The soft pattering of rain filled my ears, and slowly, I opened my eyes.

The silvery moon, which often blessed the world of shadows with her metallic rays, had been tucked into a comforter of clouds, asleep within the puffy blanket. The absence of said moon prompted the shadows to move in, engulfing my sight in darkness. Yet I could see the towering silhouettes of the deathly trees, their branches waving dangerously like claws in the wind.

I lay at the foot of a large knoll, on the concrete path that led up the slope. Leading away from my feet was a great flight of stone stairs, cobbled together with various sizes and colors of stones, while the dense forest's sky-scraping trees stood as a vigil, like soldiers, along the manmade trail. Eventually, in a triangular opening, the trees opened up to the modest meadow behind me, the yellow-green blades of grass dancing in unison as the wind conducted their rhythmic and calming waltz.

Someone lay on top of me, silent and unmoving. I could feel her arms surrounding me in an embrace, holding me close. Her figure was tall and slim, yet her form weighed me down, preventing me from moving. Despite the gloom, golden light shined and filled my vision, and I realized it was her hair, sewn from the rays of the sun. With difficulty, I shifted her body enough to see her face - such a decision would have been foolish, had I known the result.

Streams of blood trickled down her face, like crimson canyons cut into the Earth. Her eyes were wide, and the sapphire oceans that flooded her rises were dull and unmoving, poisoned and frozen by the cold hand of death. Jolted by sudden shock, sorrow, and sheer terror, my strength dissipated like dust in a storm, and I suddenly lost consciousness.

Destiny: The Road of Tomorrow

Written by Matthew Li

Autopsy of Jocelyn Silya (age 14, daughter of Austin Silya and Emily Fiore Silya, elder sister of Jonathan Silya) - compiled by Doctor Isaac Beland, Head Psychologist of Ciras City Hospital

Jocelyn Silya passed away on July 28th, Year 2093, from major basilar skull damage (as indicated by the Cranial Health Department).

It is evident from the flight of concrete stairs (and the single broken stair) that the victim fell when descending the stairs. The speed of her descent is unknown. No other information can be given, despite the presence of another victim. Unfortunately, the witness (full name Kirisaki Eins, age 9, son of Caleb Eins and Alexandria Sares Eins, elder brother of Natalie Eins) has developed amnesia from the incident. All memories regarding Jocelyn Silya at all have been erased from his memory.

There exists a very small chance of regaining these memories, but only if several events extremely similar to those experienced with Jocelyn are lived through. This chance, however, is approximately 0.01%.

June 6th, Year 2096 (3 years after the death of Jocelyn Silya, beginning of summer vacation)

Rushing through the shallow, underground steel shaft, the one-car cylindrical subway train built from lightweight aluminum lit up the shadowy tube, built to carry several passengers to its destination.

Within the mechanical transport, passengers could relax on cushioned seats, and warm or cool themselves from the variable air conditions, which changed depending on the current temperature. Situated at both ends of the small transport were computer-controlled piloting systems, which enabled smooth and flawless running of the trains.

However, throughout the entire vehicle, only one inhabitant enjoyed the amenities of said subway, while also ignoring them. A youth in his early teen ages, he leaned against the forward wall, neglecting the welcoming gestures of the soft, cushioned seats. His head was bowed down, as if he lacked the strength to lift it up, while his back was slouched over, propping against the wall as if it were a stable support. The short, sharp needles of hair, standing erect atop his scalp, were so dark and black like the depths of the ocean, so deep that light dares not wander near it. They seemed to drop themselves over his eyes, hiding his bright, yet lifeless, emerald irises. His garb was simple, merely consisting of a t-shirt and a thin pair of dark-shaded track pants, while his skin was tanned, indicating the time of year to be either spring or summer.

Although he was the only current inhabitant of the subway, he was not alone. Wrapped around his wrist was a small device, crafted from silver metal, and featuring a square, LCD screen whose sides measuring about one inch in length. This device was known as a Projector.

Silently, he shifted to check the Projector's screen, which displayed the date - June 11th, 2096, 10:26 A.M. Before he lowered his arm, however, the screen briefly lit up, and a miniature, holographic, and feminine figure leapt gracefully into the air. Upon spinning once, she stopped and hovered before her User.

