The first thing Sera felt was warmth.
It was faint, but real… She felt the soft heat brushing against her skin.
For a moment, she thought it was the fire again, the flames searing her body as the Sentinels dragged her through the garbage field.
As she reached this thought, her chest tightened, and a wave of panic threatened to overwhelm her.
But then she realized the warmth wasn't burning. It was actually gentle.
At this point, she finally had the courage to open her eyes…
'This…'
The world above her was not steel, not chains, not the endless gray sky of the wasteland. Instead, she saw a ceiling of rough stone and wood.
There was also the dim lantern nearby, giving her a decent view of the room.
She blinked for a moment, still disoriented by her situation. Her mind was struggling to understand what was going on.
Soon, she realized that she was lying on a bed. Her body was wrapped in bandages, her arms and legs bound not by chains but by cloth!
The air was warm, not with smoke, but filled with the faint scent of herbs and medicine. Around her, she heard voices… Without a doubt, they were human voices. They were murmuring, moving, and working around,
She thought she was dreaming.
'Am I still alive?'
Her heart thudded painfully. She remembered the chains, the endless march, the despair. She remembered whispering to herself to let it end.
Yet here she was, breathing, bandaged, and alive.
Her pale eyes darted around the room. She confirmed that there were other beds lined the walls, some occupied, some empty. People moved between them, carrying buckets of water, strips of cloth, bowls of steaming broth.
Their faces were tired but human.
Humans!
She drew in a cold breath as she felt worried. 'Is this another stock room?
The thought chilled her. She remembered the mechanical army's human stock rooms. They were places where captives were stored like cattle, waiting to be used as shields or experimental subjects.
The machines had no mercy. They kept humans alive only to exploit them.
Her body trembled as she thought of this.
Her hands shook uncontrollably. Panic surged through her veins, her chest tightened once again as if she remembered the chains were wrapping around her…
Then, she felt a touch.
Warm fingers closed gently around her hand.
Sera flinched as her eyes turned to her side.
A woman sat beside her bed, her face had signs of age, but it was filled with kindness. She looked to be in her forties as she gently nodded at her.
"My name is Irene," the woman said softly. "You're safe now. This is a human shelter. You're among your own people."
Sera's lips parted, but no words came. Her throat was dry… For now, she could only stare at Irene, her mind struggling to believe.
"You're not in the machines' hands anymore," Irene continued, squeezing her hand gently. "You were rescued. You're alive. You're safe."
The words felt like water over parched earth. She was actually rescued!
So it was true that human shelters exist!
Her body shook harder, but this time it wasn't panic… She was relieved!
Tears welled in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks.
She hadn't cried in weeks, not since the Sentinels had taken her. She had thought she had no tears left. But now, they came freely.
Irene brushed her hair back gently… "It's all right. Let it out. You've suffered enough."
Sera sobbed quietly, her body trembling against the bed.
Across the room, another cry broke out.
Althea.
Her eyes snapped open, wide with terror. She gasped, quickly gripping the sheets, as if she could use them as a shield.
"No… no, not again!" she cried.
"Don't take me back! Don't—"
Her body convulsed as panic was overwhelming her. She tried to sit up, but pain shot through her limbs, forcing her back down.
Irene moved quickly, leaving Sera's side to kneel beside Althea. She placed her hands firmly on Althea's shoulders, grounding her. "Listen to me. You're safe. You're not with them anymore. This is a shelter. Humans live here. You're free."
Irene knew what they were feeling right now… Eight years ago, she had also escaped from the mechanical army. It was difficult to recover but she was able to do it after getting help within the shelter.
Soon, Althea shook her head violently, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps.
"No… no, they'll come back. They always come back. Miguel… Miguel said someone would save us, but he's gone. He's gone!"
Her voice broke, and she sobbed…
Irene held her firmly. "You're not alone anymore. You're not in their hands. You're safe."
At the doorway, Kai's eyes lingered on the two broken women.
Their sobs, their trembling bodies, the way Irene had to hold them just to keep them grounded… it struck him harder than any battle.
This was the apocalypse in its truest form. Not just machines tearing through flesh and steel, but the way life and death could be decided in an instant.
A single misstep, a single unlucky encounter, and a person's entire existence was reduced to chains, scars, or silence.
Hu~
Kai breathed out, and the pressure eased from his chest.
In that moment, Kai resolved himself. He would build a better shelter, and it had to become the best fortress humanity could have to fight against the A.I. Civilization.
It wasn't only for humanity. It was for himself.