The wind didn't feel normal anymore.
Raka noticed it first.
"…Do you feel that?" he asked.
Aira nodded slowly, her eyes scanning the horizon. "Yeah. It's… too organized."
"Organized?" Raka raised an eyebrow.
"The wind," Aira said. "It's not random. It's moving in patterns."
Raka looked around.
At first, it just felt like a strong breeze.
But then—
He saw it.
Dust wasn't swirling freely.
It was circling.
Forming rings.
Like something invisible was breathing.
"…That's not good," he muttered.
Aira stood up, a bit unsteady. Raka quickly supported her.
"Hey, easy," he said. "You just came back from almost killing me."
Aira gave him a weak look. "You're still bringing that up?"
"I almost died," Raka replied.
"You talk too much for someone who almost died."
"Yeah, well, I survived."
"Barely."
They stared at each other for a second.
Then both of them smiled slightly.
The moment was short.
Too short.
Aira's expression turned serious again.
"It's coming," she said.
Raka followed her gaze.
The sky.
It looked normal.
Blue.
Clear.
Peaceful.
But something felt… wrong.
"…I don't see anything," he said.
"You will," Aira replied.
Silence.
Then—
A sound.
High-pitched.
Like metal scraping against glass.
Raka covered his ears slightly. "What is that?"
Aira's eyes widened.
"…No way."
"What?"
"They're deploying it already?"
"Deploying what?"
Aira didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she grabbed his arm.
"We need to move. Now."
"Wait—what is it?"
"No time!"
The sound grew louder.
Sharper.
More painful.
Raka winced. "Okay, yeah, I'm convinced. Let's go!"
They started running.
Fast.
Through broken streets.
Past abandoned cars.
The sound followed them.
Closer.
Closer.
"Why does it feel like it's inside my head?!" Raka shouted.
"Because it is!" Aira replied.
"WHAT?!"
"It's scanning!"
Raka almost tripped. "Scanning for what?!"
"For us!"
"Of course it is!"
They turned into a narrow alley.
The sound suddenly stopped.
Silence.
Heavy.
Unnatural.
Raka slowed down.
"…That's worse," he whispered.
Aira nodded.
"Don't stop," she said. "Silence means it found something."
Raka looked around nervously.
"…Us?"
Aira didn't answer.
Instead—
She looked up.
Slowly.
Raka followed her gaze.
And froze.
"…Oh," he said.
"…Yeah," Aira replied.
The sky was no longer empty.
Something was there.
Floating.
Far above them.
At first, it looked small.
Like a dot.
But then—
It moved.
And the "dot" unfolded.
Expanding.
Stretching.
Like metal wings opening.
"…Is that a drone?" Raka asked.
Aira shook her head.
"…No."
The thing in the sky shifted again.
Its shape changed constantly.
One second, it looked like a bird.
Next second, like a blade.
Then—
Like an eye.
A massive, glowing eye.
Staring directly at them.
Raka felt his stomach drop.
"…It sees us."
Aira's voice was quiet.
"Yeah."
The eye pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
The sound came back.
But louder.
Sharper.
Raka dropped to one knee.
"Ah—my head—!"
"It's locking on!" Aira shouted.
"How do we stop it?!"
Aira hesitated.
"…We don't."
Raka looked at her.
"What do you mean we don't?!"
"We run!"
"That's your plan?!"
"Yes!"
The ground beneath them vibrated.
Raka looked up again.
The eye was glowing brighter.
Energy gathered around it.
"…It's charging something," he said.
Aira grabbed his arm.
"MOVE!"
They ran.
Again.
This time faster.
Desperately.
The alley wasn't enough.
They needed cover.
"Inside!" Aira pointed.
A half-collapsed building.
Raka didn't argue.
They rushed in.
Just as—
BOOM.
A beam of light struck the ground behind them.
The entire street exploded.
Debris flew everywhere.
The building shook violently.
Raka slammed against a wall.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!"
"Targeted strike!" Aira shouted.
"IT CAN DO THAT?!"
"Yes!"
