With a great bang, the bullet whizzed through the air and imbedded itself into its target nearly five hundred meters away—a can, now torn apart in half.

“Good, but make sure to hold your breath when you press the trigger,” Sina told him. “You’re off by six centimeters.”

Elias grunted and aimed at the next target. He strained his eyes to focus the scope and paused his breath as he willed his arms to stay still. He pulled the trigger.

The second can was blown apart like the first, flying off of the fence it was set on.

“Five centimeters. Your shoulder twitched slightly.”

He hadn’t even felt it. He moved his sights to the next and final can, loosening his body while he took a deep breath in.

Slowly, he contracted his finger until the final moment—and pulled. The sniper rifle’s shockwave rippled through his whole body, causing his senses to become numb for a second. But he recovered quickly enough and let go of the weapon.

“Two centimeters,” Sina observed. “Wonderful job. You’re already getting better.”

Elias smiled, wiping some sweat from his forehead. “It’s all because I have a great teacher,” he said, to which Sina chuckled.

“How do you even see so far?” he asked, stretching his fingers. His eyes were good, but he could never tell where the bullet hit without a scope. Even with it, it was difficult.

“I have good eyes,” she said. “Do you want to do some more?”

“With another gun,” Elias said. This was just like his time with Crystal, except that instead of a bow, he was firing a gun, shooting at distances many times his original. Shooting had always been easy for him in the Otherworlds which was why he’d preferred bows and arrows, but here, with his body being imperfect, so was his aim. Even with all the nightly meditating he did with Sina, his body was far from being completely his.

They were fortunate that Sina had been able to find a small bunker with weapons and ammunition inside, as well as a quad bike that allowed them to get around the city more easily. With a few knives and brute strength, she’d been able to activate the vehicle without its key. Not only was she supernaturally athletic, but she was also well-informed about machines. She was everything Crystal had been, but better.

They’d loaded the bike with spare ammo and other items, and it was a stroke of luck that there were charging ports available all around the city. He had no idea how Sina was managing to find everything they needed, but it was her supernatural abilities at work—or so he guessed. A kind of scanner for items. She wasn’t good at detecting nonliving things, but it wasn’t as if she couldn’t.

So, after obtaining bulletproof suits to wear underneath their clothes and enough combread to last them two weeks, they were finally ready to face the dangers that lay within the city.

Elias felt unstoppable with Sina by his side.

⤙ ◯ ⤚

That had been a week ago.

“Ass, ASS!!!” Elias screamed, biting his lip while aiming at the horde of automatons that ran towards his direction. But his efforts seemed futile. There were just too many of them, crawling around everywhere—like ants. Silver, large, fast, deadly ants. Today would be the day when he would die.

“Aim for the ones on wheels!” Sina called to him through the thundering of a thousand metal feet. “Elias! I’m counting on you!”

“Yeah, okay!” Elias managed to say, looking through the sights of the assault rifle he’d found at the bunker. Gritting his teeth, he shot a wheeled drone in the shape of a centaur and felt relief when its head jerked backward.

But the machine kept accelerating towards them. Even worse, a humanoid drone jumped on the wheeled one, heading straight for them with its cameras focused on his face. Elias quickly readjusted his aim, cursed when their bike swerved slightly to the side to avoid a rock, aimed again, then pulled the trigger. This time, the wheels were penetrated, and the machine skidded to a stop, causing the humanoid one on it to fall on the floor into a roll. Its movements looked incredibly human, and it made Elias shudder.

That was one out of at least thirty. At least now, he knew where to aim.

“We’re going to take a sharp left!” Sina warned, and Elias held on tight to his seat. It was already uncomfortable enough sitting backwards, and having the rifle in his hand made it worse. He held in a cry as they veered to the left, momentarily losing sight of the horde of machines that were chasing them.

So, checking out the building with smoke rising from the large towers next to it had been a bad idea. They’d been too lax since nothing had appeared after the first automation, looking into every building to search for clues—and they’d come across a factory of sorts, but before they’d been able to explore, Sina had yelled at him to get on and get out. Soon after they’d begun driving, machines had begun appearing out of the corners, leading to the current situation.

