What if the real earthquake didn't shake the walls… but the bond between two hearts?
Almost twenty years ago, the world was shaking.
A deafening crash split the sky. An apocalyptic sound.
A shockwave. Screams. Calls for help. Everywhere.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA! HELP! OH MY GOD! NOOOOOOO!"
Concrete collapsed. Skyscrapers folded like houses of cards.
The ground rolled like an angry sea.
Some people ran. Others stayed frozen, while everything fell.
After years of disasters, a massive earthquake tore the continent apart. The world changed shape.
Biel, once prosperous… was nothing but a mix of ruins and broken future.
A heavy heat settled in. The jungle started taking back what belonged to it.
Eighteen years later, the city survived in a fragile, unequal balance.
On one side: abundance.
On the other: survival.
In a cracked building in "Groundward" district, golden light filtered through a worn-out blind.
A small room, messy everywhere. And steady breathing.
"FRFF… FRFF…"
Then—
"WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!"
Sophie jolted awake.
Sweat clung to her skin. Her throat burned. She was clawing her way out of a nightmare.
And the voices… still there, but weaker.
Was it… a dream?
She stayed lying there, breathing hard.
Jazz, her little robot dog, stared at her with bright LED eyes.
"WOOF… WOOF…"
"I'm going crazy… Am I going to end up like her?" she whispered.
Jazz tilted his head.
"ALERT! Critical stress level detected! Activating… emergency cuddle?"
A small smile crossed Sophie's face.
She sat up and leaned against the headboard; arms wrapped around her knees.
"Thanks… I'm glad you're here… It felt TOO real, Jazz… The spirits were talking to me… like with her…"
Jazz snuggled against her.
"Don't worry. Even ghosts are scared of cool dogs like me. It's scientifically proven. Ha-ha!"
"Ha… ha… very funny."
She lowered her eyes.
"My dreams… they usually end up coming true… I have to be ready."
"No panic! Aria will handle it. She's probably already inventing an anti-spirit 2.0 while you're freaking out."
Sophie lifted her head.
"…Yeah. I need to talk to her."
"And while she's at it, she can update me. Spirit-hunter mode: ACTIVATED!"
Sophie got up.
The chaos in the room hit her all at once.
Clothes, cables, books, tablets left open.
"Where the hell is my phone?!"
"If finding your stuff was an app… it would be down for maintenance permanently."
Sophie searched everywhere. Under the sheets. In piles of clothes.
Then, between a sneaker and a pair of shorts, she grabbed her phone.
Her fingers were shaking. She typed fast:
"Where are you? It's urgent. Call me ASAP."
She stared at the screen.
Nothing. No "seen." No reply.
…That's not normal.She always answers… FAST…
Jazz lifted his head.
"She's probably saving the world. Or fixing my kibble dispenser."
Then, more serious:
"But in the meantime… there's this thing called 'classes.'"
Sophie sighed. She got dressed in a rush, grabbed her white dress, her bag, her laptop.
And of course, she pulled on her red sneakers.
A few minutes later, she was sprinting down the stairs with Jazz.
The walls were covered in posters.
Resistance. Kaissa sanctions. Threats of every kind.
The trash smell was intense, and outside, the heat was already punching down.
The concrete was sweating.
"The air is UNBREATHABLE…"
Under an ivy-choked archway, kids played on a digital hopscotch grid.
A vendor yelled, and teens flew past on electric scooters.
"If we run fast enough, can we go back in time?" Jazz joked.
Sophie almost smiled.
But her stomach was still twisted tight.
The university came into view, an old building patched together. Inside: harsh light, screens everywhere, and the constant buzz of voices.
Sophie walked fast.
"Hey, Sophie!"
Numa showed up, easy smile.
"You look tense. You okay?"
"I had a nightmare… and Aria isn't answering. I don't like it."
They headed into class.
Jazz stayed by the door.
"You wait here."
"You're walking in with a local celebrity. Manage your popularity."
The room was cold, empty of anything creative.
The teacher came in.
"Today: BYOD. Phones, inserts, tablets, or laptops."
Numa stood up.
"People from 'Groundward' don't have inserts. You KNOW that."
A murmur rose.
"Why don't we get the same tools?"
"I wanna go to 'Skyward'!"
"Can we buy them on the black market?"
Sophie stared at her phone.
Still nothing.
Aria…
"That's not like her," she murmured.
Numa leaned closer.
"You know some people say inserts destroy your brain?"
"Maybe they're not better off up there…"
"You think they go crazy up there like here?"
Sophie lowered her eyes.
"My mom… she talks to the spirits more and more."
Silence.
"It's like she's already somewhere else…"
Numa placed his hand over hers.
"We'll handle it."
She nodded.
A voice rose in the classroom:
"Does anyone know the Circle of the Alliance?"
"It's an urban legend!" the teacher yelled.
"No, it's REAL!"
"They live beyond the Wall!"
"With the nature spirits!"
"And they're not crazy!"
"SILENCE!" the teacher snapped.
He slammed his hand on the desk.
"Thirty minutes. Topic: the benefits of citizen implants."
Screens lit up.
But Sophie… wasn't writing. She was watching her phone.
And still NOTHING.
Thirty minutes later, the bell rang.
Sophie stood up immediately, one last look at her screen.
Still NOTHING.
Something's wrong…
Numa smiled.
"Who's coming to the caf'?"
Girls laughed.
"We'll follow you!"
But he was looking at Sophie.
"You coming?"
She tightened her grip on her bag, irritated.
"No. I'm going to find Aria. I've got a bad feeling."
The Guardian Angel: Some people draw eyes without ever trying.
Numa is one of them.
It's not just his looks… it's that calm. That ease.
Like he already belongs… to another world.
But one day… he'll have to choose.
Follow the mystery… or keep pretending it isn't there.
To be continued… 🔥
Thank you for reading
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Further echoes of this universe can be found here:
https://linktr.ee/worldsreconciled
Elea 🤩