Many would say she was beautiful, for sure. Delicate features were drawn across her face, and she wore the brushstrokes of calm, caring emotion. Her pale skin, seemingly made of moonlight, accentuated the bright, navy sea within her irises, whose waves crashed with a spirit of living. Yet her most astonishing feature was her hair, which appeared so divine and otherworldly. The golden strands were so smooth and distinguishable from each other, and as they bathed in the white sunlight, they glowed like diamonds and platinum. Despite her holographic appearance, she wore ordinary, casual clothes - a cream-white sweater, perhaps woven from the silk sands of the desert, and pair of jeans, light, blue, and vibrant like the clear sky.

"Kirisaki, you have a call from Natalie," she regarded the boy. Her voice was so musical and melodious, almost sounding like the soft, light notes of a music box.

Her User, Kirisaki, nodded softly, before raising the Projector to his eyes and tapping a small icon onscreen, which read: RECEIVE.

Immediately, the Projector cast a horizontal, cellphone-sized rectangle of light over Kirisaki's wrist. Displayed within the floating screen was the face of a young girl, perhaps just past ten years old. Similar to Kirisaki, her skin was tanned from a lack of sufficient sunscreen. Her short, thick hair was such a pale-blonde like platinum, and rather messy and unkempt. Joyful, yellow eyes shone with excitement and impatience, and the grin drawn across her mouth seemed enough to split her face. Clearly, she was tomboyish.

"Hi, big brother!" The caller, Natalie, shouted through the communication line, and continued to grin widely.

"Natalie," Kirisaki greeted his younger sister in a deepening, yet unsteady voice. "Are you already there?"

Smiling happily, Natalie answered, "yep! Now hurry up and get here! I'm going to hit the training rooms first!" Without waiting for a response, she closed the communication line, and the now-empty holographic screen merely read: CALL ENDED. Sighing, Kirisaki dismissed the holographic screen, which disappeared an instant, and resumed his slouching pose.

The subway soon slowed to a stop, and an automated, female voice announced: "Stop number four, Leisure District - Notable locations here include Grand Square and the Cyber-Battle Mall. Thank you for using Ciras Pubic Transit, and mind the gap,"

Peeling himself off the wall, like old wallpaper, Kirisaki quickly left the subway and directly made his way towards the concrete subterranean system's exit, a wide flight of concrete stairs leading to the surface world.

…Kirisaki Eins (age 12) – Year 2096, June 11th, 10:29 A.M.

The rectangular Leisure District of Ciras was bustling and lively, enough to swiftly carry one away in the busy current. The presence of skyscrapers and taller buildings of large conglomerates and corporations was absent from the district of relaxing. Instead, several low-height buildings were neatly laid into square sections, residence of several restaurants, arcades, shops, and several businesses, which oversaw the delivering of enjoyment to their visitors. Running through each block of buildings were the common, everyday streets, where drivers could commute through the vast network of road.

I emerged from a pair of wide, glass, automated doors, immediately becoming victim to the heat of summer as I exited the metro station's refuge of air conditioning. The blue sky was clear as glass, without a single cloud within the horizon. Several small shops lined the streets, offering various products. But my eyes caught two large buildings in the distance, within close vicinity of each other. The first, closer building was a glass pyramid, cut into four quarters with large paths running between the sections. Yet a sharp vertex was absent, and instead, a flat roof had taken its stead. The farther building's form was that of a "bubble," pieced together with several hexagonal panels of glass and steel, and looked like a messy puzzle.

Once again, the beautiful miniature female popped out from my Projector and asked, "You remember the way, right?"

This was Dawn, my PartNet. My Partner-on-Network, shortened down to PartNet, was a government-issued Artificial Intelligence that resided within my Projector. Upon reaching the age of ten, each citizen of the world is permitted to receive a PartNet for personal use, although others can wait longer, or refuse to receive one at all. When they own a PartNet, they are then called a User. PartNets function as guardians, able to assist with navigation, decision-making, providing information, and simply talking with their user. Therefore, the world has not only described PartNets as helpers, but as friends and close companions.

Upon gaining a good look at my surroundings, I got my bearings and answered Dawn, "yeah, I know where I am. Thanks," Satisfied with my answer, Dawn dived into the Projector, once again entering the devices data storage.

Then again, I'm probably so stupid that I'll even get lost in this familiar place, I silently thought. Brushing the idea out of my head, I quickly set into a brisk pace and began walking towards the two large buildings I had seen earlier.

As I passed the other citizens of Ciras, I could see them conversing with their own PartNets. Several people wore their Projectors on their wrists as watches, others hung them around their necks as necklaces, and some even use them like a pocket watch. The personality, voice, and physical appearance of PartNets could be altered through a customization function, and resulted in a large variety of PartNets. Just like humans, no two are exactly alike through their coding, and they almost seem like a completely new race.

