1 Catastrophic Tragedy

Westegron in 2035 AD.

In the suburbs, a grand mansion stood tall, commanding attention with its stately presence. Its walls, constructed from brown stone, held within them a treasure trove of memories spanning several decades.

The majestic structure formed an unbreakable connection with the dense trees that swayed gracefully in the wind, as if they were lifelong companions.

Surrounding the mansion, vast meadows, lush forests, and tranquil lakes stretched out, serving as steadfast guardians throughout the passage of time. Together, they created a harmonious landscape that embraced the essence of beauty and serenity.

However, none would have ever thought that all the splendor would soon be swept away by the tragedy that was going to overtake a few moments later.

A 10-year-old girl dressed in white ran out of her house with a big smile on her face. She was laughing and running around by the lake, and then she ran into the woods. Even though her mother told her not to go into the forest alone, she could not resist the excitement and went in anyway.

Sharon Lin sank into the cozy embrace of her home, settling comfortably on the living room couch. The melodious tunes filling the room moved her, prompting her body to sway and dance in perfect harmony with the music.

In the study, her father, Raymond Lin, was fully engrossed in his work, surrounded by a pile of papers, while her mother conscientiously spent time at meal preparations and washed the dishes in the kitchen.

The family was enjoying a sense of newfound freedom, having left behind the pressures of their homeland, Mareciland. Raymond held a prominent position as a high-level official in the Ministry of Research and Development of Science and Technology in the country.

However, the outbreak of a civil war suddenly flared up, and violence spread throughout the country, causing significant impacts on the economy and security stability.

In search of safety, Raymond made the decision to relocate his family to Westegron, the nearest country that he believed offered a higher level of security.

They found refuge in a magnificent mansion, which happened to be a villa owned by one of his fellow officials who was currently abroad. The stately mansion provided a sheltered haven where they could seek solace and protection during these uncertain times.

"Sharon!" her mother, Sylvia Chen, exclaimed as she walked over. "Where's Alyssa?"

Sharon shrugged casually. "I'm not sure. She just ran out. Perhaps she's playing outside." Trying to reassure her mother, she added, "Mom, please don't worry. She won't venture too deep into the woods."

Sylvia loudly grumbled, expressing her annoyance, before making her way towards the glass window that offered a breathtaking view of the serene lake.

"She can be so stubborn! I specifically told her to stay close by. It seems like forbidden things always pique her curiosity."

Sharon, on the other hand, responded with a nonchalant shrug and a lighthearted chuckle, seemingly finding amusement in the situation.

With determination, she retrieved her high-end tablet and launched a specialized app called Black Ink. To the casual observer, this app appeared to be a regular mobile game, complete with interactive puzzle features designed for time management. However, unbeknownst to common people, it served as a clever disguise for the international intelligence and spy organization known as Gatekeepers.

The app acted as a covert communication tool, connecting secret agents scattered across the globe. To access its functionalities, she had to open the application through a dark web link using a specialized browser, ensuring the utmost secrecy and security.

After logging in using a layered secret code and cipher, Sharon scanned a location in the northern hemisphere. When she clicked on that location, several information windows popped out.

[Pandora's box has opened!]

[Persephone was kidnapped]

[Get back to the underworld]

After a ten second pause, another window popped out that read "GAME OVER".

Sharon's face contorted with a mix of concern and anxiety, her eyes flashing with a trace of worry. The message she received consisted of only three brief lines, presented in the form of a password, of which meaning was known only to her.

The crucial information conveyed in the message indicated that the mission had been unsuccessful, confidential data had been compromised by the adversary, and she was urgently instructed to make immediate contact with the headquarters. These concise sentences held a weighty significance, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation and the urgency for her to take action.

All messages that appeared in the Black Ink app were only unidirectional, meaning that Sharon can only receive messages and was not able to reply to the messages. Communication with the headquarters can only be done in another way, which was by the Voiceless Well app. The app used an anti-tapping secure encrypted communication tool that hid all traces of calls, texts and emails.

Sharon made a conscious effort to quell her worries and swiftly rose from her seat, making her way urgently towards her father's study. With determination in her steps, she approached the closed door and knocked firmly.

Without waiting for a response, she promptly entered the room, eager to discuss the pressing matter at hand.

