In his small workshop on the outskirts of Vermont, Ren worked with meticulous care. Before him, a gleaming device was neatly placed on his workbench. Its circular shape, sleek and futuristic design resembled something straight out of a sci-fi movie.
But this was no ordinary device. At its center was a miniature fusion reactor core he had spent days designing. This moment was the culmination of all his experiments and hard work.
Wiping the sweat from his temple, Ren took a deep breath. With complete focus, he reached out and flipped the switch to power the device. For a moment, nothing happened.
A soft mechanical hum filled the room, like the harmonious song of technology coming to life. A blue light pulsed gently from the reactor's core, as if it were breathing. Ren's eyes sparkled with excitement, his heartbeat quickening in anticipation.
As the system finally stabilized, he clenched his fist and shouted with joy.
A small laugh escaped his lips, a wave of satisfaction washing over him. He had created something that did not yet exist in this world—
A source of clean, sustainable energy. A technology that could change everything. The world, civilization... even military power, if it fell into the wrong hands. Ren gazed at the pulsing blue light in the reactor's core, as if staring at the heart of a new era.
But something was missing. A breakthrough needed a name. Leaning back in his chair, he narrowed his eyes at his creation.
"Right... It needs a name..." he murmured, tapping his fingers on the table in a slow rhythm. His mind raced, searching for something that could encapsulate the meaning of this technology. A marker of civilization, something that would propel the world into a future beyond imagination.
Then, a word surfaced in his mind.
"Ark..." he whispered, repeating it a few times in his head. A small smile formed on his lips.
The name felt right. Ark—as a vessel carrying life into the future, as the foundation of the progress he envisioned.
Ren looked at the steadily pulsing core again and nodded in satisfaction. The Ark Reactor had been born.
Outside, the sun was slowly setting, painting the sky with a gradient of orange and purple. The evening breeze rustled the leaves, carrying the scent of earth cooling after a long day under the sun.
Along a small road leading to the outskirts of town, Wendy walked with steady steps, though a hint of nervousness stirred within her. In her hands, she carried a basket filled with groceries she had bought at the market.
(I can't show up empty-handed, right?) she thought, convincing herself that this was just a casual visit.
Yet, no matter how much she tried to act normal, her heartbeat refused to slow down.
When she finally arrived in front of Ren's house—or rather, the home of the man she knew as 'Strom'—she took a deep breath.
The sound of her knocking echoed softly. From inside, footsteps approached. Wendy's heartbeat quickened.
(Ah... Why do I feel ?)
The lock clicked, and the door slowly opened. On the other side stood the man she knew as Strom.
But the moment she saw him, a look of shock immediately spread across Wendy's face.
"Ehh... Strom?" She blinked, making sure she wasn't seeing things.
Ren stood there with an unsteady posture, his clothes disheveled.
His cheeks were more hollow, dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his body looked noticeably thinner than the last time she had seen him. He looked utterly exhausted.
"...Wendy?" Ren's voice was weak and hoarse.
Without waiting for an invitation, Wendy stepped inside. She pushed the door open wider and entered with a worried expression.
The room looked like a miniature laboratory. Mechanical tools were scattered around, design sketches were pinned to the walls, and on the main workbench sat something that looked like a high-tech device.
But what caught her attention the most was Ren's obvious state of fatigue.
"What happened to you?" she asked, shutting the door behind her and setting the basket on the nearest table.
Ren lazily rubbed his neck before dragging himself toward a chair and collapsing into it.
"I had to pull some all-nighters... There was urgent work to finish."
Wendy frowned. "At the cost of your health?"
Ren gave a weak shrug. "It's not a big deal. I just need a little rest."
Wendy clicked her tongue and crossed her arms. "Is it really that bad?"
Ren glanced at her briefly before pointing to the workbench. "Ark Reactor."
Wendy raised an eyebrow and stepped closer.
On the table, a circular device with a sleek design lay before her. In its center, a soft blue light pulsed steadily, as if alive.
"This is...?" Wendy turned to Ren, her eyes widening.
Ren closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm his exhausted body.
"A clean, stable energy source. I just finished it."
Wendy remained silent for a few seconds, then looked back at the device with disbelief.
"You... built this on your own?"
Ren gave a small nod. "Not entirely alone. I had my brain working overtime."
Wendy let out a long sigh. "Alright, genius. You might be capable of inventing something incredible, but your body still needs rest."
Without waiting for a response, she pulled up a chair and started unpacking the groceries from her basket.
"I'm cooking. Sit still and don't even think about arguing."
Ren stared at her for a moment before raising his hands in surrender.
"Fine, fine. I don't have the energy to fight you right now anyway."
Wendy nodded in satisfaction and began preparing the ingredients. Meanwhile, Ren leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment.
For the first time in a long while, he felt like he could finally relax.