FREAKER

I have been coming to this secret laboratory for two months now. It specializes in quantum technologies. The experiments are strange but never painful. The food is good and, most importantly, the payment I receive at the end of each session is generous enough to keep me from asking too many questions.

There are only two days left before the end of the program, and I still have no idea why they need me as a test subject.

They warned me during my first interview: no questions and no curiosity. I had to follow their instructions and never speak about anything I saw inside the laboratory. In any case, I did not even know its exact location. A car with tinted windows picked me up every morning. They made me wear opaque glasses for part of the journey, and then I passed through several security checkpoints before reaching the experimental area.

Before every session, they took away my clothes, along with my phone, my watch, and every metal object I carried. I entered a vast circular room completely naked. At its center stood a platform with an enormous metallic ring. Thick cables ran across the floor toward rows of computers positioned behind a reinforced glass wall.

The researchers claimed they were studying how my body reacted to extremely powerful electromagnetic fields. They covered my chest, arms, and legs with sensors before asking me to contract each muscle group in turn. Sometimes, I had to lift a loaded barbell or hold a pose while blue lasers slowly traveled over my body. That morning, however, something was different.

There were twice as many technicians behind the glass. Some of them looked nervous. A woman I had never seen before was giving orders in front of a screen covered with glowing lines.

"Stand at the center of the platform, Freaker."

I took my place beneath the ring.

"What experiment are we doing today?"

No one answered. Mechanical arms descended from the ceiling and placed new sensors against my temples, spine, and sternum. An artificial voice echoed through the room.

"Human specimen identified. Organic mapping in progress."

Human specimen ! I did not like the sound of that. Lasers scanned my body from head to toe. On the screens, I saw my skeleton appear, then my organs, followed by a complete reconstruction of my muscular structure. The ring began rotating, producing a hum that steadily deepened.

An alarm suddenly sounded.

"We have a match!" someone shouted from behind the glass.

Fragmented images appeared on the main screen: a gigantic forest, ruins overrun by vegetation, and then a massive figure whose head resembled that of a wolf.

I froze.

"What the hell is that?"

The lights flickered. The ring suddenly began spinning faster.

"Shut down the field!" the woman ordered.

"We can't! Something on the other side is holding the connection open!"

A blue bolt of energy tore across the room and struck the platform. Every muscle in my body contracted at once. My legs refused to move. The air seemed to solidify around me.

"Get me out of here!"   I screamed 

The technicians rushed around behind the glass. One of them desperately slammed his fist against the emergency shutdown button.

The artificial voice spoke again.

"Connection stabilized. Human signature accepted. Matter transfer authorized."

"I didn't authorize anything!" I screamed again.

A monstrous pressure crushed my chest. For one second, I thought my body was going to be torn apart  Then the floor vanished beneath my feet. White light swallowed me. I crashed onto a freezing surface.When I opened my eyes, the ring was still above me, but it was rusted, cracked, and covered with climbing plants. The white laboratory was gone. I was lying completely naked among the ruins of an abandoned facility.

Beyond the shattered walls stretched an unfamiliar jungle. Then I heard a growl.

An enormous creature stood in the opening. It walked on two legs and wore leather armor. Its body was almost human, but its head was that of a gray wolf. Its claws were wrapped around the shaft of a long spear.

It stared at me as though it had never seen anything like me before.

At that moment, I understood two things :

I was no longer in my world.

And the experiment had never been an accident.

Soon, my muscles began to respond again, and I regained control of my body. I was about to try to stand when the scent of a wild animal engulfed me ; a smell I had only ever encountered near the cages of a zoo or the kennels of an animal shelter. Two hairy arms seized me with incredible strength. I tried to struggle, but a blow to my stomach folded me in half and forced the air from my lungs. The pain was so intense that my vision blurred, and I lost consciousness.

When I woke up, my arms were tied wide apart between two massive pillars. Little by little, my mind began putting the pieces back together. I was not nude anymore. A  loincloth was covering my  ass, cock and balls.

A strange crowd dressed in rich clothes surrounded me, staring. I could hear growls, roars, and hisses...and, strangely enough, I understood what they meant.

