Nano's base was no longer just a structure in the forest—it was starting to feel like home.
Morning sunlight poured through the artificial skylights as he stood in the middle of the new kitchen layout, arms crossed, studying the work he'd completed. The place had transformed. Walls that once hummed with raw generator energy now buzzed with quiet systems. The kitchen was lined with tech he could only dream about back on Earth—crafted not from blueprints, but raw will and command.
A tall, metallic refrigerator hummed softly. It wasn't just a fridge—it was smart, capable of preserving food indefinitely and replicating certain ingredients through his nanotech system. Lumina peered into it with wide, glowing eyes.
"It's cold inside," she whispered, brushing her hand against the back wall. "But there's no ice…"
"It's not enchanted," Nano said with a proud grin. "It's… well, it's tech. Think of it like magic, but built by people like me."
Lumina stepped back, still staring. "And it does this all on its own?"
He nodded. "Keeps food fresh, balances temperature, even re-creates certain ingredients. In my world, people complained if their drinks weren't the right level of cold."
Her jaw slackened.
But he was only getting started.
Over the next hour, Nano installed a sleek microwave, a compact air fryer, and a water purification station complete with temperature adjustment and mineral rebalance functions. Each device clicked into place with precision thanks to the hovering drones that assisted him, zipping around with surgical accuracy.
"This is like watching a court mage enchant a house in real time…" Lumina muttered, half-impressed, half-overwhelmed.
Nano chuckled. "This is basic Earth tech. Wait 'til you see what's next."
His tone turned serious. Something had been pressing on his mind.
"If we're going to be here a while… we'll need a better way to scout," he said, summoning his Build Menu. "Ground drones can only cover so much."
He tapped through several designs, paused, and his fingers danced again.
"Let's build something that flies. Something stealthy. Something… hybrid."
From his personal fabrication platform, the air shimmered. Motors whirred to life. Panels snapped into place mid-air. And within minutes, a sleek black form hovered a foot off the ground.
Lumina stepped back, stunned.
The new ship—a cross between a hoverbike and a fighter jet—emerged from thin air. Smooth, angular, obsidian armor gleamed beneath the trees. It had a canopy cockpit fit for three passengers, grav-thrusters for vertical lift, and a build meant for stealth.
Nano walked around it slowly, hand dragging across the hull.
"It's called the Sky Phantom."
"It… it looks like a wyvern," Lumina said, taking it in from every angle. "But it has no wings. And it doesn't breathe fire."
"It's better than a wyvern," he said with a smirk. "It won't try to eat us."
They both climbed into the ship. The seat cushions adjusted to their size automatically, humming softly. The dashboard lit up with hundreds of symbols and touchpads.
"Turn on," Nano said calmly.
The ship lifted without a sound, steady and powerful.
Lumina clutched the side handle as the ground fell away beneath them.
"You're… you're flying! Like a god!" she said, laughing in disbelief.
Nano activated camouflage with a touch. The ship shimmered and vanished from sight. Even looking out the window, Lumina could no longer see their own wings or hull.
"Invisible now," he said. "We can scout without being seen by monsters… or people."
They flew in silence for a while. Trees stretched endlessly below, rivers winding like veins of silver. Mountains in the distance pierced the clouds. For a moment, all felt peaceful.
But then they crossed the edge of a massive city surrounded by stone walls and banners.
Nano slowed the ship.
Below them, guards marched the perimeter. Spires rose high from the castle at its center. The city buzzed with activity—markets, carriages, shouting nobles. But that wasn't what made Lumina go silent.
Her eyes locked on a fenced-off courtyard near the noble district. She leaned forward, squinting, barely breathing.
"There…," she said, her voice hollow. "There she is."
Nano followed her gaze.
In the courtyard, chained and kneeling, was a fox-eared girl with silver hair. Dirt stained her tattered clothes. Her tail was limp, her ears drooping, and a heavy iron collar sat cruelly around her neck. A noble kicked her in the ribs, barking orders.
"That's… Kimmie," Lumina whispered. Her hands trembled.
Her childhood friend.
Nano hovered above in silence. The rage simmering inside him was volcanic. Not again. No more slavery. No more cruelty. He turned toward the control panel and angled them toward the trees.
"We're going in."
Lumina flinched. "Nano, wait—what? We can't just—"
"Yes, we can."
They landed in a thicket a half-mile from the city walls. Nano jumped off and darted to the storage compartments of the Sky Phantom. After rummaging through one, he pulled out a pair of black, circular devices.
"What are those?" Lumina asked.
"Camouflage watches," he said. "Slip it on."
She did, hesitantly. He pressed a button on his own, and instantly his body vanished.
"Nano?! Where did you go!?"
"I'm still here," his voice came with a laugh. "Light-bending tech. We're ghosts now."
She stared in wonder. "Then we can sneak in…"
"Exactly."
He handed her a cloak and pulled his hood over his head. Together, they crept through the woods, across the open field, and into the city.
With their camouflage active, they passed the front gates unseen. They wove between guards, behind nobles, and through alleys unnoticed. The further in they went, the more Lumina's heart pounded.
Finally, they arrived at the courtyard wall, and Nano peered over.
Kimmie was still kneeling. Her lip bled. The noble who struck her earlier now paced angrily in front of her, muttering about disobedience.
Nano motioned Lumina to crouch low.
"Wait here."
But Lumina didn't listen. She crept forward under the wall's shadow.
"Kimmie…" she whispered. "Psst! Kimmie!"
The fox girl's ears twitched. Slowly, she turned, disbelief painting her bruised face.
"L-Lumina?" she whispered back.
Then her eyes found Nano—though still cloaked, the shimmer of his outline showed he wasn't like the guards. But her expression twisted in panic.
"Wait… he's human! You brought a—!"
"He's not like them!" Lumina said quickly. "He saved me. Trust me."
Still unsure, Kimmie backed away slightly—until Nano reached down, pulled out a compact laser tool, and vaporized her wrist chains in one clean cut.
"Trust me now?" he asked with a small grin.
Kimmie blinked. She rubbed her freed wrists, stunned.
He handed her a third watch.
"Put this on. We'll walk out the front door."
But before she could press the button—
"HEY!!"
The noble's voice cracked through the air like a whip. He stomped toward them, furious.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! SHE'S MINE!!"
Kimmie shrieked. Nano stepped forward, arms wide.
"She's not property. Not anymore."
The noble's eyes widened when he saw Lumina.
"You?! YOU ESCAPED!"
He reached for his belt and blew a horn.
Alarms rang out.
Nano tapped his wrist. "Shield up!"
An energy dome formed around them just in time to catch a volley of arrows. Guards poured in from all sides.
Nano tossed a flash grenade into the dirt.
"Close your eyes—NOW!"
BOOM!
A brilliant white flash burst outward. Guards screamed. The noble staggered backward, clutching his face.
"Go!" Nano shouted. He grabbed Lumina's hand. She pulled Kimmie.
They ran—cloaked, shielded, unseen.
By the time the noble's vision returned, they were gone.
"GET THEM!" he screamed. "FIND THEM! KILL THEM!"
The Sky Phantom roared as the canopy closed around them.
Kimmie clung to the seat, trembling as they lifted off. Her tail curled around her legs.
"Is this… a wyvern?" she whispered.
Lumina laughed softly. "It's better than a wyvern."
Nano steered them toward the mountains, leaving the noble's city far behind.
Kimmie turned to them both, tears streaking down her cheeks.
"Thank you… thank you for coming back for me…"
Nano glanced at her, smiling.
"Anytime. Name's Nano."
Lumina leaned back in her seat and whispered, "You're gonna love him… just like I did."