Chapter 2

Zone E, Block 2, Level 8, Number 18 - the front door of the Bathory twins' hideout bore the label 'Iota'. Their parents were always busy, and they didn't have many friends. Not that I could brag about my social life either.

"Tesla! How many times do I have to tell you?" Mom started, her thinning hair tied back in a ponytail, while preparing tea for the twins with our limited supplies.

"How long will you keep bringing fresh water here? When will you realize how expensive and precious that is? Also, the tea! Do you think this humble place fits such a lavish beverage?" I protested, not listening to mom.

"Look at the oxygen level!" Mom almost screamed as she inspected the oxygen tank I just dropped on the ground.

"Yeah, yeah. Bring the medium-sized oxygen tank. I know, Mom." I removed my jacket, scarf, and gas mask, hanging them on the wall before sitting on the floor with the twins.

"And yet, you didn't. What if you passed out on the surface?" Mom scolded.

"People would rejoice as the strongest public enemy has gone down," I muttered behind her back. Nadia chuckled, and I winked at her.

Mom turned around, glaring at me. "Why can't you take this seriously, Tes?"

"Yeah, Tes, why don't you?" Aidan chimed in.

Mom's stern gaze shifted to Aidan. "You too, Aidan. You're no better than Tes," she said, folding her knees and sitting on the ground.

Aidan and I sighed. We knew this would be another long lecture on the painful past, reminding us why we had to be careful at all times.

Over a century ago, scientists had conducted various experiments in a desperate attempt to end global warming, but they only caused further damage to the environment. Their experiments disoriented the weather system and led to significant changes in the atmosphere, resulting in violent storms.

The storms wiped out more than three-quarters of the population, and the toxic air and unbearable cold killed most of the survivors. After the storms subsided, the world was divided into two areas: a snow-covered region and a dust-covered region.

As we all know, Genesis was located in the dust-covered area, the only region suitable for living. The government constructed underground lodgings to provide citizens with a comfortable place to live, although 'comfortable' was not quite the right word. Our lives were constantly in danger due to the toxic air and other threats as people struggled to survive through any means necessary.

Some resorted to stealing supplies, as those rascals tried to do to me. Others would rob homes, but only if they were part of a group or were strong enough. Some would even kill their families before taking their own lives to spare them from the agony of starvation. And still, others would kill to acquire supplies.

It was an irony that the supposedly safest place to live was also the most dangerous.

After Mom's long lecture, I waited a few seconds before announcing, "Earlier, some insects tried to touch my package."

"How many?" Nadia asked.

"Five."

"Was it bad?" she inquired.

I squinted at Nadia. "What do you mean? Can't you see that I'm totally fine?"

"Not you. I mean them. How bad was it for them?"

I chuckled. "Right. Just enough to teach them a lesson. They should know their place. But it's good because I got new parts for my automobile. I'll show you later. You can't mock it anymore."

"They rode a good automobile?" Aidan, the ever-eager conspiracist, pointed out the oddity I hadn't mentioned.

"Yeah. I'm guessing they're from Zone B or A. One of them was supplying weapons."

His thin eyebrows furrowed. "Strange."

"Definitely. But that's not even the best part. There was this peculiar boy. He didn't seem to join the flock for the sake of survival. He has another agenda, I'm sure of it."

Nadia took a sip of the tea Mom had boiled. "What makes you think that way?"

"The way he moved. He's not a commoner. There was one time I couldn't detect his presence. He's not normal."

"Your strength is also not normal," Mom reasoned. I knew what she was trying to do. She wanted to keep us living our lives here without doing anything that could put us in danger.

Aidan's eyes widened in excitement. "Is he one of the Monsters?"

"I don't think so. I know every one of the 10 Monsters. I would have known if he was one."

"Then there must be something! Where is he from? We have to find him. Let's scour all zones until we find him. You will notice him if you see his face, right?" Aidan almost jumped up.

Nadia put her hand on top of his. "Aid, not everything is a conspiracy."

"Listen to your sister! You'll just waste your time. Instead, why don't you study? You have the opportunity to lead a good life. Why are you in a rush to spoil it?"

Nadia glanced at my mom and gave her a thankful smile for supporting her. They suited each other really well. Both of them were content with this life. However, Aidan always thought that we could have better things.

"You're with me, right, Tes?" Aidan enquired.

I looked at Nadia and Aidan back and forth.

They both had mesmerizing crystal-clear amber eyes, but their perspectives couldn't be more different. Nadia sought security, while Aidan sought the truth, which was risky.

"Aidan, are you sure this is a good idea?" Nadia asked, looking at him worriedly.

"We have to find out what's really going on out there," Aidan replied firmly. "Tes, you're with me, right?"

I hesitated. I knew that staying put and staying dormant would be safer, but I was also curious about what the government was hiding from us. What was the truth about the outside world? And why would someone from a richer zone invade the poorest zone?

Finally, I made up my mind. "Okay, we'll go."

To be continued...