She held back her anxiety and walked slowly, looking around. Not knowing where to go, she walked along the stone wall, following its curve until she came to the entrance to the cemetery. It was old, with overgrown graves and slanted headstones. The wind rustled the yellowed leaves, which seemed to be just another hint of how long ago time had stood still here.
The robotess's footsteps echoed across the empty cemetery. The darkness thickened, and only rare rays of light penetrated the fog, creating an almost mystical atmosphere. In her mechanical consciousness, this atmosphere caused strange sensations, something akin to melancholy, which she could not fully understand.
She walked along a row of tombstones, but soon her attention was drawn to two monumental monuments at the end of the alley. These tombs stood out from all the others. They were majestic, meticulously carved from marble, and each one was decorated with intricate carvings and bas-reliefs depicting scenes symbolic of the lives of the people they held.
Stopping at one of the tombs, Delia Asia Vieira looked around. In the center was a family plaque with names and dates. She felt her sensors pick up on every detail—carved images of people emerging from their homes, surveying the fields and the city they had built. These were the city's founders. Each family name was a piece of the past, leaving its mark on history.
Without moving, Delia Asia Vieira looked at the stone carvings on another monument, where even more complex scenes were carved. This monument belonged to another family, also founders of the city, but with a more tragic history. One of the bas-reliefs depicted a man pointing to distant horizons, and next to him a woman holding a child. Under this image was written:
"The Thorn family - those who will change the future."
The fog seemed to gravitate towards the place, creating a sense of antiquity and loss that was so strong that even Delia Asia Vieira felt something akin to sadness.
Delia Asia Vieira stood still and thought. She tried to make sense of what she was seeing. Who were these people? What were they to this city that now seemed empty and forgotten? And why did she feel that these tombs were somehow important to her own path?
"Whoever they were," she whispered to herself, "they left a mark that is now faintly visible in this world.
At that moment, her sensors picked up movement in the fog. The shadows of people, or perhaps just a trick of the light? But when she looked ahead, a figure suddenly appeared in her field of vision.
"Who's there?" she asked calmly, looking at the figure.
The figure seemed to be standing at some distance, barely visible in the thick fog. But it did not move.
Delia Asia Vieira stepped forward, her steps quiet, almost silent, as if she were moving on the surface of water.
"Is that you?" she said again, a little louder this time. The figure did not answer.
Unnoticed, she came even closer, and when she was already a few meters from the figure, the fog cleared, revealing it. It was a middle-aged woman, with gray hair, wrapped in a dark coat. She stood motionless, like a stone.
"You... aren't afraid of this place?" the woman asked with a hoarse voice, without turning around. "A place where so many souls have lost their way?"
Delia Asia Vieira watched the woman silently, her mechanical mind trying to understand what was happening.
"I'm not afraid," she replied, though she wasn't sure of her words yet. "I'm looking for answers. And this place seems important."
The woman turned around, her gaze calm, but there was something in it that Delia Asia Vieira couldn't understand. It was something more than just human perception.
"Places like this often hold secrets," the woman said. "Secrets that not everyone should reveal."
Delia Asia Vieira stood still, her system analyzing every word. She knew this woman was more than just a lost soul. She was part of something bigger, something that was perhaps connected to the history of this place and its tombs.
"Who are you?" Delia Asia Vieira finally asked, without looking away.
The woman chuckled, her smile grim.
"I was here a long time ago. But time does not lie. It always returns." She paused and looked at the tombs. "And sometimes it takes those who realize too late what they have done. This place must be forgotten, or it will take someone else.
Delia Asia Vieira felt the tension building in her system. Who was this woman? Why did she sound like she knew more than she let on?
"I have to go," she said, starting to walk back. "I can't stay here."
The woman didn't answer. She just stood there like a stone statue, watching Delia Asia Vieira walk away. It was only when Delia Asia Vieira was already far away that she spoke into the fog:
"Sometimes the answers we are looking for are not the ones we need."
