Annika stood inside the elevator with an
anxious and worried expression.
It was clear that she was under a lot of mental
pressure. She kept moving her right foot up and down, stomping it nervously due
to her anxiety.
"You'd better have a good explanation, Nadia…
You know how protective I am of you all… There better not be anything bad
that's happened to you…"
The elevator finally reached the desired floor,
and the doors opened.
Annika swiftly stepped out and hurried down the hallway toward a room at the end.
The hallway was empty due to a ceremony taking place, and no one could be seen around.
Annika finally reached the command room door, and with overwhelming stress and anxiety, she quickly opened it and, in a shaky
voice that almost resembled a loud shout, called out:
"Nadia…!!! What happened----???"
.
"Huh…? Nothing happened...?"
To her surprise, everything seemed normal.
Nadia and the others were sitting behind their
systems, busy with their tasks. Annika was surprised, yet at the same time
relieved, because nothing serious had happened to her sister.
Nadia, noticing Annika suddenly rush in with
anxiety and stress, turned her head toward the door. While still staring at Annika,
she removed her headset.
"Is there a problem, big sister Annika?"
Annika let out a deep breath. After a moment of regaining her composure and calming down, she responded to Nadia.
"Nadia, sweetheart, what happened to the visual system?"
"Nadia apologizes for that, big sister Annika.
There was a brief disruption in the system, but fortunately, we resolved it
quickly."
"I see... Well, thankfully it wasn't anything
serious… You know how I am, sister—I overthink things way too much. Alright
then, I'll head back to Uncle Jackson. See you later, my dear sister."
Annika said goodbye to Nadia, exited the room, and closed the door behind her.
Nadia then put her headset back on and returned to her work.
For a while after Annika's departure,
everything continued normally—until suddenly, the people in the control room,
including Nadia, began to flicker like holograms, their images becoming static
and distorted.
Then the room itself began to glitch, and in
the blink of an eye, the scene shifted—revealing the same control room in
complete disarray, littered with corpses.
Bright golden threads floated in the air.
A man in a suit stood at one of the systems,
his back facing the room's entrance. He was busy working on the system, and
after activating several options, he realigned the broadcast to match Jackson's
presentation in the amphitheater.
It also appeared that he was mumbling something to someone under his breath, speaking in a cold, dry, and harsh tone. "Kamva succeeded... Bat, move in..."
◦•●◉✿ P̘͎̀͊ă̶̸̝ͦ͊̿͋͞û̶͙̽̿͆̈s̩͙͖̋͛͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ ✿◉●•◦
"Oh... That person. Who is he, boy?"
These words were spoken by the same man who had earlier ordered a martini and was now sipping it, addressing the bartender in the lobby.
The bartender, with his usual warm and
confident smile, replied:
"Oh yes, sir. That's Mr. Jackson Anatmory's
younger brother."
At that moment, a man entered the lobby—his
face resembling Jackson's, but younger and perhaps a bit more disheveled. He wore a white lab coat and was accompanied by a young woman and six guards.
The girl beside him was a striking young lady
with long black hair, blue eyes, dressed in an elegant black gown, and wearing a strange, alluring smile on her lips. She seemed excited and eager about something.
The man with the martini glass gently swirled
it in front of his face and continued the conversation with the bartender.
"Hmm... So that man is in charge of the
research team?"
"I was surprised you didn't recognize him at
first glance. Yes, Mr. Jackson and Mr. Nicholas are like the two pillars of
this company. Mr. Jackson is the primary investor, shareholder, and financial director, while Mr. Nicholas is the mastermind
behind the operations."
"Interesting... Pour me another glass."
The bartender smiled again and got to work.
"Of course, sir. Same ratio as before?"
"Yes..."Strange man*
◦•●◉✿ P̘͎̀͊ă̶̸̝ͦ͊̿͋͞û̶͙̽̿͆̈s̩͙͖̋͛͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ ✿◉●•◦
Nicholas, with his hands tucked into the
pockets of his lab coat, walked beside his companions. He slightly turned his
head toward the young lady accompanying him.
"Did you make all the necessary preparations,
my dear niece?"
The girl looked at Nicholas with a calm, eager,
and beautiful smile on her lips.
"Don't worry, uncle. Everything has already
been arranged. You just need to go see Kelvin and Alice, and then my father
will begin the interview with you."
"Good, excellent! Let's go, my dear niece! After all these years of relentless effort,
we're finally going to see the results! I'll make the Anatmory family proud in front of the whole world."
