《Forbidden Knowledge》


 Part 1

    The streets were alive with the hurried steps of passersby, the hushed whispers of friends, and the relaxed gaits of Automations. Helyana always found comfort within the bright lights and sprawling cityscapes¡­ though she could¡¯ve done without the crowd.


    ¡°Oh, Miss Helyana!¡± A reporter rushed up to her, motioning over the person recording it all. ¡°We¡¯ve just heard word about a demon attack up north! It seems they¡¯re getting more frequent by the day. What are your thoughts on that? Have anything special to say to our viewers out there?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± she said dismissively. She tried walking around them but it didn¡¯t work.


    ¡°Could you elaborate on that?¡±


    She sighed, and gave a wide gesture to the streets around her¡ªor, more specifically, to her Automations. ¡°I haven¡¯t spent the last four years creating and repairing these Automations for nothing. They¡¯re practically invincible and immune to manipulation¡ªthey¡¯d been designed that way, and they¡¯ve only gotten better. As long as we have them, we have nothing to fear from the demons.¡±


    Or, at least, for now; the demons always seemed to be adapting, after all, just like the humans. But saying that kind of thing would only invite more questions, and already she was tired of the conversation.


    ¡°Do you have any future plans? Reports are coming in that you¡¯ve been spending a lot of time researching souls. Can you confirm or deny that this might be a part of another project? Perhaps one that even rivals the Automations?¡±


    At the idea, Helyana took on a confident smirk. Though, in truth, she still had no idea if anything would work. ¡°I think you¡¯ll see for yourself soon enough. Now, may I go? There¡¯s work to be done. You¡¯re not going to get your next major headline until I¡¯m allowed to make my next major breakthrough.¡±


    It seemed the reporter might have asked more questions, before thinking it over and nodded. ¡°Yes, that can conclude things for now. Thank you for answering those couple of questions, Miss Helyana. I think I speak for the whole of Cyrene when I say I¡¯m looking forward to what you come up with.¡±


    Helyana gave a small nod of acknowledgement, before quickly walking away. As she walked through the majestic courtyard of her estate, she couldn¡¯t help checking the little ¡°stones¡± in her bag. There were two, each small enough that they could be perfectly balanced on her finger. For a moment, she admired their dim, color-shifting glow¡ªit was what assured her that they were more than mere stones.


    They were, in fact, souls.


    And she knew they¡¯d grow in size, and perhaps in glow, when they found a host to grow alongside.


    The Automation at the front door greeted her with the same robotic voice as the rest, but it truly did nothing more than acknowledge a recognizable face. Another took her coat and a third offered her a cup of tea, each simply fulfilling their programmed roles.


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    ¡°I need all of you to leave me alone,¡± Helyana said sternly. She knew her tone didn¡¯t matter; they only recognized keywords and had no feeling that could be hurt. ¡°Keep everyone out of the estate. I don¡¯t want anyone interrupting me, and that includes you.¡±


    Every Automation¡ªand there were quite a few of them¡ªin hearing distance nodded and said, ¡°As you will it, Miss Helyana!¡±


    Not quite satisfied, but knowing she might be soon enough, she pushed open the doors to her workshop. The wide room, and its several individual closets and work spaces lining the walls, made up nearly the entire first floor of the estate. There was hardly anything in it, or at least not much of what a normal person would consider useful. Scrap metal and parts littered the floor of all these rooms, along with messy schematics and scratch work. She avoided the main workbench at the center of the room¡ªan Automation with half its parts visible was laid on it¡ªin favor of one of the smaller work spaces. It wasn¡¯t necessarily the best place to invent or tinker on something, but the bulk of the work had already been done. She went up to the workbench there and pulled the sheet off of what she hoped would be her crowning achievement.


    Two Automations sat together, though they had yet to be activated. They were near identical, almost like they were ¡°twins;¡± their skin was silver in color, made of one of the most resilient metals found in the mountains; their hair, which an acquaintance had engineered for her to function similar to human hair, was dark blue and cut short for both of them; their eyes were a dull purple, and she hoped that soon that lifeless look would change. The Automation on the right was ¡°Rhuni,¡± and the one on the left ¡°Mekha.¡± They were ¡°siblings.¡± And, if all went well, Helyana would be their ¡°mother.¡±


    She took a deep breath as she sat the bag on the table beside her. With a shaky hand, she opened up both of the Automations¡¯ chests¡ªwhere their core would be placed. Then she took out the two souls out of the bag, connecting Rhuni¡¯s to one first, then the other to Mekha. As Helyana closed their chests again, she prayed to whatever might listen that it would work.


    ¡°I¡¯ve spent four years making Automations¡­¡± she mumbled, slowly. A small gap in Rhuni¡¯s chest began to glow, then the same happened with Mekha¡¯s. That meant the soul was being adapted as their power source. ¡°And as hard as I tried, I could never make a companion¡­ a family. So I suppose the question is¡­ am I forever cursed to make lifeless creations, or will I finally have ¡®children¡¯ of my own..?¡±


    Rhuni and Mekha¡¯s eyes glowed the same dull colors as the souls had. They both twitched, then convulsed, and finally stopped. Helyana had been holding her breath up until that point, but to see them completely still¡­ Perhaps something wasn¡¯t right. Maybe she¡¯d messed up one of the calculations, or she overestimated how powerful such a small soul would be.


