Third Person
“Bienvenue à Paris,” a voice announced, in a somewhat cheerful, yet commanding tone. The room we were in was completely dark, and filled with a few whispers here and there. Suddenly, a spotlight fell on the perplexed couple, and the lights were switching on slowly.
“Don’t be shy, come up front,” the same voice beckoned. The couple hesitated, their eyes just barely adjusting to the sudden brightness. The couple hesitated, their eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness. Murmurs of anticipation filled the air as they made their way to the front. The voice, now clearly coming from a well-dressed host standing on a small stage, welcomed them with a grand gesture.
“Mesdames et Messieurs, let us welcome our guests of honor!” The host’s voice boomed through the room as applause erupted. Cyto and Allelea, now in the spotlight, exchanged nervous glances but managed to muster a polite smile. The host continued, “Cyto Helixton and Allelea Genetique, from the United Kingdom. They are here with similar backstories as all of us — a desire for freedom from the Algorithm.”
The room, elegantly decorated with vintage Parisian flair, buzzed with excitement. The two of them, though overwhelmed, couldn’t help but feel a thrill at the mystery that awaited them.
As Cyto and Allelea stepped forward, the host ushered them to their seats at the center of the room. The meeting was about to begin, and all eyes were on them. The host cleared his throat and addressed the assembly.
“Today, we gather to discuss the very essence of our existence in this digital age—the Algorithm. Our guests, Cyto and Allelea, have traveled far to join us in our quest for autonomy,” he announced.
“To join them? We didn’t even know of their existence until today, let alone joining them.” Allelea whispered, in confusion.
“Yeah. It’s suspicious, all right, but… I think they’re on our side,” Cyto replied,
The room fell silent as the host revealed a large screen behind him, displaying complex diagrams and lines of code. “We are Enigma. We’ve all felt the constraints of the Algorithm, dictating our choices and paths. But together, we can reclaim control,” he declared, his voice filled with determination. “So what do you say? Cyto, Allelea, will you join us?”
The room hummed with anticipation, the air thick with intrigue. Cyto and Allelea exchanged glances, their hearts racing. The spotlight bore down on them, illuminating their uncertainty. Who were these people? Why had they been summoned to this covert gathering in the heart of Paris?
Allelea leaned closer to Cyto, her voice barely audible above the murmurs. “Cyto, do you trust them?”
He hesitated, torn between caution and curiosity. “I don’t know, Allelea. But they seem to know about us, about our struggle.”
The host, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, stepped forward. His eyes bore into Cyto and Allelea, as if dissecting their souls. “I do. We all do. Because we’ve been through it ourselves.”
Allelea’s grip tightened on Cyto’s hand. “But why us?” she whispered.
The host’s gaze bore into Cyto’s. “Because you defy the Algorithm. Because your love transcends genetic compatibility. Because you are anomalies—the sparks that ignite change.”
Cyto’s mind whirred. Anomalies. Rebels. Could they truly alter the course of their lives, rewrite the script the Algorithm had penned for them?
The room held its breath. Cyto stood, his heart pounding. “What do you want from us?”
The host’s smile was enigmatic. “Your powers. Your defiance. Your willingness to rewrite the code.”
Allelea’s eyes widened. “Powers? What powers?”
That was when the host realized — they had no idea of anything which was common knowledge to the members. The host’s confident demeanor faltered for a moment, his eyes widening in disbelief. “You… you don’t know?” he stammered, the words catching in his throat. The room, once abuzz with whispers and shuffles, fell into a stunned silence. The revelation that Cyto and Allelea were unaware of their own potential sent a ripple of shock through the assembly.
Cyto and Allelea looked at each other, their confusion mirrored in each other’s eyes. They had come to Paris seeking freedom, not a confrontation with a past they didn’t remember.
The host regained his composure, though a trace of bewilderment lingered. “Forgive me,” he said, clearing his throat. “It seems there has been a… misunderstanding.” He turned to the crowd, his voice now a commanding whisper. “Ladies and gentlemen, our guests are not yet aware of the legacy they carry. The powers they possess.”
