In the vibrant metropolis of Heather City, the year 2510 ended with a stunning sunset, casting a warm light on its tall buildings.
Elena leaned against the railing on the thirtieth floor of a towering glass structure.
The wind whipped through her hair as she gazed at the bustling streets. Hovercars zoomed past, and bright ads illuminated the night. Despite the vibrant city below, she felt lonely and empty.
Five hundred years after the apocalypse, the survivors of humanity flourished in a fake paradise.
Betrayers had sought refuge with the aliens who had planned the world's demise, constructing a circular shelter that appeared idyllic but was only a facade.
The sunlight above them was not a natural sun; it pulsed with an energy controlled by a fire ability user, spreading an artificial glow over the city.
The truth was obvious outside, the once-thriving blue planet lay in ruins, a bleak wasteland of decaying buildings and barren landscapes.
Survival of the fittest applied here, only the strongest and most clever would survive. Inside the fake paradise, life appeared ideal at the expense of humanity.
Fearful of humanity's betrayal, the aliens designed a harsh fate for those who seek their help.
They injected humans with erroneous DNA, creating horrible hybrids that are half human and half extraterrestrial.
These once-thriving beings have turned into terrible abominations, stripped of their freedom and forced to obey their alien masters.
The blue planet, which was once teeming with life, is now a breeding ground for bizarre hybrids.
Mutant humans wandered the wilderness with traces of human civilization twisted into terrifying shapes.
Elena looked out from the so-called paradise, knowing that outside the shelter's walls lay not only devastation but also the ghosts of her past, lost to a fate brought on by betrayal.
She could still feel the battle of the year 2037—the adrenaline, the yells, and the dazzling flashes of power as humanity fought bravely against the invaders.
Elena fought with her husband, Ethan, together with their trusted allies with confidence; their overwhelming power pushed back the aliens.
However, as the tide began to turn in their favor, betrayal struck like a dagger. Their allies turned against them, showing their allegiance to the aliens they hoped to overthrow.
Ethan was suddenly caught in the crossfire, and an explosion of energy severed his connection for good. Grief seized her, and in that agonizing moment, an alien lunged at her, its claws tearing through flesh and bone and leaving her body ravaged with injuries.
Elena's consciousness began to fade, and as despair overcame her mind, she clung to her once-magnificent ability to manipulate time. She released a great force, bending the fabric of reality to send back her own consciousness to the past.
However, her emotions were unstable, causing her to spiral uncontrollably through time. Yet, instead of returning to the defining moment of betrayal, she was unceremoniously hurled into the future, 500 years after the battle, her body battered and her spirit disoriented, like a leaf caught in a tempest.
When she landed, she collapsed in a heap, buried in the northeast corner of a decaying shelter, the remnants of a once-thriving stronghold.
The scar on her face, left from the battle, appeared to throb with anguish, a physical embodiment of her internal turmoil.
As she lay there, half-conscious, a pair of interested eyes gazed down at her—a half-breed, a mix of human and alien, who mistook her for one of its own due to her injuries and unkempt appearance, which saved her.
Ten years had passed since the day she was transported into the future, costing her once-mighty time manipulation, which was reduced to Tier 1 and could not be upgraded.
Now, as Elena navigated the sleek, dirty corridors of her new reality of the year 2510, the memories of that battle haunted her like a shadow.
She was now alone; what was left on her was the old necklace Ethan had given her on their wedding anniversary, a simple piece of metal engraved with their initials.
This world was full of half-breeds roaming around with technology beyond her wildest dreams, but it lacked the warmth of human connection.
Determined to honor Ethan's legacy, she sought out individuals who desired freedom.
In the deep depths of this fake paradise, she discovered other survivors—people who had suffered a loss yet whose eyes mirrored the same haunting resolve she felt.
They created a secret group called the Resurgence; their aim was daring: to dismantle the regime that had allied with the very aliens that had devastated their world.
Elena stepped up as their leader, channeling her pain into a sense of purpose.
She used her limited time manipulation abilities to scout potential attack points. Now, however, her power felt fragile—just a flicker of what it once was. Yet, each successful mission brought survivors hope and trust in her.