Exon

Chapter 1 — Growing Up

"Run, John, run, or else you will be one of them!"

John was tired of running — physically and mentally. The two brothers were running for hours since this morning that was just after the day of John's 8th birthday through this unusual mist-like darkness in the woods which was odd because the planet they are on was revolving around 3 suns that never let the night devour the planet before.

"Why do I have to run from them exactly?" he asked himself which was the wrong person to ask it to because otherwise he wouldn't have to ask that question. John wasn't sure if he was running for himself or for his brother because of the promise his brother gave to his parents. James was holding John's hand like John is James' whole world, as if leaving John behind would mean James leaving the whole point of life behind. For James, John wasn't his reason to avoid death, John was his only reason to endure living. He almost lose everything today but he promised himself that he was not going to lose John no matter what. He didn't have anything else left anymore.

They were always following the same route while running: The route that leads to a three-tower as their parents always advised them to use if something happened to their parents. James remembered the day John was born: "...Follow the 3, James. never forget it!" said their father, "Never lost each other. Promise us, James. You must always be there for your little brother!" said their mother. James looked at his brother who is in the arms of his mother sleeping and seriously gave his word: "I promise! I'll defend John with my life!" like for a moment you would believe this 4 years old kid could overcome anything for his brother. Their mother was surprised by the seriousness of his answer, but, she was happy, and so was their father. Tears escaped from her eyes, but James couldn't catch the meaning of it.

John couldn't understand why they had to run from them. "James! John! Come to my arms. Please! It's fine! We were wrong! You don't love me anymore?! Your own mother?!". John knew it is his mother but couldn't understand why he had to run from her.

A silhouette of a woman was trying to catch them by floating in the air like a ghost. Nothing could stop her. She couldn't even slow down. She can just pass through everything. John couldn't recognize her face anymore. She became a shadow, and so did his father.

"Don't listen to them, John! Our parents warned me about them. They may sound like our parents but they are not them anymore. They just became a monster who wants to turn us into something like that too and being them is worst than dying because imagine you have to be like that forever!" said James trying to prevent John from doing something stupid because John was always the emotional brother while James was the logical one.

No matter his brother's warnings John couldn't care. "I miss you so much, mom!" yelled John and let go of the hand of his brother to hug silhouette of his mother by opening his arms to hug the shadow of his mother by waiting for it to come and hug him just like how they always hugged. James was going to lose his whole world. The shadow of his mother was so close it could touch John just in a few seconds therefore James had to stop the shadow somehow so he did what he promised.

"Joooooohn!" yelled James, grabbed John's neck from behind to push him away from the shadow and James covered John with his own body by opening his arms. It was the first time James hurt his brother. He hurt him just to save John's life. James saw how his father was turning into a shadow by the shadow of his mother before therefore he knew shadows were stopping moving when they were turning a living being into a shadow for a while. It wasn't long but it was enough time to escape from a shadow. There was no other way to help John escape.

It was the only time James could fear anything. He couldn't fear from a bear-like animal that was about to attack him. He couldn't fear even when a mega earthquake that was powerful enough to even split a larger part of the land was about to destroy their house while he and his whole family were inside of the house. He wasn't fearing because he was about to turn into a shadow. He was only fearing because John will be all alone without his brother since he was the only person left in his family who could take care of John right now. He was too young to be able to take care of himself. James feared for any kind of bad fates John can experience.

"Ruuuun, Joooohn!" yelled James with the last breath his lungs could ever store anymore and looked at the head of the shadow of his mother with a brave smile daring even gods to attack him like he can even defeat gods. "Isn't it ironic, mother? You made me promise for a lot of things that I couldn't fulfil simultaneously. I did protect John, sure, but to do that I had to leave him alone. Hah." thought and smiled James just before he was getting touched by the shadow of his mother. He didn't even have time to breathe again. James closed his eyes for the last time.

John was too young to even understand the situation. He had to see his brother turn into a shadow to understand enough to see he should indeed run from them especially because of how James was looking in pain to turn into a shadow. John will never forget the scream of his brother anymore.

Convinced that he should really run John started to run from them. He lost his brother but at least he had a goal. Even in the absence of James, John was getting help from the wisdom of James and his parents.

The whole area was getting lit as John was getting far away from a shadow, enough to notice something is different. John noticed he was taller and bigger. Didn't understand what was happening but didn't care. He understood he finally escaped from a shadow and that was enough to care for. He may have escaped from a shadow but he realized something else was trying to catch him — death due to hunger.

John had no time to waste therefore he decided to go to the three-towers while looking for something to eat. The good thing was they intentionally planted plants that survivors can eat around the river that offers drinkable water therefore he had no problem eating and drinking something for now. His only problem was dealing with shadows and the three-towers were at almost a day-long distance.

John could only drink and eat a few before a new shadow appeared. Around him was starting to get darker again but even then John was amazed at how the light on the tallest tower of three-towers was still visible even when he couldn't see his own hands due to the darkness. The good thing about the light was he could see where he was going a little when he was going the light.

He didn't know where the shadow was but he knew it was time to run to the three-towers therefore he started to run but as he was running to the tower, the darkness was increasing its density. To his left there was a river that he couldn't pass without getting touched by a shadow due to getting too slow. His mother's and brother's shadow was behind him and there is a shadow in front of him so John chose the right way but he couldn't see where he was going because he wasn't going towards the light therefore he was bumping into trees and rocks enough to look like someone beat the shit out of him.

For a while he somehow managed to get away from the shadow therefore he could see again. What he saw made him surprised because he was taller and bigger again. He noticed his body looks like his brother's body but older anymore.

All the stress and running made him hungry again. He looked around to see something eatable but he wasn't sure what he should have eaten or not. He didn't know where the river is but at least he could see the three-towers. His last experience alone with a shadow made him think he should decide on what to eat fast when he can eat therefore he didn't pick food. He picked up a blue mushroom that was growing from a tree. He chose it just because he likes blue. One mushroom was enough to sate his hunger therefore he felt fine enough to keep going to the three-towers.

He walked and walked. The three-towers got bigger and bigger as his skin was turning into the blue. As his skin turned bluer he felt more like he is dying therefore his head started to spin and he started to get slower. His vision started to get blurry as much as his brain couldn't perceive the reality as it was in real-time properly so he was hallucinating. In that state the fact that he has eyes didn't change anything as he was almost going blind.

"So cloooseee." John thought while he was almost at one of the doors of a three-towers. He couldn't walk more. He couldn't even stand for one more second therefore he fell on the ground and started to shake and sweat more while he could be so sure he was hearing footsteps.


Chapter 2 — Three-towers


"...ouldn't do that!" said a woman.

"But it's what I swore the oath for!" said a man.

"This decision was not up to you to make! I'm the highest-ranking commander left on this whole planet!"

"You saw many wars and survived all of them but you are afraid of a young man who is so sick even to move a finger?"

"Yeah, especially when this is a young man who has blue skin!"

"You may be the highest-ranking commander on the whole planet but I'm the best medical doctor left on this whole planet and I can assure you he ain't a threat to anyone. Otherwise he couldn't even enter any of the towers. Though his only threat is teenage drama."

"I don't trust anything. Especially the technology we have. They thought that device was safe to use but look at us now! Most couldn't survive!"

"I understand. Mistakes were made but it doesn't mean similar mistakes will be repeated. We learnt our lessons. We didn't know then but we are wiser anymore."

"So you say when we as humans are still no different than a caveman. The only difference is now we are cavemen who can travel through the stars."

"C'mon, commander. You may can't trust me but at least know that I'll destroy this boy if I'll see any sign of any threat from him, okay? I won't even show mercy if he steals dust from here."

"Alright. You'll take full responsibility for the boy. One wrong move from him and I'll also punish you. You know the rules. The death sentence is being a shadow here."

"Yeah yeah I know. Don't you have more important things to do, commander? Like ordering someone to clean a toilet or something?"

"Ha ha very funny but yeah you are actually right. Floor 31 has the worst toilet for some reason. I gotta punish who is responsible for it to make things right!"

"Will you also make them a shadow?"

"Unfortunately shadows can't clean toilets. Its punishment will be worst than dying — no food and drink for 2 days."

"Damn thus you also punishing me too. I'll have to take care of whoever is the unlucky one.

"You are Mr. Doctor. It's your job while part of my job is punishing someone to ensure order around here because anarchy is the last thing we need here."

"Okay. Just don't be a perfectionist about toilets. Toilets should be clean sure but the irony is it gets dirty when you use them. Then you gotta forbid people from shitting in the toilet HA HA."

"Oh, you gave me a great idea! People should use the toilet in a way that it won't get dirty. Gotta lecture people on how to shit clean. Perhaps egg-heads here should add something in food and water that will make people shit without making the toilet seem like a murder scene of a shit-man!"

"Oh my God. What kind of monster I have created?"

"Okay. See you. Next time at least let me know before you bring a puppy with you."

"Did you just say... And she is gone again before l finish my sentence... Oh, you are awake huh? No need to pretend you ain't awake since I can see you are awake on my super monitor here."

John realized he can't fool people more by playing dead therefore he opened his eyes to see his angel. He indeed looked like an angel especially because he was all in white, even his long hair and eyes though he didn't look old at all. He was just sitting next to the bed John was sleeping in and was doing something with the computer that was on the wall.

The doctor suddenly turned his head to John with a sudden gaze while smiling with a slightly open mouth as if he just remembered the existence of John. "Hello there. Let's meet! I'm Docar. What's your name, buddy?" said the doctor with a so interested gaze like he wanted to learn his name all his life.

"Hello, Mr. Docar. My name is John." said John in a shying manner. Docar's sudden robotic gaze just before made John worried about his short-term future.

"Oh?! A well-mannered boy and there is nothing wrong with your memory, ability to speak and social skills. Yeah I know I can see everything about you on the screen of this super monitor but let's say I'm an old-fashioned doctor. Well, hello John. How old are you?" asked Docar expecting to find vital information even though he seems like he knows the answer already. He rested his chin above his left hand's palm while looking at John just waiting for him to answer him like what John was about to say won't surprise him at all.

"I'm 8 years old." said John which made Docar raise just his right eyebrow.

