On the forbidden city, unknown to Jelo and Mira, there was a single tower, a tower in the city. This tower was one of the few, if not the only place on the forbidden city that was inhabited by human beings. The reason for this tower was to monitor the area and provide the military with information regarding the area, particularly to scout the area for any ihe appearance and in case there was any, they would alert the military.

The tower itself was an imposing structure, rising high above the surrounding ruins. It was built from reinforced steel and concrete, designed to withstand the harsh environment and any potential attacks. Solar panels lined the upper levels, providing power to the facility, while communication arrays and sensor equipment bristled from the roof like metal thorns. The windows were narrow and reinforced, more like slits than actual openings, giving the tower a fortress-like appearance.

Inside, the tower was surprisingly comfortable. The military had spared no expense in making sure that the personnel stationed here could endure long tours of duty without going insane from isolation. There were living quarters, a small kitchen, a recreation room, and of course, the main observation deck where all the monitoring equipment was housed.

The observation deck was the heart of the operation. Massive screens lined the walls, displaying feeds from hundreds of cameras scattered throughout the forbidden city. Thermal imaging, motion sensors, energy scanners—every piece of technology available had been deployed to ensure that nothing could enter the city without being detected. The system was automated, designed to flag any anomalies and alert the personnel on duty.

This is because in the treaty signed, ihe's had agreed to not come to the earth again and if they did it would be seen as trespassing and a breach of treaty. The treaty had been negotiated after years of brutal warfare, a conflict that had nearly brought humanity to its knees. The ihe were formidable warriors, and their presence on Earth had caused untold destruction. When the treaty was finally signed, both sides had agreed to strict terms. The ihe would withdraw entirely from Earth and its surrounding space, and in return, humanity would not pursue them into their territory. Any violation of this agreement would be considered an act of war.

Usually this treaty had been upheld and no ihe had been seen on the forbidden city or any part of earth but all that changed today.

⸻

Inside the tower, Colonel Jeffery and Lieutenant Joe were in a relaxed mood. The atmosphere was casual, almost lazy. The hum of the air conditioning was the only sound aside from the occasional beep from the monitoring equipment. Sunlight streamed through the narrow windows, casting long shadows across the observation deck.

The colonel was having his fourth beer for the day and was reading a digital magazine featuring hot women. He sat with his feet propped up on the console, the tablet in one hand and the beer in the other. His uniform jacket was draped over the back of his chair, and his shirt was unbuttoned at the collar. He looked more like a man on vacation than a military officer on duty.

Colonel Jeffery was in his late forties, with graying hair and a belly that suggested too many years of desk duty and not enough physical training. He had been stationed at the tower for nearly three years now, and in all that time, nothing had ever happened. No ihe. No attacks. Not even a particularly interesting Dabba sighting. It was the most boring assignment in the military, and he had grown complacent because of it.

While the lieutenant was playing cards with the ai system of the tower. Joe was younger, maybe in his mid-twenties, with short-cropped hair and a lean build. He took his duties more seriously than the colonel, but even he had fallen into the routine of monotony. The AI opponent he was playing against was set to a moderate difficulty, and he was winning more often than not. The cards flashed on the holographic display in front of him, and he tapped the screen lazily to make his moves.

Nothing has happened here before and nothing seems likely to happen. That was the unspoken understanding between them. This assignment was a formality, a checkbox on some bureaucrat's list. The tower existed because regulations demanded it, not because anyone actually expected it to serve a purpose.

Joe's eyes lazily browsed the giant screen before him just in case there was anything. It was a habit more than anything else. The system would alert them automatically if something was detected, but he still glanced at the feeds from time to time, if only to break up the monotony of the card game.

But what he saw made him sit up sharply.

At first, he thought it was a glitch. A shadow moving across one of the cameras, maybe a trick of the light. But then the figure moved again, and there was no mistaking it. The shape was too distinct, too deliberate. Joe's heart began to race as he leaned forward, his eyes locked on the screen.

The colonel was startled by the movement and asked Joe what was wrong. He looked up from his magazine, his expression mildly annoyed at being disturbed. "What's got you jumpy, Lieutenant?"

Joe pointed to the screen and stammered that he thinks that's an ihe on the screen. His voice was shaky, uncertain, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. "Sir… I think… I think that's an ihe."

The colonel's expression changed instantly. The lazy amusement vanished, replaced by sharp focus. He swung his feet off the console and stood up, his beer forgotten. "That can't be true," he said, but there was no conviction in his voice. He rushed to the screen to check, nearly knocking over his chair in the process.

And he was surprised to see an ihe.

There it was, clear as day on the screen. A towering figure moving through the ruins, its movements smooth and purposeful. The cameras tracked it automatically, zooming in to get a better view.

Ihe's were like a mixture between humans and lizards. They were all tall, and the shortest among them was usually around 6 feet. This one on the screen seemed to be about 7 feet. Its body was muscular and powerful, with a build that spoke of both strength and agility. The skin was smooth and covered in a subtle pattern of scales that shimmered faintly in the sunlight.

They had an upright posture and walked on two legs but they had a thick tail which they used for balance for tasks and for fighting if necessary. The tail swayed behind the creature as it moved, clearly prehensile and capable of being used as a weapon. The colonel had seen footage of ihe warriors using their tails to devastating effect in combat, sweeping enemies off their feet or delivering crushing blows.

Their heads were a cross between human and lizards and their skins were smooth. The face was angular, with sharp features and eyes that glowed faintly with an inner light. The mouth was lined with sharp teeth, visible even from this distance. The creature's expression was difficult to read, but there was an unmistakable air of confidence, of predatory awareness.

The colonel zoomed in and confirmed that indeed it was an ihe. His hands were steady despite the adrenaline coursing through his veins. He cycled through different camera angles, tracking the creature's movement, making sure there was no mistake. Every angle confirmed it. This was no mutated Dabba. This was no trick of the sensors. This was an ihe, on Earth, in the forbidden city.

"I'll be damned," the colonel muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. Then, louder, more urgent: "Joe, run a full scan of the area. I want to know if there are more of them."

Joe's fingers flew across the console, pulling up thermal imaging, energy signatures, motion tracking. The system began processing, searching for any other anomalies in the vicinity.

The colonel quickly grabbed a telephone to contact the military and report to them. His hand was shaking slightly as he lifted the receiver, but his voice was steady when he spoke. "This is Colonel Jeffery, Tower Seven in the forbidden city. I have a confirmed sighting of an ihe, repeat, confirmed ihe presence on Earth. Requesting immediate response and orders. This is not a drill."​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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