“You will be given the option to reach Omicron, a planet in the Delphi Apollo star system, neighbouring our own solar neighbourhood. Should you choose this option, you will first be granted the power of Ahura Mazda. Upon reaching there, you will not be a human being any longer, you will be something like one of our kin--”
“S-Stop! Don’t… just… just let me… stop it...”
Rita falls to her knees, feeling overloaded with information. She places her right palm over her eyes. Tears well up as she recalls the memory of her brother Ajax. A kind older brother. A man who would do anything to see her happy, to see his family happy.
Ajax and Rita’s parents used to work all the time and her father was in another city trying to provide them a secure, middle-class life. But Ajax was always there. He valued their relationship deeply.
He would always be with her, he would always spend time making her happy. He would always impart what he knew to her so that she wouldn't make the same mistakes he had made, so that she could live even better than he was currently living.
Then... he died. He was lost forever. Their family received a five million dollar settlement from the government for his death in the supposed terrorist incident. His father was eventually placed into a mental hospital after entering a deep depression.
His mother who had worked hard to keep Rita happy even through the loss of her son eventually also succumbed to the tragedy and sought long term psychiatric counseling.
Even Shaula had died. Rita loved Shaula too. They had both died together.
Anahita doesn't speak; she allows some time for Rita to process the situation.
Rita continues thinking about the information she has just been given by her. He was dead. For thirteen years, she believed that he was dead. Facing the loss of the person she loved the most was the hardest thing she has ever done.
But now... now, she's been given the knowledge that he’s alive. His death was a cover-up, an excuse to… unify humanity.
Even now, Rita lives in the world that was fashioned by Ahura Mazda and his servants. A new world where hunger, poverty, homelessness, inequity, colonialism and exploitation were replaced by their opposites.
A world where humanity became united according to their true purposes. Those parasites who had exploited their fellow man were excised and crucified before the whole world. Justice was given, true justice the likes of which has never been imparted since the world’s creation.
A world where Zoroastrianism has replaced Christianity, Islam and most other religions as the dominant faith, a world where even Rita worships Ahura Mazda as the provider of their blessings.
Ahura Mazda is the one who the righteous world leaders who brought about humanity’s revolution all worship.
Rita lifts her head. She stares at Anahita.
This is… Anahita… one of...
“Are you… Anahita, the embodiment of divine water? Are you that Yazata?”
“Well... it’s a little more complicated like that. Just think of me as... the current generation’s Anahita.”
“But… no, no, wait… how can… how can I believe what you’re telling me? That you’re truly one of the Yazatas? That Ajax is still alive? Do you have any… any evidence of it?”
Anahita frowns.
“I’m afraid not. But, surely you’re one of our believers, right? You’re in our most sacred place of worship right now. That throne over there is the designated seat of Ahura Mazda, my father.”
“No! Belief is one thing but you’re really in front of me… you’re really… you’re really here… just tell me. Do you have any proof that Ajax is alive? Even the slightest thing at all?”
“No. We do not. Photography of the scene at the moment of summoning was not possible. Long distance recording wasn’t set up to witness the summoning’s acceleration and transport...”
Rita lowers her head. It feels as if her hopes have been dashed. Can she truly believe this person? No, she--
“But… it’s not like I need you to believe me… That’s not what matters here.”
“...Huh?”
“Well, all I really need is your confirmation. I will present you with a scenario: If you were given the knowledge that your brother Ajax Leonid was still alive, would you consent to reunite with him even if it meant being temporarily separated from your parents? If someone could take you to Ajax, would you allow them to? Would you take the option or would you remain here?”
“I-I don’t--”
“Just think about it. Do you wish to see him again? Do you wish to reunite with him? Haven’t you been thinking about him all this time? Haven’t you been visiting his empty grave every weekend since you were a teenager? Don’t you cry at least once a month because your brother is no longer with you? In your deepest moment of sadness, isn’t your sadness made deeper because your brother isn’t there to help you through it? In your deepest moment of joy, isn’t your joy dulled because your brother can’t celebrate it with you? Your best friend. The centre of your entire life as a young child. A being so important to you that you would rather it have been you who died instead of him. Am I wrong?”
Rita’s heart is bared so easily.
Her life has never been the same since her brother left this world… her parents have suffered greatly. She lost the ability to successfully form relationships because of how randomly he was taken from her.
She became afraid that everyone would eventually be taken from her. In the end, her parents were also changed beyond recognition. Their hearts were broken beyond repair. She felt their souls deform over time as they continued to deal with Ajax’s death.
“How? How can you know all that? How closely have you been spying on me?”
“Well, Ana, I’ve always been by your side. There has never been a moment where you have left my sight. My job has always been to protect you. In fact… It was I who asked my father to grant you this option. As powerful as my father is, he cannot repair the human heart after the loss of someone most precious to them. But, certain technological advances have been made over the years since Ajax has been summoned and we can send you to him without the need for a receiving circle on the other end. Once I became aware that it was feasible to help you reunite with Ajax and Shaula, I begged my father to make it happen.”
