The year was 2100 – the year when Earth laid in ruins. We lived in a world where wealth and appearance matter more than family.
The environment didn't just decay, it turned putrid. The oceans were thick with toxic barrels and chemicals. Trees had become a myth as they were replaced by a machine. Hunger became our one and only companion throughout this tremendous life.
The governments watched from their own place, the Elysium Ark, mocking the poor. They served as the top predator of this environment. They didn't just take our freedom, they reduced our survival rate. Water, air, the glow of the sun, even the concept of a small hope came with a price tag we couldn't afford.
I... Aléssio was born in an underprivileged background. A piece that was never acknowledged by the elites. A piece that was only acknowledged for its looks.
Facing countless flood in my previous school, I transferred to another primary school when I was 11. That's where I met Cassandra. The only color I knew in a world full of gray.
While the rest turned their back against me, she stood beside me. Whenever I had problem, she was always there to help me. Even if my dreams sounded absurd, she simply laughed and told me to keep trying.
I love her with the desperate purity of a drowning man.
A few weeks had went by, I finally gathered my courage. I ran to her, hands wide open, legs shaky, and a smile as raw and happy as a child's.
I thought she would reach back. I thought she could understand.
I was wrong.
The blow hit me like a knife. She relentlessly punched me. I tried to defend myself, but weakness was the only thing that appeared. Then came a scream that was raw with rage, shattering my world in an instant.
Her voice trembled choked with tears that wasn't for me,
"You... you liar !"
She spat, her eyes burning with a hatred I never knew existed,
"Do you have any idea what it felt looking at you !? The pressure... the suffocating guilt. I accepted you Aléssio ! Then you threw the trust away as if it was never meant to be given..."
The world froze.
She whispered, hitting harder than any blade,
"I watched them... I watched my parents died in the hands of your parent's. They were butchered and I had to endured the pain of watching your face. You humans are always the same... never a care about feelings, only wealth."
I stared blankly at her as she ran away. Everything around me felt silent and still. I wanted to chase after her, but was then held back then someone. I couldn't remember what they said as the world around me was starting to blur and fade away...