10

When he finally skidded to a halt outside the little boy’s door, he felt no relief. The boys cries were nothing more than whimpers, and soon he knew they would be silent. Jeongguk could feel his skin sweltering as he twisted the doorknob, he could feel his heart drop into his stomach when he saw the boy coughing more than he was breathing. Rushing to his side, Jeongguk took the little boy in his arms, trying to protect him from a world that had already turned its back on him.

I was supposed to keep you safe...

Gently he brushed his hair from his eyes, ignoring the dark warmth that coated his fingers. He bent his head over the lifeless body of the boy, tears threatening to spill from his lashes, his chest aching in way he wanted to forget. He watched the light fade from his eyes, watched his eyelids flutter shut, watched an innocent life get snuffed out by the hubris of man.

I promised to keep you safe...

“How?”

Jeongguk froze, looking down at the fragile body in his arms. This was—different. As he cried the dream was supposed to dissolve into darkness, he was supposed to wake up cold and alone, that’s how it had always been. For the first time one of his visions deviated from what he was used to, for the first time he couldn’t even trust the rhythm of his delusions. Delusion! does he even have the capability to have one. But towards this boy he feels something different something not supposed to happen.

The boy was sitting upright, glaring at him. Blood cascading down his eerily pale face, malice in his eyes and betrayal tugging at his lips.

This was not the boy that he knew.

“How were you supposed to keep me safe when you’ve given up on everything else? You promised to keep me safe, you said that you’d fix me!”

His words cut wounds that bled directly into his soul. The tears he shed felt different, they held a weight that crushed his heart, a truth that had been forgotten in time. Jeongguk opened his mouth to beg for forgiveness, but his voice was still trapped beneath his sobs. He couldn’t offer an explanation no matter how hard he tried.

“You promised me, you promised me!”

I did… and I failed…

“Tell me—how were you supposed to protect me?”

              I—I don’t know.

“Of course you do. You just gave up.”

Wait—what? I—

            Power cells at 100%…

            Start-up sequence initiated…

            Good morning Jeong-Guk.

 When Jeongguk opened his eye again he was shocked by the sunlight reflecting off his exposed machinery. Beautiful yellow sunlight. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt the warmth of morning on his synthetic skin, his time in the Capital was marred with smog and rain. What little light there was could hardly be seen through the polluted air and low hanging clouds.

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