“Shaula too?”
“Yes, she’s with him in that world as well. Both Ajax and Shaula are special in very similar ways… If you meet Ajax, you’ll meet Shaula as well.”
“...if I can reunite with them by going to where they are… What happens to my family?”
“Ah, willing to give it a chance? Well, I can assure you, my father has made a solemn vow to Ajax to ensure your survival and the survival of your parents and grandparents. They won’t even die from disease or old age. My brother Atar is looking after them as we speak.”
Do these beings truly have the power to make this happen? Their father… Ahura Mazda, right? Would he… would he do such a thing?
"Ana. If you could reunite with Ajax... would you do it? The question is as simple as that. If you could meet him once again, would you? Would you do it?"
Rita starts to feel anxiety. She doesn't understand this situation. She can’t believe Anahita. Not really. She believes Ahura Mazda is real, she has faith he is protecting her and her family but... she had pictured something different.
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But she knows that one thing is clear. Only one thing.
"Yes. If I could meet Ajax again, I would meet him again. He's my brother. I love him. I want to see how he's living. I want to see if he's alright. I want to help him through his fears… I want him to help me through mine. I want to share his happiness and joy. He’s… he only has Shaula there, he’s been separated from his family. I want to see if I can help him. I unquestionably would meet him again. But... can you really do it? Can you really--"
"No more questions. That's all that needs to be said. We will send you to meet with him. So long as you wish to meet him, he will be there to meet you."
Suddenly, the room changes to a space of pitch black. The throne disappears as if mixing into the black. But still, Rita can still see the form of Anahita before her. Something else as well.
Three eyes appear next to where Anahita is standing, seemingly in the middle of empty space floating at eye level. They consist of a normal pair of human eyes with black irises.
The third eye is a vertically aligned eye with black sclera, white iris and blood-red pupil, positioned at the forehead of the two eyes (if the eyes were actually placed on a forehead rather than floating in pitch black space).
Even without any sources of light, their bodies are clearly visible. A truly eerie sight.
Rita’s anxiety shoots up at the sight of them. Anahita gestures to the eyes.
“This is my father Ahura Mazda. After the children were transported, he assumed his position as the supreme ruler of humanity. It was by his will that all wars were stopped, world hunger was rectified and the execution of the truly rotten parts of society took place. Your own transport will start now. Father, you may start the ritual of water.”
As Anahita speaks, the three eyes close and disappear. At the moment of their disappearance, the black space flashes completely white for an instant before returning to black.
Rita’s fear towards the unknown entity is replaced by… happiness. She smiles brightly. She doesn’t want to believe it. She doesn’t want to give herself false hope. But...
I’ll… I’ll be able to meet him again. I’ll be able to see him again. All the pain I’ve felt… It’ll be gone. I’ll be... happy again...
Anahita continues speaking while enjoying Rita’s splendid expression of joy.
“Once my father returns from the start of the ritual of water, he will grant you his power so that you can survive the harsh environment of that world. As a result of his protection, you won't be able to die even if you wish to, even if your heart is crushed or you're beheaded. You will still feel physical pain however and depending on which power he gives you, it might take longer for you to heal from injuries. Your body will still be physical as well so if nerves are severed or blood doesn't circulate to the body parts, you can lose their function temporarily. However, your brain will still be conscious even in the worst of non-head injuries. If however your brain is destroyed, you'll forget who you are until your brain completely heals. However, even if you're reduced to dust, so long as your soul isn't destroyed, you will reform. Furthermore, you will not be affected by disease, poison or chemical agents of any kind and you won't need to eat, drink, sleep or expel waste. Additionally, radiation, temperature, electricity or extreme magnetic fields won't affect you even in the slightest. You could technically even walk on the surface of the sun if the gravity wouldn’t shred you apart.”
Rita listens carefully to Anahita’s explainer without speaking. But Anahita, the Yazata Anahita, has revealed something interesting.
“Are… Are Ajax and Shaula like this right now? Unable to die...”
“Yes. Furthermore, they each have two of my father’s most basic abilities which complement each other quite nicely. They are currently immortal beings who wouldn't die even if their physical bodies were ripped apart. It was the least my father could do for sending them away without their consent.”
That last part was especially important. Rita had considered it but didn’t want to believe it. Would Ajax have left her alone without saying anything because he wanted to? Because there was something in it for him?
No… he wouldn’t… Rita feels contentness hearing this confirmation. He still values his family. He still loves her.
“Why did you send him there? The students--”
“The explanation for that is difficult to give to a human. My father couldn’t really explain it to Ajax when he talked with him either. Just know that it was completely necessary. Your brother and Shaula herself are both extremely special individuals.”
“...”
That doesn’t give Rita any solace.
“How many have you sent over?”
“About 300 students.”
“So… that means that the rest of the people in the area of that ‘transportation’ were...”
