A sickly pale man with frail legs and a bent waist stood at the podium, supported by a few people.
Even from a distance, one could see his lips quiver as he inched closer toward the mic to deliver the speech.
The speech that might mark the end of an Era...
An Era that was nothing but a miracle that bolstered a technological leap of several centuries encompassed in a few decades.
From the creation of the VR to medical pods, from long-distance wired communication to wireless transmission of power and electricity, from life-prolonging medicines to serum improving overall human genetics leading to the era of super power which helped in fending off against the galactic militants.
In every field, he had scratched his marks that will foretell for eons.
The man in the legend itself is the God of Modern Technology...Evan...
Today was the 700th anniversary of Evan.
A name that, instead of getting buried, gets dazzled with time.
The last speech given by him was played all over the world.
[Humans....]
[Humans are nothing but frail individuals in the vast cosmos united under the leadership of a person, putting their trust and belief to form a strong united front.]
[This strengthens them, and together they strive for a better future.If the one leading them strives to keep everyone in mind the world ascends but if this power of United Front falls into the hands of mongrels, humanity will fall.]
[Greed of concentrated power would lead to death, and loss of individuals, and the world will soon start to regress but don't forget that we...Humans are never alone in the vast cosmos.]
[There are more and there will be more. Countless eyes would be searching for us as we are searching for them. They will come, and surely they will trample us.So for such a scenario to not happen,I have left behind all my inheritance, a bundle of years of scattered knowledge.]
[So, use it for humanity...]
Reflected in the gaze of the young boy among the crowd was the vastness of the display screen.
The speech was bolstered over the top Manhattan giant's screens, playing repeatedly.
Following it loud trumpet and music erupted. From huge towering skyscrapers, crackers burst out to celebrate the remembrance of that person.
The man..the legend...the savior of humanity.
The only reason humans managed to survive the apocalypse and the invasion of aliens was due to innovation by Evan and her wife Suri, who led the fight into the cosmos.
Due to this, the world changed because it was the beginning of cosmic expansion.
"It had been almost 700 years but still his name was stunning in glory."
Crowd voices echoed, followed by a parade of soldiers and flying objects bathing the sky.
In the midst of this, his eyesight rotated, falling on a group cafe street with boards displaying news.
[The Galactic front is in a tense situation.]
[The Evil Mister is slowly crawling.]
In the terrific battle, it's said Evermist, the human genius with a Mutation Index surpassing a thousand, was said to have been injured brutally. It had been a month since we hadn't heard anything about her.]
"Evermist...If only they knew."
Tucking away the smile, the boy lowered his hood and walked away escaping into the dark alleyways of the crowded street.
.....
"Woo…"
"Drink… Drink… Who knows if we'll ever have such a chance again?"
A group of students had gathered in a dimly lit bar. The flickering neon lights cast colorful shadows across their faces as they gulped down a special drink, the kind that shimmered with iridescent hues. A holographic display hovered in the air, projecting music accompanied by a singer with a tantalizing, graceful figure that danced to the rhythm.
Ben, the representative and unspoken leader of the group, raised his glass high into the air and shouted, his voice echoing through the room.
"To commemorate the graduation of sidekicks like us and those who managed to survive the Academy despite lacking in the Mutation Index...!"
"Hurray!"
"Cheers!"
"We made it out alive!"
They were just about to clink their glasses together when suddenly, the door of the bar swung open with a trailing blaze of light. The group paused mid-motion, startled, and turned their attention toward the entrance.
There, in the doorway, stood a man cloaked in a long, worn hooded jacket that fluttered slightly in the warm breeze. The faint glimmer of embers trailed from his boots.
"Oye, Hex! Why are you so late?" everyone called out in unison, a mix of cheer and mock scolding in their voices.
Hex stepped forward, lowering his hood slowly to reveal jet-black hair that framed his sharp features. His piercing, oceanic-blue eyes seemed to hold a depth far beyond his years.
"The streets are madness out there," he said with a sigh, brushing dust off his sleeve. "Too much crowd. Everyone's going crazy."
"You should've expected that, dummy!" someone teased.
"Did you forget what was today?"
A soft, tender voice chimed in from the corner. The group turned to see a girl with bright, pinkish hair, her expression puffed into a playful pout.
