The land of ash and snow. Shades of white across the horizon, steam smoke coming from the waste of the old main factory of the city of winter ray . Those were normal sights to behold in the lives of its citizens. The ground is covered in layers of thick snow . There are also tubes of hard metal connected to the one structure in the middle of the small city .
Some say the founder of this city long ago had a certain vision for this city, but with many generations of lost history across time, or turned into ruins that are waiting to be discovered.
80 years ago the world was invaded by an unknown force that crashed the reality they ever knew .A crashing numbers of gates opened out of nothingness , earth was swung by creatures . in a ground that only knew human existence .
They called it the 'dark ages of humanity' , but.. after 5 years of that disaster humans noticed they gained a different ability to fight those monsters back but the loss was great to count . ten more, 20 more years….., time flows , cities have fallen with no return , till the last year of those dark ages came to bring a new hope .
humanity unties and gets more understanding of their new powers and studies monsters carefully . years passed , but every human stays strong using new different technology to assist those with powers in the field .
till now , after 80 years humans are still in fight with those invaders . But unlike the past they are able to protect their cities from random gates opening or monsters entering their cities . It's all thanks to one thing the scientist found , and it's called the 'isle stone' .
as for its locations in each city ground or how it looks ?. Those were hidden secrets only high states scientists could know . But to the public 'isla stone' means protection .
Each 10 years passed the stone loses its powers to suppress gates and monsters , it must be replaced with a new one by a scientist of winter ray .
For this year the people of winter ray decided to celebrate this ritual because unlike other times , the founder's son Eric is finally coming home after a long battle against the monster far north . The city showed the signs of flags and food stands everywhere while others sold their crafts or their new creations . others just crowded around the center waiting for him to come .
A platform was made of wood with many flying doves hovering above it ,waiting to take pictures of the young hero Eric .
In the middle of the crowd a girl who looked 17 with dark black hair and ocean blue eyes dazed the crowd in silent , she lifted her fingers pulling the thick hoodie layers on top to cover her head from the fallen mix of ash and snow .
" Everly !" A voice called from behind the girl made her turn to face a woman with brown hair and eyes with a gentle expression on her face . The girl looked at the woman and her expression then replied .
"good day , miss Len ".
Len nodded , but in her eyes there was a hint of curiosity then asked .
"good day dear.... but i must ask why you are not in class today ?" .
Everly laughed nervously " well ..., today classes are kind ....unfit to my status "
Len's mouth turned into a circle upon realisation . Her voice turned softer then added
" but remember Eve just because you are kinless that don't mean that you any less from anyone. Especially at this time , there are a lot of options for everyone to help around the city ".
Everly was grateful for her kind words , but reality was cruel for those who are kinless , after people gain powers to fight the monster long ago , among them those who weren't blessed to gain any powers .
being a human without any powers became a sin or shameful thing in each family . Some think of it like sickness so they pull their distance from them , others just ignore there exitance .
" I need to go, " Everly added . with a weak smile , she moved away trying to hide her sadness . Just like everyone , when she reached the age of 16 she thought her kin would manifest like everyone else but nothing happened . A year passed but she still remembers the look on her parents face long ago , the famous scientist of winter ray Anna and Gray had a daughter who was a kinless . its was a joke and wound she carried from that moment year ago .
' This is not important i need to go to Gem place before the founder comes' . Everly though ,walking in a more hurried base . then her ears caught the familiar voices . She couldn't help it but to pause her steps on the thick snow under her boots , Everly hidden by the edginess of one of the military housing around the area .
She saw the people from her class laughing with their hand holding bags twice their size , filled with random tools , and the student lifted them up on their shoulders like they weighed nothing moving a head .
Everly remembered the first time she tried to pick one up after her only friend Layla told her it was not that heavy . so she picked it up before feeling it tilt on her body falling forward , face first into the snow . till this day she was embarrassed of how her classmate laughed at her and called her weak and a waste of resources due to her parents identity as famous scientist while she was just a kinless being .
