Year 137.
The Colony of Eulark.
Eulark was the first colony built by the Omnis, founded more than a century ago. It began as a stronghold then grew into the heart of civilization on the continent of Ephon. Within its towering walls lay fifteen districts, home to countless races living side by side, each carrying their own languages, beliefs, and own traditions.
At the heart of the colony stood its Main Core.
A well-engineered power plant and technology far beyond conventional design, capable of sustaining Eulark for over a thousand years. Because of this, Eulark became more than a settlement.
Every day, travelers arrived from colonies across the world, major and small alike, thousands seeking opportunity, refuge, trade, or purpose.
--
Chapter 01: Welcome to Eulark
A large ferry creaked as it approached the towering concrete walls of Eulark. Its massive gates groaned open, revealing a colony brimming with life. The ferry was being assisted by small patrol boats as they docked onto its heavily guarded port.
As the passengers disembarked, a welcoming committee of sentinels stood at attention.
They all saluted in unison as they greeted.
"SALUTE!!"
"Welcome to Eulark, everyone! We're glad you made it safely!"
Then, one of the sentinel officers stepped forward and continued.
"Please take out your identity permits and form a line at the officer's desk. For the safety of the colony, each of you will be checked."
Some passengers nodded and hurried on. Others slowed, staring upward, overwhelmed by the port's towering structures and intricate design.
But for Kandril?, welp—it was a different story.
"W-why...?" he stammered, his stomach lurching.
"GWAAAHK—"
Doubled over, he retched violently over the dock.
"UAAAAAGGHHKKK!!!"
"Damn it... If only that old man hadn't forced me to ride a ferry, I wouldn't be suffering like this!"
"He should've at least known I have motion sickness at sea, right? He should've at least made me ride a zeppelin or... Ughh! Does he really love his grandson?"
He had come all the way from Aros, a smaller colony in the western region of Ephon. Now he stood in Eulark, where the Ark-Knights Exam was held once every three years. He was here to become one.
Wiping his mouth, Kandril groggily stepped onto solid ground. He then held out his identity permit to the attending sentinel officer.
BEEP–
INFORMATION DETAIL.
Full Name: KANDRIL JACOB ZIEN
Age: 18 years old.
Sex: Male.
Height: 170 Centimeters | 5 Feet 7 inches.
Origins: Aros, District seven.
SCAN COMPLETE.
IDENTITY RECOGNIZED.
APPROVED.
"You're good to go, kid." The officer said. He then gestured toward the line ahead. "Just follow it and it'll lead you out of the port."
Kandril smiled in thanks, then joined the line leading outside the port.
And when he stepped out—
FLASH!
"Woah!"
He was struck speechless.
"Holy S—"
A high-rise building greeted him, around thirty to thirty-five meters tall. Sleek but somber—all concrete and grey. The sun's glare glinted off its windows, blinding anyone who stared too long. More buildings lined up behind it, stretching in one direction as far as he could see.
Below them, the streets were packed. Markets lined the sidewalks selling fruits, spices, and other edibles, their aromas perfumed into the air.
Elevated highways webbed overhead, vehicles levitating smoothly along their surface. And beneath the glass walkway under his feet, a maglev train shot past like a bullet. Then, without warning, a hologram of a stunningly cute woman flickered into existence directly in front of him.
Kandril jolted back a step, heart kicking against his ribs.
The projection shimmered calmly, unfazed by his reaction.
"Welcome to Eulark. You are now entering the First District. Please remember to check your belongings at all times. Thank you."
He exhaled, dragging a hand down his face. And then his expression changed. His eyes widened, lighting up and shimmering like cold stars in the dead of night.
"THIS IS FREAKIN AWESOMEEE!"
"A Hologram already exists here?"
He couldn't help himself. He felt overwhelmed in the best possible way. The noise, the lights, the scent of food, the endless movement of people and machines.
"So many things have changed ever since the last time I was here!"
He whipped out his phone and immediately started recording the hologram. Then the streets. The walkways. The skyline. Every angle. Every detail. Every single moment.
"This?! This never existed before!"
Click.
"A-and this!"
Click.
"Aha! This one too!"
Click. Click. Click.
He wandered deeper into the bustling streets of the colony, walking slowly, taking as many photos as he could.
Until—
Ting!
A notification chimed from his phone.