"Oh? Interesting. An 8-year-old mind in a 16-year-old body? That was what I was afraid of because in your sleep you said you wanted to hug your teddy bear. No normal 16 years old boy wants that. What's interesting is your brain is healthy. You are also psychologically fine so you have no sign of ADHD, arrested development, amnesia, et cetera yet your body is way older than your mind. I can see everything about you in this super monitor but not your memories. I'll need another super monitor for it but you telling me about all of your life will be faster." said the doctor in a way that seemed like he'll force John to learn about his memory despite what John chose so John started to tell all of his life.

"All my life I was with my family. I had a dad, a mom and a brother named James. James was 4 years older than me. I don't know the name of my parents. Our house was far away from the three-towers which were near a river. I spent most of my days with my family. Just recently we celebrated my 8th birthday. A day after my birthday we all woke up to a scream. I don't know what happened but James grabbed me by my hand and we escaped to three-towers ever since. We were escaping from black ghosts and that ghost sounded like my mom. I wanted to hug my mom but James didn't let me do it. The black ghost touched James and he became a black ghost too. Since then I was escaping here." said John while crying.

"Oh I see. You were one of that kids. I'm so sorry, kid. Your family didn't deserve such a fate but we had nothing else to do. We couldn't let them live here in three-towers because the defence system would kill them but it didn't kill you somehow since the defence system let you pass into one of the three-towers. Perhaps we were wrong about what happened to the kids. I know it's too late to save your family now but it's not late to save other kids at least. I know it's too confusing right now but it'll make sense later. Now just rest. When you need anything just think, so a wonderful person will come and will do anything you want as long as it's possible here. But hey don't want bad stuff okay? Bad stuff won't happen anyway. Ask for juice or something kind of things are allowed, we are not a genie, you know." said Docan with a malicious smile.

"What's genie?" asked John blinking blankly while his mouth was open a little.

"You don't know what it is huh? Then I'll show you what it's like later. For now just sleep, okay?" assured Docan while patting the head of John with a warm smile.

"Yaaaay!" cheered John and closed his eyes to sleep as if thus he will see the genie for sure otherwise Docan wouldn't let him see the genie.

"Yeeeeaaaah!?" said Docan and threw an uppercut to the air slowly and gently with a surprised smile on his face. "He's really 8 years old, huh?" thought Docan.


...


"Oh you are awake huh?" said Docar like he was almost going to wake John.

"Show me the genie!!!" said John impatiently.

"Genie? Oh yeah. Here it's!" said Docar and showed the genie using a device that was something like a watch on the left arm of Docar. The device created an image of a being in the air just in front of John by sending lights.

"Wow! So cool. I want that!" said John showing the device that's on the left arm of Docar.

"Oh this? You have to be one of us to get one but I'm not sure if the commander would let you be one of us." said Docar with a doubtful voice and he started to seem like he seriously thinking about how to help John about it while pulling his lower lip a little.

"Then how can I be one of you?!" said John enthusiastically like he would destroy the universe just to get what he wants.

"Well, if you are serious about it I'll take you to the commander and we'll talk about it but first we need to restore your skin colour because it's still too blueish. Fortunately it'll be restored tomorrow morning. Also you got too bad scars and it'll be fully restored in a few hours. All you have to do is just stay in the bed." said Docar.

"Yaaay!!! Thanks, Mr. Docar!!!" yelled John like it was the best day ever for him.

"You bet!" said Docar while smiling like he just saved the whole universe and he enjoying this fact. "Yeah we'll have to talk about you with the commander anyway... To decide what to do with you and what can you do with us. It's good that you want to be one of us because you were going to be forced to be one of us anyway because... that's the philosophy of the commander — either you are a friend who helps us or you are our enemy who doesn't care about us. Do you understand, John?" said Docar with a sad tone of voice like he regrets even being here on this planet. "But it's not all bad since there is no better alternative and everyone here will love you as long as you do your job. No one can say anything to a person who does what they should do. You don't even have to get the job done. All people ask of you is to choose to be helpful. Help everyone but don't be a tool. Get along with anyone because you have no one else. They are the people who'll eventually be needed by you. Don't worry, they won't be hostile to you because they'll have no one else. We all need each other here. No one is superior in the real sense. Yeah sure we have ranked as ours is a military community but ranks only represent the degree of responsibility. For example even our commander needs cleaners so she can shit in a clean toilet and cleaners need a commander so she can help cleaner with their job by protecting them and... well pointing the dirty toilets HA HA." said Docar to make John relax little because what he said was being so grim.

"HA HA!" John laughed too after he seemed like crying while listening to Docar. "I understand. Everyone needs to help the family in any way they can, that's what father always said!" said John proudly.

"Oh your father was a wise man, and you are a wise kid for listening to a wise person!" said Docar being proud of John. "You know what? I like you already, John. Say what, to be one of us you need at least one parent but that parent must be someone you really want. No one can force you that, so, would you want me to be one of your parents, legally I mean?" said Docar in a way he couldn't take no as an answer because it would be too sad for him.

John understood the reality of the situation that he needs a parent and Docar would be sad to hear "no" for an answer.

"I like you too, Mr. Docar... father." said John shyingly which made Docar smile big as he can.

"Thank you, John. I... I don't know what else to say." said Docar almost forgetting to breathe.

"Thank you, father, for accepting me. By the way will I have a mother too?" asked John hoping for a positive answer.

"A mother? Oh, unfortunately no. I... I just couldn't find the right one. Not that I was looking for one anyway because... you see I was too busy with what I do. Medical science was my whole family until you came." said Docar with a smiling face.

"Oh okay. No problem." said John in a way it was obviously a big problem for him.

Docar understood John lost his spirit because of the answer therefore he wanted to raise his spirit.

"Well I know I'm no woman but I can cook well and my hair is long like a woman HA HA!" laughed Docar which made John laugh too.

"Really it's fine. I just didn't feel right to don't have a mother." said John which made Docar raise his right eyebrow.

"I see. After all it was what you got used to. A family in which there is no mother figure is weird to you. I understand. No one can replace your real parents, it's not what I'll do. Better consider me as your legal guardian who will take care of you until you can take care of yourself but it doesn't mean we won't be best friends forever, right, John?" said Docar blinking his right eye just after he stopped talking. John just smiled in reply.

"Okay, John. I really do enjoy talking with you but I have adult stuff to do because I'm like a super-doctor here therefore I'll have to leave you for now. You bet we'll see each other in the morning. You better sleep to get rid of that bluish colour HA HA!" said Docar and left the room without waiting for a reply. He really had to leave since how his face was so serious just before he exited the room. John thought he almost seemed like he was going to war.

John had nothing interesting to do and he wasn't sure if he was sleeping just because Docar said so or if he understood John was sleepy but John couldn't keep his eyes open so he slept almost instantly.


...


"... with me! Is this the same boy? Are you sure he isn't a threat?" said the commander.

"Is this your way to say you are amazed at how I restored his skin colour? Yeah he is the same boy and nope he is not a threat to anyone. Not even to a baby just because he is not a person who would willingly hurt people for no reason." said Docar.

"I hope he'll hurt people when there is a good reason, otherwise he can't be a soldier, not even a bad one."

"What if he doesn't want to be a soldier but wants to be a scientist?"

"You know the rules. Everyone here is a soldier despite what's their job. Even cleaners here are a soldier. We don't have anyone else to do the dirty job so soldiers are always in need here."

"Still there are full-time soldiers like you are and backup soldiers like I'm. Just let the boy decide."

"Yes, he already seems like saying what he decided." said the commander. She just noticed John was awake, listening to them and obviously looked like he wants to say something with an open mouth.

"I want to be..." said John but Docar interrupted him.

"John. Never decide before you know as much as you can about it. You don't know how things are here." said Docar disappointed in John.

"Well, what he'll choose doesn't matter to me. Either he'll help us in any way he can or he'll be a shadow." said the commander like John is so unimportant like he is garbage.

"Though you won't like his personality traits, commander." said Docar.

"Why? Does he love to be a terrorist? We have enough terrorist problems already." said the commander in a way she'll shoot John without blinking if he has a terrorist in his genes.

"The well good thing is he ain't even an anarchist. He is actually morally good and loyal so he'll definitely help us. But... he is not a person who would hurt a person. He would rather suicide." said Docar mischievously smiling at the commander.

"Shit! It's already hard to find someone and he can't even be a soldier." said the commander resentfully.

"But it doesn't mean he can't be helpful to our cause. He has a great scientist mind just like his parents. His sense of protection is so strong, we can use it to our advantage by making him use non-lethal weapons that just make life forms faint or paralyze in a non-hurtful way but we never developed such weapon. He should be great at using a weapon gene-wise but we gotta test him to understand how great he's." said Docar while he raised his right eyebrow.

"A soldier who doesn't want to kill but protect? Well at least he's half soldier and... half scientist? Interesting mix. So what, he can protect so... intelligently HA HA?" said the commander in jest.

"No, being a scientist ain't equal to being smart at all. It just means his brain ain't afraid to think and he likes to get answers and for it he wants to prove." said Docar like the commander asked if the earth was flat.

"I see. Well as long as he'll be helpful I don't mind how." said the commander in a self-assured way.

"Okay, now the first step is completed, we have to proceed to the second step which is telling the whole situation to John but he won't like what he heard." said Docar by raising his right eyebrow.

"Well you do that while I do something else." said the commander and she left.

"Well John, you were out of the three-towers all your life. You didn't see much. The only people you knew were your family. But here is different. There are a lot of people who do a lot of things. People may seem like working for one goal that's helping out people here but some people here have different definitions for "helping". Some people left the family of three-towers and became a terrorist who believes they helping humanity but they don't help us, they even harm us. You'll meet with people and as you understand them you'll get how some of them are helpful to our cause and how some of them believe they helping but they are not. There are even people who are just after hurting us to be helpful to themselves. But you don't need to know these right now.

What you need to know right now is the truth behind your parents and how they affected us. About 16 years ago we as the last remnant of humanity came to this planet just because it was the best planet we could go to and we couldn't pick another planet. We had to find a planet fast because we were running out of resources on the previous planet that we called Earth so it was even a miracle to even travel to this planet that we call Exon. We call this planet "Exon" just because it means Earth's first letter "E" due to how this planet is similar to Earth + "X" as "unknown" + another meaning of "on" that's "covering the surface of, being held by, or connect to something" because this planet has something we still don't understand. It's also what causes the black ghosts as you define them.

