That April morning was special. The darkness receded, yielding its dominion to the sun. Its first rays began to illuminate the stronghold city of the Second District of the Consolidated Nation San-Elizabet. The night disappeared, leaving behind only a gentle coolness.

In apartment number 818 of the "Dawn" residential complex, the alarm clock went off. Ethan Blackwood, not opening his eyes, reached out for the bedside table and turned it off. The tech-covering of the windows gradually began to deactivate, letting the morning light flood into the bedroom. Ethan opened his eyes. His gaze was fiery today was the day that would change everything. The day when the impossible was about to happen.

Today, he would ask the question. And he would get an answer. An answer that, he was sure, would make him happy for the rest of his life. But still, there was a slight nervousness inside him, like a boy before his first important event.

A few months ago, Ethan turned thirty. Six months ago, he bought this apartment, and two weeks ago, he was appointed as a lecturer at the Old World Literature Department. His life had been flowing steadily and peacefully just like most citizens of the Consolidated Nation. But there was still one unfinished detail.

Ava Morales. The one he met five years ago in Mr. Seleznev's café. Back then, she had come in for her cappuccino, but fate had something else in store. Ethan, lost in thought, accidentally bumped into her, spilling coffee on her shirt. Silly. Awkward. But that moment became the beginning of their story. He looked into her eyes and saw something there he had never noticed before in any other girl. Depth. An ocean in which he wanted to drown. An abyss full of mysteries and light.

Words connected them, smiles strengthened the bond, and touches made it unbreakable. Over the five years, they created something unique, belonging only to them. In joy, in sorrow, in the small everyday things, they grew closer. Like two parts of a whole, inseparable and harmonious.

"Today is the day!" Ethan exclaimed as he jumped out of bed. Today, he would ask her to be his wife. The box with the ring, which he had been preparing for six months, was waiting for its moment. It was no ordinary ring: made of composite metals with a touch of his blood, it symbolized an unbreakable connection. Wherever they were, a part of his soul would always be with her.

Ethan placed his finger on the bed, activating the interface, and headed for the shower. The walls came to life, and from one of them, sticks extended, revealing a holographic screen. A news channel began its broadcast.

"Today is a great day!" the female reporter stood on the riverbank that crossed San-Elizabet. Behind her rose a massive metal structure. "The Archon of the Consolidated Nation will give the order to activate the Energy Reservoirs. Over the next seven days, energy from all stations will be redirected to the Reservoirs. And in a week, Project 'Fracture' will begin. All energy will be gathered in the Prime Reservoir, or, as the staff of the 'Fracture' complex call it, the Father."

The woman pointed to the giant metal structure, over which a flock of birds flew. "The energy will be directed to the Fracture Machine, opening the door to an alternate world. Through it, the Wanderers will pass and travel through a chain of parallel universes to the Center of Primordial Space, where, perhaps, the answers to the questions of our existence are hidden."

Ethan stepped out of the shower, feeling invigorated. He quickly put on his trousers, shirt, and jacket. Looking at himself in the mirror, he wondered, "Isn't this too formal?" But then he remembered that his father had proposed to his mother exactly in such attire, and she had said "yes."

"Well then," he sighed, adjusting his collar. "It's time." Ethan carefully placed the box with the ring in the inner pocket of his jacket.

In an hour, he and Ava would meet at Mr. Seleznev's café the place where it all began. Today, they would take a walk through the memorable spots that held pieces of their shared history. And at the end, on the bridge stretching over the river opposite the Reservoir, he would propose to her. Today, a new chapter of their life would begin.

 ***

Leaving apartment 818, he walked briskly toward the subway station. The ethers—machines that used a gravity-sliding system—whizzed past him as the city began to wake up. Ethan walked down the street, crossing intersection after intersection. He looked up and saw one of the trains, traveling through the magnetic ring tunnel, already approaching the station and preparing to dock.

Ethan quickly slipped through the closing elevator doors, which were supposed to take him to the magnetic subway platform. Several people were talking about Project Fracture.

"What do you think?" asked a woman. "After the Rift Gates…"

"Yes, I understand, but they aren't trying to connect with the Center of Primordial Space, just send the Wanderers," said a man.

"Hello," Ethan greeted them.

"Good afternoon," the woman replied, eyeing his suit and his unwavering smile. She seemed to immediately understand the reason for his formal appearance. "Love?"

"What? Ah," Ethan smiled. "Yes."

The elevator quickly ascended, with building floors and the residential complex "Dawn" appearing through the windows. The platform was almost reached.

