On a late afternoon in the golden hour, fallen maple leaves covered the winding roads. In the distance, a young woman was engrossed in a book about an ancient civilization—Atlantis. The sky was a deep blue, with gulls occasionally soaring across it.
Boom!
A thunderclap tore through the tranquil sky. Dark clouds gathered as a flurry of golden ants scurried back to their nests, joyfully carrying bits of leaves.
From a distance, a white car pulled up and stopped right next to the young woman.
"Is that you, Anh Thu? Get in, it's about to rain!"
"Oh, Cao Hai, what a coincidence. It's been so long since we last met..."
"Hop in, we can catch up inside the car!" Anh Thu quickly clutched her book, got into the luxurious car, and sped away.
"Anh Thu, do you remember the small base we had in elementary school?"
"The one on the hill?"
"Exactly. I think we should go there. To relive our fond memories, and to decipher some of the things we never quite figured out."
"Okay, let's drive straight up the hill! Wait, do you still remember the way? I've forgotten."
"Don't worry, I still remember!"
And so, the two friends left the town, raced across the cornfield, and escaped the rain, heading straight for the hill.
The winding roads and slightly faded signposts led the two friends to their small base, perched high above where it overlooked the entire town.
Clang! The hurried sound of car doors closing.
The base, built of wood, now looked old and weathered. It was covered in green moss and overgrown with weeds. Cao Hai anxiously opened the door. The inside was a mess, with thick spiderwebs everywhere. From a far corner, a pair of eyes stared at them—a truly frightening sight!
"Meow..." a cat suddenly leaped out.
"Phew, I thought it was something else!" Cao Hai sighed in relief.
"You're being ridiculous! Let's clean this up."
Anh Thu picked up an old book from the table and gently blew the dust off it. Cao Hai rushed back to the car to find a lighter. He returned to the base and fumbled for an oil lamp. The lamp was there, but it was out of oil. He suddenly remembered something, dashed into a dark corner of the room, and grabbed a jug of liquid. He quickly poured it into the lamp, realizing it was a jug of oil that had been hidden there all this time!
Flicker... flicker... A faint flame slowly came to life, illuminating the small base.
Sunlight peeked through the wooden walls, a golden haze of dust dancing in the beams. The spiders scurried away, knowing their home was about to be reclaimed.
Drip, drip, drip... The rain had arrived. But the two friends still weren't done cleaning. The place was incredibly dusty and seemed to be the shared home of reptiles and rodents like lizards and mice. Anh Thu stood by the window and opened it, looking out at the wide-open sky in the distance, where the sunset was embracing the sea, where fishing boats drifted and made their living. The last rays of sun could no longer outrun the downpour. The dark clouds swiftly swept over the hill and out to sea.
"Ring, ring, ring..." Anh Thu's phone suddenly rang in her bag.
"Hey, Anh Thu, where are you? I really want to take a trip to the Mediterranean! I loved that book about Atlantis you recommended; it's so interesting!"
"That's a great idea, Yen! I'm at our base with Cao Hai. I think we should form a small team and go. What if we invite the whole group?"
"I agree! Wait for me to get Luu Thanh and Nhat Nam, okay? Bye!"
With that, Hai Yen hung up, leaving a quiet silence. Anh Thu looked at the distant sky again, as if waiting for something, with an indescribable feeling. Cao Hai, on the other hand, was busy rummaging for the old books and ancient texts they had collected. There were books on space science, biology, and a hundred thousand 'why' questions. His fingers ran across the cover of a dusty, nameless book. It contained things the kids had explored years ago, back when they were in elementary school...
"December 21, 2012, the world will end, the apocalypse will come according to the prophecy of the ancient Maya. The Mayan Long Count calendar was designed to track long cycles of time. A great cycle lasts about 394 years. December 21, 2012, marked the end of the 13th cycle, equivalent to about 5,125 years since the 'beginning day' in their calendar system."
"December 25, 2012, it seemed the Earth was not destroyed. Scholars and researchers of Mayan culture confirmed that the Maya never predicted the end of the world. Instead, they saw it as the end of one cycle and the beginning of a new one, similar to how we transition from December 31 to January 1 in the modern calendar!"
These events were meticulously arranged and recorded by the friends, as if they were trying to understand something in the vast universe or to research something unexplainable.
