Cyper and the Guardians of the Cosmos

Chapter 1

Unisia

Another day of nightmares, that's what I used to mutter to myself upon waking, over and over, like a mantra laden with resignation. Every dawn, the world seemed to weigh upon my shoulders, a burden that plunged me into an abyss of despair. I detested mornings with an intensity that transcended the ordinary; to me, opening my eyes was to confront the relentless yoke of existence.

My lungs felt empty, as if the air itself had evaporated overnight, leaving me trapped in a suffocating space. Words floated in my mind, a constant reminder of my obligations and responsibilities, a burden that consumed me from within. The money for rent, the inflation devouring my meager income, the daily struggle for food; all these thoughts swirled incessantly, feeding my anxiety and leaving my body in a perpetual state of alertness, a tension that undermined both my organs and my sanity alike.

My mind became a whirlwind of thoughts, a maelstrom of worries that seemed to have no end. Everything revolved around a single obsession: money. It was the key that unlocked the doors to success, the elixir that promised to alleviate all my hardships. But in this wealth-obsessed society, the price of survival was growing higher, and I felt trapped in an endless cycle of work and anguish.

Yet, my story was not unique; it was a reflection of the reality of millions of people who shared the same fate in this desolate world. Especially for the youth, life was not simply a daily struggle, but a battle against even more insidious obstacles than those faced by previous generations.

Working twelve-hour days only to see your wages reduced to a fraction of what your effort was truly worth was the norm. Purchasing power evaporated like smoke between your fingers, leaving the majority in a precarious and uncertain situation. Demotivation had become a constant enemy, a travel companion lurking around every corner, whispering its poisonous words in our ears: why bother if at the end of the day, all our efforts would not be rewarded as they deserved?

The feeling of hopelessness had deeply entrenched itself in the fabric of society, like an insidious plague corroding both morale and the will to carry on. What was the point of working hard if the fruit of our labor barely covered the most basic needs? Injustice reigned in a world where dreams were trampled by harsh reality, where hope faded under the overwhelming weight of inequality.

My life, once an endless cycle of agony and despair, was undergoing a radical change. My mornings of nightmare and distress were slowly fading into the past, overshadowed by a new dawn filled with hope and determination. My name is Cyper, and I am a survivor of the apocalypse that ravaged my world.

I was born at the dawn of the new millennium, in a time marked by division and oppression. I grew up in a world divided by a colossal and ominous crimson wall, commonly known as the Twilight Wall. This imposing structure, monumental and costly, separated my world into two irreconcilable halves. To the south stretched two vast, exotic, and majestic continents, known as Afrosia and Terranova, teeming with life and promise. However, to the north stood Nordaria, a long and extensive continent, notably prosperous but at the cost of centuries of brutal slavery, rampant colonialism, and the ruthless plundering of the south's riches.

For generations, the Twilight Wall had been a silent witness to division and injustice, a scar on the land that separated not only territories but also destinies. But now, amidst the ruins of the world I once knew, there was a glimmer of hope. Survivors like me were determined not only to survive but also to rebuild a world where freedom and equality were more than mere illusions.

I was born into poverty, on the southern side of the wall, in Terranova, where opportunities were scarce and the struggle to survive was constant. From a young age, I found myself facing obstacles that seemed insurmountable, but over time, I learned to navigate them with determination and perseverance. My childhood was marked by adversity: prejudice, scrutiny, and the painful reality of family violence. But perhaps the hardest part was dealing with the truth of who I was in a world that wasn't ready to accept it.

My father, trapped in the clutches of the broken system we lived in, spiraled into a destructive cycle of alcoholism and addiction, leaving a painful void in my life. However, despite all the challenges, I found strength in my identity, in the love and attraction I felt for people of the same sex. In a world that insisted on labeling me and limiting me based on my sexual orientation, I discovered the courage to be authentic, to live my truth without apologies or regrets.

Before the apocalypse, violence was an ever-present shadow that darkened our lives, while sexuality was considered a taboo, especially by the religious monarchic institution (RMI), a corrupt entity that wielded its power over us through fear and oppression.

It was bewildering how simple and natural acts like a kiss or a caress were deemed sinful and deviant by the RMI, while violence, in its various forms, lurked around every corner. Drugs, addictions, deaths, and wars were a stark and open reality in our old world. We were manipulated with the illusion of freedom while being kept bound by the invisible chains of fear and ignorance.

We were taught to fear our own passions and desires, to hide our true nature under a mask of conformity and submission. But amidst this darkness, some of us began to question the imposed norms and rebel against the oppressive yoke of the RMI.

Now, in the post-apocalyptic era, we have left behind those old chains. Violence and oppression are things of the past, buried under the ruins of a world that no longer exists.

Moreover, just before the end times, the world appeared to me as a challenging and confusing place, full of contradictions and double standards that I found truly repulsive. I observed my society as toxic and contaminated, where we were at the mercy of a multitude of mediocre individuals who were idolized by all. Academic achievements, talent, and intelligence seemed to be declining values, while life was consumed in a spiral of vanity and superficiality.