Hex's serious face softened as he looked at her, then glanced at her left arm—no longer flesh and bone, but replaced with a sleek, mechanical appendage.
"That looks cool, Stacy," Hex commented with a small, admiring smile.
Stacy grinned proudly and lifted her left robotic arm, which emitted a slight mechanical groaning sound as it flexed.
"Of course it is. It cost me a whopping hundred thousand Earth Points," she said, twirling her metallic fingers with a flourish. "With this baby, I can exert a force equal to a 5 Mutation Index."
"OHHHHHH!"
Gasps of awe erupted from around the room.
"Damn! That's insane…"
"I wish I had one!"
"You want one? Are you out of your mind, you idiot?"
"Did you even hear the cost? That's enough to buy a villa in subrubs!"
Everyone broke into laughter and chatter once more. In their world, a single Mutation Index point was enough to crack through solid walls. A mechanical arm capable of exerting five pounds was nothing short of a miracle.
"Okay, quiet everyone!" Ben shouted, raising his hand. "Since Stacy is rich now, tonight's bill will be on her!"
"No problem!" Stacy waved her hand dismissively, as if brushing off a speck of dust. "Consider it my graduation gift to all of you!"
"Damn so rich..You really have a bright future."
The moment someone spoke this,the atmosphere gloomed down.
The sudden unease made Ben smile stiffly as everyone turned to Hex with pity.
At least they managed to graduate but Hex.
Due to fighting with the elite class his graduation had been held off even though it wasn't his fault and he acted to protect them.
"Haaa…Don't spoil the fun.I have no regret so why have you?"
"Well said brother."
"That's the mentality."
"Don't forget despite being from the side kick class,Hex pummeled that son of bitch."
"Hahahaah!"
"How can I forget that.If not for that boy Superior family,how could he dare to face the world."
Everyone chimed in, adding praise for Hex who smiled while shaking his head.
With that, the party truly kicked off.
Music boomed, laughter echoed, and drinks flowed freely. Amid the noise and cheer, Hex walked quietly through the room and took a seat beside Stacy, joining in their banter with a rare smile tugging at his lips.
"Now let's dance and sing..."
"On the Ode of Farewell.."
"We are swinging like wild vigour through the reins."
They were all graduates of the Academy of Sector 10. However, unlike the top-tier elites, their futures weren't painted in glory.
They were misfits. Labeled failures. Their names wouldn't be recorded in any history book. And yet, they survived.
Eventually, the party began to wind down. One by one, the group dispersed, waving their goodbyes with lazy grins and heartfelt hugs. The lights dimmed a little more, the music softened, and the celebration faded into a memory.
Just as Hex was about to leave, a soft hand gripped his wrist.
"Hex," Stacy said, her voice unusually low. Her fingers tightened around his wrist. "I have something to say."
Hex's expression shifted instantly. His eyes, which had moments ago held a gleam of joy, clouded with unease. He turned toward her, his lips already parting.
"Sorry, Stacy. We can't…"
Stacy blinked, her lips quivering.
"You won't even let me say—"
"No." Hex's reply came firm, cold, almost mechanical. He cut her off again without hesitation.
"Stacy, you know what your background is. Your powers...Your status.Your potential..All of this is enough for you to fly in cosmos."
He sighed deeply, his voice trembling slightly with something unspoken.
"And me? Ha…"
He chuckled bitterly, then looked away.
"I'm nobody, Stacy. Let's be realistic. This world… this world bends to power. It crushes the powerless beneath its feet. To survive, you have to be practical. Rational."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then, Hex gently pushed her hand away. The contact between them broke which made Stacy's heart ache.
And without another word, without a farewell, without a glance,he turned around and walked away.
"Hex, stop..."Stacy shouted coldly but seeing him not turning back, she pleaded.
"Hex, this might be the last time we see each other if you don't hear me out."
His footsteps stopped, but in the next moment he shook his head and walked away, leaving in silence.
Was he a cold person?
Of course not.
He wanted to hear but he couldn't bear to.
His mind remained resolute but his heart screamed in silence.
Pain burned deep in his chest, but he buried it.
Because in a world ruled by power, there was no place for feelings. No room for dreams.
To him, Stacy was a star that would twinkle in the vast cosmos.
And he… he was just a fleeting firefly who would be lost in worldly chaos