The rain had passed. Anh Thu ran to the yard of the base, where she could see the entire town.
"The air is so fresh, I love it!" Anh Thu exclaimed.
The glistening raindrops on the green leaves sparkled like crystals under the sunset. Small brown squirrels scurried and leaped, vying to pick up the ripe red forest apples scattered around the base. The recent shower was like a cool breeze, sweeping away the suffocating humidity. The earth was suddenly calm, carrying a fresh breath of life. The plants seemed to be revived, each young sprout reaching out for the cool water, gently trembling in the twilight. The sun's light gradually faded, giving way to the peaceful night, covering the landscape in a thin, ethereal mist.
Anh Thu and Cao Hai tidied everything up, getting ready to drive back to town. Just then, two cars with their headlights on appeared, driving straight for the base. Cao Hai sensed something was wrong and quickly hid with Anh Thu behind the leaves.
The two cars arrived, and two men and one woman got out. Seeing the familiar figures, Anh Thu rushed out. "Hey, Hai Yen! I'm here!"
Hai Yen's eyes lit up, and she pointed at the base. "Wow, after all these years, this place is still standing strong against the storms, huh? We just bought some good wine and grilled meat, planning to have a meal and a chat with you guys. And here you are, packing up and leaving quietly? Trying to run away?" She glared at Anh Thu and Cao Hai, her voice full of mock indignation.
"Yeah, we were just about to head back, Yen!" Cao Hai quickly replied.
"Hey, what's with you, man? Why did you bring the princess Anh Thu all the way here? Why didn't you invite me? I'm your best friend, aren't I? What's going on?" Luu Thanh complained.
"Hey, hey, you just got here..." Nhat Nam quickly covered Luu Thanh's mouth.
"The view here is as beautiful as it was on day one, isn't it? Come on, let's go inside the base, I want to see what it's like!" Nhat Nam continued. He then quickly took the key from Cao Hai and opened the door.
"Wow, why is it so dark in here!" Nhat Nam added.
"I have some lights in my car's trunk, wait a minute!" With that, Luu Thanh opened his trunk and took out three LED camping lamps.
"Where did you get three camping lamps from?" Cao Hai asked.
"I just went and bought them! I heard you two were at the base, so I went to buy lights and some other supplies. Nhat Nam and Hai Yen went to get food for tonight's feast!"
"Ah, I see!" Cao Hai said, impressed.
The conversation that followed was lively. Anh Thu led Hai Yen to the window to admire the distant lighthouses and the boats anchored at sea. The scene was peaceful and calm. What about the other three? They were gathering firewood. One was washing the meat, fish, and vegetables... another was carrying stones to form a circle around the firewood to prepare for a bonfire...
"Hey, you two ladies, come help me season this meat and fish! I'm going to get the wine glasses from the car!" Luu Thanh shouted loudly from the blazing bonfire.
"Alright, we'll do it! Did you guys wash all the food?" Hai Yen tilted her head and asked quickly.
"Cao Hai went to the stream to wash it and hasn't come back yet! Haha!" Luu Thanh chuckled.
Just as he finished, Cao Hai appeared from a distance, carrying a heavy basket of freshly washed food. He walked with steady steps toward the base, a contented smile on his face as he saw his friends waiting for him.
Soon, with Hai Yen's skillful hands and Anh Thu's meticulousness, the fresh meat was well-marinated and skewered neatly. The smoke from the bonfire began to spread, mingling with the rich aroma of grilled meat, golden shrimp, and the sweet, savory scent of roasted sweet potatoes—the group's favorite. On a wide banana leaf, fresh lettuce slices and ripe fruit were beautifully arranged, creating a natural yet cozy outdoor feast.
The group gathered around the fire, their laughter echoing in the night. They recounted childhood stories, some innocent like children's tales, others poignant with nostalgia for the distant past. The flickering firelight illuminated their radiant faces, as if engraving another beautiful memory into the journey of their youth.
"Do you guys remember when we stole corn and the owner chased us?" Nhat Nam laughed heartily, chewing on a piece of grilled meat. "It was so much fun! Only Yen got caught, and she told on all of us! So hilarious!"
Hai Yen suddenly placed her meat skewer down on a rock, annoyed. "That's because you guys pushed me out to be the lookout! And what kind of lookout am I when I was standing right where she was walking?"