I soon moved into a large opening, where the pyramid-like building resided. This great, glass structure was the Grand Square, the largest shopping center within Ciras. Its most distinguishing feature was the presence of Food Street, set into the paths cutting between the pyramid's quarters. At Food Street, vendors of varying countries sold food from their respective cultures. The street was one of the most popular dining locations of Ciras. Yet this was not my destination. I soon neared the bubble-shaped building, and stopped for a moment to admire its simplicity before entering through its sliding glass doors. The building's stories weren't simply floor after floor, but there were large gaps placed here and there sealed by glass guardrails. When you looked up, the five floors looked like five slices of Swiss cheese. Escalators were placed here and there, and despite their placement seeming haphazardly, they created an elaborate and easily traversable network of between-floor transport.

I stopped for a minute to fiddle with my Projector, tapping the icons TRACKING and NATALIE EINS. Projectors had inbuilt tracking devices, and with their consent and entering of their password, you could add an acquaintance's tracker to your Projector. This proved vastly useful in several instances, such as the securing of lost children or the meeting of friends in a specific location. So far, I had only added three trackers to my Projector: my parents' and Natalie's. After calibrating for a moment, my Projector revealed that Natalie was currently on the third floor, and I headed up the escalator network with haste.

…

My name is Kirisaki Eins. I lost part of my memory three years ago, in a traumatizing incident.

Apparently, the incident involved someone named "Jocelyn Silya," who was very close to me throughout my younger ages. Unfortunately, a large percentage of memories I had spent with Jocelyn had been spent between the two of us. Therefore, a large part of my childhood was lost from my mind. It didn't take long for me to ask: Can I get it back? Yet three years have passed with no such recalling of memory, and I quickly lost confidence that I would ever restore my identity of Jocelyn.

My memory was lost because of one reason: Jocelyn had died before my eyes.

Battle One: Dawning

…Kirisaki Eins (age 12) – Year 2096, June 11th, 10:34 A.M.

Cyber-Battle Mall, Third Floor, Training Room 4

Once again, I entered through sliding glass doors, this time into a medium-sized room. A middle-aged lady stood at a wooden counter, and smiled at me, before asking me to sign in to the Training Log. Upon the paper chart I wrote: "Kirisaki Eins, Age 12, Date - 6/11/2096," and moved into the depths of the room.

Navy-blue walls gave the room a calming atmosphere, and a large screen sat on the far wall, yet most notable were the ten egg-like capsules that were lined up in two rows of five. They were the size of a car, able to hold one human, and were silver in color. These capsules allow the users to participate in one of the most popular activities of the world: Cyber-Battle.

Cyber-Battle was introduced a few years after the PartNet, and mostly possible because of their existence. When a User entered the capsule for Cyber-Battle, they were placed into a hypnotic state, and the consciousness of themselves and their PartNet were uploaded into a virtual network, which had been coded into a map. Their physical appearance, armaments, and other statistics are decided prior to battle, through a customization similar to that of PartNets. However, a Limiter was placed upon each PartNet to ensure that all battlers would be placed upon equal footing. During Cyber-Battle, not only could they control their actions through thoughts, but a battler had heightened reflexes and senses, for they had not one, but two minds merged into one. This allowed the performance of high-speed maneuvers and complex combat techniques. The main objective of each battle was to defeat all enemies until one battler is left, but team battles have also been organized. Tournaments were regularly held, and although prizes were not distributed, battlers could increase their ranking through victory.

Normal Cyber-Battle rooms were reserved for actual battles, but training rooms gave battlers a chance to hone their skills on various training maps. Such an example was currently seen onscreen.

Displayed was a large, cube-shaped room, the size of an auditorium and lacking any exits. Its soft, blue walls emanated a comforting atmosphere, allowing battlers to train under calm circumstances. Several plate-like, white circles were attached to the walls, and acted as targets for long-ranged combat practice.

Standing in the center of the room was a figure, clad completely in a mechanical-looking armor, consisting of several metal plates of a silver-white hue and preventing me from confirming their identity. Cylindrical sections clamped around their forearms, while large, hexagonal plates on their shoulders acted as secondary shields. Blocky, heavily armored pieces covered their lower legs, and a composite section made of several smaller plates covered their chest and back. Encasing their head was a simple, round helmet, covering away their hair. Over their eyes was a pair of yellow, opaque targeting goggles, computer-operated and suited for long-range sniping. The remaining, unarmored sections were covered by a silver jumpsuit, which was airtight and adapted to its surrounding environment. All that remained exposed was their mouth. Cradled in their arms was a rifle – large and bulky appearance-wise. Its barrel was long, suitable for long-distance firing, and a large scope sat at the top of the body. Yet in its wielder's arms, it seemed so light as they pointed it around, aiming from target to target and testing the weapon's weight.

