City That Watches Back

Xin stayed awake.

The figure from earlier never returned.

Or maybe it did.

That was the problem with Veykar.

You stopped trusting your own eyes after a while.

The subway station remained quiet.

Too quiet.

Everyone slept except Orion.

And Rion.

And Xin.

Which meant nobody important slept.

Morning arrived without sunlight.

The sky above Veykar remained covered by black clouds and Bloom structures stretching between towers.

Breakfast was quiet.

Sia distributed food.

Nobody complained about taste anymore.

Dren looked miserable eating canned beans.

“This city sucks.”

Tara answered immediately.

“Yes.”

The group moved deeper.

Old subway tunnels connected to maintenance systems.

Maintenance systems connected to underground roads.

Underground roads connected back into the city.

Nothing made sense.

Nora noticed first.

“We passed this already.”

Everyone stopped.

The same building.

Same collapsed sign.

Same burned vehicle.

Xin frowned.

“No we didn’t.”

“Yes we did.”

Tara looked toward Orion.

Orion looked annoyed.

“Do not trust direction here.”

Xin blinked.

“What.”

Orion pointed upward.

“The city changes.”

Silence.

Dren laughed nervously.

“Funny joke.”

Orion looked directly at him.

“Not joking.”

They reached surface level again.

Immediately everyone froze.

The street changed.

Buildings leaned inward unnaturally.

Roads twisted.

Some skyscrapers connected together through Bloom growth.

One building looked upside down.

Sia quietly spoke.

“This city feels alive.”

Nobody answered.

Because she was probably correct.

Hours later.

Nora suddenly raised her hand.

“Movement.”

Everyone grabbed weapons.

Far ahead.

People.

Actual people.

Children.

Adults.

Families.

Walking.

Xin stared.

“There are survivors.”

Orion immediately answered.

“No.”

The people continued walking.

None looked injured.

None reacted.

They simply walked.

Toward a giant Bloom structure.

Slowly.

Like sleepwalkers.

Sia stepped forward.

“We should help.”

Orion grabbed her shoulder.

“Do not.”

One child turned.

Smiled.

Then kept walking.

Xin’s stomach tightened.

Something felt wrong.

Very wrong.

The people reached the giant Bloom structure.

Then.

They simply walked inside it.

Like entering water.

Gone.

Nobody moved.

Tara slowly spoke.

“We keep moving.”

Later.

They reached an intersection.

Huge roads.

Collapsed bridges.

Massive statues.

And finally.

They saw it.

Dive Facility Zero.

Far away.

Gigantic.

Larger than mountains.

Black structures covered it.

The facility itself looked merged with Bloom growth.

Huge towers pierced clouds.

Broken bridges connected buildings.

Lights flickered inside.

Xin stared.

“That’s it.”

Orion nodded.

“Yes.”

Rion looked uneasy.

“We’re walking into that.”

“Yes.”

Dren looked ready to cry.

“Fantastic.”

As they moved.

Xin suddenly stopped.

The necklace.

Kaila’s necklace.

Warm.

He touched it.

Confused.

Then heard it.

Very quietly.

“Xin.”

He turned instantly.

Nobody.

Again.

“Xin.”

This time closer.

Rion immediately noticed.

“You hear it.”

Xin nodded slowly.

Orion looked serious.

“Ignore it.”

Xin frowned.

“That voice.”

Orion interrupted.

“IGNORE IT.”

Silence.

Xin looked away.

But the voice remained.

Very quiet.

Very familiar.

Night approached.

They entered another abandoned building to rest.

Everyone spread out.

Weapons ready.

Tara looked toward the facility far away.

“We reach it tomorrow.”

Nobody looked excited.

Xin sat near broken windows.

Looking outside.

Then.

He saw it again.

The tall figure.

Standing on a distant rooftop.

Watching.

Motionless.

This time.

It did not disappear.

Xin slowly stood.

“Guys.”

Everyone turned.

The rooftop.

Empty.

The figure gone.

Silence.

Then Orion quietly said:

“It knows we arrived.”

Xin looked toward him.

“What knows.”

Orion looked toward the massive facility.

His expression changed.

“Something older than Andy.”

The building suddenly shook.

Not from outside.

From below.

Everyone froze.

Something moved beneath them.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

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