Thunder cracked through the dense rain-filled dark clouds. The clouds extended throughout the whole sky, the clouds were so dark it didn't let even a single ray of sunlight pass. The clouds made it appear as if it was midnight even though it was far from it. The wind blew harshly indicating an upcoming hurricane as rain poured down heavily.
The tall buildings' walls were all damped and seemed really weakened, they were at the end of their ropes. The lights flickered and some electricity sparks could be seen from the wires of buildings once in a while.
The town was almost in ruin, caught in a massive flood as the water level has reached above normal 2 story buildings. The waters soared in a huge stream, showing no sign of stopping, ready to engulf anything and everything in its sight.
In the Centre of it all stood a large platform, kilometers in length.
Large machines stood atop the platform. Multiple of those machines, identical to each other, extended over the whole platform, from one end to another.
It had a dark frame with pink and purple color spiraling inward forming a portal like structure. They were colossal in size—around 70 meters tall and 20 meters wide— filled with energy, producing a constant humming sound.
Around them gathered a huge crowd of people, their faces filled with melancholy and fear as they passed through and dissolved into the portals.
******
It was the year of 2718, humanity has achieved the impossible.
Technology had advanced to the point, it was completely blurred into something indistinguishable from magic. People could reshape matter, transform water into fire, and harness energy beyond comprehension. Yet, showing no sign of stopping from achieving further heights.
But, it came at a huge price. Although humanity had turned into a renewable source of energy, the damage already done to the planet was beyond anything reversible. The advancement was done at the sacrifice of the planet's health, although they realized and started focusing on the environment more, the earlier negligence had already begun to show its fruit. They desperately tried to repair the damage, but all the treatments were artificial that Earth rejected harshly. The treatment was more like painkillers rather than actual medicine, the pain was subdued but the wound stayed there.
One day, all of it struck down together. The planet's temperature soared to catastrophic levels, and the ecosystem teetered on collapse. It was the hottest temperature humanity had witnessed, The temperature jumped to whooping 156 fahrenheit (62°C). Desperate to survive, humans had to rely on artificial means which further deteriorated the condition of earth. The devastating heatwave, later named "The Red Day," lasted a single, harrowing day—enough to claim 20% of the global population.
Soon, In a desperate bid to repair itself, Earth unleashed torrents of rain, as if the heavens wept for its own survival.
Initially, the humans saw the rain as a boon—nature's self way of cooling the overheated planet. They rejoiced under rain, danced in the downpour, grateful for the reprieve from an unyielding sun. But their joy was short-lived as the rain showed no sign of stopping.
Days passed, Rivers swelled, dams burst, and canals overflowed, washing away homes and entire towns. The water consumed everything in its path, sparing neither the rich nor the poor. Yet, the Rain showed no sign of stopping. Humanity's triumph over nature crumbled beneath the weight of the relentless storm as the storm slowly devoured everything humanity held pride in, as they were forced to watch in silence.
By the end of the first month, half of the global population had perished. Desperation drove humanity to fight back. Scientists and engineers devised artificial means to stop the rain, deploying advanced technology to disperse the storm clouds to prevent any further casualties. For a moment, they believed they had succeeded as the rain did stop for a while. But their victory was fleeting.
Nature, as if enraged by their interference, retaliated with unrelenting fury. The sky that was blowing gentle wind earlier now roared with hurricanes, the ground shaked with quakes, and tidal waves began swallowing their lands. It was no longer a storm, it was retribution. The world was ready to undergo "The Great Reset".
With no choice left, humanity finally made the heartbreaking decision to leave their home planet.
******
Ken Eiryashi was a fairly average man who didn't stand out much amongst his peers. He was a college going student with dark hair, fairly light skin with deep brown eyes. Among his peers, he was the guy with lame jokes, awkward social skills, and a knack for being overlooked.
Although he was smart, thanks to countless late nights spent gaming and binging his favorite fiction, his grades were anything but average. His smartness mostly revolved around those aspects so his way of thinking was influenced, maybe that was the reason why he always faced difficulty to blend with others.
But beneath his shy, introverted exterior was a kind heart and a restless imagination. Ken had always dreamed of being the hero of a grand story—just not in real life.
He just turned 18 recently, his mundane life was in shambles, but he didn't regret it. Seeing the world around him on the verge of destruction, he felt immense pride for himself as he thought the days he spent were exactly how he wished. Except in the friends and love part.
His gaze lifted at the towering teleporters above, humming with immense energy enough to bend the very fabric of space and time. The crowd gathered around it in a long straight line, patiently waiting for their turn as the prior entered.
One might think where the teleporter next mouth is, that is, where it opens at. Well, to answer simply, it opens in a large platform hovering in the ozone of earth. It floats above the ocean at the centre of the planet, it's so ridiculously high that it should have been impossible for naked eyes to spot if it wasn't for its ridiculous size.
