The end of a world or a new beginning?

The sun had traced its usual path for a month, and the world had changed irrevocably since the cataclysm that shook it to its core. In a remote and destroyed place, among rubble and ruins, a solitary figure stood atop a partially abandoned building. Nameless, faceless, their presence slid through the shadows with the grace of a specter.

With trembling hands, the figure, their face obscured by a gas mask, attempted to turn on an old radio resting on the dusty floor. The initial attempts were in vain; the device remained silent, as if refusing to respond to their call. But just as discouragement threatened to engulf them, a whisper of static broke the silence, as gentle as a murmur in the nighttime breeze.

A smile of hope lit up the hidden face as they finally managed to tune in to the channel they had listened to before the disaster. The voice of the presenter resonated through the static, her tone laden with the same gravity and desperation felt a month ago.

"What is happening?" wondered the solitary figure, their words lost in the echo of the void surrounding them.

"Why has the world crumbled around us?"

The radio remained in their hands, a beacon of knowledge amidst the darkness enveloping them. The presenter's words were a constant reminder of the tragedy that had struck the world, an echo of pain and suffering that resonated in their masked heart.

"The devastation continues worldwide," began the presenter, her voice laden with sorrow and despair.

"Exactly one month ago, the planet suffered a series of unprecedented cataclysms, leaving in their wake a trail of destruction and desolation."

On the screen, images of chaos and desperation unfolded one after another: cities reduced to rubble, forests ravaged by uncontrolled fires, and oceans devouring the coasts with relentless ferocity.

"Preliminary estimates indicate that the death toll has reached the staggering figure of one million worldwide," the presenter continued, her voice trembling slightly.

"From the bustling streets of New York to the remote villages of Africa, no corner of the planet has escaped the impact of this tragedy."

The reports detailed the magnitude of the disaster in the various affected countries: in the United States, coastal cities had been devastated by monstrous tsunamis, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives. In China, earthquakes had reduced entire metropolises to rubble, leaving behind a desolate landscape of death and destruction.

Europe had not been spared either: from France to Germany, extreme heatwaves had decimated entire populations, while unprecedented floods had submerged entire cities underwater in countries like the Netherlands and Belgium.

In Africa, endless droughts had devastated the most vulnerable regions, bringing hunger and disease to millions of people. In South America, forest fires had ravaged vast stretches of jungle, threatening the region's unique biodiversity and leaving entire communities in ruins.

Asia, the world's most populous continent, had suffered unprecedented devastation: from Japan to India, natural disasters had left millions homeless and hopeless.

And so, country after country, the entire world had been plunged into a nightmare of apocalyptic proportions, with a million lives lost and an uncertain future stretching before them like a bottomless abyss.

The presenter continued her narrative, with a note of resignation and bewilderment in her tone:

"Despite all our efforts and resources dedicated to research, a definitive cause for this unprecedented cataclysm has not yet been found," declared the presenter with a calm voice but laden with sorrow.

"Nations around the world have come together in an effort to understand what happened and why, but so far, all theories and speculations have been in vain."

The masked man listened attentively, feeling the weight of uncertainty and helplessness spreading across the world. Although a month had passed since the disaster, the lack of answers remained a constant reminder of the fragility of human existence.

"I had hoped that after so much time, we would find some explanation, some reason behind all of this," the masked man murmured to himself, his voice barely a whisper lost in the wind.

"But it seems we are doomed to wander in the darkness, never fully understanding what happened and why."

Resignation overtook him as he reflected on the impossibility of understanding the mystery that had shaken the world. Although he continued to seek answers, he knew that the truth might forever remain beyond his grasp, hidden in the darkest corners of the universe.

As the man rose with determination amidst the scattered debris, dust floating in the air like a shroud of resignation, a glimmer of light slipped through the shadows. At the back of a necklace peeking from beneath his clothing, a small picture captured a moment of happiness and serenity. In the snapshot, a man and a woman smiled, embraced on a sun-kissed beach, their faces illuminated by the warmth of love and companionship.

At the bottom edge of the photo, handwritten words resonated with an echo of nostalgia and longing: "Where are you?"

With the gas mask still covering his face, the man glanced back one last time, his dark eyes reflecting the sadness and loss he had witnessed. Yet there was also a glint of determination in his gaze, a spark of hope that refused to be extinguished by the darkness surrounding him. For a moment, his gaze lingered on the image of the necklace, recalling the days of happiness and shared moments that now seemed so distant.