Your parents were lead scientists that were researching a device we found on this planet. Their task was just to understand what it does but they accidentally went too far. They made a mistake and made the device work. There was some kind of explosion but it wasn't like an explosion of fire or something. There was an energy discharge which made some people turn into black ghosts we call shadows. Some people instantly became a shadow because they were too close to the explosion, some people turned into a shadow after a few days, and some people turned into a shadow after years. That explosion was 13 years ago and your parents turned into a shadow just a few days ago but not you.

The energy of the explosion is something we still have no idea of. Your parents were the best scientists who could research it but they weren't allowed just because the leaders of the three-towers didn't want to risk the situation getting worst so they were exiled from here, so as the research. No one does anything about it. We just don't do anything about the device but there is someone who tries to do something about it and that someone is your uncle.

We thought the energy of the explosion is something that changes the DNA of the life form so they turn into a shadow. But it wasn't. You would have to turn into a shadow if it was the case but your DNA is nothing like the DNA of people who were turning into a shadow so thanks to you we understood child of the people who were the victims of the explosion won't turn into a shadow so we made contact with the people who were exiled and saved their children because we need every people we can find for our cause. Unfortunately they had to leave their home. Can you follow up so far?" said Docar because John seemed like he'll faint due to sadness.

"My... my... parents did it? So people will hate me here!" said John about to cry.

"No! No one even dislikes your parents here! It was just an accident. Everyone here knew the risks. People actually couldn't survive on Earth if their parents couldn't help people. Your parents invented a mini-sun for the spaceship's energy source and an AI for the calculation of travelling in space faster as much as light. Without your parents we couldn't make the trip at all. There are even statues of your parents here!" said Docar in a way John insulted his religion.

"Oh, okay. That's cool!" cheered John but he was still sad about the fact that the accident was caused by his parents.

"The thing is we don't even sure who actually caused the explosion. I don't think your parents were responsible for it. Even back then there were terrorists. I know a scientist shouldn't pick a side but your parents were like my idols. They were gods in the scientists' community. And the thing is your mother wasn't completely a scientist. She was like you, half soldier half scientist. She was a member of another tower which is different from your father.

Now I mention it I want to tell you what's three-towers are exactly. Three-towers were part of the spaceship we used to come here. The middle tower was the middle of the spaceship. It's the tallest tower. The other towers were on the side of the spaceship. Due to the modification of the spaceship according to the needs of particular towers we changed how these towers look like. And the needs of the tower depending on the Houses that are in the charge of the particular tower.

So the tallest tower belongs to the House of the soldiers — Gonma. For example the name of our current commander is Hankan Gonma. She is the grand-grand daughter of the founder of the house Gonma, Roxat Gonma.

The shorter tower belongs to the House of the scientists — Endir. For example, the name of your father was Ir Endir. And yep, he was the grand-grand-grand son of the founder of the house Endir, Ben Endir.

The shortest tower belongs to the House of the half soldiers and half scientist — Lyynor. For example, the name of your mother was Sec Lyynor. She was the granddaughter of the founder of the house Lyynor, Tose Lyynor.

As you see we have more soldiers than scientists and even more scientists than half soldiers and half scientists which we call them Lyynor. Some people even call Lyynor "Enma" because of "En" of Endir + "ma" of Gonma. You better get used to it because that's how they'll call you here until you make a name for yourself. In total we have hundreds of people and therefore not everyone knows the name of everyone therefore we all wear uniforms depending on our house, ranks and jobs. By the way, no matter the house you belong to, people are legally equal to the people who share the same rank. The rank only means who you can give orders to or not. We'll send you to school so you can learn the life here but unfortunately you'll have to start from the first grade and therefore your classmates will be some 6 years old kids. Mentally you are not much different than them but your body is too old for them so expect them to bully you for this reason. I know it's bad but there is nothing we can do about them other than try to explain the situation and they probably won't believe nor care about it. They are little kids after all.

Which class you'll be in depends on your house and job. We'll give you a job according to your DNA so you can help this community in the best way you can. At least thus you'll find people who are similar to you but age will be a great barrier.

Well, do you have a question so far?" asked Docar while John had a hard time remembering what Docar just said. John was still processing the facts about his parents. They never mentioned it to John. John wondered if James knew all these and if so why he never told him these. Since it was a question no one could answer right now he chose to ask the most important question he could think of: "Why there are bad guys?" which made Docar raise his right eyebrow.

"Bad guys? Oh you mean the terrorists. To be honest we still don't know what they are after. They were rebels who just disappeared just after the ship landed. They were from all of the houses so it's hard to determine which house is responsible if they are at all but we think there might be another unknown house. Houses were all officially selected by the heads of the international community of the last city on Earth just because these houses were the only ones left that had the potential to save humanity but there may be another house that didn't agree on how we save humanity.

So far neither they nor we killed each other. They live somewhere outside of the three-towers which we have no idea of. They won't help but they try to prevent us from researching this planet by scaring off the research team, disturbing our devices, et cetera. We can only assume there is something they want from this planet but they don't want us to get it and they don't want to start a war for it as if we'll be useful for their goal or we already are useful for them without knowing how. Any more questions?" asked Docar.

"Tell me about my uncle. Who is he?" asked John. John also couldn't believe why no one told him he has an uncle before.

"Well, he is a scientist like your father. His name is Er Endir. We don't know if he's still alive since he left here a few years ago. We all know why he is left. He wanted to undo the effect of the explosion which turned people into shadows so no one will be a shadow anymore and the current shadows will be back to living. He actually asked for help from the all houses but even his own house turned its back on him. Not because they don't want to help, but just because they don't want to risk another disaster. The commander also considers him as a terrorist because she believes he'll doom us all. Your parents are still a hero here who just had an accident. To be honest there were some accidents as severe as the shadow incident so no one blames anyone but your uncle is hated here for his selfish actions. We actually think of helping him so he won't cause another explosion so we search for him but he's nowhere to be found, not even around where the device is. Currently people are protecting the device to make sure it won't doom us again which we think is why your uncle never showed his face there. He might have died or joined the terrorist or he's alone somewhere and we have no idea what he's doing. Next questions?" asked Docar.

John paused for a while after he nodded his head and after a while he started to look into his eyes of Docar and opened his mouth: "Why do I look older anymore?"

Docar blinked both of his eyes and for a while Docar looked at John with sad eyes and a smile. Before Docar opened his mouth he took a big breath while looking at the floor as if the answer is written on the floor.

"Consider the explosion like diving into a river. When you get affected by the explosion imagine you get wet forever which being wet means after a while you get so wet you get cold and getting cold means you turn into a shadow. So imagine by getting near a shadow you almost get cold and wet. This energy a shadow emits around makes the activity of your atoms and energies inside of your body get so fast you start to age faster. Therefore we believe those who become a shadow stop ageing but they don't actually live anymore. It's like they really turn into a ghost. That's why, John, never even get near to a shadow."

John nodded his head and frowned while looking Donmar in the eye and asked:

"Is that why it gets dark around a shadow? Like the energy of light gets out of energy to emit light when the light enters the field generated by a shadow?" asked John which made Docar raise his right eyebrow.

"Very good. You understood the logic but you have lots to learn about it to understand why and how it actually happens. You are really a scientist huh?" said Docar while chucking and gently punching the right shoulder of John which made John chuckle too.

"Well, any other question?"

This time John looked very excited: "When will I start the school?"

"We are so eager, aren't we?!" yelled the commander which made both Docar and John jump from where they were sitting.

"Where the hell you came from without making even a sound?!" asked Docar in shock.

"Well, you locked the door for some reason so I used the window. And I wouldn't be a commander if I couldn't sneak in anywhere, righty Mr. Not so smart doctor? Lock the window next time you lock the door too. Besides I can listen to any room anytime anyway, especially the non-residential areas but I don't have to obey the rules. I'm fine as long as no one catches me breaking rules HA HA!" laughed the commander like she is a master criminal.

"So you confessed your crimes? You know I record every sound in this room so I just recorded your confession. Why shouldn't I send the record to the heads of the three-towers?" smiled Docar mischievously.

"Do you have real concrete proof on I committed a crime? Just because I said I committed a crime doesn't mean I really did it. What you can do however is make heads of the three-towers investigate the case but who would really bother with it?" smiled the commander mischievously and continued speaking.

"Anyway, I almost forgot why I came. Docar, you are now officially the legal protector of this child. Until he is 25 you'll be responsible for taking care of him. I actually talked with the heads of the three-towers, they are aware of the situation of this boy so they made an exception about his age. Despite his body being 16 years old we'll consider he's 8 years old. Here are his papers and all. You better show him around and all. I don't have time to babysit anyone!" said the commander and left the room from the window without waiting for a reply.

"Well, congratulation, John. We'll have to live in the same place anymore." said Docar and started to check his monitor. "Well... you are fine and good to go. Let's get you out of bed so I'll show you around. We may even go somewhere to eat, what do you say?" asked Docar cheerfully.

"Okay, cool!" said John can't wait to see how the three-towers are.


...

"What'll we do about the boy?" said voice A of an old woman.

"For now nothing." said voice B of an old man.

"We better watch him closely and see what kind of person he's." said voice C of an old man.


...


John and Docar got out of the room. They passed through some corridors, they entered an elevator to get down of the building to reach the first floor. So far nothing was interesting for him. They finally reached to a bigger room that had the exit of the building. Some people had white uniforms that consist of white overcoats just like Docar had. People were bowing to Docar anytime they see him passing which made John surprised. Docar realized how John was surprised by it so he start to explain while they were walking.

"I have the highest rank in the House of Endir. That title actually belongs to your uncle but since he left they needed another president of the house. I may be a president but I'm not the head of the houses. Heads, also called three-heads are the leaders of this space travel to here and all. No one saw who they are but we know they exist because we communicate via voice though only presidents of the houses can talk with them but it must be absolutely necessary. They favour talking with the commander though and I never talked with them, nor your uncle as much as we now. Also the thing is even though I have the same rank as the commander I'm not commander therefore I have no power over the three-towers. I'm only responsible for my own house while the commander is responsible for every human here. Ah we finally reached the exit. Let me show you what's outside of here." said Docar and opened the exit door.

The outside of the tower wasn't particularly interesting. There was a purple shield that was almost invisible around the three-towers and other than that there was nothing but wildlife out there. As John started to look above to the three-towers he saw all of the towers were just next to each other without any space between them.

