The cold wind brushed against Aiko's face as she and Michael stepped out of the dark tunnel. Their bodies ached, their clothes were torn, and streaks of dirt and dried blood covered their skin. Behind them, the underground path that had brought them to the edge of the unknown loomed like a memory already fading.
Michael stumbled slightly, then started laughing — a sudden, broken sound that didn't belong to joy.
Aiko: "Michael? Are you okay?"
Michael suddenly burst into laughter — sharp, broken, and unrelenting. It echoed off the ruined walls like a scream in disguise. Aiko flinched. This wasn't relief. It was fear tearing its way out of his lungs.
Aiko (kneeling beside him, scared): "You're shaking. Breathe, okay? We're not done yet."
They rested in silence. The sky above was gray and heavy, and the landscape before them was not what they expected. Polluted air, scorched ground, and broken metal scraps littered the terrain.
Aiko (quietly): "This... this isn't the paradise they said was hidden from us."
A few meters ahead, a landmine protruded slightly from the ground — a cruel welcome. Smoke curled in the distance, hinting at life… or conflict.
Michael: "It's not what I imagined. But it proves something — the wall doesn't hide death. It hides the truth."
They stood. Despite the exhaustion, they knew there was no turning back.
Earlier, in Poland…
The trio — Aiko, Michael, and Jack — had made their way through Johnsons tunnels . Jack had been quiet since the tunnel. In the city While Aiko and Michael bought supplies and planned their next move, Jack lingered behind, avoiding eye contact.
Aiko (handing him water): "You good? You haven't said a word."
Jack (hesitating): "Yeah... just thinking."
Later, as they reached the final checkpoint before the wall, Jack froze.
Michael: "Jack? What's wrong?"
Jack (quietly, then louder): "I called them. I called the police. This has to stop. We're being fooled — you're being fooled!"
Aiko (panicked): "What?! You what?!"
Michael (grabbing his arm): "Why would you do that?!"
Jack: "Because we're crossing the line. We're walking into death, not freedom."
Sirens wailed in the distance. But they weren't police.
They were the army.
Michael: "We need to go. Now!"
Aiko (crying): "Jack, come with us! Please!"
Jack (shaking his head): "I believe in Him. I still do."
Aiko and Michael ran, ducking behind the rusted frame of an old supply truck. From the shadows, they watched Jack step forward, hands raised, trying to speak with the soldiers.
No hesitation.
No warning.
A single shot.
Jack dropped.
Aiko let out a choked sob, her hand clamped over her mouth. Michael's eyes were wide with shock, his voice gone.
They ran again, the gates just ahead — massive, mechanical, still half-open. The sound of boots and gunfire echoed behind them. Smoke and dust rose in the distance.
They made it past the outer gates and hid just beyond the checkpoint, panting. For a moment, silence.
Then Michael spoke, his voice shaking:
Michael: "I heard of people looking for truth before... but none of them were killed. Why Jack? Why maybe us after?"
Aiko (eyes still wet): "Maybe… maybe they found out we removed the implants."
She looked toward the darkening sky, her voice now a whisper:
Aiko: "Maybe they don't want anyone out of God's sight."
Now, on the far side of the wall
Michael unstrapped his satchel and pulled out the broken watch. The strange device that once seemed like a childish inheritance had led them this far.
Michael (inspecting the back): "There were four bunkers marked... This was one. There should be three more."
In the bunker they'd found beneath the rusted outpost, they discovered weapons, decayed uniforms, and an old TV terminal. Michael flipped it on, fingers trembling.
An old video began.
Video: "We are losing the war. The Greedness — it's no longer a concept. It's an empire. We, the World Forces Union, are falling..."
Aiko: "Greedness? What kind of name is that?"
Another video auto-played. The screen flickered. A new title: "Added by: The Father of Knowledge"
Video: *"The map you know is a lie. The oceans are not oceans. Behind the wall lies the true Earth — larger, older, freer. But it's being eaten by control, cloaked by the illusion of safety."
Aiko and Michael sat in stunned silence.
Aiko (softly): "So the god... the peace... It's all a cage."
Michael: "And Johnson died for this truth. Jack too..."
Aiko: "We're not soldiers. We're not revolutionaries."
Michael (resolute): "No, but we're here. And we know. That makes us something."
They sat in the silence, backs against cold concrete. The silence wasn't peace — it was a void filled with questions they weren't ready to ask. Michael stared at the floor.
Michael (whispers): "We're not heroes, Aiko. We're just... kids."
Aiko didn't reply. Her wide eyes were empty now — not from shock, but from the understanding that childhood was over. Whatever waited beyond the wall, they would face it with blood-stained hands and tired hearts.
They left the outpost, following what remained of the Union's tunnels. Along the way, remnants of a fallen rebellion whispered their stories through graffiti, broken machines, and rusted flags.