Volume 1: Chapter 1: The Enigmatic Sage of Epochs_The Eye of Fate: Thoth’s Revelation

Volume 1: Chapter 1: The Enigmatic Sage of Epochs

Night descends upon the world of Inversa. A shroud of smog blankets the city, dimming the lights and creating an ominous atmosphere. Three moons loom in the sky (white, red and blue hues), their pale glow struggling to penetrate the haze. The moon with blue hue stands out with a noticeable fracture.

Below the sky is a chaotic city. In the heart of the tumultuous city, a TV reporter stands amidst the chaos, delivering the news. "Good evening. Vanessa Turner here, reporting exclusive from the turbulent streets. Tonight, we face the harsh reality of our city under the smog-filled night sky. This world is confronted with a series of challenges. The fear is palpable in every alley and on every face. let's break down the problems one by one.

1. World War 4: Inversa is in the midst of a devastating global conflict, causing widespread destruction, displacement, and fear among its inhabitants.

2. Resources Depletion: The reckless exploitation of natural resources over an extended period has led to scarcity, affecting the environment and the daily lives of people.

3. Pollution: The air and water in Inversa are heavily polluted, leading to adverse health effects and contributing to the overall degradation of the environment.

4. Smog: The night sky is obscured by a thick layer of smog, a consequence of industrial activities and pollution, impacting visibility and air quality.

5. Global Warming: Human activities have accelerated global warming, resulting in altered weather patterns, rising temperatures, desertification and other climate-related challenges.

6. Ozone Depletion: The protective ozone layer is thinning, exposing Inversa to harmful ultraviolet rays, leading to increased health risks.

7. Radiation: Nuclear activities have unleashed radiation, posing health hazards and leaving areas contaminated.

8. Famine: Inversa is grappling with a shortage of food, leading to hunger and desperation among its population.

9. Man-made Diseases: Unchecked global interconnectedness and questionable practices have led to the spread of diseases with human origins, causing widespread health crises.

10. Corruption: Corruption has infiltrated various aspects of society, affecting governance, public services, and exacerbating existing challenges.

11. Cruelty: Acts of cruelty have become commonplace, contributing to a culture of fear, rape, mistrust, and violence.

As we witness the scenes of chaos unfold in this city, one can't help but ponder the gravity of our situation. Are we on the precipice of an irreversible catastrophe? Is our world going to end?"

*****

In a lavishly furnished room, an old man in a well-worn suit watches the news on TV. The report concludes with a troubling question. He turns off the TV and leans back, deep in thought.

"Knock, knock”, came the sound at the door.

"Come in".

"Click!” His secretary entered, walking towards his table.

"Sir, all the leaders are gathering.”

“Hmm,” nods thoughtfully.

He rises from the plush chair with a determined expression on his face, and heads towards the door. The secretary follows closely behind.

The old man strode through the corporate building's sterile corridors. His secretary, trailed behind quietly. They reached an unremarkable elevator and entered without exchanging words. The descent was uneventful, the elevator doors open to an underground research facility. White-coated scientists moved purposefully as they walked through dimly lit halls.

The old man approached a secure chamber labeled ‘Nexus Hub.’

"Swish...," pushing the door with a soft swish, the old man stepped into a vast chamber pulsating with activity.

“Click, click”

“Tap, Tap”

"Hum, hum,"

"Whir, whir"

They were met with the low hum of machinery. Scientists and data analysts moved in focused urgency, their eyes glued to screens and fingers dancing across keyboards.

He observed the organized chaos of data streaming in from the orbiting satellites as the old man traversed the bustling room to the far end of the chamber.

A colossal TV screen stood against the wall, broadcasting real-time footage from satellites in orbit. Before it, an elliptical table with 23 seats commanded attention. People of varying ages and genders filled 22 seats.

With a measured pace, the old man approached the eclipse table. Twenty-two faces turned to acknowledge his arrival.

