LifeNet: The Price of Immortality

Chapter 1: Shadows Beneath the Neon Lights

The city shimmered, a labyrinth of lights and steel stretching as far as the eye could see. Towers reached into the sky, their tops wrapped in a foggy glow that softened the stark edges. Elara stood at the edge of an overlook, taking it all in, the distant hum of air trams slicing through the neon sky.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” a voice broke her thoughts.

She turned to see her friend, Nyx, leaning against the railing, a faint smirk on his face.

“It’s a distraction,” she replied. “It’s all meant to make people think this is paradise. Look at it—so perfect, so clean. And yet…”

“And yet?” Nyx raised an eyebrow, amused.

“And yet… it’s all just a shiny surface. Like wrapping a gift with nothing inside.” She shook her head, looking back at the city with narrowed eyes. “LifeNet built all of this. It’s their kingdom.”

Nyx chuckled, low and knowing. “LifeNet is a gift, Elara. You’re talking like one of those protestors. Do you really think everyone’s just lying to us?”

Elara turned to him, her eyes fierce. “Lying? Maybe not. But… there’s something. I don’t know what it is, but I feel it. Like we’re all being kept in the dark.”

Nyx shrugged. “You just don’t trust anyone, do you? Come on, Elara, you’ve had a chance to sign up. You’re just… picky. Most people would die for a spot in LifeNet.”

“I know,” she sighed, “but I can’t shake the feeling that signing up would be like selling my soul. Something feels… off about it.”

They walked along the overlook in silence, Nyx occasionally glancing at her as if he wanted to say more. Eventually, he spoke.

“Look, you’re not the only one who’s had doubts. My sister used to say some strange things about LifeNet too,” Nyx admitted, his voice unusually quiet. “But I’ll tell you what I told her: in this city, you don’t question it. People who do… they don’t get far. LifeNet keeps the peace here. That’s all that matters.”

“Your sister? I never knew she… Wait, what happened to her?” Elara asked, suddenly curious.

Nyx’s face darkened, and he shook his head. “She got… obsessed. Started poking around where she shouldn’t. Asking too many questions, you know? Then one day, she was gone. ‘Transferred,’ they said, but I never saw her again.”

Elara felt a chill run down her spine. “Transferred? You mean… into LifeNet?”

“That’s what they told me.” His voice was flat, a mask of forced calm. “But if you ask me… I’m not sure that’s where she really went.”

They continued walking, and Elara felt her mind racing. This was why she couldn’t trust LifeNet, not entirely. So many people went in, but how many came back out, truly unchanged?

Nyx cleared his throat, breaking the silence again. “You’re not really going to start digging, are you?”

She smirked at him. “Would you blame me if I did?”

“Yes, I’d absolutely blame you. I’d think you were crazy.” Nyx threw his hands up, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips. “Elara, they don’t take well to questions. They see everything; they know everything. You don’t even need to be connected to LifeNet for them to know exactly what you’re doing.”

Elara frowned. “I’m just… curious, that’s all. I mean, don’t you ever wonder what really goes on inside those towers? People talk about LifeNet as if it’s this amazing gift, but we don’t even know how it works.”

Nyx looked away, his jaw clenched. “Curiosity doesn’t always end well. Take it from me.”

They walked on in silence, winding through the narrow streets filled with the quiet hum of automated street vendors, neon signs flickering above. Elara knew Nyx was right, that curiosity was a dangerous thing here. But she couldn’t ignore the nagging questions that had haunted her ever since she’d seen LifeNet in action.

A faint sound interrupted her thoughts—footsteps, distant but steady, echoing through the quiet street. She glanced around, suddenly feeling exposed.

“Do you hear that?” she whispered to Nyx, her voice barely audible.

Nyx’s expression turned serious. “I hear it. Just… act natural.”

But it was too late. A figure stepped out of the shadows, blocking their path. A tall man with sharp eyes and an even sharper suit, his gaze fixed squarely on Elara.

“Elara Moren?” he asked, his tone polite yet chilling.

She nodded, feeling a surge of apprehension. “Yes?”

“I have a message for you.” He held out a sleek, metallic tablet, the LifeNet emblem gleaming on its surface. She hesitated, but he thrust it closer. “Please. It’s urgent.”

Nyx gave her a subtle nudge, signaling her to take it. With a deep breath, she reached out and accepted the tablet. The screen blinked to life, displaying a single line of text.

