PR211

Chapter 6: Beyond the Horizon

Riah and I found ourselves within the confines of a dimly lit room in the lab, where the ambient glow unveiled an array of mysterious equipment, blinking screens, and an undercurrent of unseen machinery. The atmosphere thickened with anticipation as we both absorbed our surroundings, with a substantial screen positioned prominently at the room's center. The screen, colossal in size, emitted an otherworldly light, casting an ethereal glow across the room and displaying a vivid panorama. The vast screen painted a mesmerizing tableau of a serene blue sky, stretching endlessly, its tranquil hue disrupted only by the occasional wisp of clouds dancing in the digital breeze. Cyrus stood alongside them, his gaze fixed on the expansive blue sky displayed on the colossal screen. Riah and I exchanged curious glances, silently questioning why a seemingly ordinary sky commanded such attention in the midst of the mysterious lab.

As if reading our minds, You're probably wondering why you're looking at the sky," Cyrus remarked, his voice cutting through the hushed ambiance of the room.

"Well, kinda," Riah answered with a curious tilt of her head, her eyes reflecting the vivid blue expanse displayed on the screen.

Cyrus, observing the intrigue in our expressions, gestured toward the sky on the screen. "It's a recording," he explained, his tone measured. "Watch and wait, and all will become clear..." The room fell into a contemplative hush as we all focused on the unfolding spectacle, my anticipation building with each passing moment.

Suddenly, a plane glided gracefully from the left, its silhouette pronounced against the vast canvas. The anticipation heightened, but as the aircraft reached the midpoint of the screen, a sudden burst of electricity crackled through the air. The screen momentarily flickered with vibrant arcs of electric blue, creating an ethereal dance of energy that sent shivers through the room. The atmosphere thickened, and the once serene sky now held a subtle undercurrent of unpredictability.

"What was that?" I asked, my gaze fixed on the screen where the plane had momentarily vanished into a burst of electric brilliance.

Cyrus met my gaze, his expression grave. "That was your plane," he explained. "And that exact moment captured was when everyone else on board disappeared without a trace. This has happened enough times that my team and I could predict when the next one would be. However, we did not expect that you, Jett, and Riah, would not disappear with the rest." The gravity of the revelation hung in the air as the room seemed to hold its breath, awaiting further insights into the unfolding mystery.

Riah, her eyes still reflecting the residual electric hues on the screen, broke the tension. "How is it that you can predict when these disappearances occur?" she inquired, her curiosity tinged with a hint of concern. The room waited in anticipation for Cyrus's response, eager for more pieces of the intricate puzzle to fall into place.

Cyrus took a deep breath before unraveling the unsettling truth. "A few years ago, my team discovered a field-like anomaly in the stratosphere," he began, his gaze fixed on the ever-changing screen. "This anomaly had always been confined to the higher reaches, staying in one spot. But ever since your flight, it has started descending and expanding. As it descended, we've had word of it swiftly claiming lives in passenger airliners cruising at high altitudes like 42,000 feet, it extended its reach to lower altitudes, taking more people on planes at 35,000 feet, birds like cranes in the Himalayas flying at 30,000 feet, and even geese in Asia. While, initially, people could linger within its bounds for an extended period without disappearing, the time one could spend in its presence has now diminished rapidly alongside its descent. Now, it only takes a couple of hours for everything within its reach to vanish."

His words hung heavily in the air as the room absorbed the escalating threat. "My team is rushing to find out how to stop it," Cyrus continued, the urgency in his voice evident. "Because if we don't, it threatens to expand and blanket the world, erasing all life in its wake. The time to find a solution is diminishing rapidly."