“They were vaporized. The ritual of water and the ritual of fire were prerequisites for the summoning and the summoning could not take place at any other day, time or location I’m afraid.”
“Are… Are my parents going to be offered this option? Can they come with me?”
“It isn’t feasible. Their bodies are not capable of surviving the strain of assimilating my father’s blood. Furthermore, their bodies without the blessing would be unable to complete the transfer process.”
“Wait. You said earlier that Ajax only landed over there today or whatever, right? Thirteen whole years after he was--”
“Yes, think of it like they’ve been frozen in space while making the journey over thirteen light years. At the time, we didn’t have the technology to warp space to allow their journey to occur faster.”
“Does that mean that now--”
“It won’t take you thirteen years to reach there. We have gained the technology to create a warp system. The advances possible through humanity are wondrous if they’re unified. The system allows us to shrink the space between earth and the planet of Omicron slightly. The system isn’t perfected yet but at this rate, we’ll be able to send you to their world in five years rather than thirteen. Basically, to Ajax and Shaula, you will arrive five years after they’ve arrived.”
“...Ok. I think I get it.”
Ahura Mazda reappears.
“THE RITUAL OF WATER HAS STARTED. YOU WILL REACH THE WORLD OF OMICRON SHORTLY.”
Rita feels a weird sensation as the being speaks to her. Two distinct voices, one in her head and one in her ears...
This is… this is my god… This is the god I worship… Ahura Mazda...
“RITA, BEFORE YOU LEAVE FOR THIS WORLD, I WILL GRANT YOU MY POWER. BEFORE I GRANT IT TO YOU, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?”
“...Will anyone be hurt from sending me to Ajax? Like when--”
“NO, RITA. THE SPACE AROUND THE TEMPLE HAS BEEN CLEARED FOR 15 KILOMETRES. UNLIKE YOUR BROTHER’S SUMMONING, THERE IS MORE FREEDOM TO DETERMINE THE TRANSFER LOCATION. WE WERE ABLE TO FIND THIS UNINHABITED LOCATION TO PERFORM THE SUMMONING RITUAL NEAR, A LOCATION IN MY COUNTRY. NO ONE WILL BE HARMED TO SEND YOU THERE. IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING, YOU WILL BE DROPPED CLOSE TO AJAX AND SHAULA AT LEAST WITHIN A KILOMETRE OF WHERE THEY ARE ON OMICRON’S SURFACE. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, MY CHILD?”
“...No, my Lord. Nothing else right now.”
“THEN, I WILL GRANT YOU MY POWER. RITA, I WISH FOR YOU TO TAKE MY RIGHT EYE. REACH OUT YOUR HAND AND GRAB IT. ONCE IT IS IN YOUR HAND, CONSUME IT.”
“Father, are you sure about this? This action might--”
“YES, IT MIGHT HAVE A DEEPER CONSEQUENCE THAN OFFERING MY BLOOD. BUT, I HAVE GAINED SIGNIFICANT POWER SINCE CONVERTING THE WORLD TO WORSHIP ME. THIS WILL BE MY GIFT TO HER… I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REACH YOU IN THAT WORLD, RITA. I BID YOU GOOD LUCK IN YOUR SEARCH FOR THEM. MAY YOU RECEIVE EVERYTHING YOU WISHED FOR.”
“Y-Yes, my Lord.”
Without thinking about anything further except for her soon-to-be reunion with Ajax, Rita reaches for Ahura Mazda’s right eye, floating in pitch black space.
She feels it in her hand. It feels ghostly, too ethereal to be a real human eye. But it still has a weight in her hands.
Without even thinking, she places it in her mouth and consumes it--
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A room. A room unknown to the woman lying inside, on the bed. Windowless.
A man waits at the entrance to the room, his face covered by a helmet. He gestures to someone else in the room. A woman sitting to the side who is wearing a beautiful blue dress.
They converse in a language the woman on the bed doesn’t understand. A language she has never even heard before. A language that doesn’t sound like any language she has heard before...
Her lips and mouth are dry. It feels like she’s been asleep for a long time. Too long.
Where was I? I was… just… in the classroom… the world started to… catch fire… oh my god. Where--
The woman abruptly sits up from the bed. She notices she’s in different clothes than she had been in while in the classroom with her students.
She examines her hands. Her body. She hasn’t been burned. She hasn’t been harmed in any way in fact. She doesn’t feel soreness, bruising, pain of any kind…
How could that be possible?
The classroom had been engulfed in flames… everyone in the classroom… Is this… Is this heaven? Hell?
The woman lying on the bed looks at the woman next to her. The woman next to her has ice blonde hair and an expression of pure joy on her face.
“Where am I? Who are you?”
The woman speaks but it doesn’t get through. Meanwhile, the man in armour exits the room.
“Where are… where are my students? Where are they? How did… How did we live through that? The fire...”
The woman next to her doesn’t understand. Her smile doesn’t waver. It’s creepy.
“M-My name is Christa Rowfield, who are you?”