Suddenly, without warning, holographic text flashed before the armored figure: 3…2…1…START. Randomly, a single, circular target-plate flashed a sky-blue color.

Fre-sat. A shining, white, lance-like beam emanated from the rifle, and hit dead center of the target, destroying it through incineration and molecular disintegration. More and more targets began turning blue, and the shooter began pivoting around, changing their aim and destroying targets, one after another. On some occasions, the shooter missed, but only by an inch or so. Clearly, they were experienced at such shooting. Finally, the targets stopped flashing, and holographic text appeared once again: TARGET TRAINING COMPLETE. ACCURACY: 79 PERCENT.

She's so skilled, I mentally whispered. There's no way I could ever achieve that…not an idiot like me.

Sighing almost inaudibly, the shooter placed their rifle on the cyan floor and took off their armored helmet, revealing her short, blond hair and her energy-brimming, yellow eyes.

It was Natalie. Not long after, she noticed me through the viewing screen that popped up beside her, and gave me a friendly wave while shouting, again, "Hi, big brother! You're finally here! C'mon, get into a capsule so we can start training!" With that, she closed the viewing window, and I sighed. That's my sister – as spontaneous as ever, I thought.

Turning away from the screen and surveying the Capsules, I noticed that Natalie was the only one training at the moment. Without hesitating, I pulled open the hatch of a random Capsule, revealing the egg-shape's interior. Closest and facing away from me was a seat, akin to that of an airplane chair, cushioned with grey material and featuring armrests. The Capsule's opposite surface was a curved screen, currently dark and dead at the moment.

As I sat into the chair, I reached forward and brushed the dead screen with my hand.

The curved surface came to life, as if leaping from its great slumber. Upon lighting up for a second, a simple, white background popped up with the words: CAPSULE ACTIVATED. CONFIRMATION OF USER REQUIRED.

To participate in a Cyber-Battle, one had to use their Projector. Therefore, each User was required to confirm their identity in one of three ways: a retinal scan, a fingerprint scan, or a voice-spoken code. Silently, I raised my right hand to my eye, allowing the Projector's inbuilt camera to scan my retina.

The screen displayed text again. SCAN COMPLETE. USER: KIRISAKI EINS. PARTNET: DAWN. READY TO PARTICIPATE IN BATTLE. PLEASE CLOSE YOUR EYES.

I complied, and my consciousness slowly started to fade as I steadily became drowsy.

…June 6th, Year 2093

A golden streak, like a bullet of dusk, dashed throughout the silent cosmos. It was a Cyber-Battler, rocketing at high velocity through a map of space. Her armor was a beautiful gold, and despite is basic appearance, shone so greatly that it seemed to glow in the darkness of space. Simple, cylindrical sections locked around her arms and legs, while a one-part chest-piece covered her torso. Lying under the armored sections was her yellow jumpsuit, blending well with the metallic gold. The helmet was decorated and complex, featuring two blade-like fins on her forehead, both pointing backwards and up. A simple visor of crimson glass covered her entire face, sealing it from the oxygen-less environment. Lastly was her hair, which was exposed through a gap in the back of her helmet. It flowed like a cape, unchained and free in the antigravity environment of space. Alone in the virtual realm, it was evident that she was practicing. Scattered throughout the void of space were asteroids, spinning and flying uncontrollably throughout the darkened world. The sunlight dasher flawlessly weaved through the asteroid field, dodging the monstrous space rocks while maintaining their incredibly high speed.

Suddenly, two larger asteroids collided with each other, and the force of the impact caused one to barrel straight towards the golden flash. Without warning, the Cyber-Battler somersaulted and pushed her foot-mounted rocket thrusters to their maximum, effectively performing a Supersonic Zero-Gravity Stop – an incredibly complex and difficult aerial maneuver. The Cyber-Battler barely avoided the asteroid by a few inches, and she immediately resumed her pathway through the asteroid field. She certainly had high skill in Cyber-Battle. Meanwhile, in the real world, a young, black-haired boy was watching the amazing Cyber-Battler through a viewing window in a practice room. It was certain that he was young, for his face was naïve and innocent. Perhaps he was nine years old. His eyes were wide in awe, and as the girl stopped to rest atop a still asteroid, he exclaimed, "Wow! You're amazing, Jocelyn!"