"WHY DOES EVERYTHING WANT ME DEAD?!"
"Because you're special!"
"That's not comforting!"
Another blast.
Closer this time.
The ceiling cracked.
Dust fell like rain.
Raka coughed.
"We can't stay here!"
"I know!"
Aira looked around quickly.
Thinking.
Calculating.
"…There!" she pointed.
A staircase.
Leading down.
"Basement?" Raka asked.
"Yes!"
"Is that safe?!"
"No!"
"Great!"
They rushed down the stairs.
The moment they reached the bottom—
Another explosion hit above.
The entire upper floor collapsed.
Blocking the entrance.
Darkness filled the basement.
Raka turned on a small flashlight from his pocket.
"…Please tell me this thing can't see through walls."
Aira was quiet.
"…Aira?"
She looked at him.
"…It doesn't need to."
Raka sighed.
"Of course it doesn't."
The sound returned again.
But softer now.
Like a whisper.
"It's adapting," Aira said.
"Adapting to what?"
"To us hiding."
Raka leaned against the wall.
Breathing heavily.
"…So what do we do?"
Aira didn't answer immediately.
She closed her eyes.
Focusing.
"I might be able to interfere with its signal," she said.
Raka blinked.
"You can do that?"
"Maybe."
"That doesn't sound confident."
"It's not."
Raka sighed.
"Okay, what's the risk?"
Aira opened her eyes.
"It might detect me… directly."
"And?"
"And then it won't just attack randomly."
Raka froze.
"…It'll go straight for you."
Aira nodded.
"Yes."
Silence.
Raka looked at her.
"…Do it."
Aira frowned.
"You didn't even think about it."
"I did."
"For how long?"
"Half a second."
"That's not enough."
"It is when the alternative is dying anyway."
Aira stared at him.
Then—
She smiled slightly.
"…You're still reckless."
"And you still like me."
Aira rolled her eyes.
"Idiot."
"Your idiot."
"…Shut up."
She took a deep breath.
Then sat down on the floor.
"I need a few seconds," she said.
"Take your time," Raka replied. "I'll just sit here and panic quietly."
"I can still hear you."
"Good."
Aira closed her eyes again.
Her body became still.
Completely still.
Raka watched her.
"…Please work," he whispered.
The sound in the air shifted.
Glitching.
Like a broken signal.
Aira's fingers twitched.
"Almost…" she murmured.
Above them—
The eye flickered.
Its glow became unstable.
Raka looked up.
"…Hey, I think it's working!"
Aira didn't respond.
Her breathing became uneven.
"…Aira?"
"…Almost there…"
The sound warped.
Distorted.
Then—
Silence.
Complete silence.
Raka blinked.
"…Did we just win?"
Aira opened her eyes slowly.
"…Not yet."
Raka frowned.
"What do you mean not yet?"
Aira looked up.
Her expression changed.
"…Because it learned."
Raka felt a chill.
"…Learned what?"
Aira stood up.
"…Where we are."
Raka's eyes widened.
"…Oh no."
Above them—
The eye reappeared.
But different.
Bigger.
Closer.
And now—
Multiple.
Raka stumbled back.
"…That's not fair."
Aira's voice was quiet.
"They multiplied."
"How do we fight that?!"
Aira didn't answer.
Because—
They both already knew.
They couldn't.
The ground above them started cracking.
Light seeped through.
"…It's going to break in," Raka said.
Aira grabbed his hand.
"Then we break out first."
Raka blinked.
"…You have a plan?"
Aira smirked slightly.
"Not really."
"Great."
She pointed to a wall.
"We go through there."
"That's concrete."
"I know."
Raka sighed.
"…Of course it is."
Another crack.
Louder.
The ceiling started collapsing.
"NOW!" Aira shouted.
Raka didn't hesitate.
He stepped back.
Then—
Ran forward.
And punched the wall.
CRACK.
Pain shot through his arm.
But the wall—
Broke.
"AGAIN!" Aira shouted.
Raka punched again.
And again.
Each hit breaking more of the wall.
