INVASION OF THE TECHNO-VIRUS

The next morning, Matheo woke up groggily to the sound of distant sirens. His entire body ached from last night's chaos.

Still dressed in his half-burnt hoodie and jeans, he forced himself out of bed. Today was a school day.

But as soon as he stepped out of his room, his eyes widened in shock.

The house was barely standing.

Walls cracked and broken.

Furniture missing or shattered into pieces.

Glass fragments scattered across the floor.

The TV screen was flickering, barely functional.

His father's old chair was gone.

His mother's favorite vase—shattered.

His hacker setup? Completely fried.

It looked like someone had looted the place, but Matheo knew the truth.

Zyphor had taken everything.

He swallowed hard, stepping over the debris toward the front door.

When he opened it, his breath caught.

The streets of Acirema were a mess.

Burned cars lined the roads.

Collapsed buildings filled the skyline.

Electrical poles sparked, some bent like twisted metal bones.

Drones lay scattered on the ground, lifeless after the EMP.

People were out in the streets, picking up the pieces of their lives.

Some were searching for lost family members.

Others were trying to salvage what little they had left.

A few just sat on the sidewalks, staring blankly at the destruction.

Matheo clenched his fists. "Damn it…"

He turned toward the flickering TV in his living room.

Breaking News

The news anchor's voice was shaky.

"Last night's mysterious blackout was caused by an unknown energy wave, temporarily shutting down all electronic devices across the city. Experts believe this was connected to the recent increase in cyber-attacks and technological malfunctions."

The screen shifted, showing footage from security cameras.

A police car transforming into a robotic beast.

A military drone turning on soldiers.

Civilians running as ATMs exploded on their own.

"Authorities have yet to determine the source of this crisis, but suspicions point toward heightened cyber warfare between Acirema and Silne."

Matheo gritted his teeth.

"No, you idiots. It's not Silne. It's not a damn war. It's something much worse."

But of course, the government couldn't admit that alien virus-robots were invading.

A sudden knock on the door snapped him back to reality.

Nathan's voice came from the other side.

"Matheo, get ready. We're going back to UCNA."

Matheo sighed, grabbing his school bag.

"Guess school's gonna have to wait."

The war was far from over.

In the midst of the chaos, Matheo's phone suddenly rang.

[MOM CALLING...]

Matheo's heart nearly stopped.

"Oh, crap..."

He looked around his destroyed house, sighed, and then picked up the call.

"Hello, Mom?"

His mother's cheerful voice came through the phone.

"Matheo, are you awake? How's the house? And the flower vase? Don't let it break! That's your grandmother's keepsake!"

Matheo broke into a cold sweat.

He glanced at the floor—the flower vase in question was shattered into a million pieces, basically dust now.

'Okay… Matheo, time to use your natural talent for lying…'

Swallowing hard, he forced a smile and answered in the most unconvincing voice ever:

"Uh… T-The vase? It's fine, Mom! Completely safe! Looks brand new! Almost sparkling!"

"Oh, thank goodness! I was so worried."

Matheo exhaled in relief.

But his mom wasn't done.

"By the way, don't even think about skipping school! You better go! No excuses!"

Matheo groaned internally.

"Ugh… Mom, the whole city just went through a mini-apocalypse. Can't I get just one day off?"

But of course, he wasn't brave enough to actually say that.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm getting ready…"

After hanging up, he looked at himself in the mirror.

His clothes were torn.

His face looked like a zombie's.

His hair was a disaster.

"It's gonna take more than just a quick shower to make me look normal…"

In less than five minutes, Matheo had:

✔ Splashed water on his face.

✔ Showered at lightning speed (barely got wet).

✔ Put on his school uniform (miraculously still intact).

✔ Ate a stale piece of bread he found on the floor.

After that, he rushed out of the house with his backpack slung over one shoulder.

On the way, he almost tripped on a rock.

He almost got run over by a kid on a bicycle.

He nearly fell into an open pothole.

Matheo could only curse in his head.

"I literally survived an alien robot attack last night. Am I seriously gonna die now because of a stupid sidewalk hole?!"

After what felt like a battle more difficult than fighting Zyphor, he finally reached the school gates.

Matheo took a deep breath.

"Alright... School first. Alien invasion later."

Matheo stepped through the school gates, already annoyed before anything even happened.

This was only his second day at this school. He had been transferred from his old school because he caused too much trouble. Now, before he could even settle in, trouble had already found him.

A group of students from another class blocked his way, smirking.

"I can't believe they let a guy like you transfer here."

"We're about to graduate, and they bring in a delinquent?"

"How did you even get in? Did you bribe the principal?"

Matheo sighed, already bored.

One of them glanced at his friend and chuckled.

"Peter, this kid thinks he's tough. Let's give him a proper welcome."

Before Matheo could react, they grabbed his collar and swung a punch.

Big mistake.

Matheo wasn't just some punk. He had been trained in martial arts since he was a kid.

