|Location: Leaving for Shelter 31O|
-ZERO-
We managed to reach the campsite where Nuk, Joshua, Anna, and her subordinates were staying. Together, we helped them evacuate a safe distance away—just enough to avoid being caught when the ground of the wasteland suddenly began to collapse beneath us.
Fortunately, the wounds around my stomach had healed enough for me to run at full speed. For the first time in what felt like forever, I tried to catch my breath. Hansel, on the other hand, was bawling his eyes out, gasping desperately for air. Maybe it was because we had finally moved out of the wasteland's range—or perhaps because the wasteland itself was gone—but my senses began to return to normal. The sun felt warmer on my skin, unlike the cold, oppressive heat before.
Despite the relief I saw on everyone's faces, I didn't share it. Maybe it was because I lacked the understanding of what had truly happened, or maybe it was the emptiness gnawing deep inside me—right where that person had pierced me, and where that entity had overridden SAI's functions.
It was a harsh awakening. I never could have imagined that SAI could transfer its operating frequency to another being and remotely control it. Or perhaps it was a hidden 'admin' function of that entity—something far beyond what I had ever expected.
But regardless, I survived—and that's what mattered most.
Minutes passed as I settled into one of the vacant tents near where Anna and Joshua were resting. That's when I noticed Hansel approaching Nuk, his face tense and eyes sharp, as though he was about to bombard him with questions. I watched closely as Hansel's expression shifted rapidly—confusion giving way to disbelief, doubt, and something darker, like denial.
Suddenly, Hansel's voice rang out, loud and clear, carrying beyond the tent so that everyone nearby could hear. "No way! That can't be true." His eyes locked onto mine, and I quickly met his gaze. But just as sharply as he had looked, he turned away, shaking his head as if trying to dismiss the thought. "Dia can't do such a thing."
I saw Nuk trying to calm him, speaking in measured tones, but Hansel pushed his hands away roughly and stormed out of the tent. He walked away from the group, putting distance between himself and the others. That was when I decided it was time to speak with Nuk—to understand what was really happening, what truths lay beneath the fear and confusion.
Nuk shouted, "Hansel!" but Anna gently held him back, shaking her head with quiet authority.
"Just let him go; he needs time to sort through his emotions," Anna said softly, handing Nuk a warm cup of water to steady him after the recent turmoil. She then turned her gaze toward me, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Now that your friend is here, it's time we discuss your plans."
She crossed her arms and settled herself directly in front of us, her grin widening with a mix of confidence and challenge. In her hand, she clutched a particular wrinkled letter tightly—as if it held the weight of the world.
Nuk looked at her, confusion furrowing his brow. "Plans?"
Anna didn't hesitate. "Don't tell me you're thinking of returning to your 'tribe,'" she said bluntly, waving the letter in front of us. "Just from Leila's letter alone, it's clear they're all nut jobs."
Nuk's expression grew serious as he studied the worn letter. Then, his emerald eyes locked onto mine, silently asking for my thoughts. After a brief pause, a warm smile spread across his face—he seemed to have arrived at a decision.
He turned back to me and asked, "Zero, what do you plan to do now?"
His question hung in the air, heavy with expectation. I took a moment to reflect, sifting through the whirlwind of recent events and the choices that had led me here. Memories washed over me—especially the sunrise I had witnessed not long ago. The calm of the surroundings had soothed my restless spirit, bringing an unexpected peace I hadn't realized I craved. That moment had ignited within me a desire for something new, something beyond survival—a yearning for experiences yet to come.
Looking back, when I saw the ruins of Dubai, I felt a sense of purpose stirring deep within me. It was as if the desolation was calling me, urging me to experience new things—to explore places I had never seen before. In that moment, a spark ignited in my mind, a thrilling idea taking shape. I needed the map Nuk had promised me. In a way, it would be a beginning—a key to unlocking the unknown.
Since SAI primarily registers and records locations, having that map would help me navigate to more places. More importantly, it might give me a chance to hear from that mysterious entity again. That presence seemed to know something about me, something I couldn't shake from my thoughts.
And then there was that man from earlier, who described me as if I were some kind of unique species. Regardless, imagining the new places I might visit right now made me giggle with excitement. That simple thought gave me a reason to keep going.