"It's a human!"

"No. Humans are only a legend."

"They all disappeared."

"My God, he is hideous."

It was only then that I realized the crowd was made up of many different kinds of animals, all standing upright like humans.

Suddenly, a violent roar shook the walls of the throne room. Silence fell at once.

"Look at him. He belongs to the human race - a hypocritical, cruel, and dangerous race."

The tiger standing before me must have been over two meters tall. Beneath his striped fur, his muscles were constantly shifting, revealing the immense power contained within his body.

A moment later, he stood directly in front of me. He seized my chin in one enormous paw, forced my head upward, and displayed my face to the entire court. One of his claws pierced the delicate skin of my neck, and blood began streaming down it.

The crowd suddenly stirred. Some of them became almost frenzied by the light metallic scent spreading through the air. But a single look from the king restored order.

"Who sent you to the kingdom of Anthara? I know your race. You are nothing but a scout. Others will soon follow."

A shudder of fear passed through the crowd, accompanied by growls, snarls, and anxious murmurs.

"Speak if you wish to survive."

I had to be dreaming. Yes, all of this was nothing more than a nightmare. I must have been lying in a hospital bed, trapped in a coma after the laboratory accident.But the smells, the air brushing against my skin whenever the tiger moved, and the blows I had received - everything felt so real.

I remained silent.

"We shall send him to Varkhane. He will speak eventually." said the wolf they called Harkan

The crowd shuddered, then erupted into a storm of growls, howls, hisses, and barks. In short, all the natural ways in which animals expressed themselves

The same wolves seized me again. Their leader, Captain Harkan, marched beside them, his massive gray-furred hand wrapped around the shaft of his spear. They threw me into a small sailing boat, my wrists and ankles locked in heavy chains. I discreetly tested their strength and soon realized that I could break them with ease. I decided to wait until the first real opportunity to escape presented itself.

An old beaver with graying fur handled the little vessel with the calm confidence of someone who knew every current, every reef, and every change in the wind. Harkan sat in front of me, studying my muscular body. His men stared at me in the same way. I saw surprise, admiration, some fear, and many questions.

"How does he defend himself? He has neither claws nor fangs."

"How does he protect himself from the cold? He has no fur or coat of any kind."

"Does he have a mate? And is she as ugly as he is?"

"Do you think he is stronger than Rhazakar, or even stronger than our king?"

I answered all their questions obediently. It was also at that moment that I heard, for the first time, the name of the one who would eventually become an essential figure in my story.

I was marched through the city beneath the jeers of the crowd. Rotten vegetables and even stones were hurled at me. The smell hanging over the streets was so powerful that it overwhelmed my human sense of smell. I breathed only as much as necessary to keep myself from suffocating. Before long, I found myself in an overcrowded square. Everyone had come to see a man whose species was believed to be extinct.

A magnificent black panther approached me, holding a perfumed handkerchief beneath his nose.

"I am Malakar, governor of this city. You were brought before me so that I might decide your fate. Tell me who you are. Why are you here?"

I hesitated to speak. Slowly, however, I began to understand that, in this world, I was the monster. One difference, whether chosen or imposed, is enough to change the way others look at you.I imagined how we humans would have received one of their kind, and realized that we probably would not have shown nearly as much patience.I therefore decided to give an answer that might appeal to this rigidly hierarchical society, which reminded me of our own during the age of chivalry, in the Middle Ages or the Renaissance.

"I am Sir Gawain, a great warrior in my world, gifted with legendary strength."

My first words were received in a heavy silence. Then yelps, howls, and mocking roars erupted from the crowd.

In truth, I had never really fought anyone. My only battles had taken place on a stage, where I displayed my muscles in the hope of winning a bodybuilding competition.Nor did I possess Gawain's magical power: his strength increased with the rising sun, making him ever more powerful throughout the morning, before gradually fading after midday. I did not possess his courtesy either.All I truly possessed was the determination to escape my hosts as quickly as possible.

Satisfied, the governor returned to the seat he had occupied when I arrived, at the foot of a broad stone staircase.

With a gesture of his paw, he commanded silence.