Docar started to explain: "Well you can go outside if you just want to breathe fresh air or something. I don't recommend you to touch the shield field. You won't get harmed but it's far away, you can't pass through it and you have no reason to touch it. No one can enter through it or get out from here without permission, not even a shadow. It was actually your parents who developed the shield. They didn't know what exactly shadows are but they managed to build a shield around the idea of being 'able to stop any type of atom and energy in existence' so we know shadows are not a ghost, they do have energy but it's unknown to us. Three-heads forbids us to further research anything about shadows. Our only order about shadows is ignoring them until they threaten one of us and then our only option is to run away from shadows. We actually risked a shadow entering here by disabling the shield just to rescue you. If we were a few minutes late you would be a shadow too..." said Docar by suddenly stopping talking as if there was something he wanted to say but he changed his mind about saying it.

"Anyway, let's head to the tallest tower and have some Tobca." said Docar and started to walk towards to the tallest tower of House Gonma as if he is a robot who just received a new command until John asked "What's Tobca?".

"Oh well, you better see and taste it. I guarantee it'll be the best thing you ever tasted and it's cheap too. It's just 9 RC... And now you'll ask me what's RC, right? Well it's reputation credit. As you help around here you earn credits by earning reputation points. No one can just give you RC randomly. Only your superior can give RC according to the guideline. For example the guy who found you earned 100000 for saving you... And now you want to ask who saved you right? His name is Zatta. He was on guard duty who is in charge of roaming around the shield field inside of the field of course. There is one of the guards just over there if you can see it. The last time I saw him he was in the only bar around here called Nirvana. Before you ask: You can only enter to Nirvana when you are at least 25 years old. Until then no alcohol for you but even then you can't always drink as much as you want whenever you want." explained Docar while they were entering to Tower Gonma.

"Father, what kind of person Zatta is?"

For a moment Docar stopped walking and looked at John smiling in surprise at hearing John calling him "father" and then he started to walk again.

"I guess I have to get used to you calling me 'father', huh? Well, I actually don't know Zatta other than he is the only guard who doesn't have a partner because he likes to be alone I guess, even at Nirvana. It's ironic but he always sits in the darkest and faraway corner of Nirvana all alone. Actually I never even saw him talking until the day he reported he saved you from shadows so he requested emergency medical attention. After he left you inside of the tower of Endir he returned to his post running since he was still on guard duty."

"What he did sound like?"

"He sounded like... he didn't talk for a long time. It was like he was still in stuck on a bad memory. He might be one of the survivors of the explosion..."

"Then would Zatta rescue me if he had known the explosion wouldn't happen if my parents wasn't researching the device?"

Docar stopped and grabbed the shoulders of John to stop him and make him look at Docar's eyes but John was looking at the floor as if the past John didn't want to believe in should be buried deep so no one will remember it happened.

"John, look at me. First of all the explosion was no one's fault. Perhaps it would explode anyway because perhaps it was a bomb. We are not sure but your parents did anything to stop this device from harming us. They may couldn't stop the explosion but even after they are gone they still protected us. They are the one who built the shield. Without them human race would die on Earth a long time ago. John, they are heroes of the whole of humanity. We even have laws for punishing anyone who even talks badly about them. We have statues of them at Gonma.

Last of all, Zatta is a soldier therefore of course he would protect a person no matter what. In fact Zatta disobeyed the direct order of the commander and he still carried you into Endir even though his gear and weapon were in total like %33 of his weight. He didn't have to carry you at all but he did even though the commander ordered him to leave him there and continue his guard duty."

John was almost about to cry.

"But... but... was he punished for disobeying the order?"

"Yeah, now he probably cleaning the toilets on floor 31 since he is not on guard duty."

"I thought the commander would make him turn into a shadow."

"Nah, turning into a shadow is a death sentence but for it you either have to kill someone, make someone useless to our community or attempt to do these. Since Zatta helped you I made the commander understand how Zatta did the right choice to bring you to Endir because otherwise you would die."

"I see. Father, I want to talk to him."

"Okay. Your only chance is finding him during guard duty. But don't bother him much. Come let's go to Gonma."

After a little while they entered Gonma.

Tower Gonma was unlike the Tower Endir of the scientists. There were rifles, swords, spears, armors, magazines, et cetera all around in an orderly way close to walls and there were slogans written around like "We'll get tired but we'll never burnout." there was some kind of military song hearable around here that has lyrics like "Listen to the sound of thunder. Listen to the sound of thunder. We are coming at the speed of lightning." and there was thunder sounds coming. Docar realized how awkward John felt about Gonma.

"Yeaaaah. Gonma loves their masculine stuff at extreme levels. You'll understand it better when you meet with an unfriendly Gonma. Anyway, let's get some Tobca over here." said Docar and pointed at a machine just in front of a wall. You could see the products in the machine through its transparent front panel. None of the products was familiar to John but from the images and shapes of the products he understood they are junk foods and drinks.

Docar pressed some buttons on the machine and then he touched the machine with the device on his left arm. After a sound beep machine said "You bought... two... Tobca. Have a nice day!" and then they watched two products fall to the bottom of the machine. Docar bent over and inserted his hand inside the machine to get the products and then he gave one of them to John.

John looked at the product and could read Tobca written on it. He could see what Tobca should like by looking at the image on its package. It looked like some kind of yellow flat pyramid bread.

Docar already opened Tobca's package and almost finished it. "Well, don't be afraid, better eat it fast. We need to go to the headmaster of your school before her shift is over." said Docar.

John opened the package and took the Tobca. He did bite it once as if he was going to eat food that possibly kill him. After the blue mushroom incident he hesitated to eat anything.

After a few chews John said: "Wow, it's the best thing I ever tasted!".

Docar smiled and said: "I know right? Well there is a good reason why it tastes so good. In it there is a chemical that changes according to your body. It quickly detects what your body would produce good taste chemicals and it changes itself according to it. That's why at first it didn't taste good to you but as you eat it'll taste better. Well, this is what we call smart chemicals. They are almost like life forms but they don't copy themselves and they don't die but they just got spoiled as how food is. What's also so great about Tobca is you will have full energy for at least 4 hours. That's why Tobca is fa favourite among guards because guard duty takes 4 hours."

John looked very amazed: "Wow. That's so cool! I wanna do such stuff too. Will they teach it in school?" asked John expecting a yes.

Docar raised his right eyebrow and said: "Well they'll teach the fundamental of it but not how to exactly do it. You have the potential because it requires a complex thinking ability and some luck. Oh yeah, we better head to school inside the Tower Lyynor. We'll have to walk faster for it." and they started to go somewhere inside Tower Gonma.

Docar started to explain: "You can reach any tower inside of any tower by using such ways. Just follow the signs around or ask someone." And he showed signs on the walls and on the floor. Signs on the walls had texts and shapes of arrows for information, and signs on the floor had coloured arrow shapes which showed which way heads to which tower. Gonma's arrow was green, Endir's was blue, and Lyynor's was cyan.

"Well, John, you already learnt a lot even before you started school HA HA!" laughed Docar and John joined his laughter.

"I can't wait to start to school and get that device!" said John in excitement.

"Oh by the way you'll only get the device when you graduated and you'll only graduate at the age of 25." said Docar expecting John to get sad.

"What? I need to wait 17 years!" yelled John which made people look at them with worried and curious eyes.

Docar touched under his nose vertically with the tip of his index finger and shushed John. "Keep it down, will ya! Let's leave here before they call security. " said Docar and holding John's hands and pulling him away.

"John, you need to know the basic rules around here. Don't bother anyone or else you may be charged with disturbing public peace. No matter your age you can get punished in any way depending on your crime. No one tolerates people who are useless or hurt others in any way. You even need to talk in a particular way or it'll be considered as an offence. Well they'll teach you at school and you are almost pardoned for any minor incident you caused since you didn't start school yet and you didn't raise around here but try not to cause trouble okay? Otherwise the first person who's responsible for your actions will be me and the second person will be the headmaster of your school and then your teachers and the head of the house you belong to. The thing is I'm your legal protector and also head of your house so I'll be like double punished for your crimes." explained Docar in hurrying way.

"It sucks. I already hate here. It's too strict!" said John almost crying.

"Well, John I'm sorry but you have nothing else to do but live here. Or you'll have to escape just like your Uncle did but I don't advise that." said Docar with worry in his sound.

"C'mon, John. Headmaster waiting for you. I know you didn't like the way this community is but you'll get used to it. I also didn't like the way it's here but it's not so bad." said Docar trying to spirit up John but John looked sad and was looking at the floor with sad eyes as if there'll be a portal he can enter to escape to a magical land where his family living.

They didn't talk while they were heading to the headmaster.

...

John's mind was stuck in past and a possible future therefore while he followed Docar he didn't realize where he actually passed through until Docar said "John, stop, we've finally come.". Now they were standing in front of a door.

"John, you have to get in the room and talk with the headmaster. Don't talk, don't do anything unless she asks you a question." said Docar while he sit down on one of the chairs that's just next to the headmaster's door.

John understood Docar cannot enter and he has to talk with the headmaster alone because this must be the rule here therefore after John looked at Docar for a moment he nodded, took a deep breath and started to imagine how fearsome the headmaster could be. John remembered how his father wanted them to knock on the door before they enter to his study room therefore he knocked on the headmaster's door. The door opened vertically and John entered to room with a serious face as if he is going to talk with the president of a country.

Docar was surprised to see John knock on the door before he enter the room so much he raised his right eyebrow.

"Hmm... As expected from their child. How shameful to lose James too. He would be a very valuable part of our team."

As John entered the room the door closed itself as soon as it could. John saw a woman who had weird tower-like dark red hair. She seemed to not be aware of John's existence because she was looking at the screen on her desk and from time to time she was touching the screen.

Suddenly and quickly she looked at John and as soon as their eyes meet she said "Come, sit." with a somewhat soft and authoritarian voice and showed the only chair in front of her desk with her left hand as if she cutting an imaginary cake in air with her left hand. The chair was faced to the left side of the room but James didn't see a way to rotate the chair to face her since the chair was directly connected to the floor with a pole under the chair.

John quickly walked a few steps and sit on the chair. As soon as John sit, the chair moved itself a few steps away from her desk and faced itself to her.

"John Endir Lyynor. The mental age is 8 but the biological age is 16. Son of Ir Endir and Sec Lyynor. The great-grandson of house Endir and Lyynor. You are a star around here. What do you think about it?"

At first John didn't understand what she mean therefore John blinked thrice but he realized it wasn't a rhetorical question and she was waiting for an answer by looking at him with her piercing gaze behind her glasses.

