After Darkness II

By J. F.Johns

It's the year 2160.
The Nation is divided between humans and cyborgs.If you want to survive, follow these simple rules.
RULE #.1Don't go out after curfew.
RULE #.2Don't speak out against your government.
RULE #.3Don't fall in love with a cyborg.
RULE #.4If you break these rules, you'll be punished.

WELCOME TO THE NATION

• Language: English
• Publisher: J. F.Johns
• Release date: Mar 8, 2021

J. F.Johns

J.F.Johns is 25 years old and was born and raised in Spain. She studied English Literature and Creative Writing at ARU in Cambridge, UK.She's an animal lover, and spends her free time playing with her adopted dog, drinking too much coffee and posting book photos on her Instagram.She believes in the art of dramatic sighing and eye rolling. She works as a ninja, but has been told several times that she's not very good at her job.Eternal Darkness is her debut novel, and is the first book in the Eternal Darkness Trilogy.

Book preview

AFTER

DARKNESS

II

J.F.Johns

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Copyright © J.F.Johns 2020

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or stored in an information retrieval system (other than for purposes of review) without permission in writing from the author.

To my aunt.

One of the bravest women I’ve ever met.

Also by J.F.Johns:

Eternal Darkness

Eternal Darkness Oblivion

Eternal Darkness Revelations

Cyborg Tales

Sienna

After Darkness I

After Darkness II

After Darkness III

‘Fear is only as deep as the mind allows.’

Japanese Proverb

TIMELINE

2025- The cyborg experiments start.

2030- New Era; the cyborgs are introduced to society.

2040- X-Prototype experiments start.

2045- Government scandal creates riots and protests on the streets. The X-Prototypes escape the facility where they’re being held.

2050- The New Government officially takes control.

2060- Dark Era; the cyborg battle against the New Government is lost, and all cyborgs are banished to No Man’s Land.

2140- The cyborg community is reintroduced into the Nation.

2160- Present.

THE CAPITALS

Capital One

The epicentre of the capitals. It is where the New Government resides and most of the wealthiest humans. It is known for its outstanding futuristic designs, modern transportation and tight security.

Capital Two

This capital is located next to Capital One. It is the territory that produces everything for the capitals except food. Its sky is red from chemical pollution and the land is dry. The majority of the buildings are factories, but there are a few towns where workers reside close to the mines or factories.

Capital Three

Known as the agricultural capital. The centre of this capital is mainly composed of forests where the production of wood is high. On the outskirts, the land is used for agricultural purposes, and most of the food for the capitals is produced here. The land is green and fertile.

Capital Four

This capital is known for its commerce and temples. Nothing can be produced from the land as it has been over developed. The environment is densely populated and there is a lack of open spaces. It is the second richest capital after Capital One. It is famous for its silks, perfumes and the production of weaponry.

Capital Five

Also known as The Flatlands because of its terrain. It is one of the largest capitals, and one of the least populated. Many fields and pastures can be found in this territory, and it is mainly used for farming. It is the main manufacturer of meat and milk.

Capital Six

This capital is famous for its mountain ranges and the few towns that exist are built around them. Some of the smaller hamlets almost seem to be suspended from natural ledges in the sides of the mountains. The inhabitants are strong and tough. This is the poorest capital of the seven. The mines at the base of the mountains are famous for their gems and beautiful stones. Unfortunately, the New Government has power over these mines, and the profits are invested into Capital One.

Capital Seven

The jungle in this capital is used for the training of Watchers. It has extreme and harsh weather conditions. There are only a few small towns by the edge of the capital at the very border of No Mans Land, territory that no longer belongs to any capital.

PROLOGUE

There was a door.

A splintered door with pink lilies painted on it.

Behind the door lay a crystalline lake surrounded by trees, their branches and leaves rustling from a non-existent breeze. By the shore, on his knees, sat a boy with hair made from the night and eyes created from steel. His muscular shoulders shook as he cried. His robotic arms trembled from the fury he felt.

Terra Underwood’s dream always began the same.

A cry for help.

Her body in the icy cold water.

Drowning.

A crow.

The sand on the shore got caught between her toes. She didn’t care. Such things were irrelevant in nightmares. Her attention was on the boy that was now lying on the ground, screaming in agony.

Terra dove into the water, her arms outstretched, her legs pumping as hard as possible to reach the other side of the lake. As she broke the surface to breathe, her eyes focused on the starless sky.

Goosebumps appeared on her skin and the hairs on her arms rose. It wasn’t from the water. Something was moving beneath, slowly rising, creeping up towards her.