The platform is a large dome-like structure which was made in the case of an emergency like this. What is in that dome one might ask, to answer the curiosity, consists of two large ships in each pole.
Yup, the teleporters open at two different platforms depending on one's location. The ships were named for hope: Eden's Ark, to carry humanity's remnants to safety, and Aurora, to guide them toward a new dawn.
Ken's eyes fall on the city, almost drowned, the waves slowly withdrawing back. Even as the first wave of people–nobles and riches–entered the teleporters, a strange-uneasy stillness settled over the crowd. The planet, battered and broken, still felt alive–watching. It had casted them out, but would it let them leave?
His eyes catch the stirring waves at the horizon, the water level rising dramatically as it covered the whole sky in a large catastrophic tsunami.
The line of people around the teleporters, a fragile order maintained by the world government out of fear and desperation, a single calamity was all it needed to shatter that order and throw the people in chaos, and nature did just that.
Screams filled the air as the wave approached, a wall of water that seemed to blot out the very sky. The crowd turned feral, a stampede of bodies pushing and shoving, each person desperate to escape the city's doom.
Ken, with his heavy breathing, stops just as he was nearing the teleporter. His mind begged for his body to move but his heart refused to. Despite the commotion, his head turned, searching among the chaos for that one face he was desperate to see.
His eyes searched for her–the girl he had loved in silence for years. She wasn't the outgoing type of girl nor was she the centre of attention. She was just as socially awkward if not more than him. Both were similar, finding comfort in quiet moments. But what set them apart was clarity, she was certain of what she wanted in future unlike Ken who was just enjoying his life in his way.
They usually spent hours–at least what felt like hours– talking to each other as they were less awkward talking to each other then talking with others. Unlike most, she was patient. She listened—not just to reply, but to understand. Although Ken wasn't one to speak much, but with her, the silence wasn't uncomfortable. It was something else entirely—something meaningful. Maybe that was what made him fall for her, the familiarity and understanding even with little words exchanged.
Now, as the looming wave tore through the cityscape, Ken's heart pounded harder with every passing second. Amidst the chaos and screams, he finally spotted her. She stood frozen, her wide eyes reflecting the monstrous wall of water rushing closer. Time seemed to slow, the deafening roar of the approaching tsunami fading to a distant hum.
"Move!" he shouted, though his voice barely carried over the chaos. His body surged into action before his mind could catch up, his legs propelling him toward her.
She had to survive.
Reaching her, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the teleporter.
"Run!" he shouted, his voice raw with urgency. She stumbled forward, and he pushed her ahead, shielding her from the crush of the crowd. His only thought was to get her inside, to keep her safe.
The tsunami hits.
The force of the wave sent bodies flying and turned the world into a blur of water and screams. Ken pushed her forward with all his strength, shoving her into the teleporter just as the wave slammed into him.
Pain shot through his arms as the teleporter malfunctioned, its doors snapping shut on him. His scream was lost in the chaos as the world dissolved into water and darkness, his vision blurring, but managed a final, fleeting thought: She's safe. That's all that matters.
The teleporter shut down in a burst of sparks, severing the arms that were inside the portal cleanly. Ken was swallowed by the cold, unrelenting wave, his life slipping away with the tide. He never got to confess his love, his heart heavy with unspoken words and his love left unrequited. But he died believing she was alive, and for him, that was enough.
Ken's spirit drifted in an endless void, weightless and lost. Memories of his life played before him like a broken reel: his childhood, the awkward laughs of classmates, the girl's frozen face as he pushed her to safety. His heart ached with unspoken words and unfinished dreams. Is this what death feels like? he wondered, his thoughts dissolving into the darkness.
Then, a voice broke the silence.
"Ken Eiryashi," it called, gentle yet resonant, as if the void itself were speaking. The darkness around him shifted, flecked with swirling lights that danced and converged into a shape—a presence. It was neither man nor woman, yet it radiated a power so vast Ken could barely comprehend it.
"You have passed from the world of the living, but your story is not yet over."
The god's light pulsed, like a star exhaling. "you have proven yourself worthy. But your destiny lies not in the world you left behind. But in the world I shall reincarnate you into—a world in need of protection."
Ken could barely make out what was said to him. But apparently he seemed to have gained a second chance for life, why? That was also the answer he wanted to know, but the lack of any physical body made it impossible to ask…or maybe it was also his unwillingness.
A surge of energy coursed through Ken's spirit, filling him with an unfamiliar warmth. The void began to ripple, fragments of light and sound swirling around him. The god's voice faded, but its final words lingered in his mind.
"To aid you, I grant you a System—a tool to survive, to grow stronger, and to fulfill your purpose. But heed my words: the System is a guide, not a savior. Your choices will shape your path."
Before Ken could respond, the void shattered like glass, and he was thrust into blinding light. The god's voice faded, but its final words lingered in his mind.
"Live, Ken Eiryashi. Protect this new world. And perhaps... find the answers you seek."
And he was thrust into blinding light, his new journey beginning.