The sound of the blind constantly being opened and closed, while a gaze was behind the window.
It was Zak.
Due to all the sightings observed, he was clearly half worried, since, despite the military, the number of these individuals was increasing throughout the central area.
The worst part was that Zak lived within the radius of the area, something that made him vulnerable to whatever was happening outside, in the streets.
“Mmph” Zak sighed, giving himself two light slaps on the face.
“I need to calm down, I’m becoming paranoid.
Calm down, Zak… Trust in your government…?” Who was he kidding.
Zak didn’t trust his government.
Despite all their efforts, they were always outmatched.
There was no safe place left.
He would probably move in with his mother to the countryside.
After all, the descents wouldn’t have to happen, or rather, they wouldn’t harm the countryside people much.
A heat reason why his mother moved.
While Zak looked through his window, he saw a hooded guy pass by and tensed up.
“Something’s not right…” he told himself as he sweated from the moment.
Besides, the person who passed seemed hurried and, worst of all, dressed in black.
He had to go corroborate who exactly it was.
If necessary, kick him out of the building, because despite the fear, he wouldn’t allow just anyone to enter his building.
He went to his room, crouched under his bed and pulled out an old baseball bat from when he practiced younger.
With it he went out to the living room and then out of the apartment.
He followed the steps where the subject had headed, walked through the hallways carefully and, after a while, saw him.
A hooded guy kneeling, while taking something out of his pocket and trying to stick it to the wall.
“Hey, you!” Zak said in a strong tone to not show fear.
The subject jumped slightly from the scare, stood up right away and ran off, leaving the microchip thrown on the floor.
Zak, without waiting, ran after him, but the subject turned out to be faster.
So much so that he was already running on the outskirts of the building, getting lost in the streets with the other people.
“Shit…” Zak muttered.
He turned, ready to leave and call emergency services to report about the sighting, but noticed some kind of microchip that was shining on the floor.
He knelt down and took it in his hands while examining it.
This one seemed to have strange symbols and an odd shape.
“What are you, huh?” he muttered.
“Zak, is that you?” said a voice in front of him.
Without wasting time, Zak put the microchip in his pocket while standing up.
In front of him was a girl with orange hair, eyes like the sunset, a serious look that seemed more nervous and simple clothes, with a spatula as her only defense.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
“Mmph, you plan to defend yourself with a spatula?” he chuckled lightly.
“What?!” the girl exclaimed.
“That you plan to defend yourself with a spatula” Zak replied.
“Don’t bother…
I didn’t find anything else to defend myself with” the girl mentioned.
“Did you also see the weird man pass by?” “Yes, I saw him too.
I went out to confront him, but he ran off.” “You know you could’ve died, right?” the girl contradicted.
“Mmph, yeah…
But luckily he just ran off” Zak clarified.
“Well, it’s better to call emergency services and tell them about this sighting.” “That’s what I was planning to do” Zak added as he took out his cell phone.
After a while the emergency responders finally arrived with two soldiers and a detective who took charge of examining the area.
They left, but that doesn’t change the fact that security doubled in the area and that from time to time a soldier would come to watch the building.
I didn’t tell them about the microchip because I was planning to study it.
When I was younger I dedicated myself to everything related to baseball, robotics and programming.
Without a doubt, the most productive thing I managed to do in my entire life.
Well, it was already Saturday afternoon.
It was a good time to go buy the tickets and some souvenirs for Mom.
After all, tomorrow I’d have to go visit her.
The trip would probably last two days.
“I’ll try to change the direction of where I take the bus, if possible that it’s far from the central area.
I wouldn’t like something to happen right when I want to visit my mother.
Shit…
I’m worried again.
Calm down, Zak, everything’s going to be fine.
How to calm down?
If yesterday Friday all the damn day, I don’t know if I was the only one or not, I managed to see first how in the park lots of weird guys walking around alleys, the bar, even my favorite malt shop.
I didn’t like this at all anymore.
I feel like if I stay here I’m going to end up becoming paranoid.
