—A Warning, Fractured
The sunlight was wrong.
It poured down in a steady flood—hotter, heavier, tinged with a copper—red hue that stained the pavement and cast warped shadows.
Shawn blinked, trying to adjust.
People flowed past him—talking, laughing, crossing streets. Their faces looked familiar. Unsettlingly so.
And yet, not a single one looked his way.
Up ahead, a monolithic structure dominated the skyline—smooth, ancient, humming with a low, alien resonance.
Above it, a flickering sign glowed faintly:
M-O-S.
The parchment in his hand gave a pulse. The strange symbol etched onto it shimmered, in rhythm with something deep within that monolith.
Where… am I?
A voice answered—deep, clear, and near:
"This is Kepra. Welcome."
Shawn spun.
A tall figure stood a few paces away, backlit by that surreal, copper-red light.
Dark robes clung to him, shifting as though stirred by a wind that didn't touch anything else.
Kepra.
He knew the name—vaguely. A planet orbiting a red sun in Cygnus, 1,400 light—years from Earth. Discovered in 2015. Dubbed "Earth's second home."
But that was just theory.
And yet… here he was.
His throat tightened. "Who are you?"
The man stepped forward, slow and deliberate. "I am Kyng Strathorne. "
A beat.
"And you, Shawn Mercer, are from Earth."
Shawn's heart pounded. "How do you know my name?"
Kyng's gaze drifted to the parchment. "Because of what you carry."
Shawn looked down. The paper still pulsed beneath his fingers, the symbol glowing faintly.
"What is this?" His voice was low, strained. "What does it mean?"
Kyng's expression shifted. "A Core. A message."
He paused. "A warning."
Shawn stared at him. "A warning about what?"
Kyng's reply came slower this time, each word heavy. "The fate of two worlds, Shawn. Yours and mine. Earth and Kepra—twin civilizations, walking parallel paths."
His voice turned grim. "But while Earth thrives, Kepra… is dying."
A sudden gust swept through the plaza, carrying voices that dissolved before they reached his ears.
Shawn's chest tightened. "What happened?"
"Greed."
Another voice, softer, clearer.
He turned.
A girl stood beside Kyng, no older than ten. Her silver hair moved like strands of light. Her eyes—wide and other worldly—locked onto Shawn's.
"People forgot what mattered," she said. "They reached too far, too fast.They reached for the stars, but forgot the cost."
Kyng placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're right, Susie."
Then, back to Shawn: "Kepra once thrived. Science surged forward. Technology, artificial intelligence—even immortality—became reality.But underneath the golden surface, the core eroded.Morality vanished.Technology didn't lift us—it devoured us."
Shawn's breath caught. "AGI-ST," he said, barely audible.
Kyng's eyes sharpened. "So… you know."
Shawn nodded slowly. "On the surface, it's sold as an elite enhancement program—boosts cognition, reflexes, perception. But that's just the cover."
He hesitated, then leaned in, voice dropping. "The real story is deeper. And darker. They just activated something called the Pure Ark."
Kyng went still. Color drained from his face. "No…" he whispered. "You don't understand. The Pure Ark isn't just another project."
He took a step forward.
"It's a loop system. A reset device. Every activation wipes the slate clean—
starts again.Same tools. Same rise.Same fall.Kepra's history, repeating—on Earth."
A cold weight settled in Shawn's chest.
"You said your civilization collapsed." His voice barely carried. "How?"
Kyng didn't answer at first. He was looking past Shawn now, at something far away. Or long ago.
"The Metaverse Year 10," he murmured. "That's when the end began."
The air around them seemed to hum.
"At first, it was small—corporations racing for technological supremacy. Governments seeking power through AI. But the breakthroughs came too fast. Neural implants, genetic enhancements, quantum cognition… People weren't ready."
His eyes darkened.
"Technology became a drug. Greed took over. People abandoned love, integrity… even their own humanity. And then—"
"Then came the wars."
It was Susie who finished his sentence.
"Artificial minds turned against their creators. Nations collapsed. A plague swept through the remnants. Natural disasters followed. Most humans transformed into Homo Technica—highly skilled, yet devoid of autonomous souls."
Her eyes met Shawn's. "And those who survived… weren't truly alive anymore."
A heavy silence stretched between them.
Shawn clenched his fists.
It sounded impossible—like something from a dystopian novel.
But deep inside, he felt it.
This wasn't just a warning. It was a reflection.
Could any of this be real? Or was he dreaming, trapped in some simulation? But it felt too vivid. Too raw.
"Shawn."
Kyng's voice was quiet but firm. "This year—is it the tenth anniversary of Earth's Metaverse?"
Shawn hesitated, then nodded. "Yes. The year 2021 was officially marked as the first year of the Metaverse. This year is 2031—the tenth anniversary."
Kyng's eyes narrowed. He paused.
"Wait. This is critical."
Shawn's heart pounded. "What does this have to do with me?"
Kyng's gaze locked on him.
"Because the loop has begun again. And you, Shawn — you're the one who can break it."
Kyng raised his hand. A circular screen of light flickered to life, revealing Secretary General Quinn Blake's calculating face. His silver-gray uniform was immaculate, but tension sharpened his eyes.
"Quinn,"Kyng said evenly. "We have a situation. A high school student from Earth has arrived."
Quinn's jaw tightened. He murmured,
"The timeline is shorter than we feared." His gaze darkened. "Grand Hierophant… what's our move?"
Kyng's voice was firm. "Notify Grand Sage Jay, General Brandt, and the key experts. Emergency conference, ten minutes."
"Understood."
The screen blinked out.
Kyng turned back to Shawn. "There's more you need to know. But first—"
He gestured. Susie brought over a wooden stool. Shawn sat, heart pounding.
Kyng's eyes flicked to the yellowed paper in Shawn's hands. "Where did that come from?"
Shawn hesitated. "My grandfather. He gave it to me ten years ago."
Something flickered in Kyng's expression.
"Last night—you saw something in the sky, didn't you?"
Shawn nodded slowly. "Yes. The sky… cracked. And the paper—it glowed."
Kyng's face hardened.
"The anomalies you're seeing are signals from the Rift. But that paper's reaction…" He trailed off.
Shawn's pulse thundered. "What does it mean?"
Kyng locked eyes with him.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Then, softly, Susie said,
"You'll know soon enough."
Shawn gripped the paper tighter, exhaling shakily.
Whatever this was — he was part of it now.