"Mommy, what is this?" Aiden asked, reaching out to touch the oddly shaped object.
A flicker of memory sparked, a hazy image reminding him of a similar object with the same curves and shape. This one, however, felt different, with a unique texture.
"It's a little horse," Aiden's mother replied while gently stroking his hair. "Your father crafted it especially for you."
A pang of yearning stabbed at him. 'Just a glimpse,' he thought, a silent prayer into the void. He reached out again, his fingers tracing the soft outline of his mother's face, memorizing the contours he could never see. She was his mother, his entire world.
"I have to go to work now, sweetheart," her voice carried a hint of apology, "but I promise I'll play with you later, alright?
A wave of fear constricted Aiden's chest as her hand slipped away. "Promise you'll come back?" he whispered, his voice tight with the fear of her absence. He clung to her hand, desperate to hold onto the fading warmth.
"Promise," she echoed, the word fading with her retreating footsteps.
Silence descended, thick and heavy. The comforting scent of her faded away, leaving him alone with the familiar darkness.
Darkness!
Endless darkness!
The same darkness that had been his constant companion since birth. A world that felt both vast and suffocating at the same time.
He tried to find solace in the quiet, the stillness. But even in the silence, his keen ears picked up everything - the sigh of the wind, the creak of the well, the rustle of leaves, the distant song of birds.
An irritating symphony that made him long to tear out his ears. But then, like a calming hand on his troubled soul, he remembered his mother's soft voice, a whisper of hope in the darkness.
"Father," he whispered into the void, his voice trembling, "will I ever see? These sounds... they drive me mad."
This time, he called into the darkness one more time, calling for his father but his plea hung unanswered.
**
Suddenly, a familiar scent, mingled with the gentle sound of approaching footsteps, pierced the silence. A smile, the first genuine one in a long time, spread across Aiden's face.
"Big Sister, stop hiding! I can hear your breathing," Aiden called out, his voice filled with playful pride.
After a beat of silence, a familiar warmth enveloped him from behind. "How did you know again? I even tried to be quiet!"
"Easy, big sister," he replied, trying to sound playful despite the thrill her question sent down his spine. "You may have silenced your footsteps, but your scent always gives you away. It's like a warm, sunny meadow after a rain shower."
A soft chuckle tickled his ear. "Always so perceptive," she said, her voice a comforting murmur. "Though I must admit, I'm getting better at this sneaking game."
Aiden leaned back into her embrace, the familiar scent of lavender and sunshine momentarily pushing back the oppressive darkness. "Better, but not good enough," he teased, the playful banter masking a deeper longing.
Sasha's heart ached as she saw the flicker of hope glimmering in her brother's eyes. His unwavering belief in their father's promise of the illusory Divine Water was a testament to his beautiful, innocent spirit that had never truly seen the world.
The promise was still there, but their father wasn't.
Three years have already passed since their mother and father died in a tragic car accident, leaving them alone.
But his brother still held onto the same pure innocence.
At birth, Aiden had been perfectly normal. His eyes, pools of pure potential, were there. But something unexpected had happened when he turned three. The memory sent shivers down Sasha's spine whenever she thought of it.
"Papa's working hard, Aiden," she said, choosing her words carefully. "He'll find the Divine Water soon, for his little hero."
"I'm not a little kid anymore!" Aiden protested.
Sasha couldn't help but let out a choked sob, the sound barely audible.
A tear rolled down her cheek, leaving a glistening trail on her laughing face.
Her heart ached with a dull ache that never quite subsided. She knew the truth, the one the doctor had so gently laid out: the loss of their parents had taken a heavy toll on Aiden, and manifesting in vivid hallucinations.
The wooden horse, a gift from their father on his eighth birthday, and the fantastical tale of the Divine Water, a story their father used to tell him before bed, had become anchors in Aiden's mind, fueling his desperate hope for their return.
Sasha wanted to tell him the truth, but she feared shattering his world, leaving him adrift in fear and confusion.
'Was it worth it?' she questioned, gazing at her brother. 'Seeing him so full of hope, even for something impossible, cuts deeper than any wound.'
Suddenly, a startled cry, laced with both fear and exhilaration, ripped through the silence. It was Aiden.
"Big sister," he called, his voice trembling, "there's something here! I can see it! I can finally see!"
Aiden was this excited for the first time, it was the first time he had ever seen something.
Sasha snapped back to reality, her eyes widening in disbelief. Her gaze darted towards Aiden, expecting some fantastical apparition. Instead, a rectangular screen, an impossible blue against the black, hovered in front of her eyes.
"What... what is that?" she whispered, her voice barely a breath.
Before She could think of something, an ancient voice resonated in her ears.
[Congratulations, Earth is selected for the assimilation as the 108th contender.]
[Universal Cube is assimilating Earth with the rest of the Vast Universe.]
[A Trial is needed for efficient assimilation and for that data needs to be recorded from 1000 individuals with Higher Potential Innate Abilities from the assimilating Planet.]
[This Trial Program was further divided into 3 Sub Programs namely, King Version, Royalty Version and Noble Version.]
[These 1000 Individuals were further separated into 3 Programs according to their Innate Abilities.]
[The entire duration of the Trial Program is estimated to be 3 months, and the number of members assigned for each program was different]
[King Version - 9 members - Join from the beginning of 3 months program.]
[Royalty Version - 91 members - Join from 2nd month of 3 months program.]
[Noble Version - 900 members - Join from the 3rd month of a 3 months program.]
[Checking your innate potential…]
[Congrats! You are selected for the Royalty Version Program.]
[You will get teleported to the Trial zone in 1 month]
[Time Left: 30 days]
Sasha's mind reeled as the chilling words sank in. Earth, chosen for assimilation? A trial? Terror gnawed at her.
Horrors struck upon realization, she looked at Aiden and quickly asked," Aiden, what the voice told you, are you selected for any program or something."
She knows Aiden can't read the letters even if he can see them now. But she can tell, even the illiterate can understand the content somehow.
Sasha's gaze flew to Aiden, his face alight with excitement.
"Big Sister," he chirped, "a voice told me I'm selected for the King! It said I'll be somewhere in 120 seconds! Is it real?