An unfortunate past paired with an unfortunate future

The grand conference hall was a sight to behold, with its marble pillars stretching up towards the ceiling and golden chandeliers casting a warm glow across the room. Every inch of the vast space was filled with the world's most powerful people, gathered together for a single purpose: to face the impending apocalypse that threatened to engulf them all.

Tension hung thick in the air as everyone awaited the latest report. The fate of the entire planet rested on the findings of a select few, and the weight of their words was palpable. The bearded man from the Western Country was the first to speak, his voice low and urgent.

"What do the charts read? How much time do we have left?"

The scholarly man in glasses on the other side of the room let out a heavy sigh before responding. "It's falling at a rate of 1% every year... we will soon all be doomed."

A collective gasp rose from the assembled leaders, each one processing the dire implications of those words. It was an unbearable truth, but one they could not ignore.

One man broke down in tears, the weight of the impending disaster crushing him as he realized that his family line, and all of humanity, was doomed to extinction.

But amidst the despair, a glimmer of hope emerged. The Western bearded leader stood up, his voice ringing out above the somber mood of the room.

"We only have one option! First, we need to figure out how we will hold out as long as possible with the water we have! Then we will send out all available space assets we have to acquire water! There is water on other planets, even some in rare asteroids! We must seize this only opportunity of survival!"

The mood in the room shifted, the weight of the impending doom suddenly lightened as a plan of action was proposed. But there was still one more hurdle to overcome: unity. The bearded leader's plea for a temporary alliance was met with cautious agreement, each leader recognizing the stakes at hand.

"For the first time in forever, there was world peace for a common goal," the history books would later record.

And so, the leaders of the world set aside their differences and worked together, driven by a shared sense of purpose and a fierce determination to save their people and their planet. The years passed, each one bringing new challenges and triumphs, but the memory of that fateful meeting remained a constant reminder of what could be achieved when humanity worked together towards a common goal. Two thousand years later, the legacy of that decision lived on.

The planet, once lush and teeming with life, was now a desolate wasteland. The only thing that kept the inhabitants alive was the neighboring planet, which had just enough water to sustain them. But even that precious resource was dwindling fast. In a desperate bid for survival, they had embarked on a frenzied space race, exploring the vast expanse of the universe in search of more water.

Their goal was tantalizingly close, just within their reach, yet so far away. They estimated it would take at least 200 more years of scientific development to reach the water they so desperately needed. It was a daunting task, but they had no other choice.

Their journey across the stars had revealed something truly peculiar about the universe they lived in. As they hurtled through space on their sleek rockets, they noticed that once they reached a certain point, the rockets seemed to be propelled backwards, as if hitting an invisible barrier.

It wasn't until the fateful meeting between their leaders that they discovered the truth. The barrier was, in fact, a conscious effort by an unknown force to keep them contained within their own galaxy. And on the anniversary of that meeting, something monstrous began to break through the barriers from the other side of the universe.

At first, it was just the control of information that the creatures sought. But soon, videos of their combative capabilities began to surface on social media. The footage was a terrifying glimpse into the sheer size and strength of these beings, easily wiping out entire fleets of spaceships that had been sent to destroy them.

Just as humanity had narrowly avoided one disaster, another one was looming on the horizon. But there was a glimmer of hope. For everyone on this planet was born with a unique ability - an innate power that they could harness to fight against the impending apocalypse.

The inhabitants of the planet had never truly understood the extent of their abilities until now. With the monsters knocking at their door, they had no choice but to band together and unleash their powers. Each person's ability was different, ranging from telekinesis to shape-shifting. But together, they formed an unstoppable force, pushing back against the creatures and fighting for their survival.

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"Class! We need to line up and prepare to go outside to the shelter!" The male teacher's voice echoed through the air, riddled with a sense of desperation that seemed to emanate from every fiber of his being. The students, who had been peacefully sitting at their desks just moments before, immediately erupted into a frenzy of confusion and fear.

"What's going on? Is there a fire?" one of the teens asked, his voice laced with panic and concern.

"No, not a fire. Don't worry about it and ask questions once we reach the shelter. For now, line up! Single file lines, I don't want to see no pushing either!" The teacher barked out his orders, his eyes scanning the room as he tried to maintain control over the chaotic scene before him.