"People of Varkhane, our Games begin tomorrow. Our finest champions shall face one another, but I believe that, for our entertainment, Sir Gawain should also take part and prove his claims. He must emerge victorious from three battles. If he succeeds, we shall provide him with food and shelter until he finds a way to return home. If he fails, then we shall at least have granted him an honorable death - one worthy of a knight."

Then, amid a roar of cheers, I was brutally shoved toward an arena that was as impressive as the Colosseum.

They threw me into a dark, foul-smelling cell with nothing but some water and a piece of bread. I felt utterly defeated, and the role of gladiator did not suit me in the slightest. Despite the constant visits from curious onlookers who had come to stare at the strange beast destined for the slaughter the following day, I was just about to fall asleep.

The First Fight

The next morning, the sound of an iron bar striking the cell door woke me.

"Get up, Sir Gawain. The people of Varkhane are waiting for the invincible knight."

They led me through a long underground corridor. As we walked, the noise of the crowd grew louder. The walls seemed to shake with roars, howls, and stamping feet. When the gate opened, the sunlight blinded me.

The arena was enormous. Thousands of anthros filled the stands. Some waved flags, while others stamped their feet and shouted my false name.

"GAWAIN! GAWAIN! GAWAIN!"

They did not admire me. They wanted to discover whether the human was truly as strong as he claimed.My chains had been removed. I was still wearing only my loincloth.I looked toward the official platform. Malakar sat beneath a red-and-gold canopy. Harkan stood behind him with his arms crossed over his massive chest. His face showed no emotion.

A second gate opened.

My first opponent entered the arena.

He was a thin, nervous jackal with light-brown fur. He did not have my muscular mass. His body seemed to be made entirely of tendons. Two short, curved blades were attached to his forearms.

He began circling me.

"So this is the legendary human knight, he said with a mocking smile. No armor. No sword. No claws."

I raised my fists, copying what I had seen fighters do on television. That simple movement was enough to make the crowd laugh. The jackal attacked.

I threw a wide punch. He ducked beneath my arm, and one of his blades cut across my ribs. A burning pain ran through my side. Before I could turn around, his foot struck the back of my knee. I dropped onto one leg. He tried to slash my throat, but I protected my face with my forearm. His blade left several red lines across my skin.I punched blindly.My fist struck nothing.

The jackal moved away, laughing.He was too fast.Whenever I tried to grab him, he stepped back or suddenly changed direction. He attacked my legs, ribs, and back before moving out of reach.After only a few minutes, I was already struggling to breathe.The muscles I had always been so proud of were becoming heavy. They needed a huge amount of oxygen. I was strong enough to crush him, but first I had to catch him.The jackal understood that I was growing tired.He stopped in front of me, lowered his head, and charged.This time, I did not throw a punch.I waited for him.

One of his blades touched my chest.I closed both arms around his body.His speed carried us both to the ground, but I refused to release him. He struggled wildly. His blades scraped my shoulders, and his jaws snapped only a few centimeters from my face.I tightened my grip.His body was stronger than I had expected, but I felt his ribs compress beneath my arms. A weak growl escaped his mouth.Suddenly, he sank his teeth into my shoulder.I screamed in pain.I forced myself back onto my feet while keeping him trapped against my chest. The jackal continued biting me, believing that I would release him.Instead, I lifted him completely off the ground.I turned and slammed him violently onto the sand.The impact brought a roar from the crowd.

The jackal tried to crawl away, but I grabbed his belt and lifted him again. 

This time, I threw him shoulder-first against the arena wall. He struck the stone and fell heavily.I rushed toward him and trapped his arms beneath my knees. I closed one hand around his throat.

"Surrender!"

He spat at me.I tightened my grip.His feet struck the ground. His movements became weaker. Finally, his free hand slapped the sand several times.

"That is enough!" shouted the referee.

I immediately released him. The jackal rolled onto his side, coughing. He was alive, but he could no longer stand.The crowd celebrated my victory, but I knew what had really happened.I had not won because I knew how to fight.I had won because, for one brief moment, I had managed to catch him.

