Storm-2

“Sandstorm?”

Isis brought up the storm when dessert was being served after dinner.

Kang In-ho, who was eating yogurt mixed with a small amount of honey with a teaspoon, looked at Isis’s neat appearance and asked again.

The reason the story about the Sandstorm came up was because Kang In-ho had said he wanted to go to the park.

Isis explained the deteriorating air quality and its causes, and the point of her lengthy explanation was that going outside would be difficult for the time being.

The various disasters that poured out when the dimensional gate opened completely destroyed everything except Aaru beyond recovery.

From a slightly different perspective, it could be seen that Aaru was perfectly prepared to withstand the disaster.

Humanity’s last stronghold, the last hope of a lost humanity.

If humanity is ever rebuilt, this is the obvious assessment Aaru will receive.

“Yes. The outside of Aaru is a wasteland. If it were just a simple wasteland, there wouldn’t be a big problem, but the soil has been contaminated for a long time, and there are many toxic substances floating in the atmosphere.”

Isis explained in detail to Kang In-ho, who scraped up the yogurt on the cup.

“Okay, I guess I can’t go out if that’s the case.”

“I thought you would still say you wanted to go out.”

Isis tilted her head at the unexpectedly quick acceptance.

“That’s a reasonable reason. Do you think I’m someone who throws a tantrum for no reason?”

Isis judged that there was a hidden meaning in Kang In-ho’s words, but she couldn’t agree with that feeling.

It meant that the reason she hadn’t let him out until now was unreasonable, but from Isis’s point of view, all those decisions and controls were choices for her master.

“I didn’t mean it that way.”

“I know. I didn’t say that because I was upset either.”

Lie. Isis didn’t bother to say it out loud.

“How long does the Sandstorm last?”

While clearing the dishes, Kang In-ho asked as if passing by.

“The longest storm lasted a week. Judging from the size of the storm heading towards Aaru, it is expected to last about 4-5 days.”

“That’s a long time. Has there ever been any serious damage due to the storm?”

“There has been no damage that has caused serious disruptions to the city. However, there have been phenomena such as unstable communication in some sections or temporary communication disruptions.”

“We need to prepare.”

“We plan to respond by repairing quickly. Do you have any special instructions regarding this?”

“No, you’re the expert in city management. Do whatever you want.”

“Understood.”

Isis, who had put all the dishes on the tray, turned around with a small nod.

“You’re alone these days.”

Kang In-ho stopped Isis with his words.

He is referring to the many Isis’s who used to hang around like a gang.

“I thought you might find it burdensome. We have not produced any additional units except for those already produced.”

“Additional production? How many more were you planning to make?”

“We were planning to produce approximately 1,232 additional units to manage the city and assist the master.”

“No, don’t do that. I think I’ll get sick.”

Kang In-ho’s face turned pale as if he imagined Isis’s face everywhere he went.

“As you said, all production plans have been suspended. …If you mean to dispose of the already produced units….”

“That’s not what I meant. There’s no need to break them.”

“Understood.”

Isis left the room with a slightly raised voice.

As everyday life goes, as the laws of nature dictate, night came.

“It’s time for you to sleep.”

Isis, who had already changed into pajamas of the same design as her master, recommended that he go to bed.

“A cup of water.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a glass full of water appeared.

Kang In-ho received it and drank it without stopping. Gulp, gulp, the cool water went down his esophagus and soaked his whole body.

Satisfied with his thirst quenched, he went to bed.

“I’ll turn off the lights.”

It wasn’t a request for permission.

The lights went out, and natural blackout curtains surrounded the room.

Isis supported her head with one arm, lying on her side and waiting for her master to fall asleep.

She placed her remaining arm on the blanket and rhythmically patted her master’s stomach with moderate strength.

If you were to put a song to that act, it would surely have lyrics like this.

-Lullaby, lullaby, our baby. Lullaby, lullaby, sleeps so well.

The optimal temperature, the soft feel of the blanket, and the appropriately high pillow were enough to bring sleep quickly.

The frequency with which the man blinked grew longer and longer. His vision darkened, and soon drowsiness and haziness came.

“……”

After splashing around in the sea of unconsciousness a few times, he finally fell asleep.

His guardian, nevertheless, patted his blanket, inducing him to fall into an even deeper sleep.

The night of the Cradle had just begun.

“Ah… bathroom.”

With a deeply hoarse voice, the man got up.

Whether it was the water he drank before going to bed, he woke up in the middle of his sleep.

As instinct led him, he went to the bathroom. He was barefoot, without even wearing slippers.

4:12 AM.

That was the current time he saw while going to the bathroom.

He opened the bathroom door and relieved the urge to excrete.

The somewhat cool temperature of the bathroom chased away some of his sleep.

After flushing the water, the man sat on the toilet as if to wake himself up, staring blankly at the ceiling.

A typical bathroom with a vent next to the incandescent light. The vent, which was a little larger than in a normal home, caught his eye.

“Who am I… Where am I….”

Muttering nonsense, he wandered at the crossroads of sleep and reality.

“I have to go out.”

Enjoying his alone time, he left the bathroom with regret.

He looked at the clock as he headed to the bed.

The current time indicated by the digital clock was 4:41 AM.

“Huh?”

It was a time far beyond 10 minutes and 23 seconds.

Feeling something was wrong, Kang In-ho returned to the bed.

Lying on his back, he could vaguely see Isis with her eyes closed.

“…Isis?”

He called out in a small voice, but Isis didn’t answer.

“Isis?”

He raised his voice a little more, but still, there was no answer.

He reached out and touched Isis’s nose.

Gulp. He swallowed and returned to the blanket.

It wasn’t certain, but….

He felt like he had discovered something enormous.

The window began to shake slightly in the wind.

A storm was coming.