The train doors were still open, and Ethan ran as fast as he could. The boarding signal sounded across the platform, and Ethan again slipped through the closing train doors. The train on the magnetic ring track detached from the platform and began to accelerate. Ethan Blackwood grabbed the handrail, staring out the window. Skyscrapers started to pass by, and the train rushed toward the next stop. Ethers sliced through the sky far in the distance.

One stop, two. Ethan should have arrived at the city park station a little earlier. He had to buy flowers before meeting Ava. A few more stations passed unnoticed as Ethan's mind was occupied with something else. He was trying to imagine the perfect scenario in which his proposal would be flawless. After all, this memory would stay with them for the rest of their lives.

"Station: San Elizabeth City Park," a female voice announced. The train arrived at the platform.

The young man quickly left the train and the platform. After descending, he headed toward the park. Near it was Mr. Seleznev's coffee shop, but even closer was the flower shop. Walking down the street, flowers began to appear in the flowerbeds as he neared the park. Ethan stopped for a moment. He glanced up at the blue sky of that day. A tremor started to take over his hands. His heart beat faster. He started walking again. A little more, and he reached the flower shop.

The small shop was decorated with several flower pots. "They seem to be for sale too," Ethan thought. Opening the door, he saw a young dark-skinned man behind the counter, tying an apron behind his back.

"Good morning," the seller greeted with a slight smile. "We just opened."

"Hello," Ethan Blackwood replied. "I'd like twenty-one white carnations, please."

Ava loved white carnations. Some considered them an official gift, others thought they were simple. But beauty lies in simplicity, right? She loved minimalism, and the white color shone beautifully in the sunlight.

"Of course," the seller nodded and went to the table. "A couple of minutes."

The screen projected on the wall showed the hosts discussing the launch of the Fracture Machine.

"Many people, though we won't call them the Last Ones, are very concerned. While I was getting to the studio, I saw people with posters starting to gather in the square," the woman on the screen said. "They're demanding to stop the launch of the Fracture Machine."

"They are understandable," the host raised his hand. "After the Rift Gates and..." He paused for a moment. "And the collapse. The fear is obvious."

"But let's not forget," another guest intervened, "the Fracture Machine is being led by none other than Martha Crockford. She was the one who opened the Primordial Space and calculated its Center."

"But wasn't she involved in the Cradle project?" the woman turned to the young man.

"Exactly. But the point of the Rift Gates in the Cradle complex was to establish a direct connection with the Center of Primordial Space. The Fracture Project works quite differently," the young man answered the question.

"What about those young men and women?" The woman asked again. "Will they pass through the fractures and leave our world forever?"

"They're not doing it for personal gain," the young man responded again. Tension began to rise among the studio guests. "They became Wanderers for the well-being of the Consolidated Nation. The answers we can find in the Center of Primordial Space may forever change our understanding of Primordial Space itself and our world in particular. We never imagined that, aside from our world, there were many alternate worlds. But now we can calculate their trajectories."

"Let's not forget about the time difference..." the host interrupted. "When they leave the world, they sever the connection with our time and..."

"It's ready," the seller approached Ethan and handed him the bouquet of white carnations.

"Thank you," Ethan smiled and placed his hand on the small platform. A circle appeared around his wrist. The payment went through.

Ethan left the flower shop and headed to the coffee shop. Step by step, he moved closer to the place where his heart had ignited a flame of unimaginable energy. He felt that his heart could do what the Cradle failed to do... Establish a direct connection with the Center of Primordial Space. This was the amount of love energy he could give to Ava.

Finally, Ethan saw her. The one he wanted to love forever, the one who was the light of his eyes. Ava Morales stood at the entrance to the coffee shop, watching the flocks of birds fly by in the sky. As if sensing his love, she turned around. A soft, peaceful smile appeared on her face. As if it was meant to be.

"Good morning, my dear," Ethan approached and kissed her on the cheek.

"Good morning," Ava took the bouquet of flowers in her hands and inhaled the faint scent of the carnations.

"Do you remember what day it is today?" Ethan was so nervous that his voice almost cracked.

"What day is it?" the girl asked in feigned surprise, as if she didn't know.

"Really?" Ethan raised an eyebrow, as if he believed her for a moment. But then he laughed. "What were you thinking then?"

"What?" Ethan opened the door, and Ava entered.

"You were so pensive, you didn't even notice me," she said, heading toward a small table. "What were you thinking? I've always wanted to ask."

"Haha," Ethan laughed. "You won't believe it, I was thinking about joining the Wanderers."

"Really?"

"Why not? Cappuccino?" Ethan glanced at the menu.

"And a sandwich."

"Exactly!" Ethan tapped the table with his finger, remembering he hadn't had breakfast.