Terra twisted, searching for whatever was coming. It came closer and closer, she could feel it. She wanted to swim away, but her body turned to stone as her limbs stiffened, keeping her in place.

Bodies began to reach the surface, dozens and then hundreds, surrounding her. Crows. All dead. They floated around Terra as she screamed, wanting to swat them away but unable to do so as her body remained locked in rigidness. Her eyes bulged in fear as more and more began to appear, the water soon vanishing. The lake became a blanket of crows connected to each other.

Their weight began to pull her down. Their black feathers came loose from their small bodies, sticking to her face and hair. She wanted to rip them away, even if that meant tearing her own skin off in the process.

Slowly, very slowly, Terra’s body sank, water pouring into her mouth and filling her lungs. She tried fighting the current that was suctioning her down, but her body wouldn’t respond. Crow upon crow lay suspended within the water, dead, their eyes open.

Terra’s lungs screamed to breathe. The water continued to pour into her, filling her up as she fell deeper and deeper, until she too became a forgotten dead body at the bottom of the lake.

CHAPTER ONE

The room Terra was being kept in was bare of any decoration. The walls, floors and ceilings as white as snow, the lights so bright they burnt her when she was strong enough to open her eyes. There were no windows nor bed.

Only a metallic chair.

Terra had been tied to it.

She hadn’t been allowed to move from the chair since she’d been locked up. She didn’t know how long ago that had been. She’d been fed, the food shoved down her throat with such force her mouth and jaw ached.

The door to the room creaked open, causing Terra’s heart to beat faster and louder. Prying her eyes open, she cursed at the sight in front of her. Her arms and legs tightened, struggling against the metallic straps keeping her in place.

‘Well, hello,’ said a voice.

It was the voice of evil, of torture and pain.

It belonged to Petra.

X-Prototype Six.

Days ago Petra had chased Terra across Capital One after murdering her aunt Diane and best friend Sasha. Upon arriving at Kalem’s home, she had thought she was finally safe. How stupid and naive she’d been! Petra had materialised right behind her, the feathers of her wings brushing Terra’s skin, wrapping themselves around her, tightening.

‘No need to make such a fuss,’ Petra spat, noticing Terra’s failed attempts at escaping the confines of the chair. Her dark blue eyes shone with malice as her lips tucked upwards in a snarl. She stood by the door, dressed in the custom government uniform; a white suit with an eagle’s eye printed over the chest.

Petra was beautiful; tall and elegant, a face carved from marble to resemble a deity, skin made from porcelain itself, long blonde hair, straight on one side and shaved on the other. Every single feature, from her perfect long nose, to her high cheekbones and white teeth had been created to draw attention. People would fall on their knees in her presence. But there was something ugly attached to it. It was either the way her lips would curl maliciously or the way her eyes slit like razors.

‘Don’t,’ Terra said when Petra moved closer, leaning forward, her face inches away.

The bright lights in the room dimmed. Petra sneered, grabbing Terra’s face and squeezing. It hurt as the sharp long nails dug deeper into her skin, but Terra kept her mouth tightly shut. She wouldn’t give Petra the satisfaction of seeing her suffer more than she already was.

‘I love our time together,’ Petra said, pressing her nails deeper into the skin. ‘I do hope Scarlet comes soon, or there might not be much left of you to rescue.’

The door opened and Terra couldn’t help but stiffen at the sight of Petra’s twin brother as he slid through the crack in the door. Viktor was as tall as his sister but his features were always relaxed, bored even. He never spoke. Only tortured.

‘Just in time.’ Petra let go of Terra, turning to greet her brother. She reached for him, kissing his cheek with tenderness and love. It was hard to believe she was capable of such a thing. ‘Shall we begin?’

Terra recoiled at such words. Every single day Petra would come along with her brother to torture her. Viktor had mind controlling powers and every time he came to the room, he’d use those powers to make Terra sleep and dream. Each dream became worse and worse. Scarier, bloodier and longer.

‘Please, don’t,’ Terra pleaded. Viktor stared at something behind her. He never seemed to focus on anyone or anything. Petra, however, couldn’t keep those icy blue eyes off of Terra.

‘The longer Scarlet takes to come, the longer you’ll suffer.’

‘Scarlet won’t come,’ Terra said.

‘Well then, what a shame.’ Petra shifted her attention towards her brother, that twisted smile of hers growing more malevolent. The moment Viktor’s eyes turned white, Terra screamed, shaking. She needed to get away. She wouldn’t survive this for much longer.