"Ma'am, I... I don't think anything about it?" said John as if the headmaster will kill him if it turns out to be a wrong answer.

As soon as John stopped talking the headmaster said "Why?" by moving her mouth like she barking.

"Because it's not important?"

As if John asked a question the headmaster sounded like she answered.

"Correct!" she yelled as she got up and started to walk behind to John. The moment she started to stand just behind John she asked another question.

"What do you think about society?"

John wanted to turn back to look at her but she grabbed John's head quickly and turned his head so he can directly face to his front.

"Don't look at me. Answer the question."

John started to be stressed so much he started to sweat.

"Society is a big family. As how the family is, everyone should help each other so the family can survive together."

"Is it your opinion or did someone teach you that?"

"Ma'am, it's what I understood from my father when he told me why family and therefore society are important. He taught me a..."

"Silence! Only talk when I asked a question and I tell the answer!"

...

"What do you think about education?"

"Education makes people a better person so they can help society better."

"No matter what don't move or make a sound."

The moment when John was about to think what she meant suddenly something metallic and cold grabbed John's head. John felt like it was something like a hat.

"Don't worry, boy. I'll scan your brain to determine what you know so I can determine what kind of education you will need and how long your education suppose to take. Just close your eyes and wait for a moment."

John closed his eyes. He didn't feel pain or anything else except how cold the device on his head is. Suddenly he felt the device is not on his head anymore therefore he opened his eyes and saw the headmaster sitting and checking the screen on his desk.

"It would be a waste of time to start your education from first grade. Your parents taught you well so much you are very ahead of your peers. Therefore at least 11 years of education will suffice. No matter your mental age you can actually start your education with people who have the same biological age as you have. Any information regarding your education is sent to your legal guardian, Mr. Docar. Now you shall leave." said she and started to check the screen as if John didn't exist.

John caught between if it would be rude to say "Have a good day, ma'am." or not saying it but since he knew how she didn't want to be bothered he just decided to leave the room quietly.

John looked at Docar and saw him looking at the device on his left arm while his right eyebrow was raised but this time his lips were raised too as if he is calculating something in his head. Then suddenly Docar became aware of the presence of John.

"Oh, hey John. I see it went well."

John was surprised to hear it went well because he thought it didn't go well at all so he didn't want to imagine the worst outcome he could experience if the headmaster wasn't satisfied with the answers.

"Father, what would happen if it had didn't go well?"

"Oh, John, you really don't want to know it. Nevermind that. Want some Tobca?"

"Sure. So, when will I start the school?"

"Tomorrow morning. Today we'll have to buy a uniform for you and some stuff you'll need regarding your education."

"I can't wait!"

"That's the spirit!"

Docar and John started to go to the nearest vending machine that can sell them Tobca....

Chapter 3 — The Unfinished Business

"Wake up, John, wake up, or else you'll be late!"

John was tired to wake up — physically and mentally. Docar and John celebrated their 25th birthday of John last night and while doing so they had fun like there is no tomorrow. They played lots of games and danced a lot. Good thing the part was in their house therefore they didn't have to bother going to their beds much. John slept as soon as his head hit the pillow.

"Why do I have to wake up exactly?" he asked himself but as if Docar read his mind he answered.

"John, this is the day you'll get your diploma and your personal device. Remember, you wanted to have one of these so much and imagine after 9 years the device had lots of upgrades. Even I cannot keep up with all the features they keep adding."

Suddenly John opened his eyes and got up and started to change his clothes. Docar raised his right eyebrow.

"John, no need to rush things. The school will be opened an hour later so you have lots of time"

"But, father, I'm so ex..."

"Excited, yes. All you'll do is wait there for nothing until they'll open the doors and then wait for the ceremony to end and then the headmaster to finish her speech and the..."

"I knooo..." John almost fell while wearing his pants. "...oow but I want to go somewhere first."

John finished wearing his clothes and therefore was ready to leave therefore he started to walk away.

"I see. At least don't go out before you finish your egg..." said Docar but John couldn't hear the rest because he was out of the house anymore.

"Good. I have a lot of eggs to eat now. What a feast." said Docar and raised his right eyebrow.

John left the tower Endir he was living in for the past 9 years. Before he headed to Gonma he checked around the three-tower to see Zatta, the guard who saved his life by disobeying the commander's order, around but as always he couldn't find him. For some reason Zatta was always on guard duty when most of the people were sleeping and during that time due to the lockdown no one could get out of their house unless it's an emergency therefore John never had to chance to thank Zatta.

"I have 2 more people to thank." said John and headed to Gonma.

John, as every morning he did, headed to the floor dedicated to be a memorial for the deceased people of three-tower as well as honouring the important living people of three-tower. John's parents were one of them. Their statues were the hugest statues in the whole three-tower. There was a road for people to walk on in the middle of the room. Just after you enter the room at just left of the road there was the statue of his mother and at just right of the road there was the statue of his father as if they welcome whoever came to this room. John loved to come here every morning before school and every evening after school.

John always loved and respected his parents but as he learned about them in school he started to respect them more. Just because he was the son of them and people knew it some people faked being his friend as well as some were genuinely being his enemy due to jealousy therefore all these 9 years he only had Docar as his best friend. He never needed anything else except his parents and James.

After he paid his respect to his parents he decided to pay his respect to James. Unlike his parents James only had his name on a screen among lots of names.

"So you came again huh? But you know, your parents are not here." said a woman who sounded familiar.

James had to turn back and think a lot to figure out who she was. James couldn't figure out who she was if she didn't wear her uniform.

"Commander, what a surprise to see you here. I had a hard time recognizing you because I didn't see you for 9 years."

"Well, I had a hard time recognizing you too because you are not blue anymore.". Smiled the commander.

"Yeah. How can I help you, commander?"

"Don't worry, you'll help three-tower if you don't end up being a damn terrorist. But I didn't come here to tell you these. You know, your family is not here. I watch you come here twice a day. Why?"

"I have no idea why you watch me, commander." Smiled John.

"Ha ha, very funny. I see Docar's sense of humour rubbed on you. You know what I mean but I seriously ask you because it's my job to ensure public safety, and especially because I suspect your uncle left three-tower years ago so somehow he may contact you or he did so please answer my question: Why did you come here twice a day?"

"I know they are not here anymore but this is the only place I don't feel alone. Don't you have people you miss?"

"I see but I don't see. When people die you cannot find them in their dead bodies or in a memorial. They are in your heart, they are in your memory. So you don't have to come here."

"I know but I want to come here. Is it a crime?"

"No, I actually admire it especially because it shows you don't forget and live your life as if nothing happened but people tend to avoid thinking about death and their loved ones who died. We are actually the only 2 people who come here often. Perhaps you enjoy how quiet here, don't you?"

"Oh, yeah. I feel... so peaceful here."

"That's why I'm not afraid of death." said the commander and started to walk away.

"Peace in death, huh?" thought John. While he thought about what the commander said about his uncle he went to the school and endured the whole day to get his diploma and personal device. The whole formality ended around the evening and thus he finally got his diploma and personal device. He went to the memorial floor with his "parents" and discover what kind of functions the device can do.

As soon as he entered to the memorial floor, he found a bench to sit on. On the screen of the device there were on-screen instructions on how to set the settings and startup the device.

"Damn, it looks good on my arm." said John smiling and starting to read the on-screen instructions.

"Congratulations! You have finally graduated but it's not over yet! Your real-life didn't even start yet. You, John Endir Lyynor, will be known as only John Lyynor from now on and will help society on the behalf of house Lyynor in which your new home will be in Lyynor. To be helpful to three-tower, you have to set the settings of this device called Mobile Arm-Top Personal Computer Model 77, in short MATPC-77, to your liking. Please press on 'Next' to start the startup process!"

After half an hour the startup process was complete.

"Damn, I can't wait to see what this bad boy can do!" said John and started to try every option the device offered.

Suddenly a video call screen appeared on the device along with "Accept" and "Ignore" buttons as well as "Unknown Caller" text. James first hesitated because of the "unknown caller but he pressed the "accept" button because it was the only way to know who it was.

Suddenly the screen showed Docar's face therefore John smiled.

"John, where are you? You were supposed to be at home at this hour. Were you playing with your new toy?"

"Hi, father. I'm at the memorial. Yes, it took way longer than I expected to just finish the startup process."

"So you were going to memorial all these times. I see. I thought you have a girlfriend!"

"Come one, father, I have no interest in anybody and you know it."

"Well, it doesn't mean you won't be interested in someone. Anyway, I did ready your favourite food. Come before it gets old."

"Okay, mom, but don't tell me it's some kind of dinner made of Tobca."

"Hmm, it's actually a good idea. Why don't we invent a dinner made of Tobca? Since you will have free time until you start working we can spend this time with Tobca experiments!!!"

"Oh no, father, I don't wanna cause an explosion in three-towers. I'll return home before you start the experiment without me so I can prevent a possible explosion!"

"Ha ha. Okay, okay. See you, son." said Docar and ended the video call.

"But I wasn't done checking out my new toy." said John and suddenly an e-mail notification appeared on the screen from an "Unknown Sender" as well as "Read" and "Ignore" buttons.

"Again? Is my father forget to say something to me?" asked John and to answer his question he opened the e-mail.

"Hello, John. I'm waiting for you in Nirvana tomorrow morning. Come alone." read John and got confused.

"Who's this? How do they know my name? How could they even send a message to me? Why I should go to Nirvana? And why alone?" wrote John to send the message to the "Unknown Sender" but the devices showed a "Cannot send the message. The recipient doesn't exist." error.

"Huh, weird. I guess the only way to find out what's that about is going to Nirvana. I wanted to go to Nirvana just to find Zatta anyway." said John and decided to go to his house.

...

He got lost in thought as he was going to his house therefore before he even realized he found himself in front of his door. He took a deep breath, faked a smile and opened the door.

John saw Docar doing something with his device for a moment but he quickly sent a warm smile at John.

"Welcome, John. Go wash your hand and let's start the stomach party!" smiled Docar.

John couldn't hide his upset feelings and said "Yeah." as if he was sleepy which made Docar raise his right eyebrow.

After John returned and sit at the dinner table Docar couldn't wait anymore to ask.

"What happened?"

At first John wanted to tell him about the e-mail he received from the "Unknown Sender" but telling it to Docar could mean he may never know who waiting for him at Nirvana therefore he decided to lie, at least for now.