The man touched the necklace with his fingers, feeling the weight of memories and emotions welling up in his chest. The echo of the question resonated in his mind, reminding him that the past could not be reclaimed, that only the present and the future were within his reach. With a sigh of resignation, he tucked the necklace close to his heart and continued his journey into the unknown, carrying with him the memories of what once was and the dreams of what could be.

Somewhere unknown

Our protagonist slowly awakened after the bewildering events that had shaken his world. He opened his eyes cautiously, his mind still foggy with confusion and bewilderment. He wondered where he was and how he had gotten there.

He looked around and noticed he was lying on a white bed in an equally white and sterile room. The walls lacked ornaments or distinctive details, creating a sense of isolation and desolation. There were no windows, only a large mirror on one of the walls.

He sat up slowly, feeling a slight sense of dizziness as he did so. The images of the earthquake in the library and his death still lingered in his mind, but now he faced a new enigma: how was he still alive and where was he?

With hesitant steps, he approached the mirror and observed himself. His reflection showed a man with eyes full of confusion and wonder. He wondered what fate had in store for him and what his role would be in this new scenario.

He decided to explore the room more carefully, searching for clues that could reveal his whereabouts and the intentions of those who had brought him there. However, for the moment, he was confined to this white room, surrounded by uncertainty and mystery, waiting for the right moment to unravel the secrets that lay beyond its walls.

Alexander sat back down on the bed, lost in his thoughts as he reflected on what had happened. In the midst of the sterile white room, confusion overwhelmed him, and he desperately sought answers in the fragmented memories crowding his mind.

Then, like a sudden flash, memories of the book and its response surged into his consciousness, projecting as vivid and lively flashbacks. He remembered how he had found the book in the library, how the pages seemed to whisper mysterious words to him, and how the book's questions had penetrated deep into his being.

The words of the book echoed in his mind once again, full of promises and mystery, but also of danger and confusion. He recalled how, in a moment of impulse or perhaps madness, he had given his response, accepting the challenge presented to him.

However, now, in the midst of this unknown room, surrounded by silence and solitude, he began to question the reality of everything he had experienced. He couldn't believe that what he had lived with the book was real. Surely it had been a hallucination, a product of his imagination altered by stress and confusion.

Just as his thoughts began to spin in circles, plunging him into a sea of doubts and speculations, a soft, feminine voice abruptly interrupted him, breaking the silence that had enveloped the room. The voice resonated in the air, laden with mystery and a strange familiarity, shaking the man from his tumultuous thoughts and drawing his attention to the unknown.

The female voice resonated through an unknown communicator, breaking the oppressive silence of the sterile and empty room where the protagonist was lost. Through the device, the voice seemed distorted, as if it were being emitted from some distant place or through a machine.

"All participants must gather in the main hall" announced the voice with a mechanical yet resonant tone, as if programmed to convey a message without emotion or hesitation.

"I repeat, all participants must gather in the main hall"

The words echoed in the protagonist's mind, full of intrigue and a hint of urgency. Participants in what? And what did "main hall" mean? Questions crowded his mind, but the voice offered no further details, leaving him immersed in a sea of ​​uncertainty and confusion.

As the echo of the words faded in the empty room, the protagonist was left alone with his thoughts, trying to decipher the enigma that lay before him. The main hall, the unknown voice, the purpose of his presence in this strange place... everything seemed shrouded in a mystery that was not yet destined to be revealed.

With a determined impulse, the protagonist approached the closed door, feeling a mixture of anxiety and determination propelling him toward the unknown. He knew he had nothing to lose and that he needed answers, needed to understand what was happening and how he had ended up there.

With trembling hands, he turned the doorknob and pushed the door slowly forward. A bright light filtered from the other side, illuminating the sterile room with an unknown intensity. The glow enveloped him, drawing him forward with a promise of discovery and revelation.

However, in the midst of the threshold, a sense of doubt overcame him. Should he venture beyond without fully understanding what was at stake? What dangers could lurk on the other side? In a moment of clarity, he decided to step back, gently closing the door behind him.

"I must first know what this place is and why they chose me," he murmured to himself, his voice resonating in the stillness of the room.

He promised himself that he would not venture blindly, that he would seek answers before taking another step into the unknown.

With renewed determination, he turned toward the center of the room, ready to embark on his quest for truth. He knew the path would be difficult and full of challenges, but he was determined to uncover the secrets that lay in the shadows and find his place in this unknown world.