"Noor... Noor... Noooor!" Julius and I were shouting with all our might, but no answer came. I tried contacting 016 through my smartwatch, but it was in vain. I had a bad feeling something was wrong. Julius, who seemed more anxious than me, began to dive to check the boat, so I told him, "Check the boat; I'll handle the situation here quickly."
I summoned 016 and said, "Prepare your body for water, now!" Immediately, 016 split into four parts, each attaching to my limbs, transforming me into something like fins. I also commanded him to activate the "accelerator," a current that mimics rapid foot movement but operates throughout the body.
I was in a hurry to catch up with the submerged tank. While diving, I realized why Noor was silent: she had passed out from running out of oxygen, causing her to inhale large amounts of carbon dioxide. I saw her there, rapidly descending into the depths, as if something was pulling her down. The tank was already at a depth of 30 meters, and I didn't have time to look for an entrance. I activated the laser on my hand, enhanced by 016, and cut through the metal structure.
When I entered the tank, I saw a hand, so I reached out to grab it. But the hand I caught was cold—it belonged to another body. And as I descended deeper…
[Titit — 47 meters underwater]
Darkness began to surround everything around us.
[Titit — 60 meters underwater]
I started losing consciousness due to the buildup of carbon dioxide in my body and my inability to dive any further. Luckily, at that moment, I felt another hand—this time warm—and I immediately knew it was Noor's. I grabbed it and pulled with all my strength.
[Titit — 80 meters underwater]
We shot toward the surface at an incredible speed, so fast that the water was crushing my face and trying to force its way into every passage that led to my lungs. Using the last bit of energy I had left, I swam faster and faster, until the weight, the water's reaction force, and the reverse current almost broke my frail arms that were holding onto Noor. The "accelerators" were operating at full power.
[The watch on Noor's wrist was glowing red, warning that the excessive strain on the body could cause permanent injuries, in addition to the decreasing oxygen level. My muscles began shutting down one after another.]
[Titit — 69 meters underwater]
"Damn it… Don't lose consciousness, me…"
[Titit — 58 meters underwater]
"Come on… just a little more…" My awareness was gradually fading.
[Titit — 47 meters underwater]
"No… I'm about to pass out!"
[Titit — 30 meters underwater]
"Just a little more, come on!"
[Titit — 20 meters underwater]
"No… I'm almost there…" I had lost all my strength and could no longer move—except for the hand still gripping Noor. I couldn't understand how I was still holding her, but perhaps it was pure survival instinct keeping my grip alive.
I began to think: "Is this the end for me? Why? Is this really the end?"
I closed my eyes in despair, surrendering… but then I glimpsed something blurry moving in front of me before I fainted, unable to recognize what it was.
[In a vast space where a water surface stretched endlessly, Ali was lying upon it. A small glowing child with red marks on his face—like runic symbols—was watching him. The child approached and touched his head.]
When the vision ended, I woke up confused by a voice I heard saying:
"Ali, Noor! Hold on to life, please! Don't leave me alone!"
It was Julius's voice.
And the first thing that came out of my mouth in response to him saving me was:
"Shut up… your voice is way too loud."
His trembling voice annoyed me.
But he had saved us at the perfect moment.
I took a deep breath after surviving that ordeal, and I recalled that vision… but my thoughts were interrupted by a pain in my arm. I looked at my left shoulder, where Noor was leaning against me.
Her weight was painful because my arm had gone far beyond its limits. It had suffered muscle spasms and blood blockage; it seemed she had been leaning on it for a while. But… honestly—
It was a moment of relief.
Like peace after a storm.
I let out a long sigh, and I felt her body move—her swimsuit pressing gently against my shoulder. It seemed she had regained consciousness. After she woke up, we both sat up to catch our breath. I felt as if the adventure had ended…
But that feeling was only temporary.
"Ahem, ahem..." came a voice from behind. "Don't mind me, I'm not here!" It was 016's voice, who had been silently watching us the whole time. Noor stretched her arms out to him and hugged his metallic body as she said, "Thank you, thank you for saving me."
The clouds were slowly parting, and the view was beautiful. But suddenly, 016's alarm went off: "Bee-bee-beep!" It was his low battery warning. I realized his ability to continue was limited, having consumed much of his energy in activating the accelerator and laser.
"Wait a moment, I have the solution," I told him. I opened my bag and took out the last piece I needed to make the 016 capable of automatically recharging itself. I quickly started working on installing the piece. Noor and Julius were looking at me in amazement at how quickly I handled the small parts, as if I were handling a part of my own body.
I took the screws between my fingers as I skillfully dismantled each piece. I started with the outer frame, and within minutes I had reached its central unit. I pulled out a cable, then connected it to my phone, which immediately split into several layers. Each layer slid outward in a different direction until the phone's screen became a computer display. I put on a wristband whose function was to simulate a computer keyboard.
I began typing at incredible speed in the air, where a three-dimensional keyboard appeared before me. Multiple windows opened inside the computer as I typed the new program and made every adjustment needed to suit our dangerous situation.
After a few minutes, the recharging process was complete, and 016 began charging itself using sunlight.
