The Lunar Doom.
Although Reven could now move his body, the boy avoided ever speaking to the colonel.
Inwardly, Reven didn't want to leave this house.
At least here, he was getting enough food to eat. He was a mere three-year-old boy; what else could he ask for if not this? But he knew this was impossible.
That evening, Reven was enjoying the stars and full moon shining through the gallery's glass ceiling when the colonel appeared out of nowhere and remarked, "The sky looks peaceful, doesn't it?"
"Yeah."
"If only Earth could be this peaceful too."
Hmm... Hmmm.
"Hey kid... You should stay with me."
"What?"
"Seriously... Because of the war, I never had a family. So, I was thinking maybe we could make a family of our own. You and me... What do you say?"
"Why me?"
"I guess... You can say it's fate. I joined the patrolling division to get out of the border. I am sick of it now. The World Wars destroyed the very nature of humanity."
"But the rumors..."
"Well... It's true; there are high chances that the 5th will start soon... That's why I want to have a family. After all, I don't know when I will die if the war starts.
Sigh! That's why I stopped dating or looking for a girl.
Still, after seeing you, I realized that, except for fighting wars, I didn't do anything... So, at least, I deserve to have someone carry my legacy, don't I?"
Reven kept looking at the sky for some time, but soon tears welled up in his eyes. The three-year-old boy didn't know that this warmth was enough to melt his little, cold heart.
Nor did he realize that this very incident would provide him with the strength he would need to continue on his seemingly endless journey, which was about to begin.
The colonel turned towards the kid and said, "There, kid, don't cry. My child, it will hurt this old man."
"First, I am not a crybaby, and second, how old are you again?" Reven, wiping away his tears as he continued to stare up at the sky.
"42 years, kiddo."
"Heck, you really are an old man!"
They both looked at each other and laughed loudly for a moment, finally turning silent.
Reven turned to look at the moon again and, with a smile on his face, expressed, "Thank you, old man."
The old man, no, Aarav, looked at the moon too and said, "Thank you too."
And...
BAM!! Shoosh-!
It was at this moment that the moon suddenly vanished into thin air as the sky darkened. Reven and Aarav looked at each other again, this time in confusion.
"Is it me, or has the moon suddenly vanished?" Reven asked as he kept looking at the place where the moon was.
His eyes began to narrow until he realized that, in fact, only about two thirds of the moon had disappeared, leaving behind a crescent that was no longer very bright.
"It's not the full moon that vanished, but two thirds of it!" Aarav seemed astonished as he said that.
"Did they nuke the moon this time or something?"
"Not at all. No matter how potent the nukes are, two thirds of the moon wouldn't disappear."
"Just what the fu*k is happening?"
"Wait, let me contact the officials from the military."
The old man went inside and called someone. After 10 minutes, he came back and declared, "Something serious has happened. They have issued a red alert. They do not know the cause, but it's serious. I need to go, kid."
"Okay! Just return safely."
They had no idea how drastically this one event would alter the course of human history on Earth and bring out their doom.
-----
"We call it 'The Lunar Doom', and we do not have any scientific reason behind this incident." A scientist answered, looking back at the reporter sitting across from him.
Following him, a reporter stated:
'The Lunar Doom'. That is the name that the scientific community has decided to give this incident.
Reven switched off the television, as the same topic has been going on on the TV for days now. It has been a month since that incident.
Reven was now completely healed, and his body was also in better shape now and was no longer malnourished. He looked healthy and fit, fitting for a boy his age.
There were numerous repercussions from "The Lunar Doom."
The ecosystem, which was already in danger of collapsing, grew even worse; as a result of the significant changes in Earth's gravitational field, cyclones, tsunamis, and other natural disasters occurred.
What was most repulsive, though, was that some nations still tried to blame others—as though they were hoping for the outbreak of the Fifth World War—even after this had occurred.
There were also some cults that claimed it was the creation of a god that wasn't happy with humanity.
But the most intriguing finding was that an energy of some kind had begun to seep into the atmosphere.
The scientists could not find anything about it and claimed that this thing didn't obey any laws of physics.
Some nerds even started to call it Mana, Qi, Ether, or Essence, but there was no response from the scientists.
Some Chinese geeks even tried to train themselves with this energy, which they call 'Cultivation', but they were not even able to intake the energy.
"What do you think this is? Old man." Reven asked as he turned to face Aarav, who had just woken up from his nap and came to the living room.
"Dunno... But I have a bad premonition about it."
"Same here."
"It feels like 'The Lunar Doom' was just the tip of the iceberg."
"Did the scientist send someone to the moon to check what happened?"
"No, they are still researching using the machines... And it will most likely take several years for them to finish... As for the moon expedition, I think it will need at least 5 years."
"Anyways, I think I will have to go back to the borders again."
"I heard the tensions are increasing."
"Yeah, I hope there is no war again."
"Old man, I want to join the army training school." Reven spoke seriously.
"I thought so too... With the current situation, it will be good for you to join it. At least you can ensure your own protection. I think, with my connections, you can even get to the Special Forces training course.
However, to enroll in the program, you must be at least six years old; all other kids must also meet this requirement."
"I see."
Owing to the Third and Fourth World Wars, humanity even altered its educational standards, requiring all students, regardless of social status, to enlist in the army at the age of six.
All other jobs were subject to stringent government oversight and could only be awarded upon leaving the armed forces.
-----
After two months.
A boy peered at the mirror in front of him.
He saw a young man with shoulder-length black hair that was completely black; his eyebrows were like two swords, and he had a small, barely noticeable cut mark on his right eyebrow that measured two millimeters. This mark didn't exactly look ugly, but it did add an air of mystery and mystique to the boy's charm.
His black eyes, which looked like they could devour anything that got in their way, had a tinge of maturity in them. He had a perfectly symmetrical nose and beautiful, thin lips. There was no baby fat in his cheeks, and his body was quite well-built for a three-year-old.
It goes without saying that this was Reven.
"Get ready; we are going somewhere."
"Huh!?"
"Don't, huh!, me. I have to leave for the borders, so you have to live somewhere, don't you? You can't live alone, kiddo."
"Okay, but who is it?"
"My junior... She is like a nephew to me. Her father was my friend when we fought in the 4th together, but he died in the war.
The girl was just 23 at the time, but then she joined the army too. Hell, she is a natural talent... You can learn a lot from her in my absence, as she is also in the Special Forces."
"Fine."
They dressed and got into Aarav's car to leave the house. Their home was located north of the army base, next to a hill.
They traveled to the east of the army base, where scientists usually lived under protection. The car took a turn near the alley and then went straight towards a small hill.
There was a tiny stream of water emerging from that hill.
Aarav stopped the car and said, "C'mon, we have to walk from here."
"Okay."
After strolling for a short while, they came across a house.
Aarav went ahead and tapped the doorbell as he told Reven, "Kid, she is very strict with rules, though she is usually easygoing, so be a good boy."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Just don't anger her much, or else you are screwed."
The boy was about to say something, but the door opened first, and his jaw dropped...
.....