Within the indescribable stretches of the cosmos, where countless bubbles, discs, and dots shimmered, lay a distant froth of bubbles. Among one of its many discs was a single dot known as Solaris-3.
Solaris-3, also called Sol-III or Solaris, was the third planet from its sun. It was a world of chaos and upheaval, where old conventions crumbled, and disasters ran rampant. Humanity clung to survival amidst a perpetual cycle of destruction and rebirth.
Central to this turmoil was the phenomenon of Lament. Over the last 10,000 years, Solaris-3 has endured five Global Laments and over 350,000 regional ones.
These catastrophes, collectively referred to as Waveworn Phenomena, warped the laws of physics, halting interstellar exploration and isolating the planet.
Yet, hope emerged in the form of Resonance. Among humanity, some began to evolve, marked by an X-shaped symbol—the Tacet Mark—on their bodies.
These individuals, known as Resonators, possessed the ability to manipulate frequencies through their unique Resonance Abilities or Forte.
Each Resonator was evaluated through a Forte Examination Report and categorized by their Rabelle's Curve as either Natural, Mutant, Congenital, or Artificial.
Their abilities were shaped by past experiences, subconscious influences, and their distinct Resonance Spectrum Patterns.
Distinguishing Resonators from ordinary people was their possession of a Pangu Terminal—a gourd-shaped device.
This artefact served as both a symbol of their identity and a critical monitoring tool, tracking their stability and the risk of Overclocking.
Overclocking occurs when the Resonator exceeds its Resonant Criticality, often driven by mental exhaustion or emotional strain.
Without proper control, a Resonator could lose mastery over their Forte, leading to catastrophic consequences.
Even as Solaris-3 remained ensnared in chaos, the rise of Resonators offered a glimmer of hope—a possibility that humanity might one day overcome the Lament and reclaim the stars.
Yet, not all Resonators rose as pillars of hope. While some sought to use their gifts for the betterment of Solaris-3, others wielded their powers for personal gain, carving a world divided by ambition and ideology.
Within the three nations of Huanglong, Rinascita, and the New Federation, and beyond the reach of governments, numerous factions emerged, each shaping the fate of the planet in their own unique way.
The Midnight Rangers, Huanglong's elite military force, protect the Jinzhou region from external threats. Answering directly to the Ministry of War, they form the backbone of Huanglong's defence, swiftly responding to threats that endanger the nation's stability.
The Black Shores, a mysterious organization hidden in the Black Shores Archipelago, operate under a veil of secrecy. Situated on a Tacetite-rich landmass concealed by thick digital fog, their ultimate goal is world salvation. Yet, their true motives remain elusive, shrouded in speculation and fear.
The Fractsidus push a dangerous ideology, striving to accelerate the next global calamity—dubbed the "True Lament"—through the resurrection of the Threnodians.
Their followers, infamous for using Masks of Constraint, suppress their emotions to merge with Tacet Discords, believing this struggle is essential for human evolution. Their radical methods have ignited chaos and conflict across Solaris-3.
The Exiles, scattered and leaderless, consist of individuals who reject the rule of law. They survive in the untamed wilds, scavenging for resources and repurposing technology.
While not inherently malicious, their desperation often leads them into morally ambiguous territory.
Lollo Logistics, a professional multinational courier service, operates wherever humanity persists. Renowned for their reliability, they deliver both tangible and intangible items, ensuring goods reach their destinations.
Their couriers, donning iconic hamster-themed attire, have become symbols of perseverance in a fractured world.
In Rinascita, the Order of the Deep governs as a religious faction, blending spirituality with governance. They worship the Sentinel Imperator and claim to act as its earthly emissaries.
Revering Resonators as "Enlightened Ones," they oversee city management, diplomacy, and spiritual affairs. Their leader, Primus Fenrico, declares himself the Sentinel's chosen, steering the Order with unwavering zeal.
The Pioneer Association, founded before the Lament, is a prestigious organization dedicated to exploring and documenting the world's wonders.
