The market today was a cacophony of shouts and laughter, the air thick with the aroma of cooking meat and spices, the mingling scents of sweat and earth. It was a vibrant, pulsating heartbeat of humanity in the midst of decay.

  The stall-lined streets were alive with the familiar faces of local vendors and the curious glances of passing strangers, all weaving in and out of the bustling crowd like threads in a rich tapestry. As the resettlement project moved along, more and more people had started to flock here. New York City was still far from its former glory, but life was certainly returning to these streets. We were part of the first wave, the settlers who had been given the opportunity to stake a claim to rebuild what had been lost.

  "Fresh eggs!" someone called out. "Raised 'em myself, best in the city!"

  "Repurposed tech, get your repurposed tech! Solar-powered radios, batteries, and generators! You won't find a better deal!" Another hollered, drawing in a small crowd of interested buyers.

  I weaved through the crowd, the noise and the energy wrapping around me like a familiar blanket. We lived just far enough from the market that the noise wasn't too loud, but close enough to reach the area in a few minutes. It was the perfect balance.

  As I made my way, a man called out from a stall nearby. "Hey, you heard the news?"

  I paused, my curiosity piqued.

  "What news?" another man spoke.

  "Terran convoy was ambushed up north," he said, his voice hushed. "Some gang on the main road to New Haven. They hit 'em hard and made off with a shipment of goods. The Terrans are up in arms, sending reinforcements to secure the route."

  "Damn," the second man whistled. "That's the second time this week. What's going on up there?"

  "I don't know, but I hear it's getting real dangerous. They're saying it's not safe to travel, especially if you're a Terran. The cartels in New England are getting bolder."

  My heart sank a bit at the news.

  Things had been relatively calm the last few months, at least in our neck of the woods. Our run-in with the gang the other day may have just been the first of many signs of change to come. Still, with both the Terrans and the National Guard here, I doubted it could get too bad.

  I nodded at the two men and moved on, the conversation about the ambush already fading into the general buzz of the marketplace.

  I glanced around the bustling market, noticing the subtle signs of the city's recovery amidst the decay. Some buildings sported fresh coats of paint, a splash of color in the otherwise drab surroundings, while others remained crumbling monuments to a past glory.

  The streets were swept clean of debris, an improvement from the rubble-filled days from our first days here. The power grid was becoming more reliable, with fewer outages, and the water ran clear and cold now, a stark contrast to the murky, unreliable supply from just a few weeks ago. Even the air felt cleaner, carrying the scent of freshly baked goods and the earthy aroma of cooking instead of the caustic tang of ozone from the chaos beast remains.

  Still, the city was far from healed. Bullet holes marked the facades of buildings, and boarded-up windows were a common sight. The streets, although clearer than before, were still pocked and uneven.

  It was a work in progress, this revival, and it would take more than a few months to erase the damage from the war.

  As I approached the hardware store, I stopped dead in my tracks, feeling like I'd been smacked in the face by nostalgia.

  The storefront behind Dan's, the local vendor I'd intervened against for Malina's sake, was an old electronics repair shop. The same one that I vaguely remembered passing by as a toddler with Mom and Dad.

  The place had seen better days. Its windows were grimy, the neon sign above the entrance long since burnt out. But the familiar logo—a hammer and wrench forming an "X"—stirred up memories of a time when the world wasn't quite as broken as it was now. It was under new ownership, obviously, but it stirred something in me all the same.

  "Oh hey, Ikki!" a familiar voice called out from across the street, snapping me out of my reverie.

  I turned to see Alex walking up to me.

  Alex was a lean, wiry Vietnamese-American guy in his mid to late 20s. His hair was a mess, and his clothes were rumpled and stained, but he had a certain charm to him, a rugged allure that made him popular among the ladies recently. He'd been one of the more reliable members of my father's crew over the years.

  His dark eyes sparkled with an alertness that was common in this place, his movements fluid and purposeful. He was a survivor, like the rest of us, but there was something about Alex that really set him apart.

  I offered him a wave. "Hey, Alex. Didn't know you'd be here today."

  Alex shrugged, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Was in the area. Thought I'd stop by and say hello. Whatcha up to?"

  "Hardware store," I said, pointing to the shop. "Just picking up a few things for the house. What about you?"

  His gaze followed my gesture to the store's weathered sign. "You and your pops too, huh? Look, Ikki, listen. I've been meaning to ask you something."

  "Oh?" I said, my interest piqued. "What's up?"

  "It's... uh, well..." Alex fumbled for words, his brow furrowing. He cleared his throat and tried again. "How about we talk somewhere a little less crowded? I don't wanna be overheard."

  I raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his sudden seriousness. "Alright," I agreed. "Lead the way."

