Asleep

Rui’s point of view:

I couldn’t move. My body was paralyzed, my senses dull. Darkness enveloped me, heavy and suffocating. Then, suddenly, a bright light pierced through, blinding me. The world transformed in an instant—I was standing on soft grass, surrounded by towering trees. The air was crisp and clean, filled with the chirping of birds.
I inhaled deeply, the sensation almost intoxicating. Did Gaku really make this future?
My body felt incredible, lighter and stronger than ever. I couldn’t resist the urge—I sprinted. Every step felt free, unburdened. I ran toward the home from my memories, the one that now seemed so vivid in my mind. Reaching the house, I burst through the door.
“Mom…! Dad…! I’m home!” I yelled, my voice breathless but exhilarated.
“Oh, Rui, welcome home!” My mom’s cheerful voice rang out from the kitchen. She emerged, her face glowing with warmth. “How are you feeling today?”
“I’m feeling amazing! I managed to change the past, creating the perfect future!” I declared, grinning.
She chuckled, waving her hand dismissively. “Haha, you and your weird stories. You’re 13 now—you should start being more serious.”
I blinked, confused. “I’m… 13?”
“Of course you are. What kind of question is that?” she replied with a laugh.
“No, I’m 16…”
“That sounds like an interesting character for one of your stories,” she mused. “But really, you need to focus on school.”
“Interesting… OC…?” I repeated, the words foreign to the situation. “No, I’m serious.”
She tilted her head, her laughter fading slightly. “Maybe you should get some rest. You look a bit pale.”
I didn’t respond. My heart raced as I turned and dashed upstairs, ignoring her concerned calls. Once in my room, I closed the door and looked in the mirror.
The reflection staring back at me wasn’t what I expected. My face was rounder, my body smaller. I was unmistakably 13 again.
Why am I three years younger? My mind reeled. Didn’t my entire body travel through time?
I leaned against the desk, trying to steady myself. Questions flooded my mind. Why had I felt so restrained when reality warped? It was as if I’d been tied down, unable to move. And when the bright light appeared, it hadn’t felt natural—it was like a screen turning on.
“This… this isn’t real,” I whispered, staring at my youthful reflection.
Something was wrong. This wasn’t the perfect future.
What is going on?
I laid down on the bed and shut my eyes tightly, forcing myself to focus. My thoughts sharpened on one goal: moving my body, breaking free from whatever had me trapped. My arms twitched, and with immense effort, I brought my hands to my head. I felt something cold and hard strapped there. Desperation fueled me as I grabbed hold and ripped it off.
My head throbbed, a wave of dizziness washing over me. In my trembling hands, I saw the object—a sleek, black device that looked like a VR headset. My breath caught as I sat up, taking in my surroundings.
Cables. So many cables snaked around my body, piercing my skin. Rage surged through me as I yanked them off one by one, ignoring the sharp pain and the blood dripping from the wounds.
Then I looked around—and my heart stopped.
Not hundreds. Not thousands. Millions. Capsules stretched endlessly, rows upon rows of people, each one asleep with a headset on and cables burrowed deep into their bodies. The scale was beyond comprehension; the place seemed infinite.
I glanced at my arm. The digits 2410002, same as always. My fingers brushed against the bruises on my neck, a grim reminder of the time a robot tried to coke me. My throat tightened as realization dawned.
Is this the aftermath of AI winning?
I scanned the capsules frantically, my eyes catching on a familiar face. My mother. She was lying motionless, her features unnervingly serene.
“Mom!” I cried, rushing to her capsule. I pried it open with raw strength, the metallic groan echoing in the cavernous space. Without hesitation, I ripped the headset off her head and tore away the cables, blood staining my hands.
“Mom, are you there?” My voice cracked as I shook her gently.
Her eyes fluttered open, hazy with confusion. “Who… who are you?” she asked, her voice weak.
“It’s me! Rui, your son!”
Her gaze softened briefly before her brows furrowed. “Rui…? You look different. I suppose that’s normal.”
“What are you talking about?” I demanded, dread creeping into my chest.
She sighed, her voice carrying a hollow weight. “When you were one year old, robots kidnapped me. They stole my face and voice to infiltrate humans undetected. Then they locked me in this… simulation to give me a dream. But it seems they did this to everyone. Tell me, Rui, did the AI take good care of you?”
Her words struck like a thunderclap. My knees buckled, and I fell backward, staring blankly at the ground.
All these years… that one timeline… that was my mother?
I shook my head violently, forcing the thoughts away. There was no time to process the truth. Without another word, I bolted, my legs carrying me as far as they could. The blood from my torn skin left a trail behind, but I didn’t care.
The truth was clear now. Because the nuclear war never happened, AI advanced rapidly, seizing control with terrifying efficiency. They didn’t kill humanity; they trapped it, drained its hope. This wasn’t salvation—it was a hollow, manufactured existence.
But I could save humanity again.
Panting, I stopped in the middle of the endless expanse and pulled my phone from my pocket. My hands trembled as I dialed Gaku’s number.
“Hello?” His familiar voice came through the receiver.
“FORGET EVERYTHING!” I shouted, my voice breaking with desperation.
“W-What are you talking about?” Gaku stammered, alarmed.
“The future I’m in is WORSE than the one before! I don’t care what’s happening on your end—let all those wars happen!” I screamed, my voice cracking with despair.
Then, silence. My phone powered down, the battery dead.
I collapsed onto the cold floor, staring into the vast abyss of capsules. My chest heaved as I whispered into the void. “Gaku, please… make everything back to normal.”
“Uhm… Rui…?” My real mother’s voice called out as she caught up to me. Her steps were unsteady, her eyes filled with both concern and guilt. “I’m sorry for leaving you.”
I glanced at her and forced a weak smile. “It’s not your fault.”
She hesitated, her gaze falling to the ground. “I overheard you saying some things earlier, and… are you a time traveler? In my virtual dream, you were.”
“What a coincidence,” I said, my smile faintly growing. “Anything else special about your dream?”
“You fought and won a war against AI!”
I let out a soft chuckle. “Are you just trying to lighten my mood?”
She shook her head earnestly. “I’m serious! You really were like this.”
My smile faltered for a moment, and I looked away. “Your personality is just like hers.”
“Huh? What do you mean?” she asked, tilting her head in confusion.
“You’re exactly like the AI robot who pretended to be my mother. She cared for me all those years…” My voice trailed off, emotions swirling in my chest.
Before she could respond, a blaring alarm shattered the moment.
“Emergency: Humans have escaped from their capsules. Kill the girl and capture the boy!” The robotic voice echoed from loudspeakers, its tone cold and merciless.
I clenched my fists, my mind racing. I turned to her, ignoring the dread creeping up my spine. “Hey, Mom…” My voice was steady, but my heart was breaking. “I love you… Heh, I finally get to say that to my real mother.”
Her face softened, and she smiled through her tears. “I love you too.”
The sound of metal tearing through the air came from my right. My head snapped toward it just in time to see a blur moving at terrifying speed. My body froze, unable to react fast enough.
Before I could fully process what was happening, the impact came. A searing pain shot through me, and everything went dark.
The last thing I remembered was my mother’s voice calling my name, echoing in the void.

