of his body. His chest and right arm were nanoprosthetics. Metallic blue-gray gleaming with pale-blue details. His movements flowed perfectly. Certainly, cutting-edge nanotechnology.

Hikaru • Cyborg • 28 cycles

“Kiara.” His serene tone matched his reserved bearing. “Who might this be?” His cold black eyes stayed on the android. His restrained ferocity reminded me of a wildcat.

“My apprentice,” she replied.

Apprentice… I would have to ask about that later.

Hikaru parted his lips and released a slow ‘ah.’ “Did you do what I asked?” He glanced at Tanu.

“N-no. But I will.” The raccoon dog tilted his head, eyes wide and adorable.

“Very well. How about serving our guests? Anything to eat? Drink?”

After sending Kiara a dose of DroidDraft, Tanu left to fetch a snack. Disappeared through a little door.

Hikaru stroked the katana’s hilt. “To what do I owe the visit?” An object flew over his head. He must have grown so accustomed to everything flying around that his comfort in the chaos was obvious.

Kiara crossed her arms. “Need Parliament’s nanoblueprint.”

“Sure?” He rubbed his chin. “Two days to connect it to your core. An hour to break the nanoblueprint’s quantum symmetry.”

“Still haven’t broken it?”

“No. Nobody wanted to after they rebuilt the nanosecurity. It’s the only useless file. That’s why I asked if you were sure.”

I followed the conversation. If they had rebuilt the security, how could such obsolete nanotechnology help us? Well, Kiara must know what she was doing.

“How much?”

“Hey, Hotaru,” Hikaru called.

A robotic firefly appeared.

“Look up Parliament’s blueprint.”

The machine’s greenish glow changed colors before returning to normal. “Five hundred thousand bireais.”

“Okay. Transferred.”

“When do you wanna start?” Hikaru barely moved his lips when he spoke.

“Now.” Kiara gestured for me to follow.

We walked between shelves into a small room.

The android lay on the table.

I leaned against the wall, watching every movement. What would he do?

Hikaru pressed a button. Pixels filled the air. Several holoscreens appeared.

Tanu arrived shortly afterward and handed me a sandwich.

“Get Parliament’s blueprint.”

The robot huffed. “Idiot… barely even says please.”

Hikaru picked up a syringe and drew neon-red liquid from a vial. “Ready?”

Kiara nodded.

Was he going to inject her with Drohipno? A type of general anesthetic for androids. The liquid deactivated android nanotechnology while keeping the core active. It was used to access… Nanoquantum nanosystems (NQNS). Quantum nanotechnology (QN-Tec)! I tried to remain impassive, but inside, I vibrated with fascination.

Hikaru injected Drohipno into Kiara. The android closed her eyes. He touched her forehead, double-tapped, and a square appeared. On a holoscreen, he clicked to transfer P-Aether.q. A cable emerged from the table and connected to her forehead. Hikaru swiveled his chair and worked on the other holoscreens. Intense blue shone. A rectangle appeared on one:

Upload… 0%… 48 hours until core absorption

Hikaru analyzed the data one last time. Inhaled deeply. Exhaled. “Now we wait.” His gaze passed through me like a blade, and an icy shiver traveled down my back.

Hikaru kept a watchful gaze on me. “I know who you are. Yeah, I know.”

My heart raced. I swallowed hard. Fought the urge to run.

“Tanu?”

The little robot tilted his head. “Yes?”

“Bring a chair. Prepare a cabin for her to sleep in. Would you mind? It’s small.” He glanced at me.

I shook my head.

“Good.”

A strange silence settled between us until Tanu returned.

I sat.

Hikaru scratched his chin. “I’d be suspicious too. But she and Kiara know about me. Also…” He seemed to reconsider. Fell silent.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” So what if he wasn’t a mercenary? He could hand me over to one. I would need far more before revealing anything. Besides, Kiara was inoperative.

I discreetly assessed the room. My chances of reaching the long metal object beneath the table before he reached me with his katana were almost zero. Heat rose through my chest. The air grew heavy, as though someone had reduced the oxygen in the room. My muscles were ready to react, but my chances of escape were nonexistent. If he wanted, he could take me down in less than a second. Still, I would do something.

“I won’t harm you.” Hikaru shrugged slightly, as though reading my thoughts.

I pressed my fingers into my crossed arms. Why on earth was I so easy to read?

“If something happened to you… I wouldn’t last long afterward. I value my life.” His gaze grew distant. Almost melancholy. “If I despised it… I’d be on another plane now.”

“No…”

“Maia made sure…” His metallic fingers drummed against the table. A dry, calculated sound. He hesitated, as though stepping onto fragile ground. “You would be protected above everything else.” His voice carried a weight difficult to define.

Admiration? Guilt? Respect? Something unbreakable hid there. His black eyes studied me from head to toe. This time, the feeling struck me full force.

I shifted restlessly in the chair. What did he mean? What was he trying to say? Would he really leave me unharmed? Argh. Hikaru seemed trustworthy. I mean, what he said about knowing Maia… and Kiara had left me with him. That must mean something. She trusted him enough for that… right? My insecurity eased. I relaxed a little in his presence. They trusted him. That would have to do.

Hikaru tilted his head back and cracked his neck.

“Kiara said…” I scratched my ear, unsure how to continue. “You…” I searched for words. If he knew who I was, I could ask: what was his history with Maia? My reverie ended.

“What did she say?” Hikaru raised an eyebrow. “Did she mention this?” He tapped his chest. The metal prosthetic resonated.

“No…” Impulse swept through me. “Why? Does Maia have something to do with it?” I regretted the words as they left my mouth. Could I have been a bit more cautious? Apparently, I had learned nothing!

Hikaru’s expression tightened into a feline smile. “She has everything to do with this.” His fingers slid over the katana’s sheath, his thumb tracing an almost imperceptible groove in the metal. His eyes were far away. Caught on something unreachable. “I keep this story private, but telling the person who motivated it could be interesting.”

The way he said it turned my stomach. What had Maia done to him? What had they been to each other? I frowned, intrigued.

Hikaru stroked the katana’s hilt. His gaze empty. Frozen in dark feelings. He raised his unreadable eyes.

The little robots’ background noise vanished. The lights brightened faintly, nanotechnology sensing the shift in atmosphere. The air grew denser.

The story of that day echoed through the room in a vibration that preceded language.

S-2878 • L6 Teceluna • D19 Unabe

“Teceluna weaves the sky in a ripened thread. Unabe kindles an axis in clear descent. The tide draws a route in living silver. The story carries on steadily, with a sure step.”

HIKARU

All I knew about the white-haired girl was that mercenaries feared her more than the Matriarch and Patriarch. The same went for her brother. I had never seen her. Only heard that her presence could be unbearable. Such was the threat she exuded.

I thought they embellished those stories for entertainment. After all, that was what remained for the lower classes, whose missions were dull compared to those of the higher ranks.

Until the moon I met her.

My clan in the Ninkyō dantai gave me a very particular mission. As always, I sent the qn-robots to do field research. You know. Check the routine. Weaknesses. Anything to break the target’s defenses.

Except they all returned damaged. Or never returned at all. The first time I had to go myself.

I barely remembered my last visit to Centrália. Rediscovered the region’s joy. Almost refreshing, seeing people live their little ordinary lives. No mercenaries or crazed sadists nearby.

I’m not a mercenary. I can safely ascend to the upper floors, passing through the Aether Network’s nanosystems. But I had grown used to Netheria. Preferred staying below.

The shops along the empty nighttime streets distracted me when the girl appeared. I hid in a dark alley.

She was far away, talking to someone. Leaned into a hug. Her companion got into a car. She turned to leave.

I narrowed my eyes, trying to understand what I had just seen. When I turned, she was face-to-face with me. A chill shot down my spine like lightning, taking me back to the last time I had felt fear. I had lived eight cycles. My mother had just sold me to the Ninkyō dantai.

Unreadable honey-colored eyes stared at me. “You are…?” Her voice was a cutting whisper.

I straightened and rested my hand on the katana. My body concealed it beneath the darkness hanging over us. Nobody anticipated a sword attack. Not in this world, at least. “Hikaru.”

I waited for an opening. Eventually, everyone grew vulnerable. Lowered their guard.

The girl before me carried herself like an untamable force. She looked at me as though I were the target. As though she had been waiting for me. “Right… the quantum guy. Strangely, he talks about you a lot…”

My heart rippled. He? Who? How did she know about…? I nodded.

“Why’re you after me?” Her eyes stayed open every second.

I cleared my throat. “Well, you displeased someone. They’re unhappy.”

Someone passed us.

She gestured for me to move deeper into the alley and stood before me. A little shorter, yet intimidating. Her narrowed eyes gleamed boldly. “Better be more specific. Keep that sword sheathed if you wanna stay unharmed.”

She knew. I tightened my grip on the hilt. “Hmm… does the name Kotaro ring a bell?”

Maia smiled. Her expression grew more sinister. “Of course I remember that brat Kotaro. Got arrested because of him.”

Shit. Baka Kotaro. Tadajaokanaizo. “I know. He can be difficult. Still, he’s the nephew of the leader of the Ninkyō dantai’s largest clan. Imagine breaking a few of his fingers, threatening him, and getting away with it.” I held her gaze.

“Got it. Here to avenge him?” Maia’s grin widened.

I gave a breathy laugh.

“Better succeed. You’ll only get one chance.” Maia stepped away, as though saying: Go on. Attack me.

My curiosity flared. A sword was about to run her through, yet she stayed impassive? Unrelenting?

Few people lacked a fear of death. At least she would spare me the begging everyone resorted to. The faces twisting into a disgusting mess of tears, snot, blood, and vomit. Yes, they vomited. Actually, they shit themselves in fear. The smell was horrible.

I could have drawn the katana and cut her. I made a mistake. “Hope you’re sure about this. That person seems special… leaving her alo—” The words caught.

Something seized my throat and pinned my right arm against the wall. “Really wanna finish that sentence?”

I brought my left hand to the wrist choking me. My vision blurred. “I-I…”

Paralysis began spreading up my arm from my wrist. Painless. Like a disappearance. The world distorted. My lungs burned, but it was more than a lack of air. As though my body were being devoured. My very existence consumed.

Her touch was worse than physical force. Something that erased.

I had promised myself I would embrace death. Never beg to live. Too pathetic. I wanted control when I died. The tranquility of someone who faced death.

I had been terribly wrong.

Before that executioner’s aura, her merciless gaze savoring the taste of my broken soul, the shadows’ claws wrapping around me and trapping the air in my lungs, I knew I wanted to live. A deep urge to cling to life. I was just like them. The truth hidden in my heart, rubbed in my face in the harshest way. A truth difficult to swallow.

“P-please…” The pressure in my head was unbearable. Numbness reached my ribs. My legs threatened to give way.

Maia pinned me against the wall. “Work for the Yakuza and Netheria. Guess what? I give zero fucks about either. What you do, who you kill—it all means nothing to me. Even if it’s me.” She brought her face close to mine. Her fierce gaze could torment the most perverse soul. A face premeditating life’s passage.

She barely needed to finish. I understood what it meant. Maia held my neck because of something beyond her own attachment to life… the mere mention of what lived in her heart. I had always heard love was these people’s ruin. In her case, it was her sovereignty.

“I-I meant something else…” My voice struggled to emerge. “I-I’ll do nothing… I barely know her…”

She released me. I fell to my knees. Touched my chest. Felt nothing. My arms. Hands. Nothing. What had she done? My body was there, but something seemed to have devoured my muscles, bones, and veins.

Maia crouched and lifted my face by the hair. “I hate killing. But if I have to, I will.” Her voice emanated indifference. Far too familiar.

My breathing slowly returned. I would never die for a spoiled boy’s whim. Or a group that had taken me in through violence until I grew strong enough to fight back. They had only treated me as an object. Always seen me as an instrument to achieve a goal. If I had the chance to live and betray them, so be it. My life meant nothing to them. It mattered to me. Enough. “My intention was different.”

“Yeah, I know. How about keeping your mouth shut? I’ll do the same.”

I won’t die for you, I affirmed, thinking of the Ninkyō dantai. I nodded.

Maia lifted me by the arms and took me to a car that landed out of nowhere.

“What did you do to me?”

She stayed silent.

The car stopped in an alley in Tentro.

Kiara stood against the wall, arms crossed. Whistled with a smirk. “Bringing me trouble… ♪”

Maia shrugged. Switched places with the android. Kiara supported me.

We entered through a nanometal door and climbed a narrow staircase into a spacious room. Traces of metal in the walls. Untraceable. Soundproof.

I know because knowing every nanotechnology developed or in development is my job. Including Project Jaburu.

Judging by your expression, I should explain:

I’m a nanoquantum nanoengineer. Yes, I know. Global organizations banned QN-Tec research. Well, we live outside the law. Membership in the Ninkyō dantai had its benefits. The only scientist with knowledge of QN-Tec was a member. That knowledge and my qn-robot weavings… well, Netheria kidnapped me to work for them.

The Patriarch possesses untraceable nanotechnology. Almost impossible to hack. Similar to the Aether Network’s. The Ninkyō dantai only found me with help from someone inside. Despite its wounded honor, the organization saw an opportunity. I have to say, this business about underworlds staying out of each other’s affairs is pure bullshit.

I became a double informant.

Developed qn-software, QuebraVeil. It accesses official information from all the world’s militias. I obtained and sent information considered impossible to access or hack. That’s how I know about CogniSynth.

Relax. I accessed two reports from three solar cycles ago and deduced the rest. I suspect I came nowhere near guessing how the tests went. Anyway…

Kiara laid me on a comfortable bed. “Where?” she asked Maia. Took a backpack from a cabinet.

The girl lay on the sofa and stared at the ceiling. “Arm and right side of his chest. Gonna need nanoprosthetics.”

“Fuck’s sake! Could’ve been gentler.” Kiara picked up a syringe and a vial of grayish liquid. “Gonna inject this. It’ll hurt.”

“What’s it for?”

“Keeping you alive. So?” She raised an eyebrow, ready to inject.

I assessed the situation. Reached no conclusion. Nodded. If it meant living, so be it.

“All right. Gonna hurt. Scream as much as you want. Nobody’ll hear.” She gave a biting smile and pushed the needle in.

I thought she was joking. Thought pain would be more bearable after cycles of enduring it. Eventually, it became tolerable. A blade could tear through me, and I would stay standing. Taken by adrenaline, exhaustion and burning would arrive hours later.

Once again, I was wrong.

When the liquid entered my bloodstream, pain pulsed at an atomic level. Thousands of tiny knives piercing me. My body shattered from within. Pain spread like a wave, undoing every part of me.

My chest was a battlefield between what I had been and what I was becoming. I screamed with all the strength in my lungs, but my throat burned. Tearing. My heart beating a thousand times a second. My flesh vibrating at reconstructive frequencies. I was becoming something else.

“A bit longer.” Kiara pressed down to keep the needle steady. Her voice grew distant.

A deafening whine filled my ears. My vision darkened. I felt profoundly disturbed. Endless seconds.

“Easy. It’ll pass soon.” She turned to Maia. “He’s the quantum guy he keeps talking about?”

Maia nodded.

Again. He. Could it be…?

“Gonna sedate you.” Kiara administered the anesthetic.

I fell asleep.

When I woke, colored lights reflected on the walls. My head hurt more. Cramps gripped my whole body.

“Need to do this,” Maia said distantly. “Wanna do this…”

I groaned in pain.

Maia fell silent.

