Chapter 3 Unintentionally Participated

The house was already half-buried under cream-coloured sand, glittering under the harsh sunlight.

Red staggered into what remained of the place she once called home, unable to hold back her tears. She stumbled in the sand, coughing as a tight, claustrophobic feeling climbed up her chest.

“Ingo? Aelea?”

Her voice echoed weakly. No answer. Red already knew why—Ingo was gone, terminated, and Aelea had been taken.

“I have to find Aelea.”

She tried to pull open her bedroom door, which was almost completely buried. After a hard jerk, the door gave way, slamming open. Red’s balance slipped, and she fell forward into the doorway as sand slid quietly into the room.

Inside, she grabbed a face mask with an air filter, then moved through the house gathering whatever she could: clothes, porridge packs, water, and a knowledge tablet—anything that seemed useful. She stuffed everything into a large backpack.

Dragging the heavy bag behind her, she limped back toward Ursula and hooked the straps over the robot’s arm. Red glanced around. The whole area felt unsettlingly silent. Too still.

When she looked across the housing complex, her stomach dropped. Nearly every house had been destroyed in the same way.

“Oh my God,” she whispered, horrified.

She ran to the closest house. Empty. The next one is the same. All of them were ruins, nothing but metal doors and wall fragments scattered across the sand.

“What is this? What happened?”

Red hurried back to Ursula. She needed to reach the city centre. Maybe people had gathered there for safety.

She stepped into a sun-powered car, placed her backpack on the passenger seat, and activated the engine with her palm. The vehicle lifted smoothly off the sandy ground. As she drove, Ursula suddenly launched into the air, matching the speed of her car with effortless precision.

“Crazy robot,” Red muttered. “Now it decides to follow me.”

…

City 10226, the central district, lay about three miles away. From a distance, Red could see its massive translucent dome glowing like an upside-down bowl. The gate was usually guarded by Troy—cyborgs similar to Ingo but taller and more heavily built.

Red worried about how Ursula would react if Troy tried to scan her. But when she reached the gate, she froze.

No Troy. No guards at all. Even the gates were left open.

Red entered the city with growing unease. The streets were empty. Too empty.

She parked the car and stepped outside, scanning her surroundings. Nothing. Not a single person in sight. She slung the backpack onto Ursula’s wrist, and the robot followed her with heavy, echoing steps.

“Hello?” Red called out.

She knew shouting was risky, but the silence was worse. Everyone had vanished, like the whole city had been swallowed.

Could it be because of last night’s claws? She remembered the metal glint on the creature that attacked her, something robotic.

“Hello?”

Then she spotted someone.

A young man, sitting on the edge of a makeshift bed outside the hospital, is crying. A pale girl lay on the bed, barely conscious.

Relief surged through Red. She rushed to him. “Hey, are you okay?”

“No,” he said flatly, still staring at the girl.

“What happened?”

Red stepped closer. The girl was breathing weakly. Both of them wore metal bracelets, something Red had never seen before.

“Lein can’t fight in the arena because she’s sick,” the young man murmured.

“Arena?” Red echoed, confused.

Before he could answer, he caught sight of Ursula’s towering figure approaching. He jumped to his feet, startled. The girl, Lein, opened her eyes in fear.

“W-what is that!?” he shouted. “Seriously, what is that thing?”

“It’s my robot,” Red said.

His eyes widened. “Are you even allowed to have something that huge and potentially dangerous?”

“I… don’t know.” Red shrugged. “I just got her today.”

“Are you sure she’s harmless?”

What dangerous robot carried a duffel bag like a confused travel companion?

“She’s obedient,” Red replied simply.

The girl on the bed stirred. “Call… what’s going on?”

He hurried to her side, holding her cold hand. “Nothing. Just rest.”

Call glanced around, then motioned Red closer. She stepped in without suspicion.

“You survived?” he whispered. “Then where’s your bracelet?” He extended his hand. “I’m Callum, and that’s my sister, Lein.”

“I’m Red,” she replied. “And… what bracelet?”

“You don’t know?” He stared at her. “There was an attack last night.”

“I know. The claws took everyone. I barely escaped.”

“They divided us. People without bracelets were put into hibernation. I got this so I could enter the arena.” He nodded toward the hospital. “The Ingos put them on us.”

Red was still trying to make sense of it when Call suddenly grabbed her hand.

“Please,” he begged. “Take Lein’s bracelet. If she enters the arena like this, she’ll die.”

Red pulled her hand back. “Wait, what arena? I don’t understand.”

“You will. Soon. Troy will come to pick us up.” Call swallowed dryly. “If Lein doesn’t wear the bracelet, she’ll be put to sleep instead. And I’d rather she hibernate than die.”

“But—”

Heavy footsteps echoed nearby.

Before she could protest, Red rushed to Lein’s side, unlocked the bracelet from the girl's limp wrist, and took it. Lein’s eyes fluttered open.

“Who are you?” Lein whispered.

“She’s taking your place,” Call said, voice trembling. “You’ll be safe.”

Tears filled Lein’s eyes. “Thank you… Red. Please take care of Call.” Her fingers brushed Red’s cheek. “Don’t get hurt in the arena.”

Red forced a smile. “I’ll take care of him.”

The Ingos stepped out of the hospital as Troy entered the courtyard. Without a word, they carried Lein's bed back inside, whispering softly to reassure her.

Troy approached Call and Red. They raised their wrists. He scanned the bracelets.

“Callum Last. Lein Last,” Troy said in a cold monotone.

He stepped aside to let them through, but paused when he noticed Ursula.

Red spun around. “She’s my robot. If she needs a bracelet, give her one!”

Troy didn’t respond. The cyborgs simply resumed walking, leading Call and Red deeper into the empty city.

New structures filled the centre, tall stacks of rectangular capsules. Red’s skin prickled.

Hibernation pods.

People everywhere were being stored away. Sleeping. Hidden. Taken.

Red wasn’t sure if escaping last night made her lucky—or just another doomed survivor.

“You really didn’t tell me anything about this arena,” Red muttered, her voice shaking. “My sister was taken. She’s probably… sleeping in one of those.”

“Our sisters are there together,” Call said quietly. “Don’t lose hope.”

Red looked up and froze. A massive spaceship hovered in the sky, casting a long shadow over the city.

“Is that… a spaceship?” she breathed.

Call exhaled. “Yep… It’s the transport ship to Ohm’s.”