Daniel trudged several paces behind the group, his eyes scanning the barren landscape for threats. He had stayed on their trail only out of obligation—or so he told himself. The truth gnawed at him, unspoken. Maybe it was Lily's words that lingered, that talk of strength in numbers. Maybe it was something deeper, something he wasn’t ready to name.

Ahead, the group trudged forward, Lily at the helm, her rifle slung across her back. She moved with purpose, her eyes darting to the horizon as she reassured the others. Despite the weight of their journey, she carried herself like she believed they had a chance.

Daniel snorted. Hope was a dangerous thing.

The terrain shifted as they moved, the cracked asphalt giving way to twisted metal and chunks of concrete. They reached a section where the remnants of an overpass loomed overhead, its support beams skeletal and broken. Daniel’s pace slowed. The place was perfect for an ambush.

“Hold up,” he muttered, stepping forward. Lily glanced back, her brow furrowed but her steps halting.

“What is it?” she asked.

Daniel didn’t respond immediately. His eyes traced the shadows, searching for any sign of movement. Satisfied, he motioned for them to proceed, though his grip tightened on his steel pipe.

The group murmured amongst themselves, voices hushed. Snatches of conversation drifted back to Daniel.

“...further north might be safe...”

“...if we just find enough supplies…”

“We can’t keep running like this forever.”

He tuned them out, his mind flicking back to their earlier encounter with the machines. He could still hear the whirr of servos, the clang of metal against metal as his pipe smashed through the hunters. The moment replayed in his mind, unbidden, alongside memories he would rather forget. Memories of the first time he had killed a machine, of how its destruction hadn’t felt like a victory. It had felt like survival, nothing more.

His attention snapped back as Lily fell into step beside him.

“You’re tense,” she said quietly.

He glanced at her, unsure how to respond. She had a way of stating the obvious, though her tone wasn’t unkind. “This place doesn’t feel right.”

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

She nodded, her expression thoughtful. “We’ll move quickly, then. Keep an eye out for anything useful.”

Despite himself, Daniel found himself following her lead as they searched the area. His trained eyes picked out materials the others overlooked—wires, small scraps of metal, even a few intact batteries. When he tossed the findings into the group’s makeshift bag, Lily’s lips quirked in a faint smile.

“Efficient,” she remarked.

“I’m not here to impress you,” he said gruffly.

“I know.”

Her answer surprised him, though he kept his face neutral. He didn’t know what to make of her. She was different from anyone he’d encountered in years—unshaken, somehow, despite the world falling apart around them.

They were interrupted by a shout from one of the others. “Over here! I found something.”

Daniel’s stomach sank as he approached. What they had found wasn’t a treasure, but a warning—a mangled body surrounded by broken machine parts. The sight was grisly, the blood long dried, but it told a story. Whoever this had been, they hadn’t stood a chance.

“We need to go,” Daniel said, his voice sharp. “Now.”

The group hesitated, but Lily nodded, rallying them with quiet urgency. “Let’s move.”

As they resumed their march, tension crackled in the air. One of the men, a wiry figure named Tomas, sidled up to Daniel.

“What’s your angle?” Tomas asked bluntly.

Daniel shot him a sidelong glance. “I don’t have one.”

“Yeah? Then why are you still here? People like you don’t stick around unless they’re after something.”

Daniel stopped walking, his gaze hardening. “I’m here because I don’t want you all getting killed. But if you’d rather go it alone, be my guest.”

The man’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t respond. Lily intervened before the situation could escalate.

“That’s enough,” she said firmly, her voice cutting through the tension. “We’re all on the same side here.”

Tomas muttered something under his breath and fell back, leaving Daniel and Lily alone again. She glanced at him, her expression unreadable.

“Not everyone trusts as easily as I do,” she said quietly. “But trust can grow.”

Daniel didn’t respond. Trust wasn’t a luxury he could afford.

----------------------------------------

The group pressed on, the gray sky above them darkening. They found no respite, only the endless stretch of desolation. When the faint hum of a drone’s engine reached Daniel’s ears, his blood ran cold.

“Everyone down!” he hissed, dropping to the ground. The others followed suit, their movements frantic. Daniel’s eyes scanned the sky, locking onto the source of the sound. A small aerial drone hovered in the distance, its sleek form unlike any he had seen before.

“It’s scouting,” he murmured. “If it sees us, we’re done.”

The group held their breath as the drone drifted closer, its camera swiveling methodically. Daniel’s muscles tensed, every instinct screaming at him to move, to fight, but he stayed rooted in place. When the drone finally moved on, the tension broke like a dam.

But the reprieve was short-lived. Daniel knew what came next.

“They’ll send more,” he said, his voice grim. “We need to move. Fast.”

Lily’s expression hardened. “Then let’s not waste time.”

As the group picked up the pace, Daniel couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes on them. The machines were always watching, always waiting. And this time, he wasn’t sure if they’d make it out alive.