Moments later, Noor suddenly said, "I missed the sun..." There was no clear reason for her to say that, or so I thought. Maybe it was just her way of expressing relief after everything we had gone through. We sat under the sun for a while, and after we dried our clothes, the sun began to feel a bit bothersome.
Luckily, I had prepared a cover in advance. I set up a small tent using some sticks I had brought with me. I was proud of this simple invention, which had proven useful more than once.
We sat in the shade and began discussing our current situation. I had a lot of questions running through my head, and Julius was the first to speak: "Why did the water come to us in such overwhelming amounts?"
Noor followed: "Maybe it's related to a natural phenomenon..." But I was thinking about something else. "What could have caused nature's laws to change so drastically?" I said. "Let's assume a massive explosion in the Fourth Empire, the Ice Empire in the north, caused the ice to melt and raised water levels."
Julius was thinking out loud: "But Ali, could water levels rise so suddenly and violently? Shouldn't it happen gradually?" I replied, "You're right, which leads us to another possibility: a massive experiment by one of the great empires, like the Fire or Water Empires."
Noor was listening intently, then said, "I heard my grandmother and I on the news that the empires were developing weapons to control natural disasters, but they said they were still in the study phase."
I said in surprise,"Do you remember which news channel reported it? Because I don't recall seeing any military showcases on TV these days."
Noor stuttered, saying,
"U–uh… I mean, unfortunately, I don't remember. But I'm certain it was an artificial disaster, not a natural one… and specifically, it came from the Seventh Empire!!!"
I held my chin, thinking about something strange:
She said 'my grandmother,' didn't she? That means she's Julius's grandmother… So how was she so sure the disaster was artificial? And that it came specifically from the Seventh Empire??? What exactly are you hiding, Julius?
I said skeptically,
"Alright… Let's go with the assumption that the disaster was artificial and that it came from the Seventh Empire. If that's the case, what would they gain from it? And if it really came from the Seventh Empire, the distance between us and them exceeds 30,000 km… which means all the other empires must have been affected as well."
The discussion continued about the empires and the possibilities of secret experiments. I had a feeling that what had happened was more than just a natural phenomenon, and maybe someone was behind this disaster. But we needed clearer evidence.
Conducting secret experiments. I had a feeling that what happened was more than just a natural phenomenon, and that someone might actually be behind this disaster. But we needed clearer evidence.
"I still think this possibility is the most realistic," I said thoughtfully as my eyes wandered over the faces of my friends in the darkness. "If one person is behind this catastrophe, they might have planned everything from the shadows, without even their own empire realizing."
Julius, who was looking at me intently, asked in a skeptical tone: "What makes you think one person could pull off all this?"
I answered calmly: "I've personally accomplished a lot on my own, despite the challenges, And I am aware of what money, power, and determination can do to a person." At that moment, I recalled glimpses of the past, memories etched with hard work and bitter struggles.
I closed my eyes for a moment and was transported back to those days...
[Glimpses of a child in front of his computer screen, then with his tools and devices, then someone enters and kicks him out of the room, he bites his lips in frustration, then gets up again, and another memory of handing over some plans and receiving money, then a memory of wandering in the middle of a forest, and a boy carrying many bags belonging to mountain explorers, saying, "This is the right place."]
Julius looked at me with an unreadable expression, then sarcastically said: "So, in short, you believe this catastrophe was planned by one unknown person?"
Julius looked at me seriously and said, "I have many questions, but I will start with the most important ones. First, if this person has destroyed the empire, what is his goal? Second, what is the return on his project? Third, will the other empires remain silent? Fourth, is there any hope for our empire to return to its former glory?"
I looked at Noor, who was sitting next to her brother, yawning until she lay down in his lap. She was exhausted and fell asleep quietly.
I turned to Julius, saying, "Alright, I'll answer your questions in order. First, we have to wait until night when my assistant finishes recharging. Second, I'll ask him to search for my I have a special place prepared for such cases.Third, it will take us three days to reach it and restart it, despite all this water flooding the place."
Julius was listening attentively and said, "Alright, so you're the leader now. My sister and I will be the support units."
I smiled and said, "Exactly. We'll need every bit of effort, especially under these tough circumstances."
Julius laughed and said, "I'll be the engine, and you'll be the one steering."
"And now, regarding the other questions. First: What are the returns of the project? That depends on the person's goal. If they believe in the idea of the supreme human He might seek to wipe out the humans who breathe without purpose, then our empire, despite its population density, is the least efficient, and that might make them see us as the perfect target. Or maybe they're after certain resources without caring about borders. Or it could be a personal reason, deep hatred toward us, or perhaps a mistake in a mad scientist's lab."
"Second: Will the other empires remain silent? Of course not. But we need to act quickly before any countermeasures start."
"Third: Can our empire return to what it once was? Unfortunately, that depends on many factors, but I believe things have changed forever."
Before I could finish speaking, we heard a mechanical sound coming from the assistant 016, warning us of an imminent danger. The device rang out loudly: "An S-class threat is approaching."
Julius jumped to his feet and shouted, "Watch out...!"