The dawn was dense, almost motionless.
The farm's lights were off for the last time.
Not a word had been said, and it wasn't necessary.
Everyone knew there would be no going back.
Iker carried two backpacks and a small suitcase. They didn't need more.
The rest—technology, systems, protection, food, resources—waited for them on the other side of the sea.
Everything had already been planned.
Alma wore simple clothes, but her gaze was steady. She carried Camila, asleep in a baby carrier, while Emiliano clung to a blanket, awake but silent. The children didn't yet understand that they were leaving their home… and perhaps it was better that way.
A black van without license plates picked them up without a word. Kara-H1 was at the wheel. She drove smoothly while Eidolon guided the route, linked in real time with uncharted shipping lanes and fake radars to avoid detection.
They traveled in silence to a small private marina, beneath a forgotten pier.
There, a silent, dark-fiber hydrofoil awaited them, with no flags, no name.
Iker carefully helped Alma board. The children didn't cry. They only let themselves be enveloped by the soft hum of the electric motor as it started.
And then they set off.
They sailed for several hours in complete discretion.
The mainland coast faded into the horizon as the sky began to turn a deep blue.
Dawn timidly peeked out.
And then it appeared.
In the distance, like a secret emerging from the sea, Tzabek Island emerged from the mist.
It seemed pristine, wild. But beneath its vegetation, a precise, silent… alive machinery pulsed.
As they approached the shore, an opening between the trees revealed itself: a concealed entrance, flanked by camouflaged sensors and covert surveillance units.
Everything opened automatically with Iker's facial recognition.
Stepping onto solid ground, Alma took a deep breath.
"It smells... different."
"It's the first place where nothing was imposed," Iker whispered. "All of this... I dreamed it up for us."
They walked along an elevated path between roots, under a dome of damp trees. In the distance, a structure of black glass and organic steel rose among the treetops: the Arkalis Command Center.
It was an elegant skyscraper, without a traditional shape. Its lines seemed to move, as if sculpted by the wind.
Support androids opened doors, activated elevators, and transported supplies.
In the lobby, a holographic interface lit up.
"Welcome to Tzabek Island," said Eidolon's warm voice, now adapted to a soft, feminine tone. "This facility has been customized for the Ayala family unit. All routes have been cleared. Home is ready."
Iker guided Alma to a private module on the 14th floor. It was warm, spacious, with floor-to-ceiling windows that showed the dense jungle and the sea beyond.
The children's room had interactive walls with marine shapes.
The kitchen was silent, automated.
The dining room… had four chairs, finally in use.
"Is this where we'll live?" Alma asked, touching a wall that responded with dim light.
"Yes," Iker said. "Here we're not a burden to anyone.
Here we are… us."
She looked at him with something close to peace.
"It seems unbelievable."
"It was," he replied. "But now it's real."
Hours later, Iker climbed alone to the top floor.
The observation deck.
From there, the entire island was visible. The platforms, the tunnels, the underground levels.
The factory pulsed like a heart at rest.
The terraforming zones, covered with test domes, were still empty.
And beyond... the land where giants would one day walk.
Kara-H1 accompanied him silently.
"Shall we activate the next phase?" she asked.
He slowly shook his head.
"Not today.
Today I just want to...
see how the world begins."