Diressons

"City of Two Worlds"
In the divided city of Blizzel, where the elite live above in gleaming towers and the desperate struggle for survival below in the Techno Canyon, the gap between the two worlds grows ever wider. At the heart of it all is the Energy Tower — the city’s lifeblood, an ancient and powerful structure that keeps the lights on, but also hides dark secrets about its true purpose.

Elián, a young engineer from the lower city, is haunted by the death of his sister, Ana, who died in a factory explosion covered up by the government. With no answers, Elián seeks justice, determined to uncover the truth behind the system that failed her and countless others.

As the city begins to tremble under the weight of its own corruption, Elián’s path crosses with Oleg, the charismatic leader of the underground rebel group "RadioTapok." Oleg’s songs, filled with hidden messages of resistance, fuel the fires of rebellion in the lower city. Together with his newfound allies, Elián discovers that the Energy Tower is not just a source of power, but a weapon — a ticking time bomb waiting to tear the city apart.

On the other side of the divide, Laena, a brilliant but conflicted scientist from the upper city, is also drawn to the tower’s dark secrets. As she uncovers the true nature of her family’s involvement in the tower’s creation, she is forced to question everything she has ever known about her world.

As Elián, Laena, and Oleg forge uneasy alliances, the city begins to unravel. With betrayal, secrets, and the clash of two worlds, the struggle for control of Blizzel becomes a battle not just for survival, but for the future of the entire city.

Will they be able to stop the impending disaster before it’s too late? Or will their efforts be crushed under the weight of the powers that control Blizzel? In this city of shadows and light, no one is safe, and nothing is as it seems.

The City of two Worlds

The hum of failing lights flickered back to life, casting sharp, angular shadows across the room. Sera's blade hissed softly, its edge glowing faintly as she raised it.

Elián crouched beside the terminal, frantically typing commands to stabilize the feed. The distorted voice echoed again, scraping against their nerves like broken glass.

"Prototype 02, your return was inevitable."

"Who are you?" she demanded, stepping closer to the screen.

Static hissed before a faint, flickering image appeared—a silhouette with glowing eyes, half-obscured by distortion.

"I am the Architect. And you…" The voice lingered, dripping with malice. "…are incomplete."

"Shut it down!" Oleg barked, but Elián's hands froze above the keyboard.

The door behind them slammed shut, sealing with a mechanical hiss.

Sera turned to Elián. "Override it!"

Elián's fingers flew across the keys. The screen glitched again, and suddenly, the pods in the next room hissed open.

A chorus of mechanical whirs filled the air.

"Welcome the next generation," the voice taunted.

The first shape emerged—humanoid, but wrong. Its eyes burned with a cold, artificial light, and its limbs moved with unnerving precision.

The creature lunged. Sera's blade hissed through the air, slicing into its metallic frame, but it barely staggered. Sparks sprayed as it swiped back, forcing her to dodge.

Oleg's voice boomed behind her. "Elián, now would be a good time!"

Sera dodged another strike, her blade cutting deep into the creature's arm. It shrieked in response, but more shapes emerged from the shadows.

"We're outnumbered!" Oleg shouted, pulling a compact rifle from his pack and firing into the swarm.

"Then we fight our way out!" Sera snapped.

She moved fast, her blade dancing through the dark as she cut through the attackers. Oleg's shots rang out, covering her as she fought.

The doors hissed open, and Sera grabbed Elián's arm, dragging him through the opening as Oleg laid down cover fire.

The three of them sprinted down the hall, the mechanical echoes of pursuit ringing behind them.

The hideout was silent when they returned, but the weight of what they had seen clung to them.

Elián paced the room, muttering under his breath.

Sera sat on the edge of a crate, staring at her reflection in the blade's edge. "It wasn't lying."

Oleg crossed his arms. "We don't know that."

"I do," Sera snapped. She looked up, her eyes hard. "You saw the files. You saw what I did back there. I'm not normal."

"No one here is normal," Oleg said firmly. "But you're still human."

Sera wanted to believe him, but the doubt wouldn't let go.

Elián finally stopped pacing. "We need answers. That facility wasn't just a lab—it was a factory. Whatever they're making down there, it's not finished."

Sera looked at him. "Then we finish it first."

Oleg smirked. "Now that's more like it."

Deep beneath Sector 13, the Architect watched the feed flicker as the intruders escaped.

"Prototype 02 is unstable."

The voice echoed through the dark chamber, where rows of figures stood motionless in their pods.

A second voice responded—softer but colder.

"Unstable… but perfect."

Chapter 10: Echoes in the Dark