It was deep night. The bunker’s inhabitants were all asleep, and a deathly silence filled the air. Only our small group—consisting of me, Albert, Anna, and Isabella—was awake, breaking the general routine.

  We had once again gathered secretly in the entertainment room to discuss the upcoming events that worried us the most. This time, there were no covert excursions, nor were we planning to watch any classified recordings.

  Earlier, an announcement had echoed throughout the bunker, stating that the first group of people would soon be put into cryosleep to begin evacuation. Many were concerned. The speaker explained that the AI had located us, making this procedure necessary for quick and safe relocation to a new site. While some initially tried to protest, the majority eventually accepted it as an unavoidable reality. But not us—we knew more than the others.

  During one of our previous nighttime excursions, we had recorded a particularly grim conversation between the scientists. From it, we learned that humanity was losing the war, and an alternative plan was required in case of defeat. As far as we could tell, a selection process had been carried out to determine who would be placed in cryosleep, so they could awaken later under more favorable conditions to continue the survival of humankind.

  We didn’t know the specifics or timelines, but during the day, they announced who would be in the first group for cryosleep. Albert and I were among them. When our names were called over the loudspeakers alongside the others, my blood froze in my veins. I remember standing there, paralyzed, unable to move, until Anna found me and pulled me into a comforting hug. Thanks to her support, I managed to regain my composure and resist the creeping panic. Together, we found Albert, who was trying to stay strong and hide his fear. But I could see it in his eyes—he was scared too. When Isabella joined us, we agreed to meet at our usual spot later that night.

  And now here we were, sitting together on the couch. The mood was grim, and judging by the somber expressions on my friends’ faces, I wasn’t the only one feeling that way. Even Isabella, usually radiating her sunny smile, looked downcast, staring at the floor as if on the verge of tears. Her sorrow made the weight on my chest feel even heavier.

  "Maybe you two should run away," she suddenly said, lifting her head. A glimmer of hope flickered in her bright blue eyes. "Yes, that’s it! You should hide somewhere until it’s all over!"

  "Isabella, don’t be ridiculous. First of all, how do you imagine that working? Where would they hide? The whole place would be turned upside down the moment their absence was noticed," Anna retorted, crossing her arms and closing her eyes as though entertaining the idea for a brief moment. She then sighed and added, "And secondly, maybe going into cryosleep isn’t the worst option…"

  "How can you say that?!" Isabella gasped, nearly shouting as she sprang to her feet and glared at Anna. "How do we know it’s safe? What if something happens to them? What if we never, ever see each other again?"

  As she spoke, her lips quivered, and her eyes filled with tears. Overwhelmed by a sudden wave of emotion, she could no longer hold it back. Watching her like this hurt me deeply, and I wanted nothing more than to comfort her. At the same time, her words terrified me—what if they were true?

  "Hey… Don’t talk like that. After all, the best minds are working on this, including our parents. They wouldn’t let anything bad happen to us," I said, trying as much to reassure myself as to console Isabella.

  "Oh, right, just like they didn’t let the AI rebellion happen," she shot back, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

  I immediately fell silent, guilt washing over me like a tidal wave, as though I were personally responsible for the catastrophe. I felt an acute sense of accountability, given my family’s direct involvement in what had unfolded.

  "Listen, you’re crossing a line," Anna said, stepping in when she saw how uncomfortable Isabella’s words had made me.

  "Am I? Why should we have to pay for someone else’s mistakes? Let someone else sacrifice themselves for humanity—I just want to live a normal life, like before! I never even thought we’d be here this long. A couple of months, sure, I could deal with that, but now? Look where we are!"

  It was Albert who finally snapped, breaking his silence as he addressed our heated argument.

  "You’re acting like a spoiled little child, even though you’re older than me! It’s time to grow up and accept what’s happening instead of blaming others and shirking responsibility."

  We all turned to Albert, stunned. None of us had expected such mature words from him. But it seemed our attention had embarrassed him, as his previously stern and confident expression turned red with awkwardness.

  "And anyway," he continued, trying to mask his unease, "it’s not like you’re the one being put into cryosleep today—that’s us. And for your information, Emma and I aren’t scared at all. Right, Emma?"

  Albert looked at me, clearly hoping for support. I knew he was just as scared as the rest of us. We were all terrified. But I couldn’t let him down—I had to play along, if only to bring some comfort to everyone. Even if it meant a little white lie. His courage inspired me, and after hearing such bold words from a thirteen-year-old boy, I couldn’t back down.

  "Yes, I’m not scared either! I’m sure everything will be fine, and when the time comes, we’ll wake up and all be together again."

  The words seemed to come out on their own, and I felt my spirit lift. It was as if I had genuinely started to believe them myself. Hope for a brighter future, one that might still happen, flickered in my heart. Yes, we couldn’t do anything about it. It wasn’t in our power to change the situation, but the adults—our parents—believed in us and wanted to give us a chance to keep living, no matter what.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Albert looked at me with gratitude. Relief was clear in his eyes, and I was glad that I had managed to comfort him. Isabella, on the other hand, sniffled and began wiping her tears, trying to calm down and compose herself.

  "Do you… do you really think we’ll be okay?" she stammered, still sniffling and swallowing bitter tears that didn’t suit her at all. A light, carefree smile fit her much better than red, teary eyes. I nodded firmly in response, and she immediately took a deep breath, filling her lungs with air, and then blurted out, "Then promise me, no matter what happens, that we’ll meet again someday!"

  Anna, Albert, and I exchanged bewildered glances at her naivety. It wasn’t a promise we could guarantee, not something we had control over, but we all wanted to believe it would come true. And so, we agreed. We made that promise to each other.

