“So, your world is in peace Izo?”

“Relative to Cilae. I’d argue that the peace in Earth is very close to being broken. The conflict is bubbling under the surface and very ready to burst.”

“Puhahaha!”

He covered Sun Hee’s mouth instantly. The moist breath discomforted him but some sacrifices had to be done. Only, he fears her growing madness and Izo will forever remember her laughter.

The 8 of Miss Jane’s candidates were currently in the cafeteria section of Nexus Central Hotel just chatting. He was drinking a smoothie they were eating their own specialty foods from their own dimension.

The Cilae people were kind, Izo expected that from his impression of them, what he found surprising was how soft spoken and polite they were. He could completely understand the reason for this too.

Their world was a desert planet where the settlements surrounded oasis and rivers. It seemed that they were naturally blessed with spirituality with a 30% chance of having it. Naturally, the 70% were treated as lower beings and became slaves. They prospered for a while in this system until one of their shamans invented a staple food that was twice as abundant when harvested.

After a few generations, toxic mutated variants of the plant supplanted the safe variant. Coincidentally, it only affected the spiritually gifted consequently causing order to collapse. The conflicts stopped when new non-spiritual leaders discovered an antidote so if a spiritually gifted wants to live, they must serve.

This was already a crazy series of events but then the descendants of the shaman appeared, revealing that all of this was planned.

‘True order can only be built from the pain of chaos’ were their words. The existence of a similar plant that could poison all life was used as a threat to all the rulers of the land. Meritocracy, individuality and understanding blossomed under the threat of death. It was their equivalent of nuclear assured extinction.

‘That’s why they have those tattoos on their throat area.’

They were different for each of them. The most common were three circles coinciding with each other representing ‘Love of others, self and the world.’ They called the Seal of Peace that symbolized the drinking of the antidote.

In their current history that technologically corresponds to 18th century on Earth however, the plant had been completely eradicated, the oases weren’t poisoned anymore and the shaman’s descendants disappeared from history.

Only Jae their representative had actually drunk poison to commemorate the lessons. A bit extreme he thinks and he wasn’t sure how she’s going to deal with it in the Nexus but it seemed that she was greatly admired by them. She was equivalent to a pop star that also fights to them.

“So, you were talking about me?”

“Jae, Enlightened.”

“Enlightened.”

Each one of them stood up greeting the woman in reverence.

“Hello, I’m Izo Shelley.”

“Jae of the Enlightened Temple.”

Standing in front of him, was the woman who can turn things into ceramic. Izo was pretty small so it was surprising that he was only slightly shorter in height since the Cilae tended to average at 207cm/ 6’8.

She seemed to be in her 30’s with brown hair in a short cut. She was slight pale and not from her skin tone but a faint sickly one. Izo could only guess it was from the poison.

Her robe hid most of her features, not however masking her intimidating aura. Someone who holds power and someone who leads.

“How long have you been listening to us?”

“I heard everything! No, not really. I heard enough to be glad that anyone is interested in our history.”

Although a lot of their past has been talked about, little was said about their modern-day lifestyle. So Izo was naturally curious.

“Do you mind if I ask about your poison? I hope you can deal with it here. Why do you it anyway?”

“The poison. My scout told me that the antidote is easy for them to make. For why I do it. Hmm. Tough question.”

One of the Cilae offered her a seat but she waved it off. She stood while ruminating on the question.

“It gives my life purpose, I guess. I don’t want our people to forget the lessons of the past and by being a living reminder, the memory will extend to the next generation. Maybe, it will help and maybe it won’t but I wish to try.”

“That’s a kind but difficult goal.”

“Younger me agreed yet she still joined the Temple. I couldn’t get their lessons out of my head and that’s why somethings are just magical. I just knew that the Temple was the place where I belong. There everyone, does our best to dedicate our lives to combat, sports, art and theater. Gain fame thus gain recognition for the history we represent. How about you Mr. Izo? What’s your profession in your world?”

“Nothing yet. A student.”

He didn’t expect her to go on the offensive even entering his personal space.

“A learner still, truly? After learning then?”

“Not sure. I’m not sure. I have no goals except maybe, help lessen people’s suffering...”

