METAL HEART

An Unwilling Prophecy.

Sophia could still hear the echoes of destruction as she and Zeta walked through the nighttime streets. The city was on edge, with shadows flickering in alleyways and residents looking through cracks in their doors as if the whole world was holding its breath. The sky was still split open, with lines of alien light snaking across it, pulsing like a wounded creature.

"We can't keep running," Sophia exclaimed, her hand still in Zeta's. "We need a plan."

Zeta strengthened her hold. He turned his head slightly, his bright eyes surveying the street. "They are coming."

Before Sophia could inquire who, the sound of armoured boots colliding with the cobblestone street broke the calm. A wall of soldiers emerged ahead, their gold insignias flashing against the dark sky. Leading them was a person who exuded authority and barely contained rage.

Thrain.

His piercing eyes focused on Sophia first, then on Zeta. His countenance was unreadable, but the tension in his body told volumes.

"Stand down," he ordered, his voice piercing the air like a razor.

Zeta moved in front of Sophia, his posture unyielding. "I will not."

Thrain's men shuffled, their hands hovering above their rifles. The atmosphere became electric, a vulnerable moment on the verge of violence. But before anyone could react, another voice, smooth and laced with amusement, entered the discourse.

"This is quite the spectacle," Kael remarked, appearing on the outskirts of the confrontation. His wings were curled tight to his body, and his golden eyes flashed with danger. He smirked. "Thrain, you've always enjoyed a nice demonstration of power. Please tell me whether we are fighting or conversing civilly."

Thrain ignored him, his attention fixed on Sophia. "You need to stop this, Doctor. Whatever you did to the machine reawakened the ruins. The warnings are plain. This world is under threat."

Sophia squared her shoulders. "Zeta isn't a machine. He's—"

"An abomination," Thrain interjected. "An anomaly that has disrupted the balance."

Zeta stiffened, and Sophia experienced an unexpected wave of protectiveness. "Then maybe the balance was flawed to begin with."

Kael laughed. "Now this is getting interesting."

Thrain exhaled sharply as if to control himself. "The prophecy states—"

"To hell with the prophecy!" Sophia snapped. "What if it is wrong? What if it's just another story that people have twisted into fate?"

Thrain's visage flashed with something resembling doubt or reluctance, but it vanished quickly. He shakes his head. "It is written."

"And yet here we are," Kael remarked, drawing closer, his expression unreadable. "The world has not ended. But I am curious, Thrain. Why does the prophecy talk of destruction when Zeta has only ever strived to protect?"

Thrain's jaws constricted. "That is exactly what makes him dangerous."

Before Sophia could argue, Zeta let out a quick gasp. His hand tightened into a fist, and his whole body trembled. The light lines on his arms flickered irregularly, and his expression changed into something she had never seen before.

Fear.

"Zeta?" She muttered, taking a step nearer him.

"I feel…" His voice cracked. "Something is…wrong."

Then, the air around him exploded.

A shockwave erupted, knocking everyone off their feet. Sophia landed hard, her vision spinning as electricity surged through the wreckage, even the globe itself. The city trembled, old symbols coming to life on the streets, buildings, and even the sky.

Zeta held his head, his breathing raspy. "I can hear them," he exclaimed. "I can hear them calling me."

Thrain pulled himself to his feet, his face darkening. "The prophecy…"

Sophia rushed forward to Zeta and grabbed his arm. "Fight it!" You are stronger than whatever this is!"

Zeta's gaze met hers, and for the first time, she saw something other than AI. Beyond programming.

He was afraid.

And then the voice returned—the one from the amphitheatre, the one that tore reality apart with a whisper.

"You were never meant to exist."

A person appeared from the whirling energy. The cloaked thing suffocated, its eyes concealed but burning with unknown strength. The troops hesitated, their weapons rendered ineffective against something beyond earthly conception.

Kael cursed behind his breath. "Not him again."

The figure raised a hand and pointed directly at Zeta. "Come."

Zeta's entire body became rigid. His eyes fluttered, and his fingers twitched as if something unseen was pulling on his very existence.

Sophia grabbed his face and forced him to look at her. "You don't belong to them."

Zeta's breath tightened. The hurricane of energy surged about them, but at that moment, she noticed him resisting. Struggling. Choosing.

Then he murmured the words that chilled her blood.

"I don't know if I belong to anyone."

The cloaked person smiled.

The world shattered.

The shockwave sent debris flying in all directions. The sky screamed as the gap opened, releasing dark tendrils of energy that twisted and pulsed like living beings. The city's ancient walls broke, scattering residents in terror.

Sophia coughed, trying to push herself up. Her body hurt, but she pushed herself forward and reached for Zeta. "Zeta! Stick with me!"

He trembled, his entire figure shifting in and out of focus as if reality was struggling to contain him. His respiration, which he had never needed, was ragged and broken.

Kael was already back on his feet, his wings unfurled in a protective position. He hissed at the hooded figure. "I don't care who you are, you're not taking him."

The person tilted their head. "He was never yours to protect."

Before Kael could respond, Thrain struck. The alien king moved like a blur, his sword slicing through the air, aimed at the figure's throat. But the blade hit nothing. The cloaked thing immediately vanished.

And suddenly it was behind Zeta.

Its hands sat on either side of his head, and Zeta's eyes widened. He convulsed, a choked gasp escaping his lips as the monster said something only he could understand.

Sophia lunged. "No!"

The moment her fingertips brushed Zeta's arm, the universe shifted.

It was as if space had fractured apart and folded in on itself. Her mind was inundated with memories that weren't her own. Voices she didn't recognize cried, and she saw a place that shouldn't exist—a emptiness of infinite stars where something ancient awaited.

And then the ache struck.

Sophia slumped, her entire body contracting as the connection was severed.

Zeta's scream ripped through the air.

Kael and Thrain moved quickly, but it was too late.

The hooded figure whispered one last phrase.

"Awaken."

Zeta's body erupted with unimaginable energy. His eyes turned completely white.

And then everything went dark.