I turned to face Nuk with a broad smile. "Me? I'm still going to wait for that map, Nuk." Nuk's eyes suddenly widened, and a flush of embarrassment crossed his face. He avoided looking at me, as if guilty of some secret.
"Oh, you mean the map," he said, his voice tinged with a mix of reluctance and amusement.
Nuk was acting unusually self-conscious in front of me, and Anna couldn't help but notice. She furrowed her brow in curiosity. "What is this map you're talking about?"
"Well, you see…" Nuk rubbed the back of his head nervously before leaning toward Anna and whispering something in her ear.
I watched Anna's face shift through a range of emotions as Nuk spoke, but the one that stood out most was when she cast me a pitiful look for no clear reason. When Nuk finished whispering, Anna gave him a gentle nudge on the head, as if lightly reprimanding him for a mischievous act.
Turning to me, Anna sighed deeply and placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "I see. I understand. Unfortunately, that map was just a story Nuk made up to convince you to come back with them to their camp."
"You lied to me?" I couldn't believe Nuk had fooled me. I looked at him sharply, feeling betrayed. I thought there had been a genuine promise. Despite his differences from Dia, I supposed their blood ties ran deep. My glare was harsh as I rebuked him with my words.
"But I want to explore new places!" Anxiety crept into my voice. I worried I might get lost or stuck somewhere unfamiliar—like when I was stranded in the desert—and the memory left a bitter taste.
Before I could protest further, Joshua unexpectedly wrapped his arms around me from behind. I was about to push him away, but something in his tone made me pause. Instead, I stayed silent as he spoke softly, catching my attention. "Then come back with us to the shelter and become one of our sightseers, why don't you?"
The word 'sightseer' stirred a faint recognition in me. I remembered hearing about "Project Sightseer" from a man whose name escaped me. The first thing he mentioned was the program SAI and its unusual ability to record locations. I glanced at Anna, who seemed quietly satisfied with Joshua's suggestion, nodding in approval.
"You can train there, and we'll provide you with resources to help you improve," Anna said proudly, her eyes shining with conviction. "It seems you enjoy exploring, especially given what happened back there. Being a sightseer is a job that lets you venture into unknown ruins—or even those that have been discovered but remain mysterious. What do you think, Nuk? Just so you know, a lot has changed since I became the leader."
Nuk looked at me with a repentant smile, and I felt a wave of relief and security wash over me. "I'll do whatever Zero wants. It's the least I can do for him," he said quietly.
Having learned from experience that some of their words and concepts didn't exactly match mine—like how they viewed apostles as monsters—I decided to ask for clarification. "What exactly does a sightseer do, aside from exploring ruins?"
Joshua tilted his head thoughtfully, organizing his thoughts before explaining with enthusiasm. "Well, I'm not sure about the other shelters and what their sightseers do, but in ours, sightseers explore ruins and bring back bountiful resources. These can be exchanged at the nearby Market Shelter for essential supplies, or if you're lucky enough, you can trade your best finds in the Moving City—the City of Galaw. So, does that pique your interest?"
Nuk's voice took on a cautious tone as he added, "Zero, you don't have to do this." From the concern in his voice, I understood the job might be risky—at least from their perspective.
But Joshua's description made my heart race with excitement. It sounded exactly like what I needed. I could already imagine myself exploring ruins, discovering new places, and best of all, not having to worry about getting lost.
Without hesitation, I responded with a grin. "I'm in! It sounds like a lot of fun."
Joshua squeezed me tightly in response. "I love your energy. Not long ago, you were fighting for your life, and now you're this happy."
Anna sighed softly and smiled warmly as she turned to face Joshua and me.
"Well, that settles it. We'll leave this place as soon as the cargo vehicle finishes packing our things," she said with quiet determination.
With that, Anna and Joshua left us inside the tent, moving swiftly to give orders and assist with the organization as everyone packed their belongings in preparation for departure.
After a few hours of rest, Nuk seemed to feel noticeably better. The bed he lay on was a far cry from the dusty straw mats he was used to at the camp—it was fluffier, softer, and clearly more comfortable.
The sun was dipping low in the sky, casting long shadows across the land. To my surprise, Nuk was now able to walk with relative ease—still a little stiff, but steady and manageable. Curious, I asked SAI about it, and it explained that Nuk had taken some form of medication designed to accelerate metabolism, which in turn sped up his recovery.