◦•●◉✿ P̘͎̀͊ă̶̸̝ͦ͊̿͋͞û̶͙̽̿͆̈s̩͙͖̋͛͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ ✿◉●•◦
Meanwhile, in the amphitheater hall, heated
discussions and speculations had erupted among the audience. Since Jackson had
to wait for the audio and visuals to be re-synced, he had remained silent, which in turn allowed the crowd to begin talking amongst themselves. Wanting to restore order and handle the situation professionally, Jackson took advantage of the moment. He once again stepped up to the podium and, with a loud and confident voice, addressed the
audience:
"Once again, I sincerely apologize for the
technical issue, dear guests. However, we can take this opportunity to our
advantage. If you have any questions or concerns, I'd be happy to address
them."
At that point, the Minister of Energy raised
his hand and began to speak. He was a serious man, though clearly very
cautious.
"I'm sure you've realized, Mr. Anatmory, that
during the brief activation of the portal and the inter-world connection earlier, the electricity for the entire continent was cut off. In other words, it takes several terawatts of electricity to activate the link each time.
But given your ambitious long-term plan—which intends to activate this portal repeatedly—it's just not feasible! Even this
one-time activation caused significant damage, although due to the remarkable
potential of your project, we are willing to overlook it just this once. But you must be held accountable and tell us:
what's your plan for the future?"
Jackson let out a soft sigh as a calm smile
appeared on his lips.
"No need to worry, Minister. As you're aware,
this activation of the portal was merely a final test and quality check. I can assure you that we will absolutely develop a more efficient and stable method for future activations. You have my word, Minister."
The Minister of Energy, appearing somewhat
reassured, took his seat. Then, another man stood up. He seemed elderly, dignified, and scholarly, with a white beard.
"I am one of the professors at Stellaris
University, Mr. Anatmory. So you should be well aware of who you're speaking
to. My question is this—who exactly gave us humans the right to so boldly and recklessly interfere with the natural order of the
world and tamper with the formula of reality? Are we God, Mr. Anatmory? You, of
all people, should know better!"
Jackson stared at the professor's agitated face for a moment, then let out a quiet, involuntary chuckle.
"Ah yes, Professor Kaelus. I remember you quite well. As for your question—didn't the Lord Himself, in countless scriptures and teachings, declare that humanity is His appointed successor on Earth?
Am I wrong, Professor Kaelus? You, of all people, should know that better."
◦•●◉✿ P̘͎̀͊ă̶̸̝ͦ͊̿͋͞û̶͙̽̿͆̈s̩͙͖̋͛͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ ✿◉●•◦
Basement Level One, hidden below the surface. This is where the power source and the central heating system's engine room are
located. At the far end of the capacitor corridor, several guards lie unconscious on the ground. The same dark-clothed figure seen earlier on the rooftop is now visible again, standing calmly before a monitoring system. She plugs in an external drive and speaks quietly to herself. It's only now that
her identity becomes clear—a woman, with a calm yet mysterious, almost sinister
voice.
"Kamva,
everything's ready on the Bat's side too. Tell Umbrella to begin."
◦•●◉✿ P̘͎̀͊ă̶̸̝ͦ͊̿͋͞û̶͙̽̿͆̈s̩͙͖̋͛͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ ✿◉●•◦
Name: Alice
Surname: Anatmory
Height: 169 cm
Weight: 67 kg
Personality Type: Dutiful, serious, determined, meticulous, sharp-eyed, a strategic manager, hardworking to the core. The ideal older sister—if you ignore her personality.
Interests: Managing and overseeing company
affairs, reading and following world news, obsessive personal hygiene and health routines, strict supervision of Kelvin's behavior, having conversations with Jackson, and going out with her cousin.
< See the state of this factory? If it weren't for me, it would've been shut down ages ago! What do you think Uncle can still handle at his age?
Nadia has zero leadership skills—she can't even choose a juice flavor without
asking others. Annika? Don't even get me started. And Kelvin? Please. That just
leaves my cousin… and, well—there's no doubt I'm the better choice. Right? >
◦•●◉✿ P̘͎̀͊ă̶̸̝ͦ͊̿͋͞û̶͙̽̿͆̈s̩͙͖̋͛͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ ✿◉●•◦
Inside the laboratory room, the man previously chosen to be the test subject now stands inside a large glass sphere. Kelvin
and Alice are stationed a short distance away beside the main control panel, along with other staff monitoring the system. Meanwhile, Jackson, now that the audio and video issues have been resolved, is broadcasting the live feed from the lab to the audience inside the amphitheater.
