LOCATION: LAGOS

  “We’re here,” Officer Segun announced, his voice ft and indifferent. “Everyone, get down.”

  The heavy doors of the transport creaked open, revealing a city that barely resembled what it once was. Soldiers in full combat gear stood in formation, rifles slung over their shoulders, their expressions unreadable. As the refugees stepped out, the air hit them—a nauseating mix of sweat, rotting food, and smoke, making each breath feel heavy.

  Segun continued, his tone leaving no room for argument. “From now until this crisis is over, you will be staying here. No fighting. No compining. No loitering past curfew. If you have a problem, it’s your business to solve. You will receive rations twice a day. Break the rules, and you will be thrown out of the camp.”

  Officers across the camp repeated simir warnings. But the refugees barely reacted—too exhausted, too broken to care.

  James stepped forward, his gaze sweeping across the camp. What had once been a city of commerce and modernity was now a fortress of desperation. The colpse of nearby cities had forced hundreds of thousands to seek shelter here, but Lagos had never been built to hold this many.

  Everywhere he looked, makeshift tents and crude shelters sprawled along the streets. The air was thick with decay, the scent of burning debris clinging to everything. Conversations were mere murmurs, as if speaking too loudly might invite disaster.

  Children who should have been pying sat motionless, their wide eyes filled with something far too mature—Awareness. In this world, failing to understand your surroundings could get you killed.

  Lagos was held together by sheer military force. Soldiers patrolled relentlessly, their rifles never out of reach. At key checkpoints, civilians were scanned with handheld devices, searching for energy fluctuations—signs of awakened individuals.

  The roads leading to the city center were no longer bustling with life. Instead, they were lined with tanks and armored vehicles, their cannons tracking the slightest movement of stray lycons. Automated defense turrets loomed over key intersections, red lights flickering as they scanned for threats. Above, drones hovered silently, their mechanical eyes sweeping the ruins.

  This was no longer a city.

  It was a war zone...

  LOCATION: UN CONFERENCE

  The world leaders sat in tense silence, still deliberating over China’s proposal. Finally, Mr. Langston broke the silence.

  “What do you want in exchange for the information on how to resolve the crisis?”

  A small smile pyed on Mr. Zhang Wei’s lips. “I’m gd you asked. By now, all of you should have noticed reports from your respective nations regarding a strange blue liquid appearing near the void cracks.”

  Mr. Diwe leaned forward. “You mean the liquid emitting energy readings that are off the charts?”

  “Precisely.” Zhang nodded.

  Mrs. Rao, her sharp eyes calcuting, spoke next. “If you want it, that must mean it’s extremely valuable and rare.”

  “You could say that,” Zhang admitted. “I require ten gallons of what we call ‘Void Serum.’”

  “Void Serum?” Several leaders murmured in unison.

  “Yes,” Zhang confirmed. “That is what our scientists have started calling it.”

  George Whitesmore scoffed. “Ten gallons? We haven’t even collected half that amount. Producing such a quantity is impossible.”

  Zhang chuckled lightly. “I see. Then let’s make it one gallon.”

  Mr. Laurent narrowed his eyes. “That was your real offer from the start, wasn’t it?”

  “Who knows?” Zhang replied coyly. “For those who wish to receive the information, you must agree to deliver the serum after stabilizing your respective regions.”

  A heavy silence settled over the room until a voice finally broke through.

  "I accept your proposal,” announced Russia’s representative, Mr. Volkov.

  “I accept,” Mr. Diwe followed.

  Mrs. Rao and Mr. Langston soon followed suit, and as the leading nations gave their approval, the rest eventually fell in line.

  “I hope you don’t make us regret this, Mr. Zhang,” Langston said.

  Zhang gave a reassuring nod. “Of course not. Now, I will tell you all how to create an Awakened. Does that sound reasonable enough?”

  The room fell deathly silent.

  “Wait, you mean you already know how to induce Awakening?” someone asked incredulously.

  Zhang gave a slow, deliberate nod. “Yes, we do. Sooner or ter, you would have figured out the pattern behind Awakenings. Now, I will expin the phenomenon.”

  He stood and gestured towards a holographic dispy...

  “Awakening is the process by which humans absorb energy naturally into their bodies until their genes evolve to a higher state. However, not everyone has the talent to absorb energy naturally. Those who ck the talent must be forced into Awakening.”

  The leaders listened intently as Zhang continued.

  “Imagine the human body as a cup,” he expined, pointing at the visual representation on the hologram. “When we first arrived in this dimension, we all unlocked a ‘cup’— A vessel to store energy. However, each person’s method of filling that cup differs. A certain threshold must be reached before evolution can occur.”

  He turned back to the audience.

  “This brings us to the core question: What is Awakening?”

  The leaders remained silent, waiting for his answer.

  “So far, we have identified two types of Awakening: Special Awakening and True Awakening.”

  He expanded the hologram, showing data points and visuals of known Awakened individuals.

  “Special Awakening refers to individuals who can comprehend and absorb energy with ease. Their bodies naturally evolve, allowing them to wield power as if it were second nature.”

  Zhang then changed the dispy to show a battlefield.

  “True Awakening, however, is the solution to your current crisis. The monsters emerging from the void cracks are not ordinary beasts. While firearms may work on them, they do not facilitate evolution. To truly awaken, one must kill these creatures with cold weapons.”

  One of the representatives raised a hand. “Can you eborate?”

  The hologram animated a warrior sshing a Monster, with energy visibly flowing into their body.

  “Of course,” Zhang said. “When a monster is killed with conventional firearms, its energy naturally dissipates into the surroundings. However, when sin with a melee weapon, the energy transfers through the weapon and into the wielder’s cup.”

  “Once the cup reaches a certain level, the individual evolves into an Awakened being.”

  Murmurs filled the room as the implications sank in.

  Zhang’s expression darkened. “But even that is nothing compared to the Second Cup wielders. They exist on an entirely different level from normal Awakened humans.”

  The room was Completely silent now, all eyes on Zhang Wei as he prepared to unveil the final piece of his revetion.

  Author note:

  For those that may be confused there are only Wolf like creatures coming out of void cracks for now. And to make things clearer I decided they will be called lycons from now on.