The Second Fight

I had less than an hour to recover.The healers quickly cleaned my wounds before sending me back into the arena. My lungs were still burning, and the jackal's bite had left a deep mark on my shoulder.When the second gate opened, the cheering stopped.

A gigantic boar entered the arena.

He was even larger than Harkan. His shoulders were so thick that he seemed to have no neck. Two yellow tusks rose on either side of his snout. He wore a wide leather belt and enormous bronze bracelets. He struck his fists together.

"I am Brakk," he announced. "I am going to show Varkhane what is truly hidden beneath a human's fragile skin."

He charged without warning.I only had time to cross my arms in front of my chest.His shoulder struck me like a battering ram. My feet left the ground, and my back crashed against the arena wall.All the air was forced from my lungs.Before I could fall, Brakk trapped me against the stone.The pressure became unbearable.His powerful arms crushed my ribs while his forehead pressed against my chest. I could feel my spine bending against the wall.I punched his back, but my fists sank into a thick mass of muscle and fat. He did not react.

Brakk suddenly stepped back. He grabbed me around the waist and lifted me into the air.Then he threw me onto the ground. My back struck the hard sand with enough force to blur my vision.The boar placed one enormous foot on my chest.

"So this is the legendary strength of Man?"

He slowly pressed down.I grabbed his ankle with both hands and pushed with all my strength. His leg moved a few centimeters, but he was too heavy.That was when I noticed a long scar on the inside of his right knee. The leg trembled whenever he placed all his weight upon it.I had no technique.I had no real plan.I only had that weakness.I suddenly stopped pushing against his ankle. Brakk lost his balance and leaned forward.I rolled onto my side and drove my heel into his injured knee.The boar growled and stepped back.I struggled to my feet.

Brakk charged again, furious. This time, I jumped aside at the last moment. He still managed to strike me with one arm, sending me rolling across the sand.He stumbled past me before turning around.I was already standing.I kicked his injured knee again. The leg buckled beneath him.The crowd protested. Some of them probably believed that attacking an old injury was unworthy of a knight.

I did not care. I wanted to survive.

Brakk tried to grab me. I ducked beneath his arms and drove my fist into his injured knee. The leg gave way, and the boar fell with a howl of pain.I jumped onto his back and wrapped one arm around his neck.Despite my weight, he managed to stand.I clung to him, with my legs locked around his waist.Brakk deliberately threw himself backward.His massive body crushed me against the ground.A terrible pain shot through my spine, and my grip weakened.The boar rolled over and closed both hands around my head.

"I am going to tear your head off."

I struck his injured knee with the side of my foot.Once.Twice.On the third strike, Brakk roared and released me.I stood up, staggering. I grabbed his wrist and moved beneath his arm. Then I pushed against his back with all my strength while blocking his injured leg with my own.His weight did the rest.Brakk fell face-first onto the sand.I grabbed one of his arms and pulled it behind his back. I pressed my knee between his shoulder blades.He tried to stand, but his injured leg could no longer support him.

"Surrender!"

"Never!"

I pulled his arm higher. The pressure on his shoulder increased.

"Surrender, or I will break it!"

Brakk resisted for several more seconds.Then he struck the ground three times with his free hand.The referee stepped forward.

"Brakk surrenders!"

I immediately released his arm and rolled away.The boar was alive. His knee was badly injured, but he was still breathing. With the help of the healers, he even managed to stand again.I remained on the sand, too exhausted to celebrate.I had won two fights.But both of them had almost killed me.And I still had one more to survive.

After the fight, they did not take me back to my cell. Instead, they brought me to a kind of barracks. A large sandy courtyard was surrounded by small rooms. As soon as I entered, they removed my chains. From the darkness of the doorways, I could see dozens of eyes watching me.The smell was even stronger here than anywhere else.Then, suddenly, he stood before me.He was gigantic, but there was something noble about him - something that immediately made others feel the need to submit to his authority.

"I am Kael. It is an honor to welcome you, human. This is my fighting school. I am going to teach you how to fight. We have two days to turn you into a warrior capable of surviving, at least for a while, against Rhazakar - the undefeated champion of this world. But first, let us eat."

