Within the vast, dimly lit expanse of the repurposed factory, now transformed into a makeshift prison, an air of palpable tension hung heavily. The two-story building was segmented into numerous private cells, each imprisoning individuals from four towns – a mix of Alphas, Betas, and Omegas ensnared during the operation. These cramped quarters, typically housing two or three captives, bore the weight of their fear and uncertainty. In one such cell, a family of four huddled together, their faces ghostly pale. "Alpha Jack, what are they doing?" asked a woman with a pale face. She was comforting her two children, who hadn't awakened from the tranquilizers. "I don't know," answered the man, peering outside from the jail bars. "We will find our way out; just be calm for now." *** Lucas I was standing in the center of the factory inside a small arena, visible from all the cells. I could see all the prisoners from my place, their expressions a mix of fear and defiance, peering through th
Aurora Amidst the cool night breeze, I sat barefoot on the grass, feeling its softness against my skin. Around me, the famous Oakhaven camping site, right on the edge of the forest, buzzed with life. Members of the community gathered in the field, their silhouettes illuminated by the flickering lights of fifty or more bonfires. I discovered comfort in the expansive field, illuminated by the gentle glow of a half-moon and a canopy of countless stars. In the midst of the chilly night breeze, I hummed along to the melody of Coldplay's song, "A Sky Full of Stars." 'Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars I'm gonna give you my heart 'Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars 'Cause you light up the path I don't care, go on and tear me apart I don't care if you do, ooh-ooh, ooh 'Cause in a sky, 'cause in a sky full of stars I think I saw you 'Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars I wanna die in your arms, oh, oh-oh 'Cause you get lighter
Aurora As the nocturnal sounds of the forest filled the air and the cold wind blew, the heat from the bonfire tried to reach everyone. Yet, the air around the bonfire crackled with a mix of emotions as Nathan turned his gaze to me, his eyes softening. "We'll go to Europe as well," he promised, his voice low and sincere. "When you're ready, I'll take you there. All expenses are on me." ‘Finally!’ I responded graciously, my smile warm and appreciative. "Thank you, Nathan, you're wonderful," I said, my tone carrying a hint of playfulness. "I would love to." ‘Since I haven't chosen you yet, I won't be going with you for sure, but with Xander, I'll make sure to get the most expensive travel package from him, or I'll never sell my blood to him anymore.’ Xander turned to Selena. "How about you, Selena?" Selena a spirited young woman in her twenties radiating the essence of a protester and a free-spirited hippie on a journey of self-discovery. I realized that her prolonged friendship and
3rd POV Under the cloak of night, two shadowy figures, their faces obscured by simple hoods and masks, slipped into the school laboratory. The moonlight barely filtered through the windows, casting a dim glow over the room filled with scientific paraphernalia. One stood guard by the door, eyes scanning the dark corridors for any signs of movement, the subtle tension in his stance betraying his alertness. The other, with swift, practiced movements, made their way to Xander's workstation, opening both his laptop and personal computer with a sense of urgency. "Come help me," whispered the one at the computer, his voice low but urgent. "There's a lot of data here we need to copy." The guard by the door shifted uneasily, his gaze flickering back to the dark hallway. "What if he comes back?" he murmured, the worry evident in his furrowed brows. "Our field agent is handling the professor," reassured the other, his fingers flying over the keyboard. "He'll contact us if the professor return
Aurora’s POV Tears streamed down my cheeks, my voice breaking with every word. "You were my only friend, Xander. The only one I truly believed in. How could you do this to me? Don't you understand how much Bianca has hurt me? How could you betray me?" "She promised me that if I kissed her, she'd stop hurting you. She said she'd leave you alone for good," Xander explained, his grip on my hand unyielding despite the turmoil. "And you believed that woman? You kissed her!" My voice rose in disbelief and anger. "You kissed the person who hurt me, my enemy! What am I to you, Xander?" Silence hung heavily between us, Xander’s face pale and his mouth unable to form words. "If she told you to engage in a relationship with her, would you do that too?" My voice escalated, the questions piercing the air like arrows. “So you'd be her faithful slave! And I'm the mistake that caused you to do this?” Xander remained silent, his eyes downcast. "If she told you to leave me, would you obey her?" M
Xander’s POV “Love you?” I smiled, a gentle, understanding smile. "You're the prettiest in the community. If your family didn't put so many restrictions on you to stay in this small town, you could easily become an idol out there. You'd have hundreds of thousands of people who love you.” 'Bianca is incredibly beautiful, a world-class beauty with perfect body shape. She has dark brown, long hair, a sharp nose, a perfect chin, and beautiful bow-shaped eyes. Her elegance is like that of a queen, and she exudes a charm that makes people want to worship her.' "And yes, I would love you too." I was trying to be honest; you wouldn't say to a girl crying in your embrace something like, you're as ugly as a pig. That's immoral. I continued, "but, as you know, I'm not lucky in love. Even my relationship with Aurora, who others consider the least attractive in our community, hasn't worked out. You're too much, too out of my league. I might have a real heart attack if you loved me." “…” "You k
