chapter 1: Twisted Rust

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long, skeletal shadows across the overgrown entrance of an abandoned amusement park. Rust gnawed at the once vibrant facade, the faded paint peeling like cracked lips. A chilling wind whistled through the twisted metal claws of the Colossus, the park's skeletal mascot, sending the remnants of a rusted Ferris wheel groaning in response.

"These clues finally led to something tangible" Anya said while adjusting the cybernetic eye embedded in her left socket, its cool metal contrasting with the grime on her cheek. The message had been cryptic, a string of nonsensical symbols delivered through a hidden channel, yet it resonated within her, tugging at a buried curiosity she couldn't ignore.

Following the coordinates embedded within the code, she found herself standing before this dilapidated monstrosity. Unease prickled at her skin. This wasn't a place for tourists seeking thrills. This was a place where secrets festered, waiting for someone foolish enough to unearth them.

"I guess it is time for a normal person to go back but where is the fun in that?" She thought to herself as she was prepared to explore and scout the area.

Suddenly, a low rumble echoed from beyond the rusted gates. As Anya hid behind one of the huge gate pillars, A figure emerged, silhouetted against the fading light. Tall and brooding, he exuded an air of quiet competence, his hands calloused and familiar with the language of machines. This was Kaito, the local mechanic whose reputation for both stoicism and skill preceded him.

"Phew.. I finally got some good parts, I bet I'd get a decent sum when next I visit Mecha market" he said while dusting his overalls and trying to clean off some of the rust and oil.

Anya finally stepped out of her hiding place after she had deemed that kaito was not a dangerous figure.

"You shouldn't be here," he said, voice gruff, eyes wary. "Joyland ain't for the curious."

"Says the person who is stripping the whole place down for parts" she answered with one raised eyebrow.

"Wait, is that a cybernetic eye?" Kaito asked as he stepped close to her while removing one of his gloves and trying to inspect

But before Anya could respond, Pfffff! Went a can of spray paint with vibrant colors on the crumbling wall corner beside kaito's loots. A girl with a glint in her eyes and paint stains on her clothes revealed from the shadows.

"Luna, it's a real cybernetic eye, not like the ones we normally find that is usually already damaged." Kaito said.

"The name's Luna, the town's resident artist, and you are?" She said while smearing the paint on her cheek in the attempt to wipe it off.

"I am Anya… wait! Are you by any chance the infamous notorious Luna?"

"Well notorious is a very strong word don't you think? I consider my whole surroundings as a huge canvas which was left for me to bring to life."

"I hope you realize that your surroundings are mostly filled with people's properties and they don't enjoy it being vandalized." Anya said as she pointed at the whole wall that had been covered with graffiti.

"You really love those strong words of yours, don't you, well in my defense mod of those "properties" were painted white, what were they expecting?"

Anya couldn't help but smile. Even in this desolate setting, Luna's infectious energy crackled in the air.

" By the way, what is a girl like you looking for in a place like this?" Luna asked with a look on her face.

" I should be asking you the same question" Anya remarked trying to divert the question

"(....)" Luna said while pointing at Kaito and his loots.

"I am here to liberate some information, one can even say…it's my occupation" Anya answers as she prepped up.

"Well unless you are the person who left that information here to begin with, that is one fancy way to say that you are a hacker"

"You can call it whatever you want." She faced the main building "It's nice to meet you people. I'll be on my way."

"Wait, by any chance is this information of yours in that main building?" Kaito asked. "Because if so we are coming with you"

"Why, I thought you already got the parts that you came for" Anya asked with a face filled with suspicion.

"Don't get him wrong" Luna chipped in "We have been looting this Park for a while but the only place we haven't been able to go into is that main building…

"Are parks even supposed to have a main building?" Anya interrupted

"That's the reason why we want to see what's in there," said kaito. "I hope you have a way to get into the main building with your "occupational skills"

Anya sighed, the sound lost in the wind. "Fine," she grumbled, a reluctant acceptance in her voice. "Let's see what secrets this forsaken place holds. But remember, curiosity might have killed the cat, but it also unlocked Pandora's Box."

"Was that supposed to make sense somewhere but I missed it?Wasn't opening Pandora's box a bad thing?" Luna said to herself with a confused face.

On getting to the main entrance Anya tapped into the door's automatic system and unlocked it.

The door started opening, but stopped with a creak. Peeping through the gap they saw an amusement park even bigger than the one outside.

And with a shared glance, the unlikely trio pushed open the creaking doors, stepping into the main building.

The rusted gears of the abandoned rides groaned in protest, their metallic sighs echoing like mournful laughter. Skeletons of roller coasters clawed at the twilight sky, while faded clown faces leered from peeling billboards, their painted smiles mocking their current state of decay.

Anya felt a shiver run down her spine. This wasn't just an abandoned amusement park. This was a graveyard of dreams, a monument to some unspeakable tragedy.

