Six months passed like a dream neither of them wanted to wake from, with each day pulling them deeper out of control. What started as an undeniable attraction became something neither of them could let go of. The world around them faded, every ordinary moment meaningless, irrelevant. Life had become only about secret meetings under the trees at midnight, heartfelt messages disguised as harmless data streams, stolen moments by the plaza fountain with whispered confessions becoming unbreakable vows.

In New Hampstead, the capital city of D2, fear is an alien concept. Safety is woven into the fabric of life, a certainty so strong it lulls you into forgetting danger even exists. People wander the streets in the late hours, undisturbed and unafraid. Akira has always been one of those people. Tonight though her steps are unusually un-measured and messy. She’d been at her friends for a late night session of numbing drinks, designed to mask the ache of yesterday’s news, the one she loves married someone else. On autopilot, she maps her way home, mind distracted by the alcohol fuelled evening designed to drown out the knowledge she wished she didn’t know.

Technology, the killer’s weapon of choice. Wielded with utmost accuracy and skill. Many would refer to the killer as an artist, but the resulting works are nothing short of horrific.

As the work day draws to a close, a wealthy businessman with a penchant for fabricating the truth is finishing his report. He types furiously on his computer, doing the unthinkable. He’s renowned for his misconduct. No one likes him. For his dubious choices have resulted in countless innocent deaths. However, the corporation enforces a blind eye. Business is business, and positive drug trial results mean less sidelined drugs.

Tuesday night, 10pm. Richard & Kirsty practise a meticulous routine they’ve perfected after six years of their relationship status.

Check the front door is locked, put the pup to bed, scatter pillows on the floor, floss, brush, scrape tongue, moisturise, glass of water on each bedside table. Long kiss goodnight, head on pillow, switch dream machine on.

Richard takes longer to settle. It doesn’t matter, he adores Kirsty and cherishes the final moments of their routine.

Deep within the vast ocean of District 2 lay a secret that had been veiled from the rest of the Dome for centuries. A cave system, concealed from documented existence by the elite. This secret was trusted to a select few, as a broad knowledge of this atrocity would unravel the very fabric of society, if revealed.

Centuries ago, during an era when District 1 and 2 reigned supreme, hundreds of residents were forcibly relocated to the cave system. The criteria for banishment, those who deviated from the sanctioned beliefs or didn’t belong to “pure” bloodlines, faced exile. Families, entire lineages, the elderly, and the young, none were spared. Erasing them from history became a priority of these short-sighted fools, wiping a legacy from memory.

Landon’s addiction to HazeX is all-consuming. His life balance is heavily weighed in the drugs favour as escapism to an alternative plain has become a persistent need. He’s not alone, once this organic drug cocktail sets its hooks in, you’ll never see reality the same way. This is what lures Landon to District 5, for whispers of this new drug being created in the outskirts of Blossom Valley has been spreading throughout the Dome at incredible speed.

CEO of Sinclair Industries, Veronica Sinclair has the power and prestige that suits the elite of District 2. Admired for her confidence, business acumen and sheer resilience against hostile practices she appears to be the perfect successor of the company.

Despite her successful exterior, Veronica hides a dark secret about the death of her previous husband

On a fateful Tuesday night, as the clock inched towards the witching hour of 3am, a grandiose and sinister plan was set into motion. One that reeked of audacity and meticulous precision. The target, a staggering 270 vaults spread across the affluent districts of 1 & 2. Each vault, a fortress in its own right, was to be cracked and plundered simultaneously. Not only was this orchestration a feat beyond belief, but the entire heist was to concluded in a mere 15-minute window. Disappearing into the darkness of the night, with no breadcrumbs, no sign of forced entry from outside the pillaged premises.