Collaborating with scientists and explorers, they record humanity's progress, particularly after the Ebb Tide.
Known for their Icebreakers, fearless adventurers who explore dangerous, uncharted regions, the association has made groundbreaking discoveries and gained global recognition through publications and media.
Powerful families also influence the world's fate. The Montelli Family, pioneers of trade and innovation in Rinascita, played a key role in developing Reserved Terminals.
Their rivals, the Fisalia Family, staunch traditionalists and devout followers of the Sentinel, oppose the Montellis, viewing their embrace of modernization as heretical. This feud has long defined the political and cultural tensions of Ragunna.
Amidst this fractured landscape, remnants of lost glory linger. The Court of Savantae, once a prominent research institution, was mysteriously obliterated after delving too deep into forbidden knowledge. Their downfall remains tied to Yang Niu, an enigmatic village on an unclaimed island veiled in secrecy.
These were the notable factions in a world teetering on the edge of chaos, where power clashed with ideology, and Resonators stood as beacons of hope or harbingers of ruin.
Yet, as time trudged forward, one truth became irrefutable: no matter which banners rose or fell, it was always the common folk who bore the weight of suffering.
The remote village of Yang Niu, untouched by the rule of Sentinels or Resonators, was no exception.
Yang Niu, an island of paradoxes, stood as both a sanctuary and a mystery. Free from the destructive forces of Tacet Discords, it was preserved in a fragile harmony shaped by an ancient, withered tree.
This tree, resting at the heart of a ceremonial ground, seemed to pulse with a frequency that kept the island untainted amidst the chaos. Its existence defied reason, an allegory for life's enduring resilience amid destruction.
The factions coveted the tree, drawn by its enigmatic aura. Fractsidus and the Court of Savantae descended upon the village under the guise of discovery but with greed simmering beneath.
Their interference awakened forces beyond their comprehension. As the villagers warned, Thunder stormed down from the heavens, reducing the interlopers to ash, their cries swallowed by the roar of divine wrath.
The Court vanished without a trace, leaving behind only whispers of the tree's unfathomable power.
To the villagers, the tree became a symbol of divinity, a sentinel of their isolated world. Yet, not all worshipped it with reverence.
Fractsidus, humiliated, began to harbour the seeds of vengeance, setting the stage for ruin. And tonight, their retribution would come to fruition.
Unbeknownst to the conspirators draped in crimson masks, another soul was drawn to the tree that night.
Dan Xia, a woman of ethereal beauty yet burdened by a life of sorrow, moved silently through the overgrown garden where flowers once thrived.
The scent of decay clung to the air, a cruel metaphor for the life she once nurtured and lost. Her destination was the withered tree, her solace and confessor in a world that had turned its back on her.
Once, Dan Xia had been filled with the light of expectation, her hands cradling the life that grew within her. But fate, cruel as an unyielding tide, swept it all away.
The child was lost before its first breath, and not long after, news arrived that her husband, the man she had entrusted her heart to, had abandoned her for another.
Left with nothing but a hollow house and a hollow soul, she had tried to end her pain, only to be pulled back by the village elders. They had saved her life, but they could not rekindle her spirit.
Every night, she came to the tree, pouring her anguish into its ancient bark. She begged the heavens for answers, for release, for something—anything—to make sense of her suffering.
Yet, the heavens remained as silent as the tree, their silence a cruel irony to her unending cries.
Tonight, however, was different. Her bitterness had burned out, leaving only resignation in its place.
Her voice, once heavy with pleading, now whispered a single, fragile word: "Why?" The question lingered in the air, unanswered, as always.
Xia's lifeless eyes traced the contours of the tree before she staggered forward. Her trembling hands touched the bark, and then, like a puppet whose strings had been cut, she collapsed to her knees.
She began to strike her head against the ancient wood, her movements mechanical, devoid of thought or feeling.
The tree groaned under her assault, its splinters whispering of its own agony. Blood streaked her face, a crimson river flowing from a dam long broken.