Just then, Nicholas enters calmly. A stir of
excitement spreads through the lab. Kelvin and Alice rush toward him with visible excitement. Alice is the first to speak—her tone as cold, blunt, and serious as ever, though there's a noticeable softness when addressing her father.
"Hello, Father. Welcome. Have you come for the final inspection?"
Then she places her right hand on Kelvin's
shoulder and gently pushes him forward.
"Don't forget to give Kelvin the Atlas
Project's chip right now before it slips your mind."
Kelvin, slightly flustered, looks at Nicholas
with a sheepish smile.
"Heh, hey Dad. Looks like the big moment's
finally here. High five!"
Alice's expression briefly flickers with subtle
disappointment, but everyone else in the lab appears stunned—and even a bit nervous. Kelvin raises his right hand, still holding it up, waiting for the high five. Nicholas stares at him silently, his face unreadable and the
atmosphere growing tense.
"Hmm... ... ..."
Suddenly—against everyone's
expectations—Nicholas breaks into a bright, energetic smile and slaps the high
five hard.
"Heeeyyy!! How's my son doing?? Pretty cool lab, huh? I've told you so many times to come check it out! You could've gotten loads of brilliant ideas for your stories from the equipment and tech here!"
Kelvin, apparently used to this kind of
behavior from Nicholas—unlike the rest of the staff—keeps up the same excitement and energy. Holding his father's left hand with his own right, he adds cheerfully:
"Heh, sorry Dad, but things are getting way too technical around here. If I went into that much detail, I'd have to publish my story as a scientific paper instead of a novel!"
The two of them—father and son—lean on each other's shoulders and burst into loud, hearty laughter. Meanwhile, Alice stands
off to the side, her expression heavy with regret as she watches the scene unfold. At the same time, one of the women working on the project as an engineer cautiously steps closer to her.
"Th-this... was unexpected..."
Alice lets out a long sigh, turning her head
slightly toward the woman.
"Yes, I understand how you feel. Father is
extremely strict and serious when it comes to work. But... when he's with us, it's like he flips into a completely different person—especially when it comes to this idiot brother of mine. It's like they resonate whenever they're together... :/"
◦•●◉✿ P̘͎̀͊ă̶̸̝ͦ͊̿͋͞û̶͙̽̿͆̈s̩͙͖̋͛͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ ✿◉●•◦
Meanwhile, Jackson captures everyone's
attention again, directing the audience to the screen, where the man inside the glass sphere is now waving at the camera in his specialized suit.
"And now, dear guests, distinguished officials
and honored audience members... prepare yourselves to witness one of the greatest milestones in human history!"
As some members of the audience watch with
eager curiosity, others whisper theories, and a few look on with uneasy dread, Jackson turns his head left and subtly nods toward the backstage crew—where Annika is standing among them.
Catching the signal, Annika activates her
headset and communicates the go-ahead to both the supervising engineer inside the lab and Nadia in the control room.
The procedure is about to begin.
◦•●◉✿ P̘͎̀͊ă̶̸̝ͦ͊̿͋͞û̶͙̽̿͆̈s̩͙͖̋͛͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ ✿◉●•◦
An umbrella has fallen upside down on the ground. Unlike ordinary umbrellas, a layer of nano-alloy is stretched over it, but even that has broken. The place where the umbrella lies appears to be an underground sewage tunnel, or in other words, a waterway. Sounds of conflict and fighting can be heard from nearby. Apparently, someone is shooting a gun; however, there is no sound of anyone screaming in pain in response.
After a few moments, suddenly, silence takes over. The body of a girl is dragged and falls beside the umbrella. Her blood-soaked dark purple hair and hollowed-out eyes, along with her torn and bloodied black evening dress, can still be seen even in the darkness of this cursed waterway.
A man with bloodstained hands can be seen standing in the shadows of the waterway, staring at the corpse. Then, he bends down and slowly removes a very tiny earpiece from her left ear and places it into his own. Strangely, his hair begins to rise, and the color of his eyes changes. Even the physical structure of his body transforms—until finally, he looks exactly like the girl lying beside him.
"It's confirmed. The Umbrella is going into action. Cross and Yarn, stand by."