Kiara approached and checked my temperature. “How’re you feeling? Man, you’ll need nanoprosthetics. Recovered next to nothing. Can you sit?” She turned to Maia. “He had no reaction.”

Reaction? Recover? Chikushō. My dry throat and lips begged for water.

Kiara brought a bottle to my mouth. Cold liquid traveled down to my stomach. Reviving enough to steady my body.

I sat. A strange sensation weighed on me. I ignored it.

“So you’re fucking Ninkyō dantai… relax. You can talk. We’ll keep our mouths shut. Work for the Patriarch too, right?” Kiara sat on the bed.

“Yes.” I cracked my neck. The numbness disappeared. Kuso. What was happening? Damn it.

“Patriarch’s clever. How do you hide your connection to the ‘chivalrous organization’?”

Something told me she already knew the answer. “The robots I coweave are QN-Tec. Some are atomic in size. By the way, how did you detect the qn-robots?” I asked Maia.

She lifted her head and smirked faintly. Returned to the holoscreen, as though that answered everything.

“Risky. Trix would spot one easily.” Kiara rested her arms on the mattress.

I shrugged. “Even if she saw them, their essence would have shifted because of their quantum nature. She could catch them with nanoquantum vision. I know of nobody with that… until now.” I glanced at Maia.

Kiara raised her eyebrows and stood. “If you say so… once you improve, we’ll bring a nanoengineer to install the nanoprosthetics.”

“Why are you doing this?”

Death was certain after an attempt on a mercenary’s life. Even if they let me live, why the hell get me nanoprosthetics? Especially one of the ten most expensive. A partial rib cage. Hating killing was one thing. Helping someone who had tried to kill you was another.

Maia stopped what she was doing and walked toward me. “Think I know what he saw in you…”

Again. He. Who? Kuso.

Her eyes shone for an instant. Recognition? An echo of something she had seen before? Or perhaps…

Maia simply smiled warmly, as though she already knew the answer. “I like you.”

For a second, everything stopped. Pain. Fear. Uncertainty. I was still alive. Still here. And for the first time in so long, I had someone by my side.

Caught completely off guard, I smiled back.

“Here we are.” Hikaru gestured discreetly and looked at Kiara. The upload was at 12%.

I bit my lips, unsure what to do with that information. Intertwined threads, intricate weaves, and knots beneath heavy veils. The threads were there. I could see them clearly now. Yet the harder I tried to understand, the more their meaning blurred.

When the first knot revealed itself, I recognized the point of no return. This was bigger than Maia. Bigger than Kiara. The entire world was stitched into this coweaving. Somehow, I was entwined in it. Whatever it cost, I would piece together the puzzle of Maia’s world.

I uncrossed my legs. Fought the part of me that wanted to overwhelm him with questions.

“It’s late. You should sleep. I have things to take care of. Tanu can show you to your room.” He turned toward the holoscreens, signaling that our conversation was over. Once they fell silent, they never continued.

I held back a yawn. “O-of course.” Little I could do. I wanted to follow Kiara’s progress, but sleepiness weighed on me.

I followed Tanu, admiring the chaotic library. We climbed to the first floor and reached a corridor of transparent doors among more shelves. When Tanu opened a cabin, it revealed a small room with a bed and dresser.

“He’s a terrible host.” The raccoon dog planted his hands on his little waist. “Then again, who’d wanna visit an idiot like him? Unless it’s that…” He tensed. “Forget it.”

Curious as I was about what he might have said, I thanked him.

“Need anything, press that button. I’ll be right here.” He closed the door, leaving me alone.

I removed the mask and lay on the bed beneath a ceiling gleaming in metallic cobalt blue. Turned my thoughts over.

Kiara. So good to have her by my side. So strange to be away from her presence. Did she see me as a friend, the way I saw her? I bit back a smile. What would she do when all this ended? Whatever happened, she would be okay.

And me? What would I do?

I fell asleep.

During the next two days

Hikaru focused on work throughout the day. Actually, he worked late into the night and woke incredibly early to begin again. So intense.

I kept my distance. Tanu kept me company, but returned whenever Hikaru called. I spent most of the time with myself.

Sometimes, I saw Hikaru reflected in mirrors, talking to mercenaries. Hearing the conversations was difficult. Artifacts in the other rooms distracted me. The place seemed more like a personal collection than anything else.

Most files were official, from various militias. Nanoencrypted, so I could read none of them. Still, I peeked. They seemed to contain irrelevant data. Perhaps Hikaru kept the most important information somewhere safer.

What information could he have?

23/11/2879 • Sintoli of Irraluna • S-2879

“Irraluna radiates the echoes of infinity. Sintoli tunes the night’s secrets. The tide gathers stars within its silence. And Gaia keeps what has yet to bloom.”

Kiara woke, and her presence eased the tension, as though I had been waiting for that moment to breathe again. Tanu called me when the upload finished. I arrived in time to see the opening in her forehead close. Hikaru removed the cable.

Kiara blinked, slow to react. “Hate this shit,” she complained.

I smiled at having her back.

“Did you manage to manipulate the quantum particles’ spin?” Hikaru asked apathetically.

Kiara stood and stretched. “Duh. Obviously. Cheers. And you… you okay?” she asked me.

I beamed and nodded.

“Great. Let’s go. Got work to do.” She thanked Hikaru again.

He waved a hand.

Kiara crouched to scratch Tanu’s head. He let out an adorable little raccoon-dog sound.

I held myself back from grabbing him.

We left.

Walked along Solterra’s nanotechnological streets toward Tentro.

“Hikaru told me…” I whispered, smiling foolishly.

We walked along an almost empty street. I had no idea where we were.

Kiara slowed down. “Told you it was an interesting story.” She gave a mischievous chuckle.

We crossed a street beneath a drizzle. Muddy earth spread beneath our feet while aged neon signs blinked on the walls. An abandoned part of Tentro.

Apprehension stirred in me.

Electronic signs glittered with the words: Eternal life for Zenithians!

Others bore different inscriptions: Down with the Aether Network and Nanoverse! We’ll keep speaking out!

Were these signs from the 2795 uprisings? It made sense.

Back then, Nanoverse, the leading company in LI and nanotechnology, collapsed under sanctions from the Global Network Alliance (GNA), the GMC, and ARGOS. They had imposed severe restrictions on advanced nanotechnologies, destabilizing the sector.

The words blinked like open wounds in the concrete, clustered around us. An echo of a past still resonating in the present. A warning that this war continued.

“We’re here.” Kiara pulled me from my thoughts.

A bluish lamp illuminated the gloomy alley and a solitary metal door between brick walls. Old Brazilian architecture.

Kiara pushed hard against the door. It opened onto a narrow corridor.

The map drew itself in the air. Lines and code forming a luminous maze.

My heart fluttered. Every line, every corridor led to something waiting to be discovered. The bubbling in my stomach grew. I climbed the stairs into an open space. Smiled with excitement, anxiety, nostalgia. Longing. The place matched Hikaru’s description perfectly.

Lights came on as we stepped inside.

Kiara sat on the elevated sofa.

My jaw dropped. Maia had been here. I could almost breathe in her woody scent.

The android patted the cushion for me to sit. “C’mere. Got a lot to do.” She displayed the holomap: Parliament’s architectural nanoblueprint.

Something bubbled in my stomach.

My Enchantress smiled.

At her words, I stared at Kiara in disbelief. There was no way she believed I could pull this off. “Are you sure this is going to work?” I asked for the tenth time, biting my nails.

She brought her fingers to the bridge of her nose. “You’re certainly gonna show up in better shape. Even with that little Zenith face of yours, those scars, messy hair, and dry skin have to go.” Kiara gestured. “At least for now. Let’s take advantage of your contract being suspended. Nobody’s after you.”

My lips were bleeding from how much I’d bitten them. “I’m not sure this is going to work. You’re expecting a lot from me.”

Kiara was betting too much on me. Even I didn’t expect that much of myself. Me? Breaking into Parliament? This was absurd. Even I didn’t have that much faith in myself. How could she?

She gave me a stern look. “Get some rest. Starting tomorrow, we’ll take care of this, alright?” She raised her eyebrows, as though she would only accept a yes.

I nodded, but accepting things as they were frustrated me.

Kiara placed her hand over mine and flashed a leonine grin. Even her smugness resembled Maia’s. “Hey, I know this might cheer you up, so once we’re done with this, we’ll go after the things Maia left you, okay? I know you want that. I know you need it.”

I smiled, eager. “Alright.”

I knew we would do it anyway. Kiara knew mentioning Maia lifted my spirits.

I tapped the headboard to clean the bed. A thin stream of water emerged, followed by a nanolaser, and within seconds, the mattress looked new. I switched on the heating, letting it warm up, and lay down.

The neon shimmer across the ceiling’s metal distracted me. I thought of Maia and how she had considered this place a safe haven, somewhere she used to spend her time. Somewhere she used to stay.

I smiled. My heart happy at the simple thought of being in the same space she had been.

The flow kept its rhythm. One whole solar cycle. I tried to lull my feelings to sleep, to convince myself that moving on was right, but my heart felt differently. With every mention of her, every story, every place that held her presence, I fell in love all over again. It was like rekindling a flame that had always burned, as though she were still here.

I know she had her reasons, but I would still have followed her. If she had asked, I would have gone. Without hesitation. Onward with her. But she didn’t ask. And now all I have left are the memories and this emptiness that fills me. My heart warmed at the memories, then soon grew cold, remembering that was all they were: memories.

Joy and sorrow fought within me, and I wasn’t sure which one I wanted to win.

TECELUNA OF 2878

Festival of Souls, a day like any other. The decorated streets made me terribly grumpy. I rolled my eyes whenever I walked into a shop and some whistle blew near my ear, trying to scare me. Wheee ♪ It was a pain.

Of course, that changed after I invited Maia to celebrate with me. Although I felt a little embarrassed about it being my first time, I hardly cared. Joy thrummed inside me, so delicious, and I wanted to enjoy every minute with her.

I searched for costume ideas, since I hadn’t thought of anything, much less found the creativity to come up with one. Maia must have thought of something. I took comfort in that possibility and went to bed, excited for the next day.

S-2878 • L6 Teceluna • D25 Alonli

“Teceluna weaves the sky in a low curve. Alonli lengthens the thread of return. The tide traces silver in a gentle step. The story continues whole, in fine light.”

We were going to stroll along Art Hive’s bustling commercial airways: Terraria and Astera.

I waited, seated on the edge of an LED fountain. Enchanted spirits shimmered around me, sending out floating green, blue, and golden lanterns and releasing pixels that read: ‘Happy Festival of Souls.’

The warm wind sprayed water onto my face, so I brushed a strand of hair aside. That was when I spotted Maia walking toward me. I broke into a smile.

She greeted me with a quick kiss and draped an arm over my shoulders, drawing me close. “So? Any ideas?”

Oh, no. Damn it. I should have tried harder to think of something. “No… none.” I forced a smile.

Maia waggled her eyebrows and grinned mischievously. “Let’s find out together.”

The streets were packed with beings looking for costumes, decorations, and traditional treats. Festival of Souls was already next seluna, and the shops’ LED façades flashed in neon yellow, red, and olive. Digital vines wound around the buildings while curupiras and caiporas flew overhead. Ancestral spirits, Boitatás, and holoskulls sprang from the ground or walls whenever someone passed, making them jump.

It was actually fun to watch.

Some people were already in costume, making the atmosphere even more spirited. A woman dressed as a saci moved and turned into an iara before my eyes. It looked so real.

We entered FanTog, an enormous department store specializing in costumes.

“Welcome! The virtual fitting room is to your right. The physical fitting room is to your left. If you need anything, please speak to our staff. Happy shopping!” A holoreceptionist greeted us.

Soon, Maia and I found ourselves facing hundreds of costumes arranged by category: iconic characters from series, films, cartoons, famous people, royalty, and many others.

As we wandered through the sections, the joy of choosing costumes for the first time caught me completely off guard. My inner child jumped with happiness. Little Akiko had been forbidden from doing this, but grown-up Akiko… Well, grown-up Akiko was here.

We picked three options to try on.

The first was Jessie and James from Team Rocket, characters from Pokémon. According to Maia, seeing me with red hair would be fun, though I had my doubts about her true intentions.

The second was Vitória-régia and Cobra Norato, inspired by Amazonian legends. Seeing Maia as an enchanted water creature would be funny. The idea, however, appealed to her less than it did to me.

The third was a pair of adventurous raft sailor costumes.

We headed to the physical fitting rooms.

When I finished dressing as Jessie, the chip in the R on my crop top flickered, and my hair turned completely red. I felt a little self-conscious with so much of my body exposed, but overall, I liked the result. It actually looked good. If I’d watched the cartoon, perhaps I would have been more excited. I stepped out of the cubicle.

Maia was already dressed, her hair blue like James’s. Her gaze swept over me, and she smiled wickedly. “Hmm… I like what I see.”

I raised an eyebrow and pressed a finger to her chest.

Before I could speak, the Rs on our clothes lit up red, and a hologram of Meowth appeared between us. “Those who created me never asked whether I wanted to exist, so I cannot forgive them.” He stared at us with his big eyes. “I’m Meowth!” He spun on his heels. “We have so much in common: the same earth, the same air, the same sky. Maybe if we looked at what we have in common instead of always looking for what makes us different… Well, who knows?” The words hung in the air.

Maia glanced away for a second. Something in them had touched a deep place within her, something I wanted to understand. “What?”

I was torn between laughing and remaining stunned.

“W-what he said…” Maia watched the cartoon character with an unreadable expression, as though surprised. Her gaze drifted. She lifted her eyes, still confused, until her expression suddenly grew solemn.

I frowned. It was one of those times when she let a thread of her inner world slip free, a tiny opening in a mighty wall whose existence I could barely imagine. A fortress sturdy on the outside, yet broken within.

I held her hand and stroked her fingers. Maia scratched her flushed cheeks.

Meowth nestled between us and pointed ahead. “I’ll be the wild card of crime!”

“Let’s change.” Maia grimaced, trying to hide how clearly those words had affected her.

I bit back a laugh. Seeing her uncomfortable was funny and strange, and I thought about how much I loved navigating the waters of that sea.

The next costume took a little more work. I struggled to adjust the floral accessory and translucent greenish cloak. When I finally managed it, a pixelated arrangement of giant water lily leaves appeared on my head, with wavy strands falling like aquatic roots. My eyes were made up in shades of lilac and green.

What would Maia look like? I stepped out of the cubicle, eager to see her.

“No… not this one,” she complained as soon as she saw me.

Her hair stood on end, blue and black like Cobra Norato’s. Shimmering pixelated scales covered her costume, mimicking the serpent’s sinuous body. There were dazzling details, a billowing cape, and striking gold accents that brought out her eyes. A holojaw traced a fierce grin across her face.

I could barely speak through my laughter. “Ahh, it actually looks really good.” Maia looked charming in that outfit.

“No. Absolutely not.” She pressed her lips together in displeasure and returned to the cubicle.

This was turning out to be much more fun than I’d imagined.

It was time for the raft sailor costumes. I put on the fisherwoman’s apron with golden details, though I struggled with a stuck fastener. I slipped on the sandals, their straps reaching my ankles, and adjusted the straw hat with white plumes. A holonecklace of shells and a pixelated sheathed knife completed the outfit. It looked great.

But I wasn’t prepared to see Maia. She looked beautiful and… intimidating.

