The tragedy of Earth began a century ago. Humanity had choked the planet with its own filth. Global warming had turned the world into a furnace, and the incinerated waste poisoned the skies, causing a plague of skin cancers and respiratory deaths. In a desperate bid for survival, the world's three greatest scientific minds devised a radical solution: a gateway to another dimension.
They created "The Great Holes." For one week every month, these portals were activated using massive amounts of energy—harvested by stripping the Earth of its remaining forests. During this window, nations dumped their entire waste into the abyss, purging the Earth but sealing the fate of a distant, unknown planet.
This nameless planet was on the brink of collapse under the weight of human rot until God created the Waltu—creatures meant to consume the waste and cleanse the world. Initially, they were mindless slaves. But as they consumed the chemicals and complex materials of Earth, something terrifying happened. They gained human consciousness.
If a Waltu consumed a car belonging to a man filled with rage, that Waltu would inherit his fury. As they ate, they evolved, becoming a hundred times stronger and more intelligent than any human. Eventually, they formed tribes and declared war on their own Creator, threatening to invade Earth through the very holes used to dump trash. They wanted to end humanity to end the source of the rot.
To prevent this, God created "The Border," a dark, endless chasm that trapped the Waltus. Fearing they would eventually break through, God began a new project: merging the souls of wise, battle-hardened humans into the bodies of Waltus who remained loyal to Him. Among them was Hakariy, the man who had handled Earth's waste in his past life.
Hakariy, now known as Waltu 320, was oblivious to this cosmic war. But the original soul of the body he inhabited—the Body Owner—knew everything.
Suddenly, a voice echoed inside Hakariy's mind. "Get her off you! Now! Or she will drain every drop of your blood."
The voice of the Body Owner snapped Hakariy back to reality. He violently shoved the female Waltu off him and stood up, his heart racing.
"Don't say a word out loud," the voice hissed. "If they realize you're a Humanized Waltu, they will slaughter you. And don't you dare try to talk to me while you're with the team."
Hakariy remained silent, forcing his mind to stay cold.
"Walk to the edge of the border," the Body Owner commanded.
Hakariy walked to the cliffside. Beyond the edge lay a pitch-black abyss so deep it seemed to swallow light itself. He glanced at the female Waltu. She had a pinkish hue to her skin and long, flowing pink hair. For a fleeting second, her voice had reminded him of his wife, but he pushed the thought away.
She looked at him with a predatory smirk. "320, did you forget? Today, you're supposed to descend into the pit. Are you ready to face the darkness?"
"Obey her," the internal voice whispered. "Just go down a little way. I'll tell you what to do next."
"Fine," Hakariy said, his voice steady. "I'm going."
The other two male Waltus in his team shared a sinister, devilish smile as they prepared the rope. They looked at Hakariy like wolves watching a lamb.
As Hakariy was lowered into the chasm, the air grew thick and sweltering. The deeper he went, the more the darkness seemed to press against his skin.
"Now," the Body Owner said suddenly. "Release the rope. Fall into the abyss."
Hakariy gasped, his grip tightening. "Are you insane? You said we weren't going deep! Now you want me to drop into the void? No way!"
The Body Owner laughed—a cold, mocking sound. "You're such a coward. God shouldn't have put a pathetic soul like yours in my body. I lied earlier so you wouldn't refuse to come down. But now that you're here, it's time for your meeting with God."
Terror seized Hakariy. He scrambled to climb back up, but it was too late. Above him, his teammates drew their blades and sliced the rope.
The snap echoed like a gunshot. Hakariy plummeted into the endless black, the wind howling past his ears.
Why? he thought as he fell. Am I dying again? Or is this really the path to the Creator? What have I gotten myself into?