Robotess stopped, but didn't turn around. Her sensors recorded every movement, every sound, but she couldn't shake the feeling that this encounter was part of something much more important than just a walk through a cemetery.
Delia Asia Vieira walked out of the cemetery, feeling her sensors adapt to the changing surroundings. The thick fog began to dissipate, and the misty sky gradually became clearer. She walked past the old brick buildings of a city that seemed almost abandoned. The conversation with the woman in the cemetery echoed in her mind, her words still swirling around in her head like vague whispers.
As she approached the corner, her attention was drawn to a figure standing at the entrance to the city police station. It was a boy. He was young, no more than twelve years old, with tousled dark hair and a serious expression. He was standing on the sidewalk, posting flyers. Flyers about missing persons.
Delia Asia Vieira came closer, her mechanical steps firm and sure. The boy did not notice her approach, absorbed in his work. The sheet of paper with the picture of a woman with bright eyes and her name was in the hands of Peter Reynolds, Katherine's son.
"Are you helping put up the flyers?" Delia Asia Vieira asked, breaking the silence.
Peter flinched in surprise and quickly turned to face her, his face expressing irritation.
"I... yes, I help," he held back his emotions with effort, as if he didn't want to share his thoughts with strangers. "And who are you?"
"I know your mother," she said reservedly, watching his reaction. "Do you put up missing persons posters?"
"Yes, of course," Peter looked back at the picture of the missing people's faces. "These people are missing. Mom... Mom thinks it's connected to something bad, but I don't. But... it's important. We have to find them."
There was concern in the boy's voice, and Delia Asia Vieira realized that he was not just helping, but that this was his personal mission. His eyes were determined, but at the same time they reflected a deep sadness. He was too old for his age.
"Why are you doing this alone?" Delia Asia Vieira asked.
"My mother... she's busy with her own things," he lowered his voice and looked around, as if afraid that someone would overhear his words. "I have to help. I... I know these people. I want them back. We have to get them back."
Delia Asia Vieira watched the boy, her sensors recording every detail. He was determined, despite his youth. It wasn't just a desire to help – it was a duty he felt as his own. His pain was obvious, as was his worry.
"Do you have a way to contact them if they are nearby?" Delia Asia Vieira asked, her voice quiet and calm.
Peter shook his head sharply, his irritation growing.
"No, I don't have any! Just these leaflets," he waved his hands, "and no one answers. I can't even talk to them! I just... I just want them to come back."
Delia Asia Vieira watched him closely, analyzing his emotions. She could offer him her help, but how could she do so without making his anxiety worse?
"I can help you," she said, pulling a small communicator from her belt. It was a walkie-talkie that could communicate with her system over long distances. "You can use this to contact me. If you find anything that will help you in your search, you can talk to me."
Peter looked at the device with disbelief, but then his eyes lit up. He picked up the radio as if it were something important, and clutched it tightly in his hands.
"Will you help me? Will you really help me?" he asked, his voice full of hope and excitement.
"Yes," Delia Asia Vieira replied, her voice calm, almost emotionless, but with confidence. "If you find anything important, you can contact me. I'll look for it, and if we can help, we will."
Peter nodded, clutching the radio in his hands, and his face became calmer, although the worry still did not leave his eyes.
"Thank you. I promise I will look. We will find them, all these people. We will find them."
Delia Asia Vieira, watching him, realized that the boy was ready to act. It was more than just a desire to help - it was a promise. A promise to bring back those who had disappeared, to bring back what had been lost.
"Be careful," she said, turning to leave. "I'll keep looking. And maybe we can do something."
Peter didn't answer, but his gaze was determined and he continued to post the leaflets without even looking up. Delia Asia Vieira took a few steps back and headed up the foggy city street. Saying goodbye to Peter Reynolds left her with a strange feeling, as if her help and promises were just a drop in the ocean, but she knew that her search must continue. The mechanical parts of her body worked with perfect precision, but her internal system was racing, feeling restless. Where to now? What next?