The values that once were pillars of our civilization had faded away, eroded by the passage of time and widespread apathy. The concept of respect had become empty and meaningless, overshadowed by hatred, divisions, and unchecked ego that seemed to govern our daily interactions. Greed had become the primary engine of our society, fueling inequality and injustice at every level.

Amidst this bleak landscape, I felt like a stranger in my own world, struggling to find meaning amidst the chaos and corruption that surrounded me. I dreamed of a future where human values and empathy would once again take center stage in our existence, where the pursuit of knowledge and excellence would be encouraged and celebrated.

In Nordaria, life presented itself under a different light, but the reality was far from the dream that was sold. Although it was promoted as a paradise of opportunities, the truth was that life could be just as challenging as in the south. Existence itself became a torment, no matter where you found yourself.

The violent murder of my father shook my world, leaving me devastated while on vacation in Nordaria. It was then that I made the gut-wrenching decision to start a new life from scratch in the south of that prosperous continent. However, I faced unimaginable obstacles along the way. As I mentioned earlier, violence consumed us in all its forms, not only physical but also verbal and psychological.

During those days, domestic violence was a recurring topic in all conversations, and although it was given some importance, it was a problem that deeply affected us all. It penetrated our homes and wreaked havoc, tearing families and hearts apart. I witnessed how the people I loved most transformed into unrecognizable beings, blinded by anger and despair, breaking my heart with every burst of violence.

Traveling much further back in time, to the era of emperors and monarchs, the first participatory nations emerged. These nations, driven by their lust for power and dominance, became embroiled in a devastating conflict that unleashed destruction and death on an unprecedented scale. In the midst of this chaos and desperation, scientists from different parts of Nordaria came together in a desperate effort to end the brutal war that had consumed the world.

It was then that they devised a deadly weapon, which they called the Nova Missiles. These weapons had the power to evaporate and reap the lives of millions of people in a matter of seconds. The intention behind their creation was noble: to end the horrific war that had plunged the world into chaos and despair. However, what the scientists did not anticipate was the terrible price their invention would exact.

When the Nova Missiles were deployed, the destruction was instantaneous and catastrophic. Entire cities were wiped off the map in the blink of an eye, and millions of lives were lost in an instant. The scientists, horrified by the consequences of their creation, found themselves tormented by remorse and guilt. They realized too late that they had unleashed a force beyond their control, a force that did not distinguish between friends and enemies, between the innocent and the guilty.

After several years, the nations of the past, manipulated and controlled by a secret society, adopted emblematic colors: gold and silver. Over time, these nations presented different life proposals and ruthlessly competed for supremacy, spreading their ideologies like an infectious disease across the globe. In this scenario, thousands upon thousands of weapons of mass destruction were built in all nations, but what were they really created for?

The question echoed in the minds of many: did our votes matter in the decision to build such abominable weapons? Wasn't the well-being of our planet and its ecosystem a primary duty for all? And in whose hands was the world before these tumultuous events? Confusion reigned, and reliable sources of information were scarce.

As tensions reached their peak and nations geared up for total war, a sense of collective despair emerged. The reality was heartbreaking: all of Nordaria now lay in ashes, its majestic cities reduced to a vast graveyard where millions rested in peace. The few survivors left faced unimaginable horrors: deformities caused by extreme radiation, subhuman living conditions, and a bleak panorama of hopelessness.

Despite the devastation, some inhabitants of Nordaria chose to stay, resigned to an uncertain fate in a world that had lost all hope. However, the reality in the south offered a glimmer of hope. While I was unaware of Afrosia's state, it was evident that Nordaria was plunged into a grotesque degree of desolation. Fortunately, Terranova offered a different perspective.

After an odyssey filled with dangers and sacrifices, we managed to find refuge in the heart of the jungle. It was a secluded place, far removed from the chaos and desolation consuming the outside world. Here, amidst the lush vegetation and the song of birds, our small community of survivors found a glimpse of peace and hope amidst the darkness.

Though our days were difficult and our struggles far from over, we clung to the promise of a few remaining years of life in tranquility. The arrival of an unknown object from space marked a turning point in our history, an unexpected twist that offered us an opportunity to rise from the ashes and forge a new destiny for our species. What was initially a source of confusion became our crucial tool for building a new civilization, one that would learn from the mistakes of the past and strive to avoid repeating them at all costs.

Thus was born Unisia, our new city, a beacon of hope amidst the darkness that had enveloped our world. In Unisia, everything was different. We felt an instinct of unity propelling us forward, a sense of collaboration that would allow us to achieve great feats in a short time. We were no longer divided by rivalries and destructive competitions; instead, we were united by the common desire to build a better future for all.

With the help of a dormant artificial intelligence orbiting our world, known as Alba, we began to move towards a new era of progress and peace. What started as