These 23 figures held a diverse collection of titles—corporates, politicians, underworld dons, military heads, researchers. Each a master of their domain, they wielded power that resonated beyond the confines of the room.

He took his place at the table joining the assembly. Leaning back in his chair, he surveyed the gathered individuals. With calm authority, he inquired, "What is the current status?"

"The key has been analyzed, and we're currently awaiting satellite data." A corporate titan responded.

"What about other issues?"

"Our pressing concern revolves around a potential threat,” A stern-faced military figure spoke. “A spy has managed to escape our secure labs, and the extent of the information he carries remains unknown. As a precaution, we've sealed off all possible exit routes, but we need a swift resolution".

"When we have rats in our house, we have many ways to deal with them. We could poison them, set traps, or smoke them out. However, it is too tedious and a waste of our precious time. Why don’t we just burn the house? We have too many of them anyway."

"Understood."

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“Any other?”

"The vermin in the prisons have perished. We require additional specimens." A biomedical researcher adds.

"We have an abundance of cockroaches and insects crawling in the streets. Considering the current state of the world, you can collect as many as needed. Nevertheless, ensure verification through the local database to avoid possible repercussions."

“Yes” The researcher nods.

"Tap, tap," Just when they finished discussing various issues, the lead scientist, a man in his 50s, with graying hair and weathered features approached the table.

"How much time is still required?" the old man enquired.

"We're in the final stages. It should take a few more minutes."

“Hmm,” the old man nods and leans back.

"Hmmmm..." The hum of machinery intensifies then drops in few moments.

"Data received from the satellite!" one of the analysts shouts.

A brief ripple of excitement passed through the room.

"Proceed to analyze the data." The lead scientist instructed.

And the analysts immediately got to work. Keyboards clacked; screens flickered.

“Click, click”

“Tap, Tap”

"Hum, hum"

The 23 figures, waited with bated breath. The hum of anticipation was punctuated by the sounds of systems at work. After a period of quiet, the system sounds indicated that the data had been analyzed.

"Data verified!" An analyst shouted.

"Start input into the satellite for live footage."

"Beep!"

But the attempt to retrieve live footage hit an unforeseen snag. An array of errors blinked on the screens, casting a momentary shadow over the eager faces of the 23 individuals.

“Calculate the interference error, recalibrate, and input new settings to the system." Lead scientist instructed after some contemplation.

The scientists delved into recalculations. After a brief period, one of them shouted, "Calculations are done!"

"New data received! Inputting values!" A person monitoring the satellite systems shouted.

After some tense waiting, the system alert signaled success. "Ding! Success confirmed."

"It's a success!" Everyone in the room couldn't contain the excitement and shouted.

Excitement rippled through the assembly of 23 individuals.

"We're displaying the footage on the large screen!" A scientist shouted joyfully.

The TV displayed a big island country in the middle of the ocean. Everyone in the room is amazed by what they are seeing. It was so impressive that it left them all in awe.

"Congratulations, to you and your team, this is a remarkable achievement", with an excited voice, the old man congratulated the lead scientist for the success.

"Yes, thank you.” the lead scientist acknowledged with excitement. “But this might not have been possible without the help of our genius colleague. If not for the key, this endeavor might have taken even longer."

The old man nodded and turned his gaze towards the 30-year-old, crazy-looking scientist seated in front of the computer among the others.

"This is a great discovery!” A woman among the 23 individuals exclaimed with excitement. “With this, we can have the secrets to eternal youth."

"We can finally get our hands on the ancient knowledge. We can dominate the entire world." Another person chimed in.

"But the most important and practical benefit, regardless of whether the knowledge and eternal youth exist or not, is that we have access to a clean and safe environment for our safety in this apocalyptic period." Yet another added.

"We need to immediately send the military to subjugate the locals of the island if anyone exists." Another individual suggested.

"No, it is not good to dive into the unknown.” the lead scientist interrupted. “The location is covered in interference. It is also possible that any of our current network and communications may not work in that area. Even now we are only able to get general location of the island and outline of the geography. We are unable to probe into the island. This is also the reason why no one was able to find the island country for all these years. If not for the key and knowledge we collected from the older noble families and a risky decision to spend lots of money and time, we might not have been able to find this place."

"Beep! " Just then, an alert sounded.

"What's happening?" The old man frowned.

"We just lost all communications from satellites." Someone cried.

"What? How is that possible?" One of the scientists exclaimed.

"Everyone, calm down.” The lead scientist commanded. “Let's analyze what went wrong first before we panic."

"This is unexpected. It happened much faster than anticipated." The lead scientist mutters to himself after checking the systems.

The old man enquired, "Any idea what caused it?"

"Inversa has lost all network communications through satellites. This is an anticipated situation due to resources depletion. The world can no longer sustain the satellites and outer space activities. It's fortunate that we completed our task before this happened. We can't rely on them anymore. Luckily, we finished our task before this happened. We need to find alternative ways to communicate. May be short ranged communications. We're on our own now.”

"What do we do now?"

People in the room lean in, listening closely.

The lead scientist contemplates for some time and suggests, "Without GPS, we're going to do things the old-fashioned way. We'll use helicopters, boats or other vehicles to send our smart scientists to find the island manually. We'll make a device using the key to detect the location based on its waves. It's risky to take the key with us, but we don't have time to think twice. It's our only choice now. Once we get a general direction of the island, we can pinpoint the location. This gives us enough time to prepare for the subjugation. The key's waves will guide us; we just need to act swiftly."

"We approve your plan of action." The old man approved and the other 22 individuals nodded in agreement.

“Hmm” the lead scientist nods.

The room fell into a thoughtful silence as everyone kept watching the image last taken from the satellite.

"It really is a miracle." the lead scientist smiled and started sharing his musings.

All the people in the room turned to the lead scientist as he continued

“I wonder how he did it. He created this island country approximately 5000 years ago, said to be a phenomenal genius in astronomy, medicine, alchemy, mathematics, physics, and many other fields. I wonder, why did he create this island? How did he craft the interference that hid it from the outside world for all these years? If he had created something this phenomenal, why keep it hidden? If he wanted to hide it, why send a key to the outside world through the ocean? How did he predict the key would reach the land instead of sinking into the waters? I wonder what kind of individual he is. How does this world look through his eyes? Sometimes, I wonder if he sent this key as salvation this world which is facing its end. But how did he predict the timing of the apocalypse? Is he even human? Just thinking about him sends shivers down my spine.”

"The Enigmatic Sage of Epochs: Arion Thoth Arcturus"

When this name of the sage is mentioned, the crazy scientist in his thirties, who had been absorbed in his work, flinches and stops momentarily. A contemplative hush descends upon the room as everyone processes the weight of the name.

The old man upon listening to the lead scientist, gazes upon the key which is placed in a middle of the room. The key being referred to is shaped like a cross with a loop at the top. Resembling the cross with a loop. The key seems to be made up of emerald.

After a moment, he smiles and says, “This is almost like an invitation. I wonder who he is inviting to his abode? For whom the sage of epochs is waiting for?"

The room lingers in thoughtful anticipation.

*****

At the same time, in the midst of the chaotic city under the moons, a figure clad in black clothes moves with agile grace, a flowing coat billowing behind. The hood of the attire obscures the face, and a black pollution mask conceals any discernible features. Yet, the eyes, piercing and untainted, shine through the darkness, pure, captivating and alluring. The boy swiftly navigates through narrow alleys and chaotic streets. In his hands is a bag clutched tightly. The boy deftly adjusts the strap of his bag, effortlessly slinging it over his shoulder. Some rough-looking people are chasing him, shouting loudly and shooting guns and throwing objects at him. Despite the chaos, the boy remains focused, he dodges through alleys and streets, trying to escape from the pursuing group of thugs.

Volume 1: Chapter 1: The Enigmatic Sage of Epochs

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