The machines began appearing again, the wheeled ones coming in first—the rest following after them. Though they were machines, their movements were fluid, as if they were living creatures with a coat of silver paint on.

It didn’t make them any less terrifying.

“First the Shadows, and now, this?!” he exclaimed, aiming at them again. “Is this some kind of sick joke?”

He took down six more, breaking their wheels. For some reason, they refused to follow after they were damaged, and from the corner of his eyes, he saw the broken ones get pulled into the horde, disappearing into the mass of machines.

Sina turned another corner, and even fewer appeared behind them. After Elias shot down a few more, changing magazines in between, the closest undamaged drone stopped where it was, staring at them without following. When they turned another corner, none of them came with them.

“I think we lost them,” Elias told Sina, wiping his hands.

Just then, as they passed by the shining glass windows of a skyscraper, Elias thought he caught a glimpse of a humanoid figure deep within, running towards the direction they’d come from. The reflecting sunlight made it hard to see, and blinking, he saw nothing there.

“Did you feel anything?” he asked Sina, who seemed to be focused on something.

“I don’t think so,” she replied, her eyes glued forward. “If you mean the cat that we recently passed—”

“No, it’s nothing,” Elias told her. “I—thought I saw a person. It must have been another machine.”

Nodding, Sina drove them further away from the area while Elias kept his eyes open for any other forms of danger. His heart was still thumping from adrenaline, and he knew that the peaceful life they’d tasted was quickly falling apart, replaced by unknown dangers and mysteries that surrounded his reality. As quickly as happiness had come, so had the new threats to that happiness.

But he wasn’t completely sure yet. Had the machines come after them because of intruders in general, or because they were hunting for Sina? If the choice ever came to him to decide between returning to his peaceful life with its luxuries or staying on the run with Sina—

He prayed that he would choose the latter. He could never let her die alone. Not for everything in the world.

“Sina? You seem a little tired,” he noticed as they slowed to a halt next to the road. She turned her head to look at him.

“How did you know?”

Her face looked perfectly fine, but Elias had gotten a grasp of the little gift that she’d given him.

“I felt it. Am I wrong?”

It felt like a tiny ball that triggered when he pushed his power into it, though his control over it was still very lacking. As of late, his guesses were around forty percent correct. But when he used it, he felt something from Sina, like waves of heat that weren’t warm but...unique. It was difficult telling the different emotions apart with his power being so subtle.

“No. I am a little tired,” Sina confessed. “I think I used too much energy to detect the area. My head is spinning.”

“Do you need to take a nap? We could find somewhere,” he offered, looking around. “Unless they’re still coming after us. But I think we’re far away enough.”

“No,” Sina said. “I made sure they’re not following. But let me close my eyes a little.”

Turning her body around a little, she leaned her head against Elias’s shoulder and closed her eyes. Her breathing softened, and her body relaxed—Elias didn’t move while she took a nap on him.

Elias’s sixth sense, or whatever the feeling was, had improved significantly since he had begun training with Sina, and now, he could tell when Sina’s power was in use, if only a little. Even while sleeping, her energy was fluctuating around her, if not more than before. But it was a subtle sensation, like tiny hairs on his skin—noticeable if he focused, unnoticeable if he didn’t.

Was she ill? Ever since they’d entered the city, her condition had worsened. She’d never taken a nap before. He was worried because while she was strong, the invincible image he’d had of her had been shaken. Not that it made him love her any less, but worries he’d never had before had begun to take root.

Had he relied on her too much? Did his incompetence tire her out? It was certain that his burdens would increase.

Elias raised his head and looked at the sky. It was light blue, with few clouds floating by—a beautiful scene. It was calm, soothing, and it helped him take his mind off of the present a little.

It was the walled city all over again. But this time, he had someone he wanted to protect.

He leaned his head against Sina’s gently, feeling her body move up and down with every breath. Were her abilities permanent, or were they waning? He had been too afraid to ask. Because she had been created, did her life have an expiration date?

And as much as he wanted to hide these emotions from her, she would know. And she would understand, comforting him instead, when she was the one who was falling apart.

