[The warm sun bathed the city in a golden hue, and the park buzzed with life. Birds chirped in the trees, children ran around playing tag, and families enjoyed picnics on the soft grass. Amid this peaceful bustle, Hydro strolled through the park, his mind wandering as he aimlessly scrolled on his phone. He wasn't particularly looking for anything, but his homepage seemed to have other plans.]
[His usual feed was full of game updates, low-budget tutorials, and posts from groups he barely interacted with. Today, however, it was... different. Fashion shoots, Taekwondo routines, acrobatic stunts, and viral singer groups dominated his homepage. Each swipe brought up something unrelated to his usual interests, and it made him furrow his brows in confusion.]
HYDRO: [frustrated] What the heck are these recommendations on my page? This is new.
[He paused mid-step, letting out an exasperated sigh before plopping down on a vacant bench under the shade of a large oak tree. The sunlight danced through the leaves above, creating a calming pattern on the ground below. Hydro adjusted his posture, his face scrunched in concentration as he tried to make sense of his feed.]
[As he continued scrolling, something finally caught his attention. A post about a viral event had gained over 548,000 reactions. The thumbnail was of someone named Gemi, a name he was familiar with, but the sheer number of likes and shares piqued his curiosity.]
HYDRO: [confused, muttering to himself] Gemi? Who the heck is Gemi? And why's everyone so obsessed with her?
[Before he could dive deeper into the post, a voice interrupted him. It was a light, almost hesitant voice, belonging to a teenage boy who had wandered up to Hydro's bench.]
RANDOM KID: [curious, with a small grin] Big fan of Gemi, huh?
[Startled, Hydro quickly lowered his phone, looking up at the boy. He seemed about fifteen, with a carefree demeanor but a hint of something sad behind his eyes.]
HYDRO: [nervously chuckling] Oh, I was just scrolling around Facebook. I got bored, though.
RANDOM KID: [with a wistful smile] Ah, that's nice. I used to be Gemi's friend last year... I think our friendship broke down.
HYDRO: [curious, leaning forward slightly] What happened? Did something go wrong?
RANDOM KID: [shrugging, his smile fading] Oh, it was just nothing. I left her alone... I don't have a lot of trustworthy and loyal friends left. Anyways...
[Hydro paused. There was something in the kid's tone that tugged at his chest-a kind of loneliness that felt oddly familiar. He wasn't sure why, but he wanted to say something comforting. However, before he could, the kid suddenly extended his hand with an unexpected introduction.]
RANDOM KID: [cheerful, almost proud] I'm Hydro Undergrove. Nice to meet you!
[For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Hydro's mind reeled as the words sank in, hitting him like a pile of bricks. The shock was evident on his face, his mouth slightly agape as he processed the surreal revelation.]
HYDRO: [stammering, wide-eyed] H-Hydro? Wait... What did you just say?
OTHER HYDRO: [grinning, raising an eyebrow] Yeah, Hydro Undergrove. That's me. Wait, have we met before? Man, look at you! You have the same face as me! It's crazy! Looks like I found my long-lost twin!
YOU ARE READING
Kairiki: Before the Nightmare
Adventure(This is a Prequel to the Comic: Kairiki) Hydro Undergrove was just an ordinary high schooler in our world until the Temporal Prism caused global chaos, leading to his and his family's death. However, he is mysteriously revived by an unknown presenc...