◦•●◉✿ P̘͎̀͊ă̶̸̝ͦ͊̿͋͞û̶͙̽̿͆̈s̩͙͖̋͛͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ ✿◉●•◦
Back in the facility, the glass sphere begins
to glow as Alice herself pushes down the final activation lever. A blinding mix of yellow and white light floods the chamber. Gravity itself seems to lessen in the immediate vicinity, making everything feel lighter… unstable.
At the same moment, Jackson kicks into full
presenter mode, dramatically enhancing the moment with exaggerated flair and a barrage of epic statements. His voice thunders with significance as he weaves a narrative of history in the making—designed to keep the audience captivated, moved, and breathless.
Kelvin and his father stand a bit away from the
rest, side by side, silently watching the scene unfold. Around Kelvin's neck hangs a strange pendant—a circular symbol with a square inscribed within it, and frequency-like wave patterns etched inside the square.
Jackson, despite his already perfectly arranged suit, straightens his tie once more. Then, with a booming voice, he continues:
"We were creatures that began naked, huddled in caves! We were the ones who first chipped stones with our bare hands!! We had no language, no structured communication at first!! But from the very beginning— we had brains, we had awareness, we had the ability to adapt!! And more important than all of
that—we had greed!!"
◦•●◉✿ P̘͎̀͊ă̶̸̝ͦ͊̿͋͞û̶͙̽̿͆̈s̩͙͖̋͛͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ ✿◉●•◦
On the rooftop of one of the tall buildings near the corporate headquarters—
A broken cross lies on the ground.
The man, with two advanced guns in his hands and a furious face with tears in his eyes, is firing at someone who only appears to be the same girl who was killed in the underground waterway.
Moments later, the guns stop. The "girl" suddenly moves closer. Her appearance reverts back to her original form—a mysterious man.
Meanwhile Jackson continues:
"If it weren't for human greed, they would never have sought greater power.
If it weren't for that greed, they wouldn't have pursued knowledge in search of power.
Had they not chased science out of greed, they would've never realized the threats that stood in their way.
And so, they wouldn't have made any extra effort to secure their safety.
If it weren't for human greed, mankind would've never gained knowledge, power, security, wealth, or awareness—and never stood at the top of the wild's food chain!!!"
The man wearing the cross pendant lies on the ground, his neck broken, his eyes hollow and steaming. The mysterious man, a smirk curling on his lips, slowly addresses someone through a very small earpiece inside the fallen man's ear (not the one taken from the girl's body):
"How does it feel..? The hate and rage—losing someone you love. How does it feel?"
In the control room, a man slams both hands furiously on the table out of shock, fury, and anxiety.
Meanwhile the glowing orb reaches its peak brightness at that exact moment—
Simultaneously, Jackson stands on stage, both arms stretched wide, reaching the climax of his speech.
"And now, this very being—who once started from the Stone Age—
Today, on this very date, enters the era of his own creation!!"
◦•●◉✿ P̘͎̀͊ă̶̸̝ͦ͊̿͋͞û̶͙̽̿͆̈s̩͙͖̋͛͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ ✿◉●•◦
Technocracy is a form of government in which the administration of society is entrusted to specialists, scientists, and technical experts rather than politicians. In this model, decisions are made based on scientific data, logical analysis, and professional expertise to achieve maximum efficiency and productivity.
The goal of technocracy is the precise management of resources and the resolution of complex issues through technology, science, and rational planning. This type of governance typically leads to meritocracy, reduced corruption, and sustainable development. However, it may also face challenges such as reduced democratic participation or the neglect of human and emotional aspects.
◦•●◉✿ P̘͎̀͊ă̶̸̝ͦ͊̿͋͞û̶͙̽̿͆̈s̩͙͖̋͛͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ ✿◉●•◦
At the very moment Jackson spreads his arms,
Annika gazes calmly, kindly, and eagerly at the screen behind the stage;
Alice, full of hope and dreams, still has her hand on the lever;
Kelvin and Nicholas stand side by side, visibly excited;
The mysterious man stands atop the corporate building with bloodstained hands;
The man in the control room now rushes toward the elevator, filled with fury, his cold, shadowed face tense with urgency;
Meanwhile, Jackson's daughter, in the B1 basement level, has come face to face with the dark-clad girl known as "The Bat."
The two stare at each other in complete silence.
Suddenly—
A massive explosion erupts behind Jackson.
The wall and the display screen shatter, fragments flying along with flames and the shockwave rapidly closing in from behind.