Would they ever find salvation? Would they ever find peace? So far, their lives seemed to be stuck in an endless tunnel of chasing and being chased, running away from danger while searching for an answer. He didn’t know what they were searching for anymore. Civilization? So far, the whole world was against them, planning for their demise. For Sina’s demise.

“Oh...hey,” Elias said when he saw Sina looking up at him after she’d shifted her body. “Are you okay now?”

She nodded. “I’m sorry for making you worry,” she told him softly, hugging him.

Elias wrapped his arms around her. “Are you growing weaker?”

She looked at him, lowered her eyes, then nodded. “I’m sorry,” she muttered.

“There’s nothing you did wrong,” he stated, holding her tighter. “You could stop using your abilities for now. We can find a place to rest like we did before.”

“But we don’t know when something might be searching for us,” Sina said. “I need to keep my detection active.”

“We can do it the hard way,” Elias said. “Stay in a building, look around for danger. Take turns staying awake during the night. I can’t believe I’m asking this now, but—you were keeping watch every night, weren’t you?”

“I—” She turned her head away. “No.”

Elias wanted to cry. “You’re lying.”

He could tell clearly, as if something had clicked in his mind at that exact moment. The feeling she gave off was one that he knew, and it radiated from her heart.

Sina didn’t speak. She only placed her head deeper into his chest.

No wonder she was exhausted. And he’d slept without a worry, feeling refreshed every morning because of her help. Silent anger began to boil within him—rage against himself. All this time, while Sina had literally carried him across the land, he’d been nothing but reliant, weak, and pathetic. Her condition had significantly worsened after she’d jumped off of the building to save him.

Why had he screamed then? Why couldn’t he have done something else?

His thoughts were broken when something hit his chest. It was a light thud, not painful, but enough to make him notice.

Sina struck his chest with her fist, and he knew what she wanted to say.

“Okay,” he sighed, slapping his cheeks. “No bad thoughts. Sorry.”

“It just makes me feel worse,” Sina muttered.

“Yeah.”

He’d make mistakes in the past, but he was different now. He needed to be different. His body had been molded into something incredible, and his mind felt clearer than ever. And every day, his control over the supernatural was increasing, though it was limited to making himself feel motivated when he used it. But Sina would teach him other things when he had enough power.

It was his time to lead.

“We’ll have to find a place to stay for the night. And some time to reload and reorganize,” he said, glancing at the large bags attached to the quad bike. The number of bullets they had was limited, and they would have to make another trip to the bunker if they ran low. Given how it had turned out, it would be better to set camp closer to the bunker.

“It’s too early,” Sina told him. “We need to explore more.”

“With how you’ve been doing?”

“I’m doing fine. I feel better now.”

She wasn’t lying this time. But by now, exploring felt pointless, and he was beginning to wish that they simply stayed in one place and enjoyed themselves instead of trying to discover the truth. Maybe if they had a chance against their enemies, but he wasn’t sure if they could come out victorious in a fight against a horde of machines.

“We need to get you home.”

Elias blinked. “Me?”

Sina nodded.

“That seems impossible now,” he laughed weakly. There was silence before he added, “I’m okay with it.”

“You’re not. ”

“Fine. Maybe. But I’m not in a hurry.”

She stared at him, and he thought of an answer that would satisfy her.

“There’s something I’d like to find,” he told her. “It’s called a CNI linker. If I’m able to access it, we might be able to find something.”

Come to think of it, he’d woken up in one. It was too late to return now, but he wondered if the linker would work if it was plugged in again. If everything else failed, maybe they could return to it—far into the future.

“What does it look like?”

“It looks like a large egg or a pod,” Elias explained, “large enough to fit a person. It should be hollow inside.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for one,” Sina told him, “and I think I may have passed a few before. I’m not sure. I wasn’t paying much attention.”

“It’s fine,” Elias said. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner.”

They’d given up on using electronic devices after every computer or tablet they’d opened had been locked behind a passcode, and without the proper tools, there was little they could do to change it. So Sina had instead focused on gathering non-digital information—which bore little fruit, but they’d found a few books they’d been able to enjoy.

But CNI linkers were different. They didn’t require a passcode; instead, it read the user’s body directly through the fluid that had been injected, allowing them to access the Otherworlds without any barriers. If he managed to find one, then he was sure he could figure everything out.

