I had almost forgotten about this story completely.
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The earth shook and cracked, then collapsed upon itself, as if it could no longer bear the weight of humanity. The concrete buildings that once seemed impregnable crumbled, becoming as if they were made of clay.
Waves rose in the distant sea, massive like the hands of terrifying ancient creatures, striving to drag the bright human world into their dark depths. Amidst this destruction, desperate and sorrowful human screams rose from everywhere, only to be drowned out by the sounds of warplanes breaking the sound barrier over the city, creating a deafening roar.
On the horizon, dozens of mushroom clouds rose, forewarning that all nearby cities had been subjected to nuclear bombardment. Whether that bombardment was due to good or bad fortune was impossible to determine; the catastrophe was merely at its beginning.
The city teemed with confused and terrified humans, running in every direction without a clear destination. Some tried to hide inside buildings that seemed safe, but they soon collapsed upon their heads. Others collapsed in the middle of the street, some crying, some laughing hysterically, to face their fate dying under the feet of the panicked crowd. Even police officers and government men were no different from the rest of the masses.
**A View from Above**
Except for one man. He stood atop a building that had not yet collapsed, observing the chaotic world below with an intrigued smile. The man muttered under his breath, his strange smile never leaving him:
"So, this is how humans can reach this state."
He watched as a group of men dragged a screaming woman towards a collapsed building on a street corner, lustful grins on their faces. Near the same building, a man wielding an iron rod was frantically smashing the glass of a store with a frenzied expression. Just as the group began to execute their plan, the man averted his gaze towards the sky, saying with a melancholic expression:
"No matter how many times I see this scene, I cannot get used to it."
The sky above the man began to lose its beautiful blue hue, now filled with dust clouds that covered most of it and would soon cover it entirely, plunging the world into nuclear winter. Yet, the giant dust clouds were not the strangest sight in the sky; it was the sun itself. It had lost its beautiful golden color, becoming instead a crimson red. Its appearance in the sky was enough to send a shiver through the heart of anyone who had the time to ignore the catastrophe around them and look at it.
**The Leap and the Sudden End**
However, the strange smile did not vanish from the man's face; it widened.
"It's about to arrive."
The red sunlight grew more intense, as if it would turn the entire world crimson. The atmosphere gradually grew hotter. Feeling the heat that seemed like it would roast him alive, the man sighed quietly while looking at the chaotic world below.
Then suddenly, without warning, the man jumped from the top of the building, heading towards the chaotic crowd below at immense speed. No one noticed the man's strange leap, and even if they had, they wouldn't have cared; there was no shortage of suicides at the moment. Likewise, the man paid no heed to the desperate cries of pain, despair, and fear spreading everywhere. He now cared only for the stone pavement approaching him at a maddening speed, and the wind that seemed it would tear him apart mid-air before he smashed onto the ground.
But this feeling did not last long. For although he had jumped from one of the tallest buildings in the city, his fall lasted no more than a few seconds before his face hit the pavement. Yet, the man felt no pain from his body shattering. Instead, the world around him warped, and the horrifying apocalyptic view was replaced by an immaculately clean classroom.
**A New Reality**
The classroom chairs were empty, but this emptiness did not last long. A few seconds after the man appeared, faint outlines of a group of teenagers began to materialize on the chairs. The faces of all the teenagers were pale with shock and fear to such a degree that they paid no attention to the world around them, until the sound of the man clapping snapped them out of their shock.
"Alright, you must all be tired since this is your first experience with the apocalypse simulation. So, I'll end the class here; you may head to your homes for rest."
"However, you must write a report on what you experienced and how you felt about it, and submit it tomorrow."
Hearing this, the shock began to fade from the students' faces. Some disappeared in a surreal manner from the middle of the classroom, while others stood up on trembling legs to leave. But one student raised a hand and asked:
"Professor, was what we saw really what happened in the real apocalypse?"
As the student's voice spread, some students paused in their steps and looked towards the man sitting on the teacher's chair at the front of the class.
"It's difficult to determine exactly what happened in the old world, but the records we have and scientists' predictions allow us to create a simulation very close to what likely happened in reality."
"Any other questions?"
After a quick review of the students' performance in the simulation and confirming there were no issues, the man was finally able to leave the school without hindrance.
**Contrast and Companions**
The scene in front of the school was the same as it had always been since his arrival, and perhaps since the creation of the digital world. However, the man felt a strange sensation today as he looked at the beautiful garden before him, and the groups of students and professors strolling, chatting, and enjoying the scenery, or children playing soccer.
This beautiful scene formed a horrifying contrast with the apocalypse he had witnessed just moments ago, to the point where he could only wonder: Could a day come when the digital world would end like the old world?
Suddenly, a soft voice called out from behind him, pulling him out of his reverie:
"Kairen!"
Upon hearing the voice calling him, Kairen turned with a slight smile to see his two childhood friends approaching him.
"Axel, Selene, you're late!"
Axel replied with an expression:
"That's because we weren't lucky enough to be history teachers! Do you know how much I suffer explaining geometry to those monkeys?"
Selene seemed unable to bear Axel's words, delivering a strong blow to the back of his poor neck.
"Hey you... shut up! I don't even know how the school accepted you as a teacher!"
Axel's expression turned wronged as he muttered:
"Who said I even wanted to be a teacher? It's just because this stupid system made studying mandatory, and then you have to work for two years as a teacher, and only then do you become free to live your life!"
Selene's frown deepened as she looked at Axel:
"That's to eliminate illiteracy, educate people, and increase awareness!"
"I know, I know! I've heard this speech dozens of times! And yet, I still think the education system is a foolish idea. We can live a life like anyone else without needing to study or work, so why must we do both? And I wish they'd be satisfied with education alone; you have to work for two years as a teacher!"
Selene's frown deepened further and she seemed about to hit Axel again, but Kairen's sudden laughter interrupted her. Selene turned to Kairen and looked at him with an angry glare:
"What's so funny?"
To which Kairen replied while still laughing:
"What's funny is that this isn't the first time you two have started this argument, and the end is always the same!"
Just as Selene was about to argue with Kairen, Axel interrupted her, rushing towards him and putting an arm around his shoulder:
"Support from the bookworm, buddy! Have you heard the latest news? Cosmic War just released a new battleground! We must try it as soon as possible!"
Seeing his friend's excitement, the gaming enthusiast, Kairen could only smile:
"Sure! You can actually log in right now."
Hearing this, Axel's smile widened as he laughed heartily:
"Man, you read my mind! Let's log into Cosmic War and teach those newbies what real gaming is!"
Seeing his friend's enthusiasm, Kairen couldn't help but get excited too:
"Let's go!"
But before Kairen and Axel could dive into their favorite game, an angry voice interrupted them:
"Ahem!"
Turning around, Selene was standing there, crossing her arms in front of her chest angrily. Seeing her angry expression, which didn't suit her childlike face, Axel couldn't help but tease her:
"What is it, shorty? Can't you see the men are busy?"
And just as Kairen expected, the price for that tease was a kick to the stomach that sent him rolling on the ground, although Kairen's knowledge of his friend made him realize he was exaggerating.
After venting her anger on Axel, Selene looked at Kairen with a somewhat shy expression, saying hesitantly:
"Meet me tonight at these coordinates: x516725335838."
After saying this, Selene vanished into the air like a ghost. And while Kairen was shocked by his friend's words, Axel's laughing voice rose:
"Man, ...