    She nodded to herself, mumbling some fake reassurance about how it didn¡¯t work. She¡¯d just have to try again another time. But as she started cleaning up a few papers around the room, and closing her bag¡­


    Rhuni blinked. ¡°Where¡­ are we?¡±


    Mekha¡¯s eyes darted around the room, and he carefully lifted his hands to look at them, too. When he looked up, he saw Helyana, and smiled. ¡°Are you our¡­ ¡®mother?¡¯¡±


    Helyana couldn¡¯t help herself¡ªshe pulled them both in for a hug, even if they didn¡¯t understand what it meant. She had to stop herself from crying, so as not to confuse them more, when she said in a near-whisper, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m your mother. And I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re alive¡­¡± She forced herself to step back and give them some space. ¡°I know things are a little confusing right now, but I¡¯m going to help you understand, alright? My sweet children¡­ I will show you what it means to be alive.¡±

 Part 2

    They were only together for three years¡­ just long enough that, were they human children, they would¡¯ve barely remembered her. But though their souls came from infants, they adapted to their situations quickly. Helyana cherished each and every one of those memories, without really acknowledging what all parents had to one day tell their children.


    One of the first things she did was walk them around the city. She was grateful then and now that none of the other citizens seemed to think anything special of it; it gave Rhuni and Mekha time to ease into their life.


    ¡°This is Cyrene,¡± Helyana said, giving a wide gesture around them. ¡°It¡¯s our home. Those things there are other Automations I¡¯ve created¡ªthey¡¯re not like the two of you, though. They can¡¯t do any more than follow orders¡­¡±


    Rhuni tilted her head. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°The two of you have a soul. It¡¯s what allows you to think, to feel¡ªto be human. And I¡¯ll be sure to show you all about it, alright? You don¡¯t have to worry about a thing. I¡¯ll be there every step of the way.¡±


    Mekha nodded, then gestured to a couple others. ¡°Are those¡­ humans, then? They don¡¯t look like you¡ªnot exactly¡ªbut they don¡¯t look like us either¡­.¡±


    Helyana couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Yes, those are humans. We¡¯re all quite diverse¡ªno two individuals are completely alike. As Automations, it¡¯s going to be your mission to protect them.¡±


    ¡°Protect them? From what?¡±


    ¡°Demons. In the past couple of years, they¡¯ve gone from minor inconveniences to massacring whole cities of humans¡­ It¡¯s why I made the Automations¡ªto keep Cyrene safe from the dangers around us. You¡¯re more resilient than humans to the attacks of the beasts, and immune to the mind games of the Fallen¡¯s Angels¡­¡± She trailed off.


    ¡°Is everything alright, Mother?¡± Rhuni asked. ¡°Your expression changed. It seems¡­ sadder than before.¡±


    Helyana quickly shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just¡­ realized it¡¯s quite a lot to ask of you¡ªto send you out there. I don¡¯t want to see you hurt.¡±


    ¡°I think I want to protect these humans,¡± Mekha remarked. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but¡­ I feel connected to them. I want to do what I can for them, even if it¡¯s scary.¡±


    Rhuni nodded. ¡°You just said that we¡¯re the most capable of defending them. I¡¯m more than willing to sacrifice myself, if it keeps them safe.¡±


    Perhaps a bit of the Automations¡¯ original protocols were what made them both say that, in the beginning; after all, they barely knew what a human was, or had met any aside from Helyana. But she knew that it changed over time, so that it was more than just their programming that gave them a love of humans and a desire to help them flourish.


    ¡°No sacrifice,¡± she said quickly, nearly panicking at the time. ¡°But¡­ I will respect your wishes. I¡¯ll help you learn how to defend humans from the demons. I know that you¡¯ll do great.¡±


    ¡­


    Mekha, especially, was fond of interacting with the kids. At first, he¡¯d listen to the stories the adults would tell alongside them. But then he started telling stories, too, from a book of fairytales Helyana had gifted him. While he did that, Rhuni often helped the adults¡ªHelyana caught glimpses of her as she guided people around the city, or carried something for someone. And when demons were spotted¡ªthere were more of them in the three years after their creation, and in different forms too¡ªthey were both ready to go.


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    Whenever they came back, Helyana guided them to the workshop, and she looked them over for any new scratches or dents¡­ as well as checked their soul, knowing from her research how fragile it could be.


    ¡°A few humans weren¡¯t able to get away by the time we got there,¡± Rhuni said slowly. She barely indicated feeling anything while Helyana repaired her. ¡°We¡­ wanted to help, but we couldn¡¯t. We know how to repair each other, in case of emergencies, but¡­ we don¡¯t know how to repair the humans.¡±


    Mekha seemed more shaken by the fact. ¡°I was able to help a little, by quickly getting the supplies for others. But we could¡¯ve saved more of them if I¡¯d been able to actually do something¡­¡±


    ¡°Humans can¡¯t¡­ really be repaired,¡± Helyana said carefully. The idea hadn¡¯t crossed her mind until they said it¡ªshe¡¯d been too concerned about her children to think of the others. ¡°Not in the same way the two of you are. ¡®Fixing¡¯ a human isn¡¯t as easy as tinkering with something or replacing parts. It often takes bandages, medicines, and possibly weeks of recovery¡ªand even then, there¡¯s no way to completely revert something to how it once was.¡±


    ¡°Is there something you can teach us?¡± Rhuni prompted. ¡°Something that we can use to help them?¡±


    Helyana nodded. ¡°Once we finish up here, I¡¯ll show you both the basics of first aid. To be honest, I¡­ probably should¡¯ve done that already¡­¡±


    She¡¯d originally started creating Automations to help humans. Why, then, had she completely forgotten about them?


    ¡­


    ¡°Rhuni! I think you need to put it a little higher!¡± Mekha called. Each was on either side of the town hall, holding up one side of a banner. It was the festival of Cyrene¡¯s founding¡ªthe last, in fact, before everything fell apart.


    She dutifully followed her brother¡¯s direction. ¡°Does that look better?¡±


    ¡°I mean, it looks more even from where I am!¡± He looked over his shoulder, to where Helyana watched them like a hawk. ¡°What do you think, Mother? Does it look good?¡±


    ¡°I think it looks perfect,¡± she responded just loud enough for them to hear.


