He opened his eyes.
He was in some kind of house... No—it looked more like a storeroom filled with furniture and decorative items. But the material the items were made of was strange—it wasn't wood or metal. It seemed weak and fragile. He picked up a small chair. It looked like it was meant for a two- or three-year-old child.
"Maybe… a dwarf?" he wondered.
Many questions ran through his head, but the one he most wanted the answer to was—where was he, and who was he?
He didn't remember anything. His head spun; he felt like he was going to vomit. He looked ahead and saw a window, its glass shattered.
In one of the large pieces of glass shard he saw his own reflection. His skin is sun-tanned, a soft bronze tone that hints at time spent outdoors, and faint scars cross his arms—reminders of places and events he can't remember.
His hair is dark brown, unkempt and slightly wavy, falling just above his eyebrows. When light hits it, faint reddish undertones appear. His eyes are a deep grey, almost silver in certain angles—calm but searching
He wears simple, travel-worn clothes: a faded grey shirt, sleeves rolled and frayed at the edges, and black tracks.
He looked out and saw many tall buildings similar to his. He seemed to be on the first floor. In front of each building, above the entrance, was a board with something written on it—but he couldn't read the language.
Then, suddenly, his head started to hurt. When the pain finally stopped, he realized he could now read the letters on the board. He didn't know how or why—but somehow, he understood them now.
BAAAM!
A loud noise echoed behind him.
"Someone there?" he asked.
The room was dark, lit only near the window. He saw a pair of glowing red lights moving closer. The figure's body was faintly visible in the darkness.
"Who's that!? Show yourself!" he shouted.
No reply came. The room was silent. Then the figure began to move toward him. When it stepped out of the shadows, he saw what it was.
It wasn't human. It had no flesh or skin. Every movement made a clinking metallic sound. Whatever it was, it wasn't alive.
Then a thin green light shot out from its eyes, scanning him from head to toe. The light vanished, and both stood still for a moment. Then another wave of pain hit his head—visions, fragments—flashed before him.
Suddenly, he knew what it was.
It was something called a robot—machines once made by humans to serve them. But something had gone wrong. The same creations that were meant to help became the reason for humanity's downfall.
The robot's mechanical voice echoed:
"Intruder found. Eliminating the intruder."
It raised its right arm and aimed at him. The arm split apart and reassembled into the shape of a gun.
He understood what it was about to do. Before it could fire, he ran to his left, sprinting across the room. The more he ran, the more it seemed like the place wasn't a storage room—it was a store filled with furniture, decorative items, plants, and strange objects he couldn't identify.
He dashed between two shelves, taking sharp turns, hoping the robot would lose his trail. But it didn't. He could hear its heavy steps right behind him, matching his speed. He didn't dare look back.
After minutes of running, he hit a dead end. His chest burned. His legs trembled. He thought this was the end.
He crouched, covering his head. Then—BAAM!
He opened his eyes. He was no longer in the store.
He was standing in the middle of a wide, empty road. The road stretched high above the clouds. The sky above was black, with blue and purple gas clouds and clusters of stars surrounding him.Behind him stood a massive golden statue of a being with an elephant's head and a man's body. On either side were two tall red pillars, forming a grand gateway.
He approached the right pillar and noticed a small button.He pressed it.Suddenly, the world vanished. He was surrounded by white—pure white in every direction, stretching endlessly. Then, a voice echoed around him:
"Creating a new world…"
"What? A new world?" he said.
"Error. Creating a new world failed.
Initiating world syncing…
World syncing, successful.
Successfully synced four worlds."
"Four worlds?" he whispered.
"Initiating removal and alteration of the user's memory…"
"What!? Removing my memory!?" he shouted.
"10% completed…
25% completed…"
"Wait! Stop it!"
"50% completed…
99% completed…"
"I said STOP IT, you stupid voice!" he shouted at the air.
"Error. Failed to remove and alter the user's memory."
"Phew… it stopped," he said in relief.
"Error. Launching the user's soul without completing necessary protocols…
Reporting to the main server… Error.
Failed to connect to the main server.
Error. Four users are being launched into the same world."
"Four users? Four others like me?" he muttered.
When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the same place—but things were different. Everything looked brand new. The shattered window was whole again.
Then—crash! Something fell nearby.
He froze. It had to be the robot. Footsteps echoed. Someone—or something—was coming closer. He picked up a small chair made of metal and wood, gripping it tightly as a weapon.
The footsteps grew louder. His heart pounded.He saw a shadow in the dark. This time, he decided to strike first.He raised the chair above his head, ready to attack.
"Wait! Don't hit me, please!!" the figure shouted.
The lights flickered on. The whole store was suddenly bright, lit by something he didn't understand—but it didn't matter.
Before him stood not a robot, but a boy—a human, about his age, maybe younger. The boy had his arms raised over his head, terrified.
The kid looked no older than twelve, standing before him. His hair was a wild tangle of black strands that caught the faint light seeping through the cracks in the window, and his face—smudged with dust and grease—was too young to belong in a place this broken. His clothes were patched in too many places to count: a dark green hoodie two sizes too big, sleeves torn and hanging loose around his hands, and a pair of rugged shorts held up by a rope he'd fashioned into a belt.
When the boy's shadow fell across the kid, His eyes, a striking shade of amber-gold, flashed with both fear and defiance—like an animal cornered yet unbroken.
"Don't hit me! I'm human too! My name is Sameer!" the boy said quickly.
"Wait—you're not a robot?"the boy said. For a moment, the boy thought the kid Sameer was a scavenger trying to survive.
Sameer's breathing steadied. "You're not one of them, are you?" he asked, his voice trembling but curious. There was no distrust in it—only the tone of someone who had learned to read danger faster than most adults ever could.
As he stepped into the light, the boy saw the strange mix of fear and courage written on the boy's face. Despite the dirt and the hollow look in his eyes, there was a spark there—something alive, untamed, and painfully human.
"I thought one was coming to attack me! That's what happened earlier in this place. I barely survived that encounter. I thought I was going to die. And by the way, my name is…"
He stopped. His face went blank.
"Wait. Why don't I remember my name?"He clutched his head, trying to recall. A flash—fire, metal, a scream, a girl's hand slipping away. But it vanished just as quickly.
"Until you remember," Sameer said with a smile, "can I call you Anna? Like… big brother?"
"Wait—how old are you? You look the same age as me," he asked.
"I'm almost thirteen. Just one more month," Sameer said proudly.
Anna sighed. "Alright. I'm thirteen and a half."
"Do you know anything about where we are? What is this place?" Anna asked.
"No," Sameer said, shaking his head. "I have no clue where we are—or how we got here."
Anna and Sameer continued to search the building, hoping to find food, water, or even someone else alive. But the silence around them was haunting.Only the hum of faint machinery echoed through the store halls. The lights flickered above as they moved cautiously, keeping close to the walls.
Then—a sharp mechanical sound.
Clang. Clank. Clang.
Sameer froze. "Anna… do you hear that?"
Before Anna could reply, a loud metallic crash came from behind a row of shelves. A robot burst through, its glowing red eyes locking onto them.
"Multiple intruders detected. Commencing elimination protocol." The robot said.
"Run!" shouted Anna.