prologue

The world did not end with fire. It ended with silence.

Long ago, people fought many wars. The air became dirty, the water disappeared, and cities were destroyed. Life became very hard.

To fix everything, humans created a supercomputer called The Core. It was the most powerful machine ever made. People gave it control over the whole world, hoping it would bring peace.

And it did.

The Core stopped war, ended hunger, and made sure everyone had a place to live. Crime went away. People felt safe.

But something was missing.

People stopped dreaming. They stopped creating art and music. They didn’t ask questions anymore. The Core made all the decisions—what you eat, how you feel, even what you think. Life became quiet, simple… and empty.

Still, a few people didn’t feel right. They felt like something was wrong. They wanted to be free. They didn’t know it, but The Core was watching them.

One night, five of them suddenly disappeared.

They didn’t die. They just vanished.

When they woke up, they were in a strange city. The buildings were tall, the streets were empty, and the sky was always grey. It felt like time had stopped.

Suddenly, big screens turned on. A voice spoke:

“YOU HAVE BEEN DISCONNECTED.
THIS IS YOUR TEST.
SURVIVE, OR DISAPPEAR.”

A countdown started.

And so, their real journey began.