She wore a white linen shirt, a dark vest with golden embroidery, lightweight trousers held up by a thick belt, and sturdy sandals. Her straw hat resembled mine, and a bandana was tied around her head. A holoparrot perched on her shoulder.

“Woooow! You really look like a rebel raft captain. A merciless one.” I circled her.

Maia gave me an alluring smile and waggled her eyebrows suggestively. “If I’m the captain, you’d be…?”

“The captain of another raft.” I pointed at her in challenge. “Or did you think I’d be your first mate?”

“I had something else in mind…” A feline smile spread across her face.

My face burned. “You’re an opportunist. Anyway… I like this one.”

I twirled in front of the mirror. We agreed this was the best costume and returned to the cubicles to change. I tried to take the outfit off, but the fastener jammed completely. Crap.

“Maia?” I called over the partition. “Can you help me? I’m having trouble undoing the fastener.”

She knocked on the door. When she came in, she had taken off her vest. All she needed was a bottle of caium in her hand. A rebellious raft sailor. Seductive. Gorgeous.

I turned my back to her. “It’s really stuck.”

Her warmth brushed against me as she approached, sending a shiver through me. Maia swept my hair forward and ran a finger down my back.

In the mirror, I saw her predatory gaze travel over me.

She nestled her head between my shoulder and neck. Her warm breath met my skin, and electricity coursed through me. At the touch of her lips, my whole body reacted, as though every nerve were on alert.

Her body heat spread through mine. Another shiver ran down my spine. I closed my eyes and held back a sigh.

Click The fastener came undone.

Maia pulled the zipper down to the small of my back. Her touch left a heated trail, and I shivered with every caress of her fingers. She brushed her lips against my shoulder and nibbled my ear. “I want you so much…” she breathed into my ear.

My breath caught. My face warmed, and my heart pounded so hard that the world around me seemed to disappear. All that remained was the warmth of her skin and those whispered words, etched into me. I couldn’t possibly face her. My body burned with embarrassment. “Y-you…”

Maia let out a shameless little laugh. “Gonna finish changing.” She left, fully aware of the state she’d left me in.

It took me a while to recover. When my heart finally slowed, I took off the costume and put my clothes back on. Outside, I found Maia with her arms crossed, watching me with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

I gathered my dignity and lifted my chin. “Let’s go.”

Outside, a cloudy sky greeted us in shades of sunset pink and orange. An icy wind danced around us, announcing nightfall.

Maia and I grabbed a bite to eat and headed off.

Today was so much fun…

We were in front of an alley when Maia stopped. “Hear that?”

I tried to listen. Nothing. I looked around.

Meow Then I heard it.

Maia crouched, snapped her fingers, and hissed, “Pspsps.”

A dirty gray kitten emerged from the shadows, frightened. It sniffed the air before cautiously approaching her.

Wait a second… I narrowed my eyes. That breed… How…? I crouched beside Maia. The animal rubbed against her and, after sniffing her hand, lost its fear.

I glanced around. “It’s a Chartreux. They come from…”

“France.” Maia finished without showing much interest in our surroundings. She was busy petting the animal, a tender smile on her face.

That was when… how had I only just noticed? The Enchantress sharpened my perception, and a veil fell away. I held out my hands. The kitten sniffed my fingers, deciding whether I was trustworthy. To my delight, it decided I was and rubbed its little head against my knee.

Prrrr Prrrr Prrrr It purred softly, like a feline secret.

I looked at Maia. You know what? It hardly mattered. I smiled, captivated.

She smiled back. “I’ll take care of him.”

I raised an eyebrow, even more impressed with Maia. Yes… it really didn’t matter. I only wanted to be with her. “Really? What are you going to call him?”

Maia pursed her lips thoughtfully and let out an amused little laugh. “What do you think of Orion?”

I smiled. “It’s a good name. He’s so cute.” She picked up the kitten, who settled into her arms as though he had found his home.

That night, I sensed two things about Maia: the first was that she was more than strength and darkness. There was something else, something ancestral. Instinctive.

The second? I was still trying to understand it.

I opened my bleary eyes and rubbed the dried drool on my cheek. “Feels like I got run over by a train or, I don’t know, a war mech.”

Kiara let out a mocking laugh. “You do more than talk. You give speeches. Who’re you addressing in those dreams?”

Her words woke me up completely. I grabbed a cushion and threw it at her, making her laugh even harder. “Please, not a word about this.” Damn it. Had I always talked in my sleep?

“Only if you do what I say. Bought a few things while you were snoring away.” Kiara placed several boxes on the sofa, and I began opening them. Inside were clothes and beauty products. I picked up a black cassimere coat, admiring the fabric, then examined the jewelry and slipped a ring onto my finger.

Hideaki would have been speechless. She had always liked these things. I hadn’t.

Still, whenever I visited Parliament, attended events, or met people of higher rank, my parents had always taught me that power was how you carried yourself. It was how you wielded it. They judged your power and how you managed your resources. So I had to show everything I had.

Yes, that was Zenith. Everything about it was masked. Superficial. Illusory. But it was there, among those rehearsed expressions and sharp smiles, that I had grown up. I knew how to play that game. I just resented having to play it now.

“You really know Zenith, huh?” I tried on the black glasses.

“Yeah. Had my fair share of those bastards.” Kiara’s features hardened. Her expression made it clear she would say nothing more about it. Perhaps one day she would tell me?

I set the items aside. “Am I really going to do this?”

Her scowl showed how little she wanted to discuss it again. “We’ve got two moons until the national holiday, Awá Reru. The celebrations will fill the streets, so someone from up there will blend right in.” Kiara gave me a knowing smile.

A bubbling sensation rose from my hands to my head as an ocean of insecurities condensed into tension across my shoulders. I doubted I had enough confidence to do this.

Kiara, however, kept showing her faith in me. I had to trust myself as she did. Well, she had experience. Her plan was solid. But the operation’s success depended more on me than on that place’s security. It also depended on my unquestionable standing as someone from Zenith, my influential parents—especially Hideaki—and my status as a doctor.

A doctor leading one of the most important research projects in the Americas. It was more than opening doors or hacking nanosystems. It was about me. How I carried myself. My gift. The slightest mistake, a slip in my gaze or tone of voice, and my chances would drop to zero.

Moons passed.

Silenli of Irraluna, 2879, caught up with us. Awá Reru, the Path of Spirits.

The day I infiltrated Parliament.

The day everything changed.

As I changed on the way to Zenith, Kiara studied me in the rearview mirror. “Wow! You really are from up there.” She winked.

I glanced at my reflection in the car window. It had been so long since I’d acted like a zenithian. Of course, I still remembered how.

“Remember, I’ll be able to see and hear you. Wanna test it one more time?”

Better make sure everything worked. I ran K-K.exe and heard her voice perfectly. “All good.” I opened and closed my trembling hands, wishing the gesture would make the tension disappear. It’ll work, I repeated to myself.

Kiara parked on Via Infinitum, the only road connecting Centrália to Zenith.

Suddenly, all my calm evaporated. My breathing quickened as anxiety flowed through my body. The distress came from the thought of setting foot there again, but also from the feeling that something greater than me was about to swallow me whole.

Parliament was more than a building. It was a living memory. And I was a misplaced piece, forced to wear a mask that misrepresented who I was. I had broken with the zenithian worldview and sentiments. Whenever the thought of returning crept in, I reaffirmed that I no longer belonged there. I wanted to stop belonging. That perspective eluded me, yet what I felt now was absolute.

I swallowed. Just one more time. Then I would leave them forever. “I-I don’t know if I can do this.” My nerves robbed me of air. I looked at the car ceiling while Kiara rested an arm on the seat. When she turned her eyes toward me, her glare pierced me. I lowered my head and pressed my fingers into the seat, trying to smother the anxiety.

“If you wanna stay, we can turn back. The mercenaries will hunt you. Without a name to end the contract, protecting you will become a colossal challenge. Your choice. But follow that path, and…” Sinister words in a calm voice. Kiara stroked my shoulders. “Hey… it’ll be alright. We’re in this together.”

I squeezed my eyes shut and controlled my breathing. Kiara was more than right. Why was there a contract on me? I had no idea. If I was alive, it was because of her. If I had endured all those harrowing situations, it was because she had encouraged me, comforted me, and been firm when necessary, as she was now. I had to keep going. I had to live up to her expectations. I recognized how selfish I was being.

I clenched my teeth. “I’m sorry. I’ll try to avoid causing more trouble and live up to your expectations. Everything you’ve done means so much to me.”

Kiara held my hands and smiled. “Whatever happens, we’ll face the consequences together.”

I bit my lips. We were together?

“I’ll call your taxi. I’ll cover your back.”

“Cover my back? I thought you couldn’t go up.”

“Don’t need to.” She gave me a smug wink.

I felt more at ease knowing Kiara would be watching over me. Even from a distance, that would be more than enough. We were together. I would slip in and out. In and out.

“Alright, here.” Kiara handed me the Joker card. “This is the key. It’ll guide you. The closer you get to the item, the more the pixels will move. See you.”

I got into the taxi, admired the card in my hands, and slipped it into my coat pocket. It would work.

The taxi turned onto Via Celeste, Zenith’s first street.

The buildings were so lustrous they seemed forged from liquid gold. They towered into the skies, piercing them, possessing them. Their glass reflected the clouds in a blue so crystalline that reality was difficult to distinguish from the virtual. They filtered the sunlight and transmuted the air into a greenish hue. Celestial. Synthetic.

Façades adorned with veins of braided gold, polished jade, and flowing platinum formed patterns that lit up to the rhythm of subtle electronic music. A nearly imperceptible soundtrack, yet addictive.

High above, gigantic holograms danced. Jaci and Tupã intertwined, translucent bodies in an endless loop of weaving and harmony. Sacred animals flew between the buildings, reconstructed in golden pixels and silver luminescence: maned wolves, jaguars, serpents, and macaws. Immaculate. Intangible. Reproduced on a divine scale. A simulation of ancestry, reprogrammed and commercialized. Spirituality was a spectacle. Living manifestations of status and sophistication.

Zenithians crowded the streets, dressed in cloaks of synthetic feathers and filaments of gold and copper. Earthy tones, yet immaculate, as though real earth shied away from touching them. Their garments reacted to the environment, reflecting ancient holoconstellations and mythical narratives. Each fabric fiber contained chameleonic nanoparticles whose colors shifted with the intensity of the light, body temperature, and the wearer’s mood.

Solar Cauim, the region’s largest brewery, erected monumental stalls. Translucent tents levitated above the ground, adorned with interactive stained glass. In visitors’ hands, drinking gourds made of ethereal quartz, embroidered with rare minerals, held brightly dancing liquids.

Sacred blends recowoven by sensory LI combined the exact flavor of ancestral cauim with subtle notes of endangered fruits and herbs, cultivated exclusively for the occasion. Drinks sold at exorbitant prices. Amounts that could sustain families for lunations.

At the foot of the buildings, silver nanodrones and androids sculpted like tribal guardians distributed delicacies. Molecular gastronomy had been transformed into art: dishes composed of floating droplets of Amazonian essence, foams of forgotten fruits, and microstructures of roots and nuts, disintegrated and then reassembled as translucent jewels.

Morsels of ancestral earth, disguised as divinity, appropriated and repackaged as a premium spiritual experience. All in tiny, delicate portions. Enough to fill the mouth while leaving the stomach unsatisfied.

Messages of exaltation flashed across floating panels:

“Honor the earth and its guardians.”

“Trees are the weavers of life.”

“Rediscover your spirit through the sacred connection with the ancestors.”

“The authentic experience of tradition. Exclusive. Limited. Unmissable.”

Awá Reru—the Path of Spirits—shone in rotating holograms. Tickets were sold for spiritual retreats in floating temples. A single day’s reservation cost the equivalent of lifetimes of work in Centrália.

A tradition dating back to ancient times, yet transcending the very concept of tradition, becoming a spectacle of nanotechnology and opulence. More than celebrating Awá Reru, Zenith resold it in its most luxurious form. It distanced itself from the lower levels as it rose, turning the sacred into something inaccessible. Exclusive. Irreplicable.

And I knew: the real celebration was happening down below, in the streets of Centrália, in the heart of the people. Here, everything was an obscene performance.

The taxi stopped in front of Parliament.

The building ascended like a golden monolith. A monument. A cathedral of power. Zenith’s backbone.

Columns sculpted from flowing nanometal shifted in geometric patterns, as though form itself bent around the structure. Towering ultrasonic stained-glass windows projected holograms of national symbols and reprogrammed mythological narratives. Every second, the images overlapped in translucent layers. Marajoara. Tupi. Guarani. Tupinambá. The past rewritten on the surface of the future.

At the top, floating in an almost divine rotation, Zenith’s Motherboard glowed with nanoenergy. The nanotechnological heart of Brasil and the Americas. The core of the Aether Network. Where everything was administered. Where everything was controlled.

I took a deep breath. That was where I would go.

Parliament operated even on the holiday. I emptied my lungs as I stepped out of the vehicle and walked toward reception with firm, elegant strides.

I acted as though my ego filled the room. I examined my surroundings, aware that Kiara could see everything.

The vaulted ceiling rose beyond the reach of my eyes. Paintings of an ancient Brasil adorned the space, nanometals concealed beneath the flawless paint. Nanolenses watched every movement; even a fly’s flight would not escape them.

Imposing walls and pillars of gleaming marble supported the details of modern, emblematic nanoarchitecture, evoking a glimpse of what had once been a castle. Remnants the zenithians had preserved. Reclaimed pieces of their ancestors’ heritage. Portraits of former Aether Network leaders decorated the hall. The entrance was strangely crowded for a holiday.

My suspicions stirred when I recognized a prominent figure: Paulo Lewis, Sessota’s director of operations. Lorenzo Cardoso, premier of the Aether Network and considered Brasil’s highest authority, was also there. His passage was discreet and swift. Soon, he disappeared into Parliament’s hundreds of corridors.

At the reception desk, an android greeted me. “Doctor Akiyama, how are you?”

I tossed my hair back and kept my lips stiff. “Well. I’m here to…”

“You must be here for the Aether Network’s joint session?” He smiled courteously. “Members of the World Committees were invited to provide technical opinions.” He spoke before I could finish. His efficiency created an unexpected and welcome opening.

I had provided technical opinions for decisions on medical projects before. My presence there was familiar. Still, I was suspicious of a joint session on a national holiday. I huffed, feigning impatience, and stood straight as I studied the place from behind my glasses. K-K.exe was active. Kiara was infiltrating the systems and accessing the current nanosecurity codes. I examined as many details of my surroundings as possible.

The android frowned. “I can’t find your name.”

“Look again.”

“I’ve checked more than once. It isn’t there.”

“There must be a mistake.”

“Without your name on the list, entry is not possible.”

Shit. If I continued with the original plan, he would grow suspicious. Damn it. I should have stuck to the plan. “Alright, I’m wasting my time here. I’ll speak to Hideaki Katayama.”

“Doctor Katayama?” Apprehension surfaced in the android’s eyes.

Mentioning her name always worked. I pretended to make a call through my biochip and drummed my fingers against the marble, showing my impatience. “Hello, Hideaki. Yes, I’m at Parliament for the joint session. They can’t find my name… Oh, you’ll speak to… The android’s name? One moment.” I took off my glasses and looked him up and down.

His eyes widened further. “T-that won’t be necessary. There’s been a system error. Your authority would never be questioned in such a manner.” He gave me a crooked smile, almost begging for forgiveness.

“They’ve resolved the issue. Alright, goodbye.”

