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"Who am I?"
"What is my purpose?"
"Why am I here?"
These were the first three questions that crossed their mind the mont they gained consciousness, floating inside a large glass tube filled with warm amniotic fluid.
At the tender age of two weeks, resembling nothing more than a fetus, they already possessed the awareness and intelligence of a twenty-year-old adult.
With a fully developed sense of self, they wondered what they were, who they were, and why they existed.
Powerless, they could only wait and grow, day after day.
Countless machines lined up the vast laboratory where they lived. People in white lab coats hurried from station to station, sotis stopping to speak directly to them.
They rembered every word.
"Hello, child. How are you today? Recent scans show your brain is already developing, even though it's smaller than a pea! Incredible. Espers truly are the future of humanity. I can't wait to see how you grow."
A tall, bearded old man with glasses often greeted them enthusiastically, insisting they were the hope of the human race.
Other tis, the voice was quieter.
"Is this really ethical? Creating and raising human life like this? The pay was good, but… I'm not sure this is right."
A woman with long black hair would sotis stand alone in front of the tube after hours, whispering her doubts when no one else was around.
"Can you see your siblings over there? They're all growing nicely. You should be developing so cognitive and psychic abilities by now. Anything yet?"
A young blond man occasionally checked on them, asking the sa question. After a while, he would leave with a bored expression.
There were also conversations they were never ant to hear.
"Congratulations, everyone, on the first anniversary of the Human Ascension Project. We've made groundbreaking discoveries this year, and the Espers we've created will soon erge from their pods fully functional. It will be our duty to teach them how to control their powers. I'm counting on all of you. Let's work together for a future where humanity can survive beyond this planet."
"Thank you, boss!"
"Yes, let's do this!"
"We can't waste ti. Every year counts."
"In a hundred years we won't be here, but I hope those who co after us can finish what we started."
"Our technology can't heal the planet's core, but at the very least we can evolve humanity and escape this accursed world."
Accursed World.
That phrase stuck with them even now.
These people did not love their planet the way the educational videos had taught. The world they called Earth, cherished by most of humanity, was referred to only as an "Accursed World" that would end in roughly one hundred years.
The truth was shocking, even for a still-developing mind.
Why was it accursed?
That question haunted them as they listened to the scientists rushing about and running tests.
Using the natural psychic reach of their growing brain, they expanded their consciousness, eavesdropping on conversations far beyond the lab walls.
They learned far more than anyone intended.
"Is it true, Doctor? That this world is cursed?"
"There is an interdinsional plane of the 'Supernatural' that overlaps with our reality. We cannot properly interact with it, but ancient records suggest the two planes were once fully rged. They separated roughly a thousand years ago."
"I've read the reports, but…"
"The reason the world is dying is that the Supernatural Plane has grown incredibly dense over the past millennium due to accumulated supernatural energy. Recently we discovered that our planet possesses a 'Soul,' sotis called Mother Earth or Gaia. That Soul has been using its power to protect us, but the effort is killing it."
"…Soul?"
"Yes. The entities beyond the Supernatural Plane have evolved to terrifying levels. Their combined power now outweighs what Gaia can withstand. The planet is under constant strain trying to hold everything back alone."
"So that's why…"
"There's no simple fix. We cannot destroy an entire plane. We've tried infiltrating it for resources or fuel, but most attempts have failed. The only beings capable of existing fully in both planes and using their power without restriction are Espers."
"That's why we're raising an army."
"Exactly. The Quantum Gate Project will need their help to breach the Supernatural Plane and uncover the truth. That is our only hope."
"I wonder if we could save Earth… maybe by rging the planes completely, or by detaching the planet from the Supernatural Plane entirely."
"Detachnt is impossible. The planet's core and its soul exist within the Supernatural Plane. Without a soul, the planet dies."
"But what happens to the Supernatural Plane if Earth dies?"
"Speculation only, but there are countless overlapping realms and domains within that plane. Even if Earth perishes, the entities responsible likely won't care."
"…But why?"
"We're dealing with beings that would destroy humanity in an instant if Gaia ever stopped protecting us. Right now, she is the only thing keeping us alive."
"Oh no…"
They listened in silence, slowly piecing together the truth of the world and the Supernatural Plane to which all Espers, including themselves, were intimately connected.
But that was only the beginning of what they would learn over the years.
"Welco to the world, X0-9!" the long-haired woman greeted them with a gentle smile the day their pod finally opened. "These are all your siblings."
"…Siblings?" X0-9 glanced at the rows of nearly identical children. "Wouldn't 'clones' be more accurate?"
"A-Ah… you already figured that out?" she asked, surprised.
"It wasn't hard," X0-9 replied with a small sigh.
"Hahaha! Welco, welco, everyone!" the bearded scientist announced cheerfully. "You are all extraordinarily gifted, and your purpose here is to help humanity evolve and ascend beyond its limits. Thank you for everything you've done so far. I hope we can continue working together!"
"…"
X0-9 stared at the man in silence, completely unaware back then of what awaited them and all their "siblings."
The first weeks were grueling: constant exercise and terrible food. They were fed nothing but flavorless vitamin shakes that offered no enjoynt at all.
Every day, they were forced to move objects with their minds. Among the group, X0-9 struggled the most in the beginning...
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