Aethercross-Real Game，The Borderland of Reality and Fantasy

Chapter 4: Post-apocalyptic city-states

Gabriel's eyes flung open, yet they were still out of focus. His mind was overwhelmed with a flood of memories, leaving him dizzy. Amidst this mental chaos, he fought to discern his place in this unfamiliar world. As time lost its meaning, he gradually steadied his thoughts, shifting from confusion to lucidity. His gaze became sharp, revealing the details of the small, worn room. The walls showed signs of wear, and the only decorations were a bleached poster and a faintly glowing lamp. In the lower bunk of the bed, his younger brother Raimondo lay in deep sleep, his snores echoing with a deep rhythm.

He quickly assembled a picture of his situation from the jigsaw of memories:

This was a post-apocalyptic world, Earth, approximately 120 years in the future. A catastrophic shift in the Earth's axis had spawned a series of global disasters: sea levels rose, climates changed drastically, and earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis became the new norm. These disasters had dismantled the old world, leading to a drastic reduction in population and an entirely altered Earth.

In this reshaped society, humans had regrouped into a network of vast central cities and surrounding satellite towns, termed the post-apocalyptic city-states. These urban enclaves, fortified with advanced defense systems and protective barriers, were the remnants of civilization. Outside their walls stretched the 'Wastelands', inhabited by mutated creatures, deformed humans, and zombies. In this world, resources were scarce, and danger was a constant companion.

These city-states maintained a modern societal structure, encompassing governance, healthcare, education, and technology. Nevertheless, the scarcity of resources and ever-present external threats kept the societal fabric taut. In this era, certain individuals had awakened supernatural powers and were known as "Awakeners." The righteous among them bolstered the cities' defenses and progress, while the malevolent ones brought forth chaos and malevolence.

In this world, his name was Sky Rebel, an 18-year-old youth who, along with his younger brother Raimondo Rebel, aged 16, formed a close-knit family. Having lost their mother early and their father, a mid-ranking city defense officer, three years ago in a mission, they now made their home in the 14th satellite town of City Sunrise, the central hub of their city cluster.

As Sky was acclimating to his new identity and form, the night's calm was brutally interrupted by a screeching air raid siren, quickly followed by thunderous explosions. Raimondo, startled awake, sat up with eyes brimming with fear. Sky leaped from the upper bunk, rushed to his brother's side, and gently reassured him, "Don't worry, Raimondo, I'm right here with you."

Sky approached the window, carefully observing the scene outside. The night was aglow with the paths of artillery shells, each one a luminous trail slicing through the sky, before being intercepted mid-air by the city's defense, bursting into a spectacle of radiant sparks. The sky resembled a canvas torn asunder, with the artillery weaving an awe-striking tapestry in the heavens.

Raimondo rose from bed, his body quivering, and looked at Sky with palpable anxiety. "Sky, what's happening? Is it another artillery attack by the bandits?" Sky surveyed his surroundings, his mind awash with questions and speculations. "It appears so," he replied. "The bandits from the north have initiated long-range bombardment. They've just overrun the 15th satellite city; I didn't expect their arrival so soon."