Roman moved through the streets of Melronia, the eerie quietness settling over him like a shroud. The city felt almost deserted, with its inhabitants hiding behind closed doors and drawn curtains. As he walked, his eyes scanned the surroundings, taking in the stark, grey buildings and the occasional flicker of a surveillance drone overhead.
"Identification, please," a robotic voice called out from the shadows.
Roman turned to see a small, cylindrical robot hovering at eye level. Its single, glowing red eye fixed on him.
"I already gave it to the guards at the gate," Roman replied, his tone clipped and annoyed.
"Identification, please," the robot repeated, its voice monotonous and insistent.
Roman sighed and reached into his coat, pulling out his ID card. He stepped closer to the robot, holding out the card. As the robot scanned the ID, it suddenly began to emit a high-pitched whine.
"What's wrong with you?" Roman muttered, narrowing his eyes.
Without warning, the robot exploded, a blinding flash of light and heat engulfing Roman. He was thrown backward, his body slamming into the pavement. Pain shot through his head, and his vision blurred as he struggled to remain conscious.
Through the haze, he saw two more robots approaching. They grabbed his arms, lifting him effortlessly off the ground. The world around him started to spin, the sounds of the city fading into a distant hum.
"Identification... please..." the voice of the robot echoed faintly in his mind as darkness began to take over.
Roman's last thought before everything went black was of his companions back at the hotel. He had to get back to them, had to find Nayan, had to complete the mission. But as the grip of unconsciousness tightened, he knew that for now, he was at the mercy of whoever-or whatever-had orchestrated this attack.
The last thing he saw was the ground falling away as the robots carried him off into the depths of the city.
END OF CHAPTER 15