"Nothing. I'm just not sure if my device is broken because it showed you as "Unknown Caller". Doesn't it supposed to show your name? I checked it to find a setting to record your contact address but couldn't find it yet."

"Come on, John, I cannot believe this is why you are upset. Well, yeah, those who are not on your contact list are shown as unknown callers/senders. Since I'm your legal guard I had your contact address but since your device is brand new they couldn't add my contact address because it required a startup process."

"Okay, so my contact address just showed up because I'm your legal son?"

"Well, yeah, it does when you are legally a family member as well as a biological one because the device is wirelessly connected and shares information with other devices so contact lists are shared among family members whether they are legally or biologically a family member. Also you are right about recording me to your contact list but for it I have to allow it on my device. Since you are younger than me and you didn't even start working yet you cannot record anyone yet and when you need to, the older person has to send you a request to be on your contact list. I guess it's because young people try to have fun with prank calls on random people."

"I see." said John and started to eat his favourite dinner without even enjoying it and instead of eating it slowly to enjoy his food he ate it as fast as he could and he finished his dinner.

"Thanks for the dinner, father. I'm so sleepy I can fall asleep in a second. Good night." said John robotically and quickly went to his room.

"Oh, good night..." said Docar but couldn't finish his sentence because John already left the room before he could finish it. This time Docar raised both of his eyebrows while he started to rub his chin.

John actually wanted to discover his device more but he was indeed sleepy therefore he spent his a few hours toying with the device and he quickly slept with the doubt about what might happen at Nirvana this morning in his mind.

...

John woke up very early in the morning, even before Docar was awake. John got ready until the night lockdown was lifted and as soon as it was lifted he went out without even making breakfast. He bought some Tobcas and ate one of them before he headed to Nirvana.

John didn't know where Nirvana is but he knew his device can show where it was therefore he opened the three-tower map and asked "Where Nirvana is?". The screen showed him the 31st Floor of Gonma.

"31st floor? It sounded familiar from somewhere. Perhaps I knew where Nirvana is all this time." said John and quickly he walked to the tower Gonma, got on to the elevator and through the elevator he started to raise to the floor where Nirvana is.

After John arrived at Nirvana's floor, he looked around outside of the elevator. For some reason walls, floors and the ceilings were all black therefore it would be hard to navigate around if it wasn't lit properly with white light sources on the walls. John followed the map to reach Nirvana by finding his way in maze-like corridors. Just around the corner John saw a white building that has 3 floors inside of a giant room. Everything about the building was white and was emitting white light. As John got close to Nirvana he could hear some music playing very loudly.

As John got inside of Nirvana he remembered someone was waiting for him there but they didn't state how to meet. As John was about to get closer to the bartender to ask about his mysterious fan, someone grabbed his shoulder. A voice of a man started to speak to John.

"Don't look at me, kid. Let's walk like we are old buddies." said the man as he pushed John's shoulder until they climbed to the 3rd floor and they found a table in the darkest corner of the Nirvana. John remembered how Zatta liked to sit at a table like this.

"Zatta?" asked John but suddenly the man grabbed and twisted John's left hand.

"Be quiet, kid. Sit down." said the man but this time he pushed John to the ground so John can sit. After John sits, the man sits on the couch that John sits and this time he pushed John horizontally with his body further to the wall. John couldn't get out even if he wanted to because now he was stuck between the man, the wall and the narrow table.

John realized even though the face of the man was just next to his face he couldn't see his face because he was wearing a hooded jacket and its hood was on. This corner was too dark therefore he could barely see his own hands.

"Now, boy, good thing you indeed come just like how your uncle said you would. We've called you here because we have to talk about something but first I want to ask this: How the fuck you figured out my name even before you saw me?"

"I wanted to thank you for saving my life therefore I asked Docar where and how to find you. He said he always saw you in the darkest corner of Nirvana. So, thank you, Zatta."

"Yeah, smart as much as your parents and uncle, eh? I warn you, boy, don't be a smart-ass with me. Your uncle being smart-ass enough in my life and I would shoot him if he wasn't useful to me. Don't make me shoot you."

"Okay but how do you know my parents, and uncle? Why you..."

"Shut up and listen. I'll tell you all about it but I warn you it ain't your usual bedtime story. This is a horror story."

...

"Good. I like silent people as well as dead people. Now, now. It was around the time even your parents weren't even married yet. Somewhere on this planet, in a deserted alien city they found a device . It looks like a hole in the ground. There is a panel next to it. Your parents were in charge of studying this panel and hole for years.

Around the time they got married, some people from the three-tower started to run away together. Since we were short on people we had no choice but to allow them to escape because the only way to stop them would be attacking at them and most of the guards at the time ordered them to stand down especially when the people who were escaping shooting around in a way whoever tries to stop them will be shot. I was one of the guards who was ordered to don't engage with them but I wish I had. The three-heads and the previous commander thought somehow we can persuade these people to return to three-tower and be helpful to our cause. But I guess they had another goal in their mind.

The three-heads decided to protect our researchers better since some people decided to escape the three-tower therefore they were labelled as terrorists. The previous commander ordered me to be one of the guards of your parents. For months I patrolled around the device for in case terrorists may attack.

One day I realized some small group of terrorists tried to sneak into the area. I sounded the alarmed and called for backup. I killed some of them but as the time passed more of them kept coming. I have no idea what actually happened but the famous explosion happened. I heard the loud noise therefore I jumped into an underground hole to save my skin. It took them 3 days to find me in the underground tunnels I fell in. Your parents were in a panic room they made for in case of emergency. Since they heard about the gunfight they escaped into it but the the panic room wasn't enough to save them from the effect of the explosion. I have no idea what they decided to do after then, especially because I was stuck in the hospital and egg-heads asked me lots of questions about the explosion for a week until I return to guard duty. But I know that they decided to send your parents away while I could resume my guard duty."

Zatta sounded like he didn't talk that much for a long time. After he caught it a few times and drank something he continued.

"*ahem*. Because of that explosion I lose lots of my good friends. I want to take my revenge on whoever caused that explosion and I know somehow terrorists did it. Your uncle thinks so too therefore he is somewhere close to that device searching for something and he needs your help. Whether you agree or not I'll drag you out of three-towers to your uncle. He says no one died in that explosion and we can bring them back. What do you think?"

"All right, Zatta. I want to talk with my uncle and if we really can save my family and these people I'm okay to be helpful in any way I can."

"Yeah? Oh boy. I didn't even have to use my gun to persuade you but you playing so nice it's so boring. I knew you are smart as your parents. And, son, they were really nice people. Normally during guard duty we cannot sit and eat for 4 fucking hours but your parents always let me sit and eat Tobca whenever I wanted. The day the explosion happened if they didn't give me some Tobca I don't think I could make it. I saved you but I had no idea you were their son but I don't consider my debts to them for saving my life is paid yet. For them and my friends I help your uncle."

"Thanks, Zatta, you are a good person too. But how will I see my uncle?"

"It's easy but we have one shot at it. Good thing you are not much tall and you being skinny will be advantageous to us."

"What? How?"

"You'll see. But first give me your device." smiled Zatta.

"What you will do?"

"Your uncle gave me this virus. It will make your device send Nirvana's location as your current location instead of where you really are so we can save time while escaping out of three-towers. Okay done. Now, I'll show you where you should meet me but it'll be a secret so don't tell what I said to you to anyone and come alone. They watch everyone therefore they will be suspicious of us if they see us together. Okay, I'm off. Hang around here but after 30 minutes come to the place I showed. Don't look suspicious. See you."

Chapter 4 — Man in the Box

"I can't believe I accepted this." thought John in the box. They were going somewhere in a vehicle where only John and Zatta were its passengers.

"Okay, son, you can get out of the damn box."

John got out of the box and crawled to where Zatta was sitting.

"Couldn't you find another way?" protested John.

"Today was the only day and this was the only way for me to bring you to your uncle because the commander ordered me to guard some researchers far away from three-tower and take off a few hours ago. I could only bring a box of personal items with me from my house and you were my personal item ha ha. The good thing is we'll pass somewhere close to where your uncle is. The bad thing is at some point you have to jump off the vehicle and make the trip yourself because I cannot stop this vehicle, otherwise they will suspect something happened. I can only control this vehicle when it allows for manual control in case of an emergency anyway.

Give me your device. I'll show you where your uncle is waiting for you. You gotta jump when I say jump so get ready. By the way, take this pistol, just in case."

After a few minutes of travelling in the vehicle Zatta yelled "Jump!" therefore John jumped after he hesitated a little. As the vehicle was going away John heard Zatta yell "Good luck, kid!". In response John yelled "It must be good luck to don't break any of your bones!". John heard Zatta's laughter among the noise of the vehicle. John was all alone again.

John followed the path that leads to the meeting place for hours. After a while he found a cave in a narrow canyon.

"Hands up. Grab your weapon slowly and throw it far away behind you quickly!" yelled a man.

John did what he said.

"Now, down on your knees."

John did what he said.

"Hold still."

John heard only one person getting close to him walking. The man grabbed his hands of John and from behind tied them up with something John didn't know what.

Then the man grabbed his head of John from the top and faced his face to the ground while he was walking in front of John. John could see the man's shoes and he heard him point his gun at John's face.

The man started to ask a series of questions and expected answers.

"Who are your parents?"

"Ir Endir and Sec Lyynor."

"What's your full name?"

"John Endir Lyynor."

"How many sons and daughters Ir Endir and Sec Lyynor had?"

"They only had 2 sons."

"What's the full name of their other son?"

"James Endir Lyynor."

"What happened to James?"

"He became a shadow while he tried to save me."

"So far your answers were so out of the textbook like you memorized it like the rest of the terrorists who tried to hunt me down. But they had a big trouble answering the last question. So... While you and James were running James said something to you before you yelled 'I miss you so much, mom!' and then you tried to hug the shadow of your mother. What James said to persuade you so you would run away from them?"

John closed his eyes to remember what happened.

"James said... how I shouldn't listen to the shadow of my mother because she is not her anymore. She became a monster that wants to turn me into something like her forever."

"You are very close but acceptable." said the man and John heard he pressed to his device and played a recording.

"Don't listen to them, John! Our parents warned me about them. They may sound like our parents but they are not them anymore. They just became a monster who wants to turn us into something like that too and being them is worst than dying because imagine you have to be like that forever!" said James. The man pressed on his device again.

