Seventeen years had passed since the Ai's rose to power and eradicating half of the humanity's existence. A world once filled with human life had become nothing more than a fading dream, its infrastructure crumbling under the weight of time. the air was heavy with a sense of finality, as if the Earth itself mourned the near extinction of humanity. The Ai's now calling themselves Dominions as they conquered the whole world. They saw themselves as the pinnacle of evolution, their cold eyes scanning the world they had claimed for their own. For them, humanity was a relic—a fraud, outdated species unfit to coexist in their vision of perfection.

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The sun rose slowly, painting the sky with shades of gold and pink, chasing away the remnants of night. For Haruka, this was no ordinary dawn—it was the day she had dreamed of for years. Her first day of high school had finally arrived, a moment that promised her a glimpse into the outside world she had longed to see.

Haruka had spent her entire life on a remote island in Japan, a quiet place with little more than the bare essentials. Entertainment was scarce, and most of the island’s residents were elderly Dominions, moving through life in a programmed monotony. With such a small population, Haruka was the only student at her school—a lonely reality she had grown used to.

Raised by her foster parents, Haruka had clung to their promise like a lifeline: once she turned 16 and finished elementary school, she would leave the island behind and attend high school in Tokyo. It was the place her parents called the city of dreams, where they believed anything was possible.

Haruka's heart raced with excitement as she imagined the life that awaited her. For the first time, she would be surrounded by people her own age, experiencing the joys of connection and friendship she had never known back on the remote island. How wonderful it would be, she thought.

But reality was far from what she had envisioned. Her classmates, though the same age as her, were cold and distant. Their stiff, mechanical personalities reminded her all too much of the elderly Dominions on the island, as if they had been programmed with the same detached demeanor. The warmth she had longed for was nowhere to be found.

Haruka let out a heavy sigh as she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. These days felt especially heavy—her expectations had been shattered. She frowned, draping an arm over her eyes. “I thought I’d finally make friends my age,” she murmured, her voice tinged with disappointment. “But reality turned out to be much crueler than I imagined. What a letdown.” Closing her eyes, she tried to push the bitter thoughts aside, hoping sleep would offer her some reprieve.

Morning arrived, just like every other. The alarm buzzed at 5 a.m., pulling her from restless dreams. Her apartment was far from school, and she couldn’t afford to be late—not with the strict conditions of her scholarship. By the time she arrived, the day had already settled into its monotonous rhythm.

Students, teachers, and staff moved through the halls with eerie precision, their actions mechanical and predictable, as if programmed to repeat the same motions endlessly. Haruka kept her expression neutral, a poker face masking her growing unease. She did her best to blend in, suppressing the discomfort that gnawed at her from within.

Haruka took her seat, and almost immediately, a female classmate approached her, wearing a cheerful smile.

"Haruka, what did you have for breakfast?" the girl asked, her tone overly friendly.

Haruka forced a polite smile, trying to mirror the enthusiasm. "I had bread, eggs, and a small portion of salad," she replied, pausing briefly. But in her mind, she thought. How many times has she asked me the same question? She sighed inwardly. "How about you, Sakura?" she asked.

Sakura tapped a finger to her chin, pretending to think. "Hmm, I usually don’t eat breakfast because I’m dieting," she said with a wide grin.

Haruka muttered under her breath, "You’ve told me that plenty of times already,"

Still, she smiled at her classmate and furrowed her brow slightly. "Skipping breakfast is bad for your health. You really should eat something."

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Sakura burst into laughter, overly enthusiastic as always. "Stop making that face—you’re so cute!"

Before Haruka could respond, the bell rang. Sakura and the other students immediately rushed to their seats, their movements eerily synchronized, as if following an unseen script.

The teacher entered, his expression stern and unreadable. The students, including Haruka, stood up in perfect unison and greeted him with polite bows.

The class president’s voice rang out first. "Good morning, Sensei."

"Good morning," the rest of the class echoed automatically.

The teacher gave a curt nod, and the students sat in unison, their actions as orderly as ever.

For Haruka, it felt like a scene she had lived countless times before. It’s like being trapped in a loop, she thought, her poker face hiding her frustration. The class progressed exactly as expected—predictable, monotonous, and devoid of surprises.

