Welcome to this book! It is a novel brimming with mythical aestheticism and science fiction! Unlike the traditional mythical aestheticism and science fiction novels you may have encountered, this work adheres to existing scientific explanations while forging new scientific principles.
First, understand that the world you are about to enter is not entirely fictional. It is rooted in the familiar soil of our reality, featuring cities, nations, and social structures you recognise. Yet prepare yourself, for beyond an invisible boundary, the foundational logic of this world has been utterly replaced.
Consider it a grand thought experiment: what if our universe's fundamental constants had undergone a violent disturbance? What if the energy of consciousness could coalesce and materialise into the core driving force of all things—the "Gear"? What form would civilisations and societies built upon entirely new physical foundations take?
This is the bedrock of this book: a hard sci-fi tale cloaked in fantasy.
You may ponder these questions: Suppose our universe was created by other naturally born universes. Or, within our world, could the laws of physics be altered? Might our existence resemble a stable environment only possible within a pressurised, sealed vessel? When two universes merge, would their physical laws change? Would the pressure be evenly distributed between two containers, or would it cause abnormal fluctuations? Perhaps this is how the Gears came into being.
Here, you shall witness demons unfurling their wings, silk threads manipulating the environment, and canvases warping the sky. Yet do not mistake these for gifts of magic. They are observable, classifiable, even "mutable" phenomena born from the expanded science of consciousness-matter interference under the "dual-universe fusion" hypothesis. Behind every wondrous or terrifying ability lies a self-consistent, rigorously deduced logic.
This is also an adventure concerning "existence".
At the heart of the story lie two girls who have lost their pasts, branded by the world as "untrustworthy". One is fiery and volatile, the other calm and deep as water. Caught between pursuit and suspicion, they transform from mortal enemies locked in a life-and-death struggle into companions forced to rely on each other for survival.
Thus, this is not merely a chase involving so-called superpowers. It is a profound exploration of self-identity, the weight of memory, and emotional bonds under extreme conditions. When the rules of the world can be rewritten, and personal memories can be stripped away or implanted, how do we affirm what makes "I" truly "I"? How do we construct our own "truth" amidst the turbulent ruins?
Rest assured, every choice, struggle, and act of defiance within these pages serves the narrative's exploration of humanity and possibility. It depicts darkness to seek light in the cracks; it portrays chaos to safeguard goodness within order. The "semi-fictional reality" constructed herein, along with all actions within it, aims solely to provide an experience of familiar surroundings. It is in no way intended to allude to, disparage, or provide misguided direction regarding any real-world individuals, groups, or legitimate social behaviours.
Now, please set aside all preconceptions about reality.
Beyond our comprehension exist two kinds of universes: one is the naturally born "Cradle," the other is the "Artifact" created by an older civilisation—whom you might call "gods"—in ways beyond our imagination. The stable physical laws governing our universe may stem from its equilibrium, akin to a pressurised sealed vessel maintaining constant pressure. Yet when another utterly distinct universe merges with ours, it is as though two vessels of vastly differing pressures are forcibly connected. This delicate balance shatters, causing inherent laws to undergo disturbance, fusion, and anomalous fluctuations. The "Gears" are the peculiar "by-products" of this collision and fusion, splattered forth amidst the colossal waves of these two grand structures, touching upon the very essence of consciousness. What these alien civilisations brought was not merely the power to create, but also the cosmic laws they themselves followed—laws vastly different from our own natural order. Together, they wove the intricate and profound dome of our world.
Gear is the codename for a certain type of ideological awakening ability, a new organ sprouting from self-awareness, and thus possessed only by sentient beings. It is the manifestation of psychic power from the intangible to the tangible, its name derived from the persistent, peculiar sound emitted when activating the ability and the pivotal role this mechanism plays in its operation, akin to that of a gear.
Imagine the faint sound of gears meshing, like the activation of precision machinery, ringing in your ears. That is the sound of the world's rules quietly shifting.
The story begins.