That’s why I’m planning to better go live with Mom.
When I go visit her I’ll let her know about my idea.
More likely she’ll accept.
Who doesn’t like the idea of living with their son?
Obviously, if he’s not a freeloader.
A middle-aged man with a blue vest that had a bird logo on his chest sighed before speaking:” “How many tickets do you want?” “Just one.” The man typed something on his computer next to him and then turned to Zak once more: “All set.
You can check your ticket through your account, the screenshots should have arrived.
Total would be ten dollars.” Zak sighed while making the payment.
“One question: it doesn’t matter where I take the bus from…
it’ll still pick me up, right?” “Yes.
If you want you can take the bus from Stop Seven, away from the central area.
I understand you, it’s terrifying to think something is happening and not even exercise can stop it.” “Okay, thank you very much.” After that, Zak left as he walked down the street.
I should buy Mom something.
After all she gave me this nice medallion.
He thought as he briefly held his gold heart-shaped medallion that inside had the photo of his father, Mom and him on one of their outings when he was younger and they were all together.
Once he was already at his house, with a bunch of bags due to his shopping, he began to wrap them carefully.
That’s how the afternoon passed wrapping the gifts he was planning to take to his mother.
Agust smiled while looking satisfied at a large screen that read “100%”.
“It’s finished” Agust exclaimed.
“Yes, sir…” the scientist next to him replied.
Both men were satisfied while behind them the other anti-soldiers watched them.
“Can it stabilize for more than an hour, correct?” Agust asked.
“Of course, sir.
According to my calculations everything points to yes” the scientist answered.
“Excellent.” After that, Agust turned around to head toward his squad.
“Tomorrow will be the day this world is purified!
We will be considered heroes despite everything we did.
One more victory for the Anti-militaries!” Agust exclaimed happily while the others raised their fists happily in a sign of victory.
“Sir, you didn’t specify what we’ll do yet” the scientist contradicted.
“Oh, right.
Tomorrow, when the minimum descent occurs, we must act!
Eliminate the civilians that are inside the area and, if soldiers appear…” he paused to smile maliciously “eliminate them without hesitation.
Better if it’s General Wilse.” Everyone nodded while celebrating.
But the scientist next to him was half nervous, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief he had taken out of his lab coat briefly.
After that, Agust secretly performed the same steps as the day before to access his secret room, where he went down the stairs arriving at his private room.
He settled inside the circle while lighting the candles and then concentrated on his usual meditation, something he had already gotten used to.
The sound of the monitors and beeps stopped slowly while little by little Agust’s shoulders, for some reason, tensed up.
Something strange, because it never happened.
When Agust opened his eyes…
“My lord?” said Agust confused at not seeing Saimon sitting in his chair nor anywhere.
A whisper reached Agust’s ear while he was still confused: “[You’re doing well…
Keep it up and soon this world will be saved…
You will be a savior, Agust.
The great Agust.]” For some reason, the whisper in Agust’s ear caused him to feel a shiver, but also a need and joy to know that soon everything would end: the suffering and the damn descents.
Once again, Agust was dismissed from the area while he, without knowing it, behind him was Saimon.
But his expression was different: his face had a malicious smile and terrifying look while darkness surrounded him.
“Soon…” Agust whispered.
…
The sound of the light bulb flickering, threatening to break, while two people talked at a table.
“I understand you, Zak.
You want to leave…
But don’t forget to cancel the last month, because a few just left recently, but they left without paying” Mrs.
Wik explained.
“I understand, Mrs.
Wik.
You can rest easy that I’ll pay you” Zak clarified.
“Okay, young man.
I trust you.
Well, it was a pleasure having you in the building.
When did you say you were leaving?” she asked.
“Next week maybe.
This week I was planning to visit my mother first and see how it was.” “I understand, that’s fine then.” “Thank you.” After that, Zak left the building manager’s apartment while she sighed looking at the moon.
“Tomorrow is the day…” Zak said to himself, thinking that soon he would leave this chaos.