Elian's footsteps echoed through the sterile corridors as he made his way towards the elevator, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. "Five years," he muttered under his breath, his fists clenching involuntarily. "It's almost done. Just a little more." The weight of those five years—the time he and others had endured this hellish existence—bore down on him, turning his eyes to smoldering coals of determination and barely contained rage.

As he rounded a corner, a scene unfolded before him that made his blood run cold. Two men, their eyes gleaming with predatory intent, had cornered a young woman against the wall. She wore the familiar warehouse uniform, but it hung loosely on her frame, accentuating her fragility. There was an air of innocence about her that seemed woefully out of place in this harsh environment—a quality that, tragically, only seemed to fuel the men's inappropriate interest.

"Please, let me go," the woman pleaded, her voice soft but laced with growing panic.

One of the men leaned in, his lips curling into a lascivious grin. "Come on, beauty. We haven't done anything... yet. We just want to know where you live, you understand, don't you?" He winked conspiratorially at his companion, both of them edging closer to their prey.

The woman shook her head vehemently, mustering the courage to push away one of the advancing arms. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know you—I can't give you my address!"

"That's rude," the man retorted, feigning offense. "We're colleagues, aren't we?"

His friend, noticing Elian's approach, nudged him. "Hey, someone's coming."

The instigator turned, his face twisting into a mocking sneer as he recognized Elian. "What are you afraid of? We haven't done anything wrong. He's not worth mentioning." A cruel glint flashed in his eyes as he urged his friend to keep the woman in place. "Want to see something? Watch this carefully."

Swaggering towards Elian, the man called out, "Hey, stop right there!"

Elian, his face an impassive mask, attempted to sidestep the confrontation. "Get on with your little game and pretend I'm not here," he said, his voice low and controlled as he tried to move past.

"I can't do that. You're really there—I'm not blind, you know," the man taunted, his palm landing heavily on Elian's shoulder.

In that instant, a surge of adrenaline coursed through Elian's body, as if arctic winds were caressing his very soul. He turned, fixing the man with a gaze devoid of emotion. The aggressor faltered for a moment, a flicker of fear crossing his face, but Elian simply continued walking.

"I'm tired of this. Here we go again," Elian muttered through gritted teeth. As if on cue, a sharp pain exploded across his back. He spun, instinctively shielding his face as a barrage of blows rained down upon him. His head snapped to the side, blood spattering the pristine white floor.

"Not necessary," Elian kept whispering to himself, even as the familiar lights beneath his feet flickered to life—the defense system activating in response to the assault. With monumental effort, he held his breath, forcing the quantum armor to remain dormant. The hits were brutal, his ears ringing, blood flowing freely as he was smashed to the ground.

Stolen story; please report.

Every fiber of his being screamed to defend himself, to unleash the power at his fingertips and crush his attacker. But he didn't. He couldn't. He dared not. Sometimes, he reminded himself, a little pain was acceptable to avoid even greater consequences.

"You see? He can't even defend himself," the aggressor crowed triumphantly, swaggering back to the cornered woman. Her eyes were wide with horror at the violence she had just witnessed. She tried to retreat further, but the narrow corridor left her with nowhere to run.

"Please, call somebody!" she cried out desperately.

Elian lifted his bloodied head, forcing himself to his feet. His eyes met the woman's for a brief, agonizing moment before he turned and walked away, entering the elevator. As the doors began to close, her pleading voice echoed down the corridor: "Please!"

Once sealed within the confines of the elevator, Elian's composure cracked. "Marli, do something," he commanded, his voice tight with suppressed emotion.

The elevator's terminal hummed to life, projecting a holographic image of a petite woman with flowing blue hair. "Impossible," Marli replied, her digital form dancing around the confined space. "According to Planet 5 laws, it's only a crime if they physically harm her—which they wouldn't dare to do."

"Stupid machine, I said do something!" Elian roared, his fist connecting with the terminal in a burst of frustration.

Marli's image flickered. "I can't. That's against today's protocol—"

"Fuck your protocol." Another blow shook the terminal. "Now, there's a need for technical assistance. Will you send someone, or wasn't that clear enough?" Elian raised his fist threateningly.

"Okay, okay! No need for violence," Marli acquiesced. "Need for technical assistance sent. Everything has been solved. The nanobots have resumed patrol." A small LED screen materialized, showing miniature objects flitting through the corridors. Upon detecting the nanobots, the aggressors' faces contorted with displeasure, and they hastily retreated. Seizing her chance, the woman hurried away to safety.

Elian sighed heavily, the tension slowly ebbing from his body. He knew they wouldn't have physically assaulted her, but the thought of his own sister made inaction impossible. He had almost forgotten—today was the last day of the month, when important visitors arrived. The nanobots were usually preoccupied with protecting systems and ensuring the safety of these VIPs, a rare occurrence these days.

"Where would you like to go?" Marli inquired, her tone now carefully neutral. A series of holographic dots appeared, representing various levels of the building and the elevators in motion. One dot, signifying Elian, pulsed steadily.

Elian's fingers danced through the air, manipulating the holographic display. "Bring me to Dr. Lia's office," he commanded, selecting the fifth level.

"Dr. Lia's office! Understood," Marli confirmed.

The elevator lurched into motion, and Elian leaned back against the wall, allowing himself a moment of respite. In a matter of seconds, he had descended to his destination. As the doors slid open, he stepped out onto the fifth level.

By some twist of fate, he found himself face to face with the very woman he had just indirectly rescued. He tilted his head, averting his gaze and shoving his hands deep into his pockets as he attempted to walk past her.

"Thank you," she called out, her voice brimming with gratitude. "Planet 5 is not full of complete evil after all."

Elian froze mid-step, her words echoing in his mind. Not full of complete evil? She seemed far too pure for this harsh reality. What a shame, he thought, feeling a pang of sorrow for the difficult life that undoubtedly lay ahead of her.

His foot settled back on the ground, a sardonic smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. With an air of nonchalance, he turned to face her, hands still buried in his pockets. "Don't be naive," he said, his voice tinged with bitterness. "Evil, we are—all of us. Every single fucking human on this damn planet. Next time, no one will be there for you."

Without waiting for a response, Elian resumed his walk, leaving the woman to ponder the harsh truth of his words in a world that seemed determined to crush every last vestige of innocence.