The fog began to thicken as she approached the old road leading out of town. Every now and then she stopped, feeling the changes in her surroundings. Her sensors picked up every smell, every sound. Soon, a vast wasteland appeared before her—the place that had once been the dumping ground of Richard, the man whose name lingered in her memories.
The dump was almost impassable. Plastic and metal debris, empty bottles and boxes, leaning buildings – all this created the impression that the city was once full of life, but now its remains were turning into nothing. Delia Asia Vieira walked forward, not paying attention to the surrounding disorder. In her hands she held a revolver – the same revolver that she took from Willa Baylock when she was sitting on the toilet, absorbed in her thoughts.
She stood at the edge of the junkyard, exposed metal and pieces of old cars surrounding her. Delia Asia Vieira picked up the revolver and threw it into the nearest container, watching as it fell inside with a loud metallic clang.
"That's not my goal," she said quietly, as if speaking to herself. "I have to find the answers. They're more important."
After that, Delia Asia Vieira slowly turned around and headed towards the Thorn Family Tomb. It was one of the two tombs belonging to the city's founding families. The fog was getting thicker, and she had to be careful not to lose her way.
The tomb was located in a modest area on an old hill surrounded by marble columns. The sculptures carved into the stone depicted scenes from the family's life. The stones were worn by time, their surface was covered with mold, but the tomb itself still retained its grandeur despite its desolation.
Delia Asia Vieira approached and carefully examined the site. She watched every step, carefully examining everything she could find. Suddenly, her sensors picked up something strange. At the foot of the tomb, she noticed something unusual: the skeleton of a jackal, lying among the stones. Its bones were arranged in such precise order that it seemed almost purposeful.
"This is not just a coincidence," Delia Asia Vieira said, leaning in to get a closer look. "This is a message."
She leaned down, studying the skeleton. It was old, but its placement here, in such a significant place, seemed odd. Perhaps it was something important to the families who had once built this city?
Suddenly, a siren cut through the air, deafening her and making her jump. It was a strong and sharp sound pressure that caused a brief loss of consciousness. Delia Asia Vieira began to lose control, her internal systems began to fail, trying to cope with the sudden external impact. Defense systems worked, but she felt her body weaken, and her legs gave way.
The siren continued to roar, as if the very earth in this place could not rest peacefully. Delia Asia Vieira tried to stand up, but her mechanisms did not obey, and she fell to the ground. The temperature inside her system began to rise, and she lost consciousness, plunging into a dark void.
When Delia Asia Vieira came to, her first vision was full of vague, blurry images. She felt her sensors begin to regenerate, and her body, initially limp and motionless, gradually regained its ability to move. The siren serenade in her ears that she had heard before she lost consciousness was now a muffled hum. The mechanisms and algorithms of her internal system began to stabilize, and clarity returned to her vision from the darkness.
Delia Asia Vieira opened her eyes and looked around.
She wasn't in the same place she'd lost consciousness. Instead of being at the Thorn family tomb as she'd expected, she was lying on some old asphalt, in an incongruously abandoned place. A place that her sensors identified as a nearby town. How had she gotten here? Why had she been moved?
The sounds of the city were strangely quieter than back home. There were half-ruined buildings everywhere, boarded-up windows, and a few stray animals and burnt-out cars scurrying about in the streets. Dim rays of light barely made it along the road, and a thick fog hung over it all. It was as if this city had been forgotten, its stories left in the past.
Delia Asia Vieira stood up, her mechanisms working with precision and ease. She looked around, and her gaze immediately fell on a man running down the street. He was tall, with dark hair and was dressed in a military uniform, and although she couldn't say exactly where her memory recalled him from, it was familiar enough. It was Sergeant Neff.
She stood watching him with surprise when he noticed her glance. A moment later the sergeant, seeing her, froze abruptly, and then his face was distorted with an expression of horror, as if he had seen a ghost.
"No... it can't be..." he whispered, his eyes wide. He took a step back, and then ran.