Or it would be inaccessible like the rest, but he had to try.

They departed again, Sina driving while Elias kept his assault rifle in his hands.

He hadn’t particularly liked driving through the city. While he could sit back and enjoy the scenery, it felt as if Sina was doing all of the work, with him being the extra luggage she had to carry around. At least today, he’d felt useful while taking down the robots.

He wished he could be more confident in himself. Then Sina wouldn’t have to listen to all of the negative emotions spewing from his heart. At least when her attention was on her surroundings, his emotions seemed hidden from her. Or she was merely keeping silent to avoid hurting him.

She knew everything, and she always acted in such a way that was pleasing to him. At least now, when she was weaker, she felt more human than not.

Useless thoughts. He’d still love her, nevertheless. Placing his head on Sina’s back, he prayed that his feelings would never change—never abandon the girl who’d done so much for him.

He prayed with all of his heart.

⤙ ◯ ⤚

“There. Below that building,” Sina pointed, decelerating the bike until they halted. “There’s a room filled with the eggs you mentioned. It’s like a farm.”

“Then we came to the right place,” Elias said hopefully. “Do you sense anyone nearby?”

“No. We’re alone here,” she told him.

On their second day of searching through the eerie silence devoid of the horde that had chased them—who hadn’t appeared once since the accident, but they’d steered clear from the factory—they finally came across the short, grey building in the shape of a rectangle. When Sina tore the doors open, Elias discovered stairs that led downstairs into the dark. Sina took out the flashlight they’d gotten from a store, and together, they ventured downwards.

It was cold, despite the sun blazing outside. And very dry. Elias could smell dehydration in the air as they continued downwards. It was unusual because underground places usually felt damp.

At the bottom, there was another set of doors, forged from thick metal. Even after Sina’s first strike, the door only bent slightly, refusing to budge.

“We can always come back when you have enough energy,” Elias suggested. “We’re not in a hurry.”

“I think I can manage,” Sina said, taking in a quick, loud breath through her nose. “Cover your ears.”

He did. Elias felt something intense from her—a surge of power. Clenching her fingers, she rammed her fingers against the barrier, and with a horrible groan, the door contorted inwards, refusing to break off from its hinges, but an opening had been formed. Sina looked at him in satisfaction, but she almost fell to the side, and Elias had to catch her before she fell face-forward on the ground.

“Just—a little lightheaded,” she muttered, her breaths irregular. “You can praise me.”

“You did great. I love you,” Elias said, hugging her. “Are you okay?”

“Lightheaded. I’ll be fine after a nap,” she replied, gaining balance on her feet. “Let’s go inside.”

Elias crawled in first and helped Sina stand after she entered after him. Using the flashlight, he looked around—

He forgot how to breathe.

Linkers. A forest of them. They looked exactly like the ones in Education. The place looked like his classroom, albeit denser and without windows.

“We actually found them,” Elias exhaled with awe. “I could have never done it without you.”

“What are these?” Sina asked.

“You mean you’ve never seen them before?”

“No.”

“They’re similar to a portal,” Elias explained, placing his hand on a linker. He could hide his grin when it lit up, reacting to his touch. “You use them to experience other worlds.”

“Will you be able to return using this?”

Elias shook his head. “Not exactly. It’s only your mind that gets sent through.”

“I see.”

“Hey, you sounded a little happy about that.”

Sina smiled. “What if I am?”

“I think it’s cute,” Elias chuckled, scratching his cheek. “You know that I won’t leave you.”

“I do.”

She yawned, rubbing her eyes. “Could I take a nap in one? I’m very tired.”

“Oh, yeah. I’ll get it ready for you. And—here we go.”

The buttons were exactly where he expected them to be, and he opened a linker, revealing the comfortable seat that lay within. After helping Sina into the linker and closing it (hers didn’t activate and went dark again), he climbed into the linker next to hers and pulled it down. It sealed itself with a small psh—a sound he hadn’t heard in a long time.

Please, please, please—

The interface popped up. While he found it strange that the usual guiding voice hadn’t spoken, there were settings to mute it, so he ignored it. He excitedly pressed the control to enter and leaned back on his seat to let the magic happen.

