Chapter 5: Echoes of the Past

Dreams of Another Life

Gaona woke to the sound of faint sirens echoing through the streets of Civic Sector Delta. The city never truly slept, its artificial glow and constant hum a reminder of its carefully controlled existence.

He lay in bed for a moment, staring at the ceiling, his mind lingering on the encounter with Alina the night before. The memories it had stirred refused to settle, replaying in his mind like a broken reel of film.

He couldn’t stop thinking about her. About Ren. About the life he might have had if he’d only been brave enough to say something when they were younger.

Childhood Memories

Gaona had grown up in a small, overcrowded residential complex on the edge of the district. The biodome had been newer then, its walls unblemished by time and wear. Even as the world outside continued to crumble, there had been a sense of hope within the dome—a fragile belief that humanity could rebuild.

For Gaona, that hope had come in the form of Alina.

They had spent their childhoods together, playing in the remnants of a park that had been cobbled together from scavenged materials. There was a single tree at its center, its branches twisted and bare, but to them, it was magical. They had built forts out of broken benches and imagined themselves as heroes in a world of their own making.

Alina had always been the adventurous one, climbing to the highest points of the jungle gym and daring Gaona to follow. He had been more cautious, but her laughter and encouragement had a way of making him braver than he thought he could be.

“Come on, Gaona!” she’d call, her voice filled with joy. “You’re not afraid, are you?”

And he’d climb, his heart racing, just to prove her wrong.

The Loss

But their carefree days hadn’t lasted.

When Gaona was fourteen, the lingering plagues from the Seven Dragons had returned,

Portillo / Eternal Code /

Portillo / Eternal Code /

sweeping through the biodome in a second wave. His parents, who had survived the initial chaos, fell ill quickly. There had been no time to find help, no resources to spare.

He remembered sitting by his mother’s bedside, holding her hand as she struggled to breathe. His father, just as sick, lay nearby, unable to muster the strength to speak.

“You’ll be okay,” his mother had whispered, her voice barely audible. “You’re strong, Gaona. You’ll find your way.”

But he hadn’t felt strong. He had felt helpless, watching as the two people who had always been there for him slipped away.

After their deaths, Gaona had been left with nothing—no family, no home, and no direction. He had been on the verge of giving up entirely when Alina’s family had stepped in.

A New Family

“Come stay with us,” Alina’s mother had said, her voice firm but kind. “You shouldn’t be alone.”

They had taken him in without hesitation, making room for him in their already cramped apartment. For months, he had shared a room with Alina, the two of them falling asleep to the faint hum of the biodome’s ventilation system.

Alina had been his anchor during those days. She had dragged him out of bed when the weight of his grief threatened to swallow him whole, insisting that they go to the park or explore the abandoned buildings on the edge of the district.

“You can’t just sit here,” she’d say, her hands on her hips. “Come on, Gaona. You’re not allowed to mope forever.”

And somehow, she always made him smile, even when it felt impossible.

Unspoken Feelings

As they grew older, Gaona’s feelings for Alina began to change. He wasn’t sure when it had started, but somewhere along the way, he had stopped seeing her as just a friend.

He wanted to tell her how he felt, but every time he tried, the words caught in his throat. How could he risk ruining what they had? Her family had given him so much, and the last thing he wanted was to make things awkward or complicated.

So he kept his feelings to himself, burying them deep where they couldn’t hurt anyone.

And then Ren came along.

Portillo / Eternal Code /

Portillo / Eternal Code /

The Arrival of Ren

Ren had been everything Gaona wasn’t—confident, charismatic, and fearless. He had a way of commanding attention without even trying, and it wasn’t long before he and Alina became close.

Gaona had watched from the sidelines as their friendship blossomed into something more. He had told himself that he was happy for them, that Alina deserved someone like Ren. But deep down, it had felt like losing a part of himself.

When they had announced their engagement, Gaona had congratulated them with a forced smile, pretending that his heart wasn’t breaking.

Present Reflections

Now, years later, those memories felt both distant and raw. Sitting in his cluttered apartment, Gaona couldn’t help but wonder how different things might have been if he had just spoken up.

Would Alina have chosen him? Would they have built a life together, or was he always destined to be the quiet, overlooked boy in the background?

He shook his head, trying to push the thoughts away. There was no point dwelling on what could have been. Alina had her life, and he had his.

But as he glanced at the lottery ticket on his desk, a small voice in the back of his mind whispered, What if this is your chance?

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