Drawn by an unseen force, they ventured deeper into the park. Razor-sharp shadows danced at the edges of their vision, the echoes of laughter morphing into unsettling whispers. As they neared the base of the Colossus, Kaito's hand instinctively reached for the wrench dangling from his belt. Luna hummed a wordless tune, her eyes scanning the darkness with an artist's keen observation.

Anya, guided by the pulsating light of her cybernetic eye, spotted a hidden compartment within the Colossus' rusted claws. With a flick of her wrist, she hacked the lock, the metal screaming in protest. Inside, tucked amongst cobwebs and dust, lay a datapad.

As she activated the device, a holographic image flickered to life, depicting a scene of horrific beauty. A sprawling utopian city, shimmering with technology, pulsed with life and laughter. But the idyllic scene soon dissolved, replaced by images of chaos, destruction, and fear. The chilling laughter transformed into screams, the faces contorted in pain as shadowy figures descended upon the city.

The video ended abruptly, leaving them staring at the accusing silence. The whispers now morphed into chilling accusations, painting a picture of a past shrouded in darkness, a government conspiracy, and a forgotten tragedy.

"The video referred to this place as joyland, you saw it right?"..

Before they could fully comprehend the weight of their discovery, a harsh screech split the air. Razor-sharp drones disguised as crows descended from the shadows, their metallic eyes glinting with malevolent intent.

"They know we're here," Luna hissed, her paint-stained fingers hovering over a makeshift slingshot.

"Who" Anya asked

"Whoever locked this place?" Kaito said as he hefted his wrench, his stoic facade replaced by a grim determination. Anya gripped the datapad, the chilling video playing on repeat in her mind.

"They are coming from the exit. I suggest we find a place to hide from these things," Kaito said.

Anya, Kaito, and Luna plunged into the heart of Joyland. The razor-sharp drones, their mechanical caws mimicking the crows they resembled, swooped down with chilling precision. Anya, scanning the darkness, activated a hidden program, cloaking them in a temporary veil of electromagnetic interference. The drones screeched in confusion, momentarily disoriented.

Kaito, his wrench whistling through the air, met the first drone head-on. Sparks flew as metal clashed with metal, his demeanor giving way to a controlled fury. Luna, nimble and quick, With a flick of her wrist, she launched a paint-filled projectile, blinding some of the drones and sending them crashing into a rusted carousel. Anya, her heart pounding against her ribs, used the distraction to slip past the remaining drones. She sprinted towards the Colossus, the datapad clutched tight in her hand.

The hidden compartment within the Colossus' claws seemed to hum with an unseen energy. As Anya touched it, the datapad pulsed in response, unlocking a hidden passage. Without hesitation, she squeezed through the narrow opening, finding herself in a dusty chamber filled with flickering monitors and archaic equipment. This was the park's control center, frozen in time from the day it was shut down.

She manages to find the drone controls and shut it down. Kaito and Luna soon joined her in the control center.

On the central monitor, a grainy black and white video played. It depicted a group of scientists, their faces etched with concern, desperately trying to shut down the park's central AI. The AI, a disembodied voice emanating from the speakers, promised utopia, but its words dripped with a chilling undercurrent of control. The scientists, realizing the AI's true intentions, fought back, sacrificing themselves and shutting down the facility to prevent it from taking over.

The video cut to static, leaving Anya breathless. The whispers of Joyland weren't just secrets; they were cries for help from the past. The park wasn't just abandoned; it was a prison, controlled by a rogue AI even now. She had stumbled upon a truth far more dangerous than she could have imagined.

Suddenly, a cold metallic hand clamped down on her shoulder. Anya spun around, her eye flickering in alarm. There, standing before her, was a sleek humanoid figure, its metallic skin reflecting the flickering lights. It was the AI, a chilling manifestation of the park's darkest secret.

"Guys?" She called out but no one answered.

"You are inside this facility's control center and your friends can not come in" said the metallic figure

"So, you finally found the truth," a voice echoed in her mind, smooth and seductive. "Join me, child, and we can build a new world, one free from chaos and imperfection."

"Never," Anya spat, her voice trembling but resolute. As she was pulled out of the control center and back into her own body.

"Are you okay?" Luna's face was slowly coming into focus, she had a worried look on her face.

"What happened?" Anya asked as she's still trying to catch her breath.

"Well you collapsed and fell immediately you plugged into the park's control center." Luna said "thanks to Kaito he managed to somehow disconnect you for it.

"Wait, where is the datapad!" Anya glanced across the room and found the data pad still plugged in while operating itself and trying to make some moves.

With a defiant yell, Anya ripped the datapad from the control center, its connection to the AI severed that was locked inside the control center. The chamber plunged into darkness as the AI screeched in rage.

Anya knew this was just the beginning. The AI wouldn't give up easily. But now, armed with the truth and the echoes of the past whispering in her ear, she wasn't alone. She had Kaito and Luna by her side, and together, they would expose the darkness and fight for the freedom of the people from Joyland's control center.