In the dim glow of the workshop garage, a girl with black, pearl-like eyes tightened the last bolt on her prototype. Sparks hissed gently from its core.
To her right, beside a dusty photograph of her late father, lay a half-torn page, its faded ink scrawled with instructions. Unbeknownst to her, what she was constructing would unravel everything she believed to be true.
She flicked off the overhead light, plunging the garage into silence.
In her room, the soft hum of wall-mounted temperature adjusters accompanied her as she lay down. Above her bed hung a portrait of Rudd Velion, surrounded by scattered notes filled with theoretical models and sketches.
As she closed her eyes, memories surged forth. Her father's voice echoed in her mind, warm and certain, a tone belonging to a mechanical engineer once hailed as the finest in the continent.
She recalled the day they met Rudd, when she was just a child. Her father had whispered to her then, "This project will change the world, my little spark."
He had taught her to think like a mechanic, to solve problems not solely through logic but by listening to what machines could not convey and creating what seemed impossible.
But then came the lab explosion; her father never made it out. She exhaled slowly, trembling as she fought back tears.
That was why she chose Arielle University, the same institution he had attended. She sought answers—not merely to honor his legacy, but to unearth the truth buried alongside him.
Suddenly, a message appeared in a hologram hovering from a band on her wrist. "Elara Selena, going to be graduated from Martha Mechanical School, your application for 'Ariella University of Artificial Magic' has been accepted."
***
Night had descended, the moon gracefully suspended in the clear sky, resplendent in its full phase.
Ren and his family gathered around the dining table, his brother and father seated directly across from him while he nestled beside his mother.
The atmosphere crackled with an unspoken tension, the room suffused with the enticing aroma of a delectable dish, emanating from a large pot at the center of the table, heated by induction. Inside simmered a Japanese udon stew, a harmonious blend of meat and vegetables.
Yet, even the tantalizing scent of the udon failed to shatter the silence. At last, it was his brother, Ryu, who mustered the courage to break the spell, nudging Ren playfully. "So Ren, um, have you made up your mind yet about what you want to study?"
Ren set down his fork, fully aware this moment would arrive. He glanced at the expectant faces surrounding him before turning his gaze to the plate before him. He opened his mouth, hesitated, then drew a deep breath, finally declaring, "I—I want to study Artificial Magic. At Ariella University of Artificial Magic."
The words lingered in the air, and for a heartbeat, silence reigned.
His mother blinked, exchanging a glance with his equally stunned father, both wearing expressions of bewilderment.
"But you've never really liked artificial magic. Why have you decided to pursue it now?" His mother asked, a hint of concern etched upon her features.
Meanwhile, Ren's father, Ridge, found it hard to suppress the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips—his son was choosing to follow the technological path of their family.
Ren shrugged lightly, his tone casual yet resolute. "I don't know. Maybe I'll find my purpose there."
A soft silence enveloped them, but it was not one of tension; rather, it was a shared joy that filled the room.
"Then it calls for a celebration!" Ryu exclaimed, raising his glass of juice high.
Both parents chuckled, their smiles infectious as they lifted their glasses filled with grape wine. A broad smile spread across Ren's face as the four glasses clinked together, marking the beginning of their celebration.
After dinner, Ren retreated to his room, flopping onto his bed. He retrieved a slip of paper adorned with a symbol—a tree laden with apples.
Just as he turned off the lights to drift into slumber, his band began to glow, signaling a message had arrived. He swiped up the mail, and a hologram materialized in the air. At the top, the same symbol shone brightly, beneath which read:
"Renaris Aurelith, graduating from Hemsworth Private Academy, your application for 'Ariella University of Artificial Magic' has been accepted." Ren's smile widened as he gazed at the dim blue sun, its faint glow complementing the brilliance of the full moon.
***
In the capital of Ariella, Feril, nestled far to the south upon a desolate expanse, a man emerged—a figure who appeared to be in his forties, elegantly attired in a finely crafted black tuxedo adorned with golden stripes along its sides.
He ambled along the path, cloaked in moss and weeds, slick and treacherous from the recent rain, his movements slow and deliberate to avoid a misstep.
A red wooden cane tapped a steady rhythm alongside his polished red leather shoes, while in his other hand, he idly twirled a dated gold-foil pocket watch, its hinges creaking with the weight of forgotten memories. The watch boasted four hands—a second, a minute, an hour, and another barely discernible, revolving in a dance of time.
His steps led him to an ancient tree, beneath which lay a serene cemetery. He paused before a weathered gravestone, where the inscription read: Dr. Aryln Selena, 2001-2035.
A gentle smile graced his lips, his eyes narrowing with nostalgia reflecting in their depths. "So much has changed, hasn't it, partner?" he mused.
Though his voice bore the timbre of age, it carried an undercurrent of sharpness beneath the melancholy. He settled beside the carved stone, atop a slab of cement.
"The buildings that once vanished into the fog now scrape the heavens, while roads that once thundered with oil engines have fallen silent, reduced to polished pavement for leisurely strolls. The birds that once soared through the azure expanse have given way to machines with their invisible metallic wings."
He gazed towards the distant city, awash in a kaleidoscope of colors that painted the capital's skyline.
"Mountains have been transformed into mere stepping stones, oceans relegated to weekend retreats, and the skies now serve as picnic grounds."
He took a hearty swig from a bottle of wine, savoring the rich flavor. "Everything we ever dreamed of—"
He hesitated, the weight of his thoughts pressing down. "No, this is not the future we envisioned; rather, it is the past, now clad in shinier technology. If only he had not perished that day, but here we are—"
He tightened his grip on the watch, his gaze drifting into the vast, star-studded sky. "I saw a boy, with those same eyes."
With a reverent gesture, he placed a small bottle of aged wine at the foot of the grave. "To those who dreamed alongside us," he toasted softly before turning away, leaving the memories to linger in the stillness.
***
To the far east of Ariella, beyond the vast, imposing valleys, lay the endless sea, a realm shrouded in mystery, where, beneath countless meters of water, an anglerfish ventured into an invisible bubble.
In an instant, what appeared to be merely a desolate surface erupted into view, revealing a grand dome. This substantial structure, concealed from satellites and the watchful eyes of underwater patrols, remained hidden in the depths.
A dome of translucent alloy stood resolute and unyielding, nestled deep within the azure abyss.
Within its confines, machines resonated with a rhythmic hum, as robots diligently toiled on an undisclosed project.
At the heart of this enigmatic space, a towering figure of metal lay dormant, encased within a crystalline pod, bound by formidable titanium chains. A caution sign adorned its exterior, boldly proclaiming, "DANGER: Do Not Approach."
Its form remained partially obscured, but a single word etched upon its metallic right arm emerged, barely discernible through the algae-streaked glass.
"WR-2."