Digits

Ch 1: The Anomaly

The air in the bustling city of Evantia hummed with anticipation as Renee Wu, a 20 year old middle-class lady with a rank of 23, navigated through the crowded streets. Her days were routine, filled with the ordinary occurrences expected of someone in her class. But today was different. Today held the weight of a revelation.

A hierarchy defined by numbers rigidly separates individuals into upper, middle, and lower classes. In which the upper class occupies ranks 1 to 10, enjoying privileged status and influence. The middle class encompasses ranks 11 to 30, striving for prosperity within the constraints of their position. At the bottom tier, the lower class endures ranks 31 to 40, facing daily challenges and limitations.

It felt like a permanent stain, a reminder of the system's grip on her life.

She was currently taking a gap year in order to put herself together as it turned out that her classes were beginning to feel extremely overwhelming, and she constantly felt burnt out. What was the use, anyway? She already had enough on her plate, and now she had to deal with this...

In her experience, encountering a soulmate whose social class didn't align with her own was rare.

Facing the realization that encountering someone with a rank of 1 is as rare as witnessing a blue moon, it felt as though she had reached a dead end.

In all her years, she has never crossed paths with anyone from the upper part of society. The closest she has come was when her father had business with a member of the upper class, but the idea of encountering someone at the top of the food chain we call the social hierarchy is beyond her wildest imagination.

Eventually, she received her soulmates number the previous year when she turned 19, but she was much more bothered by her studies to even bother about the absurdity of the situation.

Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the city, Hayden Ramos grappled with conflicting thoughts in his bedroom, contemplating the rarity of a mixed soulmate-two conflicting soulmates of dufferent classes. Born from the union of a rank 2 and 3, he puzzled over the origins of his uncommon rank, a lingering mystery that continued to perplex him.

He had always thought of himself as special, considering the rarity of his rank. But his frustration began as he constantly felt insulted and annoyed. Being called "special" seemed more like a curse, especially when stuck with a middle-class 23.

As these thoughts lingered in his mind, he couldn't help but resent and question the system that dictated his fate, wondering if being with a soulmate was really necessary.

Making matters worse, he found himself bombarded with propaganda from billboards and tabloids, all promoting the supremacy of soulmate connections, pushing the idea that nothing beats being with your soulmate. It reeked of manipulation, a calculated ploy to control minds and hearts alike.

Feeling stressed and confused, he even began pondering on arranged marriages as a way out of the suffocating grip of the soulmate system.

The situation had thrown his mom into a frenzy, which only added to Hayden's irritation. He couldn't fathom why his mom was so worked up over a mere rank 23.

When he first broke the news of his soulmate number to her a year ago, she had been shocked and somewhat disappointed. Their visit to a soulmate counselor afterward left them with more questions than answers.

Now, Hayden found himself making a rash decision. Just a week ago, he had decided to give his course mate Rebecca a chance. But now that they were suddenly dating, his mother's disappointment seemed to deepen. After all the stress she had endured, she couldn't understand why her son would choose to date someone who wasn't his soulmate.

Rebecca had a rank of 3, but Hayden couldn't shake the feeling of dissatisfaction. He couldn't help but wish she were a rank 2 instead.

Three weeks later, and now, lost in thought, Hayden lay on his bed as his mother burst into his room. Jolted, he yelled, "What?!"

She scoffed, annoyed by her sons sudden act of rudeness.

"I've engaged a private investigator," she declared, her tone leaving no room for doubt. "We'll utilize our connections to access government databases and locate citizens' soulmates and their ranks."

Hayden raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his mother's bold plan. "But isn't that... radical?" he ventured, unsure of the legality of their actions.
She waved off his concerns with a confident smile. "In our circles, radical methods are often necessary to achieve our goals. Besides, we have the means and the contacts to ensure discretion."

Hayden was totally not okay with what his mother was doing, but it appeared that she was much too invested for him to stop her now.
So, Hayden nodded slowly, beginning to see the logic behind his mother's strategy. "And what if we encounter any obstacles?"

His mom's eyes gleamed with determination. "We'll navigate them with precision. Trust me, Hayden, finding your soulmate is crucial, and I'll do whatever it takes to make it happen."

As Hayden observed his mother's unwavering resolve, he couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration yet annoyance.

"Okay, but how exactly are we going to proceed with the plan?"He inquired.

Confidently, his mother replied, "Using our connections, I'll locate that girl and approach her."

As Hayden contemplated his mother's directness, he couldn't help but notice the differences in their approach to the situation. While she appeared deeply invested, he remained relatively laid-back.