"Dad, there's a big problem."

As Sharon entered the study, Raymond, her father, glanced up from his desk where he was immersed in a stack of documents. Taking a brief pause from his work, he directed his attention towards his daughter, ready to listen and address the urgency in her demeanor.

"What is it?" He motioned for Sharon to speak quietly and closed the door.

"Secret data leaked. The opponents had already found out about it and probably they've gone more extreme now," Sharon whispered worriedly.

Raymond's expression changed into a frown when he realized how bad the situation was. He knew that his daughter's secret actions were closely linked to his own work and that he was the only person who knew about her plans.

It was his responsibility to stay informed of what was going on. Even though he knew Sharon's job came with risks, he had a lot of faith in her intelligence and resourcefulness and thought she could outsmart any possible threats and stay ahead of the game.

This time they had to confront an international crime network called Doombinder. This network was responsible for countless cases of massive genocide and wars that were raging in various parts of the world, as well as crimes against humanity. These included money laundering, human smuggling, cybercrime and human trafficking, drugs, weapons, threats to animal extinction, body organs, chemical and biological weapons, and nuclear material.

The most important and most threatening to human life was that Doombinder which was succeeded in creating the most powerful chemical weapon in history called Cnivida. It was different from any type of chemical and biological weapons that have existed for a long time, it was said that Cnivida was able to eliminate all living creatures in a split second without indicating any symptoms.

"Dad, what should we do now? They're one step ahead of us. Apart from Cnivida's chemical weapons, they're said to have the most advanced Supercomputer named Minerva. With this great ability, they're capable of hacking any system. I'm afraid ..."

Raymond heaved a sigh. "Why?"

"I think they're even able to hack all of the Gatekeepers' secret agency database and eliminate all of its members."

Sharon finished her words in a soft voice. This time, she knew, her life was truly on the brink. The most she could do was hope for the best while being ready for the worst.

"You're worrying too much, honey."

Even after attempting to reassure his daughter, Raymond was still unsure of what to do. Sharon was normally quite astute and good at evaluating the opponent's strategy. His daughter has successfully resolved a number of cases without making even a single mistake.

"For ages, many countries have been plagued by civil warfare. The ethnic conflict in our country is also nothing new."

Sharon shook her head. "You know, Doombinder is responsible for this time's outbreak of genocide and civil war by sowing discord among different ethnic groupings. The war between our country's two largest ethnic groups has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people. Due to the unprecedented nature of this turmoil, its effects will spread beyond different nations."

"We got away from the perilous situation and made it to this country just in time. Yet, in a world as unstable as this one, there is nowhere to truly feel secure. But we can't just ignore the folks who are stuck inside our country."

"Doombinder has made a map showing which nations are most likely to experience war. They always follow the same methods. By interacting with the locals, they are able to pass crucial information through their ranks. When they put their cunning plans into action, it's like hitting a button on a Supercomputer, and chaos breaks out wherever they want it to."

"Dad, the superpower we're up against here is unstoppable. I think Doombinder will eventually be able to take over the entire world. It's impossible to predict how quickly they'll be able to carry out a massive operation. It's like a ticking timebomb; it's just a matter of time before it explodes."

Sharon expressed her feelings openly, with dread, fear, and wrath all rolled into one.

Then, there was a moment of silence.

Following his daughter's information, Raymond gave the matter serious consideration.

All of a sudden, a loud banging on the front door broke the silence.

As they waited, they heard Sylvia frantically trying to open the front door, a loud cry, and a bustle in the living room, implying that several people had entered the building.

Both Raymond and Sharon gazed at each other in alarm as they let out sharp intakes of breath. Their pupils dilated, betraying a sense of unfathomable fear. As they braced for the worst, they could feel their hearts beating faster.

Suddenly, the silence in the room was so ominous that they could hear the clinking of needles.

There was the sound of footsteps approaching the study door.

One… two… three… four… five...

Right away, Sharon did the calculation in her head. Her entire body soon became drenched in sweat. Slowly, she became paralyzed with terror.

After only a few moments, the door was smashed open by a squad of men in full Westegron military uniform, all of whom were fully armed. Their expressions were ferocious and menacing. Her eyes widened and she froze in her breath.