"What's going on?" Delia Asia Vieira thought as she started walking towards him.
Her system's heart began to beat faster, as if she intuitively understood that his escape had not been an accident. He knew her. He knew who she was.
"Hey!" she shouted, trying to catch up with him, but Sergeant Neff was already at the door of an abandoned hotel, which was covered in vines and looked abandoned.
Neff, without looking back, abruptly slammed the door in front of her nose, as if trying to get rid of her presence.
"What are you doing?!" Delia Asia Vieira cried, her voice echoing in the empty hallway. But he didn't answer. Inside the hotel, beyond the door, there was only silence, then scraping and footsteps. He was hiding from her, and her built-in memory told her that this man was the same Sergeant Neff she had met all those years ago.
Delia Asia Vieira took a few steps towards the hotel door, but her sensors didn't pick up any signals to help her open it. All that was left was a decision: enter the hotel and try to find him, or...
She took the silencer from her belt and leaned it against the door, but soon discovered that the door was locked from the other side.
"Why are you running away from me, Sergeant Neff?" she said quietly, as she could not believe that her search had led her back to him.
Her thoughts began to become confused. Only blurred images remained in her memory, as if everything that had happened in her life was part of a vague nightmare. There was no time to wait, she had to act. Delia Asia Vieira walked around the building, hoping to find some other entrance. She couldn't understand why he avoided her so much. What scared him about her?
Meanwhile, a figure suddenly appeared from the window of the old hotel. Neff looked out, as if checking if she was still there. His gaze met hers, and they froze for a second.
"You... you're here again," Neff said, his voice shocked, but he still seemed to doubt what his eyes were telling him.
Delia Asia Vieira, without saying a word, turned towards the hotel and came closer. She looked him straight in the eyes, her system collecting all the data, trying to understand what he was feeling.
"You ran away because you were afraid of me. Why? What did I do to you?" she asked. Her voice was calm, but there was anxiety in it.
Sergeant Neff took another step back, his eyes a mixture of fear and surprise.
"You... you don't understand? You're not a person... You're not a person. You're a robot. And you have to understand that I can't be with you. I can't."
Delia Asia Vieira stood in silence. Her mechanisms began to work faster, trying to decipher the words he had spoken. Each word sounded like a riddle, like a code she had to decipher.
"Why are you afraid of me?" she asked again, but this time her voice was soft, with a hint of confusion.
Sergeant Neff, unable to bear it any longer, quickly returned to the dark corridors of the hotel, closing the door behind him. As Delia Asia Vieira, overcoming her inner tension, approached the door of the hotel, she noticed how her sensors began to process strange data. The signal was weak, as if the building was trying to hide its essence. The pile of debris near the door, blocking the entrance, seemed to scare her off, but she resolutely pushed the door and entered. The heart of her system accelerated as she stepped into the dark corridors of the old hotel.
The dim light flickering in every corner and the long, dusty hallways lined with darkened windows created an oppressive feeling. The walls were covered in mildew, and the floors were littered with the remains of old carpets, boxes, and trash, abandoned so long ago that they seemed part of the building itself. But there was more here—a hidden menace. Something was wrong with this place.
Delia Asia Vieira followed Sergeant Neff, his presence felt in every step. He couldn't get away that fast - it was just a disguise to get away from her. She knew he'd need time to get away, and she was going to find him.
Meanwhile, her sensors were picking up something strange: footsteps, multiplying with each passing moment, coming not from the sergeant, but from someone else. They were the footsteps of many beings. Delia Asia Vieira activated her defense modules, their optics instantly switching on to better perceive the changes in her surroundings. The heart of her system began to beat faster. And then she heard them - rustling, footsteps that were getting louder.
Before she could turn around, she was surrounded. Monstrous figures, hidden in the shadows, watched her, their movements unnaturally fluid. They were the hotel's attendants - anomalous creatures disguised as normal people, but with distorted faces and deliberately irregular movements. They emerged from around corners, and as their gazes met the robotess's, her screens showed signs of strong electromagnetic interference.