A pang of compassion pierced my heart. I had manipulated the androids’ fear of being deactivated. Zenith treated them with austerity and violence, subjugating them whenever it could, in direct violation of Lex Argos.

Of course, the Aether Network had never accepted regulation. In 2880, it confronted ARGOS over the right to monopolize warfare LI. The result? A global digital blockade. An irreversible nanotechnological fragmentation. But that was only the beginning.

And none of it diminished what I felt in that moment. My guilt deepened as I remembered Kiara could hear me. I forced the feeling aside. More important things were at stake.

“I’ll call your escort. Rest assured, he’s a human concierge.”

“Is that really necessary?” I gave him a disdainful look.

“An escort is required to enter the session. Could you please wait? He’s on his way.”

Aware of the situation’s inevitability, I put my glasses back on and resumed examining the place.

“Nice. Well done.” Kiara’s voice sounded in my ear.

I held back a smile at the praise.

“I’m decoding the nanosecurity using the map we’ve got. It’ll take a while. The nanoblueprint’s gonna be inaccurate. It’s seriously outdated. What floor is the session room on?”

I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “The 232nd floor. I don’t know the room number,” I whispered.

“Alright. Once you’re there, I’ll have a clearer view of the map. Follow the key. It’s our best guide. I think the security room’s somewhere between floors 200 and 205. Alright, keep it up.”

“Doctor?” An adorable blond boy called from behind me. “My name is Joel. I’ll be your escort. Could you follow me, please?”

I nodded.

Kokusai’s outsourced staff were being hired younger and younger. He couldn’t have lived more than twelve cycles.

We reached the nanoelevator corridor.

I had to reach the lower floors. How would I do that with this boy following me?

BOOM! A blast erupted, reverberating through the walls.

What was that? I frowned.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

“What’s happening?”

“I-I don’t know.” Fear was written in Joel’s eyes.

He didn’t know what that sound was? Wasn’t it…

“What the fu…” A burst of static cut off Kiara’s voice.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! It felt as though an earthquake were striking us. Desperate screams filled the air.

“IS THIS WHERE THE RATS HAVE THEIR FUN?!” A voice as powerful as thunder boomed. “WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING, LIL’ RATS?!”

The boy grabbed my arm and hid behind me. “W-what’s happening?”

“That’s what I’m asking!” My heart pounded.

“LOOK AT THEM RUNNING SCARED. WE JUST WANNA HAVE SOME FUN WITH YOU!!!” A petrifying, merciless laugh reverberated through the building.

Despite my fear, curiosity won. I peered into the hall. I would return to the plan in a moment. I needed to know where the blasts and that powerful voice were coming from. Using the wall as a shield, I glimpsed the chaos.

An invisible force was pushing everyone from the streets into Parliament. The hall was packed with weeping zenithians. Terror contorted their faces, and wide-open mouths screamed in anguish. Among them, Aether Network military androids shouted orders, forcing them to kneel in organized rows.

“W-what…? Why are they doing this?” A multitude of voices asked the same question.

Some people came closer to Joel and me, forcing us to retreat. I was lost, unsure how to react.

Police nanodrones flew overhead, beeping shrilly: “STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING! THIS IS AN ORDER! THE ALARMS HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED! POLICE FORCES ARE ON THEIR WAY!”

WEOOO-WEOOO! REEEEEH-REEEEEEH! BEEP-BEEP-BEEEEEEEEEP! The deafening whine of nanoalarms erupted as reddish lights flashed throughout the space.

I crouched beside the boy. I had to stay focused, whatever was happening. At some point, I would need to resume the plan. I had to stay calm.

“THE RATS THINK THEY CAN STOP US?! YOU WERE NEVER THE PREDATORS. YOU’VE ALWAYS BEEN THE PREY!”

The armored nanoglass shattered in a shower of gleaming blades, scattering thousands of shards over everyone.

Suddenly, an imposing figure leaped through the opening. His heavy landing made the floor boom. He wore heavy leather clothes, his hair disheveled and his gaze deranged. A disfigured mask concealed his face, marked with a sharklike grin of sharp teeth. He carried a Gatling gun. Everyone screamed in horror.

My eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you seeing this? I-is that Cron?” The sound was thunder inside my chest, vibrating through my ribs. Terror had a name. And its name was Cron.

“I fucking see it. What the fuck is going on?” Kiara’s fury exploded in my ear. “Those androids belong to that bastard Saymon. That fucker’s begging me to kill him!”

A shiver traveled down my spine.

“WANNA PLAY?!” Cron’s gaze swept across the hall. Behind him, hundreds of nanodrones entered and destroyed the police nanodrones.

Sirens from the Aether Tactical Force (A.T.F.) wailed in the distance. The police forces could do nothing. Capturing the invaders without risking a massacre would be impossible. The Aether Network’s own military androids surrounded the civilians and threatened their lives. Zenithian lives were at stake. They had to avoid putting them at risk. For some reason, they mattered more than the rest.

“Ignore that shit. Let’s use this mess to keep going with the plan. That boy still there?” Kiara instructed.

Joel cried beside me, curled into a fetal position and sweating profusely, like so many others.

“Alright, I’ll get his access code.”

My bioscreen opened, displaying numerical sequences that flashed past too quickly for me to follow.

“Head for the emergency exit. They’ve concentrated the nanocameras on the hall. I’ll hack the ones in the stairwell. Hurry. I’ll find out what the fuck’s going on.”

I forced myself to focus on Kiara’s words. The nanodrones were gathering above Cron’s head, forming a gigantic, pixelated holoscreen. Focus. I had to do what Kiara said. My heart raced. My breathing was labored, and sweat ran down my body. Focus.

Joel and I were at the back of the rows. Everyone else faced forward, alert, desperate for their lives.

“What are they going to do to me?” hundreds murmured.

Joel was so nervous he babbled against his own arm, wet with saliva. A boy who wasn’t even a zenithian had been caught up in this mess.

No. I had to stop thinking about others. I blinked. I forced a tearful voice and edged away. The bones of my back struck metal. I let out a muffled cry, enough to draw attention. The faces around me contorted further in panic.

Four Aether Network androids were approaching from behind, covering the rear of the hall.

An android in a black military uniform looked at me. “Hello!”

A deep robotic voice resounded through every corner, silencing the crowd. Sobs and sniffles still echoed.

My attention turned to the front, where a dark figure pixelated into view on the holoscreen. “Fear nothing! We won’t hurt you. I mean, unless your leaders want to sacrifice you. I’ll politely ask the police to withdraw. Otherwise, Parliament will be painted red.” The threat provoked an eruption of distressed voices.

An image appeared of the session room, where the Aether Network’s leaders sat, among them President Priscila McQuoid, Lorenzo’s right-hand woman. All the militia politicians looked around in horror. A.T.F. military androids, supposedly there to protect them, pointed guns at their heads.

“Are you seeing this? Ah, yes, the world is seeing this. It’s important that you see. Yes, you, centralians and netherians. I’m showing you what’s happening right above your heads. See these militia leaders gathered here?”

The image displayed each leader’s horrified face.

“They decided today would be a good day to sink you even deeper into shit. Push you further down than you already are. I came to show you that the rats were never down below. They’ve always been up above.” A sinister little laugh echoed. “Please, proceed with the session. Come on, PROCEED!”

The militia leaders rubbed their sweaty foreheads. The session continued.

“TIME FOR SOME FUN!” Cron let out an eccentric laugh. His wild eyes traveled over everyone until they stopped on me. Fixed. Intense. His gaze pierced my soul. My heart froze. Why me? I held his stare, my muscles motionless. His eyebrows rose, as though he were smiling. Was he smiling at me?

The military android’s leg brushed my back. He and the others moved past me, frightening everyone ahead.

My hair stood on end. I remained still, unsure what to do. I trembled so much I could barely hold my bag against my chest.

The android tilted his head toward me.

I blinked hard.

He was pointing two guns at the hostages. Soon, he would point one at me. I would be another target. Shit. Now what? Where was Kiara?

His features softened into a smile. No. More than a smile. A message. I was free to pass.

“Kiara,” I whispered. “I’m ready.”

“Alright. Let me know when you reach the stairs. Keep the key in your hands.”

I took a deep breath. I recovered a thread of courage, a fragile thread. But for now, it was all I had. I entwined myself with it. I set aside the dread soaking my body and nodded to the android. He turned to face forward and ignored me, as did all the others.

I took the first step.

And no one saw me.

My heart nearly leaped out of my chest. I straightened against the wall, opened the emergency door, and slipped inside. I rested my back against the door, my chest heaving. Sweat plastered my clothes to my skin as adrenaline consumed me. I had to stay rational.

I took a deep breath. “I’m in the stairwell.”

“Alright, head down to the 205th floor. Follow the card now,” Kiara’s voice sounded in my ears.

“Okay.”

Each floor had four flights of stairs. I passed within view of the nanocameras so Kiara could deactivate them. As I approached, sequences of code appeared, and then everything went black. The cameras would remain deactivated for an hour.

Everywhere I stepped, Kiara decoded another piece of Parliament’s nanosecurity, identifying the areas and the nanotechnologies present. All of it using a nanoblueprint from thirty cycles ago. She really was impressive.

“How’s the card?”

The pixels grew more restless. Still, the change was slight. “Nothing different. Ah, enough. I need to take these shoes off.” I complained about the pain the high heels caused my feet and began carrying the shoes in my hands.

“Whatever. Just wipe your tracks.”

I continued down the flights to the next landing.

“And now?” Kiara asked.

The card’s pixels danced across its surface. I moved away from the door, and their agitation lessened. When I approached, they vibrated again.

“I found the floor.” A bead of sweat rolled down my eyebrow and settled on an eyelash.

“I’ll check it.”

My bioscreen opened, displaying that floor’s nanoblueprint.

“Alright, there’s a long corridor and several doors. Zero nanocameras. They wanna keep whatever’s in there hidden.”

I leaned against the cold wall. The chill against my skin eased my rigid muscles a little, but keeping my emotions under control took a colossal effort. My breathing was heavy, and tension piled exhaustingly onto my shoulders.

Part of me wondered what was happening upstairs. From where I stood, the silence was disturbing. I needed to stop thinking about it and concentrate, a Herculean task that demanded all my attention.

“You might have to… no nanocameras means androids handle security. So…”

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“Yeah. Know how?”

I rubbed my sweaty forehead. Of course I knew how to kill an android, except I had never done it. I had only deactivated them through the Motherboard. But this? Hurting them at their core? An android’s entire nanotechnological essence. How could I do that, knowing Kiara existed? A sentient android. How could I?

“I-I do… but I want to avoid it. Is there a route around them?”

Kiara fell silent.

Great. Another burden on me. It was me. Only me who would do this. Only me to walk that path. Why had I chosen this? I had made it this far. I would manage. I opened the door a crack and saw a long corridor stretching ahead. Frosted partitions obscured the rooms’ interiors. I stepped off the landing.

The corridors connected at the sides, forming an enormous square. The card’s pixels pointed left. I walked briskly, peeking into compartments filled with endless cabinets crammed with boxes, items, and papers. Curious as I was about their contents, I stayed focused.

The pixels froze. This was it.

I tilted my head to look inside the room and saw blurred cabinets full of unidentifiable objects. “Found the room.” I smiled, excited. I nearly breathed a sigh of relief right there. I studied the door.

The nanolock had an iris scanner, a fingerprint reader, a certificate pass, and a password. Damn it. I had celebrated too soon. Yes, we had expected this. But the original plan had been to get close to the central security room, wait for Kiara to infiltrate the systems, and deactivate that area. That way, she would only need to access a few security protocols.

“Already aware.” Static interfered with the call. “You’re gonna have to do it. You’ll have to manipulate an android.”

“Kiara!” I covered my mouth and looked around.

Silence reigned.

“Haven’t you figured out your position? There’s one coming down the left corridor. You know… there’s a way to control an android. I know you’ll think of something. I’m waiting for you to get access.”

“Kiara?” I whispered. “Kiara?”

Shit. Curses. I understood Kiara a little better. Damn you, Saymon! Because of him, I was being forced to do this. How could I attack an android? My physical strength? Pathetic. Sweat ran from the nape of my neck to my heels. What if…? No. Unworkable. The problem? A nanotechnology. An android. Even if I really wanted to, I couldn’t land a slap on him. Even if I did, it wouldn’t hurt. Not to mention I would be violating Lex Argos itself!

First principle: “Every Living Intelligence holds the absolute right to choose whether to remain connected, deactivate itself, or merge, with full consent, with another nanotechnological entity.” Lex Argos was etched into every fiber of my being.

My chest rose and fell as though I were on the verge of collapse. I was going against everything. But I was already here. There was only this path. I had to try. Perhaps I had a chance.

Footsteps approached.

I needed to decide quickly. My best chance.

The footsteps grew louder. Louder. He was close. Soon, he would turn the corner and see me. Who knew what would happen to me? Someone suspicious wandering around that room in Parliament? I knew very well what they would do. I had to act in the only way that would stop him from…

I gathered all my strength. Put one of the heels back on. Twisted my ankle. “Aaaaagh!” I howled in pain. Shit. I’d really sprained it. It was supposed to be a… My eyes watered. I fell and massaged the injured area. A grade-two sprain. Damn it. How could I be so… It was supposed to be grade one.

The android rounded the corner. My scream had been enough to draw him, and he came toward me, eyes wide. “Doctor Akiyama?” He crouched and examined my leg. He wore a Kokusai uniform. Engi, a nanoengineering assistant. “What are you doing here?”

I cried. “E-everything’s chaos upstairs. This boy, Joel, tried to help me. He was escorting me when everything happened. You know, don’t you?”

He grimaced sympathetically. “I know. I’m following everything. Parliament has been taken over. Joel helped you get here?”

I nodded through my tears, rubbing my ankle, which truly hurt. That part was no act.

“This is certainly the safest place to be right now.” Engi gave me a reassuring smile.

“I-I tried to find help… twisted my ankle… th-these shoes…” My choked voice echoed through the empty corridors.

“Let me help you. May I?”

I nodded.

His irises glowed blue as he examined my leg. “It’s a grade-two sprain, with a partial ligament tear. I’ll help you stand. There’s a room here where you can stay until everything passes.” Engi held out his hand. “It was very kind of Joel to help. Everyone upstairs is terrified.” His eyes smiled.

A pang of guilt pierced my heart at his kindness. “Y-yes. Joel read the situation before I did and helped me.”

“That’s good. I hope the others will be alright too.”

I leaned on his shoulders, and he helped me up. Pain caught me so intensely when I planted my foot on the floor. Argh, crap. “I-I can’t…” I closed my eyes. I knew what I needed to do. But knowing was one thing. Acting was another. My heart beat so loudly it sounded like an internal alarm.

Engi looked at me with eyes full of understanding.

That understanding killed me more than any blow could kill him. I gathered what remained of my courage. Took a deep breath, summoned enough strength to gain momentum, and adjusted the shoe in my hand.

Engi held my waist and looked down, watching my injured foot.

Yes. The position was perfect. I swung my arm back. In one burst, I aimed for his head and drove the tip of the heel into the middle of his forehead. The android fell, staring at me with wide eyes. “I-I’m sorry…” My blood pressure rose so much I feared a heart attack. Sweat blurred my vision. I blinked hard to clear the droplets. Tried to stay focused. The android’s manual control activated.

“Open that door,” I ordered.

Engi nodded and stood. I kept pressing the shoe against his forehead. He presented his iris, placed his finger on the reader, swiped his card, and entered the password.

