Chapter 1 : The Prologue

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What? My "Information Club" is Actually an All-Knowing Secret Society?

Genre : Apocalypse, Fantasy, Superpower, Action

Tag : Misunderstanding, Secret Organization, Wolrd-Freezing, Super power

Chapter 1 : The Prologue

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[Time remaining until the Great Freeze: 30 Days]

The blue light of the monitor was the only source of warmth in the cramped, dusty apartment. Arlen cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing slightly in the silence of the night. His eyes scanned the lines of code and text he had just typed, a satisfied smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

At this time, Arlen just a starving poor man trying to survive on instant noodles and dreams.

On the screen, a cryptic message was ready to be posted.

> “When the mercury drops, humanity stops. The Great White Silence is approaching. Thirty days remain until the first breath of the end.” <

"Perfect," Arlen whispered to himself. "Just cryptic enough to sound ominous, but vague enough to fit the lore."

He hit [Post].

Almost immediately, the notification bell on his private server dinged. All of this cryptic messages just for a promotional campaign that cost him literally zero dollars, it was exhilarating. He watched as the comments rolled in under his anonymous persona, [The Architect].

It was hard to believe how far this little game had come.

Arlen leaned back in his creaky chair, his mind drifting back to four months ago.

Back then, he was staring at a blank Word document and a bank account that had only zeros than actual numbers. He had finished the outline for his masterpiece, The Frozen Era.

It was a post-apocalyptic thriller about Earth entering a sudden, inexplicable Ice Age.

But there was a problem. Who would read a novel by a nobody?

"I need a hook," he had muttered back then, pacing around his room.

"Marketing costs money. Ads cost money. What is free?"

Curiosity. Fear. Mystery.

That afternoon, he decided to created a website. It was a simple black page with a countdown timer and a series of complex riddles based on the lore of his unreleased book. He didn't tell anyone it was a novel. He presented it as a warning.

He created the persona of a whistleblower, someone who knew secrets the government was hiding.

For the first few weeks, it was pathetic. Maybe three people saw it. One of them was probably a bot. But Arlen, bored and desperate for any form of validation, kept playing. He roleplayed as The Architect, dropping clues about "The Freeze" and "The Evolution."

Then, the algorithm god smiled upon him. A random conspiracy forum picked up one of his riddles.

"Is this real? The coordinates point to a hidden bunker location!" one user had posted.

It wasn't a bunker. It was just the coordinates of a random abandoned warehouse Arlen found on Google Earth. But they didn't need to know that.

***

[Present Day - 30 Days Remaining]

The vibration of his phone snapped Arlen back to reality. He picked it up and opened the exclusive group chat, The Information Club.

This was the inner circle. The "Elites" who had solved the hardest riddles. Currently, there were exactly 25 members.

Arlen scrolled through the chat, taking a sip of his lukewarm water.

> [User: FrostBite]: The Architect just posted. Thirty days. It aligns with the atmospheric data I pulled from the southern monitoring station. <

> [User: Seraph]: Ah, finally. The Oracle speaks. The rest of the world sleeps in its own filth, oblivious to the end, but He has graciously granted us a lantern. How beautiful. My devotion belongs only to the Truth He writes. <

> [User: SilentWatcher]: @Architect, is the Safe Zone still valid? The coordinates you gave us last month? <

> [User: Seraph]: SilentWatcher. Please do not soil this sanctuary with such vulgar doubt. To question the Architect is to question the sun for rising. If He marked the earth, then that earth is holy. Do not make me pity your ignorance. <

> [User: Viper]: Save the poetry, Seraph. But she's right, SilentWatcher. Don't ask stupid questions. If He said it's safe, it's safe. We need to focus on the 'Falling Star'. <

Arlen chuckled, shaking his head. "Man, this [Seraph] user is something else. She’s roleplaying that 'creepy elegant cultist' trope perfectly. It’s almost... poetic? In a scary way."

He typed a reply, keeping his tone mysterious and distant, exactly how a secret organization leader should sound.

> [The Architect]: Doubt is the frost that kills the mind. Preparation is the fire that saves the soul. The Zone is secure. Await the falling star.

The response was instantaneous.

> [User: Seraph]: Your words are my light, Architect. <

> [User: Viper]: Understood, sir. <

> [User: FrostBite]: We are ready. <

"Your words are light," Arlen mimicked, putting the phone down. "If only they knew the 'light' is currently debating whether to sell his microwave to pay for next month's internet bill."

