In 2034, a power struggle between Korea and Japan caused a sort of cold war to emerge, and both nations competed to accomplish incredible feats. This forced North and South Korea to form an uneasy alliance together against Japan. The entire world watched on the sidelines, tensed for what was to come next.
 
Korea became the first to send a probe to a galaxy five lightyears away. Japan sent a submarine probe to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. Korea became the first to create an AI with an IQ of over 300. As if to mock Korea, Japan created an AI that thought for itself albeit with the mind of a five-year-old.
 
This "competition" lasted for at least ten years.
 
Because of this cold war, both Korea and Japan suffered great recessions in their respective economies. When the situation became truly desperate in Japan, a group of rebel leaders rose among the people and took complete control over them. Exhausted and worn down, the majority eagerly put their trust in them, and were willing to do whatever these leaders asked.
 
Their first course of action was to take over surrounding nations in an attempt to rebuild the Japanese Empire. In just five years Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, and four other countries were taken. Because of the group's sudden ambition, several military alliances and treaties were violated, thus igniting World War III.
 
In the disastrous aftermath, four great leaders emerged among the rubble left behind. Those four leaders seperated, each respectively in America, South America, Europe, and Asia. These four established an entirely new society of prosperity and peace, their era named the Purus Age—"purus" being the Latin word meaning "pure"—and lasted about one hundred years. During that time, the United Republic of Korea built walls surrounding the entire country in an attempt at political isolationism, trading with other countries only when absolutely necessary, with the North and South—
 
"Stop," Youngjae instructed, and the computer ceased reading the document aloud. Although the ancient history course he was taking was essentially useless to him and his general cybernetics major, he needed the credits.
 
Sighing, Youngjae placed his laptop on the coffee table. The room was engulfed in complete darkness for only a few moments before the lights gradually grew brighter. He ran his hand through his hair and got up from the small couch to fetch a snack.
 
Suddenly, Youngjae's transceiver watch began a melody of shrill ringing. "You have one new message," the automated voice stated in its usual chirpy tone. "Would you like to view it?"
 
"Yes," Youngjae replied, lifting his arm to chest level to view the projected message that currently hovered above his wrist.
 
It was from Junhong. Of course, because who else would have sent Youngjae a message at two in the morning? Even the Republic wouldn't send messages to its citizens at such an ungodly hour—unless it was an urgent message, but even then a different tone, the anthem, would have sounded.
 
"Hey, hyung," the message read. "I'll be back in probably 10 minutes or something. Dance practice dragged out longer than expected."
 
"Reply," Youngjae instructed, and a holographic keyboard appeared underneath the message. He typed out a short "That's fine. I'm just working on a paper. Do you want me to make food?"
 
After hitting send, Youngjae closed out of the message and walked into the kitchen. He had barely decided what to eat before his watch let out another sound.
 
"You have—"
 
"View."
 
Another holographic message appeared. "Nah. Thanks though."
 
Shrugging, Youngjae closed the message and rummaged through the cabinets. They were running out of food. Of course. Youngjae made a mental note to go to the grocery store tomorrow. Or today, seeing as it was 2:07 am already. Eventually, Youngjae settled on a bag of chips. He headed back to the couch and prepared himself for another couple hours of diligent typing (well, mostly slacking off after every couple of sentences).
 
As Junhong had predicted, he walked through the door approximately ten minutes later, lugging a duffel bag and smelling of sweat.
 
"Hey, hyung," Junhong said, nearly collapsing on the couch beside Youngjae. He stole a couple chips from the bag, but Youngjae barely reacted. "How's that paper going?"
 
"Slow," Youngjae groaned, his eyes reluctantly going back to the screen. He rubbed his face with his hands and leaned back on the couch. "I'm not getting anything done."
 
"Are you sure about that, hyung?" Junhong paused, frowning when Youngjae nodded. He directed his attention to the laptop. "Read document."
 
Almost immediately, the speaker from his laptop started up. In 2034, a power struggle—
 
"Stop," Youngjae ordered. He glanced sideways at the younger. "Junhong, really, can you not?"
 