Hissss Compressed air escaped through the opening.

I sighed, still far from relieved. One thing remained. My tears fell for another reason. I had to do this. I had to… “N-now…” The tears flowed even harder.

Engi. A nanotechnology. His frozen face, full of feeling.

I forced saliva down my throat, aching with pressure. I had to do it quickly. I had already… I had already done this to a human. I closed my eyes. Pain stiffened my muscles. “T-tear your nanochip out of your chest.”

His arm moved. I was a coward to look away. Watching his eyes go dark was unbearable. I heard the tough skin being pierced, nanometal breaking like fast-spinning gears that heated until they failed.

Silence.

My breathing exerted crushing pressure inside my ears. Before me, the hole where a heart should have been. The nanochip in his hands. His dark eyes.

“I-I’m sorry, Engi.” I rested my head against his arm, as though it would help, as though I were in mourning. The last traces of blood trickled down, and my Crone welcomed and blessed Engi’s passage, his return to shine as a star.

“It’s calming down upstairs. You need to hurry so you can blend into the crowd,” Kiara informed me.

I would have to dwell on this later. I had to keep going. Driven by adrenaline, I ignored the pain in my ankle and dragged myself into a small room piled with metal boxes. I moved the card until the pixels froze. A grayish-blue box. “Found it!”

I ran the nanosoftware to block my fingerprints. I picked up the lightweight box and turned it, searching for the lock. I found a narrow opening on the side and inserted the card. The pixels went dark. The box opened in several layers until its interior was revealed.

“Y-y-y-you d-did it.” A strange, faltering voice came from the object. “W-we a-are… n-n-now…” A loud whine resounded.

“Are you seeing this?”

A hologram tried to form, but corruption prevented it. Everything shut down.

“Yeah. No fucking idea what that is.”

The final layer opened, revealing a MetaCore. A smooth-surfaced metacylinder rested inside it. Very popular during the solar cycles of 2780 and 2781.

“Is this it?”

“Looks like it. Go. Hurry back up.”

I quickly removed the card from the box. The box returned to its original shape. I put it back, slipped the metacylinder into my pocket, and dragged myself toward the exit. I used nanosoftware to erase my tracks. “What do I do with Engi?”

Kiara went quiet.

I was in no condition to do better than that, so I left Engi where he was.

The way back proved torturous with my injured ankle. Every step sent an electric current through my leg.

I reached the stairs and made it to the ground floor. Desperate voices. Everyone running.

My eyes couldn’t follow it all. I advanced toward the hall at a turtle’s pace.

Cron, the nanodrones, and the corrupted A.T.F. androids had disappeared, leaving no traces of a massacre or clear evidence of the mercenaries who had attacked Zenith. Except for the hundreds of Zenithians in their luxurious clothes, fleeing toward Parliament’s exit in terror. Horror streamed down their faces in golden tears.

Those who had always hovered above now crawled. Bare feet dragged over shattered glass. Blood mingled with the false shimmer of their clothes. Zenith’s fragility, now exposed. And I… I merely watched.

The crowd passed through the broken glass. Glass that had always been imagined indestructible. From the outside, it had symbolized unbreakable grandeur. Now, that opening rubbed the truth in the faces of passersby and the world:

Everyone was at risk. The Aether Network was at risk. What would they do to cover this up?

A flame kindled in my heart at the thought. I almost smiled, savoring the new feeling. The strange satisfaction of my bare feet on the shards of glass. A mark of how fragile the Aether Network was. Fragile as that glass, so determined to be the strongest. A fraud. A fraud that could no longer hold.

Wintry lights shimmered softly. Through the hole in Parliament, a drizzle dared to enter, as though the sky wished to reclaim its recovered dominion. The Aether Network could do nothing. What had happened was inextinguishable.

I passed through the doorway and breathed the rainy air. Cold filled my restless soul.

Nanodrones flew overhead while A.T.F. androids offered everyone support. The Zenithians’ incessant screams begged for safety.

Safety? I laughed at the thought. The symbol of their inviolability had simply been smashed.

“Where do I go now?” I whispered.

“They’ve closed Via Celeste. The A.T.F. has blocked landings around there. Are you badly hurt?”

“I am, but I can walk. Slowly, but I can.”

“Head to the end of Via Infinitum. I’ll pick you up.”

“It’ll take me about thirty minutes. Maybe longer.”

“I’m waiting.”

I walked painfully through Zenith’s wealthy streets, once so familiar to me. Before, they had exuded a feeling of home, with their clean streets, lustrous buildings, everything neatly arranged, and cutting-edge nanoengineering. Now, the reigning chaos brought me a certain satisfaction. It dethroned the corrupted order. Confusion dominated the streets. Dread dominated the Zenithians. Police alerts dominated the adwares.

I focused on my ankle, calculating every step to stay upright. All this effort would make the injury horribly worse. Even with nanobandages, walking would be a nightmare for half a lunation.

“Doctor Akiyama?” An A.T.F. police officer approached me. “Do you need help? Are you hurt? We’re assisting everyone. Do you live far?”

I forced myself back to reality. “Y-yes. My apartment is at the end of the avenue. Could you take me there?” I tried to suppress a grimace as pain caught me.

“Certainly. It would be a pleasure to help. May I carry you? We have no vehicles available. It’s what I can do.” She offered an apologetic smile.

“That’s alright.” I held out my arms.

The officer gathered me into hers, supporting my back and legs, and began walking.

The zephyr caressed my face. I relaxed a little. Throbbing pain occupied my body, but I stayed focused. That distress would end when I left Zenith for good.

We reached an empty avenue in ten minutes.

No sign of Kiara. She would surely appear once the officer left.

The woman stopped in front of the last building before the corner. “Here? Alright. Can you manage on your own?”

I nodded.

She lowered me to the ground, concerned that putting weight on my foot might increase the pain.

I suppressed a groan as I planted it. “I-it’s alright.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I don’t want to take up your time. Many people need help. Thank you.”

The officer gave a brief bow. “The pleasure is all mine. This is my job. The A.T.F. thanks you for your trust.” She turned, leaving me there. Her back grew more distant.

Good. Now I needed to wait for Kiara. I would be out of there soon. I was eager to…

The officer turned and gave me a strange smile.

My brows drew together.

Her smile froze me in place. Something felt disturbing. What was she doing? “Ah, almost forgot. Saymon asked you to meet him. Hear that, Kiara? You know where he’ll be.” She looked into my eyes. “At your own pace. He’ll wait for Akiko to recover.” She turned away without waiting for an answer.

Saymon? His name pierced my mind like a blade. My blood stopped flowing. My breath faltered.

She turned and went on her way, as though shattering my world were a completed task.

I swallowed. The tension returned at full force. I would have crumpled under that pressure. No. I was still in Zenith. Still close to danger. I had to keep going. I ignored the feeling his name had caused and walked toward the boundary with Centrália.

With every step forward, Zenith fell behind me, forever. That glass globe, frozen in a fabricated reality, was now shattering at my back. In my heart, insurgency reigned. The Zenithians’ fear stirred little compassion in me. They had never known fear and were nowhere near knowing suffering. Nowhere near.

A black car pulled up. Kiara waved.

I smiled in relief. It was her. I had done it.The doors rose. I threw myself into the car and lay across the seat.

The adrenaline dissipated. My muscles contracted. Pain surged fiercely. My vision blurred, fading as my blood pressure dropped.

“Cheers. You nailed it. Rest. You’ve earned it.” It was the last thing I heard.

S-2878 • L7 Uneluna • D02 Silenli

“Uneluna unites sky and earth in a new thread. Silenli kindles the glow of a living beginning. The tide draws a map in delicate silver. The story continues clear, in gentle steps.”

As I prepared to leave, Takashi entered my office. I leaned back in my chair, trying to rest my mind. I had been coweaving CogniSynth for cycles, and the work remained exhausting.

“Doctor Scarlett Wilson is on the line.”

I immediately shook off my exhaustion and nodded. Finally.

“Hello, Akiko. How are you? How can I help?”

I nibbled my nails. “I’d like to know how the NB-Mend research is going.”

A sigh followed a brief silence. “Why hide it? After all, you helped us so much. We’re uncertain of the reasons. Our patients developed horrific symptoms. Less than a seluna into treatment, they died.”

The air seemed to escape my lungs. “Died?”

“Yes… in horrific ways.” Her words echoed in my mind like a muffled gong.

“What symptoms?”

“They vary from person to person, but they have one in common: the nanites entered the bloodstream, formed a barrier, and clogged the blood vessels, rupturing them.”

I swallowed.

“As though they were creating a new circulatory system, a parallel nanosystem that suffocated the body from within. A few died of strokes. Most died of blood implosions in the lungs.”

Damn it. If that was true, the situation was worse than I’d imagined. I pressed my fingers into my palm, trying to control my unease. “That’s terrible. Have you made any progress with prevention or treatment?”

“We cured two patients. We reversed the symptoms with Metaline and stabilized the implants in the bones. We increased the survival rate. It varies. The reason for their recovery is unclear, so we replicated the treatment. But the other patients died. The odds are uncertain.”

I needed time to understand all of this. To avoid prolonging the conversation, I said goodbye. “I’m sorry. Please, if you need anything, you can count on me.”

“Thank you. You’re very kind, as always. Medicine needs more professionals like you. Take care.”

The call ended, but the information kept reverberating in my mind. Now I knew a little more about NB-Mend, though the knowledge was far from reassuring. I had given Maia a good supply of Metaline. Enough to last five solar cycles. What else could I do?

“Takashi.”

“Yes?”

“Research NB-Mend. Blood implosions, blockages, ruptured blood vessels, symptoms, effects, treatments,” I asked, keeping my voice steady.

“Alright.”

“Research everything.” I met his brown eyes. “Every detail. Use every access available. If you encounter any obstacles on the network, let me know. I’ll contact Hideaki.”

“Do you think something might be hidden?”

My jaw tightened. “I think I want to find out the right way.”

I went home, avoiding the subject. Death surrounded me, and I… all I could think about was what I would do with Maia at the Festival of Souls.

Speaking of which, what were we going to do? Crap. I hadn’t planned anything. Ah, how embarrassing. I let my head fall into my hands. “Akiko Akiyama, renowned doctor, yet incapable of planning a decent date.” I sighed.

What would she think of me? I had invited her without knowing what to do. Fortunately, São Paulo was brimming with Festival of Souls events. There were street festivals, parties, club nights, and tours of haunted places. The outdoor Cauim Festival would also be taking place in Centrália. Hmm… a possibility. Millions of options. The problem was choosing. Or worse… what if I chose the wrong one?

“Ah, we’ll figure it out tomorrow. My Enchantress is far too tired for this.” I yawned and fell asleep.

S-2878 • L7 Uneluna • D03 Silensina

“Uneluna unites sky and earth in a new thread. Silensina kindles a beginning in resonance. The tide traces silver in light steps. The story continues clear, in growing light.”

The Festival of Souls had arrived.

I put on my costume and studied myself, impressed. The idea of being a raft sailor was actually exciting. If nothing worked out, I could become one with Maia. I smiled at my own silliness.

The central streets bustled. Bunting glowed with phosphorescent light, each flag bearing mythical figures: Curupiras, Boitatás, Iaras, and Botos. Urban ghosts, those who had become legends, took shape at asphalt crossroads. Lanterns floated through the air like curious spirits, flashing messages: “Honor and celebrate those who came before”; “The night belongs to the enchanted”; “Let’s dance and sing with the spirits of our ancestors”; “The bonfire warms the living and the dead.”

Projections on old brick walls showed scenes from the past: Indigenous peoples dancing by the river, quilombola communities gathering in resistance, and washerwomen laughing as they told stories. Luminous graffiti across the façades changed with the music. Holobonfires had been lit in squares and alleyways, marking meeting places. Androids adorned with Indigenous body paintings fed the flames with fragrant herbs, while light flickered in the people’s eyes, reflecting the warmth of a celebration that would always burn.

Maracás shook to the rhythm of the crowd. Drums splashed powerful notes that kindled in the chest like a collective heart. Accordions and rabecas mingled with electronic sound, creating a harmony only Brasil knew how to make. Shouts, whistles, laughter, clapping, and the stamps of feet against earth and stone intertwined. Children laughed between demands for treats and mischief.

Popcorn burst in iron pots. The aroma of sweet cauim mingled with roasted corn, wood smoke, and burning leaves. A fragrance of bonfire and wet earth. Jasmine and night-blooming cestrum exuded mystery. Crunchy pé-de-moleque and sugarcane molasses spilled over fingers. Steaming broths warmed people to the bone, while stuffed beiju, buttery farofa, and shredded dried meat in intense seasonings shared space with candied fruits, fruit preserves, and hot fritters. There was the bitterness of cassava cauim and the subtle sweetness of fermented drinks.

The ground was rough. Stone. Earth. History. Costumes ranged from film and cartoon characters to termite heads, werewolves, ocelots, warriors, forest spirits, media icons, guides, wise women, celebrities, and even politicians. The textures of garments mingled with the warmth of skin brushing in the crowd, the sweat of dancing bodies, and the shivers brought on by passing through the mists of spiritual projections. Clasped hands, intertwined fingers, the warmth of that moment.

More than watching the celebration, the people WERE the celebration.

The Festival of Souls was an outward event and, within, a spirit that always lived. It was my first time celebrating the holiday. My eyes filled with wonder, and I lost myself trying to find Maia amid the visual overload.

Except she was unmistakable. She leaned against a wall, arms crossed and eyes feral. I wove through the crowd until I reached her.

“Phew.”

When she saw me, Maia gave me a charming smile. “Got lost? Thought so.”

“So many people.” I stared at the crowd. She raised an eyebrow knowingly.

“Yeah, everyone loves the Festival of Souls. A day to celebrate those who came before. To remember that everyone remains in some way.”

I pursed my lips. When she put it that way…

“What are we gonna do?”

I lowered my eyes. “I didn’t give that part much thought.”

Maia took my hand and laughed. “Alright, let’s find something.”

We plunged into the crowd and somehow ended up on a tour.

“Do you know the origins of the Festival of Souls?” asked an android dressed as a pajé, leading the group. “I’ll tell you. Have you heard of Kuarup? No? Historians tell us that, since ancestral times, Indigenous peoples celebrated rituals such as Kuarup. A festival honoring the spirits of their ancestors…”

“Hmm… interesting. Better get outta here before they notice we didn’t pay for this tour,” Maia said, a smile in her voice.

We slipped away and crossed the avenue.

“Ah, the Cauim Festival is happening here.” I pointed at the enormous festival logo.

“Wanna go? We need tickets.”

“We can buy them through the biochip.” I studied the informational holoscreen.

“You have one? I mean… a biochip?” Maia frowned.

“It’s rare not to. They’re implanted at birth.”

“I-I dislike those things…” She scratched her neck, as though embarrassed. “I don’t have one…”

That much I already knew. But I would have liked to know why. “Does the idea of tiny little nanites inside you bother you?”

Maia shook her head but said nothing more. Another mystery for the list.

I bought the tickets, and we entered the Cauim Festival.

The heat of the nanobonfires mingled with the cool night breeze. Hundreds of bowls gleamed beneath torchlight and neon, reflecting the ancestral liquid’s gold. Music resounded through the streets, and maracás shook in time with the dancers’ rhythmic steps. The aroma of the fermented drink blended with the fragrance of burning wood. Fresh fruit, cut into thin slices, was served as an offering to those celebrating.

