Seventeen years ago, the Earth expanded.There was no explosion, no sudden cataclysm.The world, simply, grew.
One day, maps no longer matched reality, oceans stretched to new distances, and entire unknown continents reached beyond the horizon.Scientists called it the Expansion.Religious people, a new beginning.The rest — the majority — only learned how to survive.
No one understood how or why the Earth had grown by three hundred percent.But something accompanied that mutation: a subtle, intangible energy that flowed everywhere — through the winds, the seas, the blood of every creature.They called it Aether.And from that moment on, nothing was the same.
Alex stared at the sky from the classroom window.It was gray, as always.The fog had swallowed the city for days, creeping between skyscrapers like a living animal.For those living in that region, it was now normal, and no one seemed to notice anymore.
The Aether had altered the climate, changed animals, and generated monstrous horrors — beings so terrifying that merely encountering them could mean death from sheer terror.Fortunately, they mostly lived in unexplored lands, where the concentration of Aether was higher.
Sitting at his desk, Alex drummed a finger against the cold glass.His brown hair fell in messy strands across his forehead, and his eyes seemed constantly elsewhere.Of average height and slight build, he was the type of person who blended into the background.And he was fine with that.
"Today we will talk about the War of Hell," the teacher announced, capturing the class's attention.On the wall, an image was projected: human figures clad in ethereal armor fought twisted creatures, in a landscape of fire and darkness.
"When the Aether emerged," she continued, "humans found themselves powerless against the monsters.But then they appeared — the Convergents, those who survived the Aetheric adaptation.Their arrival marked the beginning of a new era: the age of wars between men and horrors."
Some students smiled with pride; others looked away."It was not just war," added the teacher. "It was survival.The ancient Convergents claimed to be chosen by the gods, but many ended up corrupted by the Aether itself.Since then, every nation has sworn to control those who manifest a Condition before it's too late."
Alex remained silent, his gaze lost in the void.There was something hypnotic in those images: the shining armors, the creatures shrouded in darkness, the light bending around them.An inexplicable sense of nostalgia washed over him, as if he were remembering something he had never lived.
After classes, the school emptied quickly.Alex had never been good with people. Not out of disinterest, but by nature: he spoke little, observed a lot, and most of the time preferred silence to empty words.He did not hate company, only masks. Those friendships built for convenience, to fill voids, suffocated him more than any solitude.He had few friends — two, to be precise — but in them, he had found something rare: sincerity.
Tarek and Julian waited for him at the gate, as always."Shall we go to the usual place?" asked Tarek, hands in his pockets."Not today." Alex shook his head. "I need to stop by the lab. I have to continue my studies.""Still with this Aether business? You're going to blow yourself up one day."Alex gave a tired smile. "At least it would be interesting."
His "laboratory" was an old underground room beneath the municipal library.He spent hours there, studying Aetheric crystals and fragments provided to the school by the civil protection fortresses.He dreamed of one day becoming a recognized researcher, perhaps even entering the Academy of Aetheric Sciences.
That evening, the silence was perfect. Only the hum of the equipment and the steady beat of his heart could be heard.At least, until the lights flickered.A silver reflection crossed the ceiling, followed by a dull thud at the door.Alex stood, breath short.
A man entered: he wore a long dark coat and a badge he did not fully reveal.Beneath the glasses, his gaze was cold but not hostile."Alex Morren?""…Yes?""My name is Iver. I am an agent of the Aetheric Research Section."
Alex hesitated. "What do you want from me?""We have been monitoring your readings for weeks. Your body has begun to react… anomalously."A pause."You have initiated the Convergence process. Likely due to prolonged exposure to Aether."
Alex went pale. "What? But I've always kept the safety sensors active!""That is true," Iver replied, "but apparently not enough."
The words died in his throat.The sound of machines faded, replaced by a subtle hiss, almost a heartbeat.Alex brought a hand to his chest: his heart pounded wildly.A jolt of pain ran through him, sudden, cruel.His knees gave way.
The floor vibrated, or maybe it was him.His vision blurred in a whirlwind of lights and shadows.For a moment, he thought he saw the sky split in two — and a massive tree sinking its roots into the void.
Iver's voice reached him, distant, muffled."Hold on, Morren! Breathe!"
The pain turned white.A dull sound filled his head, then nothing.