It was the year 2040, five years after the Third World War. The world was still recovering under the watchful eye of UNESCO. Governments had united under this global organization, determined to prevent another war, handing over the control. The war had nearly destroyed South Asia, leaving four countries reduced to barren wastelands. The conflict between the China and U.S alliances had torn through the region, leaving devastation in its wake. Now, in the aftermath, these once-destroyed nations were being rebuilt—reconstructed into places of hope, peace, and a new beginning for humanity.
Dylon, once known as Sri Lanka, was one of these rebuilt countries. Now, it stood as the world's leading hub for travel and international trade, its capital, Wingrow City, a bustling center of innovation and progress. The city was home to many research facilities, one of which belonged to UNESCO. It was here that two scientists, Emily and Lucius, stood at the heart of a groundbreaking discovery.
Inside their sleek, high-tech lab, surrounded by holographic displays and intricate machinery, the two worked tirelessly. Lucius adjusted the focus on the electron microscope as Emily leaned over his shoulder, her eyes fixed on the glowing display.
"We really did it, Lucius!" Emily exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement as she took off her mask and ran her hands through her hair. Her eyes sparkled with joy. "We finally made the perfect enhancement for the mind!"
Lucius smiled, his brown eyes glowing with pride as he carefully extracted the glowing yellow substance from beneath the microscope and placed it into a tiny glass orb no bigger than a marble. He turned to her, his face breaking into a grin.
"You know what this means, Emily?" His voice was full of wonder. "This could cure so many people—amnesia, brain failure, anything! The possibilities are endless. Even agents of the Paranormal Investigation Agency (P.I.A.) could operate more effectively."
Emily's heart swelled with pride, but her expression grew more serious. She stepped back, crossing her arms. "We can't just hand this over, Lucius, not even for the P.I.A. We can't let anyone have it until we know it's safe."
Lucius's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean? We've worked so hard to create this. Now, you want to keep it a secret?" His tone was softer than she expected—concern, not anger, filling his voice.
"Do you remember the day Chief Alacto handed the 'Project Mind' to us?" Emily asked, her voice low and cautious. "That day wasn't just about research. It was a warning. I've done some digging... unauthorized files, Lucius. And what I found... it's not just about enhancing minds."
Lucius looked at her, startled. "What are you talking about? What did you find?"
Emily turned to a nearby locker, pulling out an old file. She opened it carefully, the pages worn from being handled so often. "This," she said, handing it to him.
Lucius skimmed through the file, his eyes widening as he read the contents. "Wait... is this true?" His voice faltered, shock overtaking his features.
Emily nodded. "Everything in there is true. And it changes everything we thought we knew about our world."
The file revealed the shocking truth: decades before humanity had even discovered the steam engine, an alien ship had crashed on Earth. The ship contained records of their exploration of a powerful energy—Natural Energy (NE)—the force that made Earth capable of supporting life. However, the aliens didn't only found what they were seeking. Instead, they discovered a strange anomaly—a crack in the planet's surface that led to a parallel Earth, a Para-Earth. This world shared the same energy flow as Earth but had its own ecosystem and creatures. And the aliens, desperate to understand it, never made it back.
Lucius couldn't believe what he was reading. "This... this is insane," he muttered. "A parallel Earth? How is that even possible?"
Emily's voice grew solemn. "What the aliens didn't understand was that the Para-Earth wasn't just an alternate version of our world. It was connected to us, bound by the very same energy. And the energy here is... unlike anything we know."
The discovery didn't end there. Emily had uncovered even darker truths. "During the war, those shadowy figures who controlled the war offsence— G.O.D.S.—the Global Order for Defense and Security—stole technology from NASA and took control of someparts of the alien ship's remains.They used it to create the Paranoms, biological weapons that ravaged the South Asian nations." She paused, her eyes narrowing with concern. "The same energy from the Para-Earth was used to create them."
Lucius's voice cracked. "Those creatures... they destroyed everything. But... but this says no one used the energy again until 2034 which they used to create meta-humans to fight the Paranoms."
"Exactly," Emily said, her tone darkening. "And since the war ended, they've been quietly studying this energy. The mind-enhancing project we've worked on might be the next step. But we can't let this technology fall into the wrong hands."
