Act One: Prison
Planet Daria is one of the biggest planets, housing 21 billion inhabitants. Without reaching its full potential, its lands are divided into two: 85% of it is full of life, and the last 15% in the far west is called the Great Waste, where even the grass won't bloom.
After the great evolution 400 years ago, the Phoenix Corporation was launched. The new chips were important in awakening the cells that lay dormant in the human body and pushing them forward to become awakened with superpowers. These chips were a luxury at first, and only a few used them, but after a few more experiments and trials and errors, these chips have evolved and become more advanced.
Imagine when the new footage of the newly awakened people went around the internet at that time; people started craving them. Everyone wanted to be powerful, so more people started buying them. As time went on, a new line of chips was made, more catered to the individual needs.
Even the scientists who dismissed these chips as an explicit privacy invasion wavered when a new variant that unlocks more advanced brain functions came out. Even the people in power endorsed them, which, in time, has made Medetra Corporation a superpower.
Cities have evolved as well; almost all the cities have become huge metropolitan areas with at least 20 million populations. Each city houses great skyscrapers that reach higher than the clouds. The great evolution, as humanity called it, launched them into a new age where science and superpowers combined.
But the main reason these chips became a necessity is that the evolution didn't just end there; somehow, it affected the whole planet. It awakened the very earth itself; it started to lay fruit to new plant lives that had never been seen before, some big, some sentient, some carnivorous.
The greatest evolution of them all is the animals in the plant; they grew into something more powerful, something more…. They became the stuff of nightmares that started to threaten the dominant species that had ruled the planet for millennia, the humans.
The Tetra chips, which were a luxury at first, became a necessity for the survival of humankind. Made the strong awakened humans the forefront of human protection when the scientists' weapons failed to destroy the newly evolved animals.
This great evolution brought great vitality to the world itself that made the average lifespan of a normal human years, and the awakened lived for far more than this number depending on their rank. This vitality made most delicacies obsolete.
So, the strong were honored and made into icons; a new law has been established to protect the weak… and the strong. The powerful became the top of the world in a few years, and financial power, although it stayed the same, evolved around the powerful awakening. The world united for the first time in hand, and the powerful and new super force that ruled the world was created: the Fortress, where the world's strongest awakened, gathered, and established the new laws. The world had never seen such unity and strength before.
In the far east of Daria lies a city, the last city before dawn: the great waste. Sunset City is a great city with a population of 40 million people spanning around 800,000 square kilometers (308,881 square miles) and where the last citadel of the Fortress lies. The citadel of Dawnbreakers is stationed in the middle of the city, a great tower of a building that penetrates the cloud. Ever watching the whole city, keeping the peace. Surrounded by skyscrapers from all around, above them all.
The citadel serves as a symbol of strength and unity for the people of Sunset City, a constant reminder of the power and protection provided by the Fortress. Its towering presence instills a sense of security and hope in the hearts of its residents, who look to the Dawnbreakers as their guardians in times of need.
The whole city is connected to the citadel by roads, and almost all the roads lead to the citadel. The city is divided into 3 sections: upper, middle, and lower. The high echelons of the city live in the upper city, and the people of the middle or lower city visit or stay there. Unless they have permission. At night, the middle and lower city dwellers that get into the highest are returned their parts or are punished by the law..The same applies to the lower city dwellers when they enter the middle one. Unless they have permission from the authorities.
The lower city, which occupies 60% of the city's size, where 25 billion people live, most of the city is surrounded by great skyscrapers, which rival the greatest cities of ours now. The lower city is divided into commercial, residential, and industrial areas, where the people of the upper city run their factories. The whole city is partly surrounded by a great forest that, to this day, remains unexplored because in it exist great monsters that demand mighty ranks of awakened to face them. This forest is one of the great financial supports of this city, where the awakened go and haunt animals and planets that have evolved. And sell them to the factories for a fortune. These items are used in the new bio product line of merch that came from the streamline after the great evolution. So, the city needs to maintain the forest and control it daily. Most of the lower city is surrounded by a great wall to keep anything from the forest out. These walls are manned 24/7 to keep watch over anything that wants to enter the city. There are only a few parts of the forest open where the awakened enter and leave; these parts are called the new parks, which are better and get visited by anyone who wants fresh air.
