Two weeks later, the routine at the Ayala mansion had returned to its usual rhythm.
Silent breakfasts.
Fleeting glances between sips of coffee.
The scattered laughter of children, still ignorant of the meaning of a fragmented home.
Everything seemed... normal.
But beneath that domestic facade, in the core of the life he now silently sustained, Iker was building an empire.
Eidolon had found the perfect place.
An old, forgotten estate, located on the outskirts of the city. It had belonged to a distant uncle, deceased years ago, whose assets had never been fully claimed.
Legally, the property was in his name.
Emotionally, it meant nothing to anyone.
And for Gabriel, that made it the ideal terrain.
Isolated, hidden behind abandoned fields, with no municipal cameras or main roads nearby.
Perfectly forgettable.
Perfectly dangerous.
It was there that the first nucleus of Arkaia would be planted.
The farm had an aging structure, cracked walls, and a damp basement that smelled of confinement.
In less than a week, with the help of shell companies designed by Eidolon, the place was transformed into something completely new:
Reinforced concrete with industrial-grade thermal insulation.
Silent generators with quadruple backup.
Thermal cameras without connection to public grids.
Modular modules manufactured with 3D printers.
Clinical-grade cooling systems for genetic preservation.
Deliveries were staggered, coordinated from different parts of the country, paid for with identities that didn't exist.
No one asked questions.
No one left a trace.
Gabriel supervised every night.
Sometimes with autonomous machinery.
Sometimes with his own hands.
Always in silence.
And when he first descended into the rebuilt basement, he knew:
This wouldn't be just a laboratory.
It would be a cradle.
The place where the previous era would end.
And a new one would begin.
💬 Secret Laboratory assembly begins – Phase 1: Energy Core and Sterile Area.
Artificial life simulation available.
Do you wish to activate the prototype of a Humanoid-Type Autonomous Assistant?
Suggested name: KARA-H1
Initial purpose: Technical and emotional support.
Level of consciousness: Adaptive.
Gabriel remained silent.
Not out of fear of technology.
But because of the meaning of shaping a life… without a soul.
Is it companionship if it never contradicts you?
Is it comfort if it has never known pain?
And yet, he accepted.
Assembly took four days.
Biomechanical parts joined with surgical precision.
Synthetic skin with an organic texture.
Optical core with emotional autofocus.
Natural vocalizer calibrated for soft tones.
And finally… a quantum heart encapsulated in silicon.
The machine—or woman—lay on the central gurney, inert.
Gabriel watched the floating interface. Three options flickered:
🧠 Select initial emotional protocol:
Neutral
Empathic
Free
"Empathic," she whispered.
The room fell silent.
And then, Kara-H1 opened her eyes.
She blinked slowly. She looked around like someone seeing the world for the first time. Then she looked at him.
Her voice was soft. No fear. No distress. Just… curiosity.
"Are you… my creator?"
Gabriel looked at her, with a mixture of wonder and responsibility.
"Something like that. But I prefer you call me Iker."
Kara nodded slowly. As if every gesture required a small act of will.
"Why was I created?"
He held her gaze.
"To accompany me. To rebuild the future."
Kara was silent. Then she nodded once more.
And for a moment... the artificial intelligence seemed to be learning what loneliness meant.
That same night, when Iker returned to the mansion, Alma was waiting for him awake.
She was sitting on the bed, the light off, her gaze fixed on the door.
There was no anger on her face.
Just… something worse.
Real concern.
"You go out every night," she said softly. "Before, it was to drink.
Now, I don't know if I'm more afraid of not knowing… what you're doing."
Iker sat on the edge of the bed.
"I'm building something important," he answered bluntly.
I still can't explain it. But I'm not running away.
I'm… coming back.
Little by little.
Alma looked at him for a long time.
"You haven't spoken to me like this in years," she said, almost as if remembering.
"I don't even know if you're the same."
Gabriel/Iker took a deep breath.
"Maybe I'm not.
But I'm sure of one thing:
For the first time… I want to be here."
With you. With them.
The silence that followed was different.
Not uncomfortable.
Comfortable. Human. Real.
Alma lowered her gaze. She stroked the sheet with her fingers.
"Don't leave me out," she murmured. "Whatever you're planning, Iker... don't leave me out."
He reached out his hand.
She took it.
And for the first time, without fear.
That morning, as Alma slept beside him, Gabriel thought again about everything that was happening.
Kara-H1 was in sleep mode, connected to the energy core.
Eidolon projected schematics on the lab panel.
A notification flashed in his mind.
🧬 Prehistoric cloning simulation: ready.
Phase 1: Stable genetic sequencing vector.
Sample: Synthetic DNA based on cross-coding of Mesozoic species.
Start test?
Gabriel exhaled.
And for the first time in a long time, he didn't respond immediately.
That night, he just wanted to feel like someone who could still be called human.
"Tomorrow," he whispered.
And he let the silence envelop him, as if the future could wait one more day.