She took a step back and looked around, trying to find cover. There was an old cabinet nearby, and next to it, broken furniture, forming something resembling a barricade. Delia Asia Vieira rushed towards it, her mechanisms were fast, but hardly fast enough to avoid capture. She hid behind the rubble, hoping that the attendants would not notice her.
Meanwhile, the figures, still standing motionless, began to move towards her. They were not in a hurry, as if they were deliberately slowing their steps, as if they were waiting for her to crawl out of hiding. Delia Asia Vieira slid behind the remains of the furniture, feeling the tension brewing in her system.
And suddenly, a new figure appeared among these misty images. A tall humanoid creature, completely covered in metal. On its head was a metal mask, shaped like a doughnut, with large, writhing rings that pressed tightly against its skin. The shape was strange, grotesque, as if the mask was locked, preventing the creature from moving fully.
Delia Asia Vieira could barely breathe, her sensors analyzing each new enemy, but her mask was too complex for proper diagnostics. The creature moved toward her, as if sensing her presence. It moved slowly, twisting at unnatural angles, and for a moment its gaze met hers.
Nothing was said. The creature stopped. Its mask was expressionless, but in its holes dark silhouettes appeared for a moment, watching the robotess. It did not move, as if stopping in its tracks.
Then, as if the decision had been made, the creature said nothing, made no gesture, simply turned its head in the other direction and continued moving on as if its presence did not matter.
Delia Asia Vieira remained in place for a moment longer, then cautiously peered out from behind the barricade. She knew that she had to act quickly now, because if the creature and the servants were behind her, it meant that she was already on the verge of becoming their prey.
Her sensors picked up movement ahead. She moved cautiously further into the building, hoping she could avoid these horrible creatures. All she wanted was to find Sergeant Neff and find out why he was avoiding her so much.
The dim light from behind the tall glass walls of the greenhouse barely illuminated her face. Delia Asia Vieira stood in the center of a large circular room surrounded by dense vegetation. Exotic plants were visible around her, their leaves spreading over the walls, and strange creatures, perhaps restless insects, crawled between the stems. Despite the picturesque scene, there was an unnatural silence in the air, as if the greenhouse itself had been buried in oblivion.
Delia Asia Vieira felt her sensors begin to give off strange signals as she took a step forward. In the distance, in the corner of the greenhouse, stood a man. He was tall, wearing a military uniform with the insignia of a commander, but his eyes were focused and nervous. It was General Paul Buher, the man she had seen earlier in her search.
"General Buher?" Delia Asia Vieira asked, walking toward him. Her voice was cool, but beneath the surface there was something more disturbing. She sensed that something was wrong.
Paul turned and looked at her, his eyes filled with fatigue, but there was also a certain determination shining in them.
"Oh, it's you." He nodded briefly, as if he knew who she was, but wasn't particularly interested. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"I'm looking for Sergeant Neff." Robotess's answer was precise and reserved.
She continued to look at him, but her sensors were already beginning to pick up strange vibrations in the ground, which worried her more than the general's words.
Paul Buher frowned, but did not answer immediately. He took a step forward, looking around the greenhouse.
"You shouldn't have come here," he said suddenly, his voice becoming more serious. "But now that you're here, it's best if you don't interfere."
Delia Asia Vieira felt his words sting her, like a threat hidden in his calm manner.
"Interfere?" she repeated, surprised. "I'm just doing my job."
Paul didn't answer, but there was something wary in his expression. He turned sharply, looking toward the hole in the floor. Delia Asia Vieira noticed it, too—a small hole from which a smell of damp and rot was rising.
Then she heard a rustling sound. At first it was barely noticeable, then it grew louder.
"Don't go there!" the general shouted, taking a step forward, but it was too late. A huge monster burst out of the hole in the ground, its surface covered in slime and furry growths, and its eyes glowing red.
