To The World We Are

Portal

It was a quiet summer night on 7th street—the faint rustling of tattered leaves—the wet pavement shimmered under the moonlight, a rare sight for Kwangya. Most nights, 7th street would be bustling with chatters and clashing of beer bottles. But tonight, none of that seemed to be happening. A rainstorm just swept by, causing damage to the city's power core, cutting short the nightly routine of Kwangyans.

The air still felt sticky and humid after the downpour. Families in the neighborhood cracked open their windows to ventilate. Many would expect downtown Kwangya, the capital of innovations, to have other power resources for situations like these. But conventionally, most of our tax money goes into the "S-project." The only announcement released by the government stated, "The Kwangya Council welcomes the beginning of the S-project. A research program with promising results that will change the world in unimaginable ways." Any other documentation about the project is unknown to the citizens. Furthermore, attempts to find out about governmental research are strictly forbidden and will result in severe consequences.

Regardless, it is in our nature that we humans are curious about the unknown, which sparked the creation of Triade, a secret society founded by the three intelligent men of Kwangya in the hope of unveiling the S-Project. Last spring, Triade discovered an outline of a hidden base near the border of Ncity, a small town in South Kwangya. A few months later, a group of Triaders decided to set out for the base. And that was the last time anyone had ever seen them.

A loud splash in the dark alley broke the stillness of the night. "Catch her!" Rushed footsteps echoed off the narrow walls. A group of Kwangya guards, the Elyx, emerged from the dark. Their white capes illuminated their every step.

The Elyx, also known as "the council's underdogs," or the "white force," differentiated themselves by the white uniform. At the beginning of their establishment, Elyx swore loyalty to the government, and in return for their dedication, the council allowed them the best of armed innovations. Candidates must pass several trials and vicious training to join the white force. And once they take the oath, revealing their identity is prohibited. Thus, nearly all of them are society's outcasts. One of the signature pieces of Elyx's uniform is the *ZS capes that could glow in the dark from just a tap on the sleeve. Then, swiping motions will enable the control of brightness. In addition to the ZS cape, the motors embedded in Elyx's gears gave them superhuman abilities. And to protect their identity, they are provided the trademark cyberpunk glasses to wear.

"Where the hell is she?" An Elyx grunted in frustration. "You all better shut your trap about this. If the Revels finds out that we lost it to a street thief, they will feed us to the Onies." He angrily kicked a rock on the ground, creating a hole in the nearest wall. The insomniacs of Kwangya overheard the commotion and nosily peaked from their curtains. Sensing the uninvited attentions, the Elyx turned off their capes and vanished. Little did they know, the girl they were looking for was standing just a few steps away from them. Not knowing every nook and cranny of the city, the Elyx ran right past her.

Waiting until her legs were numb, Sela finally came out of the narrow space between the walls of two buildings. She wobbled slightly as her knees buckled from the strain, "damn it." Leaning against a street light, she reached for the house key in her pocket. Not wasting any time, Sela swiftly climbed to the attic room. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open and bit her quivering lips as remnants of her father engulfed her. Scattered all over the floor were his paperwork and investigations, some stained by coffee spills. It has already been a year since she last felt the warmth of his embrace. Her father, Nox, was one of the three creators of Triade and the group leader who went missing in Ncity. Ever since his disappearance, Sela hasn't been the same person as she used to be. The once bright girl duped as "Kwangya's sunshine" is now a spiky porcupine, ready to launch her quills at any threats she might face.

The attic room was Nox's study. Sela never bothered to tidy up the place because she refused to evoke any unnecessary emotions. Everything in the room was left exactly the way it was. As she walked around his desk, Sela noticed a small journal lying face down on the floor. Her father must have knocked it over in a hurry. Snooping through someone else's business wasn't something Sela would typically do. But strangely, an uncontrollable urge drove her to flip open the journal. Characters she couldn't comprehend filled the pages. The journal almost seemed like a personal record of Nox's researches on the S-project. Reaching the end, Sela stumbled upon an unfinished entry containing only a name, "Haechan?"

She unconsciously said the word out loud before stopping herself; why did I say that? Suddenly she felt a stinging pain in her pocket. Sela quickly dug out the object and tossed it onto the floor as the heat became unbearable for her. The thing spun slightly and stopped as it hit the hardwood surface. Now that she can better look at it, the artifact was just a tiny green cube.

What is the significance behind this thing? Sela thought to herself as she sat and studied the object. Abruptly, a ray of light shot out from the cube, carrying colorful fragments on its way. The pieces then started to come together to form a portal. Startled, Sela bolted up in a defensive stance. She could not believe her eyes as to what happened next. A man appeared at the entrance of the portal and smiled at her.

"Hi, how can I help you?"

(To be continued)

*ZS capes: capes coated with Zinc Sulfide. When this compound is exposed to light, it stores the energy and re-emits it. Upon further studies, Kwangya scientists were able to manipulate the emission process.