July 20, 2175

07:00 A.M.

It was a fine, warm morning. The month of July—a month of unpredictable temperatures indeed. The air was humid, and the fields were full of muddy puddles because of the rain yesterday. The skies, however, were now open, and radiant sunshine was warming up the land of New Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The radiant sunlight reflected over the glass-like puddles of water, shining with blinding light.

Life was moving on as usual. Everyone was engaged in their monotonous routines—going to their workplaces, schools, and shops. Birds were chirping, their voices clearly heard from afar. After all, the machines were as silent as rocks, occasionally emitting beeps and horns. The air was clear, and the hills and mountains for which Pennsylvania is famous were visible on the horizon—beautiful and unchanging as ever.

Jack Hauston was still in his bed, breathing softly. A young adult of 17 years, he was on the brink of stepping into full-fledged adulthood. He turned in his sleep, His jet-black hair was all messed up, and his blue eyes, hidden under his eyelids, rested for another big day.

He seemed to be having a great dream, as evident from the faint smile spreading across his face. But, well, all good things must come to an end.

A sharp ringing filled the room as a robot, about four feet in height and one foot in width, entered.

"Master Hauston! Master Hauston! Wake up! You have to get ready, or Mrs. Hauston will get angry if she doesn't find you awake when she calls later," said the robot in a chirpy voice.

Jack turned in his sleep, mumbling something about holding someone's hand and flying.

"JACK HAUSTON, YOU WAKE UP RIGHT NOW, OR WHEN I COME BACK, I WILL PERSONALLY STUFF THAT BED WITH NAILS SO THAT YOU ARE NEVER ABLE TO SLEEP ON IT AGAIN!"

The robot roared, its voice mimicking that of an angry woman.

The birds sitting in the veranda flew off in a hurry after hearing the thunderous voice.

Jack jumped awake, barely avoiding falling off the bed.

"What? What was that?" Jack said as he regained his composure.

"Good morning, Master Jack. It is 7 A.M. That was a recording your mother ordered me to play just in case you didn't wake up before 7 A.M."

"Morning, Peru. Damn, can you please delete that recording? I want to wake up normally, not with a thundercloud above my head. The weather has been pretty wet already this past week."

"No can do. The order was given by the house owner; it cannot be overridden by you. As for the weather, there is a 90% chance of heavy rainfall today after 12:00 P.M. Yes! Around the time you leave to pick up Miss Diana Richards."

"Hm... you're right. Well, I'm already up now, so I might as well start the day."

Jack got up stretched revealing a well-built body. He exercised for a bit and went to freshen up. As he was brushing his teeth, he called out to Peru to toast a few slices of bread for him and ready the instant noodles.

Jack came out half an hour later, all dressed up and ready to start his day. He sat at the dining table, where the food was already served. He called Peru to turn on the television. The holographic screen popped up as the device powered on, tuning in to the news channel Jack had been watching last night.

"And researchers say they might have found a small oil reserve in the Thar Desert of India. This discovery is quite valuable, as fuel was exhausted long ago by humans before they gained access to the new power that brought the dawn of a new age. The cleanest and most available energy we use today wasn't available to the humans of the pre-war period. The fuel they used slowly destroyed the environment. Maybe we could have seen some of the museum animals as real-life ones if our ancestors had access to this power," said the news anchor.

Jack switched channels, tuning in to the history channel dedicated to the war period—the Great War that probably had the most widespread and long-lasting damage on this beautiful planet. The damage would have been even more drastic if the Kratians hadn't entered the scenario. In fact, there was a fair chance that life on this planet would have vanished altogether. The war reshaped mountains, created massive craters, and nearly wiped out humanity. Their arsenal was almost empty, yet the foe stood almost unaffected. That was how the Great Homo-Xeno War unfolded—until the Kratians entered the picture.

The war lasted for ten years. About a hundred and fifty years ago, a fleet of alien spaceships appeared in Earth's atmosphere and declared themselves the Xenos, announcing their intention to take over the planet. The humans tried to negotiate, but they failed miserably. The war began, and the Xenos overwhelmingly overpowered humanity. Humans fought to their deaths, even exhausting their atomic bombs—an act that backfired as radiation only accelerated their own destruction. Humanity's extinction was inevitable unless an external force intervened. Worse yet, their strongest weapons—nuclear warheads—had no effect on the Xeno warships, which were protected by an unknown energy field.