Lucius was silent for a moment, digesting the weight of her words. "So you think UNESCO is involved with G.O.D.S.?"
Emily shook her head. "No, UNESCO is the only reason we haven't all been crushed by them. The Paranormal Investigation Agency keeps the Para-Earth creatures hidden from the public eye. But there's something much bigger at play here—something that could change everything."
Lucius nodded slowly, understanding dawning in his eyes. "But these other energies... Life Energy, Chaos Energy, Soul energy —they're all connected to NE, right?"
"Yes," Emily said, her gaze distant. "Life Energy (LE) flows through every living being, converted from NE. Chaos Energy (CE) flows through the creatures of Para-Earth, giving them unnatural abilities. And Soul Energy (SE) is the rarest form—only some humans can develop it, a power that connects the mind to something deeper."
Lucius leaned in, eager to understand more. "So... the meta-humans, the Paranoms, they were all experiments with these energies?"
Emily sighed. "Exactly. And if we let them control this perfect mind enhancement... we'll be giving them the power to control everything."
Before Lucius could respond, Emily's voice softened. "But for now, we keep this secret. Until we know more, it's too dangerous to reveal."she said gently planting a kiss on his cheek.
The car ride home had been quiet. After the tension in the lab, the simple act of returning home felt like a much-needed breath of fresh air.
"You still on edge?" Emily asked gently.
Lucius sighed, turning hir head toward the window. "A little. But I'm glad to be going home." He squeezed her hand.
"And you've got a promise to keep." She said with a playful smirk.
Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Promise?"
"To take us out for dinner," she said with a wink. "Just the four of us. You know it's been a while."
Lucius laughed, a soft, warm sound. "I'm looking forward to it. You deserve a break."
Emily leaned back in the passenger seat, her hand resting on Lucius's leg as he drove. He glanced over at her with a soft smile, his fingers brushing over hers, reminding her of the bond they shared—the trust, the years of work, and the dreams they'd built together.
As they pulled into the driveway of their home, the evening sky was painted with vibrant hues of orange and purple. The kids were waiting at the front door, Gina bouncing excitedly and Draven holding a small toy in his hand.
"Mom! Dad!" Gina shouted, her voice filled with joy. "You're home!"
Lucius parked the car and stepped out, helping Emily out as well. Their daughter ran toward them, her face flushed with happiness as she launched herself into Emily's arms. Lucius scooped her up, laughing. "My little princess! Where's your little brother?"
"He's hiding inside!" Gina said, pointing to the door. "Aunt Charlie's trying to coax him out."
"That boy never learns," Emily muttered, shaking her head as she gently set Gina down, With a chuckle, Emily called, "Help Mrs. Charlie get your brother ready, sweetie. We'll freshen up."
As they headed inside, Emily looked at Lucius, her heart full. No matter what came next, they would face it together. For now, though, they had a family to enjoy and a dinner. Once Inside, they washed up quickly and met the kids in the hallway. Gina signed to her mother with a mischievous smile, pointing at the vase.
"He's hiding behind the vase," Emily whispered to Lucius.
"Don't worry, I'll get him," Lucius said with a grin. Lucius tiptoed toward the vase, then pounced. "Gotcha!" Their son squealed with delight as Lucius lifted him into the air.
Minutes later, once they said good byes to mrs.charlie, the family of four was on the road, laughter filling the car.
"Mom, is that a new necklace?" Gina asked, her eyes wide with curiosity as she pointed to the silver chain Emily wore. At the center of the spiral pendant, a tiny yellow crystal orb shimmered.
Emily smiled and held it up. "Do you want to try it on, darling?"
Gina's eyes lit up. "Can I?" she asked, her voice full of excitement.
"Sure," Emily said, handing it over. As Gina put it on, the crystal began to glow with an ethereal light. Their son, Draven, who had been quiet until now, looked over and whispered, "Shiny."
Gina beamed. "Isn't it pretty, Draven?"
"Shiny..." Draven echoed, his blue eyes glowing with an odd intensity, like his mother's.
Gina took of the necklace and gave it back to Emily. " Let Draven wear it too " she said to Gina.
As Gina put the necklace around her brother's neck, a flash of red light lit up the night sky, from their right. Emily's heart stopped with shock.
BOOM.
The car jolted as the explosion destroyed the road. In distance something—or someone—was out there coming towards them.