October 31, 2023 | 3:30 PM | Nakhon Sawan, Thailand
Inside a private karaoke room, Meena, Jia, and Linnea—three fifteen-year-old girls—sat shrouded in a heavy, suffocating silence. They were trapped in a dead end, unable to find a way forward.
Despite two grueling attempts at traveling back in time and successfully assassinating the creators, that lethal neural-wave computer technology still found a way to be born every single time. In the latest timeline, the creator was a young Chinese man who, after being scammed of his entire life savings by a beautiful woman, invented the neural computer out of pure despair. Eventually, the Chinese government seized control of his technology, developing it into a weapon of war that dominated every nation on Earth within just a few years.
As the situation grew increasingly dire, the three girls began researching the original brainwave readers that preceded the neural computer. The results left them utterly hopeless. They discovered that hundreds of companies were currently capable of producing such devices—even toy manufacturers had the potential. This meant that these machines were already scattered across the globe.
Therefore, as long as there was someone brilliant enough and driven by a powerful enough motive, the neural computer would always be born.
“What do we do now?” Jia finally broke the long silence.
“There are hundreds of companies. How are we supposed to kill every inventor in the world?” Meena asked, her voice a mix of frustration and sorrow.
“No more... I won’t kill anyone else,” Linnea interrupted, thinking back to the families of those she had slain. Out of pity, she remembered that Mook had a mother, Tae-pung had a mother, and she herself had a mother as well.
“Then what do you suggest? No matter how many times we fix the past, the result keeps looping back to the same point,” Jia leaned back against the soft leather sofa, scrolling through her phone in boredom.
“Yay! A Mythical Beast is born!” A young boy’s voice, shouting with joy, drifted from Jia’s phone.
“Is born...” Linnea whispered to herself. “Don’t let the demon be born... Or did I hear it wrong?”
A small spark of hope began to shine in her eyes. Her expression turned serious as an idea flashed through her mind. She met Jia and Meena’s eyes with newfound determination. “We won’t kill anyone else. And we will NOT ‘give birth’ to any more demons!”
As Linnea finished, Jia and Meena furrowed their brows, staring at their friend in utter confusion.
***
January 3, 2028 | 9:30 AM | In front of a crowded shopping mall
“Stop obsessing over a fake society! Stop judging people solely by their appearance! Stop looking down on others for their looks! Let’s build a better society together!”
Linnea shouted at the top of her lungs, holding a campaign sign with all her might, hoping to catch the attention of passersby. But that wasn't all...
***
January 7, 2028 | 5:23 PM
“What’s wrong with liking handsome guys?” A question from a viewer popped up on the livestream screen.
“It’s wrong! Admiring someone just for their looks is a dangerous and severe social value. It can cause our entire world to collapse!” Jia replied to the chat with intense seriousness.
“Is she crazy?” “What channel is this?” “Her brain is definitely fried.”
These were the types of messages flooding the chat after Jia’s response. But despite the endless insults, the three girls didn't waver. They poured their massive fortune into advertisements to spread their ideology across social media worldwide. On some days, they stood in crowded public spaces across various countries holding their signs.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Days turned into months, and months into years. They continued until they became a viral sensation, appearing on numerous TV shows. Sometimes, they accidentally let slip that they had traveled from the future and told stories of the horrors that would occur. The result was always the same...
***
November 10, 2030 | 12:30 PM | Bangkok, Thailand
Inside an apartment...
“Is she freaking insane?” a young woman muttered while watching a live interview of Meena, Jia, and Linnea on TV.
“If they’re that beautiful and rich, they’re probably not crazy. It’s likely just content to farm views and likes,” her friend sitting next to her commented. “I bet the money they’re flaunting comes from baiting us into watching their clips.”
The two talked for a while before switching channels in annoyance, completely unaware that the three girls on the screen were sacrificing everything to protect their future.
***
November 11, 2030 | 1:30 PM | Inside a hotel room
“I’m done! I’m not doing this anymore!” Jia threw her campaign sign beside the bed in a fit of rage before jumping onto the mattress and sobbing. She was tired of being branded as insane by the public.
“Sigh...” Meena sat on the bed, exhausted. The number of people who believed in their ideology was small enough to count on one hand. She grumbled angrily, “Fine! When your ‘shells’ become worthless, you’ll see! You idiots!”
Linnea collapsed onto the bed, drained. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't change the tide of social values in this era. “Don’t let the demon be born... Don’t let the demon be born...” she whispered the phrase repeatedly like a machine, recalling her mother’s final words.
Suddenly, her eyes snapped open as a realization hit her. “What’s the date today?!”
“November 11th, 2030. Why do you ask?” Meena replied.
“And what day did that Mint girl break up with Mook?!” Linnea asked frantically.
“Um... from the biography I read, it should be November 13th, 2030,” Meena answered, trying to remember.
Linnea sprang up from the bed and rushed to the mirror, checking her appearance from every angle with meticulous care.
“What are you thinking?” Meena watched her friend, confused.
“Let’s go find Mook!”
***
November 13, 2030 | 2:40 PM | Phayao, Thailand
In front of a university entrance crowded with students...
“Jay... Mook broke up with me,” Mint said in a pleading voice, hugging the tall, handsome man in front of her.
“It’s okay, bab—”
SCREECH! A luxury car worth millions slammed its brakes, stopping right beside the university sign where Mint and the man were standing. Both jumped in shock, nearly being hit. Mint looked at the beautiful car in confusion, while Jay stared at it with intense curiosity.
The car door opened, and Linnea stepped out with absolute grace. She reached up and pulled out her hair tie, letting her long golden hair flow in the breeze. She adjusted her clothes until she looked flawless.
“Are you serious, Lin?” Jia, who had followed on a motorcycle with Meena, asked uncertainty.
Linnea didn't answer. Instead, she walked straight toward Mook, who was standing there with bloodshot eyes, watching Mint with her new man. He was fighting with every ounce of his soul to hold back his tears.
Linnea stopped right in front of him. She looked down slightly at the young man, who was only a bit shorter than her, before uttering a sentence that shocked everyone within earshot.
“I like you... I’ve liked you for a long time. Do you know how happy I am that you finally broke up with that woman?”
“Uh...” Mook, who was on the verge of crying, was frozen. Suddenly, a stunning Eurasian girl with golden hair and the face of an angel was confessing her love to him in perfect Thai.
Grab! Linnea didn't give Mook time to doubt. She cupped his face with both hands, leaned down, and pressed her lips against his in a deep, sweet kiss before Mook could even process what was happening.
“What the hell?! He gets dumped and instantly gets a goddess wife?!” a male student eating a hamburger near the sign shouted, accidentally spitting out his food in shock.
Linnea then pulled the bewildered Mook into her car and drove off immediately. Jay couldn't help but stare after them, mesmerized by Linnea’s beauty and wealth.
“Your new wife is that ‘Flat-Chest’ over there!” Jia shouted at Jay, pointing at Mint, before revving her bike to follow Linnea.
Mint stood there, her face a mask of utter bewilderment, her previous confidence shattered into pieces. The new man she had chosen was already ogling another woman, and the ex-boyfriend she had just dumped had been snatched up by a girl hundreds of times more beautiful and richer than her. To top it off, she was left standing there like a fool while being called ‘Flat-Chest’ in front of a crowd... At this moment, how exactly was she supposed to feel?