Today's class was to test their kin limits, that is why Eve ran away from it , her eyes followed them till they entered the entrance of the main base military building ahead . There was a hint of more sadness in her eyes before she walked toward Gem house .
After a minute Everly arrived into a house that looked the same as the other military housing but the difference was that there was a sign on the front door with the name dr. Gem Alfred . With deep breath Everly lifted her arm and knocked on the door twice .
It took a long time before the door opened, showing an old man with a white beard with his head reflecting the inside view on its blade surface. The old man sighed, saying, "Eve, I said 3 o'clock. Why are you here at... 1".
Everly was used to him calling her Eve , then thought to herself of how he was always complaining and then asking her to get things done around his office . Eve stepped inside and closed the door behind her as the old man sat on the chair, leaning his back lazily.
"School ended early," Eve stated as her fingers touched the heat monitor changing the heat settings. Feeling the warmth in the space, she was finally able to breathe without the cold from earlier stabbing her throat. She already had a little sore throat. "Mmm, early, you say?"
The man doctor Gem added with an annoying grin on his wrinkled face, She already knows he is suspicious of her excuse .
" I am not lying , it was useless for me to go ."Eve explained.
The man rolled his eyes and leaned his chin on the back of his wrist. His green eyes showed a hint of curiosity then asked. " physical training ?"
Eve opened the lights in the room then scanned his figure more , looked more tired with black bags under his eyes and thinner under his lap coat than before, but his eyes were still as bright as usual.
"Worse …, testing 'kin' limits "
Gem's eyes widened a little before he burst into laughter then restored . "worse indeed , but still there are people like that friend of yours la…lo…".
"Layla " Eve corrected him .
"Yea ,her !! , what limits do kin of turning into a cat good at hahahah "
Everly felt her eyebrow twitch at this heartless comment but still she ignored him , busy herself to check the gear and helmet of the daily check . Most kinless people helped scientists to collect data from the robots in the defensive lines of the city or other tasks in the same range . The old man laughter died down slowly then said
" I heard Dan, son of Len from that bakery shop, got his arms replaced with artificial arms to boost his physical body structure ".
Eve's eyes hardened, her grip tightening on the helmet in her hand before throwing it into the bag resting on the desk. She remembered len words moments ago ." So you tell me ,to do the same ? " . Eve chuckle bitter ,tried to be as polite as possible to the old man every , This wasn't the first time he suggested such annoying solutions to her as being born with no powers,
"I am not saying you should !! , but think about it!! Dan did this because he wanted to be a part of soldiers . to protect our city defense and protect what he loves…."
"No, he just loves the idea of being a hero!! That's why. Some of us kinless people had the same purpose as everyone !! to protect and find what we lost in the fragment lands ! but …this is our fate in the end "
Eve's voice tremble turned into whispered in the end of her words , They both looked at each other in silent before Gem sighed and rub his bald head, and thought of how stubborn Eve was. He was trying to give her options so she wouldn't fall behind people her age.
"One day, Eve, you will be forced to adapt into this kind life. It might not be now, but it will come."
" Are you done ? if so i need to go to run the check on the defense line "
Eve restored with a plain expression , she took the small monitor table on his desk
Gem sighed " you don't have to go now , beside today; it is a special day,the founder's son is coming back and … did your parents told you something about changing the 'isla stone' today ".
"Yea , they said to stay inside the dorm , but what possibly can go wrong ?" Eve shrugged at their warning , so far every time different scientists changed the 'isla stone' things have gone smoothly . So what could go wrong this time ?
then gem clear his throat when he saw her walking to the door ready to leave .
"Everly? " .Eve turned around confused of using her name , Gem open this mouth wanted to say something but closed it afterward , she saw him turn his chair face the monitors then said "take an extra coat, its more colder on the boarders. " .
with a faint smile on her face, Eve took another coat then left his house . Gem eyes never lifted from his monitors deep though , his finger type something on it . seconds later a report shows Eve photo with another male smiling who look in his twenties . but gem eyes were forced on the title ' death of another genius pilot lewis adrios '
"stubborn, just like your older brother " Gem murmured but his eyes showed sadness.