Rain falls with a soft pitter-patter.
Eash's eyes snapped open.
He was lying in mud.
A heavy ache pulsed in his head, and his whole body trembled from the cold. Tree branches curled above him like dark fingers. Damp earth pressed into his back. It was quiet, but not peaceful, twilight had sunk beneath the clouds, and though the moon hung high, the pit he lay in was soaked in shadow.
He tried to sit up, but the world spun.
Then, a voice broke the silence. Soft. Feminine.
"Is someone down there?"
He opened his mouth but his throat was dry. His lips cracked with the effort.
Before he could respond, something dropped down a rope.
"Grab it! I'll pull you up!"
With effort, Eash reached out. His fingers slipped on the first try, slick with wet soil. But he caught it the second time. Gritting his teeth, he climbed. Mud clung to his clothes, dragging him down. But the girl above didn't give up. She pulled, steady and strong.
Finally, he emerged.
The rain had just stopped.
The moonlight spread across the forest like silver dust. Leaves dripped quietly. The air smelled of earth, like something ancient.
And in front of him stood a girl. He couldn't see her face, her silhouette melted into the shadows but her presence felt… familiar.
Then, without a word, she wrapped her arms around him.
A warm, protective embrace.
"What are you doing here, Arush? It's already evening. Everyone's looking for you."
Eash froze.
Arush?
He didn't flinch. He didn't show it. But inside—
Arush? Who is that? I'm Eash...
His heart beat faster. But his face remained unreadable, blank as always.
Why does she think I'm someone else?
He tried to speak, to ask, but no sound came. His voice was buried somewhere deep, behind exhaustion, behind confusion.
She didn't seem to notice. She took his arm gently, guiding him forward.
They walked through the forest, soft leaves brushing against them, the world hushed except for their footsteps.
Then, through a narrow gap in the trees, he saw it—a flickering orange glow in the distance. Firelight.
The girl pointed.
"That's your home," she said. "You can see it from here."
Then, softly like a secret echoe,
"I have to go. If someone sees me… I'll be in trouble."
He turned toward her, wanting to ask— Why? Who are you? What am I doing here?
But she was already gone.
Vanished into the trees, as if she were never real at all.
Eash stood still. Then he walked.
He didn't know why. Or where. But his legs moved on their own.
The ground squelched beneath his feet. The night wind clung to his skin.
And then—
Something hard pressed against his side.
He reached into his pocket.
A hard, unfamiliar object.
But there's no time to check, because just then, a voice shouts from afar-
"There he is! Arush is here!"
A group runs toward him, and with them, a woman with tears in her eyes.
"My son! Where have you been all this time? Let's go home now... "
She embraced him like a mother would. As if she knew him.
But he didn't know her.
She wasn't his mother. Was she?
Still… he didn't resist.
He said nothing. Just followed, quietly, toward a place they called home.
Suddenly... everything blurs.
The light fades.
The sounds disappear.
__________
And... his eyes open.
This time, for real.
Bright white light surrounded him.
He lay in a hospital bed, wrapped in soft sheets. Above, sleek sensors blinked gently. Holograms floated across the walls scan reports, numbers, quiet data of the 30th century.
His mother sits beside him.
There's a glimmer of joy in her eyes, but her smile is soft and familiar.
There was tiredness in her smile, but something tender too.
She didn't rush to hug him. She just whispered,
"How was your sleep, genius?"
Her voice was calm. As if it was all normal. But deep inside Eash knows, how much his mother was worried.
"You were asleep… for a whole week."
Eash blinked. A week?
It felt like hours... or a lifetime.
He didn't speak. He just nodded once.
His mother smiled gently,
"Your brain had clouded, Mister Supergenius."
Then, the robot nurse rolled in, metallic and emotionless.
"Patient ID 5L-30-ELor: Recovery 100% complete. You are now officially released."
Eash slowly got up.
Not a word escaped his lips.
The car was waiting outside. Sleek. Silver. Floating just above the road.
As the door slid open, soft light filled the interior.
Normally, the car would drive itself. Or a robotic assistant would be in charge.
But today, his mother sat behind the wheel.
Eash didn't ask why.
He just knew.
Today, pretending to be human mattered.
He took the back seat, unusually quiet. His eyes gazed out the window.
The city outside glowed with artificial beauty. Empty roads. Floating cars. Projected moons in the sky. Blue stars, violet clouds, everything was perfect, and perfectly unreal.
His mother drives silently, knowing her son is deep in thought.
After a while, she suddenly says:
"Well.... Eash, while you were asleep, a virtual email arrived, Eash."
Eash turns his eyes away from the window.
"What kind of email?"
His mother hesitates.
"I couldn't open it. It requires biometric scan, only your fingerprint can unlock it.
I got a little scared..."
Eash shows no reaction and simply says,
"Show it to me. Now."
With one hand on the steering wheel, she raises a holographic screen with the other.
An unusual 'digital seal' surrounds the mail.
"ID 5L-30-ELor: Awaiting Fingerprint Access"
Eash slowly touches his finger to the screen...
As soon as he does, the screen shimmers.
A blue light emerges, revealing a shadowed face.
A soft, artificial, yet perfect female voice echoes, just like a high level AI:
"Welcome, ID: 5L-30-ELor.
Biometric verification complete.
You have been identified as a qualified candidate for the advanced program under the Psycho Star Technology University (PSTU)."
Eash's eyes narrowed.
A slow breath left his lungs but his expression didn't change.
His mother glances at him through the rearview mirror, confused.
The AI continues-
"PSTU is a classified institution for extraordinary teenagers worldwide.
Located above Japan's stratosphere, it remains hidden from public eye.
You have been observed since age 5.Your access was delayed due to 'experimental fluctuation'.
Welcome back, Mr. Lorenas."
Eash softly whispers,
"They know... "
The AI speaks again-
"Your transport window opens in 3 days.
Be prepared.
Coordinates and entry pass will be sent soon if you agree to join.
This message will now self-encrypt."
____
The car soars beneath the sky, gliding along a sky-road.
The city glows in artificial light-but feels lonely.
A fake moon hangs in the sky.
The stars are colorful : blue, green, violet... all projections.
Eash stares out the window.
His eyes filled with silence.
"That dream...
That jungle,
That girl's voice...
The smell of rain and mud...
It all felt more alive than this."
He didn't say it aloud.
He didn't need to.
Because Eash Lorenas had always lived like this...
Silent on the outside.
But somewhere deep inside,
he was still falling into that forest.
Be continued...