May 1, 2010 – Geneva, Switzerland.
Beneath the stone foundations of the United Nations complex, the air was cold and metallic.
It reeked faintly of steel, old paper, and the silent dread of people who hadn't slept in days.
The world's most powerful leaders sat around a circular table — presidents, generals, scientists.
Above them hovered a holographic projection, painting the room in pale red light: a massive sphere, pulsing slowly like the heartbeat of some ancient beast.
No one spoke.
No one dared to.
The stillness was finally broken by a voice — calm, clear, and analytical.
"Let us begin."
Dr. Lieserl Einstein stepped forward. Her pale blue hair gleamed under the projection light, and the faint silver of her EMC² necklace caught the glow like a whisper of lightning.
Her partner, Dr. Tesla, stood beside her, adjusting her red glasses with a sigh that echoed more annoyance than fear.
Together, they faced the world.
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Einstein's voice carried easily, each word deliberate and measured.
"Ten days ago, at 13:48 local time, the city of Nagazora experienced an event of unknown origin. The official designation is now The Impact."
She pressed a switch on her console.
The hologram shifted.
A full three-dimensional model of Nagazora appeared — the city fractured, streets melted, towers split open like broken ribs.
And at its center pulsed the Egg, a colossal sphere buried halfway into the earth, veins of red energy webbing outward like roots.
The leaders stared in silence.
Einstein continued, tone unwavering.
"All energy systems within a thirty-kilometer radius have failed. Combustion, electrical, nuclear — everything. The city has become an energy void. We are witnessing a complete collapse of fundamental physics within that zone."
A tremor of disbelief spread across the room.
Tesla scoffed softly.
"In simpler terms, ladies and gentlemen — Nagazora's turned into a black hole for technology. We drop a drone, it dies. We send in soldiers, their rifles stop firing. It's like the damn thing's mocking us."
Her bluntness drew a few glares. She ignored them.
Einstein tapped the console again, showing thermal readings and magnetic charts — all unstable, oscillating wildly.
"This," she said, "is not energy as we understand it. It behaves as if… alive."
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The image zoomed in on the Egg itself.
Its surface was black and red, veins glowing beneath a translucent shell that seemed to breathe.
Each pulse rippled through the projection, resonating faintly through the walls.
Even through a hologram, the energy felt oppressive.
"Teams attempting to approach the epicenter reported intense disorientation, auditory hallucinations, and acute internal bleeding. None could advance past one kilometer before losing consciousness," Einstein explained.
A general frowned.
"You're saying it's… radiating something?"
Tesla crossed her arms.
"Radiating? Try screaming. You can feel it. That thing isn't just sitting there — it's thrumming through the ground like a war drum."
Einstein nodded.
"Furthermore, we've confirmed biological entities surrounding it. We call them Abominations — hostile, aggressive, and impervious to conventional weaponry. They act as if guarding the Egg."
A murmur filled the room — a mix of fear and fascination.
Einstein's eyes softened briefly.
"In our estimation, whatever lies inside is not dormant. It's waiting."
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The hologram switched again, displaying two walls on screen — one labeled Standard Concrete, the other Sample: Nagazora Perimeter.
A video played.
A soldier aimed a high-caliber rifle and fired.
The first wall exploded in dust.
The second stood untouched. Not even a crack.
Gasps rippled through the assembly.
Einstein clasped her hands behind her back.
"The molecular structure has been rewritten. The bonds between particles strengthened beyond any known material. It's as if the city is evolving."
Tesla leaned toward the mic, her voice sharp.
"If you ask me, it's building itself a fortress. Probably for whatever's inside that egg-shaped nightmare."
The word fortress lingered like poison in the air.
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Einstein continued, her tone never wavering.
"Two days after The Impact, we detected similar anomalies — smaller in scale — across multiple continents."
The projection changed again, displaying the Earth covered in faint, glowing points of light.
Each pulsed rhythmically, slow and eerie, like stars bleeding through the soil.
"We have named them Gates."
Tesla added, flipping through holographic data.
"They open randomly, spew out monsters, and vanish when something inside — what we call a 'boss entity' — is destroyed. Our prototype sensors classify them from E to A rank, depending on energy output."
Einstein:
"However, readings remain unstable. The instruments were never designed to detect this kind of force. We suspect there may be ranks beyond A, though none have appeared."
A projection of a Gate shimmered in the air — a swirling blue oval radiating faint light.
Through it, vague shapes moved, distorted and monstrous.
"Inside," Einstein said softly, "are worlds that do not obey our laws. Gravity fluctuates. Time warps. Living matter mutates. Our teams call them dungeons. We have lost forty-seven operatives so far."
Tesla slammed her palm on the table.
"And those were our best! Whatever's in there doesn't belong here. We're standing at the edge of something that wants in."
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Einstein's final slide appeared — genetic sequences and human silhouettes highlighted in blue.
"After The Impact, certain individuals began exhibiting unique physical and cognitive traits — enhanced strength, endurance, and energy resonance."
She turned toward the assembly.
"They can enter Gates and survive exposure to the anomaly. We call them… Awakened."
Tesla added with a bitter grin,
"Guess humanity decided to evolve on its own terms."
A leader leaned forward.
"How many?"
Einstein hesitated.
"Forty-seven confirmed. Thousands suspected. And the number rises daily."
The chamber fell silent again.
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A president finally spoke, voice trembling.
"Doctor… what if this Egg hatches?"
Einstein stared at the projection of the pulsating red sphere — its rhythm slow, steady, like a living heartbeat.
Her tone was almost a whisper.
"Then none of this will matter. Because the moment it does… every Gate on this planet will open."
Tesla's usual sarcasm vanished.
She just stared at the hologram, muttering under her breath,
"And we'll be lucky if there's even a planet left to save."
The room fell into absolute silence.
Even the hum of the machinery felt muted — drowned out by the slow, relentless pulse of the Egg projected above them.
For the first time in decades, humanity had no idea what it was up against.
And the worst part — they hadn't seen the beginning.
Only the echo.
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End of Chapter 2 – Part 1