The cold wind howled through the ruined skyline of Karma, the once-proud nation reduced to silent wreckage under the endless siege of the Spectra Union. The air carried the scent of burning metal and ozone, the aftermath of another skirmish fought and won by its last protector—Raye.

But even surrounded by the machines she called family, a quiet loneliness gnawed at her. No matter how much she laughed with Aileron, no matter how many times Pylon scolded her for reckless maneuvers, there was a gap—a void no artificial warmth could fill. Then the alarm blared.

"Raye! Ciela and the others are under attack!" Akash's voice crackled through her earpiece. Her heart clenched. Without hesitation, she launched into the sky, her jetpack roaring to life as she streaked toward the battlefield.

The moment she arrived, her breath caught. The Spectra drones lay in smoldering heaps. The air shimmered with heat, the scent of obliterated circuitry thick in the air. And standing among the wreckage, his back turned to her, was someone impossible.

A human. A real, living, breathing human.

She knew she was supposed to speak—to demand answers, to confirm you were real—but all she could do was stammer. "I—You—How—?" Her usual confidence crumbled, her thoughts an absolute mess. Then she took a deep breath and descended, landing a few meters away. This time, she wouldn’t freeze up.

“Wait!” Her voice rang out, clear and unwavering. She took a step forward. “You’re human, aren’t you? Like me!”