    The mayor gave a gesture of agreement. ¡°You kids did great, you can pin them there! Come back down and get some snacks, I think you more than deserve them.¡± He paused when he realized exactly who he was talking to, though. ¡°Or¡­ I suppose just take a break! I meant what I said about you deserving it, though. I don¡¯t think the others are done with the first task I gave them, let alone the third¡­¡±


    Rhuni had already slid down the ladder. ¡°I suppose Mother should get some of the credit. She built us, after all. Anyone less talented or less attentive might not have made us so resilient.¡±


    Mekha, only just now reaching them since he¡¯d slowly descended the ladder, nodded.


    Helyana grew a soft smile. ¡°Please, I¡¯m not all of it. You both strive for greatness, even without me being there. I couldn¡¯t have asked for better children.¡±


    And to ruin the moment, someone walked over to them. ¡°Hey, Rhuni, Mekha, are you done here? My team could use some help lifting some heavy stuff¡­¡±


    Both of them nodded and followed the person back to wherever they came from.


    ¡°You know, abilities like that are almost wasted here,¡± the mayor mused once he and Helyana were alone. ¡°I thought all of your original Automations were praiseworthy, but those two are something else entirely! To think¡ªthey could probably beat back those demons for good. You¡¯d be hailed as the greatest inventor in the land for your creations.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re my children,¡± she said, feeling inexplicably distressed at the thought. Why, though? What he was suggesting was supposed to be their purpose. ¡°I could never send them away. I don¡¯t want anything to happen to them.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re practically immortal! You could probably make a hundred more with the money people would pay to have their protection.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t about money, nor fame. It¡¯s about family. And I didn¡¯t work this hard just to lose them.¡±

 Part 3

    Dinner had to be adapted, somewhat, given the fact two of the three there didn¡¯t need¡ªor, frankly, had any ability¡ªto eat. They¡¯d spent quite a few weeks, at first, figuring out what worked best for all of them. Eventually they settled on calling it ¡°maintenance,¡± where Helyana would eat and Rhuni and Mekha would self-assess their conditions and do minor repairs. With their lives as busy as they soon became, it gave them all the time to talk, and to do the vital things they might¡¯ve neglected otherwise.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve almost finished my commission,¡± Helyana remarked. ¡°It was a well-paying one, too, for the limited amount of work I had to do. And I¡­ thought it might be nice, if we take a little trip when I¡¯ve gotten my pay. A family vacation, perhaps.¡±


    Rhuni considered it. ¡°What about the humans here, though? The demons aren¡¯t going to stop just because we aren¡¯t here¡­¡±


    Helyana frowned. ¡°With the other Automations, they¡¯re more than capable of fending the demons off. The two of you aren¡¯t the sole reason Cyrene is still standing. You¡¯re worth more than your service to the city.¡±


    ¡°I know, Mother,¡± Rhuni said. It was then Helyana realized she might¡¯ve come off as harsh¡ªRhuni shrunk, slightly, as she continued. ¡°I was just worried. It¡¯s been three years since they were without our protection¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand that,¡± Helyana sighed. ¡°My apologies, dear. I must be a little tired.¡±


    Tired of the other humans keeping her from spending time with her children, more like¡­


    Mekha nodded nervously, but it proved to be a part of a distraction. ¡°I think it sounds like a good idea, Mother. Where do you think we¡¯ll go?¡±


    She grew a smile at the idea. ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. I tried thinking of something before, but it was hard to come up with a place where we could be unbothered by work or familiar faces. Where would you want to go?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Could it be somewhere with a lot of animals? Or at least puppies?¡± Mekha asked.


    Rhuni gave him a quizzical look. ¡°Puppies?¡±


    ¡°Mhm! I made a new human friend today, and he had a puppy. It was cute!¡± He seemed to think of something else, though, because he looked back at Helyana. ¡°Mother, could we get a puppy? I promise I¡¯ll take extra good care of it! And I¡¯m sure Rhuni will help, too, once she sees how cute it is!¡±


    Helyana couldn¡¯t help but muffle a bit of laughter at his excitement; the feeling soon faded, however, to something more melancholy. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Animals take a lot of work to care for¡ªeven if I figured out how to make one. Then there¡¯s¡­ the lifespan. Most dogs only live for about thirteen years. It might seem like a lot now, but those days will go by before you know it¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re already going to outlive every human here, aren¡¯t we?¡± Perhaps the worst part wasn¡¯t that Rhuni asked the question, but that she sounded like she already knew the answer¡­ that she knew she was right. ¡°As long as we¡¯re able to be repaired, we¡¯ll likely see many more generations. A loss of a pet now might prepare us for the loss of other loved ones later.¡±


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    ¡°I¡­ suppose you have a point,¡± Helyana said slowly. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about it that way. You¡¯re right¡ªhumans only¡­ live so long, and the two of you are practically immortal¡­¡±


    The realization brought her a considerable amount of distress, actually. It reminded her that, one day, she¡¯d need to say goodbye to her children. There¡¯d be no way she could keep up with them forever. It was impossible, after all, for a human to attain immortality¡­


    Though, seven years ago, people would also say that Automations were impossible, and she proved them wrong. This was her family¡ªshe wasn¡¯t about to give up and accept her fate so easily. She¡¯ll find a way so that they never have to be apart.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough of that,¡± Helyana announced, shaking her head to clear it. ¡°Rhuni, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard about your day. How¡ª¡°


    A regular Automation walked through the doors, saying blankly, ¡°You have an urgent visitor, Miss Helyana.¡±


    This visitor¡ªa panicked citizen¡ªdidn¡¯t wait for a cue to introduce themself. Instead, they went straight to the news. ¡°There are demons heading for us from the east! There¡¯s a lot of them, and they seem to be stronger than most of the others. The leader of the Fallen¡¯s Angels is with them, along with many unfamiliar beasts. We¡¯re afraid we¡¯re not going to have enough Automations to take care of them while still keeping enough in Cyrene in case more demons appear.¡±


    Rhuni and Mekha were up even before they¡¯d finished.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there right away,¡± Rhuni said. She quickly put away the tools she¡¯d been using before.