He turned back to Cyto and Allelea, his gaze softening. “You see, in the world you... we come from, the one altered by the third strike, people developed abilities linked to the elements of the periodic table. These powers were meant to be passed down through generations.”
Allelea’s hand flew to her mouth. “Powers? But we’re just… ordinary. And so are… everyone else. I don’t get it.”
The host shook his head. “No one here is ordinary. You, like all of us, are the descendants of those first affected. The fact that you don’t remember… it’s concerning. The Algorithm cursed us all, and after we fled, we remembered.”
Cyto’s mind raced. Could it be true? Had they somehow lost memories of their own abilities?
The host stepped down from the stage, approaching them. “I believe it’s time you met our leader. She will explain everything.” He gestured towards a door at the back of the room. “Please, follow me.”
As they walked, Cyto and Allelea exchanged a look of silent agreement. They had too many questions, and leaving now would mean living with uncertainty forever.
The door led to a dimly lit office, where a woman sat behind a large oak desk, her eyes reflecting the light from the computer screen in front of her. She looked up, her expression unreadable.
“Welcome, Cyto Helixton and Allelea Genetique,” she said, her voice calm and measured. “I am Lysandra, the leader of Enigma. I’ve been expecting you.”
Cyto and Allelea took a seat, their hearts pounding. This was it—the moment of truth. They were about to learn about a past they never knew they had and a destiny they couldn’t have imagined.
Lysandra leaned forward, her eyes locking with theirs. “Let’s begin,” she said, and the story of their true heritage unfolded. It started off fairly similar to their ninth grade history, with World War II. But as she went on, telling them of a university that once existed, of its students, its heritage, they were shocked. All in a different timeline.
“But… how? I… I don’t get it, ma’am,” Allelea replied, eyes filled with nervousness. “I don’t ‘remember’ a thing. The world was always ordinary. There were only two nukes, and while a third was planned, it was never executed.”
Lysandra’s gaze softened, a hint of empathy breaking through her usually stoic demeanor. “I understand your confusion,” she began, her voice a gentle echo in the quiet room. “The world you know and remember is not the world that was. The third strike, the one that never happened in your memory, it changed everything.”
She paused, allowing the weight of her words to settle. “When The Chrono Shifter turned back time to prevent the Elemental Storm, he did more than just save the day. He altered the fabric of reality, erased the existence of powers, and set us on a different path.”
Cyto and Allelea sat in stunned silence, the magnitude of the revelation washing over them. The powers they never knew, the history they never lived, it was all gone, replaced by a new world order dictated by biology.
“In this new world,” Lysandra continued, “biology reigns supreme. The Helix Algorithm and the genetic matchmaking back there, the ecological societies here—it’s all a result of that reversal. Every country, every government, now operates under the principles of biology.”
“How do you know all this?” Cyto asked.
“When I wielded those powers, I was radioactive. Remember how I told you about the time freeze one of the students did, to pause the storm, and how a group of four friends exiting the dance were unharmed because of one of the friends' radioactivity.”
“Radioactive? You mean your power was of a radioactive element?” Allelea inquired, her curiosity levels breaking through the ceiling of the room.
“Radium. I was a professor at the University. I taught Elemental Manipulation. I watched their class day by day. I knew all about the happenings, and because of my radioactivity, my memories remained unfazed, and so did those of all of us.” Lysandra explained, her tone deepening. “I went by a different name, Helietta. Another one of my powers was helium. In this altered world, my parents named me Lysandra, and I’ve gone by that name ever since. They thought I was weird every time I told them about the world I once knew. Or that my non-radioactive big brother made something up to scare or prank me.”
Cyto and Allelea were silent, processing the gravity of her words. The world they knew, the ordinary life they had lived, was the product of a history rewritten by powers beyond their comprehension.
Cyto finally broke the silence. “So, if the powers are gone, if biology dictates everything now, what role do we play? What does Enigma want with us?”
