In the dark of night, huge ancient trees stretched endlessly, their thick crowns blocking out the sky. A lone figure darted between them, almost as if running for his life. His ragged breathing and the crunch of leaves beneath his boots were the only signs that he was human.
With what little moonlight slipped through the cracks in the canopy, a young man in dark clothes with a hood could barely be seen. His steps faltered, and finally, he stumbled into a clearing — a vast open plain carpeted with short, wild grass.
The wind carried the earthy scent of the field as the blades swayed gently to its rhythm. For a moment, all fell silent.
Still panting from the long run, the young man lifted his head and screamed into the emptiness. His voice echoed, swallowed by the night.
In the pale light of the moon, his face came into view — tear tracks carved down his cheeks, pale blue eyes dulled by exhaustion. By all standards, he was slightly handsome, just above average. Yet the weakness in his lean frame gave him an air of quiet despair, of someone worn thin by life.
His cry broke, slowly dying into a whisper. Then, as if remembering something precious, he looked up again.
Above him, the clouds drifted apart, unveiling a sea of stars — cold, endless, and impossibly bright. The moon hung full and silver, watching him like an old friend.
A shaky laugh escaped his lips. The tears came again, freely this time, as memories flooded in — her smile, her voice, her warmth.
"Liora…" he whispered, and the night swallowed her name like a secret.
Thousands of miles away, a black-haired beauty with a curvy figure and the most disarming smile made her way home through the light snow. Her petite frame looked frail and vulnerable against the cold. Stepping off the slippery pavement, she climbed the silent apartment stairs to her room.
This new home felt like a cage — quiet, empty, unfamiliar. Even after a year, nothing here felt like hers. The only relief came when she was outside, surrounded by strangers who never spoke her name.
Back from school, she unpacked her things and went about her chores lifelessly, like a puppet. Hours passed before she was finally free enough to remember.
His not-so-handsome face. The thin, lean body that somehow made her feel safe. The warmth of his hands. His voice.
Sitting by the window, gazing at the distant moon, tears slid silently down her cheeks. Though exhaustion pulled at her eyelids, her heart refused to rest. Slowly, she reached for her phone.
Deep in the frozen Arctic, far from civilization, a mysterious helicopter began to descend into a deep chasm — going probably thousands of miles below the earth's surface. It was hard to imagine that in a place like this, there could be a huge landing platform for the helicopter, some sort of secret facility. Huge machines and computers could be seen everywhere. They were all connected to a central screen in a large hall, filled with people in military uniforms and lab coats.
The helicopter doors opened as five men in military uniform stepped out. With ease they found their way through as armed guards saluted, passing through scanners and biometric locks until finally, they reached the command hall.
"All salute!" a young officer's voice rang out, silencing the room as the five men entered.
"Status update," the oldest of the five visitors commanded as he made his way toward the main screen.
"General Ray, you are back. So far, all systems are stable."
Ring, ring...
"Huh, Liora? I guess she is free now," Kael murmured as he pulled off the hoodie before answering the call.
"Liora, I missed you," he said.
"Kael! I need you here. It's been a year now. You said you would be here with me. But you aren't. I can't continue like this. Kael, don't you want to be with me too?" Liora broke down into sobs as she spoke.
"I... I... I'm sorry, baby," Kael whispered.
Taking out an old picture of the both of them, he wept silently while listening to the voice of the woman he had been longing for day and night.
On the other side of the phone, Liora crawled into her bed. Still crying, she whispered,
"I wish we could be in a world where we can do everything we want and be together with each other forever. Just you and I against it all. My path leads to you, Kael."
"I wish our wish could come true. I would gladly do whatever it takes to get to you," Kael responded.
Beep! Beep!
"Abnormalities detected. All personnel evacuate immediately.
Foreign energies detected.
Estimated time to breach: 45 seconds."
Suddenly, all the alarms in the secret facility started ringing.
"Dr. Ikawa, fuck you! If we make it out alive, I'll have your dumb head! Stable, my fucking ass!" General Ray exploded in anger.
"Evacuate everything now!"