Many centuries have gone by... The year 2589 A.D. has finally come!
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"Are you all set for school? You should be excited about the field trip today," a mother inquired of her child, who was busily gathering his things. The child’s face radiated with wonder.
Simultaneously, translucent and illusory screens materialised mid-air after the mother employed her mental authority to turn on the television.
"Good morning; we have breaking news today. The intergalactic space exploration agency has just uncovered the remnants of an ancient civilization. So far, the only detail revealed is the term spivillion." Stay tuned as we provide further updates as the exploration progresses!" A faint voice resonated through the house, seemingly inaudible yet penetrating deep into the minds of the child and his mother.
Several minutes later, the child had finally prepared himself and approached the door of his house. The door appeared translucent and nearly invisible, lacking any physical lock as it remained perpetually sealed. Only individuals with the requisite authorization could pass through it.
As the young boy effortlessly traversed the door, he took in the outside scenery. An array of hovering vehicles floated noiselessly in the air, following different vacuum-constructed routes on their way to various destinations.
The boy observed the early morning activity on his street, where dozens of houses stood atop floating landmasses, their residents emerging into the bustling day. Numerous illusory screens hovered in the air, some three-dimensional and others two-dimensional, radiating luminescent light as they displayed various advertisements and news reports. This was the world of the future!
The boy took in this futuristic vista with a sense of normalcy. The limited space on the floating landmass surrounding his house necessitated a jump to the ground. However, instead of plummeting, his form became indistinct and reappeared at a familiar location.
It was a spacious town square teeming with diverse individuals. As the boy stepped onto a designated spot—a green platform hovering just above the ground—a bus-like structure, cylindrical and adorned in white and blue, materialised before him.
He effortlessly walked through its walls, and the view of the town square visible through the windows promptly faded into a blur as the vehicle accelerated at supersonic speeds.
Inside the vehicle, the boy spotted two of his friends from school among his classmates.
"After so long, we’re finally going on a field trip. We’re finally old enough to visit ‘that’ place!" One of his friends exclaimed with glee.
Their teacher approached them and gave the boy’s shoulder a friendly pat. "Let’s keep the chatter down!"
She then addressed the entire class, her voice directly penetrating each child’s mind. "Our destination is on the other side of the Earth. It will take thirty minutes. Please, no talking."
***
With an expression of pure happiness, the boy directed his gaze towards the glistening violet lake before him. Thirty minutes had passed in the blink of an eye. As they disembarked from the bus, they were met with the sight of a city that bore a striking resemblance to their own but was populated by individuals from various nationalities who strolled through the streets and floated midst the buildings.
He noticed some children from another school who had formed a line, likely also on a field trip. The place attracted tourists of all kinds. Shops offered souvenirs, and agencies provided tour packages. This location was none other than the Earth's most renowned tourist destination—the Lakefront. People from all corners of the globe flocked here to experience the enigmatic world within the lake.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Their teacher, having organised them into a line, waved her hand, and suddenly, illusory pieces of paper appeared in front of them, containing information presented in a straightforward manner, tailored for easy comprehension by the children.
As the boy reluctantly flipped through the pages, some of the information became imprinted in his mind.
The Lakefront surrounds the entrance to Compound 009, whose first ten realms have been open to the public since the passage of the ‘First Act of Colonisation of Compounds’ by the United Government in 2410. Since then, humanity has made these places accessible to everyone. On this field trip, we are going to visit the International Museum of Compound 009, located in the 1st realm.
Having absorbed the information, he continued to move along the line and reached the entrance to the glistening violet lake.
Following some security checks, the class finally entered the lake. A faint voice, different from their teacher’s, resonated in the boy’s mind. [Welcome to Compound 009. I hope you have a smooth journey!]
As the white light enveloping him dissipated, he found himself in a mystical place. It was a forest with towering trees that blocked out the sunlight. However, these trees were sparse, suggesting that much of the forest had been cleared. On stone paths, various tourists were making their way towards a set of large buildings constructed from golden bricks.
Throughout the area, there were about a dozen individuals in uniforms bearing the word "H.A.D.E.S." These individuals were dispersed, keeping a watchful eye for any irregularities.
"You can spot the museum from this vantage point. Let’s proceed," the teacher announced, distributing passes to the kids and guiding them into the museum as though she had visited many times before.
As soon as the boy stepped inside the museum, he was welcomed by a grand dome with a carpeted pathway leading to the inner sections of the establishment. Along both sides of the path, large silver statues rested within glass enclosures. On the front of these cases, sentences etched in glowing words repeated the term "herald."
One of the statues held a massive bolt of lightning, looking eerily lifelike, while another clutched a large black dagger engulfed in white flames. As the boy continued to pass by, he observed various tourists closely inspecting the items displayed within the glass cases.
Among these items, some were relics and weapons, while others consisted of paintings and three-dimensional scenes depicting the various realms within this compound.
The teacher subsequently allowed the children to explore freely, giving them some leisure time to investigate the exhibits as they pleased.
The boy and his friends sported excited expressions, eagerly interacting with the various elements within the museum. One of his friends was drawn to a souvenir shop and purchased a key chain. It emitted a chilling sensation, resembling a weapon, and consisted of a small icy scythe attached to a chain. At the chain’s end, there was a small, weighty blob. This miniature weapon-themed key chain exuded an aura of mystique.
As time passed, the children found themselves in an unfamiliar area during their exploration with no one else around, instilling a sense of unease.
"Are we lost?" one child began to cry.
"Don’t worry, the teacher will find us easily," a girl reassured him.
The boy surveyed his surroundings. A large painting of a person stood in front of him, with words etched into the walls nearby.
He could barely make out some of the words.
...contributed significantly to the advancement of space research.
Received recognition from the United Government.."
Before he could read further, someone gently patted him on the shoulder.
Startled, the boy jumped in surprise because the person had not been there a moment ago. It was as though he had materialised out of thin air.
The newcomer was an elderly man, but he displayed no obvious signs of old age. His face was clear, with barely visible wrinkles. Were it not for his slightly hunched posture and receding white hair, one could have easily mistaken him for middle-aged.
The child wore a surprised expression since the elderly guy appeared to be familiar, but he couldn’t figure out why.
"Let me show you the way." As he led the youngsters out, he motioned for them to follow him. However, the youngsters were taught not to approach a stranger before learning his identification.
"What is your name?" The boy inquired hastily.
"Ah.. I completely forgot to introduce myself. My age has taken its toll. "My name is Wallace Garret." The man spoke calmly back.