Behind them—
The ceiling collapsed.
Light flooded in.
The eyes were watching.
Waiting.
Raka roared and delivered one final punch.
The wall shattered.
"GO!" Aira yelled.
They rushed through.
Just as—
The basement collapsed completely.
They emerged outside.
Into another street.
But—
It wasn't empty.
Raka froze.
"…Aira…"
She saw it too.
Standing in the middle of the road.
Waiting.
A figure.
Tall.
Still.
Humanoid.
But not human.
Its body was covered in black armor.
Smooth.
Perfect.
Its face—
Blank.
No eyes.
No mouth.
Just a smooth surface.
"…That's new," Raka whispered.
Aira's grip tightened.
"…No," she said.
"What?"
Her voice trembled.
"…I know what that is."
Raka looked at her.
"…And?"
Aira swallowed.
"…We're not supposed to survive this."
The figure moved.
Slowly.
One step forward.
Then—
It spoke.
Without a mouth.
Without sound.
But they both heard it.
Inside their heads.
"Target confirmed."
Raka's heart pounded.
"…I really hate that."
Aira stepped in front of him.
"…Raka."
"Yeah?"
"…If something happens—"
"No."
"You don't even know what I'm going to say."
"I do."
"…You always interrupt me."
"Because I don't like your ideas."
Aira almost smiled.
"…Idiot."
"Your idiot."
The figure raised its hand.
Energy gathered.
Stronger than before.
Much stronger.
Raka felt it.
"…This is different," he said.
Aira nodded.
"…This is an execution unit."
Raka blinked.
"…That sounds bad."
"It is."
The figure spoke again.
"Eliminate both targets."
Raka took a deep breath.
"…Okay."
He cracked his neck.
"…Let's try not to die."
Aira looked at him.
"…Stay behind me."
Raka smirked.
"…Not happening."
The figure moved.
Instantly.
Faster than anything before.
Raka barely saw it.
Aira reacted.
She blocked—
BOOM.
The impact sent shockwaves through the street.
Raka was thrown back.
"AIRA!"
Dust filled the air.
Silence.
Then—
Aira flew out of the smoke.
Crashing into a wall.
Hard.
Raka's eyes widened.
"…No way."
The figure stepped out of the dust.
Unharmed.
Perfect.
Untouched.
Raka's chest tightened.
"…We can't win this."
Aira slowly stood up.
Blood on her lips.
"…Yeah."
She wiped it.
Then looked at him.
"But we have to try."
Raka forced a smile.
"…Together?"
Aira nodded.
"…Together."
The figure raised its hand again.
Energy surged.
Stronger.
Brighter.
Deadlier.
Raka took a step forward.
Then—
Something changed.
Aira froze.
"…Wait."
Raka frowned.
"What?"
Aira's eyes widened.
"…That signal…"
"What signal?"
Aira looked at the figure.
Then—
At Raka.
"…It's not just targeting us."
Raka blinked.
"…What?"
Aira's voice dropped.
"…It's calling something."
Raka felt a chill run down his spine.
"…Calling what?"
The sky darkened.
Suddenly.
Violently.
The wind stopped.
Again.
The eyes in the sky—
All of them—
Turned upward.
Like they were afraid.
Raka slowly looked up.
"…That can't be good."
The clouds split open.
Something massive moved behind them.
Too big to see clearly.
Too big to understand.
Aira's voice trembled.
"…Raka…"
"Yeah?"
"…We need to run."
Raka didn't move.
"…I don't think running is enough this time."
The thing above—
Shifted.
Descending.
Slowly.
Endlessly.
The execution unit stepped back.
For the first time—
It hesitated.
Raka's heart stopped.
"…Did that thing just get scared?"
Aira whispered—
"…That's not supposed to happen."
The sky cracked.
Light poured through.
And something—
Started coming down.
"Final protocol… activated."
Raka stared upward.
Frozen.
"…Aira…"
"…Yeah?"
"…What is that?"
Aira's answer came in a whisper.
Full of fear.
"…The end."
---
To be continued…