Cao Hai burst out laughing, his eyes mischievous. "Haha, I clearly remember you and I got into a fight over Anh Thu, Nam! We beat each other to a pulp!"
Nhat Nam quickly shook his head. "No! I see Anh Thu as my sister. You were teasing her back then, and I had to protect my sister!"
"Your... sister?" Anh Thu asked in surprise.
A sudden sadness appeared in Nhat Nam's eyes. "Yeah, you're exactly like my sister. She was also passionate about exploration and research like you. But..." his voice dropped, "on her way home, she got into an accident. Now she's in a coma at the hospital... I'm sure there's a force behind this. It couldn't have just been a normal accident!"
Luu Thanh leaned in, curious. "What was she researching?"
"A lot of things, but the most notable was about the ancient continent of Atlantis," Nhat Nam replied, his voice heavy. "She must have discovered something dangerous..."
Anh Thu nodded in sympathy. "From what I know, there are secret organizations that always try to control ancient knowledge. If your sister really did uncover a secret..."
"Then let's all go visit Nam's sister tomorrow!" Hai Yen stood up, her voice decisive.
The night deepened, and their stories continued under the sparkling stars. The mountain breeze gently rattled the bamboo wind chimes. The scene was strangely peaceful, a silence before the storm. The young friends talked all night until the first rays of dawn appeared...
The sky had just begun to lighten. The sea was still submerged in a thin, soft mist, like a giant veil silently covering the water. The east was tinged with a faint pink light, as if someone had gently touched the dark sky, leaving a blush of color. The sun slowly rose, unhurried and quiet, sending its first rays through the salty air. A flock of seagulls glided in the air, their white wings punctuating the changing sky. They were like living musical notes, painting the symphony of dawn with their graceful flights. The breeze from the sea blew up the hill, carrying a salty scent, and brushed past the leaves still holding night dew. The dewdrops, sparkling like jewels, trembled in the early wind, then gently vanished under the pink light of dawn. Anh Thu stood by the window, silently watching the scene. The vast sea was no longer a dark abyss but a giant mirror reflecting the colors of the sky. The waves gently lapped at the shore, their rustling sound like a whisper from the earth calling the dawn to awaken. And there, the sun had risen higher, brighter, casting thousands of dazzling golden streaks on the water, like a thousand small, dancing lights. It was the breath of the earth, the gentle greeting of a new day beginning...
"Wake up, everyone! Why are you all sleeping so soundly?" Nhat Nam urged.
"Come on, let me sleep a little longer! Just five more minutes!" Luu Thanh mumbled.
A moment later, after the group had woken up, Anh Thu took a sip of water and turned to Luu Thanh: "Any progress on what I asked you to do yesterday?"
Luu Thanh rubbed his hands together as if to warm them, his eyes glinting with a mix of confidence and smugness: "I've gone through the security system around the scene of Nhat Nam's sister's accident. At first, the city camera footage was blurred using Deepfake Temporal Blurring—a technique that selectively erases frames to hide moving objects. But..."
He reached for his laptop and opened a processed video file: "I used AI-based Deblurring combined with Frame Interpolation to restore it. And check this out..." his fingers typed a series of shortcuts, and a heat map appeared, detecting RFID jamming at the scene. "A specialized device clearly interfered. These guys are sophisticated!"
Anh Thu looked intently at the screen: "So, did you get the original footage?"
Luu Thanh smirked: "I stole the raw file from the Smart City's hidden server using a Zero-day Exploit backdoor. Look at this!" A clear video appeared, showing the moment the truck crashed straight into Nhat Nam's sister, but something was odd: "See? The license plate is Dynamic Pixel Encrypted. To break this, we'll need Quantum Decryption. It'll take more time!"
The group nodded in admiration. No one doubted Luu Thanh's skills. In this group, each person had their own strengths, like perfect puzzle pieces that completed each other.
Cao Hai's sleek black car sped ahead, its engine roaring powerfully. Anh Thu sat in the passenger seat, holding a paper map that trembled with the car's motion. She occasionally glanced at the driver, where the sunlight glinted off Cao Hai's glasses, creating sparkling streaks.
