On September 28, 2035, as the world went about its usual rhythm, the skies that spanned continents suddenly turned a dark, ominous red. Thunder rumbled ominously overhead, even though not a single drop of rain fell, puzzling people everywhere.
Without warning, as the sky grew more menacing, electricity began glitching and eventually powered down, while vehicles stalled and machinery abruptly ceased to function, plunging everything into eerie silence. It was as if time itself had frozen, dragging the atmosphere into an unsettling stillness that sparked panic among the populace.
Then, amidst the gloom, a mysterious object appeared in the sky; it was shimmering high above in the darkened heavens.
"What in the world is that?" a random guy exclaimed, squinting upward in an attempt to identify the approaching spectacle.
Growing larger and larger by the moment, it seemed to descend towards Earth. Fear rippled through the crowd as speculation ran wild. Some thought it was a meteorite, others whispered about an alien spaceship. Despite the theories, everyone agreed on one thing: whatever it was, disaster loomed, fanning the flames of their anxiety.
"Are we... are we gonna to die?" The woman, her once festive attire now a stark contrast to the fear etched on her face, voiced in a trembling tone. "Damn it! I don't wanna die!" Her eyes wide with panic, she bolted away, the urgency in her steps echoing her frantic thoughts.
Afterward, voices rang out with despair and disbelief, saturating the surroundings with an atmosphere heavy with negativity.
Nearly half an hour passed, the wind began to intensify, whipping through the air as the mysterious object approached. Tensions escalated, and chaos reigned supreme. Lawlessness took hold, and with security systems down, some people seized the opportunity to loot stores, while others broke into fights. The scene devolved into mayhem.
Then, just as the object seemed poised to strike, it shattered into ten brilliant pieces, illuminating the sky with blinding light. People all over the world began losing consciousness, their vision blurring as if they were drunk, and their strength fading despite their desperate attempts to stay awake.
Silence fell like a heavy blanket, the kind of silence that is so profound it's deafening, leaving the world eerily still as each human succumbed to unconsciousness, as if life itself had been extinguished. The mysterious objects then struck the ground with massive force, causing earthquakes wherever they landed.
[Analyzing Planet Earth.]
A voice of unknown origin, mysterious and commanding, resonated across the desolate landscape. It was as if a supreme system was speaking.
Moments later, the voice continued, [Analysis Complete. Activating all Chasm of Trials on Earth.]
A day passed, and gradually, people began to stir as they regained consciousness. Confusion marred their faces as they surveyed their surroundings, trying to grasp what had just happened.
The sky had returned to its beautiful azure hue, and the sun shone brightly, casting a golden light over everything. Electricity, machines, and other things that had mysteriously shut down earlier sprang back to life, as if nothing had happened. For a fleeting moment, it seemed like the earlier chaos had been just a bad dream. But the sight of how messed up their surroundings were, as well as how their own prone bodies were lying where they had fallen, brought them back to reality.
It wasn't long before people noticed the towering crystal structure spiraling high into the sky, its majestic form reaching beyond the clouds and its end invisible. It stood like a monument from another world, its beauty both awe-inspiring and terrifying.
Curiosity soon got the better of some people, they couldn't resist the urge of touching it. Little did they know, the moment their fingers made contact, they were instantly electrocuted, leaving them lifeless and charred like overcooked toast.
Within a week, news of the mysterious crystal towers spread like wildfire across the globe. There weren't just one or two—there were ten of them, scattered in different countries. Governments scrambled to issue warnings, urging their citizens to stay away from the mysterious crystal towers while they assessed the situation. Military units were stationed near the towers, ready for any potential threat. Despite the heightened vigilance, no one could explain where these towers came from and what their purpose was.
Two days later, panic gripped the world again as reports of massive number of people had vanished without a trace. Entire families, friends, and strangers disappeared. It seemed no country was spared. Social media exploded with theories, fears, and wild speculation, but no one knew what was really happening.
By November 28, two months had slipped by, and little had changed. The missing people were still nowhere to be found, and the crystal towers remained eerily silent. Then, out of nowhere, an ominous black door appeared on each tower—doorless and eerie in its simplicity. Oddly, no one had seen the doors appear. Even those who had been keeping a close watch on the towers could not explain how they materialized.