As the first punch came, he easily dodged it, twisting his body to the side.

Then—BAM!

His elbow slammed into the guy's ribs.

"AAH!" The guy stumbled back, gasping.

Another student lunged at him—Matheo sidestepped and swept his legs out from under him.

CRASH! The second guy hit the ground, groaning.

The rest of the gang hesitated. They clearly didn't expect Matheo to fight back this well.

The crowd of students started cheering and laughing.

"Whoa, the new kid can actually fight!"

"Damn, he just wrecked Peter and his guys!"

Matheo adjusted his uniform, still calm, as if nothing had happened.

He pushed through the crowd, leaving the defeated gang groaning on the floor.

As he walked toward class, Matheo noticed two people watching him.

The first was a girl—Anne.

She had long, flowing hair, a pretty face, and her eyes were filled with interest.

A small smile played at the corner of her lips.

Anne liked him.

The second was a guy—Ollan.

He just raised an eyebrow, looking amused.

Matheo didn't say anything.

He just shoved his hands into his pockets and walked straight into class.

At the UCNA Headquarters Nathan sat in his office, glancing at the clock on the wall. The morning had already passed, yet Matheo still hadn't shown up.

He had a bad feeling. If Matheo really went to school after last night's chaos, then trouble was bound to find him—or rather, he would find trouble.

Soon, his phone rang.

"Nathan, pick up Matheo from school," his father's voice came through, firm and direct.

"He'll be staying at the headquarters for now. The house needs renovation after what happened last night."

Nathan let out a long sigh. He had expected this.

At School Matheo was bored in class when the school counselor suddenly walked in and called his name.

"Matheo Wellber, come with me to the counseling office."

The entire class went silent. All eyes turned to him.

Matheo just shrugged, stood up casually, and walked out as if this was nothing new to him.

When he entered the counseling office, the first thing he saw was Peter and his gang—all sitting there, looking pissed.

Matheo snickered.

"Oh, so you guys are here too? How does it feel to get beaten up by the new kid?"

Peter stood up, facing Matheo directly—but there was one problem—he had to look up.

Matheo grinned smugly.

"If you're too short, just stay seated. Don't strain your neck."

The room fell completely silent for a few seconds.

Peter's face turned red, and his gang gritted their teeth in anger.

Matheo crossed his arms, still arrogant.

"Shorty."

That made them even angrier.

Before Peter could say anything, Matheo turned to the counselor with a bored expression.

"Ma'am, just check the CCTV. These bastards started it."

Without waiting for a response, Matheo turned around and walked out.

As if he didn't care about the issue at all.

The school bell rang loudly, signaling the end of the school day.

Matheo stepped out of the building alongside Ollan, stretching his arms as if nothing had happened today.

As they walked toward the gates, Ollan suddenly nudged him.

"Hey, there's a festival tonight. Big concert. You in?"

Matheo let out a small sigh.

"Sounds fun, but I think I'll be locked up at home."

Last night's events were still fresh in his mind. If another crazy thing happened, he wasn't in the mood to deal with it.

Ollan smirked, shaking his head.

"Dude, everyone from school is going."

Then, with a sly look, he tilted his chin toward Anne, who was standing nearby, chatting with her friends.

"Including her."

Matheo's eyes flickered toward Anne for a second.

She was laughing at something, her long hair flowing behind her as she tucked a strand behind her ear. She really did stand out.

Before Matheo could reply, a loud car horn suddenly blared.

BEEP! BEEP!

A black SUV pulled up in front of the school. The window rolled down, revealing Nathan Wellber sitting in the driver's seat, looking straight at Matheo with an unreadable expression.

Matheo clicked his tongue.

"Of course..."

Ollan raised an eyebrow.

"Who's that? Your driver?"

Matheo sighed.

"Worse. My brother."

Nathan gestured for him to get in.

Matheo glanced at Ollan, then at Anne, then back at the car.

Looks like his plans just got ruined.

Inside the car, silence filled the air before Nathan finally spoke.

"You're staying at the UCNA base."

Matheo simply nodded casually, as if he had expected that.

A few seconds later, he rested his head against the window, let out a sigh, and said in a lazy tone:

"Should I go to the festival tonight or not?"

Nathan glanced at him, frowning.

"Huh?"

"I mean, I've never been to a concert before. Not even once in my life. Can't I just go this one time?" Matheo muttered, staring at the sky outside the window.

Nathan let out a short chuckle, half in disbelief.

"You almost died last night, and now you're thinking about a concert?"

Matheo turned to him with a serious expression.

"Exactly. What if that was my last chance to enjoy life?"

Nathan went silent for a moment before letting out a long sigh.

"You're seriously the most reckless kid I know."

Matheo just smirked, closing his eyes for a moment, enjoying the ride.

Outside, the sun was beginning to set, and the festival was getting closer.

Matheo stretched his arms and glanced at Nathan with a smirk.

"Before we head to the UCNA base, take me to Dad's science company first."