Eight years passed, yet humans still couldn't find a weakness in the Xenos. The Xenos were a collection of various organisms, almost as if their army was composed of every extraterrestrial species in the universe. Yet, they reproduced freely, as if they were one unified race.

Then, around the same time, the Kratians arrived. These new beings were entirely humanoid. As soon as they entered Earth's atmosphere, they brought down ten Xeno warships in just one hour. Fascinated yet terrified by this overwhelming power, humans were determined to negotiate with the Kratians by any means necessary—whether coexistence or enslavement under them. They would do whatever it took to earn the Kratians' favor. But to their surprise, the Kratians sent an ambassador. They requested permission to coexist with humans and, in return, offered to help defeat the Xenos, stating that it was a matter of personal vengeance.

Thus, the deal was sealed, marking the beginning of The Great Homo-Kratian-Xeno War.

The Kratians started by purifying the atmosphere and removing radiation. They installed massive towers, which they called "K-Filters," and soon, the radiation vanished. They then built safe zones and protected humans throughout the war.

The war was brought to a swift end within two years after the Kratians joined. Humans rarely had to leave the safe zones, and even when they did, it was mostly for weapon and supply deliveries.

A hundred and forty years had passed since then. With the help of their new allies, humans discovered a new form of energy called "Kana Energy." This was the power source behind everything—the Xenos' energy shields and weapons. The Kratians had mastered the manipulation of Kana Energy, which allowed them to produce extraordinary effects. This ability, which gave them the upper hand in war, was called "Ikanami."

Jack watched as the show host recounted the astonishing inventions and discoveries made by the humans and Kratians together—revolutionary changes, from heavy element production through raw energy to near-perpetual energy producers. Then, there was one of the most crucial discoveries: the genetic modification of both genomes to make humans and Kratians reproductively compatible. This development was necessary to help the Kratians, who had initially arrived in mere thousands, repopulate on Earth to a staggering one million.

Coexistence had been executed flawlessly. There were now at least three Kratian-reserved cities in each country worldwide, with jurisdiction solely under the Kratian government. There were two world governments—one human and one Kratian—that made decisions together after thorough consultation.

Jack finished his breakfast and got up from the table, bored. What he had just heard was common knowledge. He had hoped to learn a few more tips about unlocking his Ikanami. Yes, Jack still hadn't awakened that mighty power hidden inside him.

Jack was what one would call a Homo-Kratian—a cross between a human and a Kratian. His father was a pureblood Kratian, and his mother was a Homo-Kratian.

Pureblood Kratians automatically unlocked their Ikanami by the age of 15. However, Homo-Kratians had a harder time. They could only unlock their Ikanami after undergoing a stimulating trauma—one that truly shook them, causing their internal Kana Energy to circulate wildly and open their blocked Kana pathways.

"Master Jack, it's 11:30 A.M. Please have your lunch—you will have to leave soon," said Peru as he swept the house.

"Alright, serve the food. I'll be there right away," Jack said, getting up from the sofa.

11:45 A.M.

Jack stood up after finishing his lunch, and almost immediately, his holographic interface watch (holowatch) began buzzing vigorously. Raising his hand, he tapped the screen, and a holographic interface popped up, revealing an incoming call.

Jack's heart skipped a beat, and his face broke into a wide smile. It was Diana—his classmate, his friend, and the person he had cherished in his heart for five years. Diana was Jack's love, a love that had deepened through shared time and hardships. Yet, he had never confessed. Why? Because he valued their friendship too much. If his confession risked making things awkward, was it worth it? That was a gamble he couldn't take.

The watch buzzed again. Jack quickly fixed his untidy hair, took a deep breath, and picked up the call.

"Heyyy! How are you doing, Jack?" came a melodious and energetic voice from the other side. The screen revealed Diana's bright face, split into a wide grin.

"I'm good, just had lunch. What about you?" Jack replied.

"Great as always. I just had mine too. What's up with that smile?"

"How can I not smile when I get a call from you? It's such a rare joy, Madame."

"Ha-ha, very funny. You know it's not like that. Stop teasing me!"

"Alright, alright. I won't. Probably."

"Gahhh~ Anyway, is Mrs. Hauston back yet?" Diana asked.

"No, Mom won't be home for another week. She says the research subject is quite intriguing."

Jack's mother was a researcher at Rawkins Lab, a government facility in Stamford, Connecticut.