  We walked in silence for a minute, the noise of the marketplace fading behind us as we ducked into an alley between two derelict buildings.

  Alex checked to make sure we were alone before he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.

  "Ikki, I've been thinking about the other day with the truck. When we were ambushed by those bastards."

  I tensed slightly, remembering the chaos and the violence. "Yeah, that wasn't a fun day," I said carefully.

  "Getting put under that freaky sleeping spell and waking up to you and a magical girl standing over me? That was weird, but that's not what I'm getting at." He looked uncomfortable for a moment. "I noticed the state of the battlefield, with the totaled mech and everything. But I was there when Jae reviewed the footage. You were in it. He said that you piloted that machine. He also said he'd hide away that footage before anyone else could see it."

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  I swallowed hard, not sure where this was going.

  "Alex—"

  "Relax, kid. I ain't gonna sell you out or anything," Alex interrupted, holding up a hand. "I just wanna know how the hell you did it. Controlling a mech like that isn't something you learn on the fly. It takes years of training. And you're what, 16?"

  I shifted uncomfortably, glancing around to make sure we were still alone. "Almost. Not quite yet."

  "That's not the point, Ikki." Alex's eyes narrowed. "How did you do it? Are you some kind of secret agent? Government experiment?"

  "Look. It... just came naturally to me. Okay? I'm not a secret agent or anything. I swear," I said, feeling a bit cornered.

  Alex studied me for a moment, his eyes searching mine for the truth. Then, he sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "Alright. I guess I believe you. You're a good kid, Ikki. You've always been a good kid. But that kind of talent? It's not normal. So, be careful. Don't go flashing that around on Terra, you hear me?"

  I nodded, feeling oddly relieved. "Thanks, Alex. Uh. My dad said the same thing to me just before I left for the store. Almost verbatim."

  His lips twitched into a smile. "He's a smart man, your dad. Listen to him. And if you ever need anything, anything at all, you come find me. Okay? I've got your back. I know you're off to that weird college thing soon, but still, I've got your back."

  I felt a surge of gratitude towards him. "I appreciate that, Alex. Really. And hey, next time I see you, maybe you could teach me some of your moves. You're pretty handy with that rifle of yours."

  He laughed, a warm sound that seemed to echo through the empty alley. "Sure thing, kid. Sure thing."

  He nodded, patting me on the shoulder. "Don't mention it. Now, let's get out of this alley. I could use a bite to eat. Care to join me?"

  I smiled back at him. "Sure. I've got time for a quick lunch."

  We made our way out of the alley, the sun bright overhead. The streets were less crowded here, and the air felt fresher.

  "So, what's your story, Alex?" I asked, curious. "I mean, I know you've worked for my dad for a while, but I don't think I've ever asked."

  He shrugged, his eyes scanning the street. "Not much to tell, honestly. I'm just a guy trying to survive in this mess of a world. Before the war, I was studying Home and Small Business Networking. Can you believe that? Me, a glorified IT guy."

  I couldn't help but chuckle. "Can't imagine that's too helpful these days. Not in a city that's been bombed to hell and back. Still, I bet you could rig up a pretty impressive system if you wanted to. Get some old computers going, maybe even get the internet back up and running in a small area."

  He gave me a sly grin. "Unfortunately I never got to finish. For obvious reasons. I wanted to look after my little bros, you know? Took a GED and went straight into CCNA and CCENT to support the family. I'd just turned 17. I remember the night it happened. The first wave. I was at a study group, and suddenly, the power went out. We thought it was a blackout, but then we saw the flashes of light in the sky. The ground shook, windows shattered, and then... the screaming started."

  "Damn. I'm sorry, man. That's rough." My heart ached for him, for the loss he'd endured. "You were just a teenager, huh? Right around my age."

  He nodded. "I was one of the few that hunkered down in the stairwell up the roof and stayed. Fortified the doors in the community college and turned off the lights. There were zombies crawling all over the campus by the time your dad came screeching down off road with you and your infant sister in a pickup. Hinokawa was in the back, shooting at the zombies and a pair of ayakashi with a rifle and a handgun, but he was running out of ammo fast."

  "I screamed at him and waved at him down when Hinokawa took out the chaos beasts with a grenade launcher. He pulled up and asked me if I wanted to get off the roof. I said no, and asked him to bring in the other survivors. He saved us. Every single person who stayed with me in that college. Your dad's a hero, Ikki. Never forget that."

  I nodded, a sense of pride swelling in my chest. "Yeah, he's something else, isn't he?"

  "That he is. That he is." Alex's eyes grew distant for a moment. "I owe your father a debt I can never repay. And I intend to make good on that, no matter what it takes."

  "I'm sure he'd say you don't owe him anything," I said.

