If you had a chance, to change everything, to keep playing this game of life.
If you were given one more chance, would you take it?
What would you give to keep on living?
How far would you go?
2020, 28th of February, the day the world changed forever, the beginning and the end of an era.
A concept and idea thought to be long forgotten, written off as daydream by teens in the basements of their homes who sought to be more. The strength to shake mountains, the power to make the world bend at their feet. Fantasies that invaded the thoughts of every eighth grade geek or teen.
On this day those dreams were no longer just imaginings and ramblings of a geek and teen, instead like a movie it came into being, pure fantasy brought to life.
It started out with a teenage girl in America, who one day woke up with the ability to move faster than the eye could see, she was the first and she marked the new era of this world.
After the first appeared, many other soon followed after. Over the years many more awakened similar unexplained "powers". Governments around the world tried to understand what was going on. They had dubbed this new species of humans as the "Blessed". Many awakened their powers out of the blue, while others showed signs from childhood. These powers or abilities varied greatly some possessed immense strength, speed, durability and intellect.
The world had changed.
The government brought in those who had awakened such abilities they were able to find a common point between each case. Each awakened or "Blessed" who was interviewed had all similarly claimed that they could see a digital window in front of them, reminiscent of a video game. The window displayed their abilities and gave them a comprehensive understanding of whatever state their body was in.
Researchers found this appalling and dove into researching this in droves. A new branch of science born and dubbed "Blessed Mechanics and Phenomenon" or BMP. While researching they found a foreign energy not known to have existed before in the atmosphere surrounding the world, with high concentrations of this new energy being found within the "blessed". This energy then became known as "Aether", and was the subject of this change in the new world. It's applications and effects beyond augmenting the bodies of the "Blessed", were astounding, this new energy was clean and abundant, its dangers so far proved minimal and its efficiency when harnessing it had made this new energy a greatly sought after resource.
While Aether was a revolutionary energy source, researchers were unable to find an effective way to harness the energy. Any attempt at using modern 21st century technology, caused the Aether to immediately dissapate. Theories using the "Blessed" as a basic foundation to better understand how to harness Aether were created, but the required materials and research were either non-existent or not feasible in the current century. Because of this, research studies on Aether often either reached a halt, stagnated or was completely shut down.
Until a change occurred.
The constantly growing existence of aether had not only created the "blessed", but caused the world around to rapidly change, evolve and adapt as well. Plants began to grow, some gaining sentience, animals grew larger and more dangerous, extinct animals once thought to be history were birthed back into the world. Minerals and materials that weren't able to handle Aether overtime adapted and became saturated by the Aether. This allowed the creation of technology that could harness Aether. As time went on mother nature started to give birth to more unrecognizable materials and ferocious creatures all around the world.
The world continued to change.
A couple years since the discovery of aether, portals appeared all over the world emitting that same energy, the first portal appearing in Tokyo, Japan. Researchers found that the concentration of Aether eminating from within the portals were far greater and far more refined then on Earth. In order to better understand this new phenomenon, they had to enter these portals.
Thus the first batch of humans were trained, "blessed" all from the military were gathered and sent into the portal. A group of 20, all of which embarked on a new journey for all of humankind. They were armed to the teeth with the latest Aether technology and trained to use their powers efficiently.
Humanity was confident that they could conquer the unknown, but we were quickly proven wrong. Out of the 20 that entered what came back out, were only 3 battered and broken humans who made it back from the expedition. By the time they received help, all three people were in near critical condition, with only the strength of their wills carrying them back.
They were soon interviewed by the military, the world wanted to know why they had failed.
Two had lost their minds after coming back, the screams of their comrades and the feelings of hopelessness never ceased, constantly haunting them day and night.
They lasted a week, authorities had later found that both of them in the hospital wards dead, hanging from the ceiling, their bodies limp and lifeless, an empty husk, with nooses made from sheets and clothing tied around their necks. Both of them had taken their own life. They had suffered, and death's embrace became their last attempt for some semblance of comfort.
The last survivor told of the horrors that hid behind these portals. Unexplained creatures and events that would destroy your own will to live, that was all that could be interpreted from the person. The information that humanity had gotten was significantly lacking, that was what made it horrifying.
Shortly after this revelation the final survivor similarly took his life. While his mental deterioration had been far less evident compared to others, over time he grew more agitated, irrational, paranoid. He was placed in an isolated facility in hopes that he wouldn't harm himself or others, strapped in straight jacket, alone in a white room as his mind slowly broke down.
Two weeks after the deaths of the other two survivors, facility staff found his head smashed in, with a bloody stain on the wall. Unable to use his hands and feet, he had crushed his own head, slamming it against wall taking his own life.
Those who last saw him alive, said that his eyes were void, lacking in hope, empathy and warmth. Perhaps he was never truly alive when he returned.