Shadows Of Mylo

/- Melton -/

The neon lights of Mylo City danced across the skyline as I navigated the bustling streets below. It was a city of contrasts, where towering skyscrapers cast long shadows over the crowded alleyways below, and where the promise of prosperity coexisted with the ever-present threat of surveillance and control.

My name is Melton Ryder, and I am a ghost in the machine of this sprawling metropolis. In a world where almost every move is monitored and every action scrutinized, I have learned to thrive in the shadows, using my skills as a hacker to navigate the labyrinthine system that governs our lives.

From the outside, I may appear like any other citizen of Mylo, but beneath the surface lies a network of secrets and subterfuge that few can comprehend. I am a master of deception, a rogue agent in a world of order and conformity.

As I made my way through the crowded streets, I couldn't help but feel the weight of the system pressing down upon me. Everywhere I looked, there were reminders of the hierarchy that dictated our lives…..the gleaming towers of the elite and strong guilds, the ever-present surveillance drones that patrolled the skies, and the constant hum of activity as citizens went about their daily routines, each one striving to climb the ranks and attain a higher status.

But for me, the rules of the system were nothing more than obstacles to be overcome, barriers to be breached in my quest for freedom and independence. With every keystroke, I carved out a space for myself in this world, not even forging alliances with fellow hackers and rebels who shared my vision of a society unshackled by the chains of oppression. Doing this, I remained a lonewolf.

As the night descended upon Mylo City, I disappeared into the shadows, my footsteps echoing against the cold pavement as I vanished into the darkness. As I got on my QC-3000, one of the best Quantum Cruisers in the city. The QuantumCruiser defies conventional physics with its ability to phase through obstacles and accelerate to incredible speeds. Its sleek, aerodynamic frame is adorned with luminescent accents, casting an ethereal glow as it streaks through the neon-lit cityscape.

I made my way back to my apartment after another successful raid in the dungeon. Coming home I stepped in the bathroom and just sat in my bathtub as the warm water flowed around every part of my body.

Soon, the warm water of the bathtub enveloped me like a cocoon as I lay back, letting my thoughts drift back to the origins of the system that now governed our world.

It was twelve years ago. It all began with the Great Awakening, a phenomenon that swept across the globe like wildfire, granting extraordinary abilities to those deemed worthy by the enigmatic forces that controlled the system. Some were blessed with superhuman strength, others with the ability to manipulate elements or control minds and objects. They became the elite, the chosen few who held sway over the fate of the world.

But for every individual bestowed with powers beyond imagination, there were countless others who remained unchanged, condemned to live out their lives as mere mortals in a world that had left them behind. Those with powers were called spirals and those without powers were called primates. There were also a handful among the spirals who were soon seen as useless because their powers amounted to nothing in this new world. I was one of those unfortunate souls, a powerless bystander in a world of gods and monsters.

I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness as I thought about my own lack of abilities. While others soared to dizzying heights of power and prestige, I remained tethered to the ground, similar to a mere mortal among gods. My only gift was my skill as a hacker, a talent that was often overlooked and undervalued in a world where brute strength and elemental mastery reigned supreme.

In the dungeons, where the system's influence was most potent, I often found myself sidelined, deemed unnecessary by those who possessed more tangible abilities. It was a bitter pill to swallow, knowing that my talents were considered worthless in the eyes of those who held the power to shape the world.

But even as I wallowed in self-pity, I knew that I could not afford to dwell on my shortcomings. In a world where strength was everything, I had learned to rely on my wits and my resourcefulness to survive. And if there was one thing I had learned in my time navigating the treacherous waters of the system, it was that even the weakest among us could still make a difference.

With a sigh, I pushed aside my melancholy thoughts and resolved to make the most of the hand I had been dealt. No matter how insignificant my abilities may seem, I would find a way to carve out my own path in this world of gods and monsters. For in the end, it was not the power we wielded that defined us, but the choices we made and the actions we took in pursuit of our dreams.

I soon emerged from the comforting embrace of the bathtub, the memories of my past still lingering like ghosts in the corners of my mind. As I made my way to the living room, I couldn't shake the feeling of emptiness that seemed to permeate every corner of my existence.

Sitting down at the small table in the corner of the room, I mechanically spooned the tasteless synthetic food into my mouth, my mind drifting back to that fateful day seven years ago…..the day I lost everything.

It was a day like any other, until it wasn't. My parents, loving and kind, gone in an instant, their lives snuffed out by unknown assailants who vanished into the night without a trace. And then there was her...Emily, my girlfriend, my soulmate, taken from me in the blink of an eye, her laughter and warmth extinguished forever.

Since that day, I had been consumed by a single-minded obsession, to find those responsible for the senseless slaughter of my loved ones and bring them to justice. But despite my best efforts, the trail had gone cold, the perpetrators remaining frustratingly elusive.

And so I had retreated into myself, closing off my heart to the world and embracing the solitude of my own company. Trust had become a luxury I could ill afford, and so I lived my life in isolation, a lone wolf prowling the shadows of a world gone mad.

But even as I sat in my dimly lit apartment, surrounded by the ghosts of my past, I knew that I could not give up the search. The memory of my parents' smiles, of Emily's laughter, drove me forward, fuelling the fire of vengeance that burned within me.

"Reasons to live, give reasons to die"

That's something I'll always tell myself, finding my parents and Emily's murderer was my reason to livs and die.

As I stared into the empty space before me, I made a silent vow to myself…..to never stop fighting, to never stop searching until I had uncovered the truth and brought those responsible to justice. For in a world ruled by power and corruption, the only justice that mattered was the justice we made for ourselves.

I sat at my table, the soft glow of the laptop screen casting a pale light over the room as I stared at the project I had been working on before. Lines of code scrolled past, a tangled web of symbols and numbers that represented the only semblance of order in my chaotic world.

But then, without warning, a series of messages popped up on the screen, messages that sent a jolt of adrenaline coursing through my veins and brought me to my feet in shock.

"This can't be true...oh my God!"