    ¡°I¡¯m already done,¡± Mekha offered. ¡°I¡¯ll head there first, and you can meet up with me.¡±


    ¡°Neither of you are going anywhere!¡± Helyana demanded, slamming her hands against the table. She didn¡¯t process what she did until she realized they were both staring at her. ¡°I¡ªI mean, it sounds dangerous. I¡¯m worried about the two of you going out there¡ªI haven¡¯t had the opportunity to look over both of you since the last battle¡­¡±


    Rhuni, despite clear uncertainty, gave a small smile. ¡°We¡¯ll be alright, Mother, I promise.¡±


    Mekha nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll come back like we always do! This will help keep everyone safe¡ªthen we can all go on that trip without anything to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Helyana couldn¡¯t look at them, though, out of a mix of guilt for yelling and the fact she still wanted them to stay. ¡°I¡¯m going to trust you, so make sure to take care of each other. I think there¡¯s a couple of Automations in my workshop that are nearly repaired¡ªI¡¯ll finish those and send them to your location to help.¡±


    The citizen looked relieved. ¡°Thank goodness! With all of you working together in some way, I know that we¡¯ll be able to fight back the demons. They¡¯re going to regret messing with Cyrene!¡±


    The three of them gave a mumbled agreement, though Helyana knew none of them truly believed it. The truth of the matter¡ªthere were new, stronger demons, in rapidly-increasing numbers¡ªwas a little too hard to deny.


    She watched Rhuni and Mekha leave with the citizen, then went to work herself. She¡¯d walked right to her workshop and to where the half-repaired Automations were, but¡­ something else did cross her mind.


    On one of the workbenches, there were some of the notes she scribbled down while she was researching souls. It hadn¡¯t meant much to her then, but glancing over it again¡­ perhaps that was the answer to her questions.


    Until, of course, she got to the part of what it would cost.


    And while she told herself it was a price she wasn¡¯t going to pay, she still tucked the thought away in her mind¡­

 Part 4

    She worked tirelessly on the Automations for what must¡¯ve been a few hours. It was a good thing she was familiar with every part of her creations¡ªit allowed her to work quickly. Every time she sent one out, she hoped she¡¯d hear news that the demons were slowing down enough Rhuni and Mekha could come back. When she was forced to take a break¡ªtoo tired to work longer¡ªshe hoped they¡¯d have returned by the time she woke up. But still she was disappointed, though that quickly got replaced with a sense of dread.


    Then, just as she was beginning to work up the courage to go out and find them, they returned.


    Helyana was too pleased to see them¡ªtoo focused on making sure they weren¡¯t critically damaged¡ªto notice their expressions. ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re both safe! I was starting to get worried, you¡¯ve never been out that long before. Did you really spend the whole time out there..? Oh, Rhuni, it looks like they¡¯d torn a bit of metal from your arm, I¡¯m sure that must be uncomfortable. Here, go and have a seat at the workbench. You, too, Mekha. Neither of you think you¡¯ve sustained serious damage, do you? I don¡¯t want to leave something left unattended for too long.¡±


    Mekha nervously shook his head. ¡°No, we weren¡¯t damaged that badly. I think it mostly just drained our energy stores¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, then, you can both rest when we¡¯re finished,¡± Helyana decided. She went to grab her tools and scrap metal while Rhuni sat down at the workbench. ¡°I assume nothing happened to your souls while you were out? Actually, no need to answer that. I¡¯ll take a  look at them before I let you go.¡±


    Rhuni and Mekha glanced at each other. Looking back on it, it must¡¯ve been a part of some silent conversation¡ªa drawing of straws, perhaps, to see who should say something first.


    And it seemed that Rhuni lost, because she slowly asked, ¡°How are we more ¡®human¡¯ than other Automations?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you,¡± Helyana responded. She hadn¡¯t thought much of it. ¡°The two of you have souls. Souls are what allows humans to think and feel. Other Automations only have regular power cores¡ªwith your power coming from your soul, you¡¯re more human in that regard.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve answered why, Mother, not how. We both know by now that our power comes from our souls, and our souls are what allow us to be like you. What I meant was how you came across our souls¡­ what made them capable of sustaining us.¡±


    Mekha nodded cautiously. ¡°You never told us that story. You¡¯d told us everything else about it¡ªthe first Automations you created, how you researched souls¡­ but you always just skipped to the part where you had ours. You never said how you got them.¡±


    Slowly, Helyana began to realize where this was going. It was something she thought she¡¯d keep from them¡ªa burden she was going to prevent them from bearing. She thought about it for a moment, before deciding she¡¯d try something else, and see if they¡¯d be satisfied. ¡°Why are you asking about this?¡±


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    ¡°You heard the citizen say that the leader of the Fallen¡¯s Angels was with the demons,¡± Rhuni said. ¡°He was the only one there, in fact, that could speak. He¡­ mentioned a part of the reason why demons were becoming so frequent, and why they were taking new and unfamiliar forms. He said there was an imbalance in the world, one that caused the chaos formed from it to take on a more physical shape¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how this has to do with your souls.¡± Actually, Helyana was beginning to form a guess. She didn¡¯t know whether honesty or fake ignorance was going to be better in this situation, however.


    ¡°He said that a lot of the imbalance had come from humans, in a way. They were tainting the lands in ways the Fallen One didn¡¯t like. That¡¯s why the demons originally attacked¡ªbecause the Fallen One ordered them to. And in that chaos, the newer types of demons were born, but it was slow¡­ until something that happened three years ago. The leader of the Fallen¡¯s Angels said that someone tipped the balance, causing an instability that humans wouldn¡¯t be able to reverse¡­ by altering the one thing that humans were never supposed to conquer: souls.¡±


    Helyana stopped her work and grew silent.


