Microsha
Long ago, there was an earthquake so strong a crack opened up in the earth's surface. Whole cities were consumed and fell into the hole. Yet, instead of the molten heat as was expected, it seemed that there was something underneath. First came the fliers, then the crawlers, and then, eventually the surface humans found people below.
This was the Change, and it indeed changed everything.
As with any cultural integration, things between the humans below (Microshans) and the humans on the surface (Glyssians) began with an exchange of language. Food, art, money, style, and knowledge flowed freely. So did diseases. It is there that a symbiotic virus was found, and it granted immortality. The virus could be shared like any virus, but its effects were not felt by everyone. Science decided to change that.
Pharmaceutical companies commodified eternal life, and the Serum's price climbed higher and higher, until only the ultra-wealthy could afford immortality. Riots, coordinated worldwide, destroyed the factories and businesses and homes of everyone involved with the Serum's production under the banner, "LONG LIVE NO ONE".
A century and a half later, amidst the rubble of destroyed buildings, a light shines where there should be darkness. Someone is recreating the Serum from half-burned notes and a prayer. The lights do not go unnoticed, and those who profit from such a desirable product circle ever closer. After all, no one likes to be kept in the dark.
All written work and ideas belong exclusively to Sophia Yumi Yamamoto, the author. Pictures were taken from Pinterest or Unsplash.com for visualization purposes only. Rights to any photos used belong to the owners.