Terra’s vision clouded as the room began to darken. She screamed in fear, crying out for someone to save her, even though she knew no one could.

The room disappeared and Terra slumped against the chair, her eyes closed.

…

Eric Thorn made his way across a rooftop, hidden from view. He usually wore dark suits, but he had changed into more comfortable gear to run through the city.

Crouching, he leaned forward by the edge of the building and glanced down. Watchers were patrolling the streets, strolling along with their shiny helmets, white uniforms and guns. They had been created to protect, and yet, they did the opposite. Eric leaned forward, wanting to smash their helmets against the brick wall. But he couldn’t. He had more important things to worry about.

Scarlet.

Three days ago Scarlet had allowed the monster to take over. Now she roamed the capital, causing chaos and spreading fear among the citizens. There had been an increase of Watcher patrols because of it. No one knew what the darkness that floated across the sky was, or the girl with black veins and hair as white as snow that sometimes materialised out of thin air. Some called her a ghost, others a demon. Only a few really knew what she was.

Eric cursed. He needed to get her back. Not only because he missed her with every single fibre of his body, but because she didn’t deserve such an outcome. He couldn’t live with himself knowing what she had done to protect them. He would find her, and he’d bring her back.

He just hoped she was still there within the confines of the monster.

Eric waited for the Watchers to leave the alley, and then he leapt across the gap between the two buildings, falling into a roll. He had heard that Scarlet had been spotted by Square Park, flying across the trees and disturbing anyone who came anywhere near her.

It was well past curfew, so getting there was going to be a bit of a hassle. The sirens had gone off hours ago, alerting the population to return to the safety of their homes or face the consequences.

Sitting down by the edge of the building, Eric brushed through his short blonde hair and pulled a cigarette out. Blue flashing lights shone a few buildings ahead, alerting him of the presence of Watchers. He’d have to wait a bit before getting closer or surely someone might spot him.

Eric glanced up at the starless night sky as the trail of smoke from his cigarette floated up, up, up. He pulled out the small little box he’d kept in his pocket and stared at the simple ring inside of it. Curtis had made it for him to give to Scarlet, and yet now it lay in his jacket, lost and forgotten.

The Watchers weren’t moving and in frustration Eric grunted, tilting his head back to stare at the moon hidden behind the polluted sky. Closing his eyes, he imagined himself in a small cottage in a field close to a forest. A piano had been placed in the living room and each morning he’d play.

Eric chuckled at the thought.

It was a beautiful dream, but a dream nonetheless. Without Scarlet none of it made much sense. The cottage would be his present for the both of them as soon as they got married.

If they got married.

A sudden breeze ruffled Eric’s blonde hair and he scanned the darkness of the city below. Scarlet was close. He could feel her.

Squinting, he searched for her desperately.

There!

A black mist circled a building. The darkness slowly began to twist and turn into a shape, and then a girl materialised; skin and hair as white as the moon, eyes and veins as black as the night itself. Her focus was on the Watchers below and Eric tried getting closer without being detected.

He should’ve known better.

Her head snapped up, those black eyes slitting like sharp razors. She watched him carefully, tilting her head to one side. Eric didn’t dare move. He waited patiently. As soon as she lost interest in him and moved along, he’d follow.

Scarlet, however, had different intentions.

One moment she was buildings away, the next she was standing inches away.

‘Beauty?’ he whispered.

The girl sniffed him. ‘Cyborg,’ she said, her voice no longer completely human. ‘The girl you seek is no longer here. Give up this foolish quest.’

‘I won’t.’

‘This body is immortal and yours is not. You shall perish, but we shall live forever. Find another like you. Forget the girl that once inhabited this body.’

‘Shut up! Don’t speak as if she’s gone. Scarlet, wake up, goddamn you! You are stronger than this. We are stronger than this.’ He reached forward to touch her cheek, but her hand gripped his wrist and then her other hand was around his throat, tightening.

Turning on her heels, she dragged him towards the edge of the building.

‘Scarlet!’ Eric thrashed against her, but she was too strong. ‘Stop it! Don’t do this, love. You can beat the monster. I know you can.’

Scarlet continued, her eyes glued on something Eric couldn’t see. They reached the edge and Eric’s legs no longer touched the floor. Even though he was a cyborg and could survive many things, the drop was far too high for his body to survive.

Her black eyes shifted back towards him. There was nothing in them, just darkness.

‘Scarlet, please,’ Eric choked out.

She let go and turned away, never looking back as he screamed.