“This seems like a more difficult road than I?”

“I wouldn’t swallow poison and do what you do. I’d only help if I have the power and time.”

“I request a chair.”

Thus, an identical chair appeared for her. She sat down and now her eyes were level with Izo. Her voice became a lower pitch and was softer.

“I request a private conversation with Izo Shelley.”

[ Do you accept private conversation with Jae? ]

‘Y-yes.’

Izo doesn’t know where she learned this command but it seemed effective. He spoke some words to the others and they replied with ‘can’t hear you’.

“Do you mind if I drink this?”

“But this smoothie has my saliva already.”

She waved him off. Izo was thinking of ordering another smoothie since this is the virtual Nexusphere but if she’s fine with his what could he say.

She took the drink with no hesitation and sipped. Her brows turned to a knot. She gave it a few more sip and then began nodding fervently.

“Delicious!”

A satisfied sigh escape from her mouth. The commanding aura disappeared as she slouched on her chair. Jae the Enlightened became just Jae.

“All living beings are selfish. Even “heroes”. It’s the truth what we want most to fix in the world is the one suffering we had when we were younger.”

“My mother was raped by a spiritually gifted. She reported it to the law but it never went anywhere and she died a few years later. I chose my role to inspire the spiritually gifted to be disciplined and respectful to the past. Why do you want to lessen other sufferings?”

Izo surveyed the others here. He didn’t really want the whole world to hear his hurt. A few friends he was comfortable with them knowing, not the world. He would feel naked.

“To my father, I was the living reminder of his ugliness. Short, fat and stupid. Had no friends, no love. Bullied but couldn’t fight. He wanted me to be better but also never to leave my rut. He would insult me for not trying at the same time berate my tries whenever I do.”

Izo could still remember the time he won the competition at school. How that paper burned while the words ‘This is no good’ permeated his ears. His life was no good.

The only solution he had was to hide himself in his room. He wouldn’t be ever be hurt if he never interacts with anyone. No bullying. No reminder of his loneliness. No insults from his father. Only himself, his phone and his computer.

“Even though he hates me, I could never hate him. For I know, he was a product of his surroundings. The blame does not lie in any single person but as a whole. It doesn’t matter if its Philosophy, Religion, A.I. governance, or threat of extinction, I want a happier life for everyone. More love, more understanding, in a permanent effect.”

“I might have swallowed poison but you’re the one that’s truly insane.”

Jae laughed. A belly laugh filled with disbelief but also genuine happiness.

“Your goal is so beyond common thought. It seems so abstract with no clear end goal in sight. How do you plan to find this ultimate solution?”

“I can only meet more worlds. Understand their society and systems. Filter the good and combine it all.”

“Audacious, Madness. You will be a solitary soldier treading into the unknown darkness.”

At some point, Izo noticed her condition. Jae was twitching and her short hair was floating. A sudden fear gripped his heart as her eyes emulated the feeling of the S.N.V. coil when it was sending them to the Nexusphere. A primordial power flowed within.

“Your path will be uncertain, bloody, full of loss and near impossible. You will persevere whatever the outcomes. A thinker, a vanguard against the madness.”

“Jae! Jae!”

Suddenly, she disappeared.

‘Did she disconnect?’

Izo opened the Nexusnet. Within there weren’t only the Nexus social medias. It also included an internal messaging app for them. He messaged Jae.

Sun Hee must have attention must have finally been attracted as she also opened hers and messaged Jae.

Minutes passed by, they asked the other Cilae people to help and even contacted Jane their scout. Izo’s heart beat with worry.

[ Jae: Sorry for scaring you Izo. I’m fine. I’ll recover within minutes. ]

‘Phew.’

“Was that her ability Izo?”

“It should be. Maybe, she’s #1 for a reason.”

What he cared about more was what she said. It sounded like a prophecy. It sounded a bit ominous.

He also remembered what he said about societies and it sounded revolutionary.

‘Crap. I might become both blacklisted and the black sheep of the candidates!’

He warned Sun Hee about her A.I. idea but he said even more subversive thoughts. No ruler or company promotes those that want to rock the boat.