Nathan frowned. "Why?"

Matheo leaned back against the seat, crossing his arms.

"Well… first, I wanna check something. And second…" he paused dramatically before grinning. "I need to ask him for some money."

Nathan scoffed. "Are you serious?"

Matheo shrugged. "What? I might as well make the most of this trip."

Nathan shook his head. "You're unbelievable."

Still, he took a sharp turn at the next street, changing their course toward the science company where their father worked.

Matheo smirked, watching the city lights flicker outside the window.

One last stop before heading back.

Or so he thought.

Matheo and Nathan walked down the futuristic corridor of their father's science company after exiting the elevator. Bright white lights illuminated the space, and the faint hum of machines and computers filled the air.

As they neared the main office, Matheo suddenly stopped.

"Go ahead, bro. I gotta take a piss."

Nathan gave him a skeptical look. "Seriously?"

Matheo raised his hands casually. "Yeah, and while I'm at it, I'll ask Dad for some money too. Saves you the trouble."

Nathan sighed and kept walking. "Don't take too long."

Matheo turned in another direction, wandering into a quiet laboratory. The place was filled with glass tubes containing strange liquids, caged test animals, and small inactive robots.

He glanced around with curiosity. "Damn, this place looks like an evil scientist's lair."

Just as he was about to leave, a small movement caught his eye.

From the corner of the room, a tiny metallic spider-like robot crawled out and headed straight toward him.

"Huh? What the hell is that?"

Before Matheo could react, the robot jumped onto his wrist and latched on like a watch!

"WHAT THE—?!"

He tried to yank it off, but it suddenly injected something into his skin, like a sharp needle piercing his veins.

A sharp pain shot through his arm.

"ARGH! DAMN IT!"

Matheo panicked, struggling to remove the robot, but it wouldn't budge. The device melted into a metallic bracelet, fusing with his skin.

A strange pulse began to spread through his veins.

"This is bad. This is REALLY bad."

Without thinking, Matheo bolted out of the lab.

As he turned the corner—

BAM!

He crashed into Nathan, who had just stepped out of their father's office.

Nathan narrowed his eyes at him. "What's wrong with you?"

Matheo, still panting, hid his wrist inside his jacket.

"N-nothing. I just... rushed a little."

But his heartbeat was still racing.

And under his jacket—

The robot started to glow.

By the time they arrived at the UCNA headquarters, Matheo was exhausted. The strange sensation in his wrist hadn't faded—in fact, it was getting worse.

He dragged himself to one of the temporary rooms Nathan had arranged for him.

"I'm gonna sleep," Matheo muttered weakly, barely keeping his eyes open.

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "You okay? You look kinda pale."

"Just tired." Matheo forced a grin. "And hungry. Bring me food later."

Nathan scoffed. "Lazy as always." But he left the room without pressing further.

Once alone, Matheo let out a shaky breath and pulled off his jacket. Then, he unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it aside.

His entire body felt like it was burning.

His skin was hot to the touch, and sweat dripped from his forehead.

"Damn it… What the hell is happening to me?"

He looked down at his wrist. The strange metallic device was still there, fused to his skin like it had become a part of him.

The spot where it had attached throbbed with an eerie glow.

His vision blurred. His head felt heavy.

Then—

A sharp pain shot through his veins, like fire spreading through his bloodstream.

Matheo gritted his teeth, gripping the bedsheet as his entire body shook uncontrollably.

His mind was screaming—

Something was changing inside him.

And he had no idea what it was.

In the heart of Acirema's capital, the aftermath of last night's chaos was still evident. Buildings lay in ruins, streets were filled with debris, and the air smelled of smoke and metal. But amidst the destruction, something even stranger was happening.

Scattered throughout the city were robots unlike any seen before.

Unlike the rampaging red-eyed machines from the attack, these robots had glowing blue eyes and stood calmly among the humans.

They weren't attacking.

Instead, they seemed to be scanning the faces of people nearby.

"Scanning… scanning…" their robotic voices echoed, as blue light emitted from their eyes.

Terrified civilians took a step back, unsure whether to run or stay still.

Then, something even more bizarre occurred.

After completing their scans, the robots' bodies started to shift.

Their gleaming metal frames began to morph, shrink, and adapt…

And within seconds—

They transformed into human-like figures.

A robot that had once been pure metal now looked like an ordinary man, dressed in casual clothes.

A machine that once had a mechanical frame now had soft human-like skin, as if they had always been one of them.

But there was one thing that remained unchanged—their eyes still glowed blue.

The newly formed "humans" glanced around, observing their surroundings with a neutral expression, as if trying to understand human life.

Whispers filled the streets.

"Are they… disguising themselves?"

"Why did they turn into humans?"

"Are they friend or foe?"

Before anyone could answer—

One of the blue-eyed "humans" turned its head toward a street surveillance camera, as if aware of being watched.

Then, a slow, unsettling smile formed on its lips.