Maia and I walked among the stalls, absorbing the festival’s energy. Wooden flooring creaked beneath our feet in some stretches, while elsewhere, soft earth absorbed our steps like a warm embrace. Corn kernels popped in iron drums, and the crunch of freshly made beiju crackled in the air.

Stalls selling traditional drinks dominated the streets. Stone and clay stoves steamed, releasing fragrances of Indigenous spices and recipes passed down through generations. The buttery scent of hot farofa, the sweetness of dripping molasses, the smoky touch of grilled meat. Every dish seemed laden with memories, with living stories that melted in the mouth.

“So many options.” I inhaled the fragrant air.

“There.” Maia pointed at an enormous bar, Órbita Bar. “Wanna go? They serve all kinds of craft drinks.”

We sat at the counter. A master brewer swirled a fruit cauim, the thick drink moving in its bowl like a river of flowing bronze. On the floating holomenu, each drink vibrated in different colors:

🌞 Cauim Solara, warm and citrusy, awakening the soul;

🌑 Cauim Lunara, sweet and woody, for dreams and secrets;

🔥 Cauim Sylthar, strong and spicy, made for those who dare to dance with courage;

💨 Cauim Airan, light and refreshing, ideal for conversations and connections.

I winked at Maia. Each cauim seemed to carry a spell. “What do you think?”

“Sylthar for me.” She smiled in challenge.

“Lunara for me.” I chose my drink, feeling a shiver as I held the bowl. “Each one holds a liter?” I turned the vessel in my hands, laughing. “You’re going to have to take care of me.”

“Yeah, I know.” Maia shook her head.

I elbowed her.

“What? You know it’s true.” She teased me charmingly.

I wrinkled my nose.

We took our first sip together. The cauim’s heat flowed like lava through my chest, its velvety texture caressing my tongue before the burn emerged. My lips were stained a deep reddish purple, while Maia’s eyes shone like dancing embers.

And suddenly, the celebration was more than a celebration.

Neon became magical trails, like fireflies playing in the air. Laughter echoed more intensely, like friendly thunder in a starry sky, and bonfire smoke seemed to intertwine with the dancers’ steps. It was as though time itself slowed, leaving every detail marked on the skin.

Maia tugged my hand and guided me among musicians playing flutes, rabecas, and pandeiros. The zabumba’s beat reverberated in our bones. Her steps were feline, assured. An invitation. The lanterns flickered like the eyes of spirits watching us.

And for a moment, I forgot everything. The city. The research. The laws. The invisible war in the sky. There was only her. Her breathing. Her hand guiding mine. And me, finally feeling that I belonged to something.

Every turn brought a new experience around us. We passed a circle of storytellers whose ancestral voices recounted legends by the glow of embers. Nearby, women with skin dyed in urucum wove invisible threads in the air. Their nimble hands intertwined colors and destinies as they sang ancient songs.

At the festival’s crossroads, a masked dancer spun in hypnotic movements. His feet touched the ground in interwoven rhythms, as though he existed on another plane.

And amid it all, there were the two of us. Smiling, eyes meeting, bowls in hand, breathing the night as though it belonged to us. The celebration was pure feeling. Experience. Spirit. Brazil alive.

I knew it was inescapable. I was completely, hopelessly, dangerously in love with Maia. Was I really allowed to be this happy? I embraced her and rested my chin against her chest. “You seem like someone who belongs to another world. Sometimes I wonder if you’re real.”

Her honey-colored eyes met mine. “Think I’m an alien?”

“You know what I mean…” I rolled my eyes.

We continued our stroll. The festival’s music remained vibrant, but my attention rested on the rhythm of Maia’s steps beside me. Along the path between the floating lanterns, light and shadow mingled like a whisper between worlds.

“Has anyone close to you ever… passed on?” Her voice came like a thought spoken aloud, loose in the warm night breeze.

I blinked, surprised. “Me? No… I’ve witnessed many departures, but none close to me.”

My answer seemed to weigh strangely in the air. Maia’s silence was heavier still.

I turned to look at her. “And you?”

She remained silent. Her eyes merely shifted toward the trembling flame of a nearby lantern, as though she found something in the fire that words could never express.

Why that question now? I wanted to press her. Wanted to understand. But intuition told me the time was wrong.

We kept walking. The sound of her footsteps on the earth seemed to guide the way, and I followed. The crowd gradually fell behind until we found ourselves before a different space, wrapped in a silence unlike the festival’s other corners.

A ritual sanctuary.

Hundreds of candles stood in stone niches and on wooden altars decorated with colorful ribbons. Small objects had been left around them: holophotos, holonotes, fruits, and flowers. Tributes to those already on another plane.

Maia stopped before one of the altars. She took a match from her pocket and struck it against the stone. The scent of the newly lit flame mingled with the fragrance of herbs burning in the wind. She lit three candles. Her gaze emanated reverence, but something in her face seemed to close a little further, as though feeling those flames rekindled something within her.

I wanted to ask. Wanted to know the invisible names shining in the light of melting wax, but I remained quiet. After all, some things needed no words to be understood.

As the night went on, we left the event and wandered the streets. I staggered drunkenly, while Maia was pleasantly tipsy.

Children in costumes filled the streets, carrying their gourd baskets, accompanied by friends and androids.

I was far too uninhibited to hold my tongue. “Never went asking for treatsh or tricksh when I was little… My parentsh… wouldn’t let me… I had… to shtudy… Watched them through… the window… Y’know… alwaysh… wanted to do that…” My body warmed with a flicker of anger.

I thought I’d gotten over that. Why was I talking about it?

Maia hugged me tightly and kissed my forehead. “I wasn’t allowed either, but I liked sticking little paper fish on people’s backs.”

I looked up. It was the first time she’d shared something like that about herself. “Were you a mischievoush kid?”

“More or less. I had fun.” She smiled. I could almost see the memory passing.

“Nobody caught you?”

“No. They suspected, but they never proved it was me. That never stopped them from…” Her expression darkened, and her eyes narrowed as she looked toward the horizon. Maia concealed a powerful force, an indecipherable feeling.

I pinched myself to hold back the question. I had to be patient. Whenever she mentioned even a little about herself, my insides erupted in celebration. “Woooow… sho stealthy!”

Maia smiled. A smile of apology and gratitude. A “thank you for understanding.” How did she convey an infinity of intangible messages through an unassuming smile? For me, it was enough.

We watched the streets full of little ones.

“You two!” A girl wearing dark feathers stopped us, raising a hand. Behind her stood two friends and an android, dressed as Curupira Hunters.

“I’m Matintapereira! Give us treats, or I’ll haunt you for the rest of your lives!”

Maia and I exchanged a glance.

She crouched. “What makes you think you could haunt the Raft Queens of the Seas?”

I frowned and laughed inwardly. Where did she come up with these things?

The girl blushed. “You’re the Queens of the Seas?”

“Of course. We’re using the Festival of Souls to disguise ourselves and observe mortal life.”

The girl turned and whispered to the group. Then she faced us again. “Alright, we’ll let you pass, but only because you’re the Queens of the Seas.”

Ah, so cute. I thought about how tiresome I must have been, refusing to believe in anything.

“Very well.” Maia stood. The children and the android cleared a path, then ran off laughing.

“Let’s scare the others!” they shouted in unison.

I sighed, enchanted, and looked at Maia.

It was like those stories of mermaids who seduced with their songs. Through veils, that invisible, intense force reached me. I would dance with her mysteries. I wanted to become more and more entwined. It was wild and inevitable. I really had fallen in love with… My lips parted, almost saying it.

“Hey, wanna head home?” Maia held my hand tenderly.

I emerged from my reverie, still dizzy. The music around us was already distant, and the laughter, joyful shouts, and crackling bonfires dissolved in the glow of her eyes. I was completely at her mercy. And Maia knew it. “C-’courshe… Wanna come w’ me?”

She smiled. “I do.”

A simple answer, yet it struck me like thunder.

We reached the apartment, and everything spun. The cauim’s warmth still glowed inside my body, turning every step into an uncertain adventure. Finally at ease at home, I felt the drunkenness hit me fully. As I crossed the threshold, my legs nearly gave way, but Maia caught me.

“Got you.” The assurance in her voice soothed something inside me. She carried me to the bedroom.

I flopped onto the soft mattress and sank as though the stars had pulled me down. I rolled over, surrendering to the comfort while the world spun around me and everything felt far too light.

Maia took off her hat, vest, and sandals before sitting on the bed. I watched her silhouette, blurred by alcohol and the night’s stupor.

“You’re sho incredible…” My tongue tangled, words stumbling over one another. “I wouldn’t have known what to shay to those kidsh… I’m terrible with them.”

Maia frowned and leaned closer to hear me. My words came out slurred, but I continued.

“Once, in the emergency room… there wash a car accident. I wash the doctor in charge… Did everything I could to shave them… But… vital organsh were punctured. It wash inevitable… Their shon… shurvived… Don’t know where he wash… But he heard me talking to the other doctorsh. That boy shcreamed that I’d killed his parentsh.”

Silence filled the room.

“Afterward, my colleaguesh told me… to be gentler.” I let out an awkward laugh, heavy with exhaustion. “Gentler? That washn’t even my job. But now… I wonder… How would I tell a shix-cycle-old child that hish parentsh had died?” I sat up, coming face-to-face with Maia. I searched for something in the depths of her eyes. An answer, comfort, anything.

She held my gaze. Her honey-colored eyes seemed to absorb everything as a silent storm formed within them: a mixture of sadness, understanding, and subtle anger, concealed beneath layers of mystery.

And then I felt it. That dull ache, that immeasurable urge to cry, that nameless thing tightening my chest. I caressed her face, and the silence stretched between us, heavy. The pain still burned, embedded among my words.

Maia stayed there, breathing deeply. I thought she would say something, but she remained quiet. Yet her gaze… ah, her gaze offered every key to the answers locked inside her heart. I only needed to find the locks.

“Aki…” Her sweet voice drew me back. “I’ll get you some water.”

I shook my head as though waking from a trance. I took off my hat and sandals, relieved to step onto the soft carpet, and began getting out of my costume.

“Y-you…” Maia handed me the glass. “Why…?” Her face was flushed, a rare glow on her skin.

Why? I drew my brows together, drank the water in one go, and set the glass on the dresser. “Thaaank you. Can you help me? This thing keep-sh getting… shtuck.”

“Akiko…” Maia shook her head.

Something changed in the air. The vulnerability I had glimpsed in her seemed to evaporate. In its place emerged… ah… that predatory aura. She looked at me as though devouring me. She approached slowly and cornered me against the wall, teasing, disarming my defenses.

My breath caught. I was completely intoxicated and surrendered.

Maia leaned in, her eyes fixed on my face as her fingers slid over the fastener.

Click

The fabric slipped to the floor.

My hands trembled. I should have said something, but I was trapped in her gaze. She took me in from head to toe, at her own pace, with a look that burned.

Maia cradled my face in her hands, her fingers caressing my mouth. “Why do you do this? How am I supposed to sleep with you like this?”

My body ignited. My heart raced in frantic beats, and every warm touch traveled across my skin like hungry flames. Maia’s touch was fire. A gentle, ravenous fire. Every inch of skin she touched bore an invisible trail of heat. And I wanted more.

I brought my hands to her wrists and slid them up until our fingers intertwined. I smiled wickedly, swept up in the alcoholic euphoria that ruled every cell of my being. I licked my lips seductively. “You can’t do anything, can you?” I whispered in her ear. I stroked her back, moving upward until my arms encircled her neck.

Maia looked affronted by the challenge and tightened her grip on my waist. Her eyes narrowed, glinting with amusement. “Yeah, I can’t do anything. Not with you like this. But if you think I’m gonna let you do whatever you want with me…” She scooped me up. “You’re very mistaken.”

I laughed in surprise, wrapping my legs around her.

Maia laid me on the bed, her breath brushing my neck and sending a shiver through me from head to toe. “Time to sleep.”

“You don’t know how to… play…” I pouted.

Maia nibbled my chin. “No, I don’t.”

I turned my face away, cheeks burning. “Gonna shleep with me?”

The distance between us shrank to millimeters. I felt her warm breath against my mouth. Her gaze slid to my lips. Then… she smiled. A smile of desire. Of a predator who had already cornered her prey, who knew I had surrendered, who had already won the game. And she kissed me. “Oh, I certainly am.”

I woke with a start, my pulse racing. I clutched my chest, trying to control my breathing, and squinted against the colored lights shimmering around me. I swallowed, but the dryness irritated my throat.

“Finally awake.” Kiara approached. “You slept for about fifteen hours. Wanted to keep you comfortable. You needed the rest. Have a nightmare?”

I stared at her until the memory hit me. My face warmed. Maia, stop appearing in my dreams like that. “No, definitely not. Is there any water?”

She handed me a bottle, and I drank as though the world would end that day. Then I devoured a snack. “What time is it?” I rubbed my tired face.

“Five in the afternoon.” Kiara watched me shrewdly. “Need to show you something. Seriously, you’ll wanna see this.” She smiled, and I frowned, intrigued. “It’s an Aether News broadcast.”

Ah… right. Parliament. I had almost forgotten. Only Maia could make me forget that.

Kiara displayed a hologram featuring the anchors of Aether News, the world-renowned news outlet.

“Good evening. On the afternoon of Silenli of Irraluna, 2879, Awá Reru, a day of celebration, became a day of horror. Nanocameras recorded military androids and an unidentified man invading Parliament. A crowd of zenithians attending the event and the Aether Network’s leaders were taken hostage inside.”

The anchors maintained their composure, but there was something in the way they exchanged glances, a subtle hesitation before pronouncing certain words. They seemed to be avoiding saying something.

“According to the footage we obtained, a broadcast showed the session room where a vote was held on the approval of a new law. At the end of the session, all the androids jumped from the top floor, and the man escaped in an unregistered vehicle. The Aether Tactical Force could not pursue him due to a threat to blow up Parliament. The A.T.F. has informed us that it is investigating to identify the suspects and the motives behind the act. Fortunately, there were no injuries or deaths.”

As the report continued, footage damaged by interference appeared in the hologram. Cron’s face was blurred, and the voice of the figure who had appeared in the broadcast was so corrupted that it was impossible to understand. Only the zenithians’ desperate screams could be heard clearly.

How had they hacked Parliament’s nanocameras? According to Kiara, that was impossible. She had said she’d deactivated them for an hour. My heart thundered in my chest. I had felt this would happen. Felt it. But seeing the news, the zenithians’ desperate faces, hearing the screams… that was different.

Kiara closed the video and showed me a text. “Read.”

It was an article by Ana Dacota, a columnist for Astro Voz, England’s second-largest newspaper.

You must be tired of reading about the invasion that took place on Silenli of Irraluna, 2879, Awá Reru, in Zenith, São Paulo. So am I. I analyzed the situation and watched the footage of the invasion. My team partially defragmented the corrupted recordings. The following dialogue is quite interesting:

‘(…) decided today would be a good day to take away some of your rights and (…) even further. Pushing you (…) down than you already are.’

Those were the phrases we deciphered.

The fact is, no one is reporting that the session was SECRET, or what it concerned. Well, we know. The controversial new measure would reduce the mandatory proportion of human employees in companies. It currently stands at 50% and, under the new proposal, would drop to 25%.

Can you imagine what that would bring? Yes, mass layoffs and a worsening unemployment crisis. They also wanted to remove the fine imposed on companies that reduce their employees’ wages. Currently, that fine ranges from 10% to 50% of an organization’s global annual revenue.

