Immortals

1. The Realm of Dreams

                        
This chapter is narrated by Kelly.

Narrating as [Kelly]

We've been living underground for years now, in what we call "Elysium", a haven we created for ourselves.  My brother and I were born down here. I've never felt the fresh air, never had the chance to bask in the moonlight or take a dip in a lake. I've only read about those things in books, imagining what the world used to be like in the old days.

We had enough food for everyone, people threw fancy parties and enjoyed their time. But even with all that, I never quite felt like I fit in. Can you believe I yearn to the surface, even though I'd never laid eyes on it? Strange, right?

My brother and I had a pretty good childhood, compared to the other kids in Elysium. But I couldn't stop dreaming about what was out there, beyond our underground home. That's why I worked my tail off in high school to get into the science section. I thought that would be my ticket to join expeditions to the surface like my brother Skylar.

Now, my brother, he's a scouting agent. He goes on these exciting expeditions all the time and always comes back with stories. He tells me all about the surface world, and he even brings me back souvenirs. When he talks about it, my eyes light up with excitement. He noticed the sparkle in my eyes and would say, "One day, Kelly, we're going back there." Those words filled me with hope and kept me going. Whenever Skylar embarked on a scouting mission, he had a habit of patting my head and saying, "Take care of the Elysium while I'm gone, my soldier."

Joining the scout section isn't an easy feat. It's reserved for individuals with specific qualities like bravery and quick thinking. Regrettably, I didn't have the courage required. Skylar, who's 5 years older than me, devoted his life to this pursuit.

"Kelly!" Ronny came running toward me, throwing her arms around me for a hug. I bent down to be at her level. "Aww, look at you in your school uniform. You look so good!"

"It's my first day," she said with excitement, her smile lighting up her face.

"You're going to do great, Ronny. You're smart and beautiful," I said, gently rubbing her forehead, and she grinned.

Amelia, Ronny's aunt who had been taking care of her since her parents' death, stood beside us. "How are you, dear? People gossip. I heard things aren't looking good on the surface.

I motioned for Ronny to go play with the other kids as I talked to Amelia, dropping my voice to a whisper. "Yeah, things are pretty tough up there," I replied, "Noah is gaining on us, and he's more malicious than ever."

"What do you know that I don't know?" Amelia asks looking into my eyes.

"He's got an army out there and they are expanding their territory. Few days ago it was reported by the scouts that robot soldiers were spotted patrolling near the colony. Two soldiers from our scout team were found dead in the woods. It appears they were ambushed while on scout duty. Thanks god we weren't discovered, but still it makes you unable to predict the future. But this information is top secret, Amelia."