Lily ran after Miau-Miau, but it seemed like time had slowed down. The light at the end of the tunnel was gradually darkening.
Her vision blurred, her legs lost strength, and her head wouldn't stop spinning.
— Lily, are you okay?
He asked with his robotic voice.
Out of strength, Lily fainted.
— Oh no, what do I do? the robot started spinning in circles, desperate in a way that was... kind of funny.
— I know!
A light bulb popped above his head, like in a cartoon. He opened his chest and placed her inside.
— I hope you don't mind the space.
— What do I do now? This forest isn't in the database.
The world around him, although a bit dark, was lit by digital fireflies, and the trees were shaped like giant cubes.
— It's all so beautiful...
His mechanical eyes sparkled, but he soon slapped his metal head.
— No no, I can't waste time with pretty things.
Before he noticed, a butterfly landed on his left eye.
— How cute.
He stood still, like a rock stuck to the ground.
— Makes you want to touch it.
Before he could reach out with his hand, the butterfly flew away.
— Oh, why did it fly off? Did I scare it?
His sensor triggered an alarm, but he didn't understand what it was.
— I don't see anything dangerous, could it be broken?
He said while poking at his eye, trying to fix the "problem."
Still, the sensor wouldn't stop, until he heard something coming from the bushes a few meters behind him. Something was rustling the leaves aggressively.
— Should I run or stay?
For the first time, he had no answer. His system crashed.
The rustling stopped. The robot just stood there, watching to see if anything came out, until...
A wolf jumped out. The robot jumped back — unbelievably, he really was scared.
— I worried for nothing, it's just a wolf pup.
It was slightly yellow, part animal and part machine — a cyborg. The robot relaxed.
— How cute, where's your mom, huh?
He petted the little head.
Then another wolf came out of the bushes — much bigger than the first.
— H-hi, is that your mom?
Then several more wolves emerged. It looked like an army ready to attack.
— I think I should...
— Run!!!
The robot turned quickly, making a loud metallic noise, almost like an old car alarm going off. His thin, jointed legs started moving in a zigzag, stumbling over pixelated branches and leaves floating on the ground.
— Why was I made to think and not to run?!
He muttered between stumbles.
Behind him, the hybrid wolves chased with frightening agility. Their paws sparked as they hit the digital ground, and their red eyes cut through the darkness like emergency lights.
— I just wanted to carry an unconscious girl! Was that too much to ask?!
Suddenly, a cube-shaped floating tree descended from above and blocked the path. The robot slammed into it and fell back.
— System... partially... compromised...
He said, dizzy, with his eyes spinning like spirals.
The wolves were getting closer. A deep growl echoed through the leaves, and the ground trembled slightly. He looked at Lily, unconscious inside his chest compartment.
— I won't let them hurt you.
For the first time, his voice sounded... determined.
He jumped up — surprisingly fast for someone who had just crashed. He stepped forward, opened his thin arms like a shield and shouted:
— I MAY BE MADE OF METAL, BUT I HAVE COURAGE!
The lead wolf readied to leap. Its claws gleamed.
But before it could attack... something lit up the sky.
Green and blue lights crossed the square treetops like living lines of code. A sharp, harmonious sound echoed through the forest, almost like a harp played by lightning.
The wolves backed off, startled. The leader let out a rough howl, and they all vanished into the bushes as quickly as they had appeared.
The robot widened his eyes (or did the mechanical equivalent).
— They... ran away?
A sphere of light descended from the sky, hovering above him. Slowly, it took shape: the silhouette of a woman, cloaked in shimmering, translucent threads.
It was the witch.
The same voice Lily had heard before.
— You protected the girl, even while afraid
She said, with a soft smile.
— W-who are you? A system bug? A digital goddess? A hologram?
The woman reached out, gently touching the robot's "shoulder."
— I'm just an old error the world forgot. But... I'm waking up.
Before she could say more, her eyes turned to the robot's chest.
— She's almost ready.
— She... who?
The witch only smiled.
— Take care of her... and bring her to the treehouse.
— But how will I know where it is?
— You'll know. Because she'll know.
And then, in the blink of an eye, the figure vanished into particles of light.
The robot stood still for a few seconds.
— I think I just updated my emotional system.
He looked toward the now-peaceful forest.
In the distance, between the square trees and shining leaves, he saw a data bridge forming in the air, like a path lit by golden pixels.
— Let's go, Lily. Whatever this is... I'm with you.
And with firmer steps — and a bit of metallic pride — he headed toward the treehouse.
The forest was silent now, except for the distant sound of data pulsing like the beat of an electronic heart. The square trees floated subtly in the air, connected by bluish energy lines like nerves in a living creature.
The robot climbed small hills, dodged rows of translucent mushrooms that played musical notes when stepped on, and occasionally looked at Lily, still fast asleep. Her heartbeat could be heard — faint but steady — inside the compartment.
He sighed.
— You're braver than you look, you know?
He looked up at the digital sky, where constellations moved like gears, drawing symbols the robot didn't recognize, but which seemed to tell an ancient story.
Far up ahead, among the branches of a giant tree on the horizon, a warm light blinked like a beacon.
The treehouse.
And there, something — or someone — awaited them.