project:z-core (eng)

chapter-1 Project:Z-Core

Chapter 1: Project Z-Core

The year was 2100. A sunny afternoon blanketed the city, where life seemed ordinary, but in the homes of ten children who were about to become part of something far bigger than themselves, something unusual lingered in the air-something no one could yet understand.

Ethan, a three-year-old boy with curious eyes, was playing with building blocks. Every movement was unnervingly precise, as if he planned each step in his mind before touching the blocks.

Next to him, Aria, his peer, laughed while trying to catch a small flying toy drone above the table.

"Ethan, you're going to win again!" she shouted, trying to peek at his creation.
"Not yet... not until I say so," he replied with a small, confident smile, adjusting a block.

Little did their parents know, their children were being watched. Satellites operated by Z-0 scanned Earth, searching for the "perfect ten." Each child was evaluated for powers, compatibility, and potential.

In a sleek, sterile building of Z-0, scientists analyzed the data. On a huge screen, genetic patterns and energy signatures flickered.

"We've selected them. Ten children," said the Director, a man whose face was partly in shadow.
"They're ready to begin Project Z-Core. Assigned numbers reflect compatibility: 01 is the strongest, 10 the weakest," a scientist added.

Ethan was 01, Aria 02, Iris 03, and so on, down to 10, Liam.

"Remember, this is for their own good," the Director said, his finger tracing the glowing data. "We want humanity's future to be safe... because of them."

But in his eyes, there was something cold, something unreadable.

Two weeks later, the lights went out in the homes of the ten children. Parents suddenly forgot about their children.

Agents from Z-0 moved silently.
"Calm down, kids," one said, lifting Ethan into his arms. "Everything will be safe."

Parents watched, confused, trying to ask what was happening, but the memories of their children vanished. Traces of the children disappeared.

Meanwhile, on the spaceship Ether-10, the children fell into deep sleep. Before they could understand what was happening, their memories were wiped.

Two years later, now 8-9 years old, the children slowly awakened. Each had an assigned number, and the first flickers of powers began to emerge.

"Where... am I?" Mira asked, looking around the sterile interior of the ship.
"Ether-10..." muttered Liam, immediately analyzing everything in sight.

Each child tested their abilities. Ethan felt strange energy coursing through him, but it had not yet fully awakened. Aria felt vibrations in the air as she lightly moved her hand.

Kyler, mischievous as ever, leaped across the room, testing his speed.
"Look! I can cross the cabin in a single second!" he laughed.
"Kyler... focus," Aria scolded, though she couldn't hide a smile.

Ethan looked at her and felt... something strange. Warmth. He didn't yet understand that it was the beginning of a feeling that would grow stronger over time.

When the ship finally landed on the planet Z-Core, the children were 9 years old. The laboratory was enormous, filled with training halls, classrooms, and rooms designed to feel like home.

"01, 02..." the scientist began. "This will be your place. Training begins tomorrow."

The children quickly realized that life here wasn't only lessons and exercises. It was a school... and a prison at the same time.

"Ethan... do you want to train with us?" Aria asked, holding his hand as if seeking comfort.
"Yes... if you come with me," he replied, feeling something he didn't understand.

Kyler approached Ethan with a smirk.
"Hey, 01, you really think you can keep up?" he teased.
"I... don't know," Ethan said, glancing at Aria, who quietly squeezed his hand.

Five years later, at 14-15 years old, the training had become intense. The training hall reverberated with the sounds of powerful strikes and energy blasts.

Suddenly, an alarm blared throughout the laboratory. On all screens appeared the word: WARNING.

"What's happening?" Mira shouted, staring at a monitor.
"I don't know, but the scientists... they're running!" Leo yelled, watching panic spread among the staff.

The children, terrified, had to hide as the Kathor, a massive alien predator, began searching the laboratory. Some scientists were killed, the rest disappeared.

Ethan looked at Aria.
"We have to survive... together."
"Together..." Aria repeated, sensing that it was no longer just about survival, but something more.

After half an hour of hiding, the children reached the main operations room. The doors were locked. After a tense moment, they managed to restore power and unlock the system.

On the screens were recordings from Earth. The children learned that a thousand years had passed since their birth, and humans now lived in domed cities, in very small numbers.

"This... is our planet?" Iris asked, staring at the altered landscape.
"But... our ship isn't here..." Liam added.

Ethan looked at Aria and realized that now it was no longer only about surviva