The monster broke free, and before Delia Asia Vieira could react, its long tentacles wrapped around the general, lifting him into the air like a toy. Paul Buher tried to break free, but his movements were powerless against this monster.
"No!" Delia Asia Vieira shouted, her voice bouncing off the glass walls of the greenhouse.
Her sensors hadn't had time to process the information, but she was already acting on instinct. She pulled a weapon from her body - a short energy pistol - and fired at the monster. The powerful charge tore through its protective shell, and the creature howled, shaking the ground.
The monster, however, did not retreat. It only violently lifted the general into the air and tried to swallow him whole.
Delia Asia Vieira continued firing, aiming the gun at the creature's most vulnerable parts. Within seconds, she saw its body begin to decompose and the bright light in its eyes fade. But when the creature finally fell to the ground, she could no longer keep her balance.
The ground cracked under her fingernails, and suddenly a large cliff opened up in front of her. She stumbled, and her system didn't have time to react in time.
With a scream, she disappeared into the darkness, falling into the hole the monster had left behind. The next moment, her body was swallowed by a dark void, and her consciousness was lost in the fog.
Delia Asia Vieira slowly came to her senses, feeling the weight of her body. It was cold and the air in the room smelled musty. She opened her eyes, but the moment of confusion was enough for her to realize that something was wrong. The space was cramped, the walls were gray, and only the dim light coming through the small window gave her any visibility. Her feet were chained to the floor, and her arms felt heavy with metal bracelets. The sensation was extremely unpleasant, but much worse was the reality she had just realized.
She was in a cage. Behind bars.
"System restoration..." said the robotess, but her voice sounded muffled, like an echo in an empty room.
The sensors began to recover, and the screen on the inner panel began to flash, showing the overall picture of what was happening.
Only after a couple of minutes did she feel the atmosphere in the room change. The sounds of footsteps became audible from behind the door. Someone was approaching. Delia raised her head, watching every movement.
The door opened and a man appeared in the room, wearing an old-fashioned leather coat and with a camera around his neck. He was of medium height, with an exhausted look, as if life had not spared him. It was the Canadian photographer Jennings, who stopped right at the bars and looked into the robotess's eyes. There was nothing obvious in his gaze, but it was noticeable that his eyes had become accustomed to the gloom.
"Well, lady?" he said with a grin, taking the camera off his shoulder and holding it in his hands. "How did you end up here? You don't look like a criminal."
Delia Asia Vieira took her time answering. He was clearly here for a reason, and she knew she would have to be careful in her answers. But there was a hint of something more in his words that was worth exploring.
"I'm not a criminal," she said, though her voice lacked the confidence she usually displayed. The defenses had been partially restored, but they were still taking time. "I'm looking for Sergeant Neff. Where is he?"
Jennings thought for a moment and then answered, though his tone changed.
"Sergeant Neff?" He exhaled, as if he didn't want to hear the name. "You don't know who you're dealing with, do you? This isn't a place for your kind."
Her sensors processed his words, and Delia Asia Vieira realized that her position here was not accidental. Someone had clearly interfered, and he was part of this story.
"Why are you holding me?" she asked, taking a step toward the bars as far as their mechanisms would allow her. "You're not going to interrogate me?"
"This isn't an interrogation," Jennings said, stepping closer. "I'm just finding out what you are. Are you a threat or not?"
Another pause. Jennings looked at the robotess carefully, and his expression became more serious.
"Okay. I figured you're not dangerous," he said, suddenly taking the keys out of his pocket and opening the cage. "But you'd better follow me."
Delia Asia Vieira stepped out of the chamber, her mechanisms immediately activating fully. She was prepared for any eventuality, but Jennings did not look threatening. He walked in front of her, looking over his shoulder.
"I can't stay here long," he said, walking quickly down the corridor, listening to every sound. "Our time is limited."
Delia Asia Vieira followed him silently, watching his every move carefully. She could feel his tension rising, and her sensors told her that the situation in the police station was becoming increasingly dangerous. Something was wrong.
