Prologue: The Fading Home
The sound of acid rain hissing as it falls on the remnants of civilization makes the metal roofs and concrete walls seem to weep. The gray sky never promises a new dawn, while the sunlight barely filters through the nearly shattered layers of the atmosphere.
In the city center, glass towers that once symbolized progress now stand like tombstones of a lost civilization. The streets are crowded with people lining up to get a drop of clean water. They carry empty containers, hoping the water filtration machines at the street corners are still working.
Outside the city, sandstorms devour whatever remains. Lands that were once fertile have now turned into dead zones. The Amazon rainforest, once called the lungs of the Earth, is now a thing of the past. Oceans of plastic have replaced the blue seas; marine creatures that have survived are now rare species, trapped in human waste.
Television screens endlessly broadcast global news updates, reporting the latest on the Earth's condition.
"If we leave, will we learn from our mistakes? Or will destruction be the legacy we carry with us wherever we go?"
"In the midst of this devastation, humans still try to survive. In dark, overcrowded underground cities, thousands live with noisy air vents and tasteless synthetic food."
"In the floating city of the elite, clear glass shields them from pollution, creating the illusion that the outside world is not collapsing."
"But for most people, life is an endless struggle—meeting basic needs like clean water is a luxury only a few can afford."
"The waves that once reflected rainbows now roll with a gray hue, full of plastic dancing on the surface."
"Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have reached 600 ppm. The oceans have risen by three meters, wiping out coastlines once known to the world."
"Once, this village had an abundant spring. Now, only muddy-smelling water remains, and it must be fought over."
"This planet will not last more than three decades. We've surpassed its carrying capacity."
"The clean water and fresh air projects were halted due to political conflict."
"Out at sea, climate refugees live in cramped ships, where disease and hunger are part of daily life."
"Advanced technology is only used to build elite bunkers or floating cities, creating a wider social divide in certain regions."
"Wild animals, having lost their habitats, begin entering urban areas. A thin polar bear walks among the ruins of buildings, a sad symbol of the collapsing ecosystem."
The echoes continue in every corner of the room.
In a small underground apartment, a mother crouches on the floor, holding her little daughter's hand. The child's eyes are wide open, staring at her mother with an unspoken question.
"Do we still have a place to live, Mom?" The faint voice is almost drowned out by the roar of the old generator.
The mother doesn't answer. She only tightens her grip on her daughter's small fingers, as if afraid of losing them.
On the wall, a worn poster shows a massive spaceship, Eos Ark. With a large slogan reading, "Auroris Prime: Our Future."
But that hope feels distant.
For them, that poster is just an empty promise from the elite living in floating towers.
"They're saving themselves," whispers an old man in the corner of the room. "We'll just be left behind in this hell."
Above the surface, where the toxic air dominates, surveillance drones hover, ensuring no one tries to approach the elite towers. The floating city in the Pacific Ocean shines like an oasis in the dark, out of reach for most humans.
In a dark room, a monitor displays a holographic image of Auroris Prime: a blue-green planet. Its atmosphere is rich in oxygen, its two moons reflecting dim starlight, and its surface shows signs of lush nature. It calmly orbits within the habitable zone of a distant star.
The image becomes a symbol of hope for the few who believe humanity still has a second chance.
This world was once beautiful, filled with dense green forests and clear rivers. People enjoyed the sunlight without fear, and the oceans were home to thousands of living creatures. But all that is now just a memory, remaining in photos and old stories.
Now, great storms come every year, like a clock that never fails. The great coastal cities are sinking, becoming ruins slowly consumed by the ocean. Elsewhere, extreme heat has turned vast regions of the Middle East and North Africa into uninhabitable deserts.
The oceans are dead. Coral reefs have turned into white skeletons, and only plastic dances with the waves. On land, farmland that was once fertile is now barren, leaving millions of people displaced, searching for hope that becomes harder and harder to find.
Time keeps moving. The Earth that was once a home is now turning into an enemy. Acid rain, superstorms, and extreme temperatures are just the beginning of the destruction. Amid all of it, one question echoes in everyone's mind: "Do we deserve a second chance?"