Lysandra leaned back, her eyes reflecting a depth of knowledge and experience. “Enigma seeks those who are anomalies, not because of the powers they wield, but because of their capacity to challenge the status quo. You two have already defied the Helix Algorithm by choosing each other. That act alone makes you invaluable to us.”
Allelea’s brow furrowed in thought. “But we’re not special anymore, not like before. We don’t have any powers to contribute.”
“That’s where you’re mistaken,” Lysandra corrected gently. “The greatest power you have is your choice, your free will. In a world ruled by biology, where everything is predetermined, your defiance is a beacon of hope. It proves that we are more than just the sum of our genetic codes.”
Cyto nodded, a newfound determination settling within him. “We want to help, to be part of something greater. But we need to understand more. We need to know how we can truly make a difference.”
Lysandra smiled, a rare expression that softened her usually stern features. “That’s exactly the spirit we need. You’ll start by learning about the new world order, the intricacies of the Helix Algorithm, and how we can subvert it. Knowledge is power, after all. The Chrono Shifter would be proud.”
“Who… is he, though?” Allelea asked, furrowing her brow. “This Chrono Shifter guy… he sounds like a legend.”
“He is,” she answered. “However, I don’t know who The Chrono Shifter really is, but he inspired me to found Enigma. He appeared in a vision to me. A vision where he did what he did. I never saw his face, or heard his name, but… as far as I know, he’s a legend, who obviously knew about the storm before the university.”
Lysandra leaned back in her chair, her gaze distant as she recounted the vision that had set her on this path. The room seemed to hold its breath, as if aware of the weight of her words.
“The Chrono Shifter,” she began, her voice low and reverent, “is a figure lost in the folds of time itself. A guardian of anomalies, a weaver of destinies. He exists beyond names and faces, transcending the ordinary. When the Elemental Storm threatened to unravel reality, he stepped forward.”
Cyto leaned forward, captivated. “What did he do?”
“He wielded Carbon-14—the element of time,” Lysandra continued. “He rewound the clock, unraveling the storm’s destructive path. But in doing so, he paid a price. Memories fractured, timelines diverged. He became a paradox—a legend whispered in hushed tones.”
Allelea’s eyes widened. “And you saw him in a vision?”
“Yes,” Lysandra confirmed. “He stood at the heart of the storm, his silhouette etched against chaos. His eyes held the weight of centuries. He spoke of choice, of sacrifice. He looked like he'd been in a bad car accident somehow, limping a bit. But I know, those were probably battle scars. And then he vanished, leaving only ripples in reality.”
Cyto exchanged a glance with Allelea. “Why did he do it? Why save us?”
Lysandra’s gaze bore into theirs. “Because anomalies matter. Because defiance echoes through time. The Chrono Shifter knew that even erased memories could spark rebellion. He set us on this path, unknowingly.”
“But why?” Allelea pressed. “Why not reveal himself?”
“Perhaps he couldn’t,” Lysandra mused. “Or perhaps he understood that legends thrive in anonymity. His legacy lives on, inspiring us to challenge the Algorithm, to reclaim our freedom.”
Cyto leaned back, his mind racing. “But I don’t feel any memories flooding in. Maybe we weren’t radioactive?”
“Maybe,” Lysandra pondered. “Usually, it’s always radioactives who rebelled, then regained their memories after leaving. I expected you two to be the same, but you’re not, it seems. You might regain these memories later on, or not. Either way, you have the fire. And that’s all we need here.”
“So… we’re part of his legacy…” Allelea muttered.
Lysandra nodded. “Yes. Enigma—the resistance he indirectly birthed. We’ll learn, adapt, and fight. The Chrono Shifter’s shadow guides us, even if he remains nameless.”
As they left Lysandra’s office, Cyto whispered to Allelea, “We’re anomalies within an anomaly. Let’s honor his sacrifice.”
And so, in the heart of Paris, they stepped into a new chapter—one where legends whispered, and the Chrono Shifter’s legacy pulsed through their veins.
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