The old shaman, her face etched with lines of wrinkles, wisdom and weariness, let out a heavy sigh that seemed to carry the weight of her years. "I can't believe, at this ripe age, with my meager pension, I must resort to such costly methods," she lamented. Her fingers trembled slightly as she extracted a small, worn pouch from her cloak. She moved around the battlefield, her movements deliberate yet frail, as she scattered a fine, shimmering dust from the pouch over the rampaging werewolf. The dust, a concoction of 25 rare herbs and a very expensive material called "stardust," worked as a slow-acting sedative, designed to soothe the beast's wild frenzy. "All my savings going to waste on this nonsense..." she muttered under her breath.*** Hidden in the dark forest, a woman clad in dark, stealthy attire urgently whispered into her earpiece, her voice a blend of tension and resolve. "Sir, shadow troops have arrived at the battle location," she reported. Her leader's voice crackled t
There was a long silence, during which she was certain she wouldn't receive any answer. She continued, “Sir, the young man, Ethan, just ran away from the target house after kissing her. Do you want me to take him down?” Her voice was barely audible in the quiet of the night. “Negative,” I answered. “Maintain surveillance on the target house. Protect her.” “Understood, Sir.” After a moment of static, a more personal request came through. “Sir, may I speak privately?” “Permission granted.” “Alex, we're relieved to hear from you again. The troops have been awaiting your return to lead us in our world conquest. Why are you hiding here?” The question was tinged with both respect and curiosity. "Don't worry," I replied, reassuring yet authoritative. "This place is destined to become the center of our global subjugation. The girl you're watching is crucial; she's the eye of the storm. Several powerful Alphas have already begun planning to come to this town, each aiming to win her heart a
Xander 14:45 PM. I was deep in slumber amidst the cluttered chaos of the school laboratory when someone came and kicking me awake from my single thin foldable bed.“What?” I mumbled groggily, fumbling for my glasses to focus on the figure looming over me.“Aurora asked you to go to the town hall. Why haven’t you checked your smartphone?” Lucas's voice was edged with impatience.Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I glanced at my smartphone, only to be met with a barrage of notifications — 53 missed calls and 65 messages on W******p and messenger, all from Aurora. My heart skipped a beat, and my face turned pale.‘Damn, I'm done. Aurora will kill me this time. Last time I did something like this, she almost broke my bone.’“Did something big happen? I heard the locals have convened an emergency meeting in the hall. The school declared an unforeseen holiday for today. Isn't she attending the meeting?” I asked.“Don’t reply. Just go there,” Lucas instructed tersely.Without time for a bath,
Xander “Please everyone,” Aurora, her voice steady but infused with urgency, sought to calm the agitated crowd. "Mr. Xander discovered our existence two years ago when he traced my blood donation in the city. He figured out I was a werewolf but kept it secret from everyone, including the government. He's been compensating me for my blood bi-monthly donation for his research. And he's even willing to offer compensation for your blood." An old widow, her eyes a peculiar blend of skepticism and keen interest, stepped forward. She brandished her old shotgun, its barrel ominously pointing towards Aurora and me. The wrinkles on her face deepened as she spoke, her voice a reflection of her financial desperation, "How much is he paying?" "$5,000 for a pint," Aurora answered promptly. The room erupted into a symphony of shocked murmurs. Some still thought it was a good price, a family could live on only $2,500 a month if they were frugal. Meanwhile, some of the younger people were thinking
Xander Aurora, her voice tinged with protest, conveyed to me all the injustices she felt the community had unfairly imposed upon her. I, the professor, wore a grave expression, attentively absorbing every detail of the troubles attributed to her by the community, attempting to appear sympathetic to her pain. After spending five minutes intently listening to Aurora's perspective, I realized I needed to intervene; otherwise, Aurora might continue sharing her emotional grievances for hours without finding a solution. She was repeating the same points, especially those where she felt emotionally hurt. ‘She is like a breaking dam.’ I rose to address the crowd from the podium, making eye contact with each individual. I announced, “If we all work together, we can resolve all of these issues in just 15 minutes, ensuring happiness for everyone.” “Great! Wonderful!” The central party quickly clapped their hands, uncertain whether it would really take only 15 minutes. They didn't care; as lo
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
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