"I see. That's not good—you'll be lonely," Diana said, her face drooping slightly.

"No need to be sad for me. I'm used to it," Jack reassured her.

"Hmm... just so you know, you're always welcome here. I cook for myself anyway since Mom and Dad are always at the army camp. I can cook for you too," Diana said, smiling.

"Now that's something to look forward to. I'd love to come. Just tell me whenever you're hosting a feast," Jack said, quickly looking away to hide how flustered he was.

"Yayyyy! By the way, are you coming to the training center today?"

"Hmmm... No, I don't think it's working out for me. Guess I just don't have an Ikanami. I told you this yesterday... Why are you asking again?" Jack sighed.

Diana had been one of the first students to unlock her Ikanami—hers was healing.

"Hey, c'mon, I wasn't making fun of you. I just don't want you to give up. You know Franklin unlocked his Ikanami yesterday?" Diana said, her voice full of encouragement.

"Oh?! That's cool, but news to me. He still hasn't told me, and I live right in front of him."

"Seriously??? That fool," Diana said, shaking her head in disappointment.

"Yeah, I know. What's his Ikanami?"

"Superspeed! After unlocking it, he kept bragging about how talented he always knew he was."

"Heh~ that idiot. Sigh Alright, I think I'll come. I'll be at your place around 12:15 P.M.," Jack said while glancing outside. The sky had started darkening.

He retraced his eyes back to the call but noticed something alarming—several black cars entering their locality. Dozens of men clad in black armor, with assault rifles on their shoulders, stepped out. Their helmets were completely opaque, hiding their faces. But what caught Jack's attention was the symbol on their backs—a mark he recognized instantly. The symbol of the terrorist organization "Ortho-Sapiens."

Jack's face turned pale as he saw them readying their weapons.

"Listen, Diana. Don't open the door! No matter how much they knock, DON'T OPEN THE DAMN DOOR! Take out your mom's army vest and hide. Somewhere they can't find you, okay?" Jack said, panicking.

"But why?"

A loud knock echoed through Jack's house.

"Listen, there's no time to explain. Just do as I say for once. Please. I'll explain later, okay?"

"Alright, fine. Jeez. What the fu—"

A loud bang erupted from Diana's side.

"Diana? Diana?! DIANA?!!" The call disconnected.

"Oh fuck! I think they got there. I hope they don't find her," Jack cursed.

He turned off his holowatch and sprinted to his mother's storage room. There, he found a cupboard made of Vortanium—an element used in nuclear reactor walls, capable of blocking Kana energy. He slid inside and shut the door.

The front door was kicked open.

Jack activated the CCTV feed on his holowatch. Two Ortho-Sapien operatives entered, scanning the area with a Kana detector. The device could detect unpolarized Kana energy, making it easy to locate Kratians who hadn't unlocked their Ikanami yet. But thanks to the Vortanium, Jack remained undetectable.

"Intruders! Intruders, calling 911. Call failed to connect, trying again. Call address can't be reached," Peru Blared As He Rushed towards the intruders.

"Noisy pest," one of the intruders muttered before pulling the trigger. Gunshots rang through the house, and Peru collapsed, the bullet piercing his motherboard.

The two men split and searched the house for a minute before reconvening 

"Found anything?" one asked.

"Nope, the scanner is silent as a dead man."

"Well, I guess there's nothing for us to do here. We've already seized the training center and Rawkins Lab."

Jack's blood ran cold. His mother worked at Rawkins Lab.

"Yes. These outsiders are dead. Finally, we can rid Earth of these filthy pests."

"Yes, let's go."

They fired a few shots at the ceiling before leaving, triumphant.

Jack remained hidden, paralyzed by fear. His mind raced.

"Mother, please be safe. I hope you and everyone else survived," he prayed.

Gunshots echoed throughout the neighborhood, signaling the massacre outside.

Jack edged toward the window but didn't dare to peek. Instead, he listened.

Then, a voice boomed. "Dear brothers in arms! Today, we begin the cleansing of our mother Earth from these filthy outsiders. I am happy to announce that our branches worldwide have successfully eliminated the vermin in the reserved zones in one coordinated strike! LET'S GIVE A CHEER TO OUR COMRADES AROUND THE WORLD!"

"YEAHHHHHHH!!!" the men cheered.

Jack listened as they laughed, got into their cars, and drove away, leaving behind a trail of blood.

He clenched his fists. His world had just changed forever.