It took a few minutes to order, pay, and wait for breakfast. Ava and Ethan quickly ate, constantly exchanging glances and laughing. It seemed like they were reading each other's thoughts and continuously joking in their heads.

When the sandwiches disappeared from their plates, the girl suddenly glanced out the window.

"Why the Wanderer?" she asked Ethan.

"What?" Ethan observed how the boundless ocean in Ava's eyes shimmered in the sunlight.

"The Wanderer."

"Ah, I thought traveling to other worlds might be interesting."

"Interesting? And that's it?" The girl turned her head and stared at him. "If we hadn't met, would you have become a Wanderer? Left the world, embarked on a journey into the unknown? And if not for me, would you be in the Cradle Complex right now, waiting for the start of your journey?"

"How lucky that we met. Because now that I've known you, I can confidently say that Primordial Space is extremely boring."

"Haha," the girl laughed. "Nice compliment."

The couple spent about another hour in the coffee shop before Ethan Blackwood decided to move on with his plan.

 ***

The lovers left the café and headed to stroll through the park, visiting different places. As they wandered through the maze of the hedge, they reminisced about the first time they kissed on one of the marble benches. Far from the main path, in the middle of the night, during a meteor shower, they were surrounded by a wall of flowers. The fire of the stars jumped from one branch to another, illuminating their faces with a soft light.

There had once been a technology festival. Scientists from different districts came to San-Elizabet to showcase their inventions. That day, Ethan bought two coins with their names on them. They were special, as the engraving was done with a special laser that could work on any metal and alloy.

They spent over two hours by the pond, where Ethan asked Ava to be his partner. They spent the whole night embracing each other and discussing everything, from pancake recipes to the dome that had protected the Consolidated Nation for seven centuries.

And so the day began to come to an end. The sun moved toward the horizon, as if bidding farewell to the world. Its rays played on the surface of the river as Ethan and Ava strolled along the waterfront. The bridge traffic had been blocked due to the activation of the energy reservoirs, and the road had turned into a pedestrian walkway.

Following Ethan, Ava reached the bridge. The last rays of the sun disappeared beyond the horizon. Soon, the Archon would give the order to activate the energy reservoirs, and the lights would go out for a few minutes. The entire Consolidated Nation would plunge into darkness, but in an instant, everything would light up again.

"How beautiful," Ava stopped in the middle of the bridge and turned toward the energy reservoir. The last sunbeam reflected off the metal of the reservoir and disappeared.

"A wonderful moment," Ethan lowered his hand into his inner jacket pocket and squeezed the small box with the ring.

"This is the best day," Ava squeezed Ethan's free hand and turned to him. "Let it never end."

"Ava, when I met you," Ethan knelt, releasing her hand, "I fell in love the moment I looked into your eyes."

"Ethan," the girl pressed her hands to her lips, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.

"Nothing in the Consolidated Nation compares to you. Your beauty is boundless, your mind immeasurable. Every movement you make drives me crazy. You are the best thing that was, is, and will be in my life. There's nothing that could compare to you. People from the old world would call you a goddess. You are priceless to me!" Ethan glanced around and noticed how people on the bridge were standing nearby, watching them with happy smiles. Another family would be born. "I will always be by your side!" Ethan opened the box, revealing the ring inside. "Will you marry me, darling?"

At that moment, the lights on the bridge went out. San-Elizabet plunged into darkness, as did the entire Consolidated Nation. Energy from all stations began to flow into the energy reservoirs of each district, preparing to open a rift in reality and connect with another world in seven days.

The energy reservoir of the Second District, installed in the stronghold city of San-Elizabet, lit up with a soft blue glow. Its light reached the lovers, slightly reflecting off the metal of the ring.

"Yes!" Ava Morales cried. "Yes, my love!" Tears streamed down her cheeks, warming her on that cool evening.

Ethan took the trembling ring in his hand and slipped it onto the girl's ring finger, glancing up into the eyes of his goddess.

Ethan Blackwood and Ava Morales embraced in a kiss. They felt their hearts beating in unison, as if the closeness wasn't enough. They wanted more to become one. Their love had just become something bigger. No scientist could measure it, no sensor would capture what was born between them that evening.

Happiness. Love. Peace. In that moment, Ethan and Ava took another step to become a family. In their kiss, a thought about the future rushed through their minds. How they would live in their apartment, how they would walk in the park in the evenings, how each night their love would bloom anew in their bed. They dreamed about getting permission to activate their reproductive systems and having a child, or maybe two. About traveling across the Consolidated Nation with their children. How many beautiful years awaited them.

Illuminated by the light of the Energy Reservoir, Ethan and Ava were about to have the perfect life.

But fate had already started its game.

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