Secrets Beneath the Surface

Null's eyes widened as he took in the sight of the sprawling underground city before him. Towering structures carved from stone and metal stretched into the distance, illuminated by a soft blue glow that seemed to pulse through the city like veins. Life thrived here, far from the surface world he knew, and the sheer scale of it left him speechless.

"How long has this place been here?" Null finally asked, his voice shaky with awe.

Selene turned to him, her expression calm yet laced with a subtle melancholy. "It's been over a century," she said quietly. "More than a hundred years since this world was built."

"A century?" Null echoed, trying to wrap his mind around the idea. "And no one knows about it?"

"The governments know," Selene said, her voice firm. "The presidents, the prime ministers, the kings—they've all known about this place for generations."

Null blinked, feeling a wave of confusion wash over him. "If they knew... why didn't they tell anyone? Why keep this a secret?"

Selene's gaze softened, a look of sorrow and understanding crossing her face. "Because the power of every nation, every leader, depends on this place," she explained. "Each continent has its own underground world, just like this one. And while we keep the monsters at bay, we also keep each other's continents in check. The balance of power on the surface is fragile, and it's maintained down here."

Null's heart raced as he tried to comprehend the enormity of what she was saying. "So... you're saying that the world's governments rely on this place not just for protection against monsters, but for control over each other?"

Selene nodded, her expression darkening slightly. "Yes. The leaders of the world need us not just to keep the creatures from overrunning their lands, but to maintain their dominance. Without us, their power would collapse."

She paused, then added with a deep sadness, "Humans are more dangerous than monsters, Null. The creatures we fight are a threat, but the real danger comes from the people who use this hidden world to preserve their power."

Null's breath caught in his throat, his mind racing to grasp the implications. "Wait... you're saying there are seven of these places? Seven underground worlds, all as large as continents?"

Selene gave a slight nod, her gaze steady. "Yes. One beneath each continent, each with its own system, its own people, and its own responsibilities."

Null took a step back, the weight of the revelation pressing on him like a vice. "Then... why don't you all unite? If you're all fighting the same creatures, facing the same dangers, why not come together and end the threat from the other world once and for all?"

A faint, sad smile crossed Selene's lips. "We are united, but also... we're not," she said, her voice soft yet filled with unspoken weight. "We all fight for humanity, yes. We keep the monsters at bay and protect the surface world. But the truth is... if any side suffers too great a loss, that balance will crumble. One collapse, and the others will be weakened. Every nation knows this, and every underground world watches the others carefully. It's a delicate dance. We share a common enemy, but we can't afford for one to rise above the rest."

Null shook his head, trying to process her words. "So, you're telling me that even though you're all fighting for the same cause, you're still divided? You can't unite because if any of you becomes too powerful, the others would fall?"

Selene's expression grew somber, her voice barely a whisper. "That's the sad truth. We fight for survival, but we also fight for control. The creatures from the other world may be our enemies, but humans... humans are often their own worst enemy."

Selene's eyes darkened as she continued. "We were once the most powerful among all the continents, our underground world unmatched in strength. But... that changed after World War 3. The losses were catastrophic, not just for us, but for the entire continent of Aziara."

Null's thoughts came to a sudden halt. World War 3... he repeated in his mind, as memories of the conflict surged forward.

"The war..." Null muttered, his voice distant as he became lost in thought. "It started among the Asian countries. Seven years ago... and it raged on for three brutal years."

Selene watched him in silence as he processed the gravity of it all.

The war that had scarred the surface world had also devastated the hidden realms beneath it. But there had been something even more unexpected—a result no one had anticipated.

All the Asian countries united.

Null's gaze grew distant as he remembered the end of the war. "The conflict was supposed to tear the continent apart," he murmured. "But instead... they came together. They united, and even renamed the entire continent."

"Aziara," he whispered, almost in disbelief. The pieces were slowly fitting together in his mind.

The continent of Aziara had risen from the ashes of war, stronger than ever on the surface. But beneath the ground, it seemed, the losses had been far greater than anyone had imagined.

As Null's mind raced through the memories of World War 3, a chilling realization dawned on him. He now understood why the unexpected outcome had happened—the unification of all Asian countries wasn't just about political power or survival on the surface. There was something far deeper.

It was this world beneath.

Aziara's underground realm had suffered a massive blow during the war. The conflict on the surface was only a reflection of what had been happening below. The devastation wasn't limited to cities, soldiers, or economies—it was the hidden power beneath the continent that had been shaken to its core. And once the governments realized how vulnerable they were, they had no choice but to unite.

Null's thoughts spiraled. "So... that's why the war ended the way it did," he murmured. "The leaders... they had to unite. Not just for the surface, but to save what was down here."

Selene nodded slowly, confirming his thoughts. "Yes. The war nearly destroyed us. Aziara was once the strongest, but the war cost us dearly—too dearly. We had no choice but to bring the nations together. Our strength now lies in our unity, but the scars still remain."

Null stood there, piecing together the hidden history he had never known. The world had always seemed full of mysteries, but now it felt as if the surface he had lived on was only a small part of the truth. The real power, the real danger, lay far beneath.