CHAPTER 1: CAUSE AND EFFECT...

The action of this first chapter takes place some months after Neo's last battle with Agent Smith...

A very dark night on the streets of the Matrix...even darker than it was usually made by the machines... The deep silence of the night was suddenly disturbed by rushed footsteps... A dark silhouette rushed through the streets, keeping close to the walls... The black cloak covered the person from head to toes...

The mysterious stranger stopped in front of a small building in the fictive China Town... It stopped a while to catch its breath... It took a quick glance behind to be sure that it was safe... A knock on the door...

"What are you doing here?" Seraph asked at opening the door.

"I must see her!" a soft woman's voice answered... "I must get in, please Seraph!"

"You know you are forbidden to be here! Leave or suffer the consequences!" seraph raised his voice and took a threathnig position...

"Suffer the consequences...funny...I already am suffering the consequences of my deeds", the woman muttered as a tear ran down her cheek...

"What are you talking about, woman? Leave at once!"

"Seraph, let her in!" said the Oracle coming from behind him. "It's safe, I know that. And it really is important. Come in!"

The woman followed the Oracle inside the house.

"Thank you for letting me in, mother! You know this is the last time we meet... I've come to give you my baby" the woman said, revealing the baby that she held under the cloak, "I know you are the best person to take care of it, to protect it from what may come..."

"Oh, my child, why did you do such a thing?"

"You will never understand! I just had to!" the woman said, bursting into tears. "I've always hated this gift that I've inherited from you...seeing the future, knowing Fate...it's awful! And now this gift has become my curse! Cause and effect, I guess... I knew what to do to end this stupid war between man and machines and I did it... Now, as soon as I walk out that door my life will end..."

"My child, you always knew you mustn't interfere with the future!"

"But I just had to! I knew one sacrifice wouldn't be enough to save the world! I did it because I loved him more than anyone could possibly understand!"

"How cruel life is, my daughter... Love has taken you away from me once, and now love will make me loose you again", said the Oracle.

"Please, he's almost here! I must leave or else I will put you into danger... Take my baby... I know you know just what to do so that the Prophecy fulfills at its due time... Farewell, my child! Farewell, mother!" said the woman putting the baby into the Oracle's arms.

"Farewell!"

The woman in black walked out the door.

Seraph came into the room. The Oracle was crying with the baby in her arms. In so many years he had never seen her cry...

"Oracle, I have never seen you cry!"

"If you could see what awaits this poor soul, you would cry too...all the pain, all the sufferance... All of this for a noble cause, for PEACE!" The Oracle wiped her tears. "Seraph, let's take the baby to a safe place..."

The woman ran out of the Oracle's house crying like she never did before in her life...But she stopped after a short distance, realizing that nobody was following her...That was not right, it was not as she had seen it would be... Images rushed through her mind so quickly that she couldn't understand anything... She knew something had changed, but she kept running until she entered a park. Exhausted she sat down on a bench... She kept trying to have a clear image of what will happen when she felt the cold steel of a gun on her neck... So nothing changed, after all...

"Just this once be a gentleman and don't shoot me at the back", she whispered, trying to be brave. She turned around. The night was so dark that she couldn't see the face of her assassin. She took her black cloak off and let it fall on the ground... She gently grabbed the gun and pointed it to her chest...

"At least be a man and show yourself, my darling. Look me in the eyes when you do it!"

The man took one step forward, pressing the gun into her chest. She still couldn't see his face but she caught a glimpse of his eyes... She was shocked, that couldn't be happening! She tried to say something, but it was too late. The gunshot echoed throughout the park. Another sacrifice was made in the name of peace...