As the Cyber-Battler giggled and stood up, it became evident that she was a teenager, around fourteen years of age. Her sapphire eyes shone through the crimson visor, sparkling with joy and excitement like gemstones. "Thank you, Kirisaki!" she smiled at the young child, before asking, "You can't wait, can you?"

The raven-haired youth, Kirisaki, nodded. "I want to be ten years old right now so I can Cyber-Battle!"

Jocelyn, the Cyber-Battler, giggled once more. "Oh, Kirisaki! You're so cute!"

…Natalie Eins (age 10) – Year 2096, June 11th, 10:41 A.M.

I sat in the target training room, my rifle and helmet on the ground beside me. As I brushed my fingers through my short, albeit abundant hair, I mumbled, "Big brother sure is taking a while to get here,"

Another, feminine voice rang through my head. "He's finally here, huh?"

A miniature figure materialized in front of me, hovering by my face. Both her skin and hair were pale like the dawning sun's rays, and her whitened strands were long and plentiful, almost like a group of beautiful, tied ribbons, waving in a soft breeze. Her clothes were also completely of white, a recurring theme of my PartNet, Angela. I had just received her this year, and her kind, helpful personality proved to make her an excellent PartNet and friend.

"Yes, he's here. I'm going to help him with target practice. How about talking to Dawn about shooting techniques?"

She nodded softly and complied, before gracefully bowing and disappearing, her hologram dissipating into flurries of blue data.

Kirisaki finally materialized in front of me, standing with his normal slouch. Big brother's armor was deep red, crimson just like human blood. He had never bothered to customize its appearance, preferring the basic cylindrical armored sections and flat, one-part chest-piece. The jumpsuit under his armor was also drab and bland, a simple, midnight black. His helmet, however, was decorated with four, blade-shaped fins – two on his forehead, and two by his ears – all pointed up and backwards, while a cyan visor covered his eyes. Yet despite its sky like appearance, I could still discern his emerald eyes.

I leapt from my seat and embraced him, exclaiming, "Yay! Big brother, you're here!"

With his usual, emotionless expression, he patted my hair, and despite the jumpsuit material covering his hands, I could feel the warmth in his fingers. As we broke away from the hug, I grabbed my helmet and rifle, covering my head and arming myself while saying, "C'mon! Let's get started on some target practice!" Because it was summer vacation, Kirisaki had loads of free time on his hands. He planned to use this summer in order to become a better Cyber-Battler in order to fulfill some sort of promise he had made when he was younger. I never knew the details, but as his sister, how could I have refused?

"But Natalie, I'm terrible at shooting," he said, frowning. "You know how much I miss!" He was beating himself down…again.

I frowned at him and lightly tapped his visor with my free, left hand, saying, "Oh, c'mon! You shoot fine! And you just need some practice! Now come on, just shoot that target!" As I pointed to a random target thirty meters away, he sighed, and raised his right arm. Kirisaki's external armor had no physical weapons, yet his armaments were configured in perhaps the most unorthodox, unusual method. He opened his right hand partially, and a glowing, pink sphere formed in his palm. He took a deep breath and focused, looking down his straightened arm and through his open fingers…and fired.

Fre-sat. A single pink, arrowhead-shaped bolt leapt straight from the orb, glowing just like its origin, soaring towards the white plate…and impacting directly to the right of the target. Boom. It dissipated instantly as it collided with the wall, and left behind a burn upon the surface. Kirisaki grimaced.

The main customization he had applied to his armor was his weapons systems. Both of his hands could generate the pink, glowing orb, which he had named: Sunset Striker. The Striker functioned as a long-range firearm, firing beam bolts, and a close-combat weapon, able to generate a sword-like beam blade.

I laughed at his comical expression, and softly assured him, "It's ok. Just try again!"

He nodded, and once again, fired the Sunset Striker. Fre-sat. Boom. Another miss.

His face fell, but I shook my head. "Don't give up yet! C'mon, try this – take a deep breath right before shooting, and don't blink!"

"Deep breath…don't…blink…" I heard him mutter under his breath.

Fre-sat. S-kar. Kirisaki stared in disbelief as the bolt crashed into the target, and watched it disappear as it was broken down on the molecular level.

"Yay! Big brother, you did it!" I leapt around joyfully, shouting and congratulating Kirisaki on his accomplishment.