I woke up in a forest. Just outside of the conference in Millenial City, formerly known as Chicago. I was supposed to be at the conference to meet the Medina for my new unit, Hill Grove, the most advanced, and deadliest unit in the world. In fact, Hill Grove isn't even a base it's just a town but it's the inhabitants of the said town that make it so dangerous. I was one of few selected to join the unit after it's establishment. Hill Grove has only had three recruits since it's inception about five years back and transformed itself into a global power.

But now I'm lost. I was just outside Millennium Tower on my way to the conference when I ended up here. Lost. In the woods.

I checked my surroundings to search for Millenial City where I see a broken Millennium Tower. The once imposing spire, a center of the world, shattered. It's once glorious spiral design celebrating the end of the third millennium and the advances of human culture and technology. Shattered. The beautiful tower broken in two only held together by a single beam of steel.

I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran.

My family was there. My friends were there. My future was there.

I wasn't allowed to use it here so I had to run. I finally reached the gates of the city.

The sky was red. The entire city in ruins. I walked around to find the city abandoned except for a couple of lifeless bodies scattered around. Their faces in shock. They were just ordinary citizens. Those that we promised to protect. I had lost all hope of finding other people.

I walked dejectedly toward Millennium Tower. The once lively streets filled were now desolate and empty, filled with piles of crashed vehicles, the unkempt stalls of street vendors, stores filled with merchandise but emptier than ever before.

There I spotted him. A young boy. He looked to be about 10 years old. With beautiful brown skin and midnight blue hair. His eyes closed. Upon the right side of his head, there was a circular piece of equipment. It looked almost ethereal. A blue light emanating from it.

I walked up to him entranced by the boy's beauty pitying his death to find that he was breathing.

I picked him up and walked into Millennium Tower with the boy. Unknowingly entwining my fate with his.