The sleep didn’t last long. I woke up feeling a bit lazy, stretched out my limbs, then settled back into the seat. The train had already passed Neo Civitas and was nearing my destination. There was still some time left, so I took out my phone and scrolled through its contents. I flipped through my old files and found the Dream Journal.

It was a document I had started out of curiosity, recording the dreams I used to have every now and then. Nightmares, dreams, whatever—they’d be there one moment, then slip away the next, leaving only impressions that would fade by morning. But they felt… important, in a way that I couldn’t just ignore. Some of them even felt real in a way I couldn’t quite understand.

There was always this irritation.

So I jotted them down, hoping to make sense of them somehow. Over time, the document took on layers, filling up with ideas. Fragments of dreams—at least the parts I remembered—were crafted into concepts. Writing it became a strangely fulfilling exercise, though I’ve never been sure why I bothered writing all this anyway. Then it took shape—the dreams evolved into fragments of a world. Like a draft of some…

Some…

For lack of a better word—fantas-

Ding! [Destination reached.]

The robotic voice from the intercom nudged me back to the present, and I rose from my seat.

* * *

A sudden force from behind jolted me—losing my balance, I instinctively grabbed the jamb of the entrance door, saving myself from falling. I managed only a glimpse of the culprit as they swiftly moved past.

Not minding the mishap, I stepped down from the train.

Pushing through the crowd, I made my way towards Reynar Biotech, pausing for a moment to glance at the sky. Without checking the time, it was impossible to tell if it was evening or day. The sky’s orange hue was unchanging.

Morning, I reminded myself.

Despite having access to a hover-car, I chose the train today. Not sure why…

Spider droids patrolled the area, their mechanical limbs clicking against the pavement. A dingy tea stall caught the corner of my eye; the air purification system seemed to be down—the place was dusty, distant shouts filled the street, skyborne complexes were glowing yellow under the sun's orange hue, while flickering neon lights struggled to come to life. Walking past a wall, a cat leapt onto my shoulder, purring and then swiftly jumping behind.

Soon, I got closer to the place, sector: D28. I was near the Reynar Biotech facility.

I was somewhat familiar with Reynar Biotech Institute. Three years ago, I’d trained there as a laboratory assistant under my grandfather, Hope Reynar. After that, I turned my focus to Synaptic Network Engineering. It sounded geeky, but it was my reality. Confined to my bed for years, I developed a voracious appetite for reading, spending most of my days lost between the pages of books and the worlds they opened.

Sentinel droids patrolled the sky. The streets were windy, and the soil was soft underfoot. My boots paused on the cracked asphalt ground, surrounded by a fence topped with rusting barbed wire. Weathered stone turrets supported the fencing at irregular intervals. The area stretched out like an old military site—spalled concrete, grime, and weeds. Beyond the fence, outlines of trees and a pond could be seen, half-hidden by the overgrowth.

A twisted tree leaned against a weathered stone building nearby. Moss climbed its sides. At first glance, it would be hard to imagine anything of significance from it.

Then the door creaked open. A guard in a black uniform stepped out. His eyes swept over me, lingering a second too long, before he strode forward.

He stopped a few feet away. “Ah, you’ve got to be… Noah Grey?” His tone carried a hint of doubt, and his narrowed eyes made it clear he wasn’t convinced.

I gave him a curt nod.

He scoffed. “Doesn’t match what I’ve heard.”

“What, expected a guy in a wheelchair?” I shot back, swiping my thumb across my temple. The smear of grease on my skin caught me off guard. “When?” I muttered under my breath.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The guard sighed, muttering something inaudible before clearing his throat. “I’m Hiroki—”

“Hiroki, then. Lead the way,” I cut in, keeping my words clipped. He gave a quiet grumble but gestured for me to follow.

We entered the building and descended a narrow staircase that led to an underground floor. At the end of the corridor, a large industrial vault door came into view—too polished and pristine compared to its surroundings.

My mood shifted when the gate opened. On the other side stood a woman I recognised immediately. Her dark hair was pulled into a neat bun, her sharp gaze taking me in the moment I stepped through. She adjusted her lab coat with practised ease and nodded politely.

“Mr. Noah Grey?” Her voice was steady.

“Yes,” I said with a faint smile.

Her eyes studied me for a moment before she spoke again. “I’m Dr—” "Amodni,” I interjected. “Assistant to Grandfather Hope. I remember you.”

A flicker of surprise crossed her face, quickly replaced by a neutral expression. “You remember?”

“We’ve met before. It's hard to forget… a beauty such as yourself.”

