1 Chapter 1: Endless Darkness

"Mommy, what is this?" Aiden asked, reaching out to touch the oddly shaped object.

A flicker of memory sparked, a hazy image reminding him of a similar object with the same curves and shape. This one, however, felt different, with a unique texture.

"It's a little horse," Aiden's mother replied while gently stroking his hair. "Your father crafted it especially for you."

A pang of yearning stabbed at him. 'Just a glimpse,' he thought, a silent prayer into the void. He reached out again, his fingers tracing the soft outline of his mother's face, memorizing the contours he could never see. She was his mother, his entire world.

"I have to go to work now, sweetheart," her voice carried a hint of apology, "but I promise I'll play with you later, alright?

A wave of fear constricted Aiden's chest as her hand slipped away. "Promise you'll come back?" he whispered, his voice tight with the fear of her absence. He clung to her hand, desperate to hold onto the fading warmth.

"Promise," she echoed, the word fading with her retreating footsteps.

Silence descended, thick and heavy. The comforting scent of her faded away, leaving him alone with the familiar darkness.

Darkness!

Endless darkness!

The same darkness that had been his constant companion since birth. A world that felt both vast and suffocating at the same time.

He tried to find solace in the quiet, the stillness. But even in the silence, his keen ears picked up everything - the sigh of the wind, the creak of the well, the rustle of leaves, the distant song of birds.

An irritating symphony that made him long to tear out his ears. But then, like a calming hand on his troubled soul, he remembered his mother's soft voice, a whisper of hope in the darkness.

"Father," he whispered into the void, his voice trembling, "will I ever see? These sounds... they drive me mad."

This time, he called into the darkness one more time, calling for his father but his plea hung unanswered.

**

Suddenly, a familiar scent, mingled with the gentle sound of approaching footsteps, pierced the silence. A smile, the first genuine one in a long time, spread across Aiden's face.

"Big Sister, stop hiding! I can hear your breathing," Aiden called out, his voice filled with playful pride.

After a beat of silence, a familiar warmth enveloped him from behind. "How did you know again? I even tried to be quiet as much as I can!"

"Easy, big sister," he replied, trying to sound playful despite the thrill her question sent down his spine. "You may have silenced your footsteps, but your scent always gives you away. It's like a warm, sunny meadow after a rain shower."

A soft chuckle tickled his ear. "Always so perceptive," she said, her voice a comforting murmur. "Though I must admit, I'm getting better at this sneaking game."

Aiden leaned back into her embrace, the familiar scent of lavender and sunshine momentarily pushing back the oppressive darkness. "Better, but not good enough," he teased, the playful banter masking a deeper longing.

Sasha's heart ached as she saw the flicker of hope glimmering in her once genius brother's eyes.

"Big sister," he began, his voice barely a whisper, "I see them again, it's a world so different, and sometimes I..." Aiden's voice trailed off, a hint of yearning coloring his tone.

Sasha's gaze locked with his for a moment, a tremor of fear rippling through her. Her heart hammered a frantic rhythm against her ribs. Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill over. "Aiden, please," she pleaded, her voice thick with emotion, "We talked about this. Don't you remember what happened the last time you... you got lost in that world? "

A single tear escaped her grasp, tracing a warm path down her cheek. Aiden flinched, his sensitive fingers instantly detecting the moisture. Guilt gnawed at him. He hated seeing his sister cry, the one constant source of love and stability in his ever-shifting world.

But sometimes, the line between reality and his fabricated world blurred beyond recognition.

"Big sister," he murmured, his voice laced with remorse, "I didn't mean to upset you. It's just..."

He paused, struggling to articulate the torrent of emotions swirling within him.

Even though Aiden knew it wasn't real, the warmth of his parents' embrace in those visions felt so tangible, their love so real.

He remembered the doctor's explanation – his blindness made it difficult for his brain to distinguish the actual world from his own creations.

There was a twist, though. In this imagined world, Aiden could see – in a way. His vision wasn't filled with colors, but with structures built from the memories of touch and sound he had gathered throughout his life. Nonetheless, He only experienced a few recurring scenes.

One was the wooden horse, a cherished gift from his father on his eighth birthday. Another was a fantastical picture he had constructed in his mind based on his father's bedtime story of the Divine Water. These vivid memories served as anchors in his world of make-believe, exactly as the doctor had described.

"I'm sorry, Sasha," he finally whispered, his voice thick with apology. Sasha, wiping away her tears with a trembling hand, forced a smile. "Don't worry about it, little brother. Just remember, even if you can't see me, I'm always here."

Her gaze drifted towards the shelf lining the wall, where several wooden toys made by Aiden sat proudly. Despite his blindness, Aiden crafted these intricate figures with an uncanny skill, their smooth surfaces and precise details belying his lack of sight..

Moreover, Despite the absence of sight, her brother navigated their small home with an uncanny ease. It was as if he had a map etched onto his very soul.

Sasha had witnessed this firsthand, the way he could seemingly hear the ripeness of a mango on the tree outside their window, based on the subtle rustle of the leaves around it.

"Sister!!!"

Suddenly, a startled cry, laced with both fear and exhilaration, ripped through the silence. It was Aiden.

"Big sister," he called again, his voice trembling, "there's something here! I can see it! I can finally see!"

Aiden was this excited for the first time, it was the first time he had ever seen something.

Aiden's eyes were wide open, looking on closely as much as he could.

Sasha snapped back to reality, her eyes widening in disbelief. But when her gaze darted towards Aiden, expecting some fantastical apparition. Instead, a rectangular screen, an impossible blue against the black, hovered in front of her eyes.

"What... what is that?" she whispered, her voice barely a breath.

Before She could think of something, an ancient voice resonated in her ears.

[Congratulations, Earth is selected for the assimilation as the 108th contender.]

[Universal Cube is assimilating Earth with the rest of the Vast Universe.]

[A Trial is needed for efficient assimilation and for that data needs to be recorded from 1000 individuals with Higher Potential Innate Abilities from the assimilating Planet.]

[This Trial Program was further divided into 3 Sub Programs namely, King Version, Royalty Version and Noble Version.]

[These 1000 Individuals were further separated into 3 Programs according to their Innate Abilities.]

[The entire duration of the Trial Program is estimated to be 3 months, and the number of members assigned for each program was different]

[King Program - 9 members - Join from the beginning of 3 months program.]

[Royalty Program - 91 members - Join from 2nd month of 3 months program.]

[Noble Program - 900 members - Join from the 3rd month of a 3 months program.]

[Checking your innate potential…]

[Congrats! You are selected for the Royalty Version Program.]

[You will get teleported to the Trial zone in 1 month]

[Time Left: 30 days]

Sasha's mind reeled as the chilling words sank in. Earth, chosen for assimilation? A trial? Terror gnawed at her.

Horrors struck upon realization, she didn't care much about herself. But it is a different story if it is Aiden.

She looked at Aiden and quickly asked," Aiden, what the voice told you, are you selected for any program or something."

Sasha's gaze flew to Aiden, however, his face still alight with excitement of seeing for the first time. He didn't care about any program and all.

For the very first time, Aiden saw the color and knows what the color is! He blinked rapidly, as if trying to hold onto a fleeting image.

"Aiden!" she exclaimed loud, her voice laced with concern.

Aiden, seemingly regaining his composure and calming his chaotic mind, spoke in a rush, "Big Sister," he stated, "A voice told me I'm selected for the King Program! It said I'll be somewhere in 120 seconds! Is it real?

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