Naught to Null

In the depths of angular space, where time distorts and dimensions blend like overlapping layers of a fragile reality, Nullus and Iggy traversed hidden corridors—like interwoven spiderweb threads stretching through an infinite void. That place resembled a shattered oil painting; there was no sky to see nor ground to stand upon, only fragments of light and spectral remnants of conflicting timelines intertwining like faded dreams that never complete their image.

Amid this nothingness, both Iggy and Nolys were being pulled forward without ever feeling stable, as if their very existence was a thought caught between unfinished sentences. Nolys glanced at Iggy, who walked ahead with confident steps, as if this distorted world was familiar to him since time immemorial.

In a calm voice carrying the weight of experience, Iggy—who had taken the form of a black misty hound—spoke:

"This is the harsh geometric side of the universe, where time does not flow as humans perceive it, but instead follows incomprehensible paths beyond our understanding. Time, for my kin—the Tindalos—is a Euclidean geometric system of angles and curves; sharp angles conceal the secrets of both past and future, while curves flow smoothly like the stream of life in which humans dwell."

At that moment, the black mist surrounding them began to swirl to the right, merging with angular specters like shards of broken glass. Iggy continued his explanation in a cryptic tone:

"We are now in a corridor that connects various points in spacetime. Although the gateway to the primordial river of time is currently inaccessible to me—whether due to my weakened energy or a disruption in the system—it does exist. These temporal angles connect places unreachable by ordinary human means, yet they are unstable... If we lose focus, we might end up stranded in an era that belongs to no reality."

Nullus couldn't suppress his curiosity, so he shifted the topic, asking:

"Do you have any knowledge about this world? It might be useful to me… who knows."

Iggy paused as if recalling memories from his long imprisonment, then spoke with a hesitant tone:

"For twenty years, I was confined, and I heard scattered things that I never paid much attention to at the time, because I was certain that my escape would take me to a different era."

After a short silence, Iggy spoke again, this time with a contemplative tone, as if arranging his thoughts:

"The world has changed. After the three catastrophes, in the year 2012—just as the Mayans predicted—the world ended in the continent of Algrizma, formerly known as Africa. Nations collapsed one after another, and governments failed to contain what had happened due to ideological fragmentation and conflicts fueled by external forces—such as Novi Era, formerly known as America. And amidst the chaos that swept through Africa, the Organization emerged… or rather, it revealed itself."

Nullus looked at Iggy, his eyes full of inquiry:

"Does this mean that the Organization was operating in secret but was forced to reveal its existence because of these catastrophes?"

Iggy replied firmly:

"Yes. The first catastrophe began with a solar storm that humanity was unprepared for. Electricity grids failed, cities were plunged into suffocating darkness, and governments lost control. Then came the meteor…"

Iggy gazed into the surrounding void, as if reliving those painful moments:

"The meteor was not just an ordinary celestial rock; it carried something mysterious. When it crashed into the ocean, it triggered massive waves that drowned coastal regions. But the real problem wasn't the water—it was the virus that followed. Humans began to feel their bodies decay while they were still alive, as worms burst from within them, consuming them slowly."

The information poured into Nolys' mind like entangled streams of meaning, as if silent explosions scattered his understanding before reshaping it again. It wasn't just the absorption of a new reality; it was like trying to grasp water with his fingers—whenever he thought he had a firm hold on an idea, it slipped away into another, even more enigmatic one.

Inside him was a mixture of awareness and disorientation. The truths Iggy revealed were not merely events but a complete restructuring of the world as he knew it. It felt like a being had been pulled from its familiar dimension, only to realize that the rules it once understood were no longer valid. Reality seemed to shrink and expand within his mind, as if his thoughts were struggling to adapt to a perspective that had never been available to him before.

It wasn't fear, nor pure shock, but a fragile balance between cold astonishment and indifferent acceptance. Perhaps this was what one felt when realizing they were only a small piece of a story far greater than they had ever imagined. A feeling that wavered between awe and curiosity, between the desire to understand and the fear of a truth they had never sought.

Then Iggy continued, his voice tinged with a touch of sarcasm:

"After that, the Organization appeared and united nations under the banner of 'Science is Power.' No one knew where they came from, but they were prepared; they took control of Algrizma and rewrote everything according to their will. If not for the overwhelming power of Novi Era, they would have enslaved humanity. And it is said that their scientists are planning a global conquest within the next few years."

Nullus turned to Iggy, curiosity evident in his eyes:

"And what about Novi Era?"

Iggy smirked slightly, as if he had been waiting for this question for ages:

"Novi Era… It was once known as America. It is the last continent discovered by humanity, where the world's wealth flowed, quickly making it the strongest nation, especially after the discovery of…"

He paused briefly before continuing:

"The Primordial Energy—I don't know much about it, but what matters is that it was abundant in America. After the First and Second World Wars that shook the world, and with the third catastrophe, a policy of cultural and economic unity emerged, and thus Novi Era was born under the slogan 'Freedom is Power.' I don't know all the details, but it became the center of resistance against the Organization, where brutal human experiments were conducted, and the Mother Tree was utilized to its fullest potential."

Nullus tried to process all this information, then asked:

"But you didn't mention how humanity overcame the virus catastrophe, or what this Mother Tree is."

Iggy replied with a mocking tone:

"Ah, yes, yes… The Mother Tree!" He paused for a moment before adding:

"We have now arrived in Novi Era. I will explain the details once we get there."