“Strange phenomenon occurring at multiple coasts around the world—the tides of the ocean are pulling themselves away from shore—”

“—On this 10 year anniversary of the end of a saga in the Forever World War, people ranging from religious faith to respected scientific men are discussing the same question: did the A-Bomb lead us to this very strange, very weird time—"

“A MASS OF WHITE, AN ENTIRE WAVE OF SPACE ENERGY, HAS JUST CONSUMED THE COAST OF SINGAPORE! WE WILL UPDATE AS WE CAN, FOLKS—”

“—Do not adjust your sets! This is not an airing of the Twilight Zone! This is not a stunt, these are real, breathing monsters that have just emerged from the goo--!”

“—The rampage that was captured on live camera ended up claiming everyone’s lives—including our own Ace Garland. Out of respect and the last shreds of humanity we are holding dear; we will not air the terrible footage… Y-you wouldn’t…”

“For the first time, we are seeing the effects that these Shifts have—on our fallen cities that were taken by them—see, there, the structure of the entire town has folded into itself—MY GOD, IT’S CAUSING ANOTHER SHIFT, I REPEAT—ANOTHER SHIFT HAS MANIFEST—WE GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE--!”

“They’re becoming more and more frequent… We have no idea what to do… We have no earthly idea what to do… This isn’t something man can ever overcome…”

“—Multiple governments, who were just sworn enemies’ years prior or even sworn enemies until Hell froze over, are pledging their alliance for the sake of humanity, and to combat the Shift Noumena—"

“No one seems to be able to stop—much less learn about this terrible, emerging threat. Many researchers, even the dealers of the fringe, has had multiple cases of either mental breakdowns or reached their mental limitation to the point of passing out. Our greatest minds are being told, stay away—"

“As if these terrors weren’t enough, apparently reports of a man in Spain that has the ability to refuse death—"

“After 20 years of losing our minds to the Shift Noumena—it seems that we have a magical savant in the name of Dr. Gia Taber—who we have no identity of other than name, this out-of-date photo and her prior qualifications—and it seems it’ll stay that way, as she has stated to officials all over, there’s no one who has suffered from the Shifts like she has. Very bold declaration indeed.”

“—Between the long-in-development Horizons space mission, along with Dr. Taber’s cracking of the Shift Noumena, humanity might have a chance yet in rehabilitation—”

“A new development in the Noumena’s complexity—Dr. Taber has announced the concept of siVis; unrelated to the Shifts—it didn’t come from it necessarily, but it’s presence has unlocked it within all of us—you and me—and it finally solves the question of Samson, the Undying Man all those years ago… Dr. Taber was there, present when he gained this ability—”

“We are live at Jason Pike High—or what’s left of it, as a 17 year old Cassie Morgan has boiled the entire building and it’s people alive—claiming it was an incident as she runs away—making more of these siVis Trends less and less urban legends, and the disturbing implications all of them real—"

“—As the cases for siVis grow more rampant amongst teens like Nathan Fuuki and Cassie Morgan; we are already seeing the effects on what many experts are calling, ‘the new Lost Generation’—”

“The Horizons mission has failed. Our last chance, to escape this slowly turning world into space—has been swallowed up. The Shifts, just doesn’t affect us.”

“—We are here after the decision—as every leader of human civilization has agreed to a limited abdication of government, until we figure out how to combat these Shifts and band together as one—"

“Sierra Bolton, a mother of six children and simple office worker, is confirmed to be behind the spiriting away of an entire train car—developing a siVis ability there and then due to what is assumed worry about her children’s future, gaining a power to disappear—debates are now breaking out across the fractured world on the responsibility of siVis use, and on the people they leave behind—”

“We have finally seen the Good Doctor, the Modern Mother, here in the flesh… Her entire body, warped by the subject she gave her live in studying to better us… If the scope of this crisis wasn’t apparent, it is now as we see her struggle towards—"

“DR. TABER HAS DIED—DR. TABER HAS DIED LIVE ON TELEVISION—CUT THE FEEDS! PLEASE, JUST CUT THE FE--"

“All it does is paint a stark picture… As much as we try, the brush is lost in a sea of the darkest black that was a combination of other colors. Whatever we do now, we’re only just spreading it across what we worked hard to create before. It’s all ruined.”

Jackie’s neck was quickly grabbed, being pulled out of the quagmire of news clips, audio, and archive footage.

“WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO YOURSELF? YOU KNOW HAVING THIS CONSTANTLY IN YOUR HEAD IS KILLING YOU FROM THE INSIDE OUT—IF THEY COULDN’T KEEP THINGS STRAIGHT AS IT HAPPENED, WHAT MAKES YOU SO SPECIAL?!”

Jackie had her eyes closed, as soon as the grip fastened around her neck. She struggled to open them.

It was her. Just the other half.

Literally spilt down the middle.

Who has been scarred, and warped. Defeated, twisted apathetic. A lanky, pale, hateful thing that screamed every single word.

“IF YOU LEARNED YOUR LESSON, YOU WOULDN’T BE HERE RIGHT NOW—IF YOU LEARNED YOUR LESSON, YOU’LL ACTUALLY REMEMBER THAT YOU WANTED TO USE THIS CURSE TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. BUT NOOO—YOU WANT GLORY!”

Jackie was dragged forward, sweating and fearful.

“YOU WANNA BE AN EXAMPLE? YOU WANT GLORY? THEN STAND IN PLACE MORE THAN THREE SECONDS AND GET HIT BY SOMETHING SO YOU CAN BE A MARTYR! OTHERWISE, YOU’RE FUCKED AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE FUCKED--!”

***

Jackie was slapped awake, being awoken by a panicked Maddie.

“Hey—déjà vu I know—but we gotta get outta here—” she whispered, pointed to her right.

Jackie jerked her head towards, and then gulped.

Extant Researchers and Extant Enforcers. Men looking like they came from a mock 50’s horror—bulk and clunky hazmat suits that were comprised of rectangle body, trapezoid helmet, and super hi-tech, three fingered gauntlets that they raised to scan the environment.

The Enforcers were decked in an egg-shell white, top heavy battle suit. Heavily technological, there were no soft edges in the slightest according to design. The main attraction being the massive hood on the back, their systems packed into it.

And three Enforcers and two Researchers, were entering the Mall.

With only the girls inside of it, within the crater.

Jackie scrambled to her feet, seeing that the others were already standing sans Maddie who was bent down.

They booked it.

They ran past the ruin, the warped “lobby” of a destroyed Mall, climbing out of the crater and darting past the ripped up ad blocks, flipped over show cars and busted open stores.

The elongated halls, walls battered in the aftermath of powers.

They saw a storage entrance, wipe open. They took the chance and rushed into it.

The lights were yellow, the walls and ground brown, and they ran down the stairs, and down the tunnels.

They ran. And ran. And ran.

Ran until their legs finally gave out. And refused any further.

Jackie found herself on her hands and knees, panting and looking down at a puddle.

She only just noticed that her own arm, the one she uses to punch the most, felt numb and swollen, the sensations of asphalt so far away on that palm.

What happened? What happened…?

Then it clicked.

She remembered.

She was taken into her Mindscape and relieved her memories.

Rushing in, sailing in the air as she got close to N’atural.

She didn’t even look at her.

The monster girl just slapped her away, causing her to crash onto the ground and landed on impact.

The reality, painfully settled in.

She fell onto her back, and covered her face.

She screamed, as her hands muffled it and her body pitifully shook about. In anger. In anguish. In pain.

In fear, again.