Shrugging, Junhong lifted himself off the couch with a tired effort, and walked off toward the bathroom.
 
"I think you need some rest, hyung. Just work on that tomorrow."
 
Youngjae let out a low sound to show he heard. He sat up straight again and began the tedious process that was writing his research paper.
 
//
 
Youngjae swore that he blinked for only a second, just a second. When he opened his eyes, a gray light was spilling into the room through the veranda door. A sharp jolt up his neck caused him to groan in pain. As he rubbed the back of his neck in a useless attempt at quelling it, he glanced up at the clock on the wall across him.
 
"Shoot," Youngjae muttered to himself. The fluorescent display proudly showed 6:40 am, and Youngjae rushed to his bedroom, muttering other curses on the way. "I'm going to be late. Jieun is going to kill me."
 
Every morning, Youngjae worked at a cafe at 7 until 10:30 so he could get to his first class at 11. Youngjae, being an utter perfectionist, couldn't stand the thought of being late—especially for his job. After throwing on a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, he rushed out of the apartment, exclaiming something along the lines of "I'm leaving!" to a still sleeping Junhong. A faint groan came in reply.
 
Youngjae practically flew down the sidewalk as he rushed to the cafe, ignoring the way his backpack hit his lower back with hard thumps. He shoved past people who were unfortunate enough to get in his way, and yelled out apologies when they chastised him. Soon, Youngjae saw the cafe sign in the distance, but was stopped at a crosswalk. He groaned and cursed the heavens above, ignoring the odd looks people gave him. Youngjae glanced down at his transceiver watch, gulping nervously at the 6:57. There was no way he was going to make it.
 
Still, when the crosswalk turned green, Youngjae sprinted like his life depended on it. He bursted through the entrance, his lungs on fire and his legs struggling to hold him upright.
 
"I'm late, aren't I?" Youngjae exclaimed as the door closed behind him. He looked around the cafe and found only Jieun smiling smugly behind the counter.
 
The young woman glanced at her own watch and said, "7:00 on the dot. What time did you wake up?"
 
Youngjae visibly relaxed and walked towards the back room where he'd drop off his things and change into the work uniform. "6:40."
 
"Wow!" Jieun exclaimed with a round of applause. "I applaud your dedication, Yoo Youngjae!"
 
"I'm always welcome for tips," Youngjae added, bowing for effect, just before heading into the room.
 
Youngjae had barely put on his apron when he heard Jieun screaming for him to come out. Rushing to tie the knot behind his back, Youngjae prepared for the worst: a robber coming for their money, a bomb that was going to detonate any second and they needed to leave.
 
"What is it?" Youngjae asked as he emerged from the back room, panic slowly seeping into his mind.
 
Jieun had already begun locking the doors, but that wasn't what was concerning Youngjae. People were screaming, apparently running away from something.
 
"Don't just stand there!" Jieun screamed as she began closing the blinds on the windows. "Help me!"
 
Blinking, Youngjae rushed to the other side of the cafe to shut the other windows. Just as he finished rolling down the last of the blinds, his and Jieun's transceiver watches let out simultaneous tunes, and they both froze; it was an announcement from the Republic. Once the anthem had finished, a voice, the Empress's, began speaking.
 
"Citizens, this is Madame Hyosung," she began, "there is civil unrest in District 4, and it is of dire importance that you follow these exact directions. Everybody in New Seoul, please stay inside at all times until you are given further instructions. If you see anybody suspicious, please contact the Auxiliary Police or any Legion platoon within your area. With your cooperation, we will pull through this."
 
" you and your fake reassurances!" somebody bellowed outside. A chorus of furious shouts followed, but were cut short by a series of rapid fire shots.
 
Jieun gasped, staring in terror at the silhouetted mass of bodies fall to the ground on the street. There were frantic shouts, and Youngjae saw several people emerge out of the mass only to dart in multiple directions. Youngjae felt an unfamiliar anxiety flood his consciousness, and he couldn't help but collapse into a chair.
 
This was New Seoul, the most peaceful city in the world, yet there was a riot happening right outside his work.