Creation's Parallel

Prologue

(so nobody is gonna call me out on the fact i mixed pro and epilogue huh)

The city streets are constantly filled with the blaring noise of cars, chattering of people, and other sounds that give off evidence that nothing is really ever calm. The mornings are just as loud as the nights that follow; giving the obvious implication of restlessness and the motivation to continue to push forward, even if it meant at the expense of others.

Even if it meant at the expense of their own lives as well.

This is Epoka - the City Untouched by Strife, as people have called it. Epoka, even after what the world had gone through, it remains to be unfazed by its struggle. Where once great cities crumbled, Epoka stands the tests of time and never ceases to advance further. From the psionic competitions to its various amounts of educational institutions regarded as the highest, to the high-rise buildings that stretch out to the heavens, and to its advantage being the most advanced compared to the rest of the world, it is no surprise that the citizens think highly of themselves. Too highly.

-

A pink-haired girl trudges through the sidewalks of a more loosely populated part of Epoka. From the way she limps and the arm holding the other, there is evidence that she recently came out of a severe battle. The only uncovered eye glares ahead, however her weakness starts to creep up onto her, and she finds herself on one knee. The girl opens her mouth but does not make any noise, as if she is restraining herself from yelling in pain. However, she soon winces, not wanting to draw attention but not wanting to hold in the stress of her injuries.
I'm such an idiot, the voice in her head constantly mocks her. Why am I still here? Nobody is acknowledging her presence. They all sidestep away from her as they continue to move on to wherever they need to go. Holding back tears, the girl picks herself up as she slowly limps away from the spot.

-

Hiding within the cramped alleyways of Epoka, a changeling lets out an exhale as they start to change back into their true form. They look down to their hands as they slide down the side of a large garbage disposal. It's getting late, and they have to keep this ruse up for as long as possible. If they get caught, then...
No! They shake the horrifying thought out of their head. Nothing is going to happen. Just think of a good senario... None of these kinds of situations. You've pulled this act for a long time now, and you are not a changeling! You are an ordinary student at the University of Epoka! As such, you will be identified and recognized as one, and not some... unusual creature people have twisted into fiends that seek to take the identities of others to ruin their lives...! They constantly try to reassure themselves that nothing will go wrong, but the more they think about it, the more dread starts to pile up on them. They clutch their head tightly as they feel themselves morph into the form of the person they've been for a while, and stood from their spot to burst out of the alleyway and into the bustling nightly traffic of people and cars.

-

The drives at night never fail to soothe a young tiefling man, though it is time for him to rest up for tomorrow. He has no roof under his head, aside from his own car that he managed to get some time ago with quick wits and the typical sleight of hand. He brought nothing from his home except for an umbrella and a laptop - a mistake on his part for not bringing anything else. The back seats of his car are overtaken by a mattress as a makeshift bed, where most of his ill-earned belongings are strewn across the filthy surface, with no evidence of neatness. He promises himself every single day that he'll give these back to their rightful owners, but for him, it's too early to know when he'll give them back.
Stretching out his arms and letting out a yawn, he allows the windows of his car to open up a bit as he squirms from the driver's seat to the back, the cramped space and his kind's horned heads not even close to helping him. He plops onto the mattress, moving some of the items aside as he feels his consciousness start to drift away.

-

11:38 P.M.

A young half-elf woman walks out of a building found in the outskirts of Epoka. Though she finds a few blood on her arms and on her rapier that she now conceals, she seems to be unfazed by it. Opening her bag, the girl laughs as she examines a bunch of diamonds and miscellaneous expensive objects, closing it before anyone could notice. She has no time to find a nearby store to pawn her goods for cash, and insists on doing it first thing in the morning. For now, her only task in mind is to head back home. She wipes the blood off her arms as she heads towards the nearest subway station.
The subway rides at night are filled to the brim with unusual people, whose nocturnal demeanor bring with them ominous premonitions. The girl thought nothing of them, but kept her bag close to her form, paranoid of the senarios that could arise from her carrying valuable objects. She notices a pink-haired girl with bandages wrapped around her left eye and right arm. From the looks of it, she seems to have come out of a fight, judging by how her body language indicates that she is wincing from the pains she sustained from the conflict the half-elf girl could care little about. She then looks away from the girl, and decides not to make any confrontational movements towards her. Any movement, to be exact. Not when it's this late at night.

-

Night eventually wanes as the light of dawn gives way to morning...

...And marks the first day of the end.