Strangely Familiar - The Flaw in Time

Chapter 1

"Every act of creation is first an act of destruction" - Pablo Picasso

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Present time

MASSIVE DESTRUCTION

At the bottom of the screen, the words were shown in large, bold characters.

There have been fatalities. There were a total of 127 documented deaths. Rescue operations are underway. The earthquake in the eastern part of the country caused widespread devastation and havoc. On May 23, 2010, it was seen that the City of Flowers, a formerly stunning Garden Valley, had been destroyed when the Earth beneath it fractured and devoured it all in less than a nanosecond. The scale read 7.4 out of 10. The shifting of the tectonic plates is dangerous. According to analysts, the city is still unsafe. Let's see what our reporters have to say.

Then, after a little pause, the screen began to flicker again.

"An immediate evacuation has been ordered by the government."

Camera buzzes. The display flashes.

"... Some say it's the fury of nature." As a consequence, fear has taken over the surrounding districts.

"Please turn down the volume. I'm trying to study here." A frustrated voice rang out across the room.

"It's breaking news, Naina. N.E.W.S. This information is essential for any topic you're studying." Samraat, three years her junior, was a man of average build with an angular smile, black wavy hair that often obscured half of his large forehead and dark brown eyes that frowned at her.

Naina Shreeparna Patil was an orphan. At age five, she was adopted by an affluent family who raised her as one of their own. Although the couple had always desired children, her adoptive mother's infertility was caused by several issues. As a result, the couple decided to adopt Naina and Samraat to complete their family.

So, it came as no surprise to anyone that she looked so different from her parents. Unlike her mother's black eyes, she has a shade of brown that contrasts beautifully with her unnaturally curly and frizzy black hair.

"If you must know, I already read about it on the Internet a while ago," Naina grudgingly replied, flicking through the pages of the book she held in her palm, attempting but failing to memorize the topic.

"Bor-i-n-g"

"I hardly ever describe the Internet as boring."

"Oh, I wasn't talking about the Internet." He responded wittily.

His sister, who had a fiery temper, frowned at him. She slapped her book shut and took a quick step, towering above his sitting form due to her height.

"What's the problem? I have an employment assessment in three weeks. Can't you leave me alone so I can study?"

Her brother sighed, sensing her anxiety as clear as crystal. "The epic center was Garden Valley, Nans, nearly two hundred kilometers from here. You know what that means."

It wasn't a question. She knew it, and frankly, she tried her best to escape the inevitable. It has only been three months since she quit her last job. The never-ending grind of being a job seeker and caring for her younger brother while their adoptive parents were away on business, not to mention the seismic tremors they felt last night, didn't help. The stress was taking a toll on her. She despised her age of twenty-three.