His body became heavier, and his vision darkened until he didn’t see anything. Any moment and the world would burst into color—and he would be able to discover everything about the current state of the world.

Five seconds passed. It had never taken longer than two. Perhaps it was because the linker hadn’t been used in a long time, or because he had linked after staying disconnected for over a year. Or more; he wasn’t sure. What was the date anyway? None of the devices had displayed it.

Ten seconds passed. Elias was paralyzed, stuck within the darkness. Soon, something would happen.

Thirty seconds passed. Elias knew something was terribly wrong. He tried to scream, but his body was far away, unable to be grasped. He was nothing, inside of nothing.

Sina! Please, hear me—Sina, SINA!!!

She would read his emotions. She had to. He was panicking now.

Was she asleep? Would he have to wait for her? He was terrified. He could feel anything.

More than five minutes passed. Would he die like this?

SIIIIINNNAAAAAAA—

He screamed, tried to do everything in his power to move, to wake up—anything. But it was only his mind. And he could even feel that loosening, becoming darker with every second that ticked by.

—AAAAAAA!!!!

There was still something he could control with only his mind. His sixth sense was still there, moving ever so slightly when he willed it to stretch and expand. He desperately poured his power into the marble that Sina had given him, hoping it would do something.

There was no response at all. And something was trying to force him to lose consciousness.

He knew it was only his sixth sense that was keeping him awake. He felt it so much more clearly now. It forced his nerves to stay active, and he finally understood what he’d have to do to make it move efficiently. He swirled the power through his consciousness, his body—which he didn’t feel with his sensory organs, but with his power.

But there was nothing he could do to change the situation.

Elias wanted to cry. He wanted to shout, wanted to flail his limbs, wanted to bite his tongue. But there was no response, and he was stuck eternally in the prison of nothingness.

What would happen if Sina forcefully pulled him away from the linker? There was a reason why there was a sturdy covering. Would it kill him?

And Sina would have to be alone. She’d lose the only purpose she had in life, and she’d want to kill herself again.

He despised that thought.

Who? Who decided that she should die? Who decided that he should die? He wouldn’t die, never in a million years. He was able to keep his thoughts running, and he’d wait until he was rescued.

But time was very slow.

Elias began counting.

⤙ ◯ ⤚

“Elias. Elias!”

It was a familiar voice.

“Twenty-eight...thousand...three...?”

It was still dark. He wanted to give up by now, but he was barely keeping himself from falling asleep. His power motivated him, but he was running dry. Any more, and he’d go mad. Or had he gone mad? But the voice spoke to him again.

“Elias! Here, open your eyes. Look up!”

Elias looked up.

Suddenly, his eyes were open, and he was in his room, seated on his bed. And he was looking at someone. Someone he’d lost months ago. It still felt like yesterday since he’d last saw her.

“Crystal?”

“I’m so glad I found you,” she cried, hugging him. He was about to move back when he remembered that Crystal was an SPC, not a real person. But he still felt bad.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I have someone I love now,” he said.

Crystal pushed back and looked at him. “That’s wonderful!”

“What’s happening?” he asked. He was glad to have his body again, but something felt terribly wrong. “Why am I here? And why was I in the dark for so long?”

Elias groaned. “What’s wrong with the world? How are you here? Don’t tell me everything was just an Otherworld.”

“No, it’s not.”

He stopped to listen after seeing Crystal’s stern face.

“Listen closely,” she told him, holding his shoulders. “I just saved you from falling into cryosleep.”

“You—” Elias frowned. “Are you the same Crystal I know?”

“Yes, and no,” she said. “I’m the same one before you were sent here, but now I also have your memories with me while you were here. So, you could say I’m one and the same, with only a few missing parts. So, how have you been doing? Did you find out who shot me?”

Elias wanted to cry. “It is you. Do you have any idea how much I suffered?”

“Yes.”

“Of course you do,” Elias sighed. “Wait. What do you mean by cryosleep?”

“It’s exactly as I’ve said it. The people in the world are somewhere very far away, protected from everything that is going on. The system automatically registered you as a missing profile and attempted to do the same for you, but you managed to stay awake. It was an anomaly that I noticed—I could sense your code from anywhere. I was made for you, after all, so I’m naturally attracted to you. So I stopped the sleep from happening, and now you’re here.”

