2 Hope (1/2)

Koren stood in the vast nothingness. There was no light, yet he could see his hands clearly. He looked at his body and he was wearing some strange clothing that he had never seen.

”Am I in the afterlife” said Koren with surprise. His voice was just like it was before the attack. He touched his face and could feel the soft and supple skin of his cheeks.

”I must be dead, there is no other explanation, will I see father, grandpa and all the other uncles” said Koren with some anticipation.

”Afterlife, oh no, I'm afraid you have it all wrong, this is just the virtual space, we still need to bring you up to speed after all. ”suddenly a voice came from behind Koren.

Koren turned around, but there was no one there. 'I must be hearing things' thought Koren.

”No, I'm right here, well not here, but everywhere. You should be able to see me. Huh, this is strange, you're not networked yet.” Said the mysterious voice.

Koren kept turning to see where the person talking was, but each time he turned around the voice would just drift elsewhere. He was starting to get scared, even though he had been through hell, he was still a child.

”Ahh, your still too young, this is a good thing, but also a bad thing since it means you can't properly network with me, so I can't help you at all. Then again, you are young, so the modifications should work better as you are in your growing phase.” Said the voice with some frustration.

Koren was confused and scared. He did not know what the voice was talking about, what network, and what modifications. He had heard his grandfather talk about how the Draconian's perform cruel experiments on humans, turning them into mutants. He started to wonder if this was a prison. Had he been captured, was this a cage.

”Ahh, I'm not a bad person.” This time the voice seemed stressed and offended. ”Look Koren, I know you can't see me, but I want you to know that I am a human being just like you, well in the principle of soul at least.” Said the voice with confidence.

”If you're not a bad person then show yourself” said Koren with some courage.

”I'm not trying to hide from you, it's you Koren, you're too young, I can't network with you, you need to be…ahhh” the voice suddenly screamed.

”Ah, Koren I don't have much time, I'm going to leave a basic command sequence to help you out till you are old enough to network with me properly. Remember Koren, My name is Hope, and we, are bonded, forever.” said the voice with assertion. This time the voice was very clear, and Koren could tell that the voice, was of a woman. The voice was warm, yet fierce, it reminded him of his mother. He couldn't explain it, but he felt that he could trust this voice, that he could trust 'Hope'.

Koren was about to say something, but before he could even open his mouth, he felt a force pull him from behind.

************

The desert is an unforgiving place, its days are blazing hot, and its nights, chilling cold. The mighty sun had finally set, making way for the moon. When the moonlight shone on the desert, it made the sand grains glow with a blue hue. However, today in a particular region, the entire desert was reflecting the moon. This was no lake In the middle of the desert, it was glass. The whole surface had turned into glass, and it went on for hundreds of kilometers.

In the very center of this glass moon was a figure, lying flat, eyes closed, as if sleeping. This figure was a boy, a very young and cute boy. The sleeping boy had jet black hair and golden tan skin, his eyebrows were slanted like swords and his face was picturesque.

Koren finally opened his eyes, only to see the moon above him. He panicked and quickly got up. The desert night is the domain of the sand beasts, they are creatures that even his father never dared to underestimate. He looked at his clothes, and they were what he always wore, not the ones he saw in that strange place. As Koren was making sure he had all his belongings he finally noticed the shiny surface he was standing on. The first thing he noticed was his own face. Koren was gobsmacked. He touched his face to make sure it was real, tears started to flow from his eyes. These tears were for his family, and for himself, tears long overdue.

Koren looked at the moon, hanging in the sky, and then rubbed the tears away with the sleeves of his robes. He knew, that he had to go now.

”Mother you were right, Hope found me.” said Koren as he took his first step.

As Koren stepped forth, the wind reacted intensely, and pushed him forward without much resistance. Koren was, for the second time shocked. He could tell that he was no longer only a level 1 spiritualist. 'what level is this, grandpa said each level can only control 1 meter, and the rest comes from harmonization. But I just turned 9 a few days ago, I can't harmonize unless I turn 10.' Though Koren as he sped across the shiny surface of the desert glass.

Koren quickly crossed the entire glossy surface and was now on regular sand, suddenly he felt a presence, a big object directly ahead.