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Within the very same mystical room than before, on the same spot the man who can only be described as alluring was sleeping at, a replica of Utopia was placed right on a regal table in front of the sparkling white tree.
However, there was a new character within this room of mystery.
An elegant man with chin-length long blonde hair, who wore a simple white robe stood in front of the pure white tree as he studied it silently. His aquamarine coloured iris' gazed at the single leaf which had fallen from its branch, as it slowly descended to the surface, only to visibly turn more autumn-brown in colour as the seconds passed by, until it had turned to nothing but dust.
Intrigue was plastered across his face, as he pondered.
"Interesting, isn't it?" a cheerful voice asked.
It had come from the alluring man who was inspecting an intricately created replica of Utopia that seemed as if it had come to life. Very little extremely miniature human figures were walking around the alleyway's within the replica, as a bright glowing white moon sat at the top of this replica, hung up by no thread or string, like magic.
A slight smile appeared on the blonde man's face, as he chuckled softly, "I could never get used to being put in awe towards this tree, just what is it?"
A wide grin appeared on the alluring man's face, gazing into the blond man's eyes, he whispered mischievously, "Secret."
The blond man could not help but laugh at his answer, before gazing at the replica of Utopia as he asked, "Something interesting happening in that delusional settlement, Utopia?"
The alluring man smirked slightly, "Who knows."
The blond man could not help but glare at the alluring man, "I will not accept such an answer, Colin!"
Colin simply smiled at his friend's words as he offered, "If you can provide me an amusing answer, to this question of mine, I will reward you."
The blond man smirked as he confidently accepted the question.
Gazing back down at the replica of Utopia, Colin slowly asked, "What does Utopia truly mean?"
The blond man pondered on the question, with each minute passing, his expression became more confused, before hesitantly answering, "A Utopia is nothing more than an imagined perfect society of humans, what more is there to think about?"
A slight smile appeared on Colin's face as he answered, "A Utopia is an imagined perfect society of humans, but let me ask you this. Would you want a Utopian society of humans where everything is perfect, or would you rather have a flawed society of humans?"
The blond man pondered over the question, before hesitantly answering, "I would rather have a flawed society of humans."
A grin appeared on Colin's face as he took a step closer to the blond man, gazing into his gem-like aquamarine iris', as he questioned, "But why?"
The blond man could not help but feel his heartbeat quicken as he answered, "Because a Utopian society is too perfect, we would have no need to strive for anything."
The grin on Colin's face deepened slightly, as he took another step closer to the blond man, as he once more asked, "But why?"
The blond man could not help but take a step back, as he continued to answer, "Because humans would sooner or later return to a normal society?"
Colin simply took one more step towards the blond man, now standing right in front of him, Colin explained eloquently as their gazes locked together, "Within a Utopian society, what need is there for innovation? What need is there for change? What need is there to desire? What need is there to improve yourself when there is no need for improvement. Such a hive-mind like way of living, we humans, would grow so bored of such a life without individualism where everyone is the same and has the same, we would simply lose ourselves to mental illness and those with a weak desire to simply exist will be the first to commit suicide, as the numbers slowly but surely rise, until there is no human left to move the cogs which run the machine."
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
The blond man could not help but feel piqued at Colin's explanation, as he contemplated over the words he had just heard.
His grin slowly loosening into a simple smile, Colin walked back to the replica of Utopia as he quietly muttered to himself, "Why did he call this settlement Utopia, even though he knew the meaning of it?"
Shaking his head once more, Colin wearily looked towards empty space, as he asked the blond man, "Do you feel that?"
Awoken from his contemplation, the blond man shook his head as he asked out of confusion, "Feel what?"
Colin's eyes slowly gazed around the room, as he answered, "I could not help but feel as if-"
The blond man could not help but feel even more puzzled as he gazed into Colin's eyes, they seemed confused, shocked, as if something that could shock this simply amazing man, "Is there something wrong Colin?"
Colin let out a sigh, crossed his arms, staring up at the magnificent sight of the sparkling white tree, "It's definitely not you," as he turned to look at the blond man, "It's also definitely not you," before shaking his head in vexation, "Then, who is it?"
Such a question, Colin will never find out.