Her brow arched slightly, and a faint smile touched her lips. “I’m glad. Sir is waiting for you inside the lab. Shall we proceed, or…?”

“Yes, let’s not keep him waiting.”

Following her, I saw people donned in white coats and dresses, unfamiliar machines, and hovering white orbs—drones, I guessed.

Soon, I was led to a room lined with circular glass chambers.

What is this?

“You should get cleansed while I bring Sir Hope,” Amodni said, standing beside me.

“Cleansed of?” I raised a brow.

“The Resonance chambers are designed to detect and neutralize any foreign objects such as bugs or spy implants. It’s protocol,” she explained, her tone clinical and detached.

Spy implants? I mused. The bioid girl from earlier crossed my mind. Was she a spy from The Dominion?

“Of course, naked,” she added. I smiled bitterly at her. She nodded and left the room.

Kinda feels invasive, I thought, stepping into one of the chambers and shedding my clothes.

The scanning beam moved from the bottom of my body to the top. Once the scan was complete, a cold jet of green liquid sprayed over me, triggering an instinctive shiver. Four flashes of light followed from above.

It was done.

The wall of the chamber slid open, revealing a set of neatly folded clothes on an automated tray. The fabric felt coarse against my skin, stiff but snug. As I finished donning the uniform, I heard approaching footsteps. The door at the far end of the room opened, and Dr Amodni returned, this time accompanied by an old man who exuded quiet authority. “Hello, Noah,” his voice echoed.

Stooped with age, his face was etched with lines of experience, yet his sharp eyes burned with determination, defying his seventy-eight years.

“Grandfather Hope,” I greeted with a nod.

He smiled faintly, though it didn’t reach his eyes.

Recalling everything I had seen while coming here, I asked, “What exactly is this place? I’ve never seen this part of the establishment before.”

“A shelter for innovative thoughts. Come,” Grandfather said, motioning for me to follow him.

* * *

“So, what is this really about? You’ve been secretive for months now,” I asked Grandfather as we descended into the underground levels of the Reynar Biotech Institute.

“Something special, of course,” Hope chuckled, still withholding any real answers.

His words hung in the air, vague, offering no further clue.

“The cure?” I asked skeptically.

“Yes… the cure. The cure for everything, actually.” His voice dropped, becoming almost conspiratorial. “Back when your father entrusted me with finding a cure for you, I didn’t anticipate that the solution would become the next revolution in science and technology.”

The mention of my father stirred something deep inside—gratitude, but also a familiar pang of sorrow.

“The next revolution?” I asked, wanting to steer away from the topic of my father. “You sound like you’ve rediscovered your... purpose. The ‘mad science’ people used to accuse you of.”

Hope chuckled softly, motioning for me to follow. “You’ve heard of The Seraph, yes?” he asked.

“The meteorite that landed in Siberia?” I confirmed cautiously, not quite understanding where this was going.

It had been in the news seven years ago. Early September, 2386—a meteor streaked across the sky. It was a massive object, dubbed The Seraph. It landed in a desolate region of Siberia, far from any civilization.

“Yes,” he said, almost as if it were a minor detail. “It was… fate, I suppose. I apologize for bringing your father into this again, but... he was in Siberia at the time. Thanks to his information, my team was able to acquire a significant portion of The Seraph for ‘meteoritical analysis’ in the first week. All under the Dominion’s nose, of course.”

We were going deeper into the facility.

“You see,” he continued, “I personally led the expedition to the crash site. What we found there was... impossible. The meteorite contained a substance—no, a metal—that was unlike anything we had ever encountered.”

He paused, biting his lips with a frown, thinking over something, and let out, “It’s hard to describe.”

“Metaphorically?” I tried, sensing his hesitation.

“Alive,” he said, almost in a whisper.

I raised an eyebrow. “Alive? How?”

“It responded to electrical currents and biological signals, almost as if it were sentient. We called it Seraphium—a new element.” He had a faint smile, his eyes gleaming. “A metal that could heal, adapt, and bond seamlessly with organic tissue. The potential was limitless.”

My mind raced, connecting fragments of things I’d heard, ideas my father had shared with me before. Thoughts of the Dominion’s attempts to unravel the mysteries of the Heart particle, and something else… something on the edge of possibility. Before I knew it, the words slipped from my mouth: “A new generation of nanomachines?”

Grandfather’s smile widened. “Precisely. The Project Prometheus: the creation of the 10th generation of nanomachines. Also, your cure.”

It was only now that I realised we were standing at the end of the corridor. Before us was a vast black wall, adorned witha strange S-shaped symbol, upon seeing which I felt an unfamiliar weakness creep over me.

“Prepare yourself for the procedure,” Hope advised.