Ten meters behind, Nhat Nam's white car blared pop music. Hai Yen endlessly complained: "Nam, slow down! I'm afraid of speed!"—but the playful smile on her face showed her excitement.
Luu Thanh, meanwhile, lagged behind in his old, scratched-up car. His laptop was propped on the steering wheel, the screen glowing constantly. His fingers flew across the keyboard, his eyes never leaving the lines of code that were automating themselves.
"You guys go on ahead. I need five more minutes!" his voice came through the internal comms channel.
Luu Thanh was a genius programmer—and the only one in the group who understood that the tool they were using to communicate was more than just "Bluetooth Radio."
It was Ghost Talk—a communication software that didn't need a network or a SIM card, only short-range Bluetooth technology. Each device with the app became a "node" in a network. And the amazing thing was: the more nodes joined, the wider the coverage.
Ghost Talk used a distributed mesh protocol, allowing data to hop from one device to another like water flowing through a channel. Instead of going through a central server that could be controlled, the data automatically found its way to its destination—like an unstoppable digital virus.
Not only that, but all data was end-to-end encrypted with a random 256-bit key. Even if someone intercepted a part of the message, they couldn't read the content unless they broke the encryption—which was nearly impossible.
Luu Thanh used to joke, "If one day the world falls into war, or the internet is cut off by some government, we'll still be online. As long as there's a device with Bluetooth on, the network will live."
But maybe... it wasn't a joke anymore.
On an old pine tree by the road, a strange black crow with a violet sheen on its feathers suddenly spread its wings. Its blood-red eyes scanned each car, lingering longest on Anh Thu's silhouette through the windshield. As the convoy disappeared from view, it suddenly let out a "Caw! Caw!" that echoed like a warning, then soared toward the town—where darkness was beginning to fall through the clouds...
Thanh Sa Regional General Hospital stood out like a whhe green pine hite jewel among tills. The Y-shaped building with wide corridors was located on the western side of town, completely separated from the urban bustle.
On a sunny morning, the breeze from an artificial lake carried the gentle scent of wild daisies planted along the pathways. Bamboo wind chimes tinkled with every gust of wind, creating a meditative melody for patients taking a stroll.
As the friends' three cars drove through the hospital gate, a dark shadow dove down from above like a flash of lightning. It swooped low over Cao Hai's car, leaving a trail of cold air that made Anh Thu shiver. "What the hell was that?!" Nhat Nam exclaimed from inside his car, but when he looked back, the sky was empty.
The VIP room on the 9th floor, where Thanh Truc lay, was bright with sunlight streaming through white sheer curtains. The scent of lavender essential oil lingered in the air. A vase of white daisies with yellow centers on the windowsill swayed gently, as if a strange gust of wind had passed through even though the window was closed.
"My sister Truc has been in a coma for two years now..." Nhat Nam gently touched his sister's emaciated hand, where a strange triangular bruise was still visible on her wrist. "But I swear, one night she... opened her eyes."
The room suddenly went dark. An alarm from the respirator blared. On the monitor, Truc's brainwaves began to dance erratically—wild beta waves that shouldn't exist in a comatose person.
From a dark corner, the crow with eyes like smoldering embers perched on a medicine cabinet, its wings spread wide like a black curtain ready to cover everything. Its cold gaze slowly swept over Anh Thu and the others, full of calculation.
Suddenly, it tilted its head and blinked—as if giving a cryptic signal. Then, in the blink of an eye, the window flew open, and the crow vanished, leaving only a cold gust of wind and a rustling sound like a hurried whisper. Anh Thu and her friends stood frozen, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
The air in the room was thick with curiosity. Cao Hai frowned: "Where did that crow come from? Why does it seem like it's been following us?"
Nhat Nam sighed, his voice low: "Ever since my sister's accident, it's been showing up. It comes every day, silently, like a shadow. Do you see that vase of daisies? It brought them, as if it's a message..."
Luu Thanh nodded slowly: "Crows are smart. They can even... know more than humans. It might be trying to tell us something."
Anh Thu's hands trembled slightly as she looked toward the place where the crow had disappeared, whispering: "Did you all see? Its wings weren't just black... they had a violet sheen, exactly like the bruise on your sister's hand."
A silence fell over the room. The wind outside suddenly picked up, like a raspy laugh echoing from somewhere far away...