He stretched his arms, feeling a sense of accomplishment. The engagement was high. The mystery was peaking. In thirty days, he would drop the link to his novel, reveal that this was all a promotional ARG, and hopefully, convert these 25 hardcore fans into his first paying readers.

He looked out the window. The night sky was clear and starry. It was a beautiful, calm night.

"The Great Freeze, huh?" Arlen laughed softly. "Whatever. As long as it sells books."

***

[Time remaining until the Great Freeze: 29 Days]

Morning sunlight filtered through the thin curtains, but Arlen was already awake, scrolling through his phone with bleary eyes. The notification counter on the Information Club app was ticking up faster than usual.

"They're arguing again," Arlen muttered, rubbing his face.

> [User: Vector ]: The riddle from three days ago referenced 'The Hollow Earth'. It has to be a metaphor for the subway systems. <

> [User: NightOwl ]: Don't be an idiot. The Architect speaks in celestial terms. 'Hollow' refers to the atmospheric void. <

Arlen sighed. The riddle was actually about a donut shop he liked, but he wasn't about to tell them that.

Today was a personal day. It had been over more than a year since he last visited his parents' graves.

They were buried in a quiet cemetery 10 cities away. A long, exhausting journey for someone without a car. But as he packed his worn-out backpack with a bottle of water and a sandwich, a mischievous idea sparked in his mind.

"If I'm going that far anyway... why not turn the trip into a content farm?"

He sat back down at his computer. He opened a new document and began to type. If these people wanted lore, he would give them lore. He drafted five distinct pages.

These weren't just vague riddles. He poured the deepest, most technical settings of his novel onto the pages. He wanted them to sound like leaked documents from a classified research facility.

› Page 1: The Evolution Catalyst. A detailed guide on how to safely absorb the energy from the 'Falling Stars'. Arlen wrote about "DNA stabilization" and "avoiding mutation overload." In the novel, this was a game mechanic on how the world goes.

› Page 2: The Bestiary of the New World. A warning list of animals most likely to mutate first. Rats, stray dogs, and crows. He described their behavioral changes before they turned into monsters.

› Page 3: The Sanctuary Map. He circled a specific rural region, the exact area where he have a very good memory with his parents when still in the Middle school. To Arlen, it was just a quiet place he loved. To the group, it would look like a strategic geographical stronghold untouched by urban chaos.

› Page 4: The Vitality Stew Recipe. A precise concoction of specific root vegetables, herbs, and dried meats. In the book, this recovered health greatly. In reality, it was just a hearty soup recipe he makes out of nonsense combining recipe soup from comic he read and novel, just to make it look cool.

› Page 5: The Chronos Log. The most valuable page. A timeline of events starting from "Day 0." It predicted power outages, specific atmospheric shifts, and the exact time the first meteor would impact.

He printed them out on slightly yellowed paper to give them an archaic feel, folded them neatly, and sealed them in ziplock bags.

"Exclusive loot drops," Arlen chuckled as he shoved them into his bag. "Let's see who's dedicated enough to find these."

The journey was long. Arlen took a rattling bus, then a train, watching the cityscape fade into rural greenery. The rhythm of the tracks soothed him.

He planted the clues meticulously.

The first one went behind a vending machine at the train station transfer point. The second was taped under a park bench where he ate his lunch. Just like this, the rest he places in just a random place.

By the time he reached the cemetery, the sun was beginning to set. He stood before the modest tombstones of his parents, the silence of the place washing over him.

"Hey, Mom, Dad," he whispered, placing fresh flowers on the grass. "I'm doing... okay. I think I finally wrote something people like. It's a bit weird, and they act like i'm a cult leader, but... hey, readers are readers, right?"

He stayed there for a long time, enjoying the peace. For a moment, he wasn't The Architect. He was just a lonely son missing his family.

***

[Time remaining until the Great Freeze: 28 Days]

By the time Arlen got back to his apartment, his legs were aching, but his mind was racing. He immediately logged in and posted the coordinates.

> [The Architect]: Five fragments of truth have been scattered. Only the worthy shall inherit the knowledge of the future. Seek, and you shall lead. <

He didn't expect much. The locations were obscure. Maybe one or two would be found in a week?

He was wrong.

Within six hours, the chat exploded.

> [System Message]: User [Seraph] has uploaded an image. <

> [System Message]: User [Viper] has uploaded an image. <

> [System Message]: User [FrostBite] has uploaded an image. <

Arlen blinked, leaning closer to the screen. "No way. Did they take a helicopter or something? Are they all living close to every city?"

Three of the 'Elite' members had found the papers. But the most surprising part was the other two.