Aurora’s POV I sat by the bonfire, drinking my beer like it was water. My emotions were in turmoil; today had truly been a challenging day, filled with a variety of problems, most of which were emotional. To make matters worse, I was betrayed by my one and only best friend! "Are you okay?" Nathan asked, returning with a box of pizza. "Is there a problem?" Ethan chimed in. "She hasn't said anything since she got back." "No problem," Nathan replied, his voice warm. "It's just... Xander is dating Bianca now. I made a good call leaving her." Nathan sat beside me, adding, "Maybe they've been seeing each other behind my back for a while." 'No way. The scientist freak never leaves his lab or his house. He doesn't even know Bianca until today,' I thought, my skepticism evident. "It's also good that Xander's with Bianca. We can be there for Aurora," Ethan suggested optimistically. "No," I protested without thinking, immediately regretting my outburst at the shocked faces of Nathan and Et
3rd POV Big and extravagant explosions were what were supposed to happen in the battle, and every Shadow Troop would agree: it would be totally fun to see ten Humvees explode into the sky, painting the sky with the yellow color of the explosion and flames. But sadly, the Shadow Troops didn’t do that again. Since their boss, Alex, took control of the mafia world and became the Dark King, a title people bestowed upon him, he gained many supporters from various mafia family leaders due to his efficiency, effectiveness, and ability to generate more profit through frugality. All those working under the Dark King were required to undergo 101 lessons on the importance of frugality and how to become rich by being miserly. They learned that rich people buy only what they need, not what they want. Although they wanted to explode all the Humvees, they knew that doing so would lead to a lengthy interrogation from their leader upon returning to base. They could already hear the questions: "Why
I looked at the baby he was so cute, but I know I had to act. I dressed him in new clothes and wrote the prophecy about his future role in saving the world on the cloth. He was destined to return here, to build a dome for humanity and fulfill his fate—perhaps he had already completed his mission. I donned the wrist device and fashioned a smaller one for the baby, so we could travel through time together. But first, I had to ensure that the future would be free of problems. The spheres were set to manage the environment, programmed to halt their work when CO2 levels reached 0.04%. As for who would rule in the future, I chose not to decide. The people must learn to govern themselves; some were already training to use the spheres. I couldn't always be their deity; they needed to become self-sufficient. With the baby in tow, I prepared to leave this era, knowing I would never return; it wasn't my place. Together, we activated the high-frequency drive, propelling us into the fourth
On the night the baby was born, the parents was sleeping soundly, unaware of the sphere descended to take a sample of the newborn's blood.It was painless. And the sphere quickly checked the DNA.As the results flashed on the screen, it not fit my DNA. But I saw a connection between myself and this baby—a sibling, perhaps.I didn’t now if I have messed up with the future or I still unborn in this time.Two years later, the woman I believed to be my mother was expecting again, this time a daughter. It was clear then that the baby wasn’t me.All I can do was waiting.In the five years since I came here, we constructed 76,910 domes worldwide, sheltering 500 million survivors from the once 8 billion-strong human population.The disparity was stark: some domes teemed with life, while others stood empty, their ecosystems meticulously engineered and automated, home only to selected wildlife.The advent of virtual exploration allowed people to survey these domes remotely, relocating if they f
"Show me where my parents are," I commanded the sphere with excitement. After long years, I was about to meet my long-lost parents.The sphere generated a screen for me to view, revealing a young man and woman, perhaps around 20 years old, entering the Eden Dome for the first time. They appeared bewildered and lost, their eyes wide with a mix of fear and wonder."Are you sure they are my parents?" I questioned, my brow furrowed in doubt. They were even younger than me. It felt odd, almost as if I should call them little brother and sister instead of parents."Yes, Master," the sphere responded affirmatively. "Your genetic DNA matches theirs perfectly.""But," I hesitated, scrutinizing the image, my heart pounding with a strange apprehension. "Send one sphere to them; I need to ask them something."The distance seemed vast, with our dome situated half a world away, creating a chasm between us."As you wish, Master."A sphere glided toward the man and woman in the distant dome. "Excuse