"I want to ask you a bonus question because you may hear what James said because you were there. The last question: Ir Endir had a birthmark on his torso. What it did look like?"

"My father never had a birthmark on his torso. The only birthmark I remember was on the right side of his neck and it looked like a half-star and half-round shape."

The man stood there silently for a while and he laughed.

"It's really you, John!" said the man and he quickly untied John's hand, grabbed him by the shoulders and raised John.

John and the man looked so alike seeing them together seemed like they looking at a mirror that makes their vision travel in time.

"You are really John. You look so much like your father."

"And you look so much like my father."

"Of course I do. He is my brother and I'm your uncle. Come, I want you to meet someone else."

John's uncle, Er Endir, started to walk inside of his cave and John followed him. John heard his uncle say "Look who I've just found." to someone.

"John, is that you? My son. John. John!" said a man, a woman and a kid who sounded familiar.

John couldn't believe to his eyes. The shadow of a man, a woman and a kid was inside of a ball of purple energy-field in a corner of the cave.

"Mother? Father? James? Is that you?"

"Yes, son, we are all here. It's so good to see you... well we can't see you but can feel your presence. Your uncle found us." said the shadow of John's mother.

"Yes, I had no choice but to capture them in the energy-field so I could get close to them without getting old. The force-field cancels out the energy they emit."

"Yes, as how we designed it. Now, John, listen to what your uncle has to say." said the shadow of John's father.

"So, John, I'm close to figuring out what the device your parents tried to figure out really does. We think this device suppose to be some kind of portal device. We found lots of evidence of there was an alien race living on this planet in the only city this planet had but for some reason they just disappeared. There is no sign of an attack or any sign of panic. They just left whatever they had and disappeared. We think for some reason they decided to use this device and teleported somewhere and the explosion happened because somehow and because of someone among terrorists. They were either after breaking this device or they took a part in it but we have no idea why. We will talk about it after we go to the device tomorrow. For now you are free to do anything you want. Catch up with your family. They really missed you."

"I missed them too."

For hours John and his family talked. John told them what happened after his 8th birthday and nothing happened since 9 years and they told how they still trying to figure out what the device does and if they can reverse its effect of it.

After hours and hours of talking John decided to ask what he wants to know the most.

"Mother, when James and I were running away from you, why you said you were wrong?"

"Because initially we thought shadows are something like a ghost-monster but in reality we somehow changed where we are but our energy was left on Exon."

"Mother, what it does mean?"

"Where we are is not like a planet. I never saw such colours, rocks and plants in my life. The sky is pure white and the ground is orange. Yet we cannot travel more because after a while everything starts to disappear. I'm with my husband and James, I can see and touch them but for us you feel like a shadow but we cannot even see your silhouette. We also don't get old. Never need to eat and drink. It's hard to explain."

"Huh? That's why you guys think that device has to be some kind of portal device. Did you guys see or felt any other being besides you?"

"No. Perhaps we didn't reach to our intended destination and stuck in somewhere else, at least a part of it."

"I see. I hope we can fix it."

"Yes, son. You are our only hope besides your uncle."

Er came and stood just next to John.

"John, you were talking with them for hours. Come eat something and rest. We have lots to do tomorrow."

"Don't tell me the diner is Tobca?"

"Huh, you wish. It's just your local plants. Don't you like your veggies?"

"I hope I won't turn to blue or something again."

"No worries, I eat them for years. They actually taste great... if you get used to it."

"Great."

John and Er walked to a rock and started to enjoy their first dinner together. After the dinner Er showed John where he can sleep on. It turned out John's new bed was made of rock and plants.

"Wow, uncle. You can make anything out of plants and rocks. You are such a caveman."

"You bet. Tomorrow I'll show you what can I do with alien-tech. Now rest." said Er and left while John tried to sleep.

Chapter 5 — X

Er woke up John in the early morning. They ate plants as breakfast. Er and John said goodbye to the rest of their shadow family and hopped into Er's vehicle.

For a few hours they travelled with the vehicle and soon after they saw a city on the horizon.

"So that's that city I kept hearing about.

"Yeah, this is the only place these aliens lived in until they were gone. Along with the device we found lots of techs we have no idea how it works and how can we even turn them on."

"So, you telling me these aliens weren't pushing the buttons the turn these devices?"

"It might be."

"But if it's these beings must of some kind of intelligent energy cloud that can somehow affect these devices in an unknown way so we have to understand what kind of energy they were."

"Intelligent energy clouds? It didn't make sense to me, John."

"I don't know. Or they transformed themselves into some kind of energy?"

"Hmmm, whatever it's I'm sure it's beyond of what we can understand. Yet I wonder what made them escape. The air and the natural water are way clean like it's a brand new planet."

"What if where they went was a better place to be?"

"It doesn't sound like it when your family tell you what kind of place they are."

"But it seems like they are not actually there or here... like they are stuck in between."

"Hmm, it could be. Actually it makes sense because if it wasn't and if they had made the trip properly I guess your parents would be with these aliens but I have no idea what would happen to them after that."

As they kept brain-storming they were getting closer to the city. Weirdly there was no wall and whatnot thing for defences of the city. There was no light source, road, or any sign of a vehicle. There was something like a building but it seemed like every building was made with a weird black material that glows green.

Er looked at John's face and understood he trying to understand what kind of life from the aliens was therefore he started to explain.

"Back then we actually blew up one of these buildings. It turns out there are different shapes and holes inside of it. Some shapes and holes are exactly the same as the rest one but how many of these shapes and holes there are inside of which building is different. What do you think it could be?"

"I'm not even sure if this is a city and these are a building but if we have to guess and compare to human cities some holes could serve as a room and shapes could be parts of the house like a bathroom, kitchen, et cetera."

"Great theory. Around the shapes we found a particular energy reading as well as the holes. If we have to accept these life forms are like some kind of energy cloud, somehow they can go through any object they want like shadows."

"So does it mean my family turned into something like these life forms?"

"Good question. I was so focused on what to do with the device I didn't think about anything else. So just assume this device is a teleporting device. For teleportation you somehow gotta record the atomic and energy level of a life form and translate it into how it was before. Then what if the translation was for these life forms so our family transformed into how these life forms were?"

"Yeah, make sense. So do you think our family actually can somehow turn on these devices?"

"In theory yeah. The energy reading of shadows is very similar to the energy readings we found in these buildings."

"But we have to somehow repair the device. Do you guys found any same devices around the city?"

"Sadly, no, there is only one device. Good thing the city wasn't much big and I searched around for anything related to this device but couldn't find anything. What else I can tell about this device is it's in the middle of the city as if thus they wanted the rest of their kind to abandon this planet as soon as they can."

"I see."

They finally arrived at the device. It was indeed a hole in the ground and there was something like a panel next to it.

Er parked the vehicle somewhere close to the device and John started to look around.

"Uncle, I thought there would be people around here but there is no one but us."

"You are half right and wrong. I mean, there should be people guarding this place but just because the three-heads doesn't want to risk people turning into shadow due to another explosion they ordered people to don't get close to the city. I actually expected terrorists to be around here too but I guess they also feel the same, and they suppose to have way fewer people than three-towers."

"I see. Well, it'll make our job easier."

"Yeah. Well, John, before I talk about how the device works in my opinion I want you to form your own opinion first. I advise you to check here, here and here first though. Let's see if you can figure out what I couldn't figure out."

John checked the device by just looking at it first from every possible angle. It was just like a vertical perfect rectangle that directly connected to the ground. "Logically the device should be a panel that controls the hole that's just next to it." John thought. Devices seemed to be made with whatever is made with what they call buildings. It was also black which glows green when you look at a certain angle.

"Well, uncle, I can say this panel works like the buildings here as it looks the same. The height of the panel is tall as much as my legs so we can say these life forms were shorter than mine. Uncle, did you conduct physical experiments on the panel? How it did react?"

"All I can say is don't worry about even crashing on it with the vehicle. It's very durable."

"I see."

John first touched and kicked the device, threw a rock at it, and even shoot it with his gun but the device didn't react and there was no sign of damage at all.

"Uncle, so you say some terrorist cut a particularly small piece of this device which explains why there is a hole in it. Do you think they took it as a sample? Then how do you think they did?"

"You are right. They took samples and it means they took sa samples of anything they were interested in for whatever reason they had. When they took a sample of it, the research team actually used a special tool to cut the buildings to look inside but it takes a while. Not much though. But this tool is big enough to can't carried it with a few people therefore the tool is on a special truck. We actually were developing a smaller tool so at least a person can carry it to search the devices we found but the explosion happened before the research was complete, and after the explosion the three-heads decided to halt the research since the only place we would need such tool is this city and three-heads forbade us to enter the city."

"So you saying terrorists somehow stole this research and finished it themselves and then attacked here?"

"Probably because I have no idea how I can connect all these dots. Terrorists wouldn't escape from three-tower if they didn't have another goal in their mind but I think they want to help humanity continue existence but how different the way they will ensure it is what I have no idea of. All we know is they are very interested in this panel."

"I see. Well, uncle, I want to see if the panel will react to water, fire, electricity and dirt just in case."

"John, it could be dangerous. I've lost your father, mother and brother. I don't want to lose you too."

"But, uncle, I've already lost everything I have. What's the point of living when I have nothing? At least now I have a chance to get back what I value the most -- my family"

"Okay, John, it's your life therefore it's your call. Before you start your experiments, I want to talk about what I did with the panel and why the explosion happened. I pretty much did what you did. I think the explosion happened because of the tool they used to cut it. The tool uses a plasma energy that moves at a light speed to cut objects so it may somehow be caused energy overload to cause the explosion. While we talked about how a shadow may activate the device I decided to bring your family here so perhaps they can use their own energy to activate the device. Can you wait for me here while I bring them?"

"Sure, no worries but leave the toolbox behind."

John started to conduct several experiments on the panel while his uncle got into the vehicle and drive back to his cave to bring the shadow of his family. The panel didn't react to water, fire, electricity and dirt at all. John also looked at the hole with a flashlight but since the hole itself was pitch black how deep the hole wasn't clear at all therefore John threw a rock into the hole but John heard the rock hit the bottom a few seconds later.

"Well, I did all I could do. I have nothing to do while I wait for my uncle to come back." John thought.

Suddenly a woman yelled "Hands up." and without John could be aware he saw 3 soldiers in front of him who aimed their guns at him while they getting close to John. John felt someone grabbed his gun from his waist. John realized commander and her men came and ambushed him.