CHAPTER TWO

Kalem Akuma had spent the last few days watching the Government’s Headquarters. He wasn’t entirely sure whether Terra was being kept there, but he had no other leads.

The Government’s Headquarters was a tall circular building with marble steps leading up to the entrance where Watchers were posted to guard the building and its workers. A fountain in the shape of an eagle stood between the steps and the doors. It hadn’t been used in many years, but it was still majestic and creepy at the same time. Kalem was pretty sure the eagle followed everyone with its eyes, always guarding the government from intruders.

Kalem had no idea how he was going to get Terra out. For now his plan was to find a way inside. By now he had learned the Watchers’ routines and schedules, which wasn’t much, but it was something.

A movement behind him alerted him that someone was making their way down the alley where he was hiding. He glanced over his shoulder and cursed at the sight of his mother.

‘What are you doing?’ he growled.

‘Making sure you don’t do anything stupid,’ she replied.

‘Wasn’t planning on it.’

Camille Haart brushed back her short blonde hair as she licked her lower lip which was covered in piercings. ‘You’ve been watching the building for hours. It’s time you came home. You need to rest.’

Kalem grunted and turned back towards the building, ignoring her. ‘I’ll rest when Terra gets to come home.’

‘Kalem, I know you care for her but-’

‘Don’t.’

‘I just need you to understand that she might not be-’

Kalem’s back tensed.

‘She’s alive,’ he hissed.

‘She might not be the same…’ Kalem caught the hesitation in his mother’s voice. ‘We don’t know what Petra has done to her. Even if we do rescue her, she might not be the Terra you knew.’

‘I don’t care.’

He felt her hand touch his arm. There was so much emotion behind such a simple gesture. Fear for what the future held, love for her son and even excitement at the changes surrounding them. The touch burnt through Kalem like the uncertainties that now lived deep in his soul. Turning to face his mother, he noted those green tired and exhausted eyes. He hated seeing her like that. He hated being the reason she was like that.

‘Mum, don’t cry.’

‘I’m not crying.’

Kalem chuckled as he wiped the tears that were now making their way slowly down her cheeks. ‘I can’t abandon her.’

‘I know.’ Camille sighed. ‘But standing here down a cold dark alley isn’t going to get her out. We need to assemble people and put together a plan. Just come back home. I promise I’ll do whatever it takes to help you get her back. But you need to sleep. In the morning we’ll think of ways of rescuing her.’

Kalem knew his mother was right, but going home when Terra was being held by the government didn’t feel right. He knew that Terra would be furious if she saw him wasting hour after hour standing around like a love sick puppy, and would probably throw her shoe at him for being so useless. But going home to a warm bed and having dinner while she was probably being submitted to Nation’s knew what felt wrong.

‘Kalem, please.’

He couldn’t. What if something happened and he missed it for not being there? Anything could be crucial in getting her back. He wanted to hug his mum and ask her to fix it for him, but that wasn’t right either. He wasn’t a little kid anymore. There were some things parents just couldn’t fix.

‘I’m sorry, mum,’ he said, his heart breaking at the sight of her face crumbling. ‘I can’t leave her. Not yet.’

…

Morgana was used to roaming around the streets of the capital like a ghost. She moved unnoticed, climbing up water pipes, crawling through sewers and vanishing down dark alleyways. She had always enjoyed the freedom.

But following Eric Thorn around the capital was excruciating.

Morgana sometimes wondered why she bothered, but then thought of Scarlet’s reaction if she discovered that Eric had ended up hurt for chasing after her. Someone needed to keep an eye on the idiot.

Morgana refused to think that Scarlet no longer existed, and that she had become an ageless monster that now hosted her body. She was stronger than that. There had to be a way to bring her back.

A black mist began to form in the far distance. It slowed down, pausing above the roof of a building. Morgana slid down a water pipe, ran down an alley and rushed up a fire escape. She needed to get as close as possible without being seen.

The mist was slowly consolidating into a body made of flesh and bones. Hair appeared, as well as translucent skin covered in black veins. Eyes created from the darkest night formed and took shape.

Scarlet’s sweet features were gone, replaced by something horrifying.

Morgana kept her blue eyes glued on Scarlet as she leapt from one rooftop to the next. She needed to get as close as possible in case something happened to Eric. Where was the idiot, anyway?

There!

Eric’s bright blonde hair was indistinguishable no matter how dark the night became. His broad shoulders were tense as well as his posture. Those dangerous yellow eyes were focused on something approaching him and Morgana stiffened at the sight of Scarlet turning towards him.

