The sky was no longer blue.
It hadn't been for years.
A thick layer of grey smoke covered the atmosphere, blocking sunlight and turning every day into a dull, lifeless shadow of what Earth once was. Cities that were once full of life now struggled to survive. Lights flickered constantly, machines failed without warning, and power cuts had become a part of daily life. Energy—the very thing that kept the world running—was running out.
People called it "The Last Crisis."
But no one knew how close the end really was.
In the middle of one such city stood a crumbling apartment building, where sixteen-year-old Ayan lived with his mother. His room was small, filled with broken gadgets, wires, and half-working machines he had built himself. Unlike others, Ayan didn't just complain about the problem—he tried to understand it.
At that moment, he was working on a small energy device, his hands moving quickly despite the dim light.
"Come on… just work…" he muttered.
The device sparked suddenly, flickered for a second—
—and then died.
Ayan leaned back, frustrated. "Again?!"
Before he could try again, the entire room went dark.
Another power cut.
"AYAN!" his mother called from outside. "Electricity is gone again!"
"I know!" he shouted back, annoyed.
He stood up and walked to the window. Outside, the entire city was covered in darkness. Only a few buildings had backup power, glowing weakly like dying stars. Sirens echoed in the distance. Somewhere, people were shouting.
This wasn't normal anymore.
This was collapse.
Suddenly, his old radio on the table crackled to life on its own.
Ayan turned sharply. "What the—?"
The radio hadn't worked for months.
Static filled the room, followed by a broken voice.
"…Emergency broadcast… energy reserves at critical level… scientists warn… less than thirty days remaining…"
Ayan's eyes widened.
Thirty days?
That meant the world wasn't just struggling.
It was ending.
The signal cut abruptly, leaving the room in silence.
For a moment, Ayan just stood there, his mind racing. Then something inside him shifted—not fear, not panic, but determination.
"There has to be a way," he said quietly.
Just then, his phone vibrated.
A message.
From his best friend, Rudra.
"BRO COME FAST. I FOUND SOMETHING CRAZY."
Ayan frowned. "Now what…"
Another message came instantly.
"SECRET LAB. UNDERGROUND. NOT JOKING. HURRY."
Ayan's curiosity sparked instantly. Rudra was many things—funny, reckless, sometimes stupid—but he never sounded this serious unless it was something big.
Without wasting time, Ayan grabbed his jacket and rushed out.
The streets outside were chaotic. People argued, vehicles were stuck, and emergency alarms kept ringing. But Ayan didn't stop. He ran through narrow lanes and broken roads until he reached an abandoned industrial zone at the edge of the city.
There, near a rusted gate, stood Rudra.
Breathing fast, eyes wide with excitement.
"Took you long enough!" Rudra said.
Ayan looked around. "Why did you call me here? This place is dead."
Rudra grinned. "Exactly. That's why no one knows about THIS."
He pointed toward the ground.
At first, Ayan saw nothing.
Then he noticed it.
A metal door… slightly open… hidden under debris.
Ayan stepped closer. Cold air flowed out from below.
"What is this?" he asked.
Rudra lowered his voice. "I think… it's a secret government lab."
Ayan's heartbeat quickened.
"Let's go down," Rudra said.
Ayan hesitated for a second. Something about this felt… different. Bigger than anything they had ever done.
But then he remembered the radio.
Thirty days.
Without another word, he nodded.
They slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Darkness swallowed them.
As they walked deeper, faint blue lights flickered on automatically, guiding their path through a long underground tunnel. The air was cold, mechanical… unnatural.
At the end of the tunnel, they reached a massive chamber.
And what they saw…
made them freeze.
In the center of the room stood a gigantic circular machine, glowing with strange blue energy. Symbols unknown to Earth rotated around it. The air vibrated with power.
Ayan whispered, "What… is that?"
Rudra smiled nervously. "I think… it's not from Earth."
Before Ayan could respond—
The machine suddenly activated.
A loud hum filled the chamber.
Energy surged violently.
And then—
A bright beam shot upward, tearing open the air itself.
A crack appeared in reality.
A portal.
Wind rushed out, pulling everything toward it. The ground shook violently.
Ayan tried to step back—but it was too late.
The force dragged him forward.
"AARAV—!" Rudra shouted, grabbing his hand.
But the pull was too strong.
In a flash of blinding light—
They were pulled into the portal.
And the world behind them disappeared.