Chapter 5: The Cube Awakens
Elias sighed, setting the knife down on the counter. He wiped his hands on a dish towel and grabbed his jacket from the back of a chair. The cool weight of the fabric felt familiar as he slid it on, his hand brushing past his keys on the counter. With a glance around the quiet apartment, he stepped outside, letting the door lock behind him.
The streets were calm, the fading light casting long shadows across the buildings. The air carried a faint chill, and Elias tucked his hands into his jacket pockets as he walked. Repair scaffolding lined parts of the road, steel beams gleaming under faint fluorescent lights.
A billboard flickered to life overhead, the massive screen showing another replay of recruitment ads.
He didn't pause this time, didn't even look up as Elara's image flashed by, her blade slicing clean through the snarling alien beast. The words "Be a Hero. Protect Prime Planet" burned against the sky, but Elias kept walking.
The grocery store wasn't far, just a few blocks away. He passed by shuttered storefronts and a few scattered pedestrians hurrying along the sidewalks. As he turned the corner onto a quieter street, the sound of raised voices cut through the relative calm.
"I told you, I don't have anything! Please, just let me go!" a woman's voice pleaded, high-pitched and panicked.
"Don't lie to us," another voice snapped, sharp and commanding. A figure loomed closer to the woman, his shadow stretching across the cracked pavement. "Empty your bag. Now."
Elias slowed, his heart thudding in his chest as he glanced toward the commotion. Two men stood in the dim light of a nearby alley, both dressed in dark jackets. One of them grabbed the woman's bag, his movements rough and impatient, while the other stood a step back, scanning the street.
For a moment, Elias considered walking on. This wasn't his business. He wasn't a soldier, wasn't a hero. What could he even do? His fingers curled inside his jacket pockets, and he felt the weight of his father's gaze still lingering in his mind.