    ¡°Mother,¡± Mekha began, his expression growing unreadable, ¡°are we a part of this? Are we one of the reasons the demons keep attacking Cyrene?¡±


    ¡°Of course you aren¡¯t. If anyone¡¯s at fault here, it¡¯s me¡ªbut I don¡¯t regret what I did. Even if I had the opportunity to go back and tell myself three years ago that this would happen¡­ I still wouldn¡¯t change my mind. You¡¯re worth more to me than that.¡± Helyana meant it to be reassuring¡ªafter all, she meant every word of it.


    But the twins didn¡¯t seem so convinced.


    ¡°Can you finally tell us, then?¡± Rhuni asked quietly. ¡°About how you came across our souls?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Helyana said with a nod after a moment¡¯s deliberation.. ¡°I¡­ was hoping I wouldn¡¯t have to, but I see that the two of you aren¡¯t going to accept ¡®not right now¡¯ as an answer. I must warn you, though, this isn¡¯t a happy story. One doesn¡¯t make breakthroughs just because they wake up one morning and decide to get to work. There¡¯s always a purpose¡­ and a past experience that drives the whole thing forward.¡±


    Neither of them looked deterred; in fact, they both gave her their full attention. She sighed and continued.


    ¡°Everyone could see from a young age that I was going to be something amazing¡ªthat I¡¯d make history. Eventually, I had everything I could¡¯ve ever wanted¡ªseveral prominent inventions, wealth, fame¡­ but, truly, all I ever wanted was a family. That¡¯s what ultimately drove my quest to make Automations, more than my desire to help humans¡ªmy want of a family. But I soon found that they were nothing more than husks. All they could do is follow orders. At least the ¡®friends¡¯ and ¡®family¡¯ I¡¯d surrounded myself with clearly wanted something¡ªthey wanted my wealth, or my fame. But the Automations wanted nothing. They could do nothing but fight demons and fulfill basic tasks.¡±


    She tried to avoid both of their gazes. She knew, by now, that their anger was likely replaced by confusion, or perhaps caution. But she still didn¡¯t want to look at them, in case she was wrong. ¡°What¡­ seriously made me look into souls was when I found that, no matter how hard I tried, I would never be able to have a family of my own. I couldn¡¯t have children, not even if I found a man interested in more than just what I could give him. And I thought¡­ I¡¯d just make a family. So I learned everything I could about souls¡ªhow to give them a physical form, how to use them as a power source for Automations¡­¡±


    Slowly, Rhuni prompted, ¡°And where did you get our souls?¡±

 Part 5

    ¡°And where did you get our souls?¡±


    ¡°Infant twins,¡± Helyana admitted quietly. ¡°Both were near-death¡ªI¡¯d almost thought I was too late when I took their souls. In a way¡­ you can say that I¡¯ve allowed them to live through the two of you. I¡¯ll say it again, I don¡¯t regret what I did; those twins would¡¯ve died no matter if I¡¯d taken their souls or not, and I gave them something more than a fleeting life. You two are my family¡ªand there¡¯s no lengths I won¡¯t go to for you. I decided that the moment I started making you.¡±


    A thought ran through her mind and she was stricken by an uncontrollable panic. ¡°If the demons are here because of what I did to your souls, then we need to get the two of you somewhere safe. We can¡¯t stay here¡ªthey know that we¡¯re here. If they take your souls¡ªor worse, destroy them¡ªthere¡¯s nothing I can do. You¡¯re both going to be gone forever and I¡¯m just going to be alone again.¡±


    ¡°What about our original purpose, though? What you¡¯d first told us we were meant to do, when you created us?¡± Rhuni prompted.


    Mekha nodded. ¡°We¡¯re meant to protect humans¡ªwe¡¯re the most capable out of anyone to do it. So we can¡¯t just hide, not when we could do something if anything were to happen¡­¡±


    Helyana shook her head. ¡°Humans don¡¯t matter to me¡ªit¡¯s the two of you that I care about. They were the ones to bring me to the place I am now, who wanted nothing to do with me unless I had something to offer them in return. They were never friends or family. Not like the two of you are.¡±


    ¡°But there are more humans than the ones in Cyrene,¡± Mekha pointed out cautiously. ¡°What about all of them? You know that we¡¯ve come across mean humans before, but¡­ you always showed us that there were nice ones, too. Don¡¯t they deserve to live in a world without the fear of demons?¡±


    ¡°The truth of the matter is, demons are never going away. Not even my Automations, with all of their might and improvements, have been able to stop them for long. The demons just keep coming back, and they¡¯ve only grown in number and strength over the years. Perhaps the fall of humanity is imminent. Perhaps we dabbled too much in forbidden sciences, or tamed the world to an oppressive degree, and that has led the Fallen One to seek our destruction. And if the Fallen One wants to have us destroyed, there¡¯s nothing we can do against his power. All of our attempts are futile before they even begin.¡± Helyana, though, wasn¡¯t making the point to sound helpless. ¡°But if all of the world is going to fall no matter what¡­ I want to be with you when it happens. It doesn¡¯t matter what any of us do¡ªour fate is inevitable. At least, if this will lead to the end, I can be assured that I have my family. That I¡¯ll still have you through it all.¡±


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    The humans used to boast that what they were building now would be seen for generations to come; that, one way or another, their legacy will be ¡°immortal,¡± forever etched into the very nature of the world.


    But nothing ever lasts forever, and fate was not an easy thing to trick.