The city has strict regulations in place to ensure the safety of its residents from any potential threats that may emerge from the forest. Additionally, the new parks serve as a peaceful retreat for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
In park no. 4, in the far corner of the wall, lies a pile of boxes in a makeshift home. These boxes are covered with plastic bags that are piled up to keep the rain off. On a mattress that is made of a pile of clothes, a boy of 7 years old sleeps. With a disheveled face that is full of bruises and scars, with the left eye missing and skinny to the bone. A head full of white hair and one black eye. With half of his left hand missing and the other half full of gangrene (tissue death) that started spreading into the rest of his body, one right leg is limping. The boy has a hard time breathing normally anymore.
His body is covered in dirt and grime, a stark contrast to the once bright-eyed child he used to be. Despite his dire circumstances, there is a faint glimmer of hope in his eyes, a resilience that refuses to be extinguished.
The boy has long lost the light in his face, and he lives off other people and animals. Nameless never knew what his name was; some people call him dog, some call him parasite, and others enjoy exploiting him for what little worth he has; but the wise call him long forsaken by the light. He is a shadow of his former self.
Despite his hardships, Nameless continues to survive, clinging to the remnants of his humanity. His existence is a testament to the enduring spirit within him, a silent defiance against the darkness that threatens to consume him completely.
As soon as the sunlight came into his pile of boxes and squeezed through the holes into his eye, the boy opened his eyes and crawled slowly from his home. He lifts his head high, watching the sunset on everything and listening to the birds chirping around him, takes a long sniff in the air, and gets ready to face the day. The smell of fresh grass filled his nose, energizing him for the adventures ahead.
He starts to gather his pile of boxes carefully, first unwrapping the plastic wrap to make sure they don't tear, and then goes into the boxes. Finally, he put away a box he had found once before that was made of weird material like rubber. He uses it as a pillow. Immediately after, he puts everything into an old and torn plastic bag he investigates his place of refuge to make sure he doesn't leave any traces behind.
Once he is sure he is secure, he starts to look for a safe place to hide his belongings.
After a half-hour search, he finds a tree that has a hole that is unoccupied by any rodent and shoves his things inside. Right after he is done with his routine and makes sure everything is ready, he climbs a tree big enough to use as an advantageous point to find his location next to the city. After he finds the city border, he starts climbing down to get near the city wall.
After checking his pockets, he found the copper coin that he needed.
The currency in Daria is divided into Imperial, Gold, Silver, and Copper. 100 copper is 1 silver. 100 silver is 1 gold. 1000 gold is 1 imperial coin. 25 silver is enough to feed a family of 4 in the lowest slums of the lower city.
He slowly starts making his way near the wall while constantly checking his surroundings. He suddenly hears a footstep and goes instantly into hiding by burrowing himself into a bush and stopping breathing.
A few seconds later he hears a man's voice: "Hey, I'm sure I have heard something from here" that is getting nearer and nearer.
Then comes another voice: "Are you sure, man?"
The first man replies, "Yes, I'm sure. Who do you think I am?" The man approaches the bush, looks around, sees nothing, and starts tapping the ground.
The second voice comes again. "Did you find anything?"
The first man responds, "No, but I swear I heard something." The second man suggests they keep searching the area just to be safe.
The boy waits until the men are out of sight before cautiously emerging from the bush and continuing on his way, relieved that he wasn't discovered. He makes a mental note to be more careful next time to avoid any close calls.
Once he gets near enough, he spots a man wearing guard clothes.
These clothes flash in the boy's eyes; he has long forgotten and tried to forget about that hateful day.
As he watches the guard patrol the area, a sense of unease washes over him, reminding him of the danger that still lurks in his past. The boy quickly changes direction, determined to avoid any potential trouble and continue on his journey unnoticed.
He gets close enough to the side of the guard and gets ready to continue; just as the boy is about to continue, a hand grips his shoulder. The boy, horrified, looks to the left only to see a man wearing green clothes start materializing out of nowhere and coming out of his stealth.
