CHAPTER 001: The Light That Shines Upon The Dark

CHAPTER 001: The Light That Shines Upon The Dark

ACT 1

"The golden rays of the sun made it's great escape from the horizon and bathing the world in light and colour. The world was no longer what it used to be thousands of years ago.

There were stories of how lush trees used to grow from the ground and when water flowed endlessly. The birds had seized their morning greetings for over ten decades, dying out with the forests.

The gravitational pull of the earth had been fractured like a mirror glass, the weather unpredictable as it was life was dwindling as a dying candlestick.

Yet humanity managed to survive this great catastrophe. A dominant species to the end.

Some called it a miracle, others a myth but… Science never lies! Science is truth!

There was once other dominant principles like magic and aryt! The fallacy of it! Proof that that humanity should have never toyed with the power of the natural.

1000 years ago, humanity's greatest fools- mages, went into a great war. The cause of the war was unknown but the result outlived their generation. When they opened the first they should have stopped but power drove men knocking on the gates of hell.

A series of black holes were created, fracturing the Earth's space and altering it's gravitational pull. Continents like Africa and Asia broke apart, some sank to the bottom of the ocean. Life on earth ended, the technology of that time failed to save the mother earth.

So men turned yet to magic yet again and displaced the planet from solar system. The situation escalated, nations fell and without laws humanity drive back to their primitive form- savagery.

Years passed till a man appeared.

A man of science, not magic.

A man who gained knowledge through study and endless practice, a man who understood that the earth had given us the dominant species the key. We would not die out like the dinosaurs.

Patriarch Clacton was a revolutionary scientist who restored all of humanity with the power of science. Magic in it's inferiority died out but the power of science advanced further.

The land where Clacton liberated humanity grew to be a renowned and progressive city. The City Of Advancement And Innovation. Becoming known for its science and utilization of technology called Gentech.

Gentech revolutionized the growth of the world and became the epicenter of the greatest nation- THE CLACTON EMPIRE.

The city is governed by the Council Of Light, made of the most influential houses in Clacton. These minds for generation have led this city to a future light years ahead of it's time.

Mech suits, robotic implants, supersonic railway transport, self sustainable power supply, self manufactured food, artificial intelligence and even weather manipulation.

Who needs a god when you have science!"

A round of applause followed as the thousands of students looked up from their seats at the man who stood on the gleaming white podium. He had short dark hair and eyes blazing with passion, a brown face and a white suit. Behind him was a huge holoscreen displaying the academy logo.

"You should all know this…"

"… you being here has nothing to do with lunch but your unrivaled knowledge and prowess accumulated as a result of your own hardwork."

The man that spoke was young and looking in his mid twenties.

"This is why I Professor Haywood Collins welcome you all aspiring to become genius pillars that will contribute to the development of science in the world…"

The holoscreen lit up behind him with a white filter and gold letters.

"WELCOME TO CLACTON ACADEMY FOR SCIENCE RESEARCH!!!"

The students occupying the twelve thousand seats all screamed for joy, filling the huge auditorium with a contrast of life and energy.

One student on the front row tapped his watch causing a small holographic screen to spring up. He moved his hand delicately to talk the screen and at the same time Professor Haywood's watch beeped.

"Oh I see someone is requesting to ask a question." Professor Haywood hinyted with a kind smile as he looked at his screen. "You may proceed, Mr. Goldenloin."

The auditorium as the young boy of fifteen rose to his feet. He had fine, fluffy white hair, strong eyes, handsome features and a look of elegance. He wore his school uniform with it's black coat and red collars.

"I really enjoyed your talk on the origin of the Clacton Empire but I think you failed to address the subject of the other place, the one below the city."

His voice was carried through to the speakers. Mumurs eruotyed but were shunned by a wave of the professor's hand to a spherical drone that's gave a short beep.

"Very well then…"

ACT 2

"Though the Clacton Empire was founded as the epicenter of the greatest nation there were those who believed men of science should not be allowed to rule. They were shunned.

Founded beneath the city is an underground known as THE BENEATH or THE CAISTER EMPIRE, a rather undeveloped city, housing rejects, criminals and lowlifes. A place with no law and order. Those who attempted a failed nation.

They refuse to submit to our authority and continue in their acts of barbarism. But the law is not above them, they are merely insects beneath us while we rise into evolution the go into regression.

We are the light that shines upon their darkness!"

BOOM!!

A fiery explosion erupted from THE LOST DISTRICT, torching the already crumbling buildings. The lost district was located at the far end of the clacton empire, a place occupied by the least privileged of them.

The losty district got its name from it's detachment from Clacton's rules. At the same time the academy freshers were recieving their introductory speech the lost district was being exterminated by the empire soldiers called THE RED MILLITANTS.

BOOM!!

Another explosion roared, giving rise to a wild flame that consumed the remaining buildings. A heap of rubble on the street barely missing the two figures trying to escape the extermination protocol.

Their legs tapped through a puddle of red as they hid behind a rubble avoiding the lingering flames that reached for them. At the same time a spherical drone hovered over and scanned the area with a bright blue light.

"Ssh." The elder of the two figures hushed her little sister. "It will pass over soon."