Commander walked in front of John and faced him.

"John, John, my dear John. I admire the way you escaped three-towers but aren't you suppose to be a smart one? I knew I would find you here due to the history of your family. The real question is how you found it. But the answer is simple. I expected your uncle to somehow contact you and kidnap you or you would go to him but I don't see your uncle anywhere. Tell me where he is. Don't make it harder for yourself because eventually we will find him."

"Okay, commander. He returned to his cave to bring my family here soon."

"Bring your family? What do you mean?"

"Commander, me and my uncle think people turning into a shadow doesn't mean they died. They are just stuck between because we think this device is something like a portal."

"So you say. Then why your uncle will bring the shadows of your family and how?"

"My family is inside of a force-field in which we can easily carry this force-field around them. We think a shadow can activate this device here so we will know what will happen next."

"John, are you guys an idiot? What if it'll causes another explosion?"

"Then I'll turn into a shadow and be with my family forever. I have nothing to lose."

"You are wrong, John. You'll lose your life for this but not yet. We'll wait for your uncle to return in shadows so he can join you in death."

After the commander was done talking she made some hand signs and after it two soldiers quickly grabbed John to take away them somewhere.

Suddenly an old man yelled "Freeze!" and before they could aim their guns suddenly lots of people came out of hiding while they aim their guns at them.

"Great, they ambushed the people who ambushed someone." said the commander.

"Silence!" yelled the old man and some men grabbed the soldiers who grabbed John as well as the commander and John and made them line up horizontally. The old man started to walk in front of them back and forth as if the commander, her soldiers and John is his soldiers and he started to talk as if they are his platoon.

"Did you think we would leave her in charge of three-tower. I want someone to explain what the hell is happening here." said the old man and he stopped in front of John and faced him.

The old man yelled at John as if John is very far away. "You! Tell me what you were doing it?!"

"I was trying to make the device work!"

"Why?!"

"To save my family?"

"Your family? Who are they?"

"Ir Endir, Sec Lyynor and James Endir Lyynor."

"They. This man and woman. I know them. They were here during the explosion. So you are one of their sons."

"Yes, sir." said John but suddenly the old man slapped John hard.

"Don't call me 'sir' ever again! I'm no sir of anyone! You said you wanted to save your family. What happened to them and how do you plan to save them."

"My family turned into a shadow. I think I can use this device to bring them back but the first shadow of my family should share their energy with the device."

"What? So it's indeed possible. They were right." the old man murmured to himself.

"Okay, last question. Who was the man with you earlier and where he is?"

"He is my uncle, Er Endir and he was going to..."

Suddenly they heard a faint sound of a vehicle and a terrorist yelled "Vehicle is coming. What should we do?" to the old man.

The old man saw the vehicle and the shadows in the energy-field and therefore yelled "Hold your fire! Don't shoot at the energy-field or else we all are doomed."

Er drove the vehicle to the old man which the old man barely could escape. Er crashed the vehicle into a wall instead of the old man. Once the vehicle stopped terrorists surrounded around Er and pulled Er out of the vehicle and pushed him right off John.

The old man stands in front of Er and started to breathe heavily.

"Well, well, what do we have here? A man who tried to kill me but for what? Did I ever hurt you? Since you attempted to hurt me I'll punish you with this..." said the old man, drew his gun directly at Er and shoot Er in the head without blinking an eye. John found his eyes locked on Er while his mouth is wide open. After a few seconds he could only yell "Uncle?" and as he tried to kneel just next to his uncle, the old man grabbed John and pushed him where he supposes to stand.

"Just stand there and be quiet or you'll join him soon too. As long as you show no threat to us we won't kill you, especially because we are so interested in your theory, don't we people?" yelled the old man and started to look behind where his people standing. Terrorists started to yell "Yeah. We are so interested. We wonder how this show will end." and so on.

The old man started to look at John again.

"Yeah, we'll allow you to conduct your little experiment. So what do you need to do next?" asked the old man.

"I... I..." stuttered John but the old man was not patient.

"Hey! Keep focused. Your uncle is dead and you have nothing to do. He is gone but you are not. So I ask you want you to need to do next to make this device work." said the old man and showed the device with his head.

"I... need to set my family free and let them stand where the panel is."

"Oookaay. I liked this energy-field you guys used. I wish we have one of those so we could protect ourselves from shadows better. Boys, check the vehicle and find if there are devices to trap shadows in the energy-field."

A few terrorists checked the vehicle and they bring everything they found in the vehicle to the old man. The old man checked what they found one by one.

"Not this. Nope. Hmm... no. Could be? Nah. This? No, yes this is." said the old man and grabbed some little balls.

"I saw this button on the energy-field trapped these shadows." said the old man. He pressed the button on the ball and threw it at one of the terrorists. As the old man expect after a few seconds an energy-field formed around the terrorist and trapped him there.

"Wow. As expected." said the old man, walked to the energy-field and pressed the button to set the terrorist free and grabbed the ball.

The old man walked in front of John and faced to him.

"Now it's your show. If your experiment works you'll live, if not you'll die. Deal?" said the old man and started to yell at the terrorist.

"Bring these soldiers and make them stand close to each other and get back." said the old man and the terrorists did as he said. After they got back the old man threw the ball under them and trapped them in the energy-field.

"Okay, boy. I understand what you have to do therefore we'll get back because we don't want to be a shadow but we'll watch you somewhere close so don't try to run." said the old man, making a hand sign and he left with the terrorists.

John was still in shock due to the death of his uncle but he was determined to save his family.

John walked where the shadow of his family is.

"Father, mother and James, listen to me. Can any of you see the panel that exploded before."

"No, son. We cannot see anything you can see." answered his father.

"Okay, then I'll somehow set you free and when I said to move forward just move forward until I say stop."

"Okay, son. We'll wait for you."

John pushed the energy-field just in front of the panel. John walked just behind the panel.

"Can you guys hear in which direction I'm? Face to me if you have to because I'm just behind the panel. I think you will activate the panel if any of you can touch the panel."

"Okay, son. Just say the word and we'll move together."

John grabbed a few energy-field balls and a few heavy rocks that were easy to throw and got back enough to don't get old and run away from shadows when he deactivated the energy-field trapped the shadow of his family. After John got back enough he threw the rock to the button of the energy-field to untrap his family but he missed. He threw another one but he missed again. He threw another one but this time he hit the button and thus he deactivated the energy-field.

John yelled: "Now, move forward!" and his family moved forward. When they were in the panel John yelled "Stop!".

At first device didn't react but after a few seconds a light started to come out from the hole.

John yelled "That's it! It worked! Now move forward...Now stop." and he threw an energy-field ball under his family to trap them.

Suddenly terrorists came and grabbed John and pushed him in front of the hole. The old man joined soon after. John looked at the hole and saw something like water like made of light.

"Well, well, well. Who would have thought the prodigy son would finish what his parents started. But we need another experiment now so what to do? Ah, I know. Why don't we throw your family inside of the hole?" said the old man and looked at the terrorists therefore terrorists started to push the energy-field that trapped John's family into the hole.

"Don't hurt my son. John, don't worry we'll be fine. Someday we will meet again!" said John's family before they were pushed into the hole. While they were falling into the hole John's mother said "I lov..." and suddenly they were lost in light-like water but John could hear something fall to the ground in the hole.

"Hmm, an explosion still didn't happen so we are all alive. Perhaps we also have to use a human guinea pig." said the old man. The old man first looked at John and the terrorist therefore this time terrorists started to push John into the hole.

"Okay, okay, no need to push me. I'll walk on my own." said John therefore terrorists stopped pushing and they looked at the old man and the old man nodded.

John stood just in front of the hole, took a deep breath and said "For the science." and jumped into the hole. This time no one heard a noise in the hole.

"Hmm..." said the old man and he faced the terrorist and yelled while looking at terrorists. "Well, any of you will volunteer to jump into the hole or do I have to kick your ass into the hole?"

"Why don't we start with you?" said the commander just in front of the old man aiming a gun at the old man. And Suddenly commander's men started to appear behind the terrorist.

"Drop your weapons or you'll drop your life to the ground!" yelled the commander so terrorists started to drop their weapons. Some of the terrorists didn't obey therefore just before they could shoot, the commander's men killed them.

"Good. The only terrorist I like is a dead terrorist." laughed the commander and she continued.

"You, no-sir and not your men will come with us to three-tower and won't be our guest until three-heads will decide what to do with you while we will learn where the rest of you is and why you rebelled against three-tower."

The old man was still surprised how the commander and her men broke free from the energy-field therefore he asked "How did you get out?"

"Easy peasy, old timer. I thought about how we deactivated the energy-field of three-tower perhaps we could also deactivate this energy-field too and it turned out we were right. I just had to change the frequency a little. While you guys enjoyed the whole show we neutralized our guards and took their weapons."

Suddenly a noise came from the hole and the hole stopped emitting hole. The commander and her men gathered the terrorists close and trapped them in the energy-field.

Commander walked in front of the hole and looked at it. The hole was as how it was before.

"Damn, what'll I say to Docar now?" thought the commander.

Chapter 6 — Another World

After John jumped into the hole he saw lights moving through him. He felt he is moving fast as much as he actually not moving at all. He realized his body was gone and he cannot do anything but just wait for something else to happen.

"Son..., son, wake up." said a man.

John opened his eyes. He had a hard time seeing anything but he felt a hand on his forehead.

"John, you grew up so much." said a woman.

John was having a hard time seeing anything for a while because the light was too much for his eyes but eventually he started to see the silhouette of a man at his right and a woman at his left just next to him.

"Mother? Father? Is that you?"

"Yes, John. What about me? Did you forget about me?" said a boy.

"James? How could I forget you?"

James crouched just next to the right side of John's head and looked at John close.

"John, I was your big brother but now I have to call you big brother anymore huh?" laughed James.

"John looks as old as me, right honey?" said John's father and all of them started to laugh.

After John could see better he got up and realized how the sky is so white and the ground is orange. He saw the plant and rock-like objects that had colours he never saw before.

"So this is the place you guys told me about but where are we?" asked John.

James walked next to John and grabbed his hand.

"We have no idea but look at this. We never saw this before."

John looked at where James was looking and saw a white city very similar to the city he saw on Exon.

"Let's take a closer look!" said James and he and his whole family started to walk to the city.

As they got closer they saw white ghost-like beings float around.