  Right after that, Isabella smiled brightly at us again, as she had before. Then, spreading her arms as wide as she could, she moved in to wrap us all in a tight hug. Albert, sitting on the couch between Anna and me, widened his eyes at the sight of the charging, unstoppable blonde and tried to escape. But he didn’t make it in time and ended up caught in Isabella’s tight embrace, squashed between three girls with no chance of breaking free.

  "Ugh, you girls and your sentimental things!" he shouted, pulling a face full of annoyance and disgust.

  I couldn’t resist teasing him.

  "Oh, come on, Albert. When else will you have the chance to be in the arms of three charming ladies?"

  As I spoke, I barely managed to keep from laughing. Albert shot me a venomous glare, his face turning crimson. He looked like he was about to explode like a volcano.

  "Emma, I hate your stupid jokes!" he burst out, wriggling and struggling to free himself from our embrace. "Let me go, you weirdos!"

  When he finally managed to break free, he continued to sulk dramatically, and I had to apologize a thousand times before he forgave me. As always, he eventually accepted my apology, and we went back to having fun on this, our last night in the bunker.

  We played games, teased each other, almost got into arguments but quickly made up, talked about our dreams, and shared some secrets. We just wanted to spend as much time together as possible while we still could.

  But nothing lasts forever. When it was time to leave and return to our rooms before wake-up time, we hugged each other one last time. This time, Albert stood aside, refusing to take part in our sentimental farewells. As for me, tears welled up in my eyes from all the goodbyes.

  Before leaving, I took one last look at the playroom that had been our secret headquarters for so long. The soft couch, the old retro TV on which we’d watched so many things we weren’t supposed to see… So many memories were tied to this place. I didn’t want to leave it behind. This was the second time I’d had to say goodbye to a space that felt like home. Closing my eyes and exhaling bitterly, I stepped out of the room last, shutting the door behind me with a click.

  We walked in silence through the quiet bunker corridors while everyone else was still asleep. Eventually, we reached a fork where Anna and Isabella had to go in a different direction. We stood there for a long time, unable to part, just looking at one another.

  "See you in the future," I finally whispered in farewell.

  "See you in the future," Anna echoed. Then, with a wistful smile, she ruffled Albert’s hair. "Take care of Emma, if anything happens. You’re a brave and strong boy."

  "Of course! The strong should protect the weak!" he replied confidently to her request.

  I almost wanted to joke that, as the older one, it was my job to protect him, but I held back. It would have been inappropriate. Besides, I didn’t want to accidentally undermine his confidence. In that moment, I felt proud of him, as if he really were my younger brother.

  Then I glanced at Isabella and noticed the sparkle in her eyes. It was clear she was up to something.

  "Guys, I love you so much!" she declared and was about to dive in for another round of hugs, but Anna quickly grabbed her arm and started dragging her towards their rooms, leaving Albert and me sighing with relief.

  We watched them slowly walk away. Isabella’s indignant whispers carried back to us.

  "What’s the big deal? Why can’t I?"

  "Act normal."

  When they reached the corner, Anna waved at us before disappearing around it. That left Albert and me standing alone in the silent corridor.

  "It’s time for us to go too," I whispered, and he nodded in response.

  We continued walking together, but it was clear that now, with just the two of us, Albert had grown visibly more downcast. I could see that the closer we got to our rooms, the more his hands trembled. I wanted so badly to cheer him up, knowing his feelings better than anyone else.

  "You know, I’m absolutely terrified," I admitted, hoping it might bring Albert some relief to realize he wasn’t alone in his fears.

  He froze in place.

  "Emma, what if we just ran away, like Isabella suggested? Hid somewhere in the ventilation shaft and…"

  He didn’t finish his sentence. I was sure he knew it wasn’t a real solution. We could hide for a while, but what then? Besides, we had no idea what kind of fate might await us even if we pulled off such an incredible feat. A terrible death at the hands of rampaging robots? Or starvation, when there was no one left around?

  "You know we can’t do that," I said gently, looking into his large, wet, brown eyes.

  "I know," he replied quietly, resigned.

  I stepped closer and wrapped one arm around him. With the other, I started stroking his head, running my fingers slowly through his smooth, black hair. This time, he didn’t pull away. Instead, he pressed his face into me and sniffled.

  "What kind of man am I if I’m crying like a girl?" he mumbled, his voice breaking.

  "Don’t say that. You’re a real man. You’ve been so brave this whole time, so don’t sell yourself short," I said, even as tears started streaming down my own face. "And anyway, even strong people are allowed to cry when they’re really sad. There’s nothing wrong with that."

  "Mm-hmm..."

  After crying our hearts out, we finally calmed down. Albert wiped his tear-streaked face with his hands, and I reluctantly let him go. At least now he seemed lighter, though his flushed cheeks showed he was still a bit embarrassed by his emotional outburst. We resumed walking. We had to hurry since there wasn’t much time left before the scheduled wake-up call.

  When we reached my room, we stopped again and looked at each other.

  "Well, that’s it. Time to say goodbye," I said awkwardly.

  "Yeah... Well then... See you in the future?"

  "See you in the future," I replied with a smile.

  Just as I was about to open the door, Albert spoke again.

  "Emma, thank you for everything."

  I looked at him, slightly taken aback by his words.

  "Hey, we’re not saying goodbye forever, just for a little while."

  "Of course, not forever!" he said, sounding flustered, then added without meeting my eyes, "I just wanted to say it, you know... Anyway, bye!"

  Albert quickly turned away and walked briskly toward his room, never looking back.

  And that’s how we said goodbye. Who could have known that we’d never see each other again?