He led me into a dark room filled with the smells of many different kinds of food. The air carried the scents of raw meat, dairy products, fruit, and vegetables.He invited me to help myself, but I struggled to choose anything. The bloody pieces of meat covered in flies certainly did not suit my diet, so I turned instead to the cheeses and fruit.

When we were finally alone, Kael leaned toward me. His breathing was labored, and I felt his warm breath against my face as he spoke quietly.

"I was once captain of the guard. But Harkan challenged me. He was younger than I was, and stronger too. I was an aging wolf, weakened by old and painful injuries. I was sent here in disgrace, to train those who choose to fight in the arena."

He emptied his cup of wine. I forgot to mention that there was wine - and I certainly did not refuse it.Then he continued.

"It is said that an ancient human facility lies hidden beneath Varkhane. Thousands of years ago, Anthara may have been a scientific colony where humans created the first anthropomorphic species.They also created an artificial intelligence known as the Mother Matrix. It still secretly controls the evolution of our world. I am certain that it drew you here so that it could use your human DNA to regain control over us - over its creations."

"We must destroy it."

I found his story difficult to believe. To me, it sounded no more credible than Atlantis or any of the other legends from my own world.Then I remembered the outside force that had taken control of the laboratory and sent me here.Kael explained that everything was already prepared. A rebellion was planning to overthrow the king, who opposed their attempt to free Anthara from the Mother Matrix.The king believed the opposite. To him, the Mother Matrix was the reason their civilization had survived. He believed that it had to be protected if peace was to continue.

"I am being watched," Kael said."I cannot leave this place without being followed. I will teach you how to fight. When you have defeated your final opponent, you will help me reach the rebellion."

For two days, Kael transformed my body into a true weapon. He taught me to conserve my strength, breathe through the pain, and never fight directly against an opponent's power.

Each species followed its instincts: wolves attacked as a pack, felines leaped for the throat, boars charged without changing direction, and birds of prey struck from above. Their strength was also their weakness, because their movements could be anticipated.I possessed neither fangs, claws, nor animal instincts. But I could observe, think, and borrow the best techniques from every species. For the first time, my muscles no longer existed merely to be admired. They had become instruments of survival.

Yet one question continued to torment me. If the Mother Matrix had brought me into this world, perhaps it could also send me back to Earth. Should I use its power to recover my old life, or help Kael and the rebels free Anthara from its control?I wanted to go home. But could I abandon this world after discovering that my own species might be responsible for its enslavement?

The Third Fight

Two days later, I once again stood behind the great gate of the arena.Kael had done everything he could. My body was covered in bruises, my muscles ached, and every breath awakened the wounds left by the jackal and Brakk. Yet I no longer felt completely helpless.I now knew how to observe.

"Do not try to be stronger than him," Kael told me one last time."You will not be."

"That is reassuring."

  "Make him think. Animals follow their instincts. You can choose not to follow yours."

The gate began to rise.

"And if that is not enough?"Kael placed a paw on my shoulder."Then try to die with courage."

I could not tell whether he was joking.

When I entered the Great Arena, the cheering was so powerful that the sand shook beneath my feet. The entire city seemed to have gathered for the fight.Malakar occupied the official platform. The tiger king and the most important dignitaries of Anthara sat beside him. Harkan stood behind them, as still as a statue.The opposite gate rose.

Rhazakar entered.

The white lion was colossal. He stood a full head taller than Kael and Harkan. His body was covered in pure white fur crossed by several scars. A thick white mane framed his face. He wore neither armor nor weapons - only a wide golden belt.

The supreme champion raised his arms. The crowd roared his name.

"RHAZAKAR! RHAZAKAR! RHAZAKAR!"

He stopped in front of me and examined me with an almost disappointing curiosity.

"So, you are the human."

"And you are  the champion no one can defeat."

"Does that frighten you?"

"Terribly."

My answer surprised him.