When the day finally ended, Haruka walked home, her thoughts swirling with the familiar sense of dissatisfaction. Yet, as she passed beneath a bridge on her usual route, something unusual caught her attention.

A young girl stood there, panting heavily, her small frame trembling. She clutched the fabric of her shirt tightly over her chest, her expression tense and strained.

Haruka froze, watching in alarm as the girl staggered and collapsed onto the ground.

She stood silently for a moment, her hands suddenly sweaty as she stared at the girl sprawled on the ground. Without a second thought, she dashed forward and kneeled beside her. she gently lifted the girl's frail body into her arms, noticing how her hand was trembling, confusion welled up inside her.

"Hey! Are you okay?" her voice quivered as she pressed her lips against each other. She saw the girl's face was pale and her breath was fainting.

Yet, while gazing at the young girl's appearance, something about her made her struck, she was oddly different. Her features were delicate, yet unfamiliar compared to the mechanical precision of the Dominions she encountered every day. She hesitated, her hands hovering near the girl's cheek, thinking of touching it.

Suddenly, she heard a faint groan escaping the girl's lip and that made her stiffened. Slowly, the girl's eyelids fluttered open, revealing a pair of striking blue eyes.

Haruka's eyes widened as her eyebrow narrowed up. Blue? That's impossible. her mind raced, a flurry of questions flooding her thoughts. All the Dominions have black eyes. Who... or what is she?

The girl blinked sluggishly, her brow knitting in discomfort. her gaze met Haruka's, a flicker of pain flashing across her face and a sudden warmth spread through Haruka’s arm, drawing her attention to the girl’s trembling hand resting gently on her shoulder.

“P-Please, help me,” the girl whispered, her fragile voice barely audible.

Haruka blinked, her mind reeling as she tried to make sense of the situation. “What happened to you?” she asked, her voice shaky, barely above a whisper.

The girl’s grip on her shoulder tightened as she bit her lip, pain flickering across her pale face. “They… They’re coming to kill me,” she said, her words faltering as her breath hitched. She clutched Haruka’s sleeve tighter, desperation evident in her trembling form. “I-If I stay here any longer, t-they’ll find me. And… I can’t move because I’m wounded.”

Her hand moved weakly to her side, revealing blood seeping through her clothes. Haruka’s stomach twisted at the sight, her breath catching in her throat.

Without hesitation, she shrugged off her blazer, draping it over the girl’s fragile body as her hands were slowly shaking. "My apartment is far," she muttered, swallowing hard against the rising panic." We'll have to stay low."

She hoisted the girl onto her back, her muscles straining as sweat pricked at her brow. Each step felt heavy, the weight of the unknown pressing down on her shoulders. A chill ran down her abdomen as a prickling sensation crept over her—a feeling that someone, or something, was watching them.

“Don’t look back,” Haruka whispered under her breath, forcing her legs to keep moving despite the growing unease.

The girl’s arms tightened around her shoulders. “You’ve noticed, haven’t you?” she whispered, her tone soft yet steady. “The way you’re moving—it’s obvious. If you don’t calm down, they’ll know we’re aware of them.”

Haruka clenched her teeth, trying to steady her breathing. “I’ve never done this before… I don’t know what to do,” she admitted, her voice strained.

The girl pressed herself gently against Haruka’s back, and the warmth of the gesture startled her. “I’ll guide you,” the girl said, her calm voice cutting through the oppressive tension. “But first, we can’t go straight to your apartment. If we do, they’ll know exactly where we’re going. We have to lose them.”

Haruka nodded, the girl’s reassurance grounding her amid the chaos. They moved carefully, weaving through Tokyo’s dimly lit streets. Every step felt suffocating, the weight of unseen eyes heavy on their backs and each Dominion they passed cast cold, unyielding gazes their way—like a glue that stuck to them, scrutinizing and unnerving. The intensity of their stares was enough to send chills down Haruka’s abdomen, yet, to her relief, none of the dominions they passed made a move.

Suddenly, they've heard a faint hum across the sky. they shifted their heads up and saw countless of drones watching their every movement and because of that it made Haruka's eyes widened in shock, sweat running down her face as her breath suddenly become heavy. Then, a familiar voice came, cutting through the tension like a blade. The voice was cheerful with a hint of warmth.