Simultaneous explosions ignite in various parts of the building, even in the outer courtyard.
Jackson turns his head back in panic and shock.
Annika's eyes widen.
The entire audience freezes in place.
The B1 level begins to collapse.
The building begins to sink.
Inside the lab, the explosion from the glowing orb shatters workbenches and equipment.
In horror, Kelvin watches as the man who was inside the orb is crushed and compressed, his body breaking apart as blood splatters violently.
The portal that had been forming becomes unstable due to the explosion and transforms into a tear in space-time—
It starts pulling in everything around it like a black hole.
Before Kelvin can even comprehend what's happening, he sees Alice in front of him—her face stunned, tears in her eyes—staring at Nicholas as she and the others are dragged into the black hole.
Since Kelvin had grabbed Nicholas's hand, he too is being pulled in, though he struggles to resist.
In that moment, he turns his shocked, tear-streaked face toward Nicholas—
Who is gripping a metal rod behind him that's coming loose from the wall.
Then, Nicholas suddenly gives a soft, strangely gentle smile, which twists into a smirk—
And he lets go of Kelvin's hand.
Kelvin, unable to understand anything that's happening, with tears streaming down his face, is also pulled into the black hole.
In the end, the entire building is consumed by the black hole, Which then collapses and detonates in a catastrophic blast, destroying the garden, courtyard, and surrounding parking areas. The intensity of the explosion even causes a localized earthquake.
As a result, the entire area transforms into what seems like a war-torn zone.
◦•●◉✿ P̘͎̀͊ă̶̸̝ͦ͊̿͋͞û̶͙̽̿͆̈s̩͙͖̋͛͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ ✿◉●•◦
Kelvin comes to his senses and realizes he's falling downward in a vertical tunnel-like void—completely dark.
Suddenly, the shocked, stunned, and terrified face of Alice, along with his father's strange and horrifying smile, flashes through his mind.
A wave of panic and emotional trauma overtakes him. He clutches his hands over his mouth and screams, sobbing uncontrollably:
"Ah… Aaaa… a… AAAAAAA… AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!
A-Aliceeeee… Anikaaaa… Nadiaaa… u-uncle… cousin… e-everyone… d-dad… w-what… what happened…
…
…
…
AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
As Kelvin remains in a state of intense shock, confusion, and despair, suddenly, dark-blue, shadowy, glitching cracks tear open above him in the fabric of space. The void around him begins to fracture like glass. In the blink of an eye, a hideous creature appears—
A floating female shadow, her form unstable and glitching, with numerous levitating dark blue eyes fixed directly on Kelvin.
She has extremely long hair and a wide dark-blue smile across her face.
Her body is pure black, unstable, and full of flickering distortions. She raises her clawed right hand toward his chest…
But in that exact moment, Kelvin's necklace begins to glow, transforming into a book that shines brightly with a golden-yellow light.
Without thinking, Kelvin grasps the book tightly in both hands.
The horrifying shadow-creature screeches in rage, lunges forward, and grabs the book, trying to pull it away.
As Kelvin clutches it, he suddenly feels a surge of power and energy coursing through his body—
enough to help him resist the creature physically.
A brutal struggle begins between them mid-fall—
They strike each other repeatedly with punches, elbows, and kicks as they descend.
With every blow Kelvin lands, he feels more overwhelmed by hatred, fury, and confusion.
Today had started as a wonderful day…
Just moments ago, he had everything he held dear.
His mind reels at the memory of his father's behavior.
Why did Nicholas do that? Why??
He was so kind, loving—not just to us, but to all of humanity…
So why did he look at me with such delight in that moment?
He didn't even seem to feel anything else…
"I hate you… I HATE YOU… I HAAATE YOUUUU!!!
GET LOST, YOU FILTHY MONSTER!!!
I HATE YOU ALL, YOU DISGUSTING PIECES OF TRASH!!!
GIVE ME BACK MY SISTERS!!!"
Because of Kelvin's overwhelming fury, the cover of the book turns bright red and begins to shine.
A massive explosion erupts—
hurling both Kelvin and the shadow in opposite directions.
The last thing Kelvin sees is himself being violently thrown away by the explosion,
the book slipping from his hands,
and the shadow being flung backward as well.
Her right arm—severed and floating between them—spins midair.
Her wide blue eyes are locked onto it.
From the stump where her hand was, dark-blue data particles and glitching numbers spill out like dust.
That was the final thing Kelvin saw…
Before he blacked out.
{The end}