As the students obediently lined up and began to file out of the classroom, the entire building suddenly began to shake as if a high magnitude earthquake had struck. Sirens blared in the distance, their wailing cries piercing the air and adding to the mounting sense of panic that filled the room.

Outside, the streets were awash with chaos as people ran in every direction, desperately trying to find shelter from the impending disaster that seemed to be looming on the horizon. The news stations were all frantically broadcasting the same message, urging people to seek shelter and stay calm.

"This morning, President Jackson has nuked us. There seems to be a number of nukes still on their ways to our major cities, but the government is doing their best to deactivate these missiles before they go off. Remain calm. Do not panic. Go to your local bomb shelter and-" The TV suddenly cut to static, leaving the students and their teacher in stunned silence.

Jack quickly shut off his phone, his mind racing with a million different thoughts and fears. He had always thought of himself as a relatively average student with a bright future ahead of him, but now he found himself huddled in a bomb shelter, shaking with fear and uncertainty.

"Is everything going to be okay?" he asked his teacher, desperate for some sense of reassurance.

"Yes, everything will be fine. For now, just be quiet and focus on other non-important things," the teacher replied, his voice strangely calm despite the chaos unfolding around them.

The other students were all too afraid to speak up and question their teacher, each one lost in their own sea of worries and concerns. They could feel the weight of the world pressing down on them, the fear and uncertainty of what was to come almost suffocating in its intensity.

Hours passed by in agonizing silence, the only sounds coming from the soft hum of the generator and the occasional hushed whisper from one of the students. They all knew that their lives would never be the same again, that they were witnessing the dawn of a new era filled with fear and uncertainty.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the bomb shelter's hatch slowly creaked open, flooding the room with light and air. The students looked up in curiosity and fear, unsure of what was to come next. The world outside was an entirely different place than the one they had left behind, a world that was now forever changed by the horrors of war and destruction.

The group huddled together in the cramped bomb shelter, the air thick with tension and fear. They had been there for what felt like hours, waiting for the danger outside to pass. But when a knock on the door echoed through the small space, everyone froze.

Who could be out there?

As the door slowly creaked open, a figure stepped in, causing screams and yells to erupt from the group.

The man had a rugged appearance, his face covered in a full beard and scars that seemed to cover every inch of skin. The scars were so prominent that it was almost easier to find a place without them than with them.

"Get out. Now," the man commanded, his voice low and menacing. Everyone was struck with disbelief.

This random person was forcing them out of the only thing keeping them away from nuclear bombs.

"We don't have to listen to you! Get out of here, now!" an older man in his 50s shouted at the man, his voice shaking with anger and fear.

The man's smile was cold and calculating as he pulled out a gun from his waistband. In a split second, he pulled the trigger, and the sound of the gunshot reverberated through the shelter.

The older man fell to the ground, his head split open and his brain matter splattered everywhere. The group was stunned into silence. Not one person dared to make a noise, terrified that the man would turn the gun on them next.

"Anyone else disagree with my demands?" the man questioned the group, his eyes scanning the room for any signs of defiance.

Not a single person spoke up, and the man nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Now follow me," he barked, gesturing for them to leave the shelter.

Slowly, the bomb shelter was now empty, and the group stepped outside, expecting to see devastation all around them. But to their surprise, there was no evidence of nuclear damage anywhere in sight.

The man led them through the deserted streets, his gun still at the ready. His face was expressionless, but his eyes were sharp and calculating.

"Now tell me, do any of you have an ability that would be of use?" he asked the group, his voice low and dangerous.

No one spoke up, afraid to draw attention to themselves.

"Let me make this simpler. Someone respond or I start shooting again, how about that?" the man threatened, his hand hovering dangerously close to his gun.

A classmate pushed Jack out of the line and said, "This guy has the best ability in our class! In fact, it's the most unique ability that anyone has ever seen!" Jack was angry and denied the claims, but the man chuckled darkly.

"Useful or not, tell me your ability or I will kill you. If his claims are true, you will be a valuable asset. If they are not true, then I will simply put you back in line. Whether you believe it or not, I am not just going to kill a kid on a whim. I killed that old man so you people would listen, as I will do again. In a way, this is all for your safety," the man explained, his tone cold and unyielding. The group was speechless at this revelation.

For their safety? What did he mean?

"My ability... It's... the ability to," Jack began to explain, his voice shaking with fear and uncertainty.