> [System Message]: New User [Apothecary] has joined the chat via invite code. <

> [System Message]: New User [Tank] has joined the chat via invite code. <

Two random strangers, people who weren't even part of the ARG originally, had stumbled upon the clues. They scanned the QR code Arlen put on the back and were immediately swarmed by the existing members.

> [User: Viper]: Hold on. Who are you two? <

> [User: Viper]: Those invite codes were hidden for a reason. You shouldn't be here unless you found the physical copies. Explain yourselves. <

> [User: Tank]: Whoa, easy there. I just found this weird paper under a park bench while walking my dog. It has a drawing of many weird animals, like one them was a mutated rat or something. Is this some kind of prank? <

> [User: FrostBite]: The QR codes are not pranks. They are single-use cryptographic tokens generated by the Architect. If you are here, the algorithm chose you. <

> [User: FrostBite]: Upload the data payload you are carrying. We need to complete the sequence. <

> [User: Tank]: Algorithm? Payload? You guys are weird. Look, do you want the paper back or not? I'm about to throw it in the trash. <

> [User: Seraph]: Gasps. Throw it in the trash? Oh, you poor, blind creature. <

> [User: Seraph]: Viper, calm down. You are frightening the lost lambs. @Tank, please do not discard it. That paper is worth more than your life. It is a whisper from the Oracle.

> [User: Apothecary]: Um, hi? I'm with the 'Tank' guy on this. I found a paper too, but mine is... a soup recipe? <

> [User: Apothecary]: It was taped behind a vending machine. "Vitality Stew". The ingredients list is weirdly specific about sodium levels. Is this a cooking club? Or a LARP group? <

> [User: Viper]: It’s not a cooking club. It’s about survival. <

> [User: Viper]: If The Architect gave you that recipe, then it’s important. Just upload the photos. We need to see what He gave you. <

> [User: Tank]: Fine, fine. Here's a picture of the rat thing. Just don't hack me. <

> [System Message]: User [Tank] has uploaded Image: Page 2 (The Bestiary). <

> [User: Apothecary]: Here's the soup. Honestly, looking at the chemical composition... it's actually intriguing. <

> [System Message]: User [Apothecary] has uploaded Image: Page 4 (Vitality Stew). <

Arlen watched in awe as the group dissected the information. The chaos turned into focused analysis instantly.

> [User: FrostBite]: Analysis complete. The dataset is fully retrieved. <

> [User: FrostBite]: Page 1. Evolution Catalyst (Viper). <

> [User: FrostBite]: Page 2. Bestiary (Tank). <

> [User: FrostBite]: Page 3. Sanctuary Map (Me). <

> [User: FrostBite]: Page 4. Vitality Stew (Apothecary). <

> [User: FrostBite]: Page 5. Chronos Log (Seraph). <

> [User: Seraph]: Five fragments. Five fingers to form a fist. Five pillars to hold the sky. <

> [User: Seraph]: It is not a coincidence that these two strangers found them. The Architect does not deal in 'accidents'. He guided their steps. <

> [User: Tank]: Uh, pretty sure my dog just needed to pee. That guided my steps. <

> [User: Seraph]: Silence, non-believer. You have been Chosen, whether your small mind comprehends it or not. <

The chat went silent. The tension was palpable. Even Tank stopped arguing, seemingly overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of these people.

They were waiting for a verdict.

Arlen scratched his head, munching on a potato chip. "Five Envoys? That sounds kind of cool. It fits the 'Council' trope in my novel."

He decided to play along. Why not give them a title? It would keep them engaged until the book launch.

He cracked his knuckles and typed.

> [The Architect]: Fate does not make mistakes. You five have held the truth in your hands. From this day forth, you are the Pillars. Guide the flock when the sky falls. <

The reaction was instantaneous.

> [User: Viper]: Understood, sir. I’m ready to take command. We won't let you down. <

> [User: Seraph]: Your will is my breath, Architect. I shall be the foundation upon which your new world is built. Thank you for this divine burden. <

> [User: FrostBite]: Security clearance updated: Level 5 - Pillar. <

> [User: Apothecary]: ...Okay then. I guess I'm a 'Pillar' now? I'll try making this soup tonight. For science. <

> [User: Tank]: This is the weirdest internet forum I've ever been on. But... uh.

.. thanks? I guess? <

Arlen laughed, closing his laptop.

"Man, [Tank] is so confused, but on the other side, he's too polite to leave. I love this community."

He went to sleep with a smile, completely unaware of the consequences.

›› To Be Continue ‹‹

—KS