chapter 1 - the beginning

After the mysterious tsunami that destroyed the country, killing thousands and leaving nothing but a small town with a few survivors, those who remained were forced to live with the haunting memories of the disaster, suffering until their last breaths. They try to forget the past and prepare for a better future, or at least for a new generation, as most of them see no light or hope after what happened. Some have even forgotten how to live, while others have lost their minds. Only a few try to stay strong.

This small town is everything to them, with no place else to go. They're surrounded by water on every side, isolated from the rest of the world, which continues on, having forgotten about them—the forgotten ones, as they call themselves.

In this forsaken town lived Ally. She approached the water, staring into the ocean, lost in thoughts about what lies beyond.

"Isn't it weird to look at the ocean every day at 4 AM without a reason?" joan's voice interrupted her favorite time of the day, his face marked with confusion.

Ally replied, "And who said I don't have a reason? Just because I don't talk about it doesn't mean it's for nothing."

"Are you willing to tell me?" joan asked.

Ally sighed, "I'm just wondering what will happen if we ever get out of here one day. Or will we ever survive in here?"

Joan said, "Do you really think we will ever get out of here? Look, Ally, we're surrounded by water, and I don't even think this place can hold itself much longer. We're just giving ourselves false hopes. So please, Ally, let's try to live and enjoy our counted days."

Ally replied, "You never know, Joan! We're still alive for a reason. If we could survive the tsunami, that means we can survive worse."

Joan, with a look of disappointment, said, "We were never the chosen ones as you think. We just got lucky—or maybe it's not even luck. Their lives ended already, but we still have to suffer, Ally."

A long silence filled the air before they both returned to work, as they always did, trying to filter the ocean's water as they had learned. The others continued with their tasks until sundown. Despite their isolation, the town wasn't entirely forgotten. Every four months, a ship arrived to deliver supplies, brought by a mysterious figures and gets delivered to what they called the Masked Man. He never took off his mask and had a strange place where he kept all his plants, strictly forbidding anyone from approaching it.

Every three months, one of the townspeople mysteriously disappeared. The common assumption was that most of them committed suicide, driven to despair by their hopeless situation. After all, they were the forgotten ones. Yet, something in Ally couldn't accept this explanation. It always felt like a convenient story, masking a darker truth.

Determined to uncover the reality, Ally waited for the night. When everyone had gone to sleep, she snuck out silently, hiding behind a large box that was big enough to conceal her body. Her heart pounded as she strained to hear any sign of movement.

Suddenly, she heard someone behind her...