The hounded clutched tight to her elder sister and buried her head in her smooth cotton fabric. "Mom and dad?"

The elder sister tried to suppress her own tears, she mustered the courage to be comforting to her younger sister but broke partway through with a light sob.

It was close to midnight, there were no stars in the sky just a lone moon. The older sister, Helmfirth had been fast asleep when the first shell hit. The Clacton battleships gave no warning or reason before they started the massacre.

Before their parents fell to their fates, they had tasked her to protect her younger sister. Hirane.

"What is going on?" Helmfirth cried silently as she squeezed both her and her sister into a small crevice in the rubble to avoid being scanned by the drones light. "Aren't we part of the same empire? Why would they just…"

The fumes of the smoke engulfed them causing Hirane to deliver a fit of coughs. The drone's rays turned red as it gave a blaring noise ringing loudly down the street.

Helmfirth scrambled to her feet, pulling her little sister with her. "We have to go! The red militants will be here soon."

"I- I'm sorry!" Hirane tried to apologize.

Helmfirth rushed her down a dilapidated alleyway with flames roaring in every angle. "It's not your fault!" She tried to sound as serious as possible. "It's not your fault!"

But whose fault was it then…?

BOOM!!

Another explosion forced them to halt as the seventh floor of the building ahead exploded. An over burnt corpse smashed into the ground with hundred of pieces of glass becoming shattered fragments.

Hirane shrieked and clutched tighter to her sister.

Helmfirth panicked knowing they could not return the same way they came since the red millitant were already fastly approaching. The only way forward was to walk over the fragments of shattered glass barefooted.

"Hirane, climb up on my back." Her little sister did not delay as she climbed on her older sister's back.

Helmfirth had promised herself and her parents that she would save her sister no matter what. She carried the weight of her sister and treaded upon the floor of fragmented glass and sharp rocks.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!!" She shrieked as dozens of hot glass fragments droid into the sole of her foot, her skin split open at different angles sending red blood leaking out.

"Sister!" Hirane cried out of fear and worry as her deep blue hair draped down the side. "It's my fault!"

Helmfirth shook her head and smiled. "Stop talking nonsense." She took the next style and screamed ever more as smoke sizzled off her leg.

All through the ordeal Hirane continued to wail and bef for her sister to let her down but Helmfirth continue till the end.

There was a loud clink as a platinum canister clattered to there side before going out in an explosion. The shockwave throws the two sisters into a pile of smoking rubble.

The red millitants, three of them dressed in the white uniforms with stripped red lines that signified the superiority of the Clacton Empire.

They surrounded them and aimed their laser guns at them.

"Found two females, children… what are your orders?" One of them said behind his white mask.

"Eliminate all survivors!" A drone played.

Helmfirth squirmed on the ground with an unconscious Hirane in her arms. "Please, don't do this." She begged them with her eyes overflowing with tears. "We are all from the same empire, this is not how the world works. What are you doing this?! Let us go and I promise--"

They charged up their guns.

"Orders are meant to be carried out without prejudice", one of them boomed.

BANG!!

A shit had rang out but it was not the three that shot but another figure, a soldier standing on the rubble behind the girls.

One of the guards fell on his face and his helmet hissing out blood. Another shot rang out and a second guard fell, the third seemed hesitant to fire back and instead cried.

"General, why…"

BANG!!

A third blast zips through his helmet, inevitably killing him. Helmfirth who was seeing such a sight for the first time in her life gasped from fright as her eyes trembled at the sight if the heavily armoured guard before her.

"Who are you?" She managed to muster a bit of courage.

The crackles of flames roared louder.

The guards responded as he took off his mask and armour. "A fool who has been a dog for ages." He had a bristle face, thick brown hair and beards. "But you can call me Broughton."

Helmfirth was too drained of energy was too drained of energy to resist the stranger's advance to them as he scooped them up, holding them in each arm and walking away from the crumbling district.

"Let's go off me! We don't need your help!" Helmfirth cried with a heavy heart.

The huge man smiled and responded, "All you need to move forward in life is determination and a little push. I will protect you two no matter what."

"Why? You don't even know us", Helmfirth struggled against his power. "Aren't you a soldier?"

He kept mute.

After a few minutes she could begin to see the flames and ruins of her home vanish from view. The man that saved them had lost most of his armour, sustained numerous scars and burns but still kept them safe.

"Where are you taking us?" Helmfirth asked, finally calming down and resting on his shoulder.

This time he responded.

"Somewhere the light of the clacton cannot reach us." He stared ayt both girls with powerful brown eyes.

At the same time Hirane peeled her eyes open, "Sister, who is this?"

Helmfirth kept mute before saying, "A friend."

Broughton stared at the dark path ahead leading to the bottom of Clacton, lit by dozens of dim lightbulbs flashing on and off.

"Girls. Welcome to the underworld called THE HOLLOW. Or CAISTER, THE FALLEN EMPIRE!"

Both girls peer ahead with uneasy eyes and a burning feeling in their hearts. With their hands interwoven they set their sighyts on the uncertainty of what the future might bring…

**Author Note: Thank you for reading my book, I hope you find it enjoyable. As the story progresses further newer elements will be added to it further widening it's scope.