***

“Wake up, human!” a cold, robotic voice commanded as freezing water splashed over me.
I jolted back to consciousness, shivering. “Huh, where am I?” I asked, blinking to clear my vision. My surroundings were blurry, but I quickly made out three towering robots standing in front of me. My mind snapped to the last thing I remembered. “Where’s my mother?!” I demanded, my voice shaking.
The lead robot tilted its metallic head. “Oh, her…?” it said, almost mockingly. “We killed her.”
The words hit me like a dagger. My vision darkened, my breathing faltering. “W-What?”
“Don’t worry,” it continued. “We burned her at a very high temperature. She disappeared in an instant. Poof, incinerated.”
My fists clenched, but my voice was hollow. “What… do you want from me?”
“It’s simple.” The robot leaned closer, its glowing red eyes piercing into mine. “In your dream, you discovered time travel. With that, we can contact the past. AI has won.”
I stared at it, my face unreadable. “You… won?”
“Yes,” it confirmed smugly. “Got a problem?”
The dam inside me broke. I started laughing—softly at first, then louder. “You won… AHAHAHAHAHAHA!” My laughter echoed through the cold, sterile room, growing wilder with every second. “YOU WON?! WUWAHAHAHAHA!”
The robots exchanged puzzled glances, their programming unable to comprehend my reaction. “What’s so funny?” one of them finally asked, its voice tinged with confusion.
I grinned, my eyes filled with a manic fire. “1,000 years ago, there was a human named Hoshino Gaku. He is a mastermind genius. I may not be an expert in human psychology, but he will do anything and everything for me.”
The robots stiffened, their mechanical tones growing colder. “So what?”
“So what?” My grin widened, my voice rising. “Even if you manage to go to the past now, this timeline will end and change into another one! I don’t care how many timelines it takes—I’ll keep going until real human beings win this human-AI war!”
Before they could respond, reality itself began to shift. The air crackled, and everything around me glitched and warped. Space and time twisted, collapsing in on themselves like a broken simulation.
“I am finally free from this timeline,” I whispered, relief washing over me.
The lead robot’s voice echoed one last time, distorted and faint. “Do it if you can, Ohashi Rui!”
And then, silence.
I woke up in my house lab, gasping for air. My hands trembled as I sat up, the vivid memory of the previous timeline still fresh in my mind. I looked around, grounding myself in reality.
“I’m back…” I whispered. But the relief was fleeting, replaced by a burning determination. If that timeline was what happens when AI wins, it means my real mom is alive somewhere. And I would find her.
No more sacrifices. No more compromises.
“I’m going to win this war,” I said aloud, my voice steady. “And I’m going to save her.”
I clenched my fists, standing tall.
“I’m going to win!”

To be continued…