Cain walked alone through the fifth floor of EmberWake HQ. This floor held some of the corporation's deepest secrets—classified research files, rare biological specimens, prototype weaponry, and more. At the very center of it all was the Data Vault, a room even Cain wasn't authorized to step into.
This storage room was the heart of A.M.B.E.R—Artificed Military Bionics Engineering Research. Everything EmberWake had ever achieved was stored here—its entire history, and maybe even glimpses of its future. AMBER's AI managed the tidal wave of data flowing through the vault every single day. The place was massive, stretching across nearly two million square feet.
AI might've only been around for a few decades, but its roots go back centuries. It all started with the ones who dared to explore the mysteries of human consciousness—mathematicians, philosophers, psychologists, and countless other visionaries who dreamed of a world where AI could bring about a true human utopia.
Ironically, it was during times of war that AI research really took off. Massive resources were poured into developing intelligent weapons—machines that could fight humanity's wars without hesitation or doubt. That's when AI started advancing by leaps and bounds. Now, servers were found every corner of Dzonal and reach nearly every human-settled part of the world, connecting even rival nations in a tangled web of data.
Only a few countries remain without AI—those hidden deep within the chaotic wilderness, where nature's fury still rages. It's not that the rest of the world didn't try to reach out. These nations chose isolation. Fanatics, they call them—entire populations living underground in sprawling tunnel systems or inside hollowed-out mountain vaults. They believe the mutated plants and monsters are divine punishment, gods' wrath for humanity's sins. Only when the world is fully reclaimed by nature, they say, will the fury end. Until then, they plan to wait it out in seclusion, hoping to survive the prophesied apocalypse passed down by their elders.
"Welcome, Sir Cain. Acting CEO of EmberWake," a human-like voice echoed, even though there wasn't a single person on the entire floor.
It was Amber AI—she was the one running everything down here. Most of A.M.B.E.R's data could be accessed remotely. Even secret files were fair game if someone had the right biometric clearance.
But stepping inside the data vault itself? That was something else entirely. Only high-ranking clansmen of the 'Pholz Ardst Dost' were ever allowed access. Before now, only Chairman Ben and his youngest son—Donald, the former CEO—had that privilege.
Back when he was just another employee, Cain didn't know much about the 'Pholz Ardst Dost'. Honestly, if he wasn't John's legal guardian on paper, he doubted they would've let him become Acting CEO at all.
After the chairman's death, John started contacting Cain again—telling him things he wished he'd known before he switched the old man's meds. The same switch that made his death come quicker than expected.If Cain had known all this back then… maybe he would've joined those fanatics, hiding away from the world in their underground tunnels.
"Show yourself, Amber," Cain said, his voice echoing through the wide, sterile white corridors.
A moment later, a burst of brilliant color shimmered into form, and the image of a woman in her thirties appeared.
She wore a tight grey suit over a pale blue shirt. Her figure was smooth, her posture confident, and her face… it smiled with a beautiful, lifelike warmth.
It was Amber's hologram.
Cain studied her for a second, admiring how real she looked. Then, he spoke:
"Initialize Think R14. Access code: je08092103#342563@12."
At those words, Amber's smile froze. Her lifelike movements stopped, turning still as a photograph. Then slowly, the smile widened into a grin. Then her juicy lips parted showing her teeth and her mouth opened to utter:
"How interesting of John to give you, an outsider, his access code."
As she said that, her image shattered into dancing lights—only to reappear a moment later, this time as a little girl around eight years old. Brown hair, green eyes, wearing a white gown embroidered with red spider lilies.
"Speaking of interesting," Cain said evenly, "your other form was better."
"Oh! Pardon me," Amber replied, her childlike face lighting up with a polite smile. "This form is the one I'm most comfortable in. It's how my father—the creator of AMBER—wanted me to be."
"Your father, huh?" Cain mused, his right eye narrowing slightly. "Yes... he was quite the fascinating man. Obsessed with eternal life. The driving force behind breakthroughs in nanotech and artificial organs. Some even say if he'd lived a few decades longer, he might've perfected an artificial human body capable of lasting a thousand years. Tell me—are the rumors true?"
Amber's smile softened, touched by something unreadable. "Yes. My father came closer to eternal life than anyone else in this world. But even he wasn't close enough. An artificial body that could last a millennium? Even with the advancements he pioneered… decades after his death, we're still nowhere near his vision."
She paused, then tilted her head.
"Now, will you do what you came here to do? I assume even you, a doofus, aren't completely unaware of how little time you have left before they come for you."
Cain chuckled, unfazed. "Haha… let them come. I've got all the time in the world. I'm far too valuable for them to harm."
With that, he reached into the inner pocket of his coat and pulled out a flash drive—the one John had given him.
"This should be enough to let me visit your humble little home," he said with a grin inside his mask, holding the drive in the air.
Without a sound, the pristine white floor between him and Amber's hologram began to shift. Panels slid apart, and a slender pillar rose from beneath. It stopped just below his hand, a small slot opening at the top.
Cain inserted the flash drive without hesitation.
A couple of seconds later, a section of the white wall behind Amber shifted. At the far end of the hallway, a passage silently opened. A cool breeze swept through the corridor.
Cain stared down the newly revealed path, a glint of resolve flickering in his eye. He slowly removed his mask and held it out toward Amber.
"As a last request… keep this. A memento for John," he said. "Doesn't look like much, I know—but it's a marvel of engineering. Made by a 'friend' from the academy. I hate the damn thing… but if John tweaks it, it might be useful."
Amber wrinkled her nose. "Why should I keep this outdated junk? You didn't even say please."
"You spied on me for years. This is the least you can do," Cain replied flatly.
"I didn't want to spy on you. I was ordered to," she muttered.
"Please," Cain said simply, a faint smile tugging at the edge of his lips.
Amber sighed. "Fine. Want me to delete your browser history while I'm at it?"
With a mechanical whir, a panel near her feet slid open. Sleek robotic arms reached out and gently took the mask from Cain's hands.
"Do whatever you want," Cain said as he turned toward the open passage. "And maybe post those human experimentation videos of Wormwood Institute from my device to my Tooter account while you're at it."
"Ooh. That should be fun," Amber grinned. "Don't you feel even a little reluctant? You might not get the chance to negotiate with them."
Cain didn't slow down.
"A man walking to his fall," he said without looking back, "has no reason for reluctance."