    ¡°So you¡¯d rather abandon everything else?¡± Rhuni sounded a mix of upset and surprised. ¡°Everything you¡¯ve raised us to believe, and all of the humans we were supposed to protect? You¡¯d leave them all just like that?¡±


    ¡°I already said it,¡± Helyana pointed out, desperate. Why weren¡¯t they seeing it? Didn¡¯t they want to stay a family with her? ¡°There¡¯s only so much we can do. Sometimes, you¡¯ve got to know when it¡¯s time to cut your losses¡ªwhen you have to move on to something new. You can¡¯t protect anyone or save anything anymore. You probably never could to begin with. But at least we don¡¯t have to lose each other.¡±


    Mekha shook his head. ¡°You said that, when you first started making Automations, you failed. A lot. But you said that your virtue was that you never gave up. What would¡¯ve happened if you did? You wouldn¡¯t have made the Automations. Without their protection over Cyrene, you probably wouldn¡¯t have even lived long enough to make us. You wouldn¡¯t have known how to do it, if you did make it that far. So why are you saying now that we just have to call it quits?¡±


    ¡°Things were different back then. I knew there was something I could change and there was something that I wanted. But I have none of that now. All I need is the two of you¡ªI don¡¯t need other humans, I don¡¯t need Automations. As long as we stay together, then everything will be alright. I promise.¡± She tried to muster a reassuring smile. ¡°You know I¡¯ve never lied to you before. Can I ask you to trust me on this, too?¡±


    There was a knock on the door, and an Automation gave its reason for being there: ¡°Miss Helyana, the mayor has a message for you:¡±¡ªit took on the mayor¡¯s voice, proving it to be a direct recording of his words¡ª¡°I would like your assistance in providing a safe place for the citizens of Cyrene to evacuate to. There are demons coming from all directions of Cyrene. We¡¯ve called for additional help from other cities but I fear they will not be answered. Your estate is the most likely to be able to withstand an attack from the demons¡ª-it¡¯s sturdy, and there are enough Automations within it to guard us. Please, if you accept the offer, just open your doors to us.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not doing anything,¡± Helyana decided. ¡°Neither of you are going anywhere, and no one else is coming in. If we open our doors to them, then we open the doors to the demons. We have enough here for me until we can find an opportunity to leave. I won¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Rhuni got up off the workbench and pushed her way past Helyana.


    ¡°Rhuni, where the hell do you think you¡¯re going?¡±

 Part 6

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, Mother, but something¡¯s changed,¡± Rhuni said as she walked to the door. ¡°You didn¡¯t used to be like this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you care about your family?¡± Helyana tried.


    ¡°Of course I do. I love you and Mekha¡ªbut I consider the other humans to be my family, too. I won¡¯t abandon them, no matter what you try to say. Even if it¡¯s ultimately pointless¡­ maybe I can still do something. Get rid of a few demons, at least, so that everyone here is a little safer.¡±


    ¡°I still haven¡¯t finished all of your repairs, you¡¯re not ready to go out there.¡±


    ¡°I believe I¡¯m good enough for a final stand.¡± Rhuni, with her hand over the doorknob, turned back to look at Mekha. ¡°Please, stay with Mother and the other humans. Make sure nothing happens to them.¡±


    ¡°You better come back,¡± Mekha mumbled, the closest an Automation could come to crying. ¡°R-remember what we talked about earlier? Mother¡¯s going to show us outside of Cyrene. Both of us. So¡ªso you can¡¯t leave forever. Alright?¡±


    Rhuni gave a sad smile. ¡°I¡¯d be happy just knowing that you¡¯ll have the chance to go at all.¡± As she left, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can from outside. I¡¯m trusting you to keep the people inside safe.¡±


    Helyana was about to argue, but Rhuni was already gone. Surprisingly, the thought of calling Automations to stop her hadn¡¯t yet crossed Helyana¡¯s mind¡ªthat came when it was too late to do anything. Maybe, deep down, she knew Rhuni was right.


    Not all of these humans were bad; Helyana still had something to lose if they were gone. But¡­ once they were gone? Well, that was a different story¡­


    ¡°We need to make sure all of the humans can get into the estate,¡± Helyana decided.


    ¡°But what about what you said earlier?¡± Mekha asked. It didn¡¯t sound like he wanted to disbelieve her but, well, she couldn¡¯t blame him. She was a little disbelieving of it herself.


    She tried to shrug it off, though. ¡°Rhuni can¡¯t be the only one doing something out there. She¡¯s certain that we¡¯ll have her back from here. We can¡¯t let her down.¡±


    Then Mekha nodded. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°I want you to stay here and try to give yourself some basic repairs. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not going to have much time to do anything more complex, but a little is better than nothing at this point. I¡¯ll go and welcome the humans in. I¡¯ll try to gauge how many working Automations there are, too, and get them to guard the estate.¡±


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    ¡°Stay safe, Mother,¡± Mekha said. He was already getting ready to complete his task. ¡°I¡¯ll try to do this quickly. The kids know me better, so they¡­ might calm down a little more, if I¡¯m there with them.¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t try to rush anything here,¡± she instructed. ¡°You understand how a rushed job can be just as bad as no job at all.¡± Then she left the workshop, and started towards the estate¡¯s front entrance.


    She barked orders to the Automations all the way there¡ªhow that one should go and prepare something, or the one over there should guard the other entrances. If she could help it, she wasn¡¯t going to let Mekha leave her sight once he was done with his repairs.


    She¡¯d never intended on actually going outside¡ªas she got close to the door, she could hear the crying, and a not-so-distant sound of claw on metal¡ªand, luckily, she didn¡¯t have to. All she had to do was open the doors, and the people of Cyrene came flooding in. There were a lot of them, but¡­ she knew it wasn¡¯t all of them. She shut the door again as soon as she was sure that they were all inside.


    The mayor walked up to her. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough, Helyana, for allowing us all to come. You¡¯ve done many great things for us. I don¡¯t know how we could ever repay you¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s worry about surviving this attack first, shall we?¡± she returned in a much more blunt tone.