A message popped up on the screen.
[I can't pick you up right now. Can you wait at the port's waiting shed?]
It was from his older brother, Ayson, an engineer working at the colony's power plant.
Kandril paused mid-step.
He stared at the message for a few seconds.
Then he replied.
[K.]
After that incredibly dry response, Kandril continued wandering through the colony.
Well—It had been ten years since he last set foot in Eulark. Back then, he had only been eight years old, visiting when his brother had just graduated from college. He doesn't remember that much.
Now... Everything felt bigger.
He wanted to see more. To explore every new structure, every advancement that existed in Eulark.
But—
SNIFF! SNIFF!
"Huh?..."
A familiar smell caught his attention.
"This aroma..."
His head quickly snapped to the right.
Beside him stood an old woven building. A wooden sign creaked as it swayed in the breeze, looking like it could fall off at any moment.
From its doorway, steam rose into the air, carrying a rich aroma that drifted straight to his nose
"A Beef noodle shop." he murmured.
His head tilted slightly in surprise. "Ehhh?... Didn't expect to find a shop like this here."
URGHKKK~
His stomach couldn't resist that savory smell still lingering in the air. After all, he hadn't eaten since the long journey over.
He stepped inside. The air was thick with the savory scent of simmering beef stock. Yet the place was strangely silent and eerily empty.
'Huh? No one's around?' he thought, glancing around.
An old television murmured in the corner, its static hum blending with the slow, rhythmic creak of a ceiling fan that looked as tired as the building itself.
"Uhmmm... H-Hello? Anyone here?" he called out, his voice echoing faintly through the stillness.
A second later, a middle-aged man somewhat around in his fifties stepped out from behind the counter, wearing an apron and a slightly crooked hairnet.
"Ohh, hey there kid! I am the owner of this place, Welcome to my Noodle Shop," he said with a warm, practiced smile.
"What would you like?"
Kandril squinted his eyes at the menu board.
"Uhmmm..." Then, he pointed. "I'll have that one, uncle. And an orange juice, please."
The shop owner smiled and nodded. "Coming right up. Just grab a seat and I'll bring it over."
Kandril took a seat and set his backpack gently by his side. While waiting, he was curious, scanning the aged photographs lining the walls.
"Uhmmm... How long has this shop been here, uncle?" he asked.
The shop owner, nearly done preparing the noodles, let out a chuckle. "Ahhh... My great-grandfather built this place more than a century ago."
Kandril's eyes widened. "A century?! That means—"
"Ahaha! Yes," the shop owner nodded, his smile tinged with something else. "It survived the apocalypse."
But as he set down Kandril's steaming bowl of beef noodle, the warmth faded from his face. His expression darkened. "Unfortunately, I fear I may be the last in my family to run this place."
Kandril frowned. "Hmmm? But Why?"
The shop owner sighed, voice heavy. "It's not by choice. It's... the syndicate."
"SYNDICATE?" Kandril's brows lifted, intrigued.
The shop owner paused, eyeing him with mild surprise. It didn't take long for him to figure out that the kid wasn't a local of the colony. He subtly surveyed the shop, making sure no one else was hanging nearby.
Satisfied that they were alone, he leaned forward and whispered. "Hey, kid... I shouldn't be telling you this. It could put you in danger—I mean 'us' in danger."
His eyes flicked toward the doorway before returning to Kandril. "But listen carefully."
"You'd best be wary of the Syndicate. And their affiliates."
A breath.
"Never... never try to go against them."
"Extortion. Violence. Drugs," he muttered. "Everything you can imagine of evil."
"And because of them I barely get any more visits to my shop."
He shook his head slowly.
"Barely anyone."
"And every week. Every single week, they come. Demanding their so-called 'protection fees' off me."
His voice dropped. "And if I don't pay—"
However, before he could finish his words, a screeching tire outside cut him cold.
The car doors shut close.
BLAG!
One. Then another.
Different shadows fell across the window.
Then—
A voice.
"Oiii!!! Saphead.
It was filled with intense irritation.
"Where's my money?! Are you trying to get yourself in trouble?!"
Every nerve in the shop owner's body already knew who it was before his eyes confirmed it. He knew that voice.
And that voice meant more than trouble.
"...Not good," he murmured under his shaky breath.
GULP.
"Very not good."
TBC…