Kael’s fingers brushed against cold metal—a ring, rusted and bent, lying on the bridge like a forgotten promise. He picked it up and stared at it in silence for a long time. The wind whispered through dead skyscrapers; somewhere far away, a piece of debris fell, clattered, and then stopped.
No one exists. Why should I?
He raised the ring to his lips, opened his mouth, and prepared to swallow. Prepared to end.
Whoosh.
A glowing bullet tore through the air. It sped past, threading through the ring's center, bending slightly around Kael's finger, traveling in a straight, lethal line. It collided with another bullet fired from somewhere else; metal met metal, sparks erupted, and both rounds shattered in midair, fragments raining down like glass tears.
CRACK.
The gunshot echoed across the dead city. Kael paused, his breath catching. He turned his head slowly and squinted into the distance. A figure leaned against a high building, half-covered in shadow, looking through a sniper scope. The lens caught starlight and glinted once.
What the—
The person moved fast, diving from the ledge. A hand swung forward, and a blade spun through the air—rotating, humming, hungry. Kael's mouth fell open, wide and frozen.
"GET DOWN."
A hand clamped onto his neck, fingers digging in, and dragged him backward hard. The blade passed his nose by an inch; he felt the wind of it, felt the cold. THWACK. It buried itself in the bridge behind him. Another gunshot cracked.
Kael spun and saw a lady, masked and leather-clad. Her hand remained on his collar as she yanked him sideways. Both of them started running, boots slapping the concrete. A car sat at the bridge's edge—low, black, with tires thick as pythons.
"Get in!" She wrenched open the door and slipped inside.
Kael stared, shocked, his mouth still open, his brain lagging.
"Damn! You will die!" Her voice was sharper now, louder.
"Huh?"
She glared at him. He shook his head, shrugged, and then dove into the passenger seat. The doors slammed shut. The car boosted, tires glowing blue-white, burning, screeching, rubber melting into speed.
Shit.
Above them, the assassin dropped from the building, rotating in midair like a falling knife. He landed perfectly on a sleek, black, deadly bike. Its tires sparked and glowed red. Vroom. Vroom. The engine screamed as the bike boosted.
Percy, the masked lady, wrenched the steering wheel and stomped the gas pedal. The car drifted off the bridge, tires smoking, metal groaning. The bike followed, close, closer.
"You should be lucky," Percy's voice was calm, controlled. "He’s an assassin. Hunts for chips. And why would an old kid be on a place like this?"
Kael blinked. "What are you saying? Are there humans alive?"
Percy chuckled, a dry sound with no warmth. "And what’s that supposed to mean? Don’t you know your history? Eighty percent of Geotequar citizens are gone."
Eighty percent.
The car boosted again, G-forces pressing Kael into his seat. So, it hasn’t ended. His voice came out low, almost a whisper. He turned to the window for a while, watching dead buildings blur past, silent. Then, "Then... wow."
A cold smile spread across his face—not happy, not sad, something else. "Ha. Ha."
He chuckled, staring at the windshield for a long moment. His reflection stared back—pale, hollow, grinning wrong. He sighed. Oh well.
His voice dropped, slow and low, each word a stone falling into deep water. "Let the game begin."
Percy turned her head and studied him for half a second. "Hmm. I see you."
The car swerved. Behind them, the assassin banked his bike hard, rode up an ascending flyover, climbing higher and higher, wheels sparking against concrete. He looked down, saw the car speeding on the flat road below, and then he dove. Spinning, rotating, a blue laser sword ignited in his grip—hissing, humming, spitting light.
BOOM.
He landed on the car roof, knees bending to absorb the impact, then spinning to thrust the blade downward. Blue fire erupted and engulfed the ceiling; metal melted, wires screamed, and the roof peeled back like a tin can.
Percy shoved Kael with her boot. He slammed against the door as she leaned back, just as the laser blade stabbed down between them. Sparks showered her shoulder; the car roof burned. She didn't flinch. Instead, she wrenched the wheel left, right, left again. The car swerved wildly, tires screeching, but the assassin held on, clinging to the burning roof, knees digging in, smiling.
Percy shook her head slowly, then raised it. Her eyes flashed gold, red, fire.
"Shit."
The assassin's muttered word was swallowed by a roar. A heavy, hot wind of steam blasted upward; geysers of pressure exploded from the engine. The car swerved violently; the assassin lost his grip, tumbled off, and hit the ground rolling. His clothes caught fire; his laser sword clattered away.
The car boosted, speed doubling, tripling. Kael watched the burning figure shrink in the rear window, grinning slightly, his elbow resting on the case between them. "Nice drive."
Percy glanced at him. "Thank you."
"Your name?"
She reached up and pulled off her mask. Kael swallowed. Long black hair spilled out. High cheekbones. Full lips. Eyes like dark honey. Her jaw was sharp enough to cut glass. Sweat traced a path down her temple to her neck.
His gaze dropped lower, to her chest—curves pressing against leather—to her legs, long, toned, crossed casually as if they weren't fleeing death. His eyes crawled back to her face.
"Hot chick, huh." He smiled.
Percy glanced at him. Her lips curved, but her smile didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah," her voice was flat, measured. "But not for kids like you."
Kael's smile held, just barely. Outside, the dead city rushed past. Somewhere behind them, a burning assassin crawled to his feet. Somewhere above, the stars kept watching.
The game had just begun.