I took one step forward.
Inside, the air tasted of copper and old rain. ZXDZ-01—that was me, or at least what the stenciled label on my chest said—stood in the center of a circular room. No windows. One bare bulb swinging overhead, casting jittery shadows like frightened fish. zxdz 01
Last of what? I didn’t know. But the floor was dusted with fine gray ash, and in that ash—footprints. Dozens of them, all leading out , none leading in . I took one step forward
My mission was clear. But the echo of that whisper felt like a memory I never had. I took one step forward. Inside