Be careful. Curiosity can be dangerous.

Elara’s heart pounded. The screen went blank, and the man gave a curt nod before vanishing back into the shadows.

She turned to Nyx, her voice barely a whisper. “How… how could they know?”

Nyx shook his head, his face pale. “I told you, they see everything. This is why you don’t dig, Elara. This is exactly why.”

“But… that message. It was personal. How could they possibly know I’d been asking questions?” Elara tried to keep her voice steady, but she couldn’t hide the tremor in her words.

Nyx placed a hand on her shoulder. “Look, just let it go. Whatever you’re thinking about doing, stop. LifeNet isn’t something you mess with.”

She clenched her fists, her mind whirling. “It’s just… there are so many things we don’t know. People say LifeNet gives eternal life, but no one actually explains how. It’s all just rumors and promises.”

“And that’s all it’ll ever be,” Nyx said sharply. “Rumors. Promises. Do yourself a favor, Elara—don’t try to turn it into anything else. I don’t want to lose you like I lost her.”

She could see the fear in his eyes, the real, raw fear. But something inside her couldn’t let go. The message had only fueled her determination.

They continued their walk in silence, the tension hanging heavy between them. Elara glanced back at the city skyline, at the glowing LifeNet tower that loomed above everything else. It was as if the tower was watching her, as if it knew her every thought.

“Maybe you’re right,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.

Nyx looked relieved, but she didn’t meet his eyes.

Nyx let out a sigh, relief flickering in his eyes. “Good. Honestly, Elara, I don’t want you getting hurt over some—”

Elara interrupted, her gaze fixed on the tower far above them, its sharp lines cutting through the sky like a blade. “But just imagine, Nyx. Imagine if there’s something hidden in there. Something we’re not supposed to know.”

Nyx groaned, his shoulders slumping in exasperation. “Elara, don’t start—”

“Don’t you want answers?” she pressed, a fire sparking in her voice. “You said it yourself. Your sister just… disappeared. No explanation. What if she never actually got transferred? What if she’s still out there, waiting?”

Nyx’s expression hardened. “Elara. Enough.”

But Elara couldn’t shake the chill that had seeped into her bones, a feeling that the city around her was watching, listening. “I can’t ignore this,” she whispered. “It’s like there’s something calling to me, something I can’t unsee now.”

She could tell Nyx was frustrated, that he wished he could talk her out of it. But he said nothing, only gave a resigned shake of his head. “Fine. Do whatever you want. But don’t expect me to stand around and watch you throw your life away.”

She felt a pang of guilt but buried it quickly. “I’m not asking for that. I just… I need to know.”

They stood in silence, the city humming around them. It felt suddenly oppressive, like the walls of metal and glass were closing in, trapping them.

“I should go,” Nyx said finally. “This is getting too dangerous, Elara. I’m serious.”

Elara nodded, though part of her wanted to beg him to stay. But she kept quiet, forcing herself to look away as he turned and started down the narrow alley.

Before he was out of sight, she called after him, “Nyx?”

He paused, glancing back over his shoulder. “Yeah?”

“Thank you… for telling me about your sister.”

For a moment, his hard expression softened, but then he nodded, his face unreadable. Without another word, he disappeared into the shadows, leaving Elara alone.

She turned back to the towering skyline, her eyes tracing the bright lines of the LifeNet building looming in the distance. It was a beautiful sight, but in that moment, it felt monstrous, as if it were watching her, sensing her thoughts. She had always been skeptical of LifeNet, but now… she was beginning to feel afraid.

Her terminal beeped, breaking the silence. She pulled it out, half-expecting another message from that mysterious stranger. But instead, it was her own personal inbox, flashing with a single, unread notification.

Subject: Regarding your inquiry

Sender: Anonymous

Her heart pounded as she opened it. The screen displayed a new line of text, and with each word, her blood ran colder.

“Curiosity has its price. Are you willing to pay it, Elara Moren?”

The message vanished from her screen, leaving no trace it had ever been there.

Elara’s breath caught. She glanced around, feeling eyes on her in every shadow, in every flickering light above. Her instincts screamed at her to turn back, to forget this madness and return to her life.

But she couldn’t ignore the pull, the dark promise hidden in those words.

Taking a last, steadying breath, she made up her mind.

If there were answers, she was going to find them.