One moment she was there, the next she was standing inches away from Eric.

Morgana rushed forward, her eyes wide with fear. Eric began struggling against Scarlet who had gripped his throat and was now dragging him towards the edge of the roof. As soon as Scarlet’s pale fingers uncurled from around Eric’s throat, he fell. Morgana lunged, grabbing Eric in mid-air and crashing into the window of the adjoining building. They slammed against a cemented column and Morgana lost her grip around Eric.

The pain that tore through her was intense, and she rolled over to one side, screaming. When it subdued, she found a semi-comfortable position, resting her head against the wall.

She was an X-Prototype, indestructible and powerful. But she still felt pain.

Glancing down, she stared at her broken leg and cursed. Her shoulder had dislocated and her left foot was bent in an awkward position. Turning, she searched for the blonde cyborg and found him on the other side of the column, unconscious.

He was breathing, but blood was trailing down one side of his head.

Reluctantly, Morgana shut her eyes and waited for her wounds to heal.

CHAPTER THREE

Camille could hear the sirens of the Watchers’ cars patrolling, searching for citizens out after curfew.

Capital One was a city of bright neon lights, skyscrapers and screens with twenty-four hour propaganda. Gardens fell like rivers from the buildings, sleek metal trains slid between skyscrapers and holograms flashed from one tower to the next. But if one knew where to look, a different world could be found. Hidden bars and clubs, places where bets and fights took place. The most dangerous of these locations lay beneath the city in a place called the UnderMarket.

Camille had always hated it, but tonight she really needed a drink.

There were all kinds of locations from which one could venture down below, but Camille took the closest, down a set of stairs that had been boarded up and spray painted with very graphic drawings against the government. Removing one of the loose planks, she sneaked through.

The UnderMarket was buzzing at such a late hour. Cyborgs as well as humans moved through the corridors, talking amongst each other. The rules from above didn’t apply down there.

Stall upon stall sold all types of goods. Everything the government deemed illegal could be bought down there for the right price. In the real world, humans and cyborgs weren’t allowed to mix, but down below they did whatever pleased them. They drank and smoked their chemical cigars together, puffing out all kinds of colourful smoke. They sweat together, fought together and ate together as one.

At the end of the UnderMarket began the Pits; the fighting rings where Kalem and Terra had enjoyed taking part in organised fights. Camille hated the place knowing that her son had spilled his blood for nothing. But today she’d have to swallow such feelings, forgetting them just for a few hours. She was on a mission and couldn’t afford to get distracted by her emotions.

Sitting down on a stool, she watched the bulky cyborg working behind the bar. It was busy, so it took him some time to recognise her. ‘What can I get ya?’ Hooky asked.

The man hadn’t changed. He still had yellow teeth, a big fat belly and an orange mechanical eye that made sounds as he fixed his gaze on Camille.

‘Your strongest liquor,’ Camille said, resting her elbows against the sticky surface of the counter.

Hooky put a glass with green liquid in front of her. Camille downed it in one gulp.

‘How’s Terra doin’?’ Hooky asked, ignoring customers that were growing annoyed for having to wait.

‘She’s been kidnapped.’

Hooky’s face hardened.

‘I need your help,’ Camille continued. ‘The Government has her. We need to get her back, but I need people. An army.’

‘I knew she’d end up gettin’ into trouble.’

‘We need to fight the government.’

Hooky snorted.

‘I’m totally serious.’ Camille snarled at a man next to her, his elbow shoving into her side.

‘Who’s gonna join ya?’

‘Well, for starters…You.’

‘What makes ya think I’d do that.’

Camille shrugged. ‘Thought you cared for the girl.’ She noticed the way his face creased with worry. ‘Look, she’ll die if we don’t help her. And I’m pretty sure you know people.’ She glanced around, then narrowed her eyes at Hooky.

‘I’m too old for this shit,’ he said before turning and barking at someone who was screaming at him for a drink.

‘And Terra is too young for it.’

Even though Hooky was pretending that he didn’t want to help, Camille was pretty damn sure he’d do almost anything for the kid. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’ He reached his arm across the counter, the inside of his wrist facing upwards. Camille rested her own against his. Each citizen had a chip implanted inside their arm, which they used to pay for things, as well as to exchange numbers and other stuff. ‘I’ll call ya when I get something,’ he said, then turned away from her.

‘You do that.’

The air had turned cold as soon as Camille stepped back into reality. The jumper she wore wasn’t warm enough, so she trotted all the way