    He looked around and realized something. ¡°Where¡¯s Rhuni and Mekha?¡±


    ¡°Rhuni¡­ left a couple of moments ago, she¡¯s going to try to deter the demons. Mekha¡¯s doing some maintenance in my workshop.¡± Then she quickly changed the subject so she didn¡¯t have to think about it. ¡°You¡¯ve got more authority than I do¡ªcan you get everyone into the grand hall? It¡¯s right down that hallway. If there¡¯s not enough room¡ªthere might not be, seeing all of you now¡ªthen the dining room and kitchen are nearby. It doesn¡¯t matter whether or not we¡¯re all packed together¡ªif the demons got in here, we¡¯ll all die no matter how far apart we were. But it¡¯ll make it easier for the Automations to protect us.¡±


    The mayor nodded grimly. He turned to the citizens and announced, ¡°Alright, all of you! Follow me. Miss Helyana has been kind enough to let us stay here, and she¡¯s given me further instructions on where we should go.¡±


    ¡°Automations are already preparing some food and medicine,¡± Helyana offered as more of an aside. Never mind the fact she¡¯d lived alone¡ªwell, as the only one who needed to eat¡ªall these years and she hadn¡¯t been one to stockpile supplies. She doubted what she had would be enough to meet the needs of even the youngest dozen of kids, let alone how many seemed to need it.


    Helyana followed them all there, as the one at the very back of the group. She gave more orders to more Automations¡ªthese being to defend the humans at all costs. Once it seemed that all the humans had settled, she was about to return to her workshop to check on Mekha.


    But it seemed he¡¯d already finished, because she saw him just as she turned around.


    ¡°Do you think your repairs will hold?¡± she asked. It was practically the Automation version of asking a human whether they could still fight despite their wounds.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he mumbled, though he didn¡¯t sound too certain. After a moment, he asked a question of his own. ¡°Everything¡¯s¡­ going to be okay, right, Mother?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± But she¡¯d hesitated, and he certainly picked up on it.


    ¡°I¡­ guess we¡¯ve just got to accept that this is all we can do, huh?¡±


    She nodded.

 Part 7

    It happened quicker than she was able to process. Everything had been quiet, then¡­ there was nothing but chaos.


    She didn¡¯t know how¡ªperhaps one of the Fallen¡¯s Angels had come in with the citizens, or beasts tore through the Automations¡ªbut the demons found a way in. And once they were in, there was no point in trying to get them back out; the humans had already lost, no matter how hard they held onto the idea of fighting.


    Helyana didn¡¯t join the fight, instead staring from where she¡¯d been before. The thought had never occurred to her to try to defend her home and the others. She told herself that perhaps that was the reason they never touched her, but then¡­ why did the children, who only cried, or hid their younger siblings from the massacre, also die?


    At one point, all the humans had scattered. She¡¯d mustered the will to move and guide a group to her workshop. Perhaps she¡¯d activate a few half-finished Automations, or simply use some weapon or another. Maybe she¡¯d just convince Mekha to hide with her so she knew that, if all else were to crumble, they¡¯d at least be together.


    Demons came there, too. Killed the humans, except for her. One¡ªthe leader of the beast demons, she realized¡ªpinned Mekha to the ground when he tried to defend her.


    And the demon pressed its sharp claws onto his metal, right around his chest, then effortlessly picked him up and tossed him across the room.


    ¡°Mekha!¡± Helyana gave one step toward him¡ªthough she was afraid to see the damage up close¡ªbefore the demon spoke.


    ¡°How does it feel?¡± it asked. She looked at it, maybe in an attempt to work up the courage to confront it, but she was swayed immediately. Its eyes were bright, because it enjoyed the chaos; its beak, talons, fur, and feathers were all bloody; the wound on its side oozed a golden substance, yet it paid it no mind. This wasn¡¯t something that could be fought. ¡°You are responsible for this¡ªthe fall of humans, the deaths of all these people. I, for one, quite enjoyed it. It¡¯s too bad it¡¯s coming to an end soon¡­ there¡¯s not a lot of humans left, after all. Our Father has asked them all to be wiped away. I¡¯m going to enjoy those cries¡­¡±


    It didn¡¯t leave anything to be explained¡ªit walked over and slashed at a wall, giving itself an exit to casually walk out of. Then it spread its giant wings and took flight, hopefully far from Cyrene.


    She was about to go to Mekha¡ªshe was afraid, now, given he still hadn¡¯t moved from his spot¡ªwhen a human soldier came in. Looking at him, she knew he wasn¡¯t going to survive. The thought of trying to help him had never crossed his mind.


    ¡°It seems¡ªit seems things here have fared no better than we have,¡± he said through wheezes and pants.


    ¡°Do you have something to tell me?¡± she prompted, almost impatiently. ¡°Where¡¯s Rhuni? Is she still out there? Did¡­ did the demons do something to her?¡¯


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    He shook his head sadly. ¡°I don¡¯t know where Rhuni is. She was damaged sometime in the fight and no one was able to locate her after.¡±


    No, no, that couldn¡¯t be right. Helyana was more panicked at the news than she was with what the soldier continued with; after all, she could think of Rhuni, and look at all the bodies and Mekha¡­ and she knew that she¡¯d lost everything already.


    ¡°The demons have left Cyrene,¡± the soldier continued. He coughed a bit of blood. ¡°But they¡¯re heading for the other cities in the mountains. We believe they won¡¯t stop until they¡¯ve done the same thing here to all of the others.¡±


    She¡¯d stopped listening to him at that point. While he crumbled to the ground¡ªhis mission over, and adrenaline wearing off¡ªshe went to Mekha. This couldn¡¯t be the end. She had to still have something left.


    ¡°Mekha,¡± she said softly. When he didn¡¯t stir from his spot, she tried louder, more desperate, ¡°Mekha?¡±


    Still, there was no answer.