When her body finally stilled, silence descended upon the grove. The air hung heavy with the weight of her final act, the withered tree standing as both witness and accomplice.
In the end, all that remained was the juxtaposition of her fragile form against the ancient sentinel—a symbol of despair cradled by the very thing she had sought solace in.
And as the crimson-streaked figure lay motionless at the tree's base, the heavens, as always, offered no answers for the uncrying.
Drawn by the scent of death, the Fractsidus arrived like carrion birds to a feast, their presence a grim irony to the sanctity of the ceremonial ground. They found Dan Xia's lifeless body crumpled at the foot of the withered tree.
But humanity had long since abandoned these marauders. Like ravenous beasts, they began devouring what remained of her, their grotesque feast leaving only fragments of the woman who had once wept at the tree.
When their hunger was sated, they set the place ablaze, the fire consuming what little remained of Xia, save for the pieces left to rot under an indifferent sky.
Even in death, she was denied peace, her ashes mingling with embers and smoke as the world bore witness to her final desecration.
Why was heaven so cruel? Was it her karma from another life, or was she simply a victim of a merciless fate? They say the universe holds infinite possibilities—could there not have been one where she found joy?
Yet, amidst the froth of countless bubbles that drifted through the ever-expanding void of existence, a single anomaly emerged.
Among the myriad possibilities of her fate, a divergence occurred, as if the universe itself sought to rewrite her story. The withered tree, sentinel of Yang Niu, pulsed faintly under the dying glow of embers.
Its ancient form shimmered with an otherworldly light, and from its branches, a single bud unfurled—a tear-shaped leaf that descended like a sorrowful lament.
The leaf fell upon the remnants of Dan Xia, its touch sparking an unseen force that coalesced her scattered consciousness.
"—!!?"
Her breath hitched as her eyes fluttered open. Dan Xia found herself in her familiar bed, but the room was different.
The decay and neglect that had defined her existence were gone, replaced by a space clean and vibrant, smelling faintly of spring.
Confusion painted her features as she touched her abdomen, and her breath caught when she felt movement within—a child kicking.
"I'm… pregnant?" she whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief. Tears welled in her eyes, a blend of shock and fragile hope.
'Was I sent back to the past? Have my prayers been answered?' A hesitant smile broke across her face, her heart daring to believe in a second chance.
Yet as Xia clung to her newfound hope, the withered tree—the silent guardian of Yang Niu—stirred. From its gnarled roots and weathered bark, a voice, deep and resonant, whispered into the void, "What compelled me to act?"
The voice sighed, heavy with the weight of its decision. "Even if time rewinds, the threads of fate remain unbroken. History will repeat."
The truth lingered, cruel and immutable. The first misfortune—her unborn child's death—was imminent. As if to confirm the voice's words, Xia suddenly felt the movement within her belly ceases.
Panic gripped her heart, her hands trembling as tears welled in her eyes. "No… not again. Please, no," she pleaded, her voice cracking.
But then, just as despair threatened to consume her, the movement returned—stronger, more vigorous than before. Relief washed over her, tears streaming down her face as she clutched her abdomen.
Unseen by Xia, the entity within the tree seemed to smile, its bark groaning faintly as if in laughter. "Ah… it seems the heavens intended this after all," the voice mused, its tone laced with satisfaction.
"My destined Resonator…" It spoke with clarity now, its words filled with purpose. "Will soon grace this world."
And so, as the days passed, the hopeful ones awaited the child's arrival, the air heavy with anticipation. In the house of blossoms, where sorrow had once bloomed, a new life began.
A cry pierced the night, heralding the birth of a baby boy. His eyes, wide with curiosity, gazed at the world with a profound, almost knowing light.
In the hazy recesses of his mind, a thought emerged, faint but unmistakable: "Was I reborn?"
To be continued...
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A/N: I think I didn't do Xia justice previously. I think that she deserves a backstory instead of just the shitty extra time I gave her. If you are confused feel free to ask.