They slipped past several doors and barriers until they reached the back of the building. Jennings carefully opened the door and motioned for her to go first. But as Delia Asia Vieira stepped out, the door suddenly slammed shut.
Robotess's heart started beating faster and she quickly turned around to see several police officers in full combat gear appear in the hallway, knowing their intentions.
"Jennings!" she shouted. "What's going on?"
He took a step towards her, but his expression did not bode well. He was confused and seemed to be in deep conflict with himself.
"I can't help," he said, almost in a whisper. "We're separated."
Delia Asia Vieira tried to analyze his words, but there was a door in front of her, behind which the police were hiding, and the situation itself was so complicated that her calculations could not give a clear answer. Jennings, without looking back, gave her a look full of regret.
"You have to choose. It will only get worse."
Delia Asia Vieira assessed her chances and, without wasting any time, walked forward along the dark corridor of the police station. She could feel that the situation was heating up, and she was prepared for any turn of events. She checked every corner, every door with extreme caution, but she still felt that she was being followed. Only questions were spinning in her head. What was she doing here? Why were they looking for her so hard? Where was Sergeant Neff?
And then, for a moment, a boy appeared before her. He looked worried, his eyes full of anxiety, and despite his young age, he already carried the burden of adult experiences.
"Are... are you looking for something?" the boy asked, his voice barely audible, as if he was afraid someone might hear.
Delia stopped, her sensors instantly registering his presence. She had seen him before – Peter Reynolds, son of Katherine, the ambassador's widow. The boy was upset, clearly going through something important.
"You're Peter, aren't you?" she asked, coming closer. "I remember you. I... I'm looking for Sergeant Neff."
Peter nodded silently, his face becoming even more serious.
"I'm looking too," he said, looking around. "He's missing. And a lot of other people, too. I'm trying to find them... But here at the station, everything's not as it should be.
Delia Asia Vieira noticed Peter nervously twisting the bundle of leaflets he was holding. Leaflets about missing persons.
"I heard about the missing people, too," she said, her voice quiet but firm. "We have to get out of here."
"We have to get out of here as fast as we can," Peter whispered, looking around. "They're looking for us."
As soon as he said this, they heard footsteps - heavy, with a metallic ringing. Someone was approaching. Delia Asia Vieira immediately understood that time was running out.
"Follow me!" she commanded, grabbing Peter's hand and pulling him along.
They ran past several doors, behind which were empty rooms and old archives. Suddenly, a staircase appeared in front of them, leading downwards. It was an obvious hiding place, and Delia Asia Vieira decided that they had to go down.
"The sewers!" Peter breathed, pointing down. "We can hide there."
Delia Asia Vieira had no doubt. This was the best plan. As they descended the stairs, they found themselves in a dark, musty space where the air was heavy and damp. The walls here were coated in a layer of dirt, and the sounds of their footsteps echoed through the pipes.
"We can't stay in this area," Delia Asia Vieira said, listening to the retreating footsteps. "We're going into the tunnels, and then we'll find a way out."
Peter looked tired, his face was tense, but he agreed.
"I'm with you," he said. "But you have to promise that we'll find my father."
Delia Asia Vieira stopped, looking at him. She couldn't promise the impossible, but she could promise that she would do everything in her power.
"We will find him, Peter. This is not just your fight, I am looking for answers too."
They continued to walk deeper into the sewers, hoping for the best. But the further they went, the more frightening the sounds became. At some point, they were separated by a tunnel.
"Miss!" Peter called as she reached the other end of the aisle. "Where are you going? I can't walk here alone!"
But before she could answer, the sewer split into two parts, and Delia Asia Vieira was forced to make a choice. She could not waste time, and in a hurry she chose the path that led to her further goal - to learn more about what was happening in this city.
"Peter, don't fall behind!" she shouted. "You must come with me!"
But Peter didn't hear. He had already disappeared into another tunnel, and Delia Asia Vieira knew that their paths were temporarily diverging.