Hope

The Truth of the World

When Riven opened his eyes, everything was blurry.

Cold metal pressed against his back, and his wrists were tied with thick rope. The room smelled of smoke and damp air. For a moment, he didn’t remember where he was — then it all came back.

The Raiders. The fight. The net. The Overseer.

He sat up slowly. Eloen was lying nearby, still unconscious. Nyra sat with her back to the wall, her face bruised but calm.

“You’re awake,” she said quietly.

“Yeah,” Riven muttered, rubbing his head. “Where are we?”

“Underground. Still inside Epsilon,” Nyra replied. “They call this place the Pit. I think it’s where they keep their prisoners.”

Before Riven could answer, the door creaked open. Two Raiders walked in, their boots clanging on the floor.

“On your feet,” one barked.

They were dragged through a narrow tunnel lit by dim, red lamps. The air grew hotter as they went deeper, filled with a faint humming sound, like machines running far below.

Finally, they reached a large chamber. The Overseer stood there, waiting for them. He wasn’t wearing his mask this time. His face was covered in scars, and his eyes were sharp but tired — like someone who hadn’t slept in years.

“Welcome to Epsilon’s heart,” he said. “The world above may be dead, but down here, it still breathes.”

No one spoke. Riven’s fists tightened.

The Overseer walked closer, studying them like they were strange animals. “You came from the Deep, yes? The last safe zone. You still believe in order. In hope.” He gave a dry smile. “Let me tell you how that hope died.”

He turned toward a broken glass window that looked into another room. Inside were old computers, wires, and large tanks filled with a greenish liquid.

“Years ago,” he began, “people tried to stop the nuclear storms. They built Epsilon as a research station to clean the air and rebuild the surface. They worked on something called Project Dawn — a virus that could eat radiation and turn it into oxygen.”

Eloen frowned. “A virus that could fix the world?”

“Yes,” the Overseer said. “But something went wrong. The virus spread faster than expected. It began to change cells — not just clean them. It rebuilt them. At first, it cured disease. Then, it made people stronger. But soon, it stopped listening.”

Riven’s heart pounded. “That’s how the infection started.”

The Overseer nodded. “The virus turned people into what you call ‘zombies.’ But they’re not dead — they’re alive, changed. The human body trying to evolve… and failing.”

Nyra’s eyes narrowed. “And you? You’re continuing the work?”

“I’m fixing it,” he said firmly. “The world above gave up. They hid underground, called it survival. But down here, we fight to adapt. I’m trying to finish Project Dawn — to make the virus stable.”

Riven shook his head. “By using people?”

The Overseer’s jaw tightened. “By using what’s left. We test. We fail. We try again. If we succeed, the world can be reborn.”

“And Mira?” Riven asked, voice breaking slightly. “What did you do to her?”

The Overseer looked at him quietly. “She survived something most don’t. The infection took her, but she changed slower than the others. We kept her alive. She may hold the key to controlling the virus.”

Riven took a step forward, anger burning in his eyes. “You’re lying.”

The Overseer didn’t flinch. “Believe what you want. You’ll see her soon enough.”

Eloen spoke softly, “You don’t have to do this. There’s another way.”

The Overseer turned to her. “Another way? The world above is ash. Every city, every dream — gone. The Deep will run out of food, then air. I’m the only one still trying to save something.”

Nyra spat on the ground. “You’re saving yourself.”

The Overseer’s eyes darkened. He looked at the guards. “Take them back. Tomorrow, we test how much hope they still have.”

The guards grabbed them roughly. As they were dragged out of the room, Riven shouted, “You think you’re saving the world? You’re killing it!”

The Overseer didn’t turn around.

He just said, quietly, “Sometimes, to save the world… you have to destroy what’s left of it first.”

The door slammed shut behind them.

In the darkness of their cell, Riven sat with his head in his hands. His sister was alive — but she was a part of this. A part of the same nightmare.

Eloen whispered, “Riven… what do we do now?”

He lifted his head slowly, eyes hard. “We escape. We find Mira. And we end this — all of it.”