The crowd moved with a sense of quiet desperation. Most of them looked... 'normal'—ish, but some? They looked like they were barely scraping by, living in poverty.
Most of them scowled, their faces hardened by a life that seemed to drain the joy from every step they took.
And I noticed that only a few of them had cybernetics. While nothing as extreme as the 'cyborg' woman in the massive digital ad, it was still mind-blowing to see actual cybernetics embedded in the people around me.
There were enhancements—arms, legs, eyes. Simple things, but still an obvious mark of the future.
Then, I saw others who looked more... rough around the edges. Their appearance screamed danger. They weren't like the average civilians going about their day. Their presence was more imposing, their demeanor harsher—more vocal.
They walked the streets like they owned them, with an unmistakable air of danger. Some even openly carried futuristic firearms—weapons that looked as though they were made for a war that hadn't yet arrived.
While some of the hardened figures went on with their lives, there were others who looked at me. Some with interest, some with strange expressions, as if they found my existence... an oddity.
And with that... I finally realized in what world I'd stumbled into.
Advanced technology. High Corporations. Low-life.
"Isn't this... cyberpunk...?"
The world around me was a cyberpunk-esque world. It almost felt like—almost a carbon copy—of the cyberpunk-themed media I'd consumed before.
Yet... seeing it firsthand was a different thing entirely.
"B-but... how...?"
I was practically frozen in place. My own thoughts were still trying to comprehend the world around me. I tried to look around, but everything still looked the same.
Cyberpunk-like.
Did I really lose all of my sanity?
I would have thought so, as I didn't believe I'd gotten myself into this world. Just a few minutes ago, I had been running through a concrete, 'normal' world—one with less technological advancement, but still a slightly 'cheerful' society.
Was this all just a dream?
I would have thought so as well. Maybe I was still sleeping after binge-watching a Cyberpunk-genre show all night... and probably missing my important semester exam. That would explain everything. I must've been dreaming this world because of it.
I was about to pinch my own cheek to check...
Honk! Honk!
...but then a familiar car horn blaring startled me out of my attempt. The sound tore through the air, louder and more ferocious than the last.
Instantly, the loud hum of vehicular machinery grew louder, faster—coming straight toward my position!
From both sides!
"...!"
I barely had time to react, but I forced my tired and battered body to move!
I quickly stepped to the side as one sleek, futuristic car zipped by, just inches from my shoulder! The air rushed past me in a violent gust, the sensation of brushing past death's touch creeping into my very core.
Honk! Honk!
But this death trial wasn't over yet.
Another car—then another, and another—swerved around me, their tires screeching as they sliced through the narrow space in the middle of the road where I'd managed to wedge myself.
I held my breath, doing my best to stay in the tiny safe zone, the only place where I was least likely to be crushed...!
The rush of their engines and the cold, mechanical precision of their movements filled the air around me—a relentless reminder of how close I was to becoming roadkill...
But then...
A shadow loomed over me... and an even more intense sense of dread crept into my being.
I finally noticed the loud sound of a heavy engine. Louder and more violent than those that had just almost killed me.
HONK...!!! HONK...!!!
I turned toward the source, and my eyes widened... as a massive truck came into view. Its hulking frame nearly blocked the entire lane, barreling toward me.
Fast.
The sound of its engine roared like an approaching beast, its many headlights blinding my eyes.
At the sight of this monstrous machine, I froze in place. My body refused to move, gripped by a strange paralysis.
The cold realization flashed through my mind.
This was it.
I was going to die.
And there was nothing I could do but accept my fate.
But...
"Watch out!"
Fate had something else in mind for me.
A sharp, urgent shout pierced my ears. Before I could even register the source...
"Gah...!?"
Something—or someone—collided with my back, propelling me forward!
The impact alone knocked the wind out of me, but it wasn't over. The person who'd tackled me dragged my body alongside theirs, pulling me out of the deadly path!
They managed to do it just within a hair's breadth as the massive truck thundered past, missing us by mere inches. My savior continued dragging me while I struggled to stay conscious.
Finally, they stopped.
I was let go, my body landing with a dull thud on a somewhat familiar pavement instead of the scorching asphalt.
My chest heaved as I struggled to catch my breath, the world around me still spinning from the chaos. Slowly, I forced my head up, my blurry vision narrowing in on the figure of my savior standing before me.
A cloak.
My savior was cloaked, their identity hidden from the world. The fabric billowed lightly in the wind, hugging their form with a mysterious elegance.
But... from the way it contoured around their feminine frame...
It was unmistakable.
My savior was a woman.
I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. My mind was still reeling from the near-death experience, my heart pounding relentlessly, sending blood coursing through my body at an almost unbearable speed as it tried to stabilize my trembling form.
I could only lay there, sprawled on the ground, desperately trying to regain some semblance of composure...
For a moment, we both remained silent. The world around us seemed eerily calm, as if it too had paused, holding its breath. Or perhaps it was just my overwhelmed mind, blocking out everything in an attempt to cope.
But then, her voice pierced through the haze.