The main dome of EternaCorp Industries gleamed like a jewel suspended beneath the artificial night. Its translucent surface opened the way for all the great exponents of the Elentite industry. Gigantic holographic ads projected smiling women holding glowing capsules."Clean energy. Eternal energy," the slogans proclaimed.
At the center of the hall, surrounded by executives in gleaming polymer suits and students hungry for their superiors' approval, stood the youngest of the exhibitors: Hide."Nobody here talks about the poisonous gases this so-called miracle leaves behind."He muttered inwardly, steeling himself before addressing the chosen audience of that annual exposition. His white lab coat, far too large for his thin, malnourished frame, barely concealed the trembling of his hands as he held the holographic tablet. With a long breath, he began.
—Good evening, everyone. My name is Hide Took, and my… my…
The spotlights blinded him, his throat closing up under the weight of nerves. But one memory kept replaying in his mind: "You'll change the world, Hi." Gathering courage, he pressed on, determined.
—My proposal is a purification system that neutralizes the radioactive waste of Elentite —he proclaimed, activating the projector that displayed a worn-out core rotating before everyone's eyes—.
—For generations, poorly calculated refinement of Elentite has ruined our soil. Our ancestors, ignorant of the side effects, turned the land into a radioactive graveyard that forced us to build the "Paradises."
On the great screen, an image of a floating city appeared, suspended by fragments of polished crystal. Towers of tempered glass gleamed like mirrors, symbols of the opulence of those fortunate enough to live in the Paradises.
—Meanwhile, the "Rooftops" are only marginally better, where contamination is minimal… but we're just one system failure away from ending up like…
He swallowed his words before finishing.
—Like the Abyss, which is the ultimate proof of it.
The screen showed deformed animals, people with disfigurations, children poisoned and malnourished. Images that would freeze the blood of anyone with a heart, thought Hide as he advanced his presentation.
—Mutations, lung diseases, bodies broken by toxins, not to mention the natural disasters triggered by discarded cores. With the process I propose, we could stop this from spreading further.
Hide was certain his presentation would strike the auditors' hearts. But soon he saw reality.
The auditorium stayed frozen in icy silence.
One of the analysts spoke, his tone dripping with annoyance:
—And what would be the approximate budget to implement your… naïve proposal?
Hide swallowed hard. He knew this question would come, but he hadn't expected it so venomously.
—It would be… high. But the long-term benefits would outwei—
—We're not here to do charity for the people of the Abyss —interrupted a professor whose trachea had been replaced with a mechanical speaker—. What would we gain from investing in your little game?
—You'd save transportation costs of hauling the waste into the planet's core —Hide's words came out rushed, desperate—. And the resulting energy is purer, more stable. It's not just a social benefit, it's efficiency…
Another professor, wearing a beige trench coat and with crystalline golden eyes, raised his hand. His deep voice, filtered through the thickness of his beard, silenced the boy.
—That's enough, Mr. Took.
Hide lowered his head, frustrated. His dream of entering EternaCorp's Corporate University—the only goal that had kept him alive for years—was slipping away.
He turned to leave, head hanging, when the same professor's voice stopped him. His bionic eyes whirred softly as they scanned him from head to toe.
—Don't lower your gaze, boy. Your project isn't profitable, true. But it's brilliant. Among everyone here, you're the only one who proposed something real. When classes begin, come find me. I want you on a genuine project.
The world lit up again for Hide. He smiled awkwardly.
—At last, I'll be able to…
The illusion didn't last.
The dome's screens lit up in unison. The holographic news channel burst into life with dazzling headlines beside two presenters with plastic smiles.
—Did you hear the big news, Emma? —asked a man dressed in blue from head to toe, even his translucent skin emanating a cold, uncanny glow.
—What is it, George? —answered the woman, clad in vibrant red, her complexion looking one step away from collapse.
—Turns out that young Caelum Von Drel, heir to Von Drel Enterprises, has officially announced his engagement.
The name meant nothing to Hide… until his heart stopped at the images flashing on screen.
—The lucky bride is Audri Cel Claus.
Beside a man Hide could only describe as a "prince charming," stood a young woman of twenty. Her hair, nearly white with faint blue highlights. Her silver eyes empty, soulless. She wore a flawless violet evening dress, so far removed from the barefoot girl who once ran through his memories. With a blank face, she clung to Caelum's arm as he waved cheerfully to the cameras.
—Tia…
Hide clenched his fists, his breath growing ragged. Fragments of memory struck him in waves:The sound of Tia's laughter, smeared in soot.The hand of a man dragging her away.The body of a boy falling into the red, toxic mist of the Abyss.
The commentators' voices barely reached him: "The perfect union between the greatest Elentite refiners."
Bastards…
Suddenly, the screens flickered. The broadcast was cut with an electric crackle, replaced by a strange logo that hijacked every transmission: a stylized mask shaped like a muzzle, draped over the national flag with pulsing red, silver, and gold lines.
A distorted voice roared, dragging Hide back to a past he had buried deep:
—We are Rex Rage! And we're here to tear this rotten system apart!
Hide froze. That voice, though altered, ripped through him from the inside. There was no doubt.
—Ty…?