The spider moved, its feet emitting an unsettling screech followed by the sound of steam hissing from its body—a symphony accompanying the crash of the buildings its legs were clinging to. For the first time, Noor was grateful for the darkness and that the sun had not yet risen; otherwise, being discovered by this accursed creature of metal and wires would have been far easier.

The spider was directly above Noor. He held his breath, closed his eyes, and waited for the spider to pass by, praying with all his heart that he would not be discovered. But it seemed his luck had betrayed him as well.

Suddenly, the spider stopped moving. The next moment, it began to tilt its body, aiming its luminous eye toward the car Noor was hiding under. He felt the light flood around him, illuminating his hiding place. Fear shot through his veins until he felt unable to move. His power would never enable him to defeat this thing.

He knew his cover was blown and there was no escape now. He pushed his mind to think quickly of a way out of this predicament, but nothing came. Desperately, he scanned the surrounding environment for any kind of idea.

Finally, he remembered the illusion technique he had learned—an ability to deceive enemies by using the surrounding light to create a mirage of himself. He focused all his concentration on the spider's beam, trying to imagine a photonic version of his body.

But his agitated mind, working at high speed, failed him. He pushed harder, adrenaline surging through his limbs. He held his breath, suppressing the panic, and narrowed his thoughts down to one clear image—himself.

At that same moment, the robotic spider raised one of its legs and aimed it at the car. The moonlight reflected off its metallic surface with a brilliant sheen.

Then, Noor's illusion formed—a light-based copy in his exact likeness. He mentally commanded it to flee. The mirage bolted out from under the car as if escaping.

The spider froze, mid-strike. Then it pivoted, its attention snapping to the running figure. It adjusted its posture, revealing a rocket launcher from its back.

With a mechanical hiss, it fired.

The rockets soared, but passed right through the illusion, distorting its midsection. The mirage looked bizarre—uncanny—but the unthinking robot didn't hesitate. It continued the chase, launching more projectiles in rapid bursts.

Noor knew he had only a few seconds before the illusion faded.

He scrambled out from under the car the moment the spider had moved a few steps away, running as fast as he could until he reached another vehicle. He dove beneath it and lay still.

Behind him, the spider's thunderous footsteps echoed through the street. Then, silence.

It had stopped moving—convinced, perhaps, that it had eliminated its target. Noor heard it stomp back toward the first car, scanning the area. But there was nothing left to find.

It slowly moved on.

Noor exhaled, trembling. He couldn't believe he was still alive. His chest heaved with exhaustion as he checked his surroundings for any further threats.

Eventually, his pulse slowed. But nearby, he spotted burnt and disfigured corpses—bodies time had already begun to erase. He crawled out from under the car, uneasy, and scanned left and right.

The shattered road was empty.

In the distance, sniper shots rang out in the direction the spider had taken. A thought struck him: the cloaked figure who had helped him earlier might be engaging the monster now.

He felt a pang of pity and hoped the man would survive the cursed machine.

Noor resumed his path, unsure where to go. Should he return to the cloaked figure—who might be friend, or foe? Or press on and search for survivors?

At this rate, he knew death could meet him at any moment.

He muttered a silent prayer for guidance and decided not to look back. He would move forward, away from the nightmare.

He crossed the ruined road and reached a crossroads. Pausing briefly, he chose to turn right. The terrain slowly changed as he emerged from the rubble and into an area of paved streets and tall buildings that still stood untouched by destruction.

A sense of relief washed over him. Maybe he had moved far enough away from the machines.

But the darkness made everything hard to see. He walked for what felt like hours, his feet aching. Then, in the distance, he saw something—an illuminated shop amidst the shadows.

A holographic sign hovered above it, glowing faintly. It showed a symbol of a pistol beside the store's name.

Without hesitation, Noor entered.

Inside was dim, but bright enough to make out the contents. He was surprised there was electricity here. Maybe the machines hadn't reached this zone yet.

Still, he wondered why this store, out of all others, had light.

He shook off the thought and focused. Weapons hung along the shelves—handguns, long-range rifles, short-range arms. Everything he could dream of.

He quickly gathered what he needed: grenades, firearms, and body armor. At last, a sliver of hope. Maybe he had a fighting chance now.

Yet his mind spun with questions: Had machines invaded Earth? Rebelled against humans? Was he still in Egypt? Or somewhere else entirely?

He tried to ignore the spiral of doubt and focused on prepping the weapons. He loaded them carefully, double-checking each one.

Just as he was about to move, a sudden sound came from above—something hitting the floor on the upper level.

His body tensed. Eyes wide.

Oh no.

Not again.

It hadn't even been an hour since the spider attack.

Suddenly, it made sense why this store was lit. Someone must've already been here—someone who powered it up using a solar converter.

Noor took a deep breath and stared at the stairs.

Should he run?

Or investigate?

Running was the safer option. But what if the person upstairs was another human—maybe a survivor like him?

If he fled now, he might never get the chance to find them again.

Gritting his teeth, Noor made his decision.

He gripped his pistol tightly and began to ascend the stairs, step by careful step.

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