    Helyana quickly looked over every part of him. He had several scratches, dents, and missing pieces¡ªserious damage, but not something that would cause unresponsiveness. Perhaps his energy stores were just drained? She was filled with a sense of dread when she realized something else.


    There were holes in his chest, where that beast had stabbed him. Usually, she¡¯d be able to see the dim glow of his soul from the gaps.


    Yet now, there was no glow.


    She dashed over to her workbench, digging past whatever was there in order to get to her tools. Once she had them, she went back over to Mekha, and opened up his chest and the little compartment that held his soul.


    His soul was cracked.


    The only hope she had was that it seemed to pulse slightly. If nothing else happened to it, there should be something she could do to fix it.


    But something like that would take months, possibly years of research and testing.


    Then¡­ she realized¡ªor, rather, let it sink in completely. She had nothing left. No family, no ¡°friends,¡± not even a single soul to share in her despair.


    She remembered that note she¡¯d read what felt like decades ago; what it would take to allow someone to live forever.


    And it didn¡¯t sound nearly as bad of an idea now. After all, she had nothing to lose, right? So what if this had started because of her messing with souls? If the demons thought that would stop her, well¡­ they didn¡¯t realize what humans did when they were desperate.


    So Helyana slowly stood up and walked towards the soldier. He was still breathing. Good.


    She did her best to pick him up, but she ultimately had to drag him to the workbench. He grunted as she pushed him up on it.


    ¡°Still have some consciousness left in you, then?¡± she mumbled. She felt nothing as she started a process she¡¯d only done twice before. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep the memory of Cyrene alive¡­ and I will fix my family, no matter how long it takes. Humans were wrong to believe that an entire civilization could be immortal¡ªthat we would endure every test we were put against. But the demons underestimate the willpower of humans¡ªwhat they¡¯d do when they have no other choice. Even if it¡¯s a false immortality¡­ if it gives me what I need to fix my family, to be together with them again¡­ I will do anything. But at least your life was already coming to an end.¡±

 Part 8

    Souls can be separated from the body by complex, but not impossible, means. The soul itself is immortal; after it¡¯s been created, it spends its time in the living lands, then sinks into the Underworld to reside forever. So the soul¡ªwhat makes a person human¡ªand their fleeting life¡ªanother characteristic of humanity¡ªis not the same. The ¡°lifespan¡± comes ¡°attached¡± to the soul. It, too, can be removed, and can be added on to another¡¯s to create a relatively longer life. When a soul is given physical form, the ¡°lifespan¡± takes a new form as well. But, of course, giving a soul a physical form¡ªremoving it from the body, keeping it from ever entering the Underworld¡ªkills whoever the soul belonged to. It is a dire price to pay, indeed, for ¡°immortality.¡±


    That¡¯s what she¡¯d read that evening, tucked away on a little note. She¡¯d been adverse to it, at first¡ªafter all, it could be seen as killing. But she reminded herself of what was taken from her and what she was determined to get back. Then, after a little while, she didn¡¯t even have to use the excuse of ¡°remembering Cyrene¡± to keep her going.


    All she needed was the little drawing of Rhuni and Mekha, and the promise she made to herself about getting them back.


    ¡°You know, there¡¯s a town now¡ªa little ways down the mountain,¡± Helyana said. She was talking to Mekha; or, at least, that¡¯s what she told herself. She knew he was still alive, even if he wasn¡¯t responsive, so she made a point to talk with him. It made her feel a little less isolated¡­ a little less insane. ¡°I can¡¯t believe they¡¯d build something so close to where the demons were. But¡­ I suppose it makes sense. By now those humans don¡¯t remember what happened there. The survivors sent it all up in flames, just like they did with most of Cyrene.¡±


    She took out her tools to do some maintenance on him. ¡°I think I should consider it a good thing, though. Those meddling brats wouldn¡¯t know what they¡¯re messing with until it¡¯s too late.¡±


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    She crushed a vaguely glowing soul until it was nothing more than dust, then mixed it in with a paste made of odd flowers. She couldn¡¯t remember where, exactly, she¡¯d learned the recipe¡ªhow she learned how to repair a broken soul. All she remembered was that she¡¯d been trying it for the past couple of decades¡ªor maybe it was the past couple of centuries, she wasn¡¯t sure anymore¡ªto heal Mekha¡¯s soul.


    It didn¡¯t really work.


    Well, it worked, but only because it maintained his condition. It didn¡¯t make things better or worse. She hypothesized the crushed physical souls were supposed to be replaced with something else, but she neither had the idea of nor resources to obtain whatever that something was.


    At least, not yet.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost sad. They were meant to have long and healthy lives¡­ but they made the mistake of coming across me, and trying to find us.¡± Her nose scrunched up. ¡°They call me a demon. A foul mistress who devours the souls of anyone who comes up to my estate. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve really seen what a demon does, though. They¡¯d know I¡¯m the lesser of two evils, if they saw what happened to Cyrene.¡± She paused. ¡°Or care to remember it.¡±


    Helyana shook her head to clear it. ¡°I still don¡¯t know where Rhuni is. I¡¯m afraid her soul¡¯s like yours¡­ or worse. But I can¡¯t leave the estate for too long and I don¡¯t have the resources to spare to repair and send out an Automation. I barely have the resources to keep maintaining you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out,¡± she decided confidently. ¡°As your mother, I promise I¡¯m going to get you both back. I don¡¯t care how long it takes. Humans were never meant to obtain immortality¡ªit was supposed to be a myth. But, for my family, I¡¯ll do anything. I¡¯ve already dug myself too deep in the grave anyway¡­ I can¡¯t take back anything I¡¯ve done, and continuing to tinker with souls won¡¯t make things worse. One can¡¯t tip scales that have already reached the ground¡ªreached the point of absolute chaos¡ªany further. There¡¯s no going back¡ªonly forward. And let¡¯s hope I¡¯m able to trick fate for as long as it takes to see us all together again¡­¡±