Chapter 1
In a fractured world, two realms stood in stark contrast. The first, a sprawling megacity named Veldron, a dazzling nexus of innovation where sleek skyscrapers pierce the clouds, their surfaces pulsing with holographic displays, plants at strategic points in the city, further beautifying the city. Autonomous cars glide silently through neon-lit streets, guided by an intricate web of artificial intelligence, and citizens endeavors thrive in a symphony of technology, their lives streamlined by algorithms and automation.
The second, The Dread, an ancient forest shrouded in chilling mystery. Its towering trees, gnarled and blackened, stretch endlessly into a canopy so dense it tends to reduce the entry of sunlight. Whispers of the forest speak of unnatural shadows that move against the wind, eerie wails echoing in the dead of night, and an oppressive air that saps the courage of even the bravest souls. Explorers who dare to cross its threshold vanish without a trace, their fates sealed in its uncharted depths.
Some say the forest itself is alive, a malevolent entity that guards its secrets with lethal cunning, ensuring no one returns to tell its tale.
"There's been another failed expedition into Dread, as the forest is now called," a newscaster announces, her voice trembling slightly as she stands at the forest's entrance, it's ominous silhouette looming behind her on the broadcast. The camera pans to the tangled undergrowth, where mist curls like ghostly fingers. "Authorities urge the public to stay away."
In a dimly lit apartment in the megacity, a man with weathered features slumps on a couch, his eyes fixed on the screen. "Let people leave this place alone, for crying out loud!" he mutters, his voice heavy with unease, as if he knows more than he dares to say.
Suddenly, the screen flickers, as a figure stumbles out of the forest—disheveled, gaunt, barely recognizable as human."Whoa… we have a...survivor?" the newscaster questions, stepping cautiously toward the man, who appears to be in his early thirties. But as they draw near, a foul stench hits them like a wall, forcing them to recoil. "Sir," the newscaster says, choking slightly, "you're the first.....person to emerge....from The Dread alive. Can you tell us what happened in there?". With a lowered head, his voice barely audible. "I was a fool," he murmurs. "Sorry, could you...repeat that?" the newscaster asks, leaning in. "I WAS A FOOL!" the man screams, snapping his head up. One eye burned red with fury, while the other bulged grotesquely—swollen to the size of a long tennis ball, pulsing as if it might fall off at any minute. "I was a fool… I was a fool… I was a—" he chants, breaking into a run. Then, suddenly, he tears off his clothes and bends down, in front of the crews of other TV News Channels, clutching his head and repeating the phrase like a broken record.
A first responder from the nearby psychiatric hospital rushes from the ambulance, approaching the man with caution. But before they can reach him, the man convulses violently—and explodes.
Blood showered the scene like a crimson downpour. His organs eject with such force that bystanders stagger backward, stunned.
The camera shakes. The newscaster, now drenched, calmly wipes the blood off the camera screen with a handkerchief.
"Well," she said grimly, "it appears we have no survivors after all."
"What the fuck?", the dark-skinned man exclaims, sitting up.
"Babe."
A woman's voice comes from behind him. He turned to see Elaine, a fair, dark brown haired, and tall stunning lady, standing there, her posture stiff, fingers nervously clasped between her thighs.
"Yeah?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's up?"
She moved to sit beside him, taking his hands in hers. "I've been called."
Joe smiles broadly. "For the lottery?". But his grin fades when she doesn't laugh back.
"No way," he muttered, realization dawning. Then, a sudden spark of hope—"You're pregnant?" His smile was boyish, eager.
Elaine exhaled sharply. "Ugh. No. I've been selected…..to be a Rexplorer."
"No way." This time, his voice was flat. Cold. Fear flickered in his eyes.
For a moment, they just stared at each other. Suddenly, Joe lunged forward—toward the phone, some unseen escape—but Elaine grabbed his shirt, attempting to yank him back.
"Waaaait!" she pleaded, her grip tightening as he thrashed.
He broke free, spinning to face her. "I want to go," she insisted.
"Elaine, there's no fucking way that's happening. Even if you were homo-luminus, I will still not want you to go", he said, as he snatches up his phone, scrolling furiously through his contacts.
"See, I don't know about anyone else, but having an unusual amount of strength, stamina, and heightened senses, are for a reason, probably to fulfill a passion normal people like me won't be able to. Still!, we have our roles to play. I mean, we ain't going extinct are we? We are still been born, right?. Pls. And if you don't let me go, I'll never forgive you", her voice turns icy.
Joe froze, then shot her a look of sheer disbelief. "I am going to pretend like I did not hear your last statement. As long as you're alive, I'm happy," he said.
"Ugh".
"Wha—w—why would you even agree to embark on such a mission? Why do you think they ask if you chose to accept or not?. Because even they know there are peculiar cases, and this is one of them", he says, worry evident in his tone.
Elaine slowly drops to her knees. "I feel like I should. Like if not me, then who?. I know it doesn't have to be me, but, I want to do this. Please."
Joe stared at her. With a sharp exhale, he ends the call. In two strides, he was in front of her. "Well, I guess I can't force you to not go. You're just actually considering me to be your Lord, according to the Bible which I deeply appreciate. But if you truly love me, Elaine", he says, kneeling in front of her, caressing her cheeks, "Don't! go!".
He perks her on her forehead, gave a firm long kiss to her lips—and then went back to his couch, without another word.
For like the first twenty minutes of him sitting there, his mind was not on what his eyes seemed to see on the screen. Instead, it was roaming about on how he could beg her to not go. But then, he knew he had to give it up. He knew his wife.
Just like the time they wanted to buy baby dresses for her sister. "I predicted it was going to be a boy, and she just decided to buy female baby dresses". When he asked her what she thought, she said, "We are both right". And unexpectedly, her elder sister gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. What were the odds?
Elaine had always had this foresight talent, and anything she felt strongly about or wanted to do or involve herself in, was probably the right choice. And this did not necessarily mean she was nonchalant or lazy in other areas of her life, and with a husband.
"Just come back to me, please," he thought, closing his eyes for a moment.
Suddenly, the screen cut to the ruler of Veldron, addressing the nation, finally gaining Joe's attention.
"...centuries, we and the Dread have kept a pact—they do not interfere in our affairs, and we do not interfere in theirs. But two days ago, we saw a message. A thief stole a very important artifact and asked to find it in the Dread. Though I am being urged to act, I remain hesitant. My father, his father, and all who came before them warned of the Dread's dangers. The normal thing any ruler would do first is to seal it, and we've tried that. I'm sure we all can still remember the funny thing that happened that day. The entities within broke it down and returned.
"Effective immediately, no one is permitted within a one-mile radius of the Dread. All homes and businesses in this zone will be relocated once new sites are prepared. Additionally, my Cabinet and I have approved the formation of an elite unit—the Rexplorers. Their mission is simple, to catch a thief, and restore the artifact".
"But mark my words: if this endeavor fails, and there are no survivors?, even speaking of the Dread will become a crime, not to think of entering. Thank you."
With that, Adesanya stepped away from the podium.