He hears the hoarse voice, "He, he, he. Finally caught you, little dog; the boss will be happy." The boy's heart races as he realizes he has been caught by one of the dangerous figures from his past. He knows he must think quickly to escape this perilous situation.
He tries to scream, but the man puts his hand in his mouth. He tries to scream, but the man puts his hand in his mouth to silence him.
The boy gets dragged to the forest, horrified.
The man walks more than the distance the boy used to walk from the forest. Finally, they heard squalls of an animal and a party of 17 people surrounding a big pig that was 3 meters tall, taking turns stabbing. The man who brought the boy stands nearby and watches them until after minutes the pig falls down.
The party gathers, and a man of 2 meters with a bald head, black eyes, and a body full of muscle wearing black leather armor carrying a great axe walks by the pig and inspects it. Others stand in respect and watch him without making a sound. A man of short build with long black hair walks to the man.
"Boss, how is it?" asks the short man.
"Gahhh... It's ruined. Whichever bastard went too hard on this pig and damaged the leather?" The boss asks while looking at his men.
The short man looks around nervously before responding, "I'll find out who did it, boss. It won't happen again." The boss nods in approval and walks away, leaving the short man to handle the situation.
All the other men lower their heads.
The short man asks. "How much do you think it will be worth?"
"1 gold," the boss answers while greatly disappointed they spent an hour fighting it for this much money only.
The short man sighs and begins to assess the damage, realizing the mistake that was made. He knows he will have to work extra hard to make up for it. The boss watches from a distance, hoping that this incident will serve as a lesson for his men in the future.
The boss speaks something in the man's ear, and the man nods in response before turning to address the rest of the party. The group then begins to make preparations to transport the pig back to their campsite.
Finally, the man spots the man who brought the boy.
"Why the hell are you here? Who will scout the area?" shouts angrily
The man answers hurriedly. "I was a boss, but look who I ran into."
The boss finally notices the boy, and a bright smile passes on his face. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the little doggy who's been caught…"
The boy becomes horrified and tries to struggle but to no end.
The boss walks into the boy, crouching down enough to meet him eye to eye.
"What an ugly piece of shit you are," the man says, then angrily yells, "So you have been avoiding us, huh?"
The boy tries to answer, but only a growl comes out at him.
The man has enough and punches the boy in the stomach, making him faint.
"What the hell? Why is he so weak?" The man inquires and opens whatever clothes the boy has to check his wounds, only to see his body is half filled with gangrene, and frowns at the short man.
"What kind of half-assed thing did you do when you cut his left hand, you stupid dimwit? The boy is as good as dead now, and we can't use him anymore."
The short man shrinks his head. "Boss, I swear I did everything by the book. I. I even made the little shit faint when I did the job."
"Enough!" "No more words from you. You are as useless as them. The boss yells at him.
"Look at him with one eye. One hand. Limping. A body Full of Gangrene that eats his body. How am I supposed to use him now?? I had great plans for him, you know; now he is as good as dead," the boss comments under his breath.
One of his underlings asks his friends, who are older than him, at the gang, "Who the hell is this boy? Why is the boss so obsessed with him so much?
The older gang member looks over and sighs, "We call him a little dog. He is a local at the forest; they say he was living with animals his whole life," while looking at the boy.
And then he continues, "He can communicate with them, and the weak animals are fond of him somehow."
The other guy asks, "So?"
"Well, that isn't the important part about him. His value comes from here," the man gestures to his head.
"Huh? Head?" The man asked, confused.
"His brain, you idiot. He is abnormally smart, way smarter than all of us combined, and for his age, that is something." With little shame in his voice, the man answers.
The other guys ask, "What is his use of his brain? He looked.
The older guy berates, "You have no idea how useful he is when it comes to exploring new areas and caves. He always discovers a solution. Somehow, we became this big of a gang, thanks to him. Now he is useless for even that…"
Finally, the boss's hoarse voice came: "Useful for one more exploration, I say."
The other gang members start laughing. The men realize the boss's intentions for one final exploration, knowing it could be their most dangerous yet. Despite their doubts, they know they will need the boy's intelligence and problem-solving skills to survive.
"So how did we find him? And what is his story?" The new guy asks.
"Oh, him? We have a long story about him."