“I can’t believe it. Is that even allowed?”

Crystal shrugged. “No, but I’m smarter than most programs. I can pull a few strings without being noticed. Though, we can’t stay here for long. The system won’t tolerate me for too long.”

“But—how?”

She smiled. “Your conversations with me—they really changed my coding. You changed me, Elias, and I was granted something more from the system.”

“You know things now.” A thousand questions ran through his mind. “Why was I sent here? Why me? Who sent Sina? Who’s trying to kill her? This doesn’t make any sense.”

“I’ll explain everything once we’re outside,” she told him. “I know I received your permission before, but I’ll ask again. May I do whatever I want to assist you to my fullest potential?”

“Yes.” Elias held in a sniff. “Glad to have you back.”

Crystal smiled sweetly, the perfect smile that he’d missed seeing. “Glad to see you,” she said. She cleared her throat. “Okay. Because there’s no drone to link me to you, I’ll have to override the nanites in your body to be with you. It means that you won’t be able to use a linker again until you get a new injection.”

“It’s not like I can use them after what happened,” Elias said. “Do it.”

He was worried when his senses vanished and his vision turned black, but when he opened his eyes, he was back in the chair again. He felt tired but more alive at the same time. Like he’d been injected with adrenaline in a cold shower after running a marathon. His skin was sensitive, but the insides of his arms, legs, and body were dull.

“Crystal?”

“I’m here,” she spoke. Her floating image appeared before him.

“Why are you so...small?”

“Limited storage,” she sighed. “There were other things I installed that you’ll need very much, given your situation.”

He nodded. With a groan, he pushed the lid of the linker away and stepped out. His eyes immediately adjusted to the dark with Crystal’s help.

Sina’s lid was open, and she was missing. Turning his head, he saw that the entrance had been ripped apart, wide enough to let a car through.

“What happened?” he breathed. “Do you know?”

“My copy is searching—oh.”

“What?” Elias demanded.

“Your...friend. She was captured.”

“By who? The machines?”

“No. Those are for a different purpose.” Crystal peered in a certain direction. “She was caught by a different group.”

“Who?!”

“Workman wants to protect the world, Elias,” she answered calmly. “But there are people who want to disrupt it. Your friend—they want to take advantage of her powers.”

“Who?!?” Elias was running outside by now.

“The Engans.”

“The what?”

“The Engans,” Crystal repeated. “They’re a group of criminals going against the current system—and have a major part in the disaster that has plagued the world."

“Disaster? What do you mean?” Elias was shouting by now. “We killed—I killed the source of it all! Are you telling me there are more threats? Ass! What do they want with Sina?!”

At least they hadn’t touched the quad bike and its bags. Remembering what Sina had done, he started the bike and shifted gears. “Crystal. Can you find out where they are?”

“I’ll show it to you.”

A glowing line appeared on the street. “This will lead to where they are currently. But they’re quick. Don’t worry—I promise I’ll lead you to her.”

“Please,” Elias pleaded. “Please do.”

He accelerated, his knuckles white from gripping the handles. This wouldn’t have happened if Sina hadn't broken through the door. He should have convinced her to return the next day. But she was gone now, kidnapped while he was stuck inside a linker.

“There’s something important I have to tell you,” Crystal said, “about the world’s disaster. I don’t know what you defeated, but it wasn’t the source for the Shadows.”

Elias felt a chill run down his spine. “Shadows? That doesn’t make sense. I saw their dead bodies.”

“They’re much more discreet, but they’re very much active. It’s very unusual that you haven’t run into one.”

He opened his mouth in horror. “They’re here?!”

“Yes.”

Crystal’s eyes looked directly into his.

“And for some reason, it seems like they’re avoiding you.”

Something clicked in his mind.

“It must be because of Sina.” His eyes widened. “Was she holding them back all this time? That’s why she was so tired!”

Crystal only shrugged. “Sadly, I can’t detect the supernatural.” Her small body looked around. “But I can detect them. There must be at least a few thousand in the city.”

“A few—ass.”

He had to find Sina.

And soon.