"Guys, please stop it," I implored, the urgency clear in my voice. "There will be no use."The spheres that had been hovering alongside each of the gang’s leaders and their members suddenly flared into a menacing red hue. "The host is showing harmful behavior. The security protocol will be launched," it announced in a dispassionate tone.Without warning, the spheres emitted a piercing frequency that targeted all guns, weapons, and harmful items. In moments, they disintegrated into fine atom dust, which the sphere then collected and whisked away, presumably to be repurposed as building material.The bear leader's and all gang’s members face registered shock, then eyes wide with disbelief and fear."In Eden, when you make a mistake, there are two options for you to choose from," I continued, my voice steady. "One, we simply expel you back to where you came from. Or, alternatively, you can e
In the dimly lit underground city, I had just finished selling my last can of food. Eagerly, I was about to purchase more slaves, when the bear gang leader approached me with his smelly body odour.Water was precious here; people wash their body once a year.His burly frame cast a long shadow as he strode towards me, flanked by two other gang’s leaders, their footsteps echoing in the small alley.“Alex, the fish seller,” he growled, his voice deep and menacing.“That’s me!” I responded with a cheerful smile.“We want you to take us to the fish factory. Can you, do it?” His eyes, sharp and probing, seemed to pierce through me, daring me to decline.“Sure,” I replied happily. “The owner already mentioned he'd be thrilled to have you all there. He said there’s plenty of food.”“Really?” he asked, scepticism written all over his rugged face.“Yes, take as many people as you can,” I urged, sensing their disbelief.The three of them exchanged looks of shock and disbelief. “Whatever,” one of
I stood in my house, gazing at the sprawling expanse of New York City below, dreaming of transforming it into a colossal dome.However, the architectural limitations soon became apparent, leading to a revised plan of constructing a network of smaller domes, each the size of a soccer field, interconnected like a honeycomb.This design was not only efficient but also practical in case of emergencies, such as shattered glass or structural failures. It could be easily detached and repaired without causing trouble to the entire dome.As the temperature inside the dome needed to be controlled for the plants and for the humans.The first group of eighty slaves, were settled in one of the completed domes. For the time being, they shared a common sleeping area, heavily medicated to aid their recovery and adjustment to their new environment.Each person was assigned a spherical device designed to help them acclimate to this "new Eden."At the night before, I was guiding them out of the undergro
‘No, I cannot move now before I know everything about them. I may wrongly save people and cause trouble. I need to study them more,’ I thought, my mind racing with caution.“Spheres 567, stay on the underground and record everything about their activities,” I commanded, letting them delve into the shadows.Finding one of the human underground hubs, I dispatched another hundred spheres to scout the area. Because humans may concentrate in one locale, and my hunch was spot on.Humans were crafting an underground city, intertwining with the natural caves and beginning to carve out a vast space within the earth's embrace.Through the spherical eyes, I glimpsed a colossal chamber that sparked memories of the largest underground city ever discovered, Derinkuyu in Cappadocia, Turkey, capable of sheltering around 20,000 people along with their livestock and food stores.But the population here seemed to surpass 80,000, with the capacity to house over 200,000. As I used the spheres to map the e
One had to remember where he was from. I had completed my research to elevate human frequency to a higher dimension, allowing passage through space and time. This ambition was fueled by my desire to meet my parents in the future.In my study room, I carefully handled the clothes that had swaddled me as a baby, left at the orphanage door. The fabric held the mystery of my origins. Despite using the gate to the past to uncover who had placed me at the orphanage, no one appeared. The clothes and I simply materialized out of nowhere.I placed the garment on the scanning blueprint machine, aiming to record every atom and deduce the era it hailed from. This information was pivotal for my journey to that specific time.The smart device strapped to my wrist was brimming with data necessary for the impending future war. In moments, the year 2112 flashed on its screen. Was it truly 80 years into the future?Activating the smart device on my left arm, my body began to feel ethereal, as the body
AlexI brought back a child, a five-year-old girl, to my mansion when I encountered Nadine. "Can you take care of this child as you do our own?" I asked tentatively."Who is she?" Nadine inquired, her eyes narrowing slightly in confusion and curiosity.I hesitated, grappling with the truth. The thought of Nadine possibly becoming a cruel stepmother to Aurora's daughter haunted me. But the weight of the secret was too heavy. As she could find the answer by herself anytime she wants."She is Aurora's daughter," I confessed. "I killed Nicholas, and soon Aurora will vanish from this world. This child is utterly alone, bearing no fault in these tragic events.""And her name?" Nadine pressed, her demeanour softening as she gently took the child into her arms, cradling her with maternal warmth.Shaking my head, I replied, "Aurora refused to name her. She's been living like a shadow among the maids, an unwanted soul.""How heartless can one be!" Nadine exclaimed, her face contorting in anger