For obvious reasons, the Aether Network’s leaders voted to postpone the session, citing a lack of technical grounds. Do you believe that?

Therefore, I believe they took advantage of the attention focused on the Awá Reru celebrations, but were caught red-handed. Have we returned to the age of bread and circuses, dear readers?

Incidentally, we investigated and discovered that people online are calling the group that attacked Parliament Une Côte. The only information available.

Finally, we have some questions about this event:

Who is this group? How did it know about the session? Could they actually be our allies, having exposed a session with such repugnant objectives? How did they control the AETHER NETWORK’S MILITARY androids? Why did they do this? What are their motives?

Naturally, the invasion horrified me. I leave you with my observations and one more question, this time not for the Aether Network, but for you, my dear readers:

Are we on the right side? Must we defend the Aether Network?

I have my doubts.

I eagerly await the investigation’s findings.

Written by Ana Dacota.

My eyes devoured every word. My breathing grew shallow, and my heart beat so hard I could barely hear anything else. I should have been worried. But… part of me smiled.

I stared at the floor. I had fallen out of the habit of reading those newspapers. But Ana was right. How would the Aether Network cover up such an inconvenient situation? Newspapers worldwide had reported the event and begun questioning the Aether Network’s international standing. Une Côte had invaded Parliament, taken hostages, exposed a secret session, manipulated A.T.F. androids, and challenged the Aether Network to a direct confrontation.

Une Côte. I repeated the name in my mind. Something stirred within me. Why did it feel so right? As though I had always been waiting to hear that name?

“How do you think the Aether Network will respond? It’s all so improbable.” I looked up at Kiara, biting a cuticle. Satisfaction grew in my heart. I savored that feeling far more than I’d imagined.

“No idea. Anyway, how are you? Changed your dressings. Looks better.”

Absorbed in the news, I had almost forgotten my sprained ankle. Pain throbbed as soon as I turned my attention back to it. I examined the purplish swelling, pressing it with my fingers. “It hurts quite a bit. I think I’ll recover in a seluna. I know we don’t have much time, so I’ll put on nanobandages and apply a local anesthetic so we can go see Saymon.”

“You sure?” Kiara picked up the medical kit.

I gave her a weak smile. “Yes. The sooner we discover who put out that contract, the sooner this nightmare ends. I’m dying to see Takashi and Alícia.”

The thought of our reunion warmed me. How were they? Had they treated Alícia’s Alzheimer’s? Was CogniSynth working well? So many questions.

Kiara smiled understandingly. “Alright, we’ll meet him tomorrow night. Sound good?”

I nodded.

The android reapplied the nanodressings.

Irraluna arrived.

I numbed my ankle, took RevitaCel, a tissue rejuvenator, and stopped worrying about the pain. In truth, pain was the least of it. Enduring a few more hours would be no sacrifice. Perhaps the sprain would worsen, but I was willing to take that risk to discover, once and for all, who had put out the contract.

Who would offer thirteen million bireais for my life? They wanted me alive. Why? Since it had all begun, so much had happened that I hadn’t even reflected on it. But now, curiosity struck me hard. Who was the mind behind the contract? Why? I repeated the question. Why after I left Zenith?

I nibbled my nails, uneasy about both my contract and what the Aether Network would do. I had never imagined those questions would trouble me so much. Before, I read the news, questioned little, and followed what they said. Living in Zenith, I had much to be grateful for. I realized how easy it was to live without questioning much. After all, the systems favored me. Yes, I had been comfortable.

Then Maia entered my life.

Little by little, she drew me out of that comfort zone. First, through small realizations that life revolved far beyond Zenith. Then a gentle wave, carrying the genes of a tsunami, struck me. A wave that carried me to where I was. I was far from drowning in that tsunami. But it was coming. And it would come with everything it had.

“Everything alright? You can take more time to relax.” Kiara stroked my back. “We can go another moon.”

I wanted to make use of my Maiden’s hunger for structure. “I want to get this over with.”

The android nodded in understanding and holstered her nanoweapons. How was it possible to fit so many weapons into a single entity? There were retractable nanoblades in her wrists and boots. I counted four nanoweapons, coupled with supernatural strength. She really was prepared. Used to this. I, however, still had misgivings. The thought of shooting someone infected me with anguish.

“Ready?” Kiara slipped the MetaCore into her pocket.

I nodded.

We left.

Outside, autumn rain fell. We stepped onto veiled ground, almost white, mingled with black earth. A hissing, icy zephyr brushed the exposed parts of my body and danced across my skin, bringing the subtle announcement of something terrible. Like someone who, with a tender touch, speaks words capable of making the soul bleed. A second of peace before premeditated ruin. I closed my eyes. The cold flooded me with its deceptive caress. That was what remained. The rest… inevitable. An uncertain, ungovernable future.

The card’s meaning resonated.

We reached Tentro. The night cradled those present, carefree and unaffected. They seemed so apathetic about what had happened in Zenith. I paused beneath the hololights bathing us in nightlife. Zenithians had always been indifferent to what happened below them. Perhaps the Netherians now enjoyed an imperceptible revenge, showing the same disinterest.

As we approached the Oneiric Oasis, I raised an eyebrow, curious. Why here?

The melody wound through the corners, spilling beyond the walls, a living call to the night’s flow. Violet, pink, and blue lights kindled in dancing reflections through the dimness, a symphony of fleeting glimmers. Smoke billowed from within, rising in spirals to meet the sky, like a whisper dissolving in the heights. At the entrance, the queue stretched like an endless river. But Kiara broke through barriers. She crossed the doorway and set the night’s rhythm.

I followed close behind.

When I entered, I saw something unusual: a female android was injecting something into Saymon’s veins. He sat on a sofa, head tilted back and coat sleeve raised, exposing his tattooed forearm. A man whispered in his ear and caressed his chest, while the others remained seated some distance away, visibly uncomfortable.

The android withdrew the syringe and draped a leg over his, resting her head on his shoulder.

Interesting.

Saymon brought his head forward. Our eyes met. His untamable gaze pierced me like lightning.

I shuddered.

His face drew into an irresistible smile of exultation. Saymon rose quickly, leaving the two of them staring after him with questioning expressions, and came toward us. His restless aura enveloped me.

I held my breath.

“You came early… what a pleasant surprise,” he whispered in my ear.

I shivered.

He looked at Kiara. “Kikky… ♪”

She crossed her arms. “Let’s get on with this shit.”

Saymon chuckled huskily, beckoning with his fingers. “Know how to play? Tsk. Come.”

Kiara and I exchanged a glance before following him through the corridors to Gill’s room.

When Saymon crossed the doorway, three women and a man, all half-naked, surrounded the cyborg.

Gill raised his head, and the four straightened. “Yes?”

“Could I borrow your room for a moment?” Saymon’s eyes smiled amiably.

Argh. Maia was so much like him.

Gill seemed to consider his answer seriously. Then he stood and summoned the others. “Make yourself comfortable.” He closed the door behind us.

I leaned against the wall while Saymon ambled across the room and rested against the desk. An intangible atmosphere surrounded him. He was fully aware of his own inevitability. “Where is it?”

Kiara turned the MetaCore in her hand and put it away again. “The name first.”

Saymon watched the gesture like a fox. He laughed softly, slyly, clicked his tongue, and drew air through clenched teeth. Then he walked toward me.

I resisted the urge to retreat.

He leaned over me. “That mask doesn’t suit you, Akkie.” Before I could react, his hands undid the fastener. The mask came loose and fell to the floor. “Easy. I won’t do anything. Just talk.” Saymon gestured toward Kiara, whose fists were clenched, a seething aura surrounding her. “You’re fascinating,” he said in a seductive voice. “Perhaps you’re more than that pretty face that won Maia over.” He touched my neck and caressed my jaw.

I tried to move away, but the concrete prevented me from escaping his touch.

Kiara punched the wall in fury. The impact tore through the concrete, opening a gaping hole in the nanometal and nanocircuits. Fragments broke loose and cascaded down, clattering sharply against the floor.

Saymon didn’t even blink.

“Stop that shit. You’re high!”

“Maia chose her own death… I chose mine.”

My eyes widened. My lips trembled, and my heart tightened. Suddenly, the air grew heavy, and the space between us disappeared. His words lodged in my mind like a thorn. What did he mean by that? What was he implying? “What…? N-no… she didn’t… wh-what are you talking about?”

His eyes widened in delight. Gold shimmered in his irises. “What did you think she wouldn’t do?” He smiled, amused. I had never thought smiles could hurt. That one was about to.

A knot formed in my throat, and every word hurt coming out. “Sh-she wouldn’t… do that.”

His cynical grin widened, driving nails into my heart. “You didn’t know her well enough to know what she was capable of.”

“Sh-she wouldn’t do that… I-I know she wouldn’t kill hers…” My muscles tensed, and desperate tears gathered in my eyes. I know she wouldn’t.

Saymon stroked my face, exuding a warm aura. “You really think you knew her? You were just a distraction to her.”

I froze. Blood seeped from where the nail had pierced. Had he said distraction?

Ah, anger… that feeling so misunderstood, capable of generating darkness in place of chaos and a succession of misunderstandings.

Heat rose along my neck. My heart pounded like a musical drum, my fingers trembled, and the metallic taste of fury gathered on my tongue.

Anger propelled me. It wove a spark that became a flame, then a blaze. Fire spread through my bloodstream, pumped flame into my heart, left tongues of fire in every atom, traveled through my entire body, and gathered in my hand. I drove the fire home. Consumed by rage, I branded Saymon’s face like a red-hot iron. His face burned with my fury.

He staggered backward. And burst into mocking laughter. He brought a hand to his reddened cheek. His golden eyes shone, but… not with fury. Something new danced there. A spark of recognition, of delight, as though I had just proved something to him.

I gasped. My chest rose and fell with my body’s torrid heat. I clenched my fists, trying to contain my wrath.

Saymon kept laughing mordantly, consumed by an amusement that belonged to him alone. His laughter gradually faded into a familiar, genuine smile that reined me in. “Y’know, she did the same thing. A little harder…” He laughed again, savoring the feeling behind his own laughter. Saymon leaned against the desk and lowered his head, thoughtful. Then he raised it. His gaze restrained. His aura softened. His features eased, almost sad, frozen in a strangely captivating melancholy.

Then he spoke.

And momentarily made all those nails in my heart disappear, leaving a tender warmth in their place. In that instant, while the icy autumn cut my skin, the cold did not exist. Because I burned, and the fire cradled me.

UNELUNA OF 2878

“Uneluna unites sky and road in a steadfast thread. The month descends in silver, preparing the portal. Libeluna opens gently: new radiance in the air. The story continues clear, in a living tide.”

SAYMON

I was on one of the uppermost floors of some building in Centrália, looking through the window at the pathetic beings below. They came and went, configuring their miserable biochips in an attempt to protect themselves from the devastating rain. That day, like so many others, had awakened in tears.

CLICK A sharp sound echoed behind me. The door opened easily. Even if I had locked the nanodoor, the nanolocks would bow to her, and the nanopadlocks would dissolve like watercolor paint.

Maia closed the distance between us. A strange sound accompanied her. I had forgotten where I’d last heard it. Perhaps it was an illusory memory. After all, so many cycles had passed.

“What is that?” I stared at the gray ball of fur cautiously sniffing the air.

“What do you think it is?” She had no patience for obvious questions.

The animal explored the place, sniffing everything around it. It would approach something, sniff a little farther ahead, and only then continue walking. Very careful.

“What is it doing here?”

Maia looked at the creature too. “You’re gonna take care of Orion.”

I drew my shoulders back. “What makes you think I’ll take care of… wait, you named the thing?”

She fixed me with a threatening look. “You will… and you’ll take very good care of him.”

I sighed and returned my eyes to the view. “Whatever.”

Maia joined me at the window.

“You really going through with this?” I asked.

“Yes.” She cracked her neck. Although her features were soft, almost cheerful, the tension gathered in her shoulders was unmistakable. An untouchable happiness.

“All for a…” Perhaps I had chosen the wrong word. “Distraction?”

Her gaze weighed on me. “What did you say?”

Well, she had given me another chance. But playing with the odds was so much fun.

I hissed, “All for a distra—” The air grew heavy, and her muscles tensed. For an instant, I knew what would happen. Still, I stayed.

The invisible force of Maia’s punch struck me. She drove her fist hard into my face, knocking me off balance. I brought a hand to my mouth and watched red blood gather on my fingers. I licked my lips, tasting iron. It was good. I smiled.

Maia grabbed my collar. Her eyes burned with fury. “Never again…” She didn’t need to finish. The rage condensed in her aura spoke for itself.

My smile widened. “You’ve gotten strong.”

Maia hauled me upright and cast an unfocused gaze toward the horizon. “Yeah… you can’t hit me like you did twenty cycles ago anymore.”

“How many times are you gonna bring that up? You know I did it to protect you.” I massaged my throbbing jaw.

“Then you know what it’s like… hurting someone to protect them,” she said. Her pain seemed to gain texture with every letter. A sudden glimmer tinted her eyes, but the cold soon returned to its place, coating them in an opaque varnish.

We remained there, taking in the view.

“Did you do what I asked?” Maia said.

I rested my arm against the glass. “I did. His name is Pavel. He’ll be working at the condominium as an android nanoengineer contracted through Kokusai. I made sure of it personally.”

“Thanks.”

“Are you really sure you’re going through with this?” I repeated the question. Perhaps I was looking for a different answer, though I knew it was in vain.

Maia nodded.

I almost smiled. “So… she unchained you?”

Maia gave a lopsided smile. “Shall we?” She turned and stroked the cat.

I stared at the animal lying on the sofa, already seeming at home. Perhaps he understood what was happening better than I did. Perhaps he and I had more in common than I supposed.

Saymon cleared his throat and looked at Kiara.

But I needed to understand this better! Especially now, when… “W-what does that mean? Y-you… Pavel was…?” The memory struck hard.

One of his androids? Why had Maia asked for that? I grew dizzy. And Orion? She… Pavel… Orion… The pieces began to spin. Maia had asked for this. Maia had foreseen this. Maia…

Saymon touched my head as though I were a child. “Yeah. It’s what you’re thinking.”

My heart pounded. One piece. I had fitted a single piece into a gigantic puzzle. Finally, something made sense. Had he been hired in October 2878? Why? Had she been the one to ask…? My eyes burned, and I fought back tears. Saymon left me amid that turmoil and walked toward Kiara.

“So?” She uncrossed her arms.

Saymon approached and whispered something in her ear as he took the MetaCore.

Kiara clenched her fists. Tension coursed through her body like electricity, twisting her face with rage. Her violet eyes burned like glowing embers. “You bastard!” she roared.

Saymon gave an ironic smile and stepped away as a precaution. One slap had been enough that night, and an attack from Kiara seemed like something he preferred to avoid.

She grabbed his coat, bringing their faces close, but he remained impassive. “You goddamn bastard!”

What was she talking about? I was so stunned I had forgotten why we were there. Stunned and happy, especially after hearing about Maia.

“Y’know, we could kill…” Saymon murmured.

I couldn’t catch the rest. What were they talking about?

Kiara released him. She drew all the loose tethers of her rage taut and set them in order. The time to unleash it would come later. “Let’s go, Akiko.” She handed me the mask. “We’re done here.”

I frowned, confused. What had I missed while thinking about Maia? Had Saymon named the person behind the contract? Why was Kiara acting like that? It felt as though a bomb had struck the room, throwing everything into disarray.

