This Chapter is the prologue. You may skip it if you wish, but I recommend reading it. It's quite engaging and won't take much of your time.
---
In a world filled with dirt,
Being stupid is a privilege, while the smart must exert.
A certain scientist stumbled upon a theory;
Something so intriguing, yet shrouded in mystery.
The "Prison Planet Theory."
At its core, the theory claims that the planet is nothing but a cosmic prison—a place where humans are trapped in an endless cycle of reincarnation.
When a person dies, their soul is wiped clean of memories, only to be reborn once again in this world, cursed to live a life with no purpose or true meaning.
Even though this notion was something most scientists would laugh at without giving it much thought, this particular scientist decided to delve into it, living up to the 'mad scientist' nickname given to him by his colleagues and the public.
And so, he began his search, driven by the need to uncover the truth, if any, buried beneath the hypothesis.
His perspective was always unique.
While others gazed at the stars, lost in wonder at what lay beyond, he walked the earth, following clues hidden beneath the vast blue sky.
As they built rockets to explore distant planets, he studied ancient texts, searching for forgotten wisdom from civilizations that spoke of worlds beyond their own.
While they mapped the stars with machines and science, he wandered through ruins, listening to the whispers of the past, believing the answers were closer than anyone realized.
And finally, after years of relentless effort, exhausting his resources, and dedicating his life, he found what he had been searching for.
Some might call it an invention, others a discovery, but those labels meant little in the grand scheme.
What truly mattered was that he had found a small tear in the fabric of the world, like a crack in the walls of a prison.
A rift leading to the other side of existence.
He had spent most of his life searching for this rift. Now that he had found it, he was determined to spend the rest of his journey exploring whatever lay beyond.
But before he could begin, there were two crucial questions he needed to answer, no matter the cost.
Yet, he never got the chance to find the answers, as things took an unexpected turn.
Not a single soul, not even the mad scientist himself, could understand when or why it started, but it all happened in an instant.
One moment, the sky was filled with countless streaks of light, zipping across the heavens like falling stars, leaving glowing trails behind.
The next, those trails crashed into the earth, vanishing in a blinding flash before the ground erupted with violent explosions.
This was it.
A world war was in the making.
And this time, it wasn't swords being wielded but humanity's deadliest weapons.
Nuclear warheads.
Until now, no one had ever doubted the destructive force of a single nuclear missile.
No one questioned what the detonation of thousands of them could unleash upon the planet.
But alas,
They were still forced to experience this catastrophe as their reality, as if proving what they already knew.
In a single night, cities were reduced to rubble, homes becoming tombs for their inhabitants.
Rivers and lakes vanished, leaving only deep craters in their place.
Forests turned into fiery graves, consuming the lives within.
The moment was hellish, and the aftermath was no kinder.
Governments fell, nations split, and order was completely destroyed. While some perished in the explosions, countless others fell in the years that followed, victims of hunger, lack of shelter, and the deadly diseases unleashed by radiation and chemical weapons that had tainted the land.
Humanity had brought its end upon itself. Yet, fortunately, hope had not been fully extinguished.
Humans have always been a species that learns from their mistakes, grows through challenges, and emerges from the ashes.
And this time was no different.
After many years, people began to emerge from their shelters. Among them, twelve stood out. They weren't just wise enough to build underground bunkers and survive the catastrophe. They also had the resources, influence, and leadership needed to begin rebuilding humanity.
In a world scarred by wounds and limited in resources, each of them claimed a territory for themselves. Using all the means at their disposal, they constructed shelter cities, restoring order and creating a place where humans could once again thrive in society.
Many years passed, and under the leadership of these individuals, who would later be known as the city managers, life on the planet gradually returned to a semblance of normal, though it was never quite the same as it had been before.
They built monuments everywhere, offering daily sermons to remind people of their past mistakes and vow never to repeat them.
But there was still something they had long since forgotten.
The once-famous mad scientist had vanished from the collective memory of the people, just as he had disappeared in the explosions that marked that fateful day.
No one truly knew what he had discovered, and no one had the chance to answer the two questions he had asked himself that day:
Is Earth truly a prison built to trap humanity for eternity?
And,
If Earth is indeed a prison for our souls, what choices or mistakes led us to be imprisoned here?
Until...