Engjell and her friends headed straight for the mall, eagerly accepting the tablets from the outstretched hands of the robot store attendants. They were guided to a cloud-like sofa, where they settled in comfortably.
Engjell immediately began browsing the various clothing selections in the database, projecting the outfits she liked. If she felt they looked good enough, she would place a bid for them—yes, bid—since this mall only created one-of-a-kind customized outfits. Whatever style she won remained exclusively hers, with no chance of replication.
"Check out this outfit," Atarah said as she tapped on the screen, causing an image of a stunning red dress adorned with lifelike vermilion flowers to appear. The dress was very short, with an exposing bodice and a slit that went up to the upper thigh.
"Wow, nice! Are you getting it?" Aeliana asked eagerly, her eyes shining with excitement; it was clear she wanted the dress too.
Atarah scoffed arrogantly. "Why not? I'm not the one paying," she replied with a sarcastic smile, while Candida laughed in amusement, deliberately rubbing salt in their wounds.
Engjell rolled her eyes and, with a proud tilt of her head, declared, "Yeah, yeah, everything is—" Hum! A loud humming sound suddenly interrupted their conversation.
In the hallway, the air vibrated and grew still—a clear sign of a wormhole tearing through space. Just then, a gap opened in the air, and a group of masked men rushed out like ants drawn to sugar.
Engjell didn't know who started it, but a scream suddenly pierced the air, triggering a cascade of cries from those around them. Engjell, her friends, and nearby shoppers instinctively reached for their Uni watches, trying to activate the shield and camouflage mode, but their efforts proved futile. The robot attendants' eyes became unfocused, rendering them lifeless like the hollow shells they were.
For some reason, their Uni watches remained unresponsive. Even time seemed to come to a halt. Engjell quickly realized something was wrong: the enemy had set up an anti-electronic barrier, shutting down all technology in the vicinity. She didn't need to think hard to understand they were trapped, possibly in a dome barrier. Snapping into action, she motioned for her friends to stay quiet while the masked men overpowered and subdued nearby pedestrians with weapons that had no place in a mall.
Engjell gestured for them to hide. The three girls shook off their fear and nodded back at her, their eyes scanning for a discreet hiding spot. Engjell quickly identified a suitable place—though it was somewhat obvious, she had few options.
She recalled an advertisement she had seen about the versatility of the couch. Fortunately, it was an electronic-free, magically engraved piece of furniture. This meant it could operate independently of electricity, technology, or even magic. It seemed it would serve its purpose well today.
She pressed a hidden button on the side of the couch, and a human-shaped hole appeared on top. Without wasting any time, Engjell lay down inside. Her friends followed suit as the couch wrapped around them, embracing them in its fluffy warmth. While the creators of the couch may have intended it for a different purpose, she had discovered a new use for it.
Once she was fully enveloped and there wasn't a single gap left, she let out a silent sigh of relief. On a side note, it truly felt like being embraced by a cloud.
"Focus, Engjell!" she admonished herself. She needed to find out what was happening outside. Given the appearance of the masked men, it was possible they were part of a group of rebels terrorizing Aurora for years. This was the first time she had encountered them. She had always thought their paths would remain separate, but here they were.
The rebels, who called themselves The Enlightened, claimed to fight against the societal norms binding the Aurean and Austrean communities, not hesitating to get their hands dirty in the process. To them, they were fighting for freedom; to the rest of society, they were nothing more than outlaws and terrorists who threatened the fragile balance of peace people held dear.
In terms of strength, The Enlightened were not formidable, but in cunning and resourcefulness, they were admirable. They were slippery and possessed access to forbidden, dangerous technology—old tech that had been banned or reserved strictly for military use.
Engjell took a deep breath. Suddenly, the atmosphere around her shifted, becoming cold and chilly for a brief moment before returning to normal. Her eyes flashed from orange to a darker shade, and she braced herself for the battle ahead. This time, she might have no choice but to make a move.