THE AWAKENING: BIO-GENETICS

"Hello, Bio-genetics!" Prime Minister Inoue Kiyoshi began.

"It's that name again!" Ten said with a stern look.

Intense whispers between the kids, total confusion against their features.

"I know you kids must be scared and confused right now, I can only imagine what you are going through," Kiyoshi said, he closed his eyes for a brief second, what he was about to say next will leave the poor kids in shock. He opens his eyes.

"The world as you know it has ended!".

Everywhere went in extreme solemn silence, everyone bewildered to the point they couldn't speak.

'What is he saying? The world... Has ended?' Shino thought paralyzed.

"What are you saying...? This must be a joke" Kaneki said shakily as a bead of sweat trailed from his forehead.

Ryoji seated close to him was stiff with trembling eyes.

"Everyone of you is very well aware the Chemical Plant exploded leveling part of Tokyo. But that wasn't the only thing that happened".

"It exploded along with a virus. The Sp-virus".

'Virus?' Ten thought with trembling eyes. 'If a virus was spread'. He dug his fingers in his dark messy hair. 'Then there's no way the population would have survived'. He gulps hard. 'I see it now'. His eyes shake more. 'It all makes sense now'. A memory flashed in his head.

***

Ten on the ground made of dirt and ashes, his eyes struggling to open, flames around him amid the destruction, the air embodied with black dot dew. His eyes, nose, and ears bleed, pain shocking his body, so agonizing like his bones were being broken, black veins creeping up his entire body. His body grew weaker by the second, his eyes heavy as they shut slowly, as darkness took him, something like a cocoon wraps around him.

Everything went blank.

***

'I thought that could only be explained by the Chemical Plant exploding, but...' He raised his head staring at the hologram screen with trembling eyes. 'A virus went off with it'. His teeth clenched.

"That day is now known to us as 'Black Storm Day'. The Sp-virus has been spread not only in Japan but the whole world, this very place you are in is Tokyo Underground Base housing not just you kids but millions of civilians who survived and luckily not exposed to the virus. The rest millions have been extinct".

"The rest have been extinct?!" Kaneki stunned.

"Then our family and friends, they could be on the base too right?!" Shino asked desperate with hope, his eyes trembling with anticipation, hoping and pleading, that his dad and his little sister were safe and sound, he couldn't ask more than that.

Kiyoshi sighs.

"I'm sorry but all 100 of you have no one left. You're all orphans".

Each of their hearts slams a loud beat, they all paled in extreme shock. Dead solemn silence filling the classroom hall.

"We search each of your social databases, running facial scans to find any of your family that might have made it into the base alive, but we found none".

"Kiyoshi-sama!" Ten squeaks raising his hand high, with a dark expression, his glasses blank white. All attention drifts to him instantly.

"What do you mean by other civilians who survived and luckily not exposed to the virus?!" His green eyes land on the Prime Minister, his glasses clearing.

"Did I hear you correctly?!"

"Yes!" Kiyoshi said, his eyes averting to the other kids, meeting gazes with them one by one.

"All of you in this very room was exposed to the virus".

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?!" Kaneki shouts, standing up. He slams his hands on the table.

"Not only did you tell us our families are dead... But orphans? And now you tell us we were exposed to the virus?!" Kaneki hissed.

"Kaneki Senpai," Mirai said with trembling eyes.

"Are you saying we are infected and not dead like the others?!"

"Yes! You all survived the exposure to the Sp-virus!"

Kaneki's eyes slowly widen as they trembled. He took his seat back stunned.

"A virus that wiped out an entire race in an instant. But you all survived it".

Everywhere went in solemn silence again. The kids were stunned by the news.

'Dad, Michi'. Shino thought as uncontrollable tears build up in his eyes, a picture of his sick little sister flashed in his head.

***

'Don't take long, I will be waiting for you' Michi motioned with her hands, forcing a weak smile on her lips.

'I will surely come back I promise. Wait for me' Shino said in sign language with a wide grin forming against his lips.

***

The tears stream down his cheeks hotly. 'I couldn't keep my promise'. His body trembles, as he cried silently and sobs, what kind of a big brother is he, he couldn't protect his little sister, he didn't make it back to her as he promised. 'There's no way'. His teeth clenched. 'There's no way this is true'. An image of his dad smiling at him appeared in his head. He sobs painfully placing his hand on his chest, squeezing his shirt with a tight grip.

'Mum, dad'. Daiki's eyes trembles, the tears falling, he shakes his head negatively. A memory flashed off when he saw his mum crying, him holding his red cheeks from the hot slap. Daiki placed a hand on his cheek where the red mark once was.

"This can't be happening, this must be some kind of nightmare right?!" he asked, turning to face Kaname who was seated close to him.

Daiki stiffens when he saw the dark expression Kaname had, tears dripping on the table from his eyes.

"You heard it yourself right," Kaname said.

He turned to Daiki who sobs.

"Everything is gone" he adds with horror looks.

'Perhaps'. Sumi thought amused, but the amusement didn't reach her eyes, she stared at her palms, it trembles. 'My prayers have been answered". She smirks darkly, earning a silent chuckle from her. Suddenly in her vision, her clean palm turned bloody in her eyes, she froze as instantly her chuckle seize and the amused expression fade slowly, her looks stern. 'There was nothing good, to begin with'. She thought staring at her now clean palm.

Mirai shakes her head negatively, the tears falling on their own.

"All those kids at the dojo", she sobs.

"My sisters, my parents, all gone?!"

A tear fell from Haya's eyes, a shocked look against her features. She got everything, reading their lips as they talked. 'This can't be happening'.. She thought, more tears dripping down her cheeks. 'Right?'