Intrigued, I followed Nuk as he left his tent, compelled to know where he was headed.
Nearby, I spotted Hansel sitting quietly on the ground, his gaze fixed on the vast wasteland stretching out before him. I wondered how they could find one another without any assistance or knowledge of each other's locations. I relied heavily on SAI to locate even simple items, yet for them, it seemed almost instinctual to sense each other's presence.
Nuk approached Hansel slowly, his steps measured and deliberate.
"Did you manage to calm down now?" Nuk asked gently. Hansel remained silent, his eyes distant.
Nuk sighed and pressed on, his voice tinged with weariness. "Hey, I'm leaving this place. I'd be glad if you came along."
There was a flicker of hesitation in his tone, as if he feared Hansel's reaction—perhaps afraid of rejection or the weight of what lay ahead. "I know you might need time to process everything."
Although I couldn't see Hansel's face when he turned to Nuk, I could hear the quiver in his voice—uncertain, fragile, as if the weight of doubt had begun to settle heavily on him.
"How did everything turn out this way? How come we never noticed anything from Dia?" he lamented, his words laced with confusion and sorrow.
"Hansel, I…" Nuk hesitated, his voice faltering. Perhaps he didn't fully understand what had happened to Dia either. I longed to share what I had learned—especially about Dia's cryptic words, "He needs the seed"—but I knew it wasn't the right moment to interrupt.
"It's all right. You don't have to console me," Hansel said, twisting his thumbs nervously. He gave Nuk a bitter smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I just want everyone to be happy. It wasn't long ago since Leila died, and I tried to accept it as a natural thing. But now… Dia has become a psychotic monster, and you guys had no choice but to kill her."
The pain and longing in his voice were unmistakable. I couldn't help but listen, drawn in by the raw honesty between them.
"Dia made her decision," Nuk said firmly, his tone resolute. Hansel turned back to face Nuk, his expression a mixture of fear and profound sadness.
"Then what if you're the next one to abandon me, Nuk? I'm scared of being alone." I saw his body tremble as tears welled and spilled down his cheeks. Nuk gripped his hand tightly—steadying, reassuring.
"Hansel, it's okay. I'm still here," Nuk said softly, his smile gentle but unwavering, a promise that he would not leave Hansel to face this life alone.
Hansel quickly wiped the tears from his cheeks, forcing a shaky laugh to chase them away.
"Ugh, I can't believe I cried that much at my age," he muttered, then fixed an unflinching stare on Nuk.
From where I stood, Nuk seemed puzzled by the intensity of Hansel's gaze. "Hansel?" he asked cautiously.
"I'm joining you guys," Hansel declared firmly. "I don't even like the tribe anyway. And could you please tell Zero to stop acting like a creep?"
Hearing my name escape his lips caught me off guard. At first, I thought he was guessing, but Nuk's quick response left me thoroughly embarrassed.
"Don't worry, I'll tell him," Nuk said with a sly grin.
Before I could react, I stepped out from behind a nearby rock, my face flushed. "Zero, your hair is poking out," Nuk teased.
"Don't mind me," I hastily explained, trying to cover my eavesdropping. "I was just about to check if they finished packing."
Just then, as if fate had timed it perfectly, Joshua came rushing toward me.
"Zero!" he called out, then spotted Nuk and Hansel nearby. "Great, Nuk and Hansel, you're here too. Let's go—we're just finishing packing. Well, if Hansel's joining, that is."
"The timing's perfect," Nuk said casually, trying hard not to laugh with Hansel.
Joshua looked confused and turned his gaze toward me.
"Don't ask me anything," I blurted out immediately.
After that awkward moment, we went to meet Anna, who was already preparing inside one of the four-wheeled vehicles. She gestured for us to jump in as she took the driver's seat.
Everything seemed to happen so fast. Not long ago, I was lost in the desert; then I met Nuk and experienced so much. Now, I was on my way to a new place.
Sitting inside the vehicle, I gazed out the window one last time at the wasteland. Relief washed over me at the thought of leaving that claustrophobic place behind, venturing somewhere unknown.
My excitement grew as the engine rumbled to life, signaling our departure for Shelter 31O.
"By the way, Zero," Anna called from the driver's seat with a smirk, "I think you're going to need a quick lesson on common sense once we get to the shelter."
She pressed the gas pedal, and the vehicle surged forward toward the horizon.
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