"Get out quickly or we have to act by force!" commanded a soldier as he seemed the leading army. He was indifferent and emotionless as he pointed his gun at Raymond and Sharon.

Several soldiers led the two out of the room and fiercely pushed them into the living room.

In the living room, Sylvia was sitting limply on the floor sobbing and looked very frightened. Her hair was disheveled. Her whole body was drenched, either from her own sweat or urine.

Until this moment, Raymond and Sharon were still trying to keep their composure, despite the intense turmoil raging within them.

"What's this? I'm a high ranking official in the Mareciland who happens to be on vacation here," said Raymond boldly.

"I don't need your explanation!" said the leader. Then, he hit Raymond's stomach with his gun. Raymond groaned in pain. "We only received orders from the commander to clear this area and finish off anyone who are trying to get in the way."

When Sharon saw this, she felt choked. Death began to shadow her eyes. The smell of death seemed to pervade the room.

The leader turned over Sharon and studied her, then ordered, "Hey, beautiful! You're too beautiful to waste." Then, he signaled to his subordinates to take Sharon to the dining room.

"NO!" Sylvia shouted, but her mouth was immediately gagged by a soldier.

"Shut up! Or it'll be your turn soon!" exclaimed the soldier viciously.

"What are you guys going to do?" Raymond shouted. However, a gun suddenly hit his back hard that made him fall to the floor in pain. One of the soldiers pressed his body to the floor and jerked his head violently. At this time, he saw Sharon's body begin to be forcefully laid on the large dining table.

"Soon, you'll see a great show," said the soldier. Raymond gasped and realized what those lecherous humans were about to do to his beloved daughter. His tears flowed unwittingly as he felt numb and was unable to say anything.

Even though Sharon tried to struggle and scream at the top of her lungs, she couldn't move an inch. The soldiers gripped her hands and feet tightly.

Few moments later, Raymond was forced to close his eyes because he could not bear to watch his beloved daughter have to endure such intense torture. One by one, the men took their turns satisfying their lecherous lust.

"NO! Please don't!" shrieked Sharon piercingly.

The louder she screamed, the more violent they became and laughed out loud heartlessly as they tortured her.

Sharon felt excruciating pain in her private parts, even starting to smell the stench of blood. Her body shook violently, she felt dizzy and her stomach began to churn. As she turned her head away to vomit, she inadvertently stared at the side window. She saw Alyssa standing in front of the window wide-eyed and staring into the room in horror.

That's the time when Sharon braced herself and tried to signal her sister with the blink of an eye, telling her to run away and hide quickly. The smart little girl seemed to get the point and then quickly walked away from the window.

Sharon did not know what will happen to Alyssa later. In the midst of hopeless situation and her last remaining strength, she only wished that luck was on her sister's side.

"Don't waste your time! We're ordered by the commander to do it!" the leader roared.

Before long, Raymond's heart was crushed even more when he saw his beloved wife also endure the same torment his daughter had suffered. His knees went weak as he couldn't do anything to help his two beloved ones. With the immense anger rising, he could only cry and scream.

Few moments later after a long ordeal, Sharon and her mother were forced to watch Raymond being tortured and mutilated by the herd of beast men, until a bullet pierced his head and ended his life. Raymond fell down with his body soaked in blood.

"NO!" Sharon and her mother wailed with heart-wrenching shriek in the midst of their sobs.

After witnessing the atrocities the beasts committed against her father, Sharon was also forced to watch her mother's life was taken by their hands. Her vision became blurry as tears filled her eyes. Eventually, she became like a helpless sheep waiting her turn to be slaughtered.

Destroyed, everything was in ruins. The surroundings were soaked in her own blood, and Sharon was lying on it. Her whole body felt as if it was breaking down, the excruciating pain searing through her being, seemingly ravaging her internal organs with no respite. Enduring this agony was simply not an option.

She was very tired and couldn't hold it in any longer. She had to continue to lie down and close her eyes. She seemed to lose her life already even before death took toll on her.

She suddenly felt very cold and didn't realize this before. Her body began to shiver and go numb.

It would all be over soon and she could rest forever.

Within seconds, she felt the searing pain of the hot lead piercing her chest, and then everything plunged into darkness.

Goodbye my world!