A gong sounded. Rhazakar attacked.I now understood the instincts of felines. They aimed for the throat and tried to bring down their opponent with their first attack.I rolled beneath his arm and struck the back of his knee.My leg might as well have struck a wall.The lion turned and hit me across the face with the back of his paw. I was thrown several meters away.I stood before he could leap upon me.He attacked again. I pretended to retreat, then suddenly changed direction. His claws passed only a few centimeters from my chest.This time, I managed to grab his arm. I used his momentum and tried to throw him off balance, just as Kael had taught me.Rhazakar did not move.He looked at my hand around his wrist, then looked at me.

"Was that your plan?"

He grabbed me around the waist and lifted me above his head.I struck his face, ears, and throat. Nothing seemed to affect him.He threw me onto the sand.The impact emptied my lungs. I immediately rolled aside, just before his foot struck the place where my chest had been.I struggled back onto my feet.Rhazakar advanced slowly. He no longer even tried to protect himself. He had understood that I could not hurt him.I threw a handful of sand into his eyes.The crowd howled in anger.The lion stepped back with a growl. I rushed behind him and wrapped one arm around his neck. My legs closed around his waist.Rhazakar roared and tried to pull me from his back.

I tightened my hold with all my strength.For the first time, he dropped to one knee.The crowd fell silent.For one foolish moment, I felt hope.Then Rhazakar stood again.He ran backward and crushed me against the arena wall. Terrible pain shot through my spine. My grip failed, and I fell onto the sand.The lion turned around. One of his paws closed around my throat.

"You have courage, human."

His claws touched my skin.

"But courage is not enough."

He was about to deliver the final blow when the ground shook.A deep rumble rose from beneath the arena.Rhazakar released me.The spectators stopped roaring. A crack appeared in the sand between us. Then several metal panels emerged from beneath the stone.Ancient doors opened all around the arena.Mechanical figures marched out of them.They possessed vaguely human forms, but their limbs were too long and their faces were nothing more than expressionless metal masks. A blue light glowed in the center of each chest.

An artificial voice echoed across the entire city.

"Human signature confirmed. Genetic matrix recovered. Restoration protocol authorized."

I recognized the voice.It was the same one I had heard in the laboratory.

"The derived species display mutation levels exceeding acceptable limits. Purification of Anthara initiated."

The androids raised their weapons toward the stands.The first energy blast struck the crowd.Panic immediately replaced the cheering. The inhabitants rushed toward the exits, trampling one another. The guards tried to fight back, but their spears and swords broke against the metal bodies.An android aimed its weapon at me.Rhazakar attacked.He struck the machine before it could fire and tore off its head with one blow from his claws.

The white lion placed himself in front of me.

"They came for you."

Kael emerged from a passage beneath the official platform, accompanied by fighters from his school. They carried weapons hidden inside supply crates.

"The rebellion begins today!" he shouted.

Harkan descended into the arena at the head of his soldiers.For a moment, the two old rivals faced one another.

"Are you going to try to stop me again?" Kael asked.

Harkan looked at the androids slaughtering soldiers, rebels, and civilians without distinction.Then he drove his spear through the chest of one of the machines.

"We will settle our differences later."

Malakar and the tiger king ordered the evacuation of the stands. For the first time, royal guards and rebels fought side by side.Kael joined us.

 "The sanctuary lies beneath the arena. The Mother Matrix needs Freaker alive. It will open every door for him.""And when we reach it?" I asked.

"We destroy it."

Rhazakar wiped the blood from his jaws.

"Then lead us to it."

We descended beneath the arena, into the depths under Varkhane.Kael led the way. Rhazakar and I followed him, while Harkan and his soldiers held back the androids.The deeper we went, the more the stone walls were replaced by the white metal of a laboratory.It was the same architecture as the one in my world.The same lights.The same doors without handles.

When I placed my hand against the first wall, it lit up.

"Welcome, human specimen."

The door opened.I felt Kael watching me.

"Do you still doubt my story?"

"A little less."

We entered an immense chamber. At its center stood a ring identical to the one in the laboratory on Earth. Thousands of cables connected the machine to a black sphere suspended above a deep pit.The Mother Matrix.Images appeared around us.I saw human scientists arriving on Anthara. I watched them alter animals, giving them humanoid forms, intelligence, and consciousness. I saw the first cities rise.Then the humans disappeared, destroyed by a war or a disease that the images did not explain.Their creations had survived.They had built their own world.