  Alex laughed, a short, humorless sound. "Maybe. But it doesn't change how I feel. Loyalty is everything in this world. Without it, we're no better than animals."

  "Truer words have never been spoken," I agreed.

  We walked in silence for a minute, the streets around us slowly coming to life as the morning sun climbed higher in the sky.

  "Well, let's go get us those locks and pipes," Alex said, his tone lighter now. "And maybe find ourselves a bite to eat on the way back. I'm starving."

  "Sounds good," I said, feeling a bit lighter myself.

  "Ikki," Rai-chan suddenly chimed up. "We have a problem. Stay alert and mobile."

  I froze in place.

  Alex, noticing my sudden halt, turned to look at me, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Ikki? You okay?"

  "Y-Yeah, one sec. Go in without me. Gotta send a message."

  I pretended to open my phone. Alex nodded and headed into the store, leaving me outside.

  "What is it?" I whispered, glancing around to make sure no one was watching.

  "Multiple high-speed vehicles are converging on this location," Rai-chan reported. "What's more, several prominent mana signatures match that of the cyborg's enhancements from the other day."

  I tensed, my pulse quickening. "You sure? Maybe it's just a coincidence...?"

  "Probability of coincidence is less than 2%. They are converging from multiple directions. Fast."

  Her words barely had time to settle before the sound reached my ears – engines roaring like caged beasts finally set free. I turned just in time to see them coming over a hill — a pack of motorcycles tearing through the streets. Their riders were clad in leather emblazoned with aggressive, brutal iconography. Iron crosses flanked by lightning bolts stood out on their vests, with skull masks and helmets.

  Dread settled in my gut like a lead weight — I recognized a few of the symbols from my history class for sure.

  What happened to the National Guard and all the Terran patrols?

  "You're gonna want to move," Rai-chan said.

  I didn't need to be told twice. I darted for cover behind a nearby dumpster, the smell of rubber and exhaust heavy in the air. Howls and woots erupted from the bikers, and I saw people scattering in panic, trying to escape the sudden onslaught of chaos. One of the riders pulled something out from his vest, a glass bottle with a rag stuffed into it, and quickly lit the cloth before he tossed it towards one of the stalls. The bottle shattered and ignited in a blaze of flame.

  My heart pounded in my chest, the heat of the nearby fire licking at my skin as I crouched and pressed myself further into my hiding spot. Adrenaline surged through me, my mind racing for a plan. I couldn't just run blindly; but I needed to make sure Izumi, Dad, and Mina were safe.

  My eyes scanned the pandemonium, looking for any sign of authority. We didn't have a proper police force yet and had barely set up a pseudo-constabulary with what they could spare from the National Guard. Most of them were stationed around the key entrances to the city and toward Aberration hotspots.

  So how had so many raiders slipped past the patrols?!

  Another explosion rocked the street, a car alarm wailed, and my mind flashed to Izumi and Mina. "Rai-chan, are any groups heading towards our place?" I demanded, my voice rough with sudden terror.

  There was a pause, a split second that felt like an eternity, before she answered, "Negative. Their current trajectory suggests they are targeting main commercial areas. Your domicile remains safe for now."

  "Rai-chan, can you hijack them? Take control?"

  There was a brief pause, the milliseconds stretching into eternity. "Negative again, Ikki. Their systems are isolated. Manual driving, with no electronic interfaces to exploit."

  I grit my teeth, frustration boiling over.

  My mind whirred with the possible scenarios—stay hidden, run home, find a way to help?

  An echoing boom snapped my head up, and I saw a new terror unfolding while peeking over at the stalls. A second group had joined the fray, reinforcing the chaos with their own barrage of firebombs. The street became an inferno, the fire reflecting in the shattered glass from the freshly vandalized stores littering the pavement.

  I frantically scanned the scene, searching for a way out of this nightmare. A child's scream tore through the cacophony of the flames, and my eyes locked onto a small figure, huddled near an alley. The child was frozen, petrified by the chaos and flames around him. Without thinking, I scrambled out from where I was in the stalls, the heat of the flames stinging my skin as I ran towards him. I had to help. I had to do something.

  But before I could do anything, I heard a screeching halt and a van door sliding open. A masked man, his face obscured by a balaclava, lunged at the child, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck. The child screamed, flailing his arms and legs in terror, as the man yanked him towards the van.

  My fists clenched as I backed further into the shadows, the fear becoming a simmering rage.

  I had to get back. I had to make sure my family was safe.

  "Rai-chan, map out a path—"

  But my words were choked off as a Molotov cocktail came sailing through the air, shattering on the wall just above my head by the alleyway's entrance.

  The world erupted into blinding light and searing heat, the roar of the erupting flames drowning out everything else.