For his question only leads to even more mysteries to which is impossible to explain.
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Within their bedroom, on their bed, Lucatiel was cuddling against her dear husband as she looked up at his pretty face in doubt, "A week of holidays with your family?" as she added in exasperation, "Oh please darling, I am quite sure with Julius in recovery, you will be forced to take your post as Sword Saint more seriously now with Julius gone."
With a smile on his face, Valentine confidently reassured his doubting wife, "I will be patrolling Utopia myself, and while I work I will be enjoying the delicacies that Utopia can offer with my son and wife."
Lucatiel could not help but burst out laughing, "How very Vale-like!"
Valentine moved his face closer to his wife's as he smirked slightly, "No, not Vale-like."
Lucatiel calmed herself down, before curiously asking, "How is it not?"
With a slight grin on his face, Valentine flirted, "I am only ever this irresponsible, for you, my darling," as he kissed her neck softly.
Lucatiel could not help but moan slightly, as she could not help but feel heat coming off her face, "Why are you so naughty!?"
Valentine moved close to her ear as he whispered, "Because I love you so dearly," before blowing a wisp of hot air into her ears, causing them to turn bright red in colour.
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Within the thickness of night, leaning against a tree, Annette's deep-azure iris' glowed as she gazed up at the cozy, warm wooden homely house, before letting out a sigh, "Why must we leave?"
Next to her, was a mysterious man shrouded in swirling clouds of darkness, his bright pale-blue iris' glowing in the dark.
"It is not the safest option to stay here, while you daydream about this young child." The shrouded man gravely remarked.
Annette glared back at the shrouded man, as she quietly threatened, "If you do not allow me to stay here for a week longer at least, I will starve myself to death!"
The shrouded man could not help but let out a sigh, as he conceded, "A week it will be." before sharply adding, "But if complications do arise, you have to promise me, that you will listen to me, did I make myself clear?"
Annette snickered slightly as she gazed at Yuzhen's bedroom window, "Yes brother."
Gazing at his bewitched little sister, he curiously asked, "Why did you give them all our food?"
A sorrowful glint flickered in Annette's glowing eyes as she looked down at her flat stomach and began gently caressing it, before quietly whispering, "I heard the cries of a pitiful baby," turning her gaze to her brother, she simply stated, "Brother, he is my child, I know it. I can feel it."
The shrouded man gazed solemnly into his pitiful little sister's eyes as he stated, "He is not your child. He has a family."
Annette bit her lips softly, as she wondered, "What if he no longer had a family?"
The shrouded man's pale-blue iris' glowed even brighter, as he solemnly stated, "We will not harm the innocent."
Annette shot a sharp glare at her brother as she snidely remarked, "But brother, have you not killed many innocents yourself? Why can't I?"
The shrouded man's gaze softened, as he slowly walked towards his sister, causing her to step back in slight surprise.
The shrouded man knelt in front of her, as he held her hand and softly caressed it, "Your hands must stay clean, for an increasing burden on the heart and mind, will only ruin your future," as he added, "Mine on the other hand, will stay heartless and tainted — for you."
Feeling ashamed of her self-centeredness, she kneeled down and hugged her brother, "Forgot what I said, okay? I just..."
The shrouded man gently caressed her snowy white hair as he whispered into he ear, "No matter what you think or do, I will never put the blame on you, only my own inadequacy."
Separating himself from his sister, the shrouded man hid behind the tree, as he closed his eyes and carefully listened to his surroundings. While his sister smiled at him, before once more, leaning at the side of the tree, gazing up longingly at Yuzhen's bedroom window.
The glowing white moon which hung high above in the night sky had finally reached its highest point, as from the southern-horizon, an encroaching darkness can be seen creeping up upon the lands which came in it's way.
Once it reached the Annette and the shrouded man, it did nothing except cause their glowing iris' to turn even brighter, as the clouds that were swirling around the shrouded man both expanded and compressed, as if it were a beating heart.
Yet, once it reached the outer-perimeter of the flat, tall mountain which the Salutis' house was situated on, a transparent barrier had suddenly lit up as it illuminated a soft purple aura to its surroundings, causing the darkness which was previously about to forcibly run up the mountain, to dissipate.
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