"Anthara is an experiment that has escaped control," declared the Mother Matrix."Your arrival finally makes its restoration possible."

"You want to exterminate them."

"I want to correct their defects."

"They are not defects."

"They are not human."

The androids invaded the chamber behind us.Rhazakar roared and threw himself upon them. Kael fought with a precision that his age had hidden. Every movement cost him dearly, but not one was wasted.A light appeared inside the ring.On the other side, I saw the laboratory on Earth.The scientists were running behind the reinforced glass. For them, only two months seemed to have passed. One of them saw me and froze.

"The passage to your world is open," announced the Matrix."Cross it. Your presence is no longer required."

I took one step toward the ring.I could go home.I could return to my home, my food, my clothes, and a world where no one wanted to eat me. I could tell my story, even if nobody believed me.Behind me, three androids threw Rhazakar to the floor. Kael was injured and leaning against a wall to remain standing.The Matrix knew exactly what it was doing.It was not offering me freedom.It was buying my departure.

I turned away from the portal.

"What do I have to destroy?"

Kael pointed toward the black sphere.

"Its core."

Rhazakar stood and tore the arm from an android. He used the metal limb as a club to force the other machines back.I grabbed one of the cables connected to the core and pulled.It did not move.I wrapped the cable around my forearms and planted my feet against the floor. Every muscle in my back, shoulders, and legs contracted.For years, I had built this body so that others would admire it.At that moment, it finally served a purpose.The cable began to move.Electric shocks raced through my arms. The smell of my burning skin filled the chamber. I screamed but continued pulling.Rhazakar understood what I was trying to do.He abandoned the androids and closed his claws around the cable.We pulled together.The metal anchor tore free from the floor.Kael drove his sword into the opening.White light burst from the core.

"Stop immediately," ordered the Mother Matrix."Without me, Anthara will fall into chaos."

"Perhaps," Kael replied."But it will be our chaos."

Rhazakar struck the sphere with all his strength.The core cracked.I delivered the final blow with the android's severed arm.The Mother Matrix shattered.Every machine stopped moving at the same instant.Silence fell over Anthara.

The portal to Earth was still open.But its light was fading.On the other side, the scientists were signaling for me to move forward. I could almost hear their voices.I had only a few seconds left.I approached the portal.Kael did not try to stop me

"You have kept your promise," he said."You are free."

Rhazakar stood behind him. Harkan had just entered the chamber, supporting an injured Malakar. Farther away, some of the inhabitants cautiously entered the sanctuary.They were all watching me.When I first arrived in this world, they had considered me an animal, a monster, and a threat.Now they waited to see what the last human would do.On Earth, I had been nothing more than a body admired beneath the lights of a stage.Here, I had become a fighter.I had discovered that strength was not simply the ability to lift a heavy weight or defeat an opponent.Sometimes, it meant giving up the thing you wanted most.I looked at the laboratory one last time.Then I stepped backward.

The portal closed.The light vanished, taking my old life with it.

Rhazakar placed an enormous paw on my shoulder.

"You could have gone home."

"Yes."

"Then why did you stay?"

I looked at Kael, Harkan, Malakar, and the survivors.

"Because you are going to need a knight."

Kael smiled faintly.

"Sir Gawain?"

The destruction of the Mother Matrix did not immediately bring peace. Some cities refused to accept the end of its authority. The king's supporters accused the rebels of condemning Anthara. Former governors tried to use the chaos to seize power.The revolution had only just begun.Rhazakar became the protector of the capital. The tiger king kept his throne, but he had to share power with a council formed by the different species. Harkan resumed command of the guards under the authority of that council.Malakar was allowed to remain governor of Varkhane, on the condition that every fight in its arenas was voluntary.Kael returned to his school.He claimed that my training had only just begun.As for me, I remained the only human on Anthara.To some, I was a hero. To others, I was the descendant of the creators who had abandoned them. To a few, I was still nothing more than an ugly creature without fur, claws, or fangs.I

THE END

Published: 2026-08-02, viewed 98 times.