Governments responded swiftly, deploying more troops, believing something might soon emerge from the door. But after an entire day of anxious waiting, nothing came out.
The next day, a soldier from a small country, fueled by a mix of curiosity and bravery, approached the door. Expecting to meet the same fate as those who had dared to touch the tower before him, so he steeled himself for the unknown. But when he placed his hand on the door, to his surprise, nothing happened. Instead, it creaked open slowly, revealing a vast expanse of darkness—a void so deep and quiet that it swallowed all sound and light.
For precisely five minutes, the door remained open, allowing the soldier to peer into the inky abyss. Then, just as mysteriously as it had opened, the door closed again on its own, as if governed by an unseen mechanism.
News of the soldier's encounter spread swiftly, igniting the curiosity of others. One by one, they approached the door, only to see the same empty darkness inside. The door would always close after five minutes, but no harm seemed to befall those who touched it.
A week after the mysterious event, the governments of the affected countries made a bold decision: they would deploy specialized teams to investigate. These elite squads, armed with advanced weaponry and the latest high-tech gear, ventured into the unknown. But as soon as they crossed the threshold, the massive doors slammed shut with an echoing finality.
Days stretched into weeks, and weeks morphed into months, yet there was no sign of the teams. The world outside grew increasingly uneasy, gripped by a gnawing sense of dread and uncertainty.
In a desperate bid for answers, rescue teams were dispatched. However, they too disappeared without a trace, leaving only silence and speculation in their wake. After months with no answers, the governments decided it was too dangerous to send more people in.
July 1 2038, Almost three years passed, and the world had grown eerily accustomed to the silence of the towers. Then, one day, in an unexpected twist, the people who had disappeared began to return. They appeared in the very places they had vanished, seemingly out of nowhere.
News outlets rushed to hospitals, desperate for any information. Most of the returnees were deeply traumatized. Some were missing limbs, while others were so mentally shattered they couldn't even speak. The cries of grieving families filled the air, searching for loved ones who hadn't yet returned. It was happening in every country that had been affected.
Somewhere in the Philippines, a young journalist, fresh to the field and armed with ambition, stepped into a bustling hospital, eager to interview the returnees. The task, however, proved more challenging than she had anticipated. Her first attempt was met with a violent reaction—one returnee nearly swung a fist at her. The second, still reeling from the trauma, was too disoriented to offer any coherent response. The third returnee, irritated by her intrusive questions, erupted in anger. Just as her hopes began to wane, her eyes caught a glimpse of a man who stood out distinctly from the rest.
"Are those contact lenses?" she muttered to herself, noticing his piercing blue eyes—striking, almost wolf-like in their intensity.
He was tall and imposing, with a small scar slicing through his left eyebrow, adding to his sharp, intimidating features. His tan skin had a ruggedness to it, giving him a commanding presence. But unlike the other returnees, he appeared completely unharmed. In fact, he seemed ready to leave the hospital, as though none of this had affected him at all.
Steeling herself, the journalist approached him cautiously.
"Excuse me, sir. Are you one of the returnees?"
"Yes," he responded flatly, already turning to leave.
"Wait! Can I ask you a few questions? It'll only take a moment," she called after him, hurrying to catch up.
"You've been missing for three years," she said, jumping straight to the point. "Can you tell us what happened?"
The man stopped, his expression cold and serious as he turned to face her.
"The tower... it's a fucking scam."
"A scam?" The journalist paused, taken aback by the sudden intensity of his words. Before she could probe further, the man suddenly called out.
"Neon! I'm here!" His tone softened as he spotted a small boy in an high school uniform, his piercing blue eyes matching the man's. Unlike his harsh exterior, the man looked at the boy with unmistakable affection.
The small boy, Neon, ran to him, wrapping his arms around the man in a tight hug.
"Is that his son?" the journalist pondered, his gaze lingering on the boy's eyes—an intense, oceanic blue that mirrored the depths of the sea.
"He has those eyes too?"
Before she could gather herself to ask another question, some random patients jostled her, pushing her aside. By the time she regained her balance and looked back, the man and the boy had vanished, disappearing as suddenly as they had appeared.
"Where did they go?" she muttered, scanning the chaotic crowd in vain.
"I didn't even get his name," she added quietly, feeling a pang of disappointment twist in her chest.