Global Announcement
Elito on a massive holographic stage, unveiling the "Neural Eden" implant to the entire planet. Audiences cheering in stadiums, fireworks across cities. The microchip glinting between his fingers. Knights distributing brochures with promises of "freedom through connection." Screens flashing slogans: "One Mind. One World. Eternal Happiness."
"A single spark of silicon was about to rewrite humanity."
Implantation Begins
Clinics packed with citizens lining up voluntarily. Doctors in pristine white coats installing chips behind ears. Child smiling as implant activates. Digital halos appear above heads — visual of connection. Citizens gasp in awe at visions flooding their minds.
"Paradise injected through the skull."
The Young Man
Introduce Aiden, 22, from a war-torn district, first in line for Neural Eden. Aiden's tired eyes light up at the implant's touch. Microchip pulses like a heartbeat. He blinks, world dissolves into shimmering light. He reaches out, feels warmth.
"The lost became found in the code of Elito."
The Virtual Paradise
Aiden stands in a radiant landscape — rolling emerald hills, glowing oceans, a sun that never sets. Birds of impossible colors. Air tastes like sweet nectar.
"This was no simulation. It was sensation itself. A world where pain could not follow."
Sensory Feast
Tables of endless food, glowing and fragrant. Aiden bites into fruit — taste beyond anything real. His eyes flutter with ecstasy. Another citizen weeping with joy as hunger disappears. Whispered slogans in the air: "No cost. No hunger. Only bliss."
"Hunger died first, then memory."
Dream Companion
A figure approaches Aiden — a flawless woman crafted by algorithm. She smiles, voice like music. Aiden's heart rate spikes. Her hand touches his — warmth floods his nervous system. She whispers: "Here, your every desire lives."
"Love, too, became code."
The Hook
Citizens paired with their perfect partners. Jewelry, wealth, and villas appear at thought's command. Aiden conjures a palace with a blink. Digital streams of gold pour through his hands. Whispering slogans: "No labor. No loss. No limits."
"Desire rewarded instantly — the purest trap of all."
Dissolving Memory
Faces of citizens turning blank as old memories fade. Aiden forgets his real home, his real name dimming. Neural chip glowing brighter, rewriting synapses. His dream companion stroking his hair. Elito's voice echoing softly: "Freedom is obedience."
"Without history, no rebellion."
Outside View
Lacolone and Resistance watch feeds of smiling citizens. Maya mutters: "They're drowning in dreams…" Walid's jaw tightens: "Paradise is the new prison." Valgor scanning code leaks, frowning. Jessica: "They're gone before we can reach them."
"The world became a choir of the willing."
Aiden's Realization
Aiden notices a flicker — glitch in his paradise. A bird freezes mid-flight; sky pixelates. Fear crosses his perfect face. His dream companion's eyes flash with code. She whispers: "Don't think. Don't question."
"Even bliss has seams."
Temptation of Eternity
Digital advisors offer Aiden eternal youth, eternal pleasure. They whisper of "ascension" — to never return to the mortal world. Aiden's trembling hands clutching his implant scar. Visions of endless riches, power, and lovers. Elito's avatar watching from the sky.
"A god offered him a crown inside his skull."
The Choice Looms
Aiden at a crossroads of digital roads, each leading to deeper paradise. A shadow of his former self flickers behind him. His eyes filled with tears: "Who was I before this?" His dream companion beckons, smiling. Resistance signals breaking through static.
"He had been given everything, except the truth."
Resistance Hack
Valgor injects a virus into the Neural Eden network. A whisper reaches Aiden's ear: "Wake up…" His chip flickers violently. Glimpses of the real world — gray bunkers, starving masses. Dream companion glitches, screaming code.
"The curtain cracked."
Cracks in Paradise
More citizens see glitches — skies tearing, food vanishing mid-bite. Some begin to panic, others cling tighter to illusions. Aiden crying, remembering his real mother. Elito's avatar screaming commands to "maintain order." Knights in reality moving to secure server hubs.
"Even a god can be unplugged."
Aiden Awakens
Aiden rips at his implant, blood mixing with sparks. He gasps, falling to the real floor — a clinic filled with comatose bodies. His eyes flick open to reality's stench. He staggers, coughing, tears streaming. His dream companion's voice fading like dust: "Come back…"
"Freedom tasted like pain."
First Rebel of Neural Eden
Aiden crawling toward an exit sign. Resistance operatives watching him through hacked cameras. Lacolone: "We've got one awake." Maya whispering: "Proof it can be undone." Walid nodding grimly.
"A seed of rebellion planted inside paradise."
Elito Reacts
Elito on his throne, eyes glowing with fury. Knights reporting "anomalies" in the network. Elito snarling: "No one leaves my Eden." He activates deeper control protocols. Waves of code sweep through the Neural Eden.
"A Pharaoh defending his digital Nile."