Stevenson_9

Lost in Tomorrow

Joon never had an easy life. Growing up in a struggling village, where water was scarce and survival was a daily battle, he knew the value of every grain of rice, every drop of sweat. But one night, he closed his eyes in his small, broken home… and woke up in a world that wasn’t his own.

A future so advanced it felt like a dream—until he realized the nightmare beneath it.

People live in luxury, but they are nothing more than prisoners of their own screens. Their minds are empty, filled only with advertisements and meaningless entertainment. No one thinks. No one questions. No one lives.

And somehow, Joon has a power he never had before—he can hear their thoughts. But their thoughts are not their own.

Desperate to find a way back home, Joon stumbles upon a shocking truth: he is not the only one from the past. Somewhere in this soulless world, another traveler exists—one with telekinetic abilities. But where is he? And why were they brought here?

As Joon searches for answers, he realizes something terrifying: this world isn’t just a dystopian future—it’s a carefully controlled experiment. And now that he’s awake, they are watching.

With a relentless AI hunting him, a mysterious girl who seems to know more than she says, and time running out, Joon must uncover the secrets of this world before he loses himself to it.

Because in a place where no one remembers what it means to be human, the cost of freedom might be his own mind.

Lost in Tomorrow

Joon followed Rika through the underground tunnels, his footsteps splashing against shallow puddles of stagnant water. The air was thick with the stench of damp concrete and rusting metal.

"How do you know your way around here?" he asked, his voice echoing faintly.

Rika glanced back with a smirk. "I've been living down here for a while. The city above isn't exactly my kind of place."

Joon studied her. She moved through the tunnels like she belonged there, dodging obstacles and taking sharp turns without hesitation.

"You're not from this world, are you?" he asked.

She stopped, her golden eyes narrowing slightly. "What makes you say that?"

Joon crossed his arms. "The way you talk. The way you fight. You knew Kyung. And you know more about this world than you're letting on."

For a moment, Rika said nothing. Then, she chuckled. "You're sharp. I like that."

She started walking again. "You're right. I'm not from here. But unlike you, I don't want to go back."

"Because there's nothing for me back there."

Her tone was casual, but Joon caught the brief flicker of sadness in her expression.

Before he could press further, she stopped in front of a rusted metal door and knocked twice.

A small slot slid open, revealing a pair of suspicious eyes. "Password?"

Rika leaned in. "Open the damn door, Taejin."

The slot closed, and after a few seconds, the door creaked open.

Joon followed Rika inside, stepping into a dimly lit hideout. The walls were lined with old monitors, some flickering with static, others displaying grainy footage of the city above. Several people were gathered around a table, deep in discussion.

"Took you long enough," said a tall man with slicked-back hair. He eyed Joon with mild interest. "Who's the kid?"

"He's the one I told you about," Rika said. "The mind-reader."

Joon shifted uncomfortably under their stares. "Is that a problem?"

The man studied him before nodding. "Not if you're on our side."

Joon exhaled. "Depends. What's your side?"

The man smirked. "The side that wants to burn this rotten city to the ground."

Joon sat across from Rika and Taejin as they explained the situation.

"This city," Taejin began, gesturing to the monitors, "isn't what it seems. The people up there? They're prisoners."

Joon had already suspected as much. The way the citizens lived—trapped in their luxurious homes, glued to their screens—felt too unnatural.

"They're controlled," Rika added. "Not just mentally, but physically. The food they eat, the air they breathe—it's all designed to keep them complacent. The moment someone tries to resist, they disappear."

Taejin leaned back. "That's the million-dollar question. But we do know one thing."

He pointed at the largest monitor, where a grainy image of Kyung flickered.

Rika nodded. "He's not just another traveler. He's working for them. Or maybe he's using them. Either way, he's dangerous."

Joon's mind raced. Kyung wasn't just looking for something—he was involved in whatever was happening to this world.

And that meant stopping him wasn't just personal anymore.

But before Joon could say anything, the monitors suddenly flickered.

The static distorted into an image—one that sent chills down Joon's spine.

His face appeared on every screen, his cold eyes staring directly at them.

"You can't hide forever," Kyung's voice echoed through the room. "I'll find you."

Then, Taejin cursed. "He knows we're here."

Rika sprang to her feet. "We need to move. Now."

Joon clenched his fists. Kyung was coming.

And this time, there was nowhere left to run.