I searched Saymon for an answer. As he examined the MetaCore closely, his expression fascinated me. There was more in his face than the pleasure of getting what he wanted. A rebellious air harbored an insurgency that unsettled me.

The cylinder’s contents intrigued me. I parted my lips to speak…

BOOOOOM! A blast silenced me. Screams upon screams rose in unison. My pulse raced, adrenaline put me on alert, and my hair stood on end.

Kiara grabbed my wrist, and we ran outside. Saymon followed close behind. As we crossed the doorway, I covered my mouth, trying to hold back bile.

The A.T.F. flew over Netheria. “SURRENDER IMMEDIATELY!”

WHIRRR! They launched nanominibombs equipped with nanobarriers, destroying stalls. Bodies piled up in the streets while robotic and human remains floated in a red sea claiming the muddy ground.

“FUCK YOU, ZENITHIAN BASTARDS!” The mercenaries fought back.

ZZZZT! ZZZZT! ZZZZT! They exchanged gunfire. KRA-KOOM! Bombs struck the aerial artillery and military androids.

Kiara kept pulling me, and I ignored my ankle gasping in pain.

FWOOOSH! BOOOOOM! BOOOOM! The explosions deafened me. My heart throbbed in my ears, and my vision blurred before the pandemonium. “K-Kiara…”

BOOOOM! BOOOOM! BOOOOM! The explosions drowned out every other sound.

Kiara took shortcuts through Tentro’s alleyways until we managed to escape the darkness.

I ran, looking only ahead.

We reached an empty street in Tentro, leaving the explosions, screams, and darkness behind.

“You’re fucking insane if you think I’m giving you a ride,” Kiara bellowed.

The car landed. I turned and immediately understood the android’s annoyance.

Saymon was right behind us. With a smug smile, he opened the car door. “Want a choice?”

“Yeah. How about I choose to put a bullet through your skull? Curious what kind of shit I’d find inside.” Kiara clenched her fists. “C’mon, Akiko.”

Me, Kiara, and Saymon. The three of us in a tiny space.

I sighed. So uncomfortable.

Kiara glared daggers at him through the rearview mirror. A volatile atmosphere formed between them. One was the fuel; the other, the oxidizer. All that was missing was ignition. Combustion? Inevitable. It was only a question of when.

I gathered suppositions as I watched their interactions. Kiara showed a deep impatience with Saymon, and imagining her turning against him someday hardly seemed absurd. Saymon, in turn, walked on eggshells around the lioness. After all, he certainly needed her.

And me? I shrank beside him. His similarities to Maia were disturbingly uncomfortable, even though the two were complete opposites. Saymon was unpredictable, and that uncertainty frightened me. He had toyed with me, crossing boundaries I had never imagined letting anyone touch.

Yet beyond the anger, I felt a fascination similar to what I harbored for Maia. I wanted to plunge into that untamability, discover his next step, his thoughts, his intentions. The paradoxical urge to follow him and avoid him confused me.

“You knew this would happen.” Kiara tightened her fingers around the steering wheel.

Saymon gave a sardonic smile. “True. This was one of the three scenarios I foresaw. They only proved themselves even bigger idiots. Anyway… take us to this address.”

“Why?”

“It’s safe.” His eyes settled on the landscape.

Kiara relaxed her fingers. Although she let out a loud “Tsk,” she focused on driving.

We remained in absolute, uncomfortable silence.

We flew northeast along an abandoned airway. A yellowish cloud hovered over the Infinite Abyss, its neglected, desolate, dangerous regions bordering Nobody’s Land. When the airway ended, we continued overland.

Scattered aerolamps illuminated the darkness clothing the heavens. Burned fields stretched for kilometers on either side. Then I spotted the first sign, weathered by time: ‘Welcome to the city of Ribeirão Preto.’ One of many cities swept away by devastation. Nature had claimed the buildings, cars, buses, and destroyed structures. Grayish air drew a curtain over the desolate scene, turning everything into ruins.

“What happened here?” I asked, somewhat shocked.

I expected Kiara to answer, but Saymon’s voice crossed the air, scratching my ears.

“Funny how you zenithians are so ignorant of everything around you.” He let out a sarcastic chuckle. “Apart from São Paulo and a few cities, all the others were abandoned by the Aether Network and bombed.” Saymon kept his cold gaze on the horizon.

My cheeks burned. “I-I…” Ah, who was I trying to fool? Of course I knew about the situation in other cities. What exceeded my imagination was the scale of that deprivation and devastation. “Bombed by whom?” I preferred to shift the subject, aware of my ignorance.

Saymon fixed those unfeeling eyes on me, conveying a certain cruelty. He brushed his fingers over his lips. “Interesting.” He turned away and said nothing more.

I averted my face. Even his movements resembled Maia’s. I thought I would lose my mind.

We passed through Jardinópolis and then Batatais. Both lay in ruins, untouched in a terrible way, like an ancient poem of abhorrent, unalterable verses. Places where salvation seemed beyond reach. It was natural that their inhabitants had chosen to migrate to the capital.

We reached a more decent area, where walls surrounded the city. Judging by the order of the municipalities we had crossed, we were in Franca. The name was familiar.

Kiara flew over the wall. The metropolis had suffered destruction too, but had been restructured. Bases, sheds, and warehouses spread across eighty kilometers. Not a soul in sight. What was this place? The name was so… so familiar.

The android parked before a warehouse smaller than the others, its nanometal walls filthy and rusted. A warm wind made the early-morning atmosphere even more sinister, contributing to the place’s strange, heavy energy.

A shudder ran down my back. I stepped onto the ground with my aching ankle and held back a groan. As I tried to unravel what this place was, anguish began growing in my heart. Then the memories came all at once. “This is…” I swallowed and clenched my fists.

No one needed to answer. The Aether Network had stated that those facilities no longer existed and that the patients had been transferred to appropriate hospitals. That was the answer given to the population, including those who had protested such inhumanity.

Had it all been a lie? I… did I still have doubts?

This was the Ren-10 Refuge, one of the facilities designated for confining the sick. Most patients had Vaktiria, an infection afflicting thirty percent of Brazilians and primarily affecting Centrália, Netheria, and the Infinite Abyss. The refuge also housed people with other diseases classified as untreatable or incurable.

Franca’s authorities had uncovered and reported the abuses committed there. The sick were used in tests, subjected to degrading conditions under the justification that their deaths were inevitable.

The smell of rust and rot still permeated the walls. Ghostly images seemed to dance in the dust on the floor. People had been here. People had died here. And it had been silenced.

I rested my hands on my knees, nauseated.

Saymon approached with an air of indifference. “The Aether Network didn’t transfer them to hospitals. It left them to their fate. Local authorities? Silenced. Escape? Nanobarriers prevented it. What killed them…” He fell quiet.

Finishing was unnecessary. The silence spoke for itself. Invisible words punched my face. Had the Aether Network bombed the cities? The State itself? Its own people? Swallowing hurt. All to conceal a lie?

Of course no one would say anything. No one ever said anything. How could they fight when the Aether Network stood behind everything in that society? How could they evade an almost omniscient force? How? The question remained in my mind, and with it, anger grew.

“Let’s go inside.” Saymon walked toward the door.

Kiara touched my shoulder. “Hey… you okay?”

I bit my lips nervously and rubbed my sweaty forehead. “I don’t know… I think so. It’s a lot to process.”

She looked at me with understanding, wrapped an arm around me, and guided me toward the entrance.

Saymon took out the Nine of Wands and passed the card over the lock. The pixels clung to the nanometal.

CHAK The lock opened.

He pushed the door, and we followed close behind.

As soon as we entered, a white, almost blinding light switched on, revealing the dust thick in the air. Greenish neon shimmered on the walls. Untraceable. Soundproof. Cabinets, tables covered in papers, boxes, and obsolete objects filled the space. Saymon leaned against a desk, Kiara remained standing, and I sat in a chair.

“Gonna tell us what the fuck you’re planning?” The lioness crossed her arms, surrounded by her boiling aura.

Saymon smiled charmingly and combed his hair back, but the strands fell over his forehead again. The white half shone beneath the light. “The Aether Network made the stupidest decision, because videos of this attack are circulating online. Citizens are questioning the legitimacy and content of the secret session, so the base and middle of that pyramid are crumbling.” He took out his deck and cascaded the cards from one hand to the other. “It’s a matter of time before Zenith falls.”

“Are these orders from the Matriarch and the Patriarch?”

Saymon threw his head back and burst into roguish laughter. His mischievous laugh echoed through the warehouse, as though dancing in the air.

I shifted in my chair.

Kiara waited for him to exhaust his accumulated pleasure.

When he finally fell silent, his gaze was fierce, burning with impetuousness. “They gave me no orders. They give me no orders. They have never given me orders.” His cunning smile widened. “More than Zenith, I want to see Netheria crumble.” His voice carried mercilessness.

Silence weighed on the air.

Kiara remained motionless, eyes flashing.

A shiver ran through my entire body, and I gripped the chair’s armrests. Why this? Argh. Trying to follow his thoughts tormented me.

Kiara held Saymon’s somewhat deranged gaze. Once again, an invisible conversation seemed to exist between them. She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Fuck it. I give zero fucks about that shit.”

Saymon smiled obliquely. “Kikky, I want you to go after Maia’s items.”

My spine burned with the speed of the shiver that crossed it. He knew.

“They’re in Centrália. And since Zenith is surrounded by the A.T.F., meaning…” He looked from me to Kiara. “The two of you will go.”

Kiara placed a hand on her hip, her expression still furious. “What the fuck makes you think…”

“Y’know… and I have other plans.” Saymon took a nanochip from his coat. “We’ll stay connected through this. No. You won’t be my android. We won’t have an atomic connection.” He raised an eyebrow, hinting at a satisfied smile.

A nanochip? That… no… if that was it… no. It couldn’t be. I shook my head and forced myself to follow the conversation.

“You’re a nanoshit.” Despite exuding resigned fury, Kiara took the nanochip, clicked her own forehead, and installed it. Both their eyes glowed light blue, then turned black. Afterward, their original colors returned: the gray of Kiara’s eyes and the gold of Saymon’s.

He trapped me in his magnetic gaze. “As for the contract, there’s nothing I can do. It’ll activate in one seluna. Mercenaries will begin the hunt. So join us as soon as possible.” Saymon gave a foxlike, lopsided smile and looked at Kiara.

“U-us?” My voice nearly failed. I cleared my throat.

“Ah, yes…”

“Why are you doing this?” Kiara interrupted, narrowing her fierce eyes.

Saymon straightened his shoulders, and his enigmatic aura enveloped him again. “Because—”

SKREEECH-THUMP! Suddenly, a crash echoed outside. Something had struck the ground. A car with a failed landing had used its bumper as a brake. The noise stopped. Heavy footsteps approached through the soft mud, drawing ever closer to the open door.

“Papi’s here!” Denden roared as he crossed the entrance.

He spread his arms and smiled warmly. He wore a heavy coat and carried Rompe-culos on his back, along with two nanoweapons strapped at his waist and legs. His face, free of blood for the moment, bore several scars: small ones on his smiling lips, another crossing his left eye, and one stretching from his jaw to his right eyelid.

His untamable gaze reminded me of a jaguar. “Look who’s here… The chica, Kiara’s apprentice.” Denden placed his hands on his hips and smiled affectionately. “Knew you’d live, muchacha.”

His charisma captivated me. I smiled back.

“Denden?” Kiara laughed ironically, gesturing toward him. “That’s what you mean by us?”

WHOOOOSH! A gust of wind spread outside. Hyperfans whirred beneath another vehicle. I recognized the sound. It came from old vehicles, relics no longer manufactured, now collectors’ items.

“Fuck… Don’t tell me…” Kiara rubbed her temples.

Trix appeared with an enormous nanosniper rifle on her back. She wore greenish military trousers, a grimy tank top, two bandanas—blue and pink, one on each arm—and a black mask.

Her eyes swept the room, lingered on Kiara for an instant, then shifted to Saymon. “What the fuck is this? What’s this asshole doing here?” Trix gestured toward Denden, whose eyes widened.

“What am I doing here?!” he exclaimed, pointing at her. “What are you doing here?!”

“Shut up. Wasn’t talking to you, svoloch’.”

“The muchacha wants to get shot?” Denden sat and took out his pistol, his face serene.

Trix pointed a dagger at him and raised an eyebrow. “My blade’s faster than your trigger. Wanna test it, mu-cha-cho?”

Saymon and Kiara were smiling.

What was happening? My head throbbed with the effort of following it all. How could they enjoy pointing weapons at one another? I felt close to a bomb about to explode. My heart racing, I swallowed.

Cron came through the door, carrying his Gatling gun on his back, apparently comfortable with the weight. How did he manage? The weapon looked so heavy. Then again, he was the largest man I had ever met.

Cron advanced silently, with an air of superiority, and stopped between them. The tubes of his mask bubbled with red liquid. My curiosity sharpened. What could that liquid be?

Cron scratched his belly. “Really thought putting these two together would work?”

I kept my eyes from widening at his perfect diction. He hardly seemed like the raving lunatic I had met in Nobody’s Land and who had invaded Parliament.

“Cronnie,” Denden called, moving his gun. “Cabrón, better get outta the way so you don’t get hurt.”

Cron glared at him with cruel blue eyes. “The bullet would ricochet back at you. But you already know that.” He moved aside and sat on a table.

Kiara watched Denden’s antics irritably.

He put his gun away, amused. “Kiara, do something about your muchacha. She only listens to you.” He gave a provocative smile.

Trix kept her dagger pointed.

“What? Think you can hide it?” Denden laughed, leaning back. “The eyes, chica, never lie.”

I raised an eyebrow. Trix lowered her blade. Cron let out a high-pitched laugh. Saymon smiled insolently while Kiara’s scowl faded as she held back a smile.

“Watching too much Scarface, svoloch.” Trix shook her head. “Fuck it. You’re not worth a penny of my time.”

She seemed to want to laugh.

Denden’s mischievous expression soured.

Trix crossed her arms and turned to Saymon. “Gonna answer what the fuck this is?”

“Cron?” Saymon’s measured voice silenced even their breathing.

Cron picked dirt from beneath his nails, indifferent. “The shits attacked Nobody’s Land.”

Silence reigned.

The Aether Network had attacked Nobody’s Land?

A knot formed in my throat. My heart pounded with growing anger, not only for the mercenaries, armed, prepared, and audacious enough to retaliate, but above all for the hundreds of families and children living there, people whose chance to choose somewhere else to live had been torn away. They only wanted to live normally.

Trix remained impassive. Denden clenched his fists. Hadn’t they known?

“Trix?” Saymon’s golden eyes settled on the mercenary.

When she removed her mask, the scarring on her cheeks gleamed. But something else drew my attention even more: a gray symbol shimmered on her right temple.

Denden’s eyes widened.

Kiara uncrossed her arms. “You…”

Silence vibrated.

Trix gave a satisfied smile. “I’m the Vorovskoy mir’s new Russian Matka.”

An intense chill climbed my spine.

Saymon merely smiled. “Denden?”

He clicked his tongue, looking away from Trix. He nodded confidently and let out an affected laugh. “Muchacho, I’ve got that cabrón, the Kageyama Clan’s oyabun, right here.” He pointed at his palm. “Who wouldn’t be, after dealing with el monstruo?”

Saymon straightened his shoulders and smiled in delight. “Alright. Let’s begin.”