She fell to the ground, the mechanical parts crumbling on the soil. She gasped for breath as she looked up at him. Rito returned the gaze, walked, ignoring his enemies, and then touched her chin, his voice colder than ever.
"Your parents would pity what you've become, Aurora."
Her eyes widened, her body trying to move forward, her fists clenched, but her body was disobedient. The metal composites in her body structure were the consequence of gradually shrinking.
Rito stood up, picked up his pistol and pointed it at her head.
And fired.
But nothing came out this time.
"You win, Pillar of Knowledge."
He put his arms behind his back, walked past her, observing his fallen soldiers and destroyed aircraft. With a deep breath, he turned his neck to face them over his shoulder.
"Do what you want with her."
In the blink of an eye, with a blinding flash, everything that belonged to that man vanished. Gyne lost consciousness, Carlos pressed Carolina against him. She, however, pulled away from his arms, crawled to Aurora, lying face down in the white ground. She pulled her by the hair, looking at her with eyes gleaming beneath a somber expression.
"You... you..."
She released her, supporting her body with her arm. Her nails gripped the snow, her teeth clenched.
"When you said you were going to take the Underground as part of it, what did you mean by that?"
The only answer was a movement of iron fingers. The wires returned to the body, which then opened at the back, forcing her to sit up. And then, placing her hand inside the lab coat and opening it, it revealed not only a mechanical endoskeleton, but an entire system functioning on the basis of the most advanced technologies of the Ancient Society.
Carolina remained silent, touching his face. She closed her eyes and gripped her hair.
"Your..."
But before she could do anything, Aurora fell in front of her, her eyes gradually closing. Carolina quickly got over her, holding her by the shoulders and shaking her.
"Don't think about dying, Aurora! Not after everything you've done!"
She punched her in the face, but her fingers ached with a metallic sound. Her fingers contorted with each blow. Before she could land another blow, Carlos pulled her close, embracing her. She struggled, screaming at the top of her lungs:
"LET ME GO! NOW!"
But her body lost its energy. She grabbed her own hair, pulling it with roars that escaped her mouth.
"Damn it..."
"That's enough, Carolina. Calm down."
He stroked her face; she tried to pull her face away from his hand.
"Please, Carlos, let me go!"
She freed herself from his arms and used her hands to reach her younger brother, hugging him tightly.
"Tell me you're okay, Gyne, tell me you're okay..."
And there Carlos stood, watching. His eyes wandered between the woman he loved, his wounded brother, and the unconscious scientist. The fist that kept him kneeling clenched before striking the snow, tears beginning to stream from his eyes onto the white ground.
"Shit..."
***
Under the darkness of the city that knew no light, a man swung his axe between his fingers. And then, with a twist, making small rays emanate from the white blade, the axe struck a large number of trees, causing them to fall to the ground.
He adjusted his hat, raising his body to cut each enormous trunk.
"Vector."
His body froze and turned to see the woman with braided hair. The clothing, mixed with armor, reminded him of a certain man who controlled lightning.
"Hmm?"
"I want you to remain calm during what I'm about to say, but I'm with your wife and daughter."
"What?!"
He walked towards her, his axe gleaming with an electrifying light.
And when he attacked, she caught the blade with her hands.
"A user of lightning magic? Interesting."
Then, with her fists clenching, her armor-covered fingers struck him in a blow that made everything light up with the electric shock. He slammed his back against a rock, groaning in pain. In front of him, the woman cleaned the blood-covered iron. Her eyes gleamed with a familiarity before she bent down and touched his chest, causing his heart to be enveloped in an energy that stopped it.
"You're quite stubborn, like him."
Vector grabbed her wrist, trying to push her away, but she remained impassive. She even intensified the shock against her heart.
"Don't make me kill him."
And there was no other choice; he was powerless against her. He fainted under her touch. Then she pulled her hand away, reached back again, and gave him a small, electric touch, his heart beating again.
She put him on her